Friday, February 28, 2025

Is it healthy or unhealthy drinking a glass of beer every day?

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Potential Health Benefits (If consumed in moderation):

  1. Heart Health – Some studies suggest moderate alcohol consumption (like one glass of beer per day) may help reduce the risk of heart disease.
  2. Rich in Nutrients – Beer contains B vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals like potassium and magnesium.
  3. Bone Health – Beer has silicon, which may support bone strength.
  4. Improved Digestion – Some beers contain prebiotics that promote gut health.

Potential Health Risks (If consumed regularly):

  1. Liver Damage – Even small amounts of alcohol can strain the liver over time.
  2. Weight Gain – Beer has empty calories, which may lead to weight gain.
  3. Increased Cancer Risk – Regular alcohol consumption is linked to a higher risk of certain cancers.
  4. Mental Health Effects – Daily alcohol intake can contribute to dependency or mood changes.
  5. Increased Blood Pressure – Long-term alcohol consumption may lead to high blood pressure.

Final Verdict

  • If consumed occasionally and in moderation (one small glass per day for men, slightly less for women), beer may have some benefits.
  • However, daily consumption is not recommended as it can increase health risks over time.
  • A healthier choice would be to drink in moderation only on special occasions rather than daily.

What has been your most expensive travel mistake and what did you learn from it?

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About two weeks ago, I arrived in Bali with a 30 day visa. At the airport, the customs officer told me I could extend it to a 60-day visa later, if I wanted to. I thought that I would probably be doing that.

But instead, I found myself leaving Bali after only 13 days.

I wasn't deported or anything like that, and I didn't get in any trouble. A week from now, I will be back there, riding my scooter, getting a tan and drinking healthy green juices.

But I made a few little mistakes that ended up turning into a bigger problem.

First, I got into a scooter crash at about 4am on the road. I wasn't intoxicated, I had my helmet on, and I wasn't driving like a lunatic. But Indonesian drivers are something else, I'll tell you. I was checking the GPS on my phone, which was mounted to my handlebars, when another bike came out of nowhere. I turned too fast to avoid him, and ended up hitting a concrete barrier that separated the lanes of the freeway. I flipped over the barrier, onto the other road, and slid for about 5 metres. My shorts were shredded to pieces, but my injuries were mostly minor.

I had road rash all the way down my right leg, and a very deep wound on my shin. The road rash healed itself within a few days, but the 24-hour clinic I went to was not very good, in my opinion. They gave me some antibiotics, cleaned the wound and didn't stitch it.

They said it didn't need stitching. Of course, that was wrong, but I'm not the type of person who tells doctors that I think I know better than them.

By the time I sought out a second opinion, it had become the kind of wound that you can't stitch with a local anaesthetic. They said they would have to knock me out entirely, and do a full surgery.

I asked what it would cost, considering that I had forgotten to get travel insurance. They said it would cost over $9,000 Australian dollars.

At that point, it was cheaper for me to fly back to Australia, get free treatment there, and then fly back to Bali. So that’s what I did. I only just arrived back yesterday.

Moral of the story? Never forget your travel insurance. 

Resolving Conflict

February 28, 2025
Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Readings for Today

Jacob Jordaens, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Video

Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom, he again taught them. The Pharisees approached him and asked, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” They were testing him. Mark 10:1–2

Notice the contrast above. The crowds gathered around Jesus to listen to Him. Clearly, they were coming to faith. But the Pharisees came to Jesus to test Him. They did not come in faith; they came with jealousy and envy and were already seeking to trap Him. The question they proposed was a trick question, not an honest attempt at communication with our Lord. They presumed that however Jesus answered the question, some people would be offended. The Pharisees were ready to stir things up, since so many were flocking to Jesus. Also, the Pharisees wanted to find fault with Jesus’ answer so as to show that He opposed the Law of Moses. But Jesus’ answer was perfect.

Much could be said about the content of Jesus’ answer. He clearly supports the indissolubility of marriage. He states that “what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” He adds: “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” For those who have suffered through a divorce, it is important to prayerfully ponder this teaching from our Lord. It is also important to work with the Church Tribunal to examine the marriage in the light of truth so that a determination can be made about the validity or invalidity of the marriage bond. With that said, the approach that both the crowds and the Pharisees took toward Jesus also teaches us an important lesson about communication, not only with God but also with one another. This is a lesson that is especially important for married couples to learn.

Think about your own approach to communication. When you struggle with conflict with another, how do you resolve it? How do you bring your questions and concerns to your spouse? The crowds came to Jesus to listen and understand. The reward was the gift of faith in that they received a deeper knowledge of Who Jesus was. The Pharisees, however, came to Jesus with the intent of finding fault with Him. And though it is obviously foolish to take this approach with our Lord, it is also foolish to do so with another, especially a spouse.

Use the above approaches of the crowds and the Pharisees to think about how you come to others with your questions and concerns. When there is some conflict or misunderstanding, do you come with an open mind and heart, seeking to understand and resolve the question? Or do you come with a loaded question so as to trap and find fault with the other? So many conflicts in life with others, especially among spouses, could be resolved if the goal of any conversation was simply to understand the other person, not trap them or find fault with them. This is hard for many people to do and requires much humility and openness.

Reflect, today, upon any relationship with which you are currently struggling. Reflect, especially, upon whether your approach to communication with that person is more like the crowds or more like the Pharisees. Commit yourself to the approach of seeking open and honest communication and you will find that this commitment brings true resolution, peace and unity.

Lord of all truth, You desire that I always come to You with sincerity, honesty and humility, seeking resolution to every internal question and conflict I face. You call me to approach others with this same depth of communication. Give me the grace to always seek the unity and truth that result in peace of mind and heart. Jesus, I trust in You.

Thursday, February 27, 2025

Increase Your Knowledge!

*Increase Your Knowledge! DID YOU KNOW*❓

1) Birds don’t urinate.

2) Horses and cows sleep while standing up.

3) The bat is the only mammal that can fly. The leg bones of a bat are so thin that no bat can walk.

4) Even when a snake has its eyes closed, it can still see through its eyelids.

5) Despite the white, fluffy appearance of the Polar Bear's fur, it actually has black skin.

6) The average housefly only lives for 2 or 3 weeks.

7) For every human in the world there are one million ants.

😎 A small amount of alcohol placed on a scorpion will make it go crazy and sting itself to death!

9) Alligators and sharks can live up to 100 years.

10) A honeybee has two stomachs- one for honey, one for food.

11) Elephants weigh less than the tongue of a blue whale. The heart of a blue whale is the size of a car.

12) Blue whales are the largest creature to ever roam the Earth.

13) A cockroach can survive for about a week without its head before dying of starvation.

14) When a dolphin is sick or injured, its cries of distress summon immediate aid from other dolphins, which try to support it to the surface so that it can breathe.

15) A snail can sleep for 3 years.

16) The fastest bird, the spine-tailed swift, can fly as fast as 106mph. (Peregrine falcon is actually 174km /hr or 108mph)

17) A cow gives nearly 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.

18) The leech has 32 brains.

19) The average outdoor-only cat has a lifespan of about three years. Indoor-only cats can live for sixteen years and longer.

20) Sharks are the only animals that never get sick. They are immune to every type of disease including cancer.

21) A mosquito’s proboscis has 47 sharp edges on its tip to help it cut through skin and even protective layers of clothing.

22) The human brain has memory space of over 2.5 Million Petabytes which is 2,500,500 Gigabytes

*Knowledge is key*

*What is the biological phenomenon that appears in human gradual loss of muscle mass, strength and function when they are growing older?*

This is known as *Sarcopenia*!

*Sarcopenia* is a gradual loss of muscle mass, strength and function... the loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength as a result of aging... The situation may be terrible, depends on individual.

Let's explore & analyze multiple ways to prevent *sarcopenia* thus:

1. Develop the habit, if you're able to stand... just don't sit, and don't lie down if you can sit!

2. Whenever an elderly person falls ill, and get admitted to the hospital, do not ask him/her for more rest, or to lie down, relax and/or not get out of bed... It's not helpful. Help them take a walk... Except if they lost stamina to do so.

Lying down for a week causes loss of at least 5% of muscle mass! And unfortunately, the elderly can't recover the loss muscles!

Usually, most seniors/elderly who hire assistants loses muscle faster than the active ones!

3. *Sarcopenia* is more terrifying than osteoporosis!

With osteoporosis, one just need to be careful not to fall, while sarcopenia not only affects the quality of life but also causes high blood sugar due to insufficient muscle mass!

4. The fastest loss of muscles (atrophy) is through idleness in muscles of the legs...

Because when in sitting or lying position, the legs do not move, and the strength of the muscles of the legs are directly affected... This is especially important to pay unto utmost attention!

Going up and down stairs... walking, running and cycling are all great exercises, and can increase muscle mass!

For a better quality of life at old age... Move... & don't waste your muscles!!

Aging starts from the feet upwards!

Keep your legs active and strong!!

▪️ As we grow older on a daily basis, our feet should always stay active and strong.

If you don't move your legs for just 2 weeks, your real leg strength will decrease by 10 years.

Therefore, *regular exercises such as walking, cycling etc. are very important*.

The feet are a kind of columns that bear the entire weight of the human body.... So,

*_Walk every day!_*

Credits goes to the respective author ♥️


The strangest marriage in the world

The strangest marriage in the world was in the 80s, the Swiss Corina Hoffman, on a visit to Kenya : In 1986, Hofmann and her boyfriend Marco made a trip to Kenya. There, she met a Samburu warrior named Lketinga Leparmorijo and instantly found him irresistible. She left Marco, went back to Switzerland to sell her possessions, and, in 1987, returned to Kenya, determined to find Lketinga, which she eventually did. The couple moved in together, married, and had a daughter.

Hofmann moved into her mother-in-law's manyatta (compound) and learned to live as a Samburu woman, fetching wood and water. She opened a small shop in the village, to sell basic goods. Hofmann suffered several hardships, including diseases (mainly malaria) and marital problems. Increasingly paranoid jealousy from her husband, possibly a side effect of his addıction to the drug khat (miraa), severely damaged her relationship, and in 1990 she decided to return to Switzerland for good, taking her daughter with her. Later on, she wrote a book about her experiences. The book, titled Die weisse Massai, became a phenomenal success. It has been translated into several languages, and in 2005, made into an eponymous movie starring Nina Hoss and Jacky Ido.

She returned to visit her Samburu family for the first time in 2004. Another visit followed, this time in the company of the daughter she had with Lketinga. The reunion is described in Africa, meine Passion.

Who is the most mysterious Hollywood actor?

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The actor Gene Hackman was pretty mysterious. As a young man he was roommates with Dustin Hoffman, and the two were voted “least likely to succeed” in their acting class, something that amused the two men greatly as both went on to win Oscars. Announcing his retirement in 2004, Hackman pretty much disappeared. Didn’t attend ceremonies, didn’t act, didn’t play role or do voice work. He just kept to himself. In his free time, he researched history and wrote three historical fiction novels.

In January 2025, Hackman quietly turned 95. Still going out, still living a peaceful and quiet life, bothering no one. He lived with his second wife, Betsy Arakawa, whom he married in 1991. The two had a dog. He had three middle aged children from his first wife, and a some grandchildren. When asked why he quit acting, he said he felt the stress wasn’t good for his heart. He also famously hated violence, and wanted no part in any violent roles any longer. Just didn’t feel right to Mr. Hackman, who was a peaceful soul despite frequently playing villainous or gruff characters.

On February 26, 2025, Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog were found dead in their home. The police did not release any cause of death for the Hackman’s and their pet. Hackman died as mysteriously as he lived. At the blessed age of 95. Hollywood just lost another legend.