WORDS OF WISDOM, THESE!

You probably heard some of them before – from your parents, friends, teachers, and counselors. Or, you might have read a few of them from books, newspapers, magazines, and the Holy Bible. Or, you got the idea from listening to music and watching movies and television talk shows. Now, read them all over again:

Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds a man down or polishes him depends upon the kind of stuff he is made of. Life is also a lot like tennis – the one who can serve best seldom loses. We dribble away our life, little by little, in small packages – we don't throw it away all at once.

Learn by experience – preferably other people's. Experience is not what happens to a man, it's what a man does with what happens to him. One good reason experience is such a good teacher is that she doesn't allow any dropouts.

He who has never failed has never tried. Five rules for job failure: (1) Do only what is required; (2) Leave it till the last minute; (3) Let the mistakes go; (4) Don't listen to your conscience; and (5) Learn to be a convincing bluffer.



Think of your own faults the first part of the night when you are awake, and of the faults of others the latter part of the night when you are asleep. Most of us can live peacefully with our own faults, but the faults of others get on our nerves.



Practice what you preach. Doing right is never wrong. Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records. One-half the trouble of this life can be traced to saying "yes" to quick, and not saying "no" soon enough.



Live truth instead of professing it. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything. The man who fears no truths has nothing to fear from lies. The trouble with stretching the truth is that it's apt to snap back.



When you determine what you want, you have made the most important decision in your life. You have to know what you want in order to attain it. If you're not sure where you are going, you're liable to end up somewhere.



Trust in yourself and you are doomed to disappointment. Trust in money and you may have it taken from you. But trust in God, and you are never to be confounded in time of eternity. The greatest act of faith is when man decides he is not God.



Big people monopolize the listening. Small people monopolize the talking. A great man is always willing to be little. The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.



Don't worry about your mistakes. Making mistakes isn't stupid; disregarding them is. More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren't so busy denying them.



If you expect perfection from people, your whole life is a series of disappointments, grumblings, and complaints. If, on the contrary, you pitch your expectations low, taking folks as the inefficient creatures which they are, you are frequently surprised by having them perform better than you had hoped.



It is better to have love and lost than never to have at all. If someone loves you, your battle is a lot more than half won. Love cures people – both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it. If we do not love, we are nothing. And, if we are not loved ourselves, we are nobody.



Until you make peace with who you are, you'll never be content with what you have. Conquer yourself rather than the world. Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure. Failures want pleasing methods, successes want pleasing results.



A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits. Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done. To get through the hardest journey we need to take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping.



Lots of people limit their possibilities by giving up easily. Never tell yourself this is too much for me. It's no use. I can't go on. If you do, you're licked, and by your own thinking, too. Keep believing and keep on keeping on.



Remember to forgive – then remember to forget. A forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note, torn in two and burned up, so that it never can be shown against the man. Forgiveness is our command. Judgment is not.



The happiest people don't necessarily the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. The happy people are those who are producing something; the bored people are those who are consuming much and producing nothing.



Forget yesterday, it is already gone. Don't wait for tomorrow, it may never come. Accomplish all the things you want to do today. Do not look back and do not dream about the future. It will neither give you back the past nor satisfy your daydreams. Your duty, your reward – your destiny – are "here" and "now."



Ten rules for successful living: (1) Find your own particular talent. (2) Be big. (3) Be honest. (4) Live with enthusiasm. (5) Don't let your possessions possess you. (6) Don't worry about your problems. (7) Look up to people when you can – down to no one. (8) Don't cling to the past. (9) Assume your full share of responsibility in the world. (10) Pray consistently and confidently.



No matter what do you and where you are, life goes on. So, take it easy.

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THE LIST OF LISTS

When did the habit of listing down things or notes started? Well, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. The Bible also recorded the ten plagues that hit Egypt. There were twelve tribes of Israelites and there were also twelve disciples who accompanied Jesus Christ in His ministry.



When I was still a little boy, my mother used to make lists of the things she wanted to buy before going to the market. When I started working, I make a list of things I will do in a day or within a week (I have to check one by one those I have accomplished).



Well, lists are here to stay. And so let me share to you those I have collected through these years. I hope you will learn a lesson or two from this collection:



The 10 commandments of business: (1) Handle the hardest job first each day. Easy ones are pleasures. (2) Do not be afraid of criticism – criticize yourself often. (3) Be glad and rejoice in the other fellow's success – study his methods. (4) Do not be misled by dislikes. Acid ruins the finest fabrics. (5) Be enthusiastic – it is contagious. (6) Do not have the notion that success means simply money-making. (7) Be fair, and do at least one decent act every day. (8) Honor the chief. There must be a head to everything. (9) Have confidence in yourself; believe you can do it. (10) Harmonize your work. Let sunshine radiate and penetrate your relationships.



Ten excuses not recommended for ambitious men and women: (1) That's the way we've always done it. (2) I didn't know you were in a hurry for it. (3) That's not in my department. (4) No one told me to go ahead. (5) I'm waiting for an OK. (6) How did I know this was different? (7) That's his job, not mine. (8) Wait till the boss comes back and ask him. (9) I forgot. (10) I didn't know it was that important.



Six basic rules of decision-making: (1) State the apparent problem or situation you face. (2) Gather the facts. (3) Organize and interpret the facts. (4) State the real problem or situation. (5) Develop alternative solutions. (6) Select the most appropriate alternative.



Five rules for job failure: (1) Do only what is required. (2) Leave it till the last minute. (3) Let the mistakes go. (4) Don't listen to your conscience. (5) Learn to be a convincing bluffer.



Ten reasons for a person's unpopularity with other people: (1) Lack of dependability. (2) A tendency to exaggerate. (3) Grumpiness. (4) Sarcasm. (5) A sense of inferiority. (6) Bossiness. (7) A compulsion to "show off" in front of them. (8) Poking fun at others behind their back. (9) A desire to dominate others. (1) A tendency to criticize and find fault.



Ten tips to improve your memory: (1) Intend to remember. (2) Understand what you are trying to remember. (3) Organize what you know into meaningful patterns. (4) Become genuinely interested in what you want to remember. (5) Use as many senses as possible. (6) Associate what you want to remember with what you know. (7) If you cannot find a logical association for a new fact, invent your own. (8) If you have a great deal to remember, spread it over a few days. (9) Review what you want to remember as often as possible. (10) The best time to memorize is at night before you go to bed.



Nine rules to live longer: (1) Do not overeat. (2) Eat well-balanced, reasonably adequate meals, including fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy products. (3) When tired, irritated, or nervous, eat sparingly. (4) Eat at regular times. (5) Avoid agitation and aggravation, particularly at mealtimes. (6) Keep your blood pressure down. (7) Learn to live with life as it is. Be philosophical. (8) Avoid excessive X-rays unless absolutely necessary. (9) Exercise each day, if only by walking.



Ten rules for successful living: (1) Find your own particular talent. (2) Be big. (3) Be honest. (4) Live with enthusiasm. (5) Don't let your possessions possess you. (6) Don't worry about your problems. (7) Look up to people when you can – down to no one. (8) Don't cling to the past. (9) Assume your full share of responsibility in the world. (10) Pray consistently and confidently.



Twenty ways to be miserable in life: (1) Use "I" as often as possible. (2) Always be sensitive to slights. (3) Be jealous and envious. (4) Think only about yourself. (5) Talk only about yourself. (6) Trust no one. (7) Never forget a criticism. (8) Always expect to be appreciated. (9) Be suspicious. (10) Listen greedily to what others say of you.



(11) Always look for faults in others. (12) Do as little as possible for others. (13) Shirk your duties if you can. (14) Never forget a service you may have rendered. (15) Sulk if people aren't grateful for your favor. (16) Insist on consideration and respect. (17) Demand agreement with your own views on everything. (18) Always look for a good time. (10) Love yourself first. (20) Be selfish at all times.



Six mistakes of human beings: (1) The delusion that personal gain is made by crushing others. (2) The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected. (3) Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it. (4) Refusing to set aside trivial preferences. (5) Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit of reading and study. (6) Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.



Eleven rules in public speaking: (1) Know what you're going to say in advance. (2) Look your listeners in the eye. (3) Take your time. Talk clearly, concisely, and deliberately. (4) Use an outline instead of memorizing a speech. (5) Be constructive. Stress the merits of your viewpoint, not the flaws in someone else's. (6) Use visual aids to engage your audience's eye as well as ears, and capitalize by using gestures to emphasize important points. (7) Go beyond self-interest. Showing the audience how you can help them achieve what they want is much more effective than putting yourself in the limelight. (8) Be specific. (9) Be yourself. You can learn from others, but don't make the mistake of trying to imitate a successful speaker. (10) Use a positive approach. (11) Stop at the right time. When you sense that you have scored your points and that the audience gets the message, stop talking.

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THIS PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE

AND so it came to pass that a farmer planted three trees in his farm. Growing together, the trees talked with each other about their hopes and dreams. "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty," said the first one.



The second tree shared, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."



The third tree has this ambition, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."



Several years later, the farmer was ready to harvest his trees. "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter," the farmer said and cut it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.



To the second tree, the farmer said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." Again, the second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.



When the farmer came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. The farmer said, "I don't know what to do with this one but I still have to cut it anyway."



When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had hoped for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat; his dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark. The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.



Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.



Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.



Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus Christ had been crucified on it.



Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. "Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements," Napoleon Hill reiterated.



Years ago, while unearthing an ancient Egyptian tomb, an archaeologist came upon seeds buried in a piece of wood. Planted, the seeds realized their potential after more than 3,000 years!



"I visualized where I wanted to be, what kind of player I wanted to become," American basketball superstar Michael Jordan disclosed. "I knew exactly where I wanted to go, and I focused on getting there."



We are who we are because that is what we want ourselves to be. Some of us would to become stars but not everyone could reach the "unreachable star." If you cannot be a star, then settle just being a tree but be a tree that bears fruits. And if you can't still be a tree, then be a grass. But don't just be contented of being an ordinary grass; instead, be the best grass of all grasses.



Don't be a mediocre – even in the work you have chosen. Martin Luther King Jr. reminds, "We are challenged on every hand to work untiringly to achieve excellence in our lifework. Not all men are called to specialized or professional jobs; even fewer rise to the heights of genius in arts and sciences; many are called to be laborers in factories. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.'"



Of course, you know Pablo Picasso. At one time, his mother told him when he was still a teenager, "If you become a soldier, you'll be a general; if you become a monk, you'll end up as the Pope." Instead, he became a painter and became one of the world's greatest painters.



Our purpose in this life differs from each other. But we are the one who shape our destiny. "The human race may be compared to a writer," Felix Adler once wrote. "At the outset a writer has often only a vague general notion of the plan of his work, and of the thought he intends to elaborate. As he proceeds, penetrating his material, laboring to express himself fitly, he lays a firmer grasp on his thought; he finds himself. So the human race is writing its story, finding itself, discovering its own underlying purpose, revising, recasting a tale pathetic often, yet none the less sublime."



We only have one life to live in this world. We are here to uplift our fellow beings. We have to follow the golden rule: Do to others what you would like others do to you. You reap what you sow.



An unknown author penned these golden rules for living: If you open it, close it. If you turn it on, turn it off. If y
ou unlock it, lock it up. If you break it, admit it. If you can't fix it, call in someone who can. If you borrow it, return it. If you value it, take care of it. If you make a mess, clean it up. If you move it, put it back. If it belongs to someone else and you want to use it, get permission. If you don't know how to operate it, leave it alone. If it's none of your business, don't ask questions. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If it will brighten someone's day, say it. If it will tarnish someone's reputation, keep it to yourself."

Just remember this. "The purpose of life," said Robert Byrne, "is a life of purpose."
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THE LOOMING RICE CRISIS

"Give us this day, our daily bread," so goes the line of the Lord's Prayer. In the Philippines, our daily bread is the rice. As the late food epicure Doreen Fernandez wrote: "If we did not have rice, our deepest comfort food, we would probably feel less Filipino."

"One more rice, please." That call, which rings at dining time in almost all restaurants and kitchenettes all over the country, sums up the eating habits of the typical Filipino to whom eating is a matter of filling up. Since most people can't fill up with ulam (viand), they fill up with rice.

But Filipinos are not the only people in the world that eat rice. In fact, rice is the principal food for over 60 percent of mankind, according to the Laguna-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). In Asia alone, about 3 billion people depend on rice to survive.

"Rice is the one thing that truly defines Asia," said former IRRI Director-General Dr Ronald Cantrell. In China and Korea, where elders recall times when food was hard to come by, some still greet each other with the question, "Have you had your rice today?"

"Many eat as much as 214 kilograms of rice each year (more than half a kilogram a day), providing them with up to 76 percent of their daily calories, and half their iron and zinc," says Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, a rice plant breeder working at IRRI.

In the 1950s, the specter of mass famine loomed over the Asian region. But thanks to IR8 – so named because it was the eighth crossing done in IRRI – the famine did not happen and brought to the era of Green Revolution.

"The result was a doubling in the supply of rice," said IRRI in a statement. "Eighty percent of the increase was attributed to improved productivity as well as the development of IR8 and numerous new semi-dwarf varieties that featured faster growth rates, greater resistance to diseases and insects, and a greater responsiveness to fertilizers than existing strains."

But thanks to the ever growing population, rice production was not able to keep up the demand. With Asia's population growing by some 56 million a year, domestic demand for rice is expected to top 770 million tons by the year 2025.

"To meet rice demand over the coming years, the yield ceiling of irrigated rice in Asia will need to increase from its late-1980s level of about 10 tons per hectare to around 13 tons per hectare, while average yields will need to reach about 6 tons per hectare, nearly twice the current level. And this will have to be achieved using less land, less water, less labor and fewer chemical inputs, particularly pesticides."

The link between population and rice production is more obvious in the Philippines. The United Nations demographers in 2002 projected that the population would reach between 75 and 85 million. But the population overshot the high projection and now stands at 89 million. What these figures show "is population growth is faster that anyone expected," to quote the words of Martha Madison Campbell, founding president of Venture Strategies for Health Development, a nonprofit organization based in Berkeley, California.

"Rice is the staple food of Filipinos in most parts of the country, although corn also contributes 20 percent or more of caloric intake from cereals in parts of Visayas and Mindanao," IRRI said. "For the country as a whole, rice accounts for 41 percent of total caloric intake and 31 percent of total protein intake."

Just recently, the country is having rice shortage. Although Secretary Arthur Yap of the Department of Agriculture said the country is not experiencing it, he asked fast-food chains to offer half portion serving of rice to its customer. Filipinos consumes a total of 11.9 million metric tons of rice annually, most of which is grown domestically.

Although the Philippines is one of the world's top rice producers, it is also one of the world's biggest rice importers, being among the top three in 1999 and fifth highest in 2004. With the potential increase in the importation of rice grains by China, the Philippines is now heading for trouble.

"Despite these imports, rice prices for consumers are the highest in developing Asia," noted the rice almanac published by IRRI. A. Balisacan and M. L. V. Ravago in their paper, 'The rice problem in the Philippines: Trends, constraints and policy imperatives,' wrote: "Rice has become more expensive in the Philippines than in other East Asian countries, owing principally to the government's ill-advised self-sufficiency objective. Liberalizing rice trade enhances the welfare of the poor, especially landless workers and urban consumers, although the short-term cost to the rice sector in terms of reduced incomes and labor displacement may be quite substantial."

In another paper, D. Dawe contends: "Rice trade liberalization should be a domestic priority, even if it not dictated by international agreements. If the Philippines does substantially liberalize its domestic market to allow more imports, it will be able to source those suppliers reliably without endangering its food security. With more imports, domestic prices will decline substantially and these lower prices will reduce poverty by allowing many poor households to afford food security."

In a survey done for the World Bank, it was found that eighty-percent of all respondents consumed rice three or more times a day. Sixteen percent said they ate rice twice a day while only one percent said once. Most of those who ate rice thrice a day belonged to the middle class (81 percent) and the rich (79 percent).

The Washington Post described rice farming as "the most important economic activity on the planet." Dr. Cantrell, however, that most rice farmers are poor. Why is this so? "They are being left behind economically in almost every country where they work, and yet they are 'supposedly recognized' as the backbone of not only their nations but their own cultures," he explained. "They're considered ignorant and backward by many in the cities and no one wants their job, when really they are the simple, hard working custodians of some of the world's greatest cultures."

Rice contains carbohydrates, protein, minerals, vitamins, and fiber. Most of the white rice available in the supermarket is enriched, which means, besides its other assets, it is also supplemented with iron, niacin and thiamine. But most of these added nutrients are lost if rice is washed before cooking or drained afterward. Brown rice, with its healthful bran layers, contains all these nutrients naturally, plus fiber, oil and vitamin E. Low in sodium and fat, with no cholesterol, rice is a boon to weight worriers and those allergic to other grains.

Rice, a member of the grass family and known scientifically as Oryza sativa, has devotees all over the region. India is famous for its pulaus, which is served with all kinds of meat, poultry and seafood. A popular Japanese rice dish is sushi, rice flavored with sweet rice vinegar and wrapped with fish and vegetables. Indonesians set a whole table with rice and assorted goodies that go with the grain; the feast is called rijstafel. The Filipinos are known for its bibingka or rice cake. The Chinese make cakes, noodles and paste from rice.

Writing about rice, Chinese poet Yang Ji penned: "Grain upon grain, / Fresh and delightful as frost, / A dazzling jewel, / To what can I compare this treasure?" -- ###

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GOUT: INVASION OF CRGOUT: INVASION OF CRYSTAL ATTACKERSYSTAL ATTACKERS

DON'T dismiss gout as just another heath problem. To be a gout patient is no joke. Listen to the words of one sufferer: "Today, I am home and probably be home for the whole week or more. The gout has attacked again and this time it is really painful. I didn't know I had one until I went to see my doctor last month. At first, I thought I was just over working or I was putting a lot of pressure on my toe therefore it hurts. For me, I literally could not stand for as much as a sheet to touch my feet and walking is impossible."



Once known as the "king's disease" because it almost always afflicted the well heeled, this form of arthritis is an equal opportunity deployer: It delivers a royal pain to the toe, knee and other joints. American statesman Benjamin Franklin described gout as an enemy which "would not only torment my body to death, but ruin my good name."



Aside from Franklin, other famous of the arthritic condition include numerous Charles Dickens characters along with real-life sufferers Henry VIII, George IV, Charles V, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Immanuel Kant, Samuel Johnson, John Milton, Isaac Newton, Nostradamus, and Thomas Jefferson.



Gout is also mentioned in the following books: Jane Austen's 'Lady Susan,' Herman Melville's 'Moby Dick,' Jonathan Swift's 'Gulliver's Travels,' Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Kidnapped,' Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'From Twice Told Tales,' George Eliot's Middlemarch, Wilkie Collins' 'Law and the Lady,' Anne Bronte's 'The Tenant of Wildfell Hall,' H.G. Wells' 'The War of the Worlds,' and Victor Hugo's 'Notre-Dame de Paris.'



Gout is caused by very plebeian uric acid. We all have it in our bloodstream. But if you suffer from gout, "either you produce too much or you produce a normal amount and don't excrete enough," says Dr. Branton Lechman, a clinical assistant professor of pharmacy at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy. Either way, the excess turns into tiny, troublemaking crystals that inflame your joints.



The onset of gout is usually quick and unexpected. Often, people who develop gout will do so during the night while sleeping, after having gone to bed in good health. During the night, they are awakened by acute pain in the big toe or, more rarely, in the heel, ankle or instep. This pain has been described as feeling at first like a bucket of cold water has been poured over the affected area, with the pain increasing to a violent stretching, tearing sensation. There is also a pressure and tightness around the area, and the pain becomes unbearable.



"We're talking about pain so intense that the weight of the bed sheet feels excruciating," explains Dr. Paul Caldron, a clinical rheumatologist and researcher at the Arthritis Center in Phoenix, Arizona.



The soft tissues, such as the muscles and tendons, around the joint can become hot, red and swollen, and wearing of a regular shoe may become impossible. This megagrief can last for hours or days, but a gout bout can vanish almost as swiftly as it comes, leaving the person totally pain-free until the next episode.



Why are some people more susceptible to gouty attacks? For some, it may due to hereditary in nature. For others, it may be due to some risk factors, among these are obesity and sudden weight gain, abnormal kidney function, and certain types of cancer.



Alcohol is a double whammy for those with gout, because it boosts the production of uric acid, says rheumatologist John G. Fort, clinical associate professor of medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. Beer is particularly bad, because it has even higher purine content than wine or other spirits.



A study of nearly 50,000 men has found those who over-indulge in beer, in particular, are at heightened risk. Men who drank two or more beers per day were 2.5 times more likely to develop gout than those who did not drink. The research, published in 'The Lancet,' was carried out by a team at Massachusetts General Hospital.



But it's not only alcoholic beverages that make you more susceptible to gouty attacks but drinking sugar-sweetened soft drinks as well, according to another study published online by the 'British Medical Journal.' Those least likely to develop gout are men who drink less than one serving per month. Compared with that group, men who drank five to six servings a week were 29 percent likelier to develop gout. This probability rose to 45 percent among those who had one serving per day, and to 85 percent among those who drank two servings or more.



If you have high blood pressure (hypertension) in addition to gout, you have double trouble. That's because certain drugs prescribed to lower blood pressure – such as diuretics – actually raise uric acid levels, says Dr. Lachman. His advice: Try to control your blood pressure naturally by decreasing sodium intake, exercising regularly, reducing excess weight and controlling stress.



Some foods that are rich in purines can lead to attacks. Purine-rich foods include organ meats and all meat products. (In an episode of 'King of the Hill,' the leading character develops gout in the big toe as a result of eating chopped liver on a daily basis.) "You can't get away from purine, because it's in most foods," says Dr Caldron. "But it's useful to avoid red meat, especially organ meats and some types of fish."



If you have gout, you should also avoid tea, coffee, cocoa, and chocolate. Some dark, green leafy vegetables, asparagus, cauliflower, mushroom, and those rich in protein (like dry beans and peas) may also present a problem.



Despite the advance of science, people are still suffering from gout. However, there are some traditional solutions which can lessen pains. One of these is the virgin coconut oil (VCO). Multi-awarded Filipino columnist Conrado de Quiros is one of those who believe in the therapeutic value of VCO.



"Taking virgin coconut oil has not made my gout disappear, or lessened its visits," de Quiros wrote in his widely-read column. "But it has made walking much easier, something I've been at pains to do for some time now, my left knee in particular having become a little stiff. A rheumatologist once explained to me that gout attacks deplete the joints of fluids, which makes for stiffness. The equivalent, he said, is motor oil slowly drying up on a car engine, which causes friction among the pistons. Who knows? Maybe the virgin coconut oil is replenishing the lost fluids on my knee? That is pure speculation, of course. But I personally don't care; I like what I'm feeling right now."



Another traditional solution is eating mangosteen. The Chinese have used this fruit for thousands of years to help heal inflammation, parasites, wounds, burns, pain, diarrhea, bacteria and fungal ailments, and fever and headaches, among others. Recently, some practitioners are recommending mangosteen to those suffering from muscle problems and gout. It is currently being studied by medical experts as it contains xanthones, which are the highest concentration of antioxidants found in nature. Since mangosteen is a fruit, it is touted to be a safer alternative. As one old saying goes, "Why use a drug when a food will do the same thing?"



But one best solution is drinking lots of water. Large amounts of fluid can help flush excess uric acid from your system before it can do any harm. Dr. Robert H. Davis, a professor of physiology at Pennsylvania College of Podiatric Medicine, recommends plain old water. "Most people just don't drink enough water," he points out. "For best results, have five or six glasses a day."



As a bonus, lots of water may also help discourage the kidney stones that gout patients are prone to. -- ###
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HAVE FUN, WILL TRAVEL

WHEN Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said of "a journey of a thousand miles" that should be started "with a single step," he was referring to travel, of course. "Traveling is almost like talking with men of other centuries," said René Descartes.

"Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living," explained Miriam Beard. "For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go," commented novelist Robert Louis Stevenson. "I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move."

Unknown to many, the word "travel" has a common origin with the word "travail." At one point in time, travel was exceedingly uncomfortable and often dangerous. Indeed, the ultimate source of the word "travel" is a medieval instrument of torture - the so-called "trepalium" -- a contraption would pierce its victim's flesh with three sharp stakes ("tres" for three and "palus" for stake).

Later on, the word "trepalium" became a verb, "trepaliare," which meant any form of torture. It was from torture that the Old French concept of "travailler" came into existence - or "putting oneself to pain or trouble." In time, "travailler" came to mean "work hard" in French. English borrowed the word as "travail" and this, in turn, was used to describe a wearisome journey — travel.

On the other hand, journey is a "day's travel." The word comes originally from Latin via French. The Latin word "dies," meaning "day." led to "diurnus" or "daily" and then to the vulgar Latin word "diurmata" (modern Italian "giornata") which became "jornee" in Old French ("journee today). The specific notion of a day's travel appears to have faded out of English during the 16th century.

Traveling is a serious matter, indeed. But some people cannot help but poke fun on it. "Travel is the frivolous part of serious lives, and the serious part of frivolous ones," said Anne Sophie Swetchine. "But why, oh why, do the wrong people travel, when the right people stay at home?" Noel Coward asked.

Most travelers will definitely agree with Robert Thomas Allen's observation: "Most of my treasured memories of travel are recollections of sitting." Novelist John Steinbeck can't stop himself from writing: "A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it."

Murphy's Law states: If something can go wrong, it will. This would most likely happen to when you are traveling. Don Rutledge, one of America's most awarded photojournalists, and his journalist friend were seated aboard a plane bound for mainland China from Hong Kong. His friend was sitting next to an emergency exit door and Rutledge was sitting next to him in the aisle seat.

A flight attendant came to their seat row and asked Rutledge's friend, "Pardon me, sir, but can you open this door?" She, of course, meant if he could open the door in case of an emergency. "Yes, I think so," he answered and before she could say anything, he grabbed the door lever and swung it into the open position. Fortunately, this happened when the passengers were still loading and the airplane was not moving on the runway.

The door bounced out of its frame and Rutledge's friend held it by the lever. The attendant's mouth flew open wide as she screamed, "I meant could you open it in case of an emergency." She quickly tried to help get the door back into the frame but, even together, they were unable to do so. While he continued holding the door to keep it from falling to the pavement, she rushed to the cockpit and got the flight engineer to return the door into its proper place and reset it. When it was already in the locked position, the flight engineer told him, "Don't do that again."

But I think, the persons who enjoy the most about traveling are the travel agents. Here's a collection of stories, which I am sure you have heard before but still will somehow tickle your pain away. The only hitch is that they happened in the United States. But most Filipinos can relate to the anecdotes since the people involved are - yes, you're right! politicians.

At one time, a travel agent got a call from a candidate's staffer, who wanted to go to Cape Town. The travel agent started to explain the length of the flight and the passport information when she interrupted him with these words: "I'm not trying to make you look stupid, but Cape Town is in Massachusetts."

Without trying to make the staffer look like the stupid one, the travel agent calmly explained, "Cape Cod is in Massachusetts, Cape Town is in South Africa." Her response was a click of the phone.

Meanwhile, a New York lawmaker called and asked, "Do airlines put your physical description on your bag so they know whose luggage belongs to whom?" The travel agent answered negatively. "Why do you ask?" he inquired.

The lawmaker replied, "Well, when I checked in with the airline, they put a tag on my luggage that said FAT, and I'm overweight. I think that is very rude?" After putting her on hold for a minute while the travel agent "looked into it" (he was actually laughing), he came back and explained the city code for Fresno, California is FAT, and that the airline was just putting a destination tag on her luggage.

Still on New York: A New Mexico congresswoman called to make reservations, "I want to go from Chicago to Rhino, New York." The travel agent was at a loss for words. Finally, the agent said, "Are you sure that's the name of the town?" The lady lawmaker replied, "Yes, what flights do you have?"

After some searching, the travel agent came back with, "I'm sorry, ma'am, I've looked up every airport code in the country and can't find a Rhino anywhere." The lady retorted, "Oh, don't be silly! Everyone knows where it is. Check your map!"

The travel agent scoured a map of the state of New York and finally offered, "You don't mean Buffalo, do you?" The lawmaker replied, "That's it! I knew it was a big animal."

Now, it came to pass that a lady senator called and said, "I need to fly to Pepsi-Cola, Florida. Do I have to get on one of those little computer planes?" The travel agent asked if she meant fly to Pensacola, Florida on a commuter plane. She said, "Yeah, whatever!"

Then, there was the case of a senior senator, who called and had a question about the documents he needed in order to fly to China. After a lengthy discussion about passports, the travel agent reminded him that he needed a visa.

"Oh, no I don't. I've been to China many times and never had to have one of those." Hearing this, the travel agent double checked and sure enough, his stay required a visa. When the agent told him this, the senator declared, "Look, I've been to China four times and every time they have accepted my American Express!"

American humorist Mark Twain said it right, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

But on second thought, Lin Yutang told us: "No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow."