Gold Breakfast Show

Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.

Yes, it’s true… Ham and Denise are moving on from the Gold Breakfast Show to new shows on Gold starting next Monday, 1 March.
We’ve had a blast and thank you muchly for your support and kind words!

Be sure to check out our new shows:
Hamish on the Homestretch 5-9pm
Denise on the Lunchtime Jukebox 10am-2pm.

This Sunday is Chap Goh Meh (The 15th Day of the Lunar New Year), also known as the Chinese Valentine Day where young, single unmarried women gather to toss oranges into the sea/river, in hope that their future spouse will pick up.
No, you won’t be seeing Denise by the Singapore River with a basket of oranges on Sunday!

Travel Agency for Toys
A bizarre new travel agency has been launched in Prague – which only caters for teddy bear travellers.
Toy Traveling offers the chance for soft-toys from around the world to visit Prague, even if their owners want to stay at home.
Owners post their cuddly toy to staff, who then (for a fee of £80 to £130) take it on a sightseeing tour of the city – taking photos to prove it.
Amazingly demand is high for the service and thousands of people are logging onto the sendyourdarling.com website to enquire about it each day.
Bosses are even already planning to roll out the Toy Travelling to destinations including Berlin, Munich, Budapest, Vienna and Bratislava.

Today’s Show is made possible by the NUMBER ONE

1 - For every one sunrise, the average human sees 39 sunsets.

1 - Endorphins are at the highest levels in married couples immediately after one spouse leaves the house for work.

1 - An ounce of gold can be stretched into a wire 80 km long. Just like us! A little of us can go a long way and we’re gonna keep delivering the good stuff for you on Gold 90FM, just at different times starting monday.

Hamish’s 5 Things

5 THINGS I WILL MISS ABOUT THE GOLD BREAKFAST SHOW

5. THE WONDERFUL DRIVE INTO THE STATION IN THE EARLY MORNING – NO CARS AND AN OPEN HIGHWAY-SIGH

4. BEING SPOILT FOR CHOICE IN THE MEDIACORP CAR-PARK SINCE NO ONE IS THERE TILL PAST 7

3. DENIECE’S UNBEATABLE CHEESE TOAST SANDWICHES OR MARMITE TOAST FLAMBES

2. THE WONDERFUL GOLD BREAKFAST SHOW LISTENERS WHO HAVE BECOME FIRM FRIENDS OVER THE PAST 7 YEARS

1. DOING THESE 5 THINGS EVERYDAY MONDAY TO FRIDAY FOR THE LAST 7 YEARS ALTOGETHER

THE GOLD HEALTH GUIDE

Take a Mental Vacation

Take a walk.

Exercise is a great way to relieve stress because it’s a great escape for your mind. Head out for a quiet early morning walk or lace up your sneakers on your lunch break. Walking along a trail, waterfront, or other peaceful place when possible may offer even more relaxation. Treat yourself to a 5-, 10-, or 20-minute mental vacation each day and train your body to relax and reduce stress — you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel after taking just a few luxurious moments all to yourself.

MAKAN KAKIS
We’re looking for the best DUM BRIYANI to sink our teeth into!

Women are Cleverer than Men
The conclusion was drawn following a five month online contest between the sexes conducted in nine languages and based on the popular board game Trivial Pursuit.
During the competition more than 15 million questions were asked and although the balance of power shifted consistently from the start of the competition in October last year the female of the species narrowly clinched victory.
Women answered 4,088,139 questions correctly, compared to the 4,077,596 right answers given by men.
It would take an individual more than 3,500 non-stop days or 9 years, 215 days, 8 hours and 24 minutes to answer the same number of questions when playing the board game!
Women were strongest when answering questions from Entertainment. They answered twice as many from the category, with 56.8 per cent of answers given correctly.
Their next favourite question area was Science & Nature of which 54.4 per cent of answers were right. People & Places presented the greatest challenge with just 41.7 per cent of questions provided with the right answer.
The best categories for the men were Science & Nature (57 per cent accuracy), Entertainment (56.7 per cent). They answered twice as many questions on Sports & Leisure with a 54.8 per cent success rate. Their weakest subject areas were Geography and People & Places with only 49.9 per cent of questions answered correctly for each.
The next battle planned is between the generations – between the under 30s and the over the 30s. It will begin in mid-March 2010 at http://www.trivialpursuitexperiment.com/.

Skip, not Trip to the Loo!
A company has launched a glow-in-the-dark toilet paper – for those who don’t like to turn the lights on when they go to the loo at night.
During the day, the loo roll looks like any other, but at night it gives off a florescent glow, which makers say can guide you to the toilet.
It works because the paper has been treated with phosphors, which have a sustained glow after exposure to the energised particles in daylight.
But the high-tech loo rolls don’t come cheap, they cost almost $15 each, about ten times the price of a normal roll of toilet paper.
We’re not sure if the phosphorence rubs off, but we certainly don’t want glow-in-the-dark bums!

Today’s Show is made possible by the NUMBER TWELVE

12 - Among people who use alarm clocks, 12% use three or more to get up!

12 – On average, people who wear glasses regularly score 12 points higher on IQ tests than those who don’t.

12 - Worldwide, annual per capita consumption of chocolate is 12 pounds per person. 12 pounds is almost 5 and a half kgs – which is the average weight of a 3 month old baby!
Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine (PEA), a natural substance that is reputed to stimulate the same reaction in the body as falling in love. World wide, consumers spend more than $7 billion a year on chocolate.

Hamish’s 5 Things

ITS THURSDAY – LETS GET SOME FUNNY WISDOM FROM THE KIDS TO PUT A SMILE ON OUR FACES

5. If you’re gonna draw on the wall, do it behind the couch. Amelia, 5

4. Never tell your mom her diet’s not working. Michael, 14

3. Felt markers are not good to use as lipstick. Lauren, 9

2. When you want something expensive, ask your grandparents. Matthew, 12

1. Beware of cafeteria food when it looks like it’s moving. Rob, 10

THE GOLD HEALTH GUIDE

Take a Mental Vacation

4. Look out a window. Distract yourself by focusing on something other than what’s stressing you. Grab a steaming cup of coffee or tea, close the door, and take a mental break. Do a little people watching, appreciate any birds within view, or enjoy some fluffy clouds rolling by. Allow yourself to daydream for a few minutes.

MAKAN KAKIS
We’re looking for the best DUM BRIYANI to sink our teeth into!

welcome back duo. A place where the dum briyani meets my expectation is the one I had some time ago at HARBOURFRONT. It is served in a little earthen pot filled to the brim which you may want to share if you are watchng your diet! The mutton is my fave. No, it is not G0 INDIA whose basmati rice I have yet to savour Valerie

Best dum’b’ bryani? Anjapar! Along race course road, this restaurant even serves quail bryani that’s tender & delicious. Of course the mutton is just as gr8! Even my collegues fr India swears by it. Alan

Familiar Singaporean behaviour seen at Resorts World Sentosa

From ‘chope’-ing seats to shouting out loud, Singaporeans aren’t afraid to be themselves in Singapore’s latest attraction.
Seats are at a premium in the over-crowded casino, and some middle-aged female patrons have been spotted leaving packets of tissue paper on the tables to ‘chope’ – or reserve – their seats. Others who need a toilet break get friends to fend off other patrons keen to take their seat.

What do you think about those tissue choping Aunties?

i think chopping seats at casino is ridiculous. Nonetheless, i’m amused by the idea that ppl use tissue paper to do so. Haha. Huat is prosper not luck!

Today’s Show is made possible by the NUMBER TWENTY-TWO

22 - The average teenage text-messager can enter 22 ‘words’ per minute.

22 - 22% of us skip lunch daily.

Hamish’s 5 Things

Wine and beer lovers can drink to this

SINGAPORE: Travellers, especially wine and beer lovers, will now have more options when it comes to buying duty-free alcohol.
In his Budget statement on Monday, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said travellers will be able to buy an additional litre of duty-free wine or beer in place of one litre of duty-free spirits. This means that those who prefer wine or beer will be able to enjoy a duty-free allowance of two litres of wine and one litre of beer, or two litres of beer and one litre of wine.
“This has the makings of a suitably difficult PSLE (Primary School Leaving Examination) Maths question,” said Mr Shanmugaratnam, drawing laughter from Members of Parliament.
Travellers who frequent duty-free outlets cheered the news.
Administrator Jeffrey Yeo said he would now be able to stock up on wine for occasions such as office parties or family gatherings.
The 37-year-old wine lover added that “though long overdue, this initiative is definitely welcomed as it brings Singapore in line with international regulations on duty-free alcohol.”
But hospitality executive Melvin Heng, 24, said the move would not change his buying habits.
“Though it is always great for consumers to have more choices, I would rather see an increase in quota for all three categories of beer, wine and spirits,” said Mr Heng, who likes buying spirits.

5 WONDERFUL QUOTES ABOUT WINE TO CELEBRATE THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT DUTY FREE ALCOHOL FROM OUR FINANCE MINISTER

5. “Claret is the liquor for boys, port for men; but he who aspires to be a hero must drink brandy.”
Samuel Johnson

4. “A mind of the caliber of mine cannot derive its nutrient from cows.”
George Bernard Shaw

3. “A hard drinker, being at the table, was offered grapes for dessert. ‘Thank you,’ said he, pushing the dish away from him, ‘but I am not in the habit of taking my wine in pills.’”
Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, “The Physiology of Taste”

2. “Burgundy makes you think of silly things, Bordeaux makes you talk of them and Champagne makes you do them.”
Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

1. Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy.
Benjamin Franklin

THE GOLD HEALTH GUIDE

Take a Mental Vacation

2. Visualize relaxation.
Steal a few quiet moments to close your eyes and think of an image that relaxes you — such as the warm sun on your skin and the sound of the ocean, a big country field sprinkled with flowers, or a trickling stream. Experts suggest thinking back to a time when you felt peaceful and relaxed, and focus on releasing the tension from your toes to your head.

3. Look at pictures from a happy time.
Pull out snapshots from a photo album of a family vacation or a fun dinner with friends. Reflect on your memories of that occasion, and what made it so enjoyable. Spend a few quiet moments reminiscing, and you’ll find yourself more relaxed.

Please Rob Me website Sparks Furore

A website has been set up which could help robbers identify empty houses by using people’s Twitter updates to see when they are out.
PleaseRobMe.com uses Tweets which include information about someones location to tell crooks when users have left their homes.
The messages used are part of FourSquare.com which broadcasts your location, whether leaving home or arriving at work or a restaurant.
But PleaseRobMe takes this information about people leaving their home and means robbers are only one click away from seeing a map detailing the location of a recently vacated house.
But in their defence, the webite creators have said they’re merely trying to educate the public on how dangerous revealing too much personal info on social networking websites is.

MAKAN KAKIS
We’re looking for the best DUM BRIYANI to sink our teeth into!

• nyonya mansor the most best dam briyani i ever had is cook by darman n son at wondland driven. The meat r so soft n the rice is super yummy
• Vincent Tan – Bismillah Restaurant @ Dunlop Street, opp the Mosque. The mutton is very tender & the don’t use ghee so its also healthy.
• u HAVE to make ur way to Buffalo Rd n scope out Blue Diamond! Wah…..rice is delicious n meat just Sooo tender; so shIok. Mouth watering. A must try! Appolina
• hi guys, d best dam briyani definately Abak dam briyani, jln pisang off nth brg rd. Grade A basmati rice, fantastic aroma, non oily, d mutton n chicken masala simply tenderly awesome, d dalca ooh! Fantastico delicious, Man u gotta try it. If u r on diet, forget it. Malik man on move.

Music Makes Children Read Better
Learning to play a musical instrument could help to improve children’s reading and their ability to listen in noisy classrooms, according to new research.
Neuroscientists have found that musicians benefit from heightened brain activity that allows them to process information from their eyes and ears more efficiently than non-musicians.
Professor Nina Kraus, a neuroscientist and amateur musician at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, has called for music to become a more important part of school syllabuses to help children develop better reading and language skills.
Our eyes and ears take in millions of bits of information every second and it is not possible for the brain to process all of that, so our brains are primed to tune in to patterns in the signals received.
People who are musically trained are better at picking up these patterns because they learn to recognise notes and pitches within melodies and harmonies.The better you are at picking up these patterns in music, the better reader you are. This makes sense as letters and words on a page are really just patterns.
This new info definite makes the case for more musical education, especially in schools.

Time’s Wasting Away!
The average person will spend more than two weeks of their life – waiting for tradesmen, it has been found.
Over the course of a year, we have to wait in for three different tradesmen for a total of six hours and three minutes.
That’s a total of 366 hours – equivalent to 15 days – waiting for workmen to arrive over the average adult lifetime.
The new survey also found that 82% of people said a contractor turned up late, while more than a third said they arrived on a completely different day to what was agreed.
Plumbers were named as the worst tradesmen for keeping people waiting followed by electricians.

Today’s Show is made possible by the NUMBER THIRTEEN

13 - Apparently, the majority of alcoholic beverages actually contain all 13 minerals needed to sustain human life.

13 - The Italians are a superstitious bunch – did you know that they omit the number 13 from their national lottery?
Also, on streets in Florence, Italy, the house between number 12 and 14 is addressed as 12 and a half. There are NO number 13 houses or apartments!

13 – Coincidence? Some of the world’s worst criminals have 13 letters in their names. Count em’: Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer and Theodore Bundy are just some names. Good news though, Hamish Brown and Denise Tan are certified non-criminal!

13 - 13% of coins and 42% of notes test positive for unpleasant bacteria, such as fecal bacteria!
Some Money Facts:
The metallic smell left on your hands after touching coins and metal objects is actually a type of human body odour. Skin oils break down and decompose after touching iron – creating that familiar “coin smell”!

Hamish’s 5 Things

5 REASONS I LOOK FORWARD TO COMING BACK TO SINGAPORE HAVING SPENT NEARLY 3 WEEKS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

5. SINGAPORE’S GREENERY IS A WELCOME CANVAS AFTER THE FAR EXPANSES OF YELLOW SAND.

4. REAL BACON!

3. DRIVING ON THE ‘RIGHT ‘ SIDE OF THE ROAD AGAIN.

2. GETTING BACK INTO A PROPER WORK WEEK THAT STARTS ON MONDAY AND NOT SUNDAY.

1. BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT FACES OF WOMEN AGAIN RATHER THAN HAVING TO IMAGINE THEM!

THE GOLD HEALTH GUIDE

Take a Mental Vacation
Small stressors can quickly add up to major stress and one big stressful event can send you reeling, with no idea of how to start addressing it. If you could just get away for a little stress relief, you know you would be okay. But too few of us have the time — or the money — to run off on an impromptu vacation.
Well, you don’t have to spend a dime or go anywhere other than a quiet spot nearby to take a mental vacation.
All this week, we’ll be dishing out the tips on how to take a brain holiday!
Tip #1: Read a book in bed.
This is a great escape and can leave you feeling refreshed, relaxed, and ready to face whatever is outside your bedroom door. Your bed is warm, cozy, comfortable, and a peaceful place for you. It feels luxurious, and getting lost in a good book is a perfect way to forget, then refocus, your own thoughts.

MAKAN KAKIS
BEST TEOCHEW PORRIDGE

Bak Kwa Ice-cream
Perfect snack that’s main course and dessert rolled in one sweet scoop! We heard about Seventh Heaven’s salty-sweet creation and were intrigued. This unusual ice-cream flavour comes just in time for the Lunar New Year and is made from sea-salt ice-cream with Mexican chilli and bits of bacon bak kwa! You might want to call in advance to check if they still stock the sticky sweet stuff – apparently, supplies are limited and sell out super fast.

Men Responsible for Beauty Industry Boost
These days, more men now lather up with body wash than soap. Body wash outsold bar soap for the first time ever last year, and Advertising Age reports that men are responsible.
It should come as no surprise that new body washes for men dominate the shelves: What you guys use in the shower is a US$1.5-billion-dollar cut-throat business!
Which goes to show that life really is one great big soap opera!

Today’s Show is made possible by the NUMBER FIFTY-FIVE

55 - Chefs cut a giant cheesecake that broke Guinness World Record for the biggest cheesecake of the world in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, Jan. 25, 2009. The cheese cake, with 2.5 meters in diameter, 55 centimeters in height and 2 tons in weight, was made by 55 chefs and 5 student chefs and cost 800 kilograms of cheese.

55 - If you were to take a standard HB lead/graphite pencil and draw one continuous line till the lead ran out, just how far do you think you’d get? The idea has actually been tested with the end result being a grand total of 55 kilometres.

55 – In a coin toss, people call “heads” approximately 55% of the time.

THE GOLD HEALTH GUIDE

Tip #6 on preventing the dreaded festive season weight gain:

Avoid temptation traps.
Throw away leftovers and quickly re-gift food presents or pass them along to co-workers or someone else you know would appreciate them. It’s OK to get rid of all holiday-food temptations!

5 Things

Why oh Why Friday
5. Why do you press harder on a remote-control when you know the battery is dead?
4. If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
3. If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?
2. Why is it that doctors call what they do a “practice”?
1. Why don’t you ever see the newspaper headline “Psychic Wins Lottery”?

Who are the Best Drivers?
Motorists who pass their driving test second time round are the safest on the roads, a study has revealed.
The research also found that those who took more than two attempts to pass have more bad driving habits. Unsurprisingly, drivers who need four, five or six efforts before making the grade have the worst record behind the wheel.
But more importantly, researchers have found those who pass on their second attempt have fewer points on their licence, are less likely to suffer road rage or be stopped by police. They are also less prone to being cautioned for using their mobile phone behind the wheel, have had the fewest accidents in the last five years, and are unlikely to scare passengers with their driving.
Denise agrees heartily with these findings! Guess WHO passed their driving test on the second attempt?!

SAVE ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS!
The iconic Abbey Road studios, where the Beatles recorded, could be saved by the UK’s National Trust which is an organisation that protects special places in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, for ever, for everyone.
It’s thought the famous studios – which gave the name to a Beatles 1969 album – could sell for between £10-30 million and even be turned into flats.
But now the National Trust say they could look at making an offer on the historic building, because of the level of public support they have seen.
The campaign to save the studios has received the backing of former Beatle Paul McCartney who could probably have paid for it with the music royalties he has earned in the time it took for you to listen to this story!

The Tipping Point
Tipping culture yet to catch on among diners in S’pore, but industry experts are hopeful – a group of eateries has promised customers, having done away with service charge in favour of a strict tipping policy.
The eateries are taking the plunge even as the Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS) hopes to study the tipping culture in the United States.
The association’s president, Mr Ang Kiam Meng, said plans are still ‘very preliminary’ but hopes that its move will shed light on the pros and cons of tipping in Singapore.
‘There’s no harm looking into it as there has always been a controversy about the service charge,’ he said.

What do Gold 90FM Listeners think? To Tip or not to Tip?

Today’s Show is made possible by the NUMBER TWENTY-SIX

26 - Before it is thrown away, a hanger will, on average, hold 26 different garments.

26 – The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 26 seconds.

26 - During the 19th century, men in wealthy European social circles would wear a tuxedo, on average, 26 hours out of any given week.

26 - The average 45 year-old has 26 contacts in his or her buddy list.

26 - It is estimated that the average Fortune 500 company has 26 employees with redundant job functions.

THE GOLD HEALTH GUIDE

Tip #5 on preventing the dreaded festive season weight gain:

Sit down and enjoy.
Give everything you eat your complete attention. Practice mindful eating – If you eat something distractedly, it doesn’t register. Which means you’ll be eating more than you need. Even if you just want a single cookie, put it on a plate and sit down to eat it, because it forces you to pay attention to what you’re putting in your mouth. Or if you’re cooking for the festive celebrations, don’t stand over the stove for taste tests. Again, use a plate and take a couple of minutes to savour what you’re eating.

5 Things

As queuing is set to become part of the citizenship test for immigrants in the UK…

5 Ways to Queue Singapore Style
5. Join a line of people even if you don’t know what it’s for. If there’s a queue, it must be for something good!

4. Join two queues with the help of someone else in order to beat murphy’s law that says which ever queue you’re not in moves faster. Works best at supermarket checkouts.

3. Join a queue the night before to ensure you’re ahead of the rest. Come prepared with portable fan, folding chair, sleeping bag, tent and your pantry. Works best for buying a condo or the latest x-box.

2. If you can’t be in the queue the whole time, use things like umbrellas, tissue packets and thermos flasks to chope your place in the line.

1. Better yet, if you can’t be in the line, get your maid to queue for you, or pay professional “queue-ers” to do the job!

It’s Official: Parents Scared of Kids
One in four parents won’t discipline their children – for fear of upsetting them, it has been claimed. Researchers found that parents shy away from telling off their kids because they don’t want to be seen as unfair or too strict.
A third of parents admitted avoiding keeping their child in check in public because they didn’t want others to think they were being too harsh. And 55% of those polled said they dished out less discipline than their own parents did.
30% of parents even admitted they were a pushover – maybe because their parents weren’t too good in the discipline department either!

Here are YOUR opinions via SMS:
• There is an old belief i heard fr a friend. Dont want to be afraid of your children when you r old, dont eat their leftovers when they r kids! Yep !
• Hi Denise! Now, 80-90% of the listeners will write and say that they are not scared of their children but it’s just wishfull thinking. Fear has many faces and one of them is anger! And I have personally seen many parents hitting, slapping and pinching their kids in public places. Cheers! Sabrina
• children discipline had to start young just before they reach 10years old.or else e kids will control e adult.i knw it not easily but just e future angle.elf
• I am a child with 4 siblings. My parents discipline all 5 of us, but I am the only one scared.

MAKAN KAKIS
Where can we find the best Teochew Porridge in Town?

Good Looks = Better Pay?
Looks do matter, especially in the workplace. According to research by Daniel Hamermesh and Jeff Biddle published in the Journal of Labor Economics, physically attractive people earn more per hour— about 5% more on average—than their plain colleagues.
And unattractive people earn 9% less per hour than their better-looking peers. When you crunch the numbers, this means that for average-looking people earning $40,000 annually, their prettiest coworkers would make $42,000 and their least attractive colleagues would bank only $36,400.
Good-looking workers also tend to get more promotions, since they attract more positive attention than do others.
Fair or not, the unhappy truth for plain janes and joes is there’s nothing explicitly illegal about discrimination based on physical characteristics, as long as it doesn’t touch the legislated areas of religion and race.
However, this cloud has a silver lining – even if you don’t think you’ll score at the ofice in the looks department, you can get ahead by taking this advice:
James Houran, PhD, who writes the “Office Hours with Dr. Jim” column for Online Dating Magazine, says nonphysical attributes also come into play when considering overall appearance. Hygiene and presentation show others how you feel about yourself, and therefore how they should also value you. A smile, good eye contact, and an open stance also project self-assuredness and warmth.
It’s all about confidence, baby! According to researchers Markus Mobius and Tanya Rosenblat, how you feel about yourself affects how others perceive you by about 20% in either direction. So no matter what you feel you look like on the outside, lift that chin up and shine!

Best Looking in the World
A survey quizzed over 5,000 travellers about the attractiveness of people around the world
TOP 20 BEST LOOKING NATIONS
1. America
2. Brazil
3. Italy
4. Australia
5. Sweden
6. England
7. Spain
8. India
9. France
10. Canada
11. Mexico
12. Portugal
13. Wales
14. Russia
15. Japan
16. Ireland
17. Argentina
18. Netherlands
19. Scotland
20. Germany

New Baby = Weight Loss?
The average new mother pushes a baby pram around 1200 km a year – the equivalent of walking back and forth Singapore 25 times, from east to west.
Researchers found the typical mum takes her new tot out and about in the pushchair six times a week, and walks at least 3 km a time.
That means each week they are clocking up just over 18 km. Dads only join in on one in five pushchair journeys. Which means mums, it’s only fair you get dad to do double time on diaper duty!

Today’s Show is made possible by the NUMBER SEVENTEEN

17 - Friday 17th, not 13th, is considered unlucky in Italy. This is thought to derive from Roman tomb stones which often included the word VIXI (I lived). VI (6) + XI (11) = 17.

17 - It would take over 17 Earths to equal the mass of Neptune.

17 - A cow’s saliva increases by 17% while grazing. Just like Hamish’s everytime he sees a picture of Angelina Jolie!

17 - The Parthenon is 17 columns long.

17 - King Tutankhamen was wrapped in 17 burial cloths.

17 - Behaviorist Konrad Lorenz observed that the wild goose will eventually accept as its parent whatever creature it sees within its first 17 hours of life.

17 - The world’s largest caldera (or volcano crater) is that of Mt. Aso in Kyushu, Japan, which measures 17 miles north to south and 71 miles in circumference.

17 - The shortest form of Japanese poetry (known as Haiku) contains exactly 17 syllables.
Here’s an example of a haiku, composed in honour of my favourite food, the hamburger:
Glistening grilled patty
Caressed with sauce, gooey cheese
Moist mouth explosion (by DJ_Lae, via giantbomb.com)

5 Things
5 Common Resume Phrases Decoded
5. Has Leadership Qualities – Is tall or has a loud voice
4. Good Communication Skills – Spends lots of time on phone
3. Independent Worker – Nobody knows what he/she does
2. Quick Thinking – Offers plausible excuses
1. Uses Logic On Difficult Jobs – Gets someone else to do it

THE GOLD HEALTH GUIDE
Another tip on how to keep off the dreaded festive season weight gain:
Have your cake (or love letter or bak kwa or…) and eat it too!
There’s no need to deprive yourself of your favorite holiday treat. For e.g. you look forward to mum’s super fattening Nyonya noodles (complete with lard), then go ahead & enjoy a small portion -just don’t go back for seconds! It’s perfectly healthy to indulge in moderation and reward yourself for sticking to a healthy eating plan. Just keep in mind that your favorite fatty foods will taste that much sweeter if it’s a special treat, rather than a regular occurrence.

MAKAN KAKIS
After the long Lunar New Year Weekend of overindulgence, all we want is something a little lighter on the palate and the waistline! In the Tan family, Teochew Porrdge is the go-to antidote for overeating, so let’s hear from you – where can we find the best Teochew Muay in Town?

History of Chinese New Year
The origin of the Chinese New Year Festival can be traced back thousands of years through a continually evolving series of colourful legends and traditions. One of the most famous legends is that of Nian, an extremely cruel and ferocious beast, which the Chinese believe, eats people on New Year’s Eve. The Chinese word for year is based on the arrival of this beast. A phrase for Chinese New Year, guo nian means the passing of the beast. It is believed that it lives under the sea. It came to attack people at the same time of the year. The Chinese tradition of decorating in red, burning fire-crackers, and the lion dance with loud drums and gongs was to scare the beast away.
But I think all we need is a little music to soothe the savage beast…

The Gold Health Guide
Ready to kick off the party season without worrying about holiday weight gain?
This week will be jam-packed with festivities and fun, not to mention a few obstacles to healthy eating. To keep from overindulging, it’s best to walk into a party with a game plan. Here are some healthy eating tips to keep your diet on track:
1. Make a choice
Would you rather look good at the next holiday party or go crazy at the buffet table? Use the season’s festivities as motivation to look great in your new years’clothes. Avoid waistline-busting party foods such as fried foods Instead, gravitate toward filling, low-calorie options like fresh veggies and shrimp.
Making healthy choices is an automatic confidence booster, so you’ll look, feel better and fit better into those new year clothes!
2. Eat beforehand
Just because you know your auntie made her famous high calorie dish doesn’t mean you should starve yourself in preparation -in fact, you should eat in preparation. Have a snack, such as non-fat yogurt or a piece of fruit, before you go out. You’re less likely to overeat or make unhealthy food choices at a holiday party if you’ve taken the edge off your appetite beforehand.

Today’s Show is made possible by the NUMBER FIFTEEN

15 – Sharks are capable of going at least 6 weeks without eating; the record observed in an aquarium is 15 months by a species of shark known as the swell sharks.

15 – The octopus is the most highly evolved of the mollusks – one specimen at Sea World San Antonio was reportedly able to recognize and add numbers as large as 15!
Great, now even the octopus is better at maths than I am!

Tiger Trivia
• The tiger is revered in Chinese mythology and is said to have magical powers.
• It is believed in Chinese mythology that the tiger can take human form.
• A tiger can go two to three days without eating.
• A tiger can spend up to eighteen hours sleeping.
• Tigers reach maturity and are ready for mating at the age of three.
• The tail gives the tiger extra balance when running and is also used to communicate to other tigers.
• The tendons in a tiger’s leg are so strong that it has been known to remain standing after it has been shot dead.
• We could lose the wild tiger in as little as five years time, because the tiger has only one predator…MAN!
• A tiger can only usually expect a one in twenty success rate when bringing down prey. Only successful 5% of the time.
• On average a tiger can eat up to 60 pounds of meat at one time.
• After a feed, a tiger will usually bury the remaining animal carcass in an attempt to hide it from scavengers, and then exhume it for its next meal.
Funny, when I was growing up, I thought only my brother did that with his food!

5 Things
5 Snappy comebacks to Nosy Relatives’ Questions
1. You’re not getting any younger, when are you going to settle down and have kids?
“Auntie, I’m happy single. Age is just a number and I’M NOT READY FOR ROWDY CHILDREN JUST YET (look and smile at her kids as you say this).”
2. Waah, you put on weight ah? What happened?
“I’ve been busy cultivating the prosperous look for Chinese New year. Wanna rub my belly for luck?”
3. Aren’t you getting a bit old to receive ang pows?
“Haha, I wouldn’t want you to compromise your Chinese traditions. Anyway a wise old man once said, it’s better to give than to receive!”
4. No girlfriend ah, want me to introduce you?
“No need, auntie, thanks. I hunt alone. This year, my tiger instincts are getting sharper!”
5. Married so long already, why no children?
“Why? Are you offering to babysit?”
or
“My parents are far too young to be grandparents! Why spoil their fun whilst they’re still enjoying themselves?”

Healthy adults need less sleep as they age
Not exactly news, right? But the details of these finding are really quite interesting!
Healthy older adults need less sleep than their younger counterparts and, even with less sleep under their nightcaps, are less likely to feel tired during the day. The time spent actually sleeping out of eight hours in bed declined progressively and significantly with age, according to a study published in SLEEP, the official journal of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.
Older adults, aged 66-83, slept about 20 minutes less than middle-aged adults (40-55 years), who slept 23 minutes less than young adults aged 20-30, the study said.
But although older adults slept less deeply and less overall, and their sleep was less continuous than their younger counterparts’, they also showed less need for a nap during the day.
When asked to lie in a comfortable position on a bed during the day and try to fall asleep, young adults nodded off in an average of 8.7 minutes, compared with nearly 12 minutes for middle-aged adults and just over 14 minutes for older adults.

DIY – CNY Clothing Emergency!
If your children’s buttons keep popping off, try sewing the buttons on with dental floss, which is much stronger than thread. Plus, your kids’ll smell minty fresh!

Something Else to do Today!
Monday, 15 February 2010 (to celebrate Chinese New Year)
Admission to the Istana grounds is free for Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents. Others, including foreign visitors, are required to pay an entrance fee of $1 per person. Entrance to the grounds is via the main gate at Orchard Road. Opening hours are usually from 8.30 am to 6.00 pm.
Some highlights:

Wise Words for the Start of a New Year
The harvest of a whole year depends on what you sow in the springtime. (Chinese Proverb)

2 days before Valentines’ – you’d be interested to know the most universally recognized symbol is the heart shape. Here’s hoping your heart’s in good shape this valentines’ and gong xi fa cai happy new year in advance!

ALL-TIME FAVE LOVE SONGS AS VOTED BY GOLD LISTENERS
After sifting through hundreds of your SMSes, here are your favourite songs when you want to set the mood for love…

5. Everything I Do, I Do It For You – Bryan Adams

4. Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley / UB40

3. Even the Nights are Better – Air Supply

2. How Deep is Your Love

1. Love, Me – Colin Raye
Listeners’ love Love, Me:

SMS Poll: Valentines’ Day – Overrated or Celebrated?

Traditional Romance is Dead!
UK men have dumped traditional romantic gestures, with just one in five buying flowers for their better half in the past 12 months.
A study of 2,000 Brits also found that only one in 20 have sent a love letter and only one in six have been out for a candlelit dinner.
54% of those in a relationship even admitted to having not held hands in public in the last year.
Asked how they show their affection for their partner 46% said they would send her a text message and 32% said they would wash the dishes!

Today’s Show is made possible by the NUMBER FOURTEEN

14 – Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery.
From ages 14 through 22, Abraham Lincoln owned only two pairs of pants.

14 – 14% of baseball caps are worn sideways. Guess these days, it’s more about the look than the function!

14 – 14 out of 15 movies released by major studios in 2004 had a music montage.

5 Things
Kids Say the Darndest Things – Valentines’ Special
Questions about love and marriage were posed to kids ages 5 to 10. Here are 5 of the best answers:

5. WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE??
“On the first date, they just tell each other lies, and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.” (Mike, 10)

4. HOW CAN YOU TELL IF TWO ADULTS EATING DINNER AT A RESTAURANT ARE IN LOVE?
“It’s love if they order one of those desserts that are on fire. They like to order those because it’s just like how their hearts are.. on fire.” (Christine, 9)

3. THE PERSONAL QUALITIES NECESSARY TO BE A GOOD LOVER
“One of you should know how to write a check. Because, even if you have tons of love, there is still going to be a lot of bills.” (Ava,

2. CONCERNING WHY LOVERS OFTEN HOLD HANDS
“They want to make sure their rings don’t fall off because they paid good money for them.” (Dave,

1. WHAT IS THE PROPER AGE TO GET MARRIED??
Eighty-four! Because at that age, you don’t have to work anymore, and you can spend all your time loving each other in your bedroom.” (Judy,

Worst Sounds in an Office
Results of a 2008 online poll about most annoying office sounds:
1. Workers loudly munching their way through snacks like chips and biscuits.
2. The sound of a hot drink being slurped loudly.
3. Annoying mobile phone ringtones.
4. The arrival of the office lottery money collectors.
5. The sound of the manager’s voice.

Gold listeners’contributions:

THE GOLD HEALTH GUIDE
Improve your posture, by answering the phone whilst standing. If standing against a wall, push your shoulders and buttocks into the wall, then aim to eliminate any gaps, by pushing the lower back into the wall. Hold for 20 seconds, and then carry on a normal conversation. Avoid breathing heavily during the exercise.

MAKAN KAKIS
The winning recommendation: D best claypot rice is right smack in Chinatown along Smith st. Right atop d CK dept store n wet mkt. Their oyster sauce marinated chicken is very tender n d small portion of salted fish is not too salty. They serve small pots for 1 person at 5, which is very convenient if dining alone. They also hav wide choice of double-boiled soup n oyster sauce vegetable to go along. Each pot comes with fluffy rice n a thin layer of burnt rice at d bottom, fr those who like it burnt. Having tried Geylang, Clementi, Queenstown, etc, dis is d best. Waiting time is 20 mins. There r 2 stalls, dis is d corner stall. Easy to find, d 2 younger sisters r pretty. *wink . . Now d tough part. If u announce d address on air, d queue gonna b longer, but good things muz share rite, So here it is . . Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice – Chinatown Complex – Blk 335 Smith St – #02-198 / 199 – Tel 6227-2470
Ian

Men Take Longer to Get Ready Than Women!
It’s official, men now spend longer getting ready to go out than women do.
A study of over 3,000 men showed the average man dedicates 83 minutes of the day to their personal grooming. This includes showering, cleansing, toning and moisturising, shaving, styling hair and choosing clothes.
In contrast, women have their beauty regime down to a fine art and manage to get hair, clothes and make up done in just 79 minutes.
Men also take longer than women when picking an outfit, 13 minutes compared to 10.
Can’t imagine why, since guys always look like their wearing the same old shirt & pants!

THE GOLD HEALTH GUIDE
The superfruit, blueberry, is even better for you than previously thought, scientists have claimed.
It has long been known that the purple berry is rich in cancer-preventing antioxidants and vitamins.
Now researchers from the Lund University Faculty of Engineering in Sweden claim that the fibre in the fruit can help prevent a range of intestinal diseases such as ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease.
Blueberries are rich in polyphenols – beneficial chemicals found in plants – which have a bug busting and antioxidative effect.
And experts say the effect is even better if eaten with probiotics – the good type of bacteria that can be found in yoghurts because probiotics also protect the liver, an organ that is often negatively impacted by intestinal inflammations.
The team found that the combination of blueberries and probiotics reduced inflammation-inducing bacteria in the intestine at the same time as the number of health-promoting bacteria increased.

Workplace Irritants
Office workers were polled on what’s the worst thing about working in an office and according to a survey, irritants include people speaking too loudly on the phone, overbearing health and safety rules, dirty toilets and bad air conditioning.
36% said the frustration of computer breakdowns was the worst and more than a third (37%) of those surveyed found it hard to work when those around them are sulky, grumpy or irritable.
A significant number say these irritations cause them to leave their jobs.
In other words, the grumpy ones stay enmployed? That hardly seems fair does it?
What are your office bugbears?

5 Things
5 Signs You Work in the 21st century
5. You think that “progressing an action plan” and “calendarizing a project” are acceptable English phrases.
4. You find you really need PowerPoint to explain what you do for a living.
3. You normally eat out of vending machines and at the best restaurant in town in the same week.
2. You ask your friends to “think out of the box” when making plans for Friday night.
1. You think a “half day” means leaving at 5 o’clock (even if you work at home).

Today’s Show is made possible by the NUMBER TWENTY-ONE

21 – A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue!

21 – An average person’s key ring has one key that hasn’t been used in the last 9 months 21 days.

21 – 21% of men will never wear a tuxedo at an occasion other than a wedding.
21 - The amount of weight in pounds (almost 10kg) that 22% of newlyweds put on within 12 months of saying ‘I do’.

21 - While 21% of first-time fathers will experience sympathetic morning sickness, only eight percent of men who already have at least one child will experience it.

Men & Love Letters
Consider this fair warning, guys! In anticipation of Valentines day… it’s only 3 days away… you should know that women love receiving love letters!
Unfortunately, 6 % of men confessed to passing off existing romantic poetry as their own in order to impress the fair sex. Guys you may not think it’s a big deal, but most women say a poem or love letter would be treasured for the time and effort spent writing it.
20% of men today were are more inclined to use their mobiles to dash off a text.
More than one in ten would instinctively send an emailed message to their loved one.
The study found that while the majority of women are regular users of Facebook and Twitter, more than half would feel disappointed to receive a wall message or tweet instead of a traditional greetings card this coming Valentine’s weekend.
two in three women would like to be complimented on their appearance, while a third appreciated a partner with good eye contact, regarding this as a sign of devotion.
More than 75% of women say they would love to receive a letter or poem, but only 50% of men have penned one. That leaves 25% of women walking around completely unsatisfied!

MAKAN KAKIS
Share your fave spot for CLAYPOT RICE!

Best claypot at Beach Road market. Best in town. It has been there for almost 10 over years . Yummy salted fish added. Chicken is put on a side plate when serve so you can mix your own black sauce. Somedays you have to wait long. Yvonne