Touching life story.....

A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For

many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's

showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told

him that was all he wanted.

As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited

signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the

morning of his graduation his father called him into his private

study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine

son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son

a beautiful wrapped gift box.

Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man

opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound AL-Quran. Angrily,

he raised his voice at his father and said, "With all your money you

give me a Quran?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy

book.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in

business.

He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his

father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He

had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make

arrangements, he received a call telling him his father had

passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He

needed to come home immediately and take care things.

When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and

regret filled his heart.

He began to search his father's important papers and

saw the still new Quran, just as he had left it years ago. With

tears, he opened the Quran and began to turn the pages. As he

read those words, a car key dropped from an envelope

taped behind the Quran.

It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the

sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation,

and the words...PAID IN FULL.

How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not

packaged as we expected?

English Department goes to Jakarta

" Jam 2 kumpul!!!! jam setengah 3 brangkat...kalo jam segitu belum dateng ditinggal!!!" itu lah kata2 yang keluar dari salah satu panitia.

Tapi karena budaya orang Indonesia tu ngaret,,,,jadinya ya brangkat sekitar jam 4an. Perjalanan ke Jakarta pertamanya seru, ada yang gitar sambil nyanyi2, pokoknya penuh canda tawa d,,,n berhubung bis ga ada kamar mandinya, jd kita sering brenti di pom bensin wat numpang kamar mandi.

Setelah sore berganti malam, AC bis jadi terasa dingiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin banget sampai buat badan menggigil, o ya kita tidak di sediakan selimut,jadi ya hasilnya aq mrungel di kursi, pake jaket and kaos kaki,itupun masi menggigil. Perjalanan pun makin parah......hasilnya..........JACKPOT!!!!

bukan aq si yang jackpot, dan untungnya juga bukan sebelah quw, tapi justru co2 yang du2k di blakang yang muntah2.....beuh bisa kebayang g baunya kyk ap????Ce yang du2k di seberang kanan quw ketularan juga akhirnya, dan parahnya dia ga brenti2 muntah sampai wisma tempat penginapan kita. Secara otomatis tempat pembuangan sampah di letakkan sebelah kursi kita (aq dan lia) beuh....mantabh,,,,bayangin di sebelah kamu ada sampah penuh muntah orang,,,,grossssssss!!!!!!! Ini terjadi karena jalanan Nagrek yang extrim belok2nya....

Alhamdulillah kita nyampe tempat tujuan jam 4 pagi. Tapi di beri waktu sampai jam setengah 7 untuk siap2. Jadi pagi2 kita uda mandi, tadinya aq kira bakal kedinginan, tapi ternyata nggak,airnya ga dingin2 amat,udara di jakarta juga ga sedingin jogja.

But as usual,,,ngaret,,,,jam setengah 8 baru berangkat menuju Deplu (my future office,,,amiiiiin). Di sana kita di beri informasi tentang banyak hal yang terjadi di dalam Deplu itu sendiri. Setelah ceramah selesai,,,kami foto2...wikikikikik....

katanya si ini di dalam salah satu ruangan yang terpenting dalam DEPLU...

Selesai dari deplu kita menuju ke ANCOL......jarak antara bis dan pintu masuk jauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh banget,skitar 2 kilo lebih,

foto di dekat pintu masuk dufan,,,

wahana pertama yang kita tumpangi...

ummmmm ni dmn ya???lupa pokoknya di depan panggung gtu d...

mengantri di depan wahana (apa ya namanya lupa pokoknya yang 3 dimensi itu lho....yang di dalem kita di suruh du2k di kursi bergoyang sambil liat film). Walopun antrian panjang,kita tetap nekat masuk wahana ini.

western style....

foto di depan rumah miring bsama anak2 D3 n S1 ( critanya uda mule capek ni pas foto ini di ambil,kita da naik berbagai macam wahana n jalan sana sini, jadi maklum kalo muka uda kucel smw)

walopun kucel tapi tetap narsist

basah2 bis naik wahana terakhir

walaupun energy sudah abis tapi tetap narsist...

Nyampe di bis kita semua tidur kecapekan, dan karena semua kecapekan n tidur, tidak ad orang yang muntah2....pejalanan yang damai.....

Hari berikutnya kami ke trans tivi,metro tivi ke mangga 2 dan balik lagi ke trans tivi unutk mengikuti acara bukan 4 mata dan harap maklum jika kita2 kliatan kucel pas di shooting di bukan 4 mata,mandinya skali doank pas di wisma di pagi hari.hohohoho....

Perjalanan balik smw anak kecapekan,jadi tidurnya nyenyak d....

I LOVE FACEBOOK

hohohohoho,,,,sekarang lagi musim fesbuk,tadinya si ga niat ngurusin gitu2an, orang puny FS ajj g pernah di urus, tapi abis tau game2 mini yang ada di fesbuk,,,,wohohohoho ketagihan euy, pa lagi game2 kayak pet society,my farm,word challenge dll....slaen itu lebih seru ajj, fesbuk lebih mendunia daripada FS, dari sinilah quw bertemu dengan teman2 lama quw dulu waktu masi SD n SMP,,,teman2 yang berada nun jauh disana, di negri Kangguru,,,huwaaaa miss them so much...

COCKROACHES...

Cockroach is a kind of insect which is useless and you would probably kill them when you find them in your room. Well once upon a time crawled a baby cockroach ( don't realy know whether it's a baby cockroach or just a little kind of cockroach) into my room. Lucky for it, at that time i didn't feel like killing it instantly, so what i did was  covered the cockroach with a plastic glass instead. I really thought that it would be dead within a few hours, buuuuuuuuuuuttttttttt.....no it didn't. it's not even dead now, and that's like 3 weeks passed. just imagine a month without no food and no drink and no air and it's still alive.wow...

then this morning when i woke up, i got the idea to google around on cockroaches, and this is what i've found...

The favourite food of the cockroach is actually the glue on envelopes, the glue bindings at the backs of books and the glue on the back of postage stamps.

A cockroach can hold it's breath for up to 40 minutes.

Some female cockroaches mate once and are pregnant for the rest of their lives

Cockroaches rest for approximately 75% of each day.

Young cockroaches only need a crack about 0.5mm wide to crawl into your house. Adult males can squeeze into a space of 1.6mm.

Cockroach can live for up to a month, without its head.

Most species come from tropical countries and therefore need to be kept at a minimum of 25 degrees centigrade to survive.

The world's largest roach (in South America) is six inches long with a one-foot wingspan.

Male cockroaches transfer sperm to females in a package called a spermatophore. Some males cover the package in a protein-rich wrapping that the female can eat to obtain nutrients to raise her young. 

Female cockroaches however prefer their males at the bottom of the social pecking order while the dominant males try and stop them from having their way. But when females do mate with low-ranking cockroaches, they produce fewer sons in an effort to avoid passing on his lower level genes.

Cockroaches can run up to 3km/hr (0.8 m/s).

There are estimated to be 4,000 - 5,000 species of cockroaches in the world. Of these, only 25 to 30 are considered pests. The rest remain a part of the Earth's fauna, such as the Giant Burrowing Cockroach which are clean, slow moving, and are sometimes kept as pets. 

The German Cockroach - In Germany it is sometimes called "Die russische Schabe" or "The Russian Roach". In Russia it is called the Polish Roach. In America it was called the Crotton Bug because it came to NY about the time the Crotton Aqueduct was built.

The American Cockroach is thought to have originated in North Africa The most likely scenario is that it reached the Americas during the early slave trade.
I've also heard that they are sometimes called "water bugs" in the U.S. although I have no idea why. Mind you, the word cockroach as a name isn't exactly apparent either.

The Madagascar Hissing Cockroach is a large, wingless cockroach from Madagascar. Males ram into each other with their horns and/or they push each other with their abdomens. Larger males usually win. 
The winners of these encounters usually hiss more than the losers. The hisses of males also contain information about the size of the male hissing and may be used to assess the opponent's size. 

Ever wondered what the supposed purpose of having cockroaches on the planet at all is? Well try this handy example of a coackroaches supposed usefulness:
Crushed cockroaches can be applied to a stinging wound to help relieve the pain.

Scientifically speaking cockroaches are known as Blattodea, but personally I'd like to see them all Flattodea!

Increase Motivation

1. Consequences - Never use threats. They’ll turn people against you. But making people aware of the negative consequences of not getting results (for everyone involved) can have a big impact. This one is also big for self motivation. If you don’t get your act together, will you ever get what you want?

2. Pleasure - This is the old carrot on a stick technique. Providing pleasurable rewards creates eager and productive people.

3. Performance incentives - Appeal to people’s selfish nature. Give them the opportunity to earn more for themselves by earning more for you.

4. Detailed instructions - If you want a specific result, give specific instructions. People work better when they know exactly what’s expected.

5. Short and long term goals - Use both short and long term goals to guide the action process and create an overall philosophy.

6. Kindness - Get people on your side and they’ll want to help you. Piss them off and they’ll do everything they can to screw you over.

7. Deadlines - Many people are most productive right before a big deadline. They also have a hard time focusing until that deadline is looming overhead. Use this to your advantage by setting up a series of mini-deadlines building up to an end result.

8. Team Spirit - Create an environment of camaraderie. People work more effectively when they feel like part of team — they don’t want to let others down.

10. Recognize achievement - Make a point to recognize achievements one-on-one and also in group settings. People like to see that their work isn’t being ignored.

11. Personal stake - Think about the personal stake of others. What do they need? By understanding this you’ll be able to keep people happy and productive.

12. Concentrate on outcomes - No one likes to work with someone standing over their shoulder. Focus on outcomes — make it clear what you want and cut people loose to get it done on their own.

13. Trust and Respect - Give people the trust and respect they deserve and they’ll respond to requests much more favorably.

14. Create challenges - People are happy when they’re progressing towards a goal. Give them the opportunity to face new and difficult problems and they’ll be more enthusiastic.

15. Let people be creative - Don’t expect everyone to do things your way. Allowing people to be creative creates a more optimistic environment and can lead to awesome new ideas.

16. Constructive criticism - Often people don’t realize what they’re doing wrong. Let them know. Most people want to improve and will make an effort once they know how to do it.

17. Demand improvement - Don’t let people stagnate. Each time someone advances raise the bar a little higher (especially for yourself).

18. Make it fun - Work is most enjoyable when it doesn’t feel like work at all. Let people have fun and the positive environment will lead to better results.

19. Create opportunities - Give people the opportunity to advance. Let them know that hard work will pay off.

20. Communication - Keep the communication channels open. By being aware of potential problems you can fix them before a serious dispute arises.

21. Make it stimulating - Mix it up. Don’t ask people to do the same boring tasks all the time. A stimulating environment creates enthusiasm and the opportunity for “big picture” thinking.

Master these key points and you’ll increase motivation with a bit of hard work.

6 Steps To Making Good Decisions

Make Only The Best Decisions according to Hooman Hamzehloui

Wouldn’t you like to make the best decisions all the time? The quality of your life will depend on your ability to make the right decisions at the right times. How do you make all the right decisions, 100% of the time? You can’t do that, its impossible to make the right decisions 100% of the time. What you can do is become a master at the art of decision making so you will make more right decisions than wrong ones. Research has shown that highly successful people usually make their decisions quick and they are reluctant to change their minds once they have made their decisions. The opposite side is the people who regularly fail. These people normally take a long time to make a decision and are frequently changing their minds.

Why are successful people so good at making decisions? Successful people make good decisions because they don’t make situations more complicated than they really are. They have faith in their abilities to achieve. They focus on the most important factors of their situation. This focus on the most important factor usually gives them great results when making decisions, They break their big decisions down into mini-decisions. This gives them an opportunity to turn the big decisions into several smaller decisions. They visualize all the good outcomes their decision can bring, instead of focusing on all the negative outcomes that are possible. The bottom-line is that good decisions come from disciplined thinking and experience. The more decisions you make, the better you will get at making the right decisions. Don’t be afraid to make decisions, look at them as an opportunity to shine. Remember the greatest risk is the one you don’t take, so don’t be afraid of making the wrong decision. Get excited about making the right decision.



Steps To Making Great Decisions

1. Focus on the most important factor of your decision. In almost all decisions, there is usually one really important factor to the decision. Focus your efforts on that important detail and your choice will become so much easier to make.

2. Make big decisions into several smaller decisions. When a decision looks like too much to handle, break that big decision into several small decisions. After you make all the smaller decisions, the big decision will be made for you.

3. Take into consideration all the good outcomes that will come out of you making your decision. Decision makers get inspired by the positive outcomes that their decision will bring them. The excitement from the outcomes of your decision will keep your focus where it needs to be. Don’t focus on the negative possibilities of your decision.

4. Take the necessary actions required to make your decision a success. Don’t decide to do something and then fail to take the action required to make it happen. Focus your efforts on making your decision successful. Don’t talk about making it happen, take massive action to make it happen.

5. Keep your decision making process as simple as possible. This is a habit so many people are guilty of. You don’t want to get paralysis by over analysis. KEEP IT SIMPLE SILLY (KISS). Some decision makers put so many scenarios out there that they confuse themselves. Only focus on the scenarios that you have to do right to make your decision a success.

6. Consider all of your options. Don’t be a know it all. Good decision makers are not too proud to consult with someone else. Consult with people who have more experience about the subject than you do. Ask them what they would consider if they were in the same situation? Their knowledge and insight will show you different perspectives and different options that may completely change what you were thinking. Don’t get crazy and get 30 different opinions because you will probably put yourself in a position of indecision, which will probably lead you down the wrong path.

Follow these steps and over time you will master the art of decision making.

TOP 10 MOST EXPENSIVE MOBILE PHONES

 1. Diamond Crypto Smartphone

= $ 1.300.000.

The waves of opulence are expected to wash down the names of Vertu, Goldvish, Amosu and the likes as the ‘World's most expensive mobile phone’. They now have a stiff competition from the Ancort phone. This Russian company, JSC Ancort, has partnered with jeweler Peter Aloisson to conceive an incredibly expensive version of Swiss Crypto Telecommunication Security’s Crypto Smart telephone that carries and exceeding price tag of $1.3 million. At this price, it’s undeniably got gold and diamonds to its list for main features. But it also boasts of its security features for mobile phone privacy. The solid platinum Crypto Smartphone uses a symmetric 256 bit cryptographic algorithm and Windows CE operating system. In addition to the platinum body, the Ancort logo and the navigation key are made of 18 carat rose gold, as is the navigation key which also carries 28 round cut diamonds.

The phone also comes with a Connolly leather carrying case with platinum trimmings and lock and hand made macassar ebony presentation box with beige suede leather lining again with platinum trimmings and lock. When the box is opened, it plays music and the music can be changed to the your (client’s) choice. 
Space has been reserved on the phone and leather pouch for personalization with the company logo or client’s name and initials.

2. Goldvish “Le million”

= $1,000,000 (£540,540)

A PR stunt it may be, and they surely can’t be expecting to sell any, but the Goldvish “Le million” is officially the most expensive mobile phone in the world, according the Guiness Books of Records. There’s even been talk of a $1.3million phone, but this has fewer diamonds than the Goldvish so I can’t see where the extra expense comes from! The “Le million” is a one off, featuring a blinding 120 carats worth of VVS-1 grade diamonds, according to designer Emmanuel Gueit. If $1 million is out of your price range. the Geneva-based Goldvish also offer several other diamond-encrusted 18k gold models in your choice of rose, yellow, or white, starting at a much more reasonable $25,600 (£13,837).

3. Vertu Signature Cobra

= $310,000 (£167,567)

Vertu is now taking orders for the Signature Cobra, designed by French jeweler Boucheron, but you had better be quick as only 8 are being made! The Cobra will feature one pear-cut diamond, one round white diamond, two emerald eyes and 439 rubies. Vertu will also be offering a “cheaper” version, ruby free, at $115,000 (£62,162).

4. Sony Ericsson Black Diamond

= $300,000 (£162,162)

Apparently the Black Diamond will be available in 2007, not from Sony Ericsson but by a company called VIPN. Initially only 5 unique numered pieces will be available for the unbelievable price of, wait for it… $300,000. With regards to the specifications, don’t expect anything remarkable for your money. It will have Quad-band with Wi-Fi, an Intel 400Mhz processor running windows mobile 5, and a touch sensitive 2? screen. It will also include internal memory of 128mb and will come with a 2Gb SD card for external storage, plus a respectable 4 Megapixel camera. The designer Jaren Goh has used some pretty impressive materials for the build, featuring titane with polycarbonate, mirror-finish cladding and diamonds.

5. Vertu Diamond

= $88,000 (£47,567)

The Diamond is Vertu’s premium range of high-end mobile phones. As the name suggests the handsets in the Diamond range are diamond-encrusted handsets made from platinum. Only 200 of the handsets are being produced, the most expensive believed to be worth an estimated £50,000.

6. Motorola V220 Special Edition

= £28,000 ($51,800)

Austrian designer Peter Aloisson, has taken a standard Motorola, studded it with 1,200 diamonds and added a keyboard inlaid with 18 carat gold. The outcome is a £28,000 handset, suitable only for footballers and film stars!

7. Gold Edition Nokia 8800 Phone

= $2,700 (£1,459)

If you have $2,700 to spare, you can now buy the Nokia 8800 in 24K gold. However, be warned, if you think you’ll be getting a better phone for your extra cash, you wont! The features found on the Gold Edition are the standard 8800 features, which are pretty basic. It includes a 0.5 Mega pixel SVGA camera, 64 MB of internal memory, 64 voice polyphonic rigntones, FM Radio, Mp3 Player, video recording and 180 mins talktime. However, the Gold Edition does includes a special edition box and charging dock!

8. Mobiado Professional EM (wood)

= $1,900 (£1,027)

The Mobiado Professional EM, is a wood-clad upgrade of their earlier Nokia-based phone that includes a 1.3 megapixel camera, music player, FM radio, Bluetooth, and according to Mobiado it’s the first production phone with Titanium buttons. Only 200 are being made and each one has its limited number engraved on the back. At $1,900 however, you’re still paying an awfully high premium for a fairly basic phone encased in wood!

9. Bang & Olufsen (Samsung) Serene

= $1,250 (£675)

Bang & Olufsen hooked up with Samsung to design the sleek but unconventional Serene. Its not a bad looking phone and it even has a built-in motor to assist you in opening and closing the phone. It’s not very practical however, requiring a special screwdriver to access the battery and the SIM card, and its circular keypad will take some getting used to. Also, for some strange reason they have positioned the camera lens on the side of the device, which will make it difficult to align snapshots via the viewfinder on the display.

10. Lamborghini 8800 Sirocco from Nokia

= $To be announced

The Lamborghini Nokia 8800 Sirocco is another special edition, like the previously launch Aston Martin branded Sirocco. It will ultimately be a standard 8800 Sirocco but with the addition of the famous Lamborghini logo engraved on the font and the back, plus ball bearings from the auto company to in the slider phone mechanism. The Lamborghini phone will be a limited edition with only 500 being made. It will also feature Lamborghini graphics as wallpapers, screensavers, ringtones, and even has a short documentary video about the Lamborghini

Voucher Internet Indosat

Makin Bebas Ber-Internet Dengan Voucher Internet

Kini pengguna Mentari dan IM3 dapat ber-internet ria lebih leluasa dengan Voucher Internet, voucher khusus dari Indosat yang pulsanya hanya bisa digunakan untuk akses internet/data. Voucher Internet Indosat ini adalah voucher internet pertama yang pernah ada di indonesia.

Dengan Voucher Internet, surfing, browsing, downloading, uploading, e-mail, sampai chatting jadi lebih murah dan menyenangkan, cuma Rp 10/30 detik dengan kecepatan sampai dengan 256 Kbps!

Saat ini Voucher Internet tersedia di outlet-outlet dalam bentuk elektronik dengan denominasi Rp 5.000 untuk masa aktif 5 hari. Voucher ini dapat digunakan untuk mengakses internet berbasis durasi selama 250 menit.

Mekanisme Pemakaian Pulsa GPRS

Bagi pengguna Mentari / IM3 yang memanfaatkan layanan akses internet via GPRS, maka pulsa yang akan dipotong terlebih dahulu adalah pulsa dari account Pulsa GPRS, setelah itu account Pulsa REGULER.
Pemakaian pulsa dihitung dalam ‘menit’ dengan satu unit pemakaian = 30 detik.

Contoh:
Pulsa GPRS = 250 menit. untuk akses internet selama 60 detik. Maka sisa Pulsa GPRS = 249 menit.
Kemudian akses internet lagi selama 45 detik. Maka sisa Pulsa GPRS = 248 menit.
Kemudian akses internet lagi selama 90 detik. Maka sisa Pulsa GPRS = 246,5 menit.

Setting

Untuk mengaktifkan layanan ini, pastikan setting GPRS Kartu Anda menggunakan setting berbasis durasi:

APN : indosatgprs
Username : indosat@durasi
Password : indosat@durasi

Setelah melakukan pengisian, pengguna Mentari/IM3 akan memperoleh SMS notifikasi seperti contoh sebagai berikut:

Pengguna Mentari, dapat melakukan pengecekan pulsa GPRS dengan menekan *555*1#
Pengguna IM3, dapat melakukan pengecekan pulsa GPRS dengan menekan *388*1#

Syarat dan Ketentuan:
Berlaku untuk akses internet dengan setting GPRS berbasis durasi.
Bila pelanggan menggunakan setting GPRS berbasis volume, akses internet akan memotong Pulsa Regular pada main account (Rp 1/Kb) walau sudah melakukan isi ulang dengan Voucher Internet.
Pengisian Pulsa GPRS akan menambah masa aktif kartu, tetapi masa aktif Pulsa GPRS tidak bersifat akumulatif (yang mana masa aktif paling lama).
Koneksi internet akan terputus jika Pulsa GPRS habis.
Sisa Pulsa GPRS akan hangus jika pelanggan tidak melakukan reload Voucher Internet sebelum masa aktif Pulsa GPRS berakhir.
Khusus pelanggan Mentari, Pulsa GPRS akan hangus saat pelanggan melakukan perpindahan paket.
Berlaku mulai 25 November 2008

Sertifikat Office Gratis

Belum lama ini majalah komputer PC Media telah menyediakan sertifikasi online dalam bidang Microsoft Office (Ms Office). Website yang bisa kamu akses di alamatwww.sertifikasioffice.com ini, Bisa ngebantu kamu buat ngedapetin sertifikat office secara cuma-cuma!, yang nantinya sertifikat tersebut dapat digunakan sebagai bukti otentik-bahwa kamu benar-benar menguasai aplikasi Ms Office-pada saat melamar pekerjaan.

Caranya, kamu tinggal mendaftarkan diri di website tersebut, kemudian mengambil paket ujian yang diberikan secara online. Kalau kamu mampu menjawab minimal 65 % pertanyaan yang diberikan dengan benar, Kamu berhak mengantongi sertifikat Ms Office. Sebagai verifikasi, Website tersebut akan memberikan kode yang bisa dipakai untuk membuktikan bahwa kamu telah lulus, dan berhak atas sertifikat Ms Office. Selanjutnya…ya, kamu tinggal menuliskan kode tersebut di Curriculum Vitae (CV) surat lamaran kerja kamu. Selamat mencoba & Good Luck!!!

cute n adorable babies

how come i can't taste anything???

Future musician

SURPRISE

AAArrrrrrrgh you again!!

terorist masa depan kita

TROTOAR

Located on the 5th kilometer of kaliurang street is a small stand which sells drinks that you can find in clubs or pubs with price range Rp30.000 till Rp100.000 or even higher, but the big difference here is that it contains 0% alcohol. Everythings the same except at this place, it has no alcohol at all.The price is also much cheaper here, mostly under Rp 5,000. The man selling these drinks (Om Pedro) is an easy going kind of person and loves to chat a lot, so if you come to this place, i am sure that you wont get bored since this person always has something to talk about.

I think the best drink sold here is called "trotoar erthquake", its sort of soury, zingy kind of taste.

the one on the right is the one that i have said above "eartquake" . I forgot what the left one is called but i know that it got yoghurt as one of the ingredients...

CHOCOLATE : the Psychoactive Cocktail

    Chocolate contains small quantities of anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid found in the brain. Sceptics claim one would need to consume several pounds of chocolate to gain any very noticeable psychoactive effects; and eat a lot more to get fully stoned. Yet it's worth noting that N-oleolethanolamine and N-linoleoylethanolamine, two structural cousins of anandamide present in chocolate, both inhibit the metabolism of anandamide. It has been speculated that they promote and prolong the feeling of well-being induced by anandamide.

        Chocolate contains caffeine. But the caffeine is present only in modest quantities. It is easily obtained from other sources. Indeed a whole ounce of milk chocolate contains no more caffeine than a typical cup of "decaffeinated" coffee.    Chocolate contains small quantities of anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid found in the brain. Sceptics claim one would need to consume several pounds of chocolate to gain any very noticeable psychoactive effects; and eat a lot more to get fully stoned. Yet it's worth noting that N-oleolethanolamine and N-linoleoylethanolamine, two structural cousins of anandamide present in chocolate, both inhibit the metabolism of anandamide. It has been speculated that they promote and prolong the feeling of well-being induced by anandamide.

        Chocolate contains caffeine. But the caffeine is present only in modest quantities. It is easily obtained from other sources. Indeed a whole ounce of milk chocolate contains no more caffeine than a typical cup of "decaffeinated" coffee. Chocolate's theobromine content may contribute to - but seems unlikely to determine - its subtle but distinctive psychoactive profile. Surprisingly, perhaps, recent research suggests that pure theobromine may be superior to opiates as a cough medicine due to its action on the vagus nerve.

        Chocolate also contains tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid. It is the rate-limiting step in the production of the mood-modulating neurotransmitter serotonin. Enhanced serotonin function typically diminishes anxiety. Yet tryptophan can normally be obtained from other sources as well; and only an unusually low-protein, high-carbohydrate meal will significantly increase its rate of intake into the brain.

        Like other palatable sweet foods, consumption of chocolate triggers the release of endorphins, the body's endogenous opiates. Enhanced endorphin-release reduces the chocolate-eater's sensitivity to pain. Endorphins probably contribute to the warm inner glow induced in susceptible chocoholics. This sensation explains whychocolate gifts are a great way to bring joy to a loved one.

        Acute monthly cravings for chocolate amongst pre-menstrual women may be partly explained by its rich magnesiumcontent. Magnesium deficiency exacerbates PMT. Before menstruation, too, levels of the hormone progesterone are high. Progesterone promotes fat storage, preventing its use as fuel; elevated pre-menstrual levels of progesterone may cause a periodic craving for fatty foods. One study reported that 91% of chocolate-cravings associated with the menstrual cycle occurred between ovulation and the start of menstruation. Chocolate cravings are admitted by 15% of men and around 40% of women. Cravings are usually most intense in the late afternoon and early evening.

        Cacao and chocolate bars contain a group of neuroactive alkaloids known as tetrahydro-beta-carbolines. Tetrahydro-beta-carbolines are also found in beer, wine and liquor; they have been linked to alcoholism. But the possible role of these chemicals in chocolate addiction remains unclear.

        One UK study of the human electroencephalographic (EEG) response to chocolate suggests that the odour of chocolate significantly reduces theta activity in the brain. Reduced theta activity is associated with enhanced relaxation. This study needs replication.

        Perhaps chocolate's key ingredient is its phenylethylamine (PEA) "love-chemical". Yet the role of the "chocolate amphetamine" is disputed. Most if not all chocolate-derived phenylethylamine is metabolised before it reaches the CNS. Some people may be sensitive to its effects in very small quantities.

        Phenylethylamine is itself a naturally occurring trace amine in the brain. Phenylethylamine releases dopamine in the mesolimbic pleasure-centres; it peaks during orgasm. Taken in unnaturally high doses, phenylethylamine can produce stereotyped behaviour more prominently even than amphetamine. Phenylethylamine has distinct binding sites but no specific neurons. It helps mediate feelings of attraction, excitement, giddiness, apprehension and euphoria; but confusingly, phenylethylamine has also been described as an endogenous anxiogen. One of its metabolites is unusually high in subjects with paranoid schizophrenia.

        There is even a phenylethylamine theory of depression. Monoamine oxidase type-b has been described as phenylethylaminase; and taking a selective MAO-b inhibitor, such as selegiline (l-deprenyl, Eldepryl) or rasagiline (Azilect) can accentuate chocolate's effects. Some subjects report that bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban) reduces their chocolate-cravings; but other chocoholics dispute this.