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Emotional Intelligence - EI

Are you the kind of person that are very good at numbers and charts, but can’t get over being dumped? You know you are intelligent, but when it comes to relationships you realize you put the horse before the car most of times.

How can you improve your EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE - EI? Well, if I had the answer, I could be a better person.

I’m about to read Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, PhD. This book drew my attention went I went to Saraiva last week and decided that I wanted to buy a book with “real content”, not that fiction ones… I have to confess that I don’t have (or don’t want to spend) money on therapy, so I went to the Psychology section and started to read all beautiful covers with the hope to find the solution to my needs.

It is not that easy. It is difficult to change your inner self when it’s there for decades. But you should give it a shot, at least give it a try.

My research in this issue, before I start reading the book, is that EI describes your ability, capacity to deal with your feelings and/or other’s. It is your self control of your emotions, or can be your ability to handle a difficult situation among you and others in a group.

Perhaps you never paid attention to the types of intelligence you have, but be aware that your EI can affect your job, your family and your relationships.

There are 2 aspects that show if you have a strong EI:

• Understanding yourself, your goals, intentions, responses, behavior…
• Understanding others, and their feelings.

There are 5 domains that show if a person is emotionally strong:

1. Knowing your emotions.
2. Managing your own emotions.
3. Motivating yourself.
4. Recognizing and understanding other people's emotions.
5. Managing relationships like managing the emotions of others.

Paying attention to your feelings is a big step. Being aware of what your strengths and weaknesses are helps you to understand your emotions and deal with problems better.

If you’re feeling down, think to yourself:

“What is the real reason?”

"Why am I feeling like this?”

No apparent reason means you may suffer from depression. Perhaps a professional can show you the way to get over it.

Take the quizz and know your EI. Just 5 to 10 minutes!

Português: http://www.checkup.med.br/colesterol/en/teste_im (teste estará logo abaixo do quadro rosa, o ultimo teste está por assunto logo no RODAPÉ.)

English: http://discoveryhealth.queendom.com/questions/eiq_abridged_1.html

Mine was a low number, but I’m sure something will change after I finish the book.

Everyone has their own issues, habits, problems, thoughts, but what makes us better people is the willing to change for better every day.

P.S. In some weeks I’ll post a conclusion according to Daniel Goleman’s book.

A Strong Taste

Coffee is considered the third most consumed beverage in the world. People across the globe have incorporated coffee in their daily routines and they believe it is a strong drink that can give them energy or heart diseases. There is much debate if coffee is a benefit or harmful to people's health. It was first planted in Ethiopia, then the cultivation spread to Saudi Arabia, Europe and then to the Americas.

There are two most common beans known as coffee arabica and Robusta. They are blended and roasted to give different flavors and smells.
Cultivation and production consist in planting twenty seeds in the same hole, but just a few of them will sprout.
Bushes can reach 1,50 meters high and the harvest happens 12 months later.
The beans are picked, processed and dried. The bean of arabica has a smoother taste, however, the robusta has a bitter or acid taste. That is why 75% of blended coffees are arabica and just 25% are robusta.
The beans are firstly washed to remove the layer of mucilage. Then the seeds are dried. The next step is roasting. The temperature can reach 200°C, but even this can change the aroma and flavor. Coffee after being roasted is labeled as light, medium light, medium, medium dark and dark, or very dark.
Lighter roasts have more fiber content and stronger flavor, more acidity. Darker roasts have less fiber content and a more sugary flavor.
Once it is roasted, its storage must be properly done to preserve the fresh taste.
Last year, Brazil was the world leader in green coffee production, followed by Vietnam, Indonesia and Colombia, and it is still the largest coffee exporting nation. Although Brazilian coffee is found around the world, barists and experts claim that Colombian coffee is the best.
It is impossible to discuss about coffee and not mention its pros and cons.
According to most studies, the regular consumption of coffee reduces the Alzheimer, Parkinson and heart's diseases. It prevents free radicals from damaging cells. Coffee prepared using paper filters remove an oil that can cause coronary heart disease.
Coffee is rich in caffeine, which is considered a stimulant, and carbohydrates. The green beans are rich in vitamin C, but it is lost when heated in high temperatures.
On the other hand, scientific studies show that the consumption of coffee causes heart disease, headaches, irritation, insomnia and raises blood pressure.
While there is not a clear understanding of the pros and cons of coffee, coffee followers can be found in every corner in different countries. Cafes are gaining their space, they are becoming more sophisticated, and they offer varieties of coffee flavors and their mixtures.
It is also combined with whiskey in Irish coffee and many others sophisticated coffee beverages.
Sitting down at a cafe and watch people walking by and, at the same time, savoring an espresso is something really good that everyone should try.

Whisky - Different types

The meaning of whisky remotes from Gaelic. It is originated from a compound old Irish word 'uisce' that means WATER and 'bethad' that means OF LIFE. So, literally, the meaning of whisky is WATER OF LIFE.

The distilled beverage began with the Babylonians, but it was very different from the one people drink nowadays. The destillation process at that time was poor and in its infancy. By accident, the whisky forgotten in a cask was found in the 16th century, revealing a smoother taste.

Around 1700 taxes were high, so distillers were forced to hide the drink in coffins, altars, etc, and produce it late at night, where the darkness would hide the smoke coming from the stills. For this reason, the drink was known as 'moonshine', which means: 'illegal spirit (illicity-distilled liquor).

Whisky became a primary liquor in markets in the 1880s, when the French brandy was devastated by a pest that ruined the crops. Whisky is produced in different types, differing in quality, percentage of alcohol and the product. Two main ingredients are malt and grain. The first one is entirely from malted barley and distilled in pot stills. The second one is made of wheat and corn. It is produced in a coffey still. These 2 ingredients can be combined in various ways. The most common types of whisky are:

• Blended Whiskies - they are described as Scotch or Irish Whisky. The most famous brands are Chivas Regal, Michael Collins, Jameson, Blue Label (JW) and J&B.

• Vatted Malt - it is a blended whisky without the grain, just malts (pure malt), they are Teachers, Green Label (JW).

• Single Malt Whisky - it comes from a single distillery, but sometimes different casks and different years, so it has different blenders. Example: The Glenlivet.

• Pure Pot Still Whiskey - it is distilled in a pot still from mash of mixed malted and unmalted barley. It is exclusive to Ireland; Red Breast.
• Bourbon - American. It consists of at least 51% corn. Common brands are Jack Daniel's, Barclay's Bourbon.

• Malt Whiskey - it is made from mash that consists of at least 51% malted barley. They are Wild Turkey and Bushmills.

• Corn Whiskey - it consists at least of 80% corn. Some brands are Gold Stake, Georgia Moon.

There are also other whisky nationalities like Canadians, Janapese, but the main ones are from The USA and Ireland.

How technology has changed people's lives.

Technology is the application of mental and physical effort in order to achieve something. It involves 3 stages: tools, machines and automation. The evolution of technology is the substitution of physical labour into machines resulting in a development of production.

This technology has changed people's lives in different aspects. Work is a lot easier and, as a result, people have more free time.

Culture has been changing over the years because of the inventions. Modern gadgets connect everybody to everything, like iphones, internet, to name just a few.

The Internet is the main source of communication and information around the world. People can follow the news and events in a click. Students can do their school researches. Also, another benefit as a result of the Internet is that it helps people find old friends through networking websites like Facebook, Myspace, etc.

The discovery for new technologies seems to have no end. Every time each year people are faced with new inventions, new robots, machines and gadgets that are considered 'must-haves'.

We can predict that the ending of this cycle will regress of people's hearts. Perhaps, someday in the future people will probably miss the old times, when life seemed to be less complicated and simpler.

3-D MOVIES - AVATAR

In the future, Jake, a paraplegic war veteran, is brought to another planet, Pandora, which is inhabited by the Na'vi, a humanoid race with their own language and culture. Those from Earth find themselves at odds with each other and the local culture.

When his brother is killed in a robbery, paraplegic Marine Jake Sully decides to take his place in a mission on the distant world of Pandora. There he learns of greedy corporate figurehead Parker Selfridge's intentions of driving off the native humanoid "Na'vi" in order to mine for the precious material scattered throughout their rich woodland. In exchange for the spinal surgery that will fix his legs, Jake gathers intel for the cooperating military unit spearheaded by gung-ho Colonel Quaritch, while simultaneously attempting to infiltrate the Na'vi people with the use of an "avatar" identity. While Jake begins to bond with the native tribe and quickly falls in love with the beautiful alien Neytiri, the restless Colonel moves forward with his ruthless extermination tactics, forcing the soldier to take a stand - and fight back in an epic battle for the fate of Pandora.

Well, well, well, watching this 3D movie is unique, really something, it is worth the visit to the cinema. But the plot is kind of naive, kind of "let's save the world". If you watched it, did you like it? Post your comment.

Floods in Brazil

I was searching for news about flooding in Brazil and I found quite many in foreign papers. The regions were in flood of heavy rains and mudslides and killed several people. But then I realized they were news about the last year. If you type ‘flooding in Brazil’ on Google you will find a lot of about past years.

Every year we are struck by heavy rains and floods and mudslides and deaths. And it seems that it catches us by surprise. I see people on TV crying and complaining about furniture they have lost and nowhere to go. It's a pity because every year we watch the same news on TV. But I think it's getting worse.

When Autumn comes rains go.

And like magic, no one remembers what they have been through during the summer, moving on with their lives, just waiting for another rainy season.

Will it have an end?