Boiling Water

I always thought this was nonsense - you know, like KFC using headless and beakless chickens for their food - but apparently this one is true. Don't say you haven't been warned - I double checked with some pharmacy friends of mine (people who work in labs) and this is most definitely true:

THE DANGERS OF BOILING WATER IN A MICROWAVE OVEN

The following e-mail was sent to National Safety from one of our readers.

“I feel that the following information that anyone who uses a microwave oven to heat water should know. My 26-year old son decided to have a cup of coffee. He took a cup of water and put it in the microwave to heat it up (something that he had done numerous times before.

I am not sure how long he set the timer for, but he told me that he wanted to bring the water to boil. When the time shut the oven of, he removed the cup from the oven. As he looked into the cup, he noted that the water in the cup was not boiling, but instantly the water in the cup “blew up” into his face. The cup remained intact until he threw it out of his hand but all the water had flown out into his face due to the build up of energy. His whole face is blistered and he has 1st and 2nd degree burns to his face, which may leave scarring. He also may have lost partial sight in his left eye. While at the hospital, the doctor who was attending to him stated that this is a fairly common occurrence and water (alone) should never be heated in the microwave oven. If water is heated in this manner, something should be placed in the cup to diffuse the energy such as a wooden stir stick, tea bag, etc.

It is however a much safer choice to boil water in a teakettle.
Please pass this information on to friends and family.

General Electric’s Response:

“The e-mail that you received is correct. Microwaved water and other liquids do not always bubble when they reach boiling point. They can actually get superheated and not bubble at all. The superheated liquid will bubble up out of the cup when it is moved or when something like a spoon or tea bag is put into it. To prevent this from happening and causing injury, do not heat any liquid for more than two minutes per cup.

After heating, let the cup stand in the microwave for thirty seconds before moving it or adding anything into it. I hope this helps. Should you need any further assistance, please contact us.

Response from a Scientist

“Thanks for the microwave warning. I have seen this happen before. It is caused by a phenomenon known as super heating. It can occur anytime water is heated and will particularly occur if the vessel that the water is heated in is new, or when heating a small amount of water (less than half a cup). What happens is that the water heats faster than the vapour bubbles can form. If the cup is very new then it is unlikely to have small surface scratches inside it that provide a place for the bubbles to form.

As the bubbles cannot form and release some of the heat that has built up, the liquid does not boil, and the liquid continues to heat up well past its boiling point. What then usually happens is that the liquid is bumped or jarred, which is just enough of a shock to cause the bubbles to rapidly form and expel the hot liquid. The rapid formation of bubbles is also why a carbonated beverage spews when opened after having been shaken”.


If you pass this on….you could very well save someone from a lot of pain and suffering.

Regards,

M.

Father's Day

Morning,
Just a reminder that Father's Day is coming up next month. I've added some interesting info on Father's Day and will be updating with some excellent gift ideas. Click here: http://easterngifts.co.za/celebrating-fathers-day-a-67.html
Thought you'd find it interesting:-)
Regards,
M.

Stress

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water? "

Answers called out ranged from 8oz. To 20 oz.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.

So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work/life down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.

Whatever burdens you're carrying now, put them down for a moment if you can. Relax; pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy! "

And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

1. Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
2. Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
3. Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
4 * Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.
5. If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
6. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
7. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
8. Never buy a car you can't push.
9. Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
10. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance
11. Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
12. The second mouse gets the cheese.
13. When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
14. Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
15. You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
16. Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once
17. We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colours, but they all have to live in the same box.
18. A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today.

Mother's Day

A tribute to Moms - for Mother's Day!

Good Morning,

I recently came across this delightful tribute to moms, by Randy Duermeyer. I thought it so pertinent that I've decided to share. All those pieces of wisdom that Mom used to give you as a child still hold true today - even as an adult.

10 Tidbits of Mother's Wisdom: A Tribute to Moms Everywhere

It will soon be the fifth anniversary of my mother's passing. Like all children who are blessed with a mother to guide them through life, many of my mother's sayings still resound. I continue to appreciate many of them to this day. As Mother's Day approaches, I thought it would be a fitting tribute to discuss how some of her famous, never-to-be-forgotten sayings apply to my everyday business life, even now. I think most of you will relate to these timeless pieces of wisdom:

1. Always wear clean underwear: you never know when you might get in an accident. Dress appropriately for the occasion and be prepared if a prospect or client might want to see you on a moment's notice.
2. Did you finish your homework? Have you really investigated that business opportunity? Are you really prepared to make your presentation to a client or a prospect? Did you check out your partners before deciding to do business with them?
3. Look both ways before you cross the street. A lot like Did you finish your homework - don't run your business with your eyes closed. Be alert to potential opportunities and try to think outside of the box from time to time. Investigate a company before you turn over your hard-earned cash for a business opportunity or franchise.
4. Eat your vegetables or you can't have dessert. We all have things we don't like to do, but they have to get done anyway, at some point so don't put them off. You never know, later on you just might like vegetables!
5. People in the world will starve if you don't finish your plate. Don't waste valuable resources. Recycle, re-use, re-purpose.
6. Clean up your room. Organise your office or workspace. Get your filing into the drawer. Create a pleasant and clean working environment for yourself.
7. Go ask your father. Sometimes it pays to get a second opinion when you're stuck on making a decision. It never hurts to ask for advice.
8. Do you think money grows on trees? Solid money management is important to keeping your financial head above water. If you need to make a purchase, shop around. Take advantage of all of your available tax deductions. Keep track or your return on investment.
9. Don't you think it's past your bedtime? No matter how excited you are about what you are doing, you need your rest in order to be effective. Don't work into all hours of the night as it will negatively impact your health.
10. Are you planning to sleep all day? Get up! With all of the freedom that having a home business or working from home provides, you need to be disciplined enough to create an effective schedule for your work activities and stick to it. (Ref: http://homebusiness.about.com/b/2007/05/09/10-tidbits-of-mothers-wisdom-a-tribute-to-moms-everywhere.htm)
    

Quotes from Others About Mothers and Motherhood

"Ever since I was a little girl I knew I wanted to be a mom. That was really important to me. I made that clear to my team members even before I had my kids. I made it clear to everyone from the outset that I wanted to keep family first, my husband and me at first, but that I would be including kids eventually. I'm fortunate that I work with an amazing team of people who understand and support that." -- Kathy Ireland.

"Every mother is like Moses. She does not enter the promised land. She prepares a world she will not see." -- Pope Paul VI. (Ref: http://homebusiness.about.com/b/2007/05/09/10-tidbits-of-mothers-wisdom-a-tribute-to-moms-everywhere.htm)

So, let's all spoil the mom's in our lives and we have a wonderful range of gifts to offer. Log onto our website for more details on our amazing gift offers. And if your mom lives overseas and you'd still like to get a gift to her for Mother's Day, we can assist. Simply click the icon below for more detail on our overseas offers.

Remember, we are your one stop gift solution shop. We cater for any occasion that requires a gift. We have gift vouchers, gift baskets, gift registries and so much choice and variety. Whatever occasion you're looking for, we will have something suitable. We pride ourselves on making your shopping experience quick, easy and convenient - saving you time, money and energy.
Remember that we have a range of unique handcrafted gift items to suit every gift requirement. If you can't find what you're looking for, simply e-mail us for assistance.