6 People Who Complicate Your Life

THE TYRANNICAL BOSS

Complicates your life by . . . Insisting you're on call 24-7

Simplify your life by . . . Clocking out at 5. And don't forget to lob a cheerful "See you tomorrow" in his direction. "Sometimes you need to manage your boss's expectations," says Gil Schwartz, executive vice president of CBS and Men's Health's Getting Ahead columnist. "That means leaving the office at the same time every day or limiting weekend work." And don't worry about being fired: "If you were doing a bad job, you wouldn't have so much to do."

THE CHATTY COWORKER

Complicates your life by . . . Becoming a permanent fixture at your office door, stifling your ability to IM your friends

Simplify your life by . . . Boring him. Don't engage him, suggests Schwartz. Don't look at him or say anything that might lengthen the conversation. "Eventually he'll stop coming by," Schwartz says.

THE NAGGING MOTHER-IN-LAW

Complicates your life by . . .

Giving you unsolicited advice and hideous ties

Simplify your life by . . . Befriending the enemy. "Most men spend time with their mother-in-law only as part of a couple," says Albert Maslow, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist specializing in men's issues, "but it's important to develop a relationship of your own with her." Maslow suggests taking her to lunch or doing handiwork around her house. At the very least, you'll begin to understand her motivations, Maslow says. And maybe, just maybe, she'll become less of a buttinski.

THE PUSHY SALESMAN

Complicates your life by . . . Trailing you around the store

Simplify your life by . . . Wearing gym shorts. In a California State University study, salespeople approached shoppers dressed in work clothes more quickly than those who were dressed casually.

THE TRAGIC FRIEND

Complicates your life by . . . Complaining incessantly about his pathetic existence

Simplify your life by . . . Telling him a joke, preferably dirty. It'll stop him long enough for you to change the subject, Maslow says. With luck, you'll eventually deprogram him.

THE NE'ER-DO-WELL SIBLING

Complicates your life by . . . Borrowing money and third-wheeling your life

Simplify your life by . . . Shutting him out. Lending him your cash or social life makes you an enabler, Maslow says: "It'll get worse until you cut him off." So apologize, say no, then point him toward Monster.com.

p/s: Life is complicated..

Colourful Asian Food

Tuna with pepper sauce and parsley (Yemen)

Lemon and coconut soup with fish and asparagus (Thailand)

Shrimp rolls with bamboo sprouts (Taiwan)

Filled pastry boats and bulgur salad (Syria)

Ayurvedic cuisine: yellow pimentos with sesame (Sri Lanka)

Spicy exotic seafood soup with mint (Singapore)

Crêpes filled with beef, beans and bamboo (Philippines)

Pickled Yogurt Dumplings and Mango Chutney (Oman)

Meat kebabs with hummus and tomato salad (Lebanon)

Kyojasang - traditional charger of Korean dishes

Cauliflower curry (India)

Salad with vegetables, chicken and peanuts (Vietnam)

Sardines in a tomato sauce and rice with shrimp (U.A.E)

Street food stall in Silom

Shrimp stir fry on plate on white background

Japanese sweet

Sushi on plate with chopsticks

China, Beijing, Donghuamen night market

Spicy satay (Indonesia)

Malaysian sambal udang Melaka (Malacca)

Malay cuisine, Kuch, sweet rice cake flavour

Java steak with grilled potatoes and salad

p/s: Yummy, yummy.. Asian food very delighted and attractive..

Top 10 Strangest Japanese Gadgets and Accessories

10. Vibrating Optical Mouse

This device not only acts as a fully functional optical mouse, it also includes a built-in vibration motor for stress relief. Available in white or silver colors, this mouse features USB connectivity and is priced at $22.

"It’s also only compatible with Windows, so Mac and Linux users will have to find another way to combine the dionysian pleasures of vibration and gadgets."

9. The Sauce Dispensing Chopsticks

With these sauce dispensing chopsticks you'll never have to dip your sushi in soy sauce again For $21, you can purchsae two pairs of these chopsticks -- made from polypropylene and ABS.

8. Cardboard Speakers

MUJI (best known in Japan for their innovative yet simple products) introducesa new line of cardboard speakers, which consist of "a few" electronic components and ship unfolded in a clear plastic pouch -- so fold them up and they're ready to use.

7. The Head Bath Cap

If you've been waiting for a cap that gives your head/hair a good bath than the solution is here. Presenting the "Head Bath" cap, just place it over your head and let water start running into it. This gadget not only looks funny, but supposedly "helps your hair grow faster and fuller" by penetrating the pores in your scalp with the trapped water.

6. Ear Wax Camera/Cleaner

Put simply, this is one of the strangest gadgets we've come across. This device sports a camera/light at one end and a viewer at the other end -- allowing users to see built-up ear wax. It's powered by a single 9V battery and is made from anti-bacterial ASB resin/glass/stainless steel.

"Though it’s not really a common topic of dinner conversation in the States — “Who’s been cleaning your ears at Yale, Son?” — the Japanese have a certain fondness for the act of ear cleaning."

5. Nap Alarm

This nifty little device goes behind your ear and vibrates when it detects you are falling asleep by measuring the speed of head movements (head nodding, etc.). Perfect for boring classes, drives, and work. It costs only $15 (1,800 yen).

"With the Nap Alarm, waking up 15 minutes before said exam may be a thing of the past, though falling asleep while driving is another matter entirely."

4. Futuristic Japanese Automatic Door

This nifty door has a built-in infrared sensor that identifies the person or object and conforms to their shape when opening.

3. Japanese Air-Shower System

This Japanese air-shower system is situated in a 2 m (tall) x 90 cm (wide) chamber and uses 12 nozzles to blow off any allergens (pollen and dust) found on the body/clothes.

"The person who came up with the idea to place the air-shower in the building suffers from hay fever. The company is now considering the possibility of developing another housing complex equipped with the air-shower system."

2. MP3 Toilet

Technically, it's not a stand alone MP3 player, but rather one that works with your toilet. This SD memory based player attaches to the wall above your toilet and includes a special receiver that goes under the toilet seat -- how sanitary.

1. Robot Hand Controlled by Human Thought

Research Institute Japan and Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) have partnered to develop a robot hand that uses "functional magnetic resonance imaging to scan a person’s brain" and then maps the scans to hand actions.

"Though the scientists say they need “several breakthroughs in related technologies, including those for brain scanning hardware, before this type of non-invasive systems will be used in daily life”, this provides hope for amputees to someday have a mechanical limb that works as well as their original one."

Honorable Mention - Remocon Saucer

If you like the idea of using one device to control your home appliances while away from home, check out this nifty Japanese gadget called the Remocon Saucer. A potential negative, the Remocon needs its own cell phone to function. Once connected, you're able to dial-in and have it carry out predefined commands like turning on/off the TV, etc.

"The connection between the Remocon Saucer and FOMA handset is done via earphone mic jack. The handsets that can be connected are the P901i, P901iS, P700i, P701iD, P902i, N901iC, N901iS, N700i, N701i, N902i, Nevica-F, and AirView 2"

Honorable Mention - USB Flash Drives With Manga

If you like reading "Cyborg 009," "Kouchounin Mippei.," and/or "Oni Tarou Collection" Japanese manga, than your'e in luck. Buffalo Corp. Japan is releasing 256MB USB flash drives called "WebClipDrive" that come preloaded with electronic versions of these comics. They measure 70.6 x 16.6 x 9.4 mm and priced at $26 USD.

"Using the USB memory's auto-run function, users can access an electronic book site created specifically for the RUF-CAR-EB series. To view the free contents, users will need to register as an eBookJapan user and obtain the viewing software. These free contents are supported under Windows Me, 2000, and XP."

p/s: Very extraordinary and high tech of future gadgets. I like it!

15 Style Mistakes You Can Fix Now

Let's face it, we all need help sometimes. And like it or not, we're judged by how we look and how we handle ourselves in social and professional settings.

The 15 style tips below aren't meant to turn you into a metrosexual—none, for instance, will instruct you to blow $600 on a pair of shoes. These tips are for the everyday guy. They're meant to help you gain confidence when you walk into a meeting or the next cocktail party, and they'll help make your wife or girlfriend feel proud to stand next to you. You're a grown man—it's time your wardrobe grew up too.

But, remember, it's not about being trendy, it's about looking good. Just follow these tips to looking better.

1. Match your belt and shoes. If you're wearing black shoes, put on a black belt. And brown shoes demand a brown belt. A good, general rule is to never mix the color of your leathers.

2. For crying out loud, pull your pants down. You may be pushing 40, but you don't need to hike up your pants like you're ready to start walking the mall. And it's even worse if you tuck in your shirt like Napoleon Dynamite.

3. On the flip side, pull up your pants. Seeing some 19-year-old's boxer shorts is bad enough; we don't need to see your tighty whities. You should have stopped buying "baggy cut" jeans years ago.

4. Pay attention to your shoes. You could be wearing $100 jeans with a sharp-looking shirt, but you'll still embarrass your wife or girlfriend with those old loafers that should have been pitched in the 1990s. Buy quality shoes that look smart and stylish. Remember, people check out shoes. Potential employers often will look at them to judge a candidate's attention to detail. Good rule of thumb: Spend your money on shoes, not shirts and pants. Also, match your socks to your shoes (very easy) or at least make sure they are a nice "bridge" from the shoes to the pants. Save the tube socks for the gym and lounging on weekends.

5. Wear clothes that fit properly. At this age, trying to look trendy is a cry for help. And just because that fitted (another term for "your nipples are showing") medium T-shirt looks good on Jake Gyllenhaal, that doesn't mean it looks good on you.

6. A side note to No. 5; if you're short and stocky, don't wear horizontal stripes—you'll look 3 feet tall. (My wife has to remind me of this once a year).

7. Don't worry if you're a little chunky; just wear what looks good on a guy with a little heft. You can't go wrong with black. It's slimming, classy and makes you reek of confidence.

8. Put away the tank top—even at the gym. You're not 12 years old anymore, and no one wants to smell your pits.

9. If your woman's not happy, you're not happy. After getting ready to go out, if you see concern on her face when she looks you over, change your clothes. There's a 98.9 percent chance she's right.

10. Man boobs are our kryptonite, and we have to fight back. They're an immediate turnoff to women, even though most don't mind a plump guy. Attack the problem head-on: Go to the gym, and wear clothes that don't cling to your body. We have Phil Mickelson to thank for officially raising this to a national emergency. We're at Defcon 1.

11. If you wear glasses, remember they're a window into who you are. Update them at least every other year and consider style when choosing them. And don't skimp. Expensive glasses are infinitely better than those $50 specs on special at the local mall.

12. Drop the baseball hat. Yes, it was standard issue in college, but those days are gone. The only exceptions to this rule: Working in the yard, casually hanging out, or playing drums for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

13. If you have to wear cologne, tone it down. You get points for wanting to smell good, but those points are immediately taken away when your co-workers can smell you in the break room—10 minutes after you left. Just spray a small amount into the air and walk through it. Less is more.

14. If you have a hairy chest, you cannot wear a V-neck without an undershirt. This is not 1977 and your name isn't Smokey. Or Simon Cowell, for that matter.

15. No socks with sandals. And if you do wear open-toed sandals, keep your feet groomed. Have you even looked down there since last summer? Trust us on this one.

p/s: It is so embarrassing if you're not zip pants while walking in shopping mall.. =P