China Announces Plans to Construct Seven-Star Luxury Hotel

Burj-KhalifaRiding the wave of a booming economy and speculation about the economic powerhouse that China is becoming, a seven-star luxury hotel is now in the planning stages to be built in western Beijing. This latest in a series of exciting business enterprises is a joint project between China and Saudi Arabia. The world’s first seven-star hotel, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, is the inspiration and model for the proposed hotel in China.

The hotel is rumored to have a price-tag of about 1.3 billion dollars, and will be located about 18 miles west of the Chinese capital’s city-center in the Mentougou district of Beijing. According to the Beijing Morning Post which announced the project, the building will take its design after the 2,717 foot Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. It has not been disclosed how tall the new hotel being planned will be, and its proposed ‘seven-stars’ is not an official distinction awarded by any internationally recognized body. There are however several ultra-luxury hotels that use this designation, hoping to attract travelers who can go the extra mile in luxury accommodations.

Pet Boa Goes Missing on Boston Train

boaMelissa Moorhouse apparently got on a train in downtown Boston last Friday heading towards Braintree with her pet boa. After traveling an undetermined distance she suddenly realized that “Penelope” was missing. Explaining her emotions when she discovered her loss as “devastated,” Melissa explained that her snake “was on my neck along with my scarf,” and that she had checked for Penelope’s presence there at every train stop, just to be safe.

When Ms. Moorehouse realized that her boa was not indeed on her neck, she checked in her bag, which she explained was a possible place for her to be. “Sometimes she will climb into my bag, but she did not and she was not stuck in the lining of my coat or anything like that. I couldn’t find her anywhere,” Melissa said.

Continuing with the story Melissa added that, “There’s a small chance that maybe she was left at Park Street and I was just feeling my scarf. But I’m very positive that I lost her in, I think they said car three, between Park Street and Andrew, because I was getting off at Andrew when I realized I didn’t have her.”
If you do happen to come upon a Boa dumerili somewhere in the vicinity of Boston that answers to the name Penelope, you can rest assured that, according to Melissa, she is perfectly harmless, and even shy, so no need to be frightened. On the other hand, meeting Melissa might be an entirely different sort of experience.

“Too Drunk? Your Car Won’t Go Along for the Ride”

Drunk-Driver1Scientists are developing a new technology to increase road safety. “Too drunk? Your car won’t go along for the ride,” they say. The new technology includes either a set of passive sensors installed permanently in the vehicle, or touch-sensitive areas on a key fob or starter button. The sensors will be able to identify the level of alcohol in the driver’s bloodstream. If it is found to be too high, the car won’t start.

“Drunken driving remains the leading cause of fatalities on America’s roads, killing more than 10,000 people in 2009. The technology presents a new opportunity for us to dramatically lower drunk-driving deaths and has the potential to save literally thousands of lives every year,” explained David Strickland. Strickland is the administrator of the National Highway Traffic Administration in the US.

“We haven’t met our criteria yet,” said Susan Fergson, head of the research team, “but we feel comfortable that we will. Speed, accuracy and precision are the three key criteria.”

New Years Resolutions

The New Year is a time for resolutions, fresh starts, and hope for a better future. How many parents have said to themselves, “I want to be a better parent, but how?” Here are some ideas for how to put hope and good intentions into practice.
1. Be sincere. Be a role model for your children on how to be honest with your emotions. Children can tell when you really don’t mean it.
2. Always look for what each of your children is best at, and recognize his special strengths and show appreciation. Respect your children’s limits; don’t ask for more than they are capable of.
3. Each child is different, recognize each child’s nature and respond appropriately.
4. Boundaries provide security. Be consistent so that your children can show the courage to explore their limits while also feeling safe and comfortable that they won’t become embarrassed or get hurt.

Why Massages Are So Healthy

Massage is often thought of as an enjoyable, relaxing experience for a vacation, but it is in fact incredibly beneficial for your health. If done correctly, massage and bodywork treatments can:

• Alleviate of back pain and improved range of motion
• Assist with labor for pregnant women
• Enhance the immune system by stimulating lymph flow
• Exercise and stretch weak or tight muscles
• Improve the condition of the skin
• Reduce muscle spasms and cramping
• Help prepare for and recover from workouts
• Release endorphins- the body’s natural pain killer
• Improve circulation
• Relieve emotional and physical stress

These are only a few of the many helpful aspects of massage. Instead of treating yourself to an expensive massage on the rare occasion, you may want to consider going to regular, half hour sessions a few times a month. Or, you and your partner or a friend can attend massage classes, and then give each other free treatments!