Most folks never realize how cute microbes can be when expanded 1,000,000 times and then fashioned into cuddly plush. Until now, that is. Keep one on your desktop to remind yourself that there is an "invisible" universe out there filled with very small things that can do incredible damage to much bigger things. Then go and wash your hands. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Each 5-7 inch plush microbe comes with a instructional card that includes an actual picture of the microbe along with information about the microbe in its natural environment.

These will sell like crazy if they're available in Malaysia ^^

I have resigned from my current job and 5 more days to go before I'm leaving. Backing up my files and documents are quite a tedious job for me. Feeling excited and nervous all at the same time, but mostly I can't believed that I've moving forward towards my careers.

My team lead asked me whether everything is going well or not. I suppose everything is on schedule except for one stupid project(task) which I haven't get any details and confirmation on it. Can I really leave without any worries? ^^ hehe... One of my colleague has been away on leave for about 2 days. I haven't done any knowledge tranfers to her yet. Things might get ugly at the end of my last day in this company.

If there's anything we have learned about our readers lately, it is how much you love weird little cars that happen to be very good on gas. With this in mind, we bring you the latest bailout buggy from GM, produced in collaboration with Segway.

Called PUMA (which sounds aggressive enough until you realize it stands for Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility), the prototype is powered by a lithium-ion battery and can scoot along at up to 35 miles per hour.

It is expected to cost significantly less that current subcompacts.

Watch the video

Difficult moments don’t always bring out the best in people. Many men often find themselves coming apart in the midst of unexpected circumstances, allowing an emotional and unpredictable outburst to overtake them and dictate what they say and do. When that happens, the outcome is rarely in their favor.

Consider the times when:
You get into an intense fight with a woman. Have you ever tried to take back something nasty you blurted out to a woman? It’s impossible; they never forget.

You’re in a high-stakes discussion with the boss. Perception is king, so surrendering even an ounce of emotion is playing right into his hands.

You’re the fresh recipient of an insult barbed to incite your rage. Overreacting is the same as admitting it’s true, whether your response is a sad comeback or a punch to the face.

Learning to pull yourself together and gain control over these emotions and actions before they bury you -- before you’re full of regret and wondering how you’ll apologize -- is the aim of the following four steps.Learn how to pull yourself together so that you don’t undo in a moment what took weeks, months or years to build.

Physically distract yourself

Since emotions are overthrowing your better judgment, the first step necessary to pull yourself together is the most crucial. As your blood starts to boil, take immediate action. Create a physical distraction to detach yourself from your rising emotions. Bite your cheek or your tongue, pinch yourself, dig a fingernail into your side; find some way to stem the tide. The key is not so much to remind yourself of what you need to do, but to jar your senses back to a manageable level, a level that grants you some measure of reasonable thought.

Whatever physical distraction you choose , make it subtle. Head-butting a wall or slamming a door on your fingers will only make you look like an unstable psycho.

Remove yourself with dignity

What does it mean to remove yourself from a situation with dignity? It means playing the “good manners” card. People have a difficult time questioning anything you say or do if you do it politely, so at this step excuse yourself for a moment. There’s no need to explain your actions; just do it without waiting for a response.

For example, if you are in a heated discussion with the boss or you were just on the receiving end of an insult, muster up a civil tone, crack the smallest little smile and say, “Would you excuse me for a moment? I’ll be right back.” Not only does it beat running out of the room in tears, but it also puts you in a position of control over your emotions and over the situation.

Return with a rational mindset

While you’re away from the situation, you can pull yourself together by working on a goal to pursue on your return.

Calm yourself down and achieve a rational mindset, one you can bring back into the situation. In this case, a detached, impersonal mindset can operate above the fray. Your cool indifference will serve you best if you don’t try to resolve a situation that you know cannot be resolved without putting some time between it and any decision or action you might take.

Wrap it up

Bring this situation to a close -- even if it means postponing the issue and not resolving it. Resolution is a fantastic thing, but it is exceedingly rare and not something you can depend upon.

So, to pull yourself together, wrap up the exchange that provoked your emotions and brought you -- and possibly your adversary -- to the brink. You have acquired a measure of control by politely excusing yourself, and you have armed yourself with a rational mindset, so now is the time to leverage those power sources by enforcing your will on this exchange.

By being the one to shut down this confrontation, you come full circle: You began this experience by getting crushed under a wave of emotions that sought to dictate your behavior. Having taken steps to pull yourself together, you end it in the very best way -- in control of your emotions and of the situation that tried to influence them.

By Ross Bonander
-Stress Management Specialist-

Getting tire of the same old routine...and I always felt that I need to move on with my career! Maybe a career change is in order or an opportunity is needed.

But I still unsure with the reason for wanting to pursue a new path. Is it because of the downsizing? As my current company has merged with HP and the bad economy affects all. Is not that I dislike my current position and daily tasks...well, I do have all the free times I needed such as a tea break, longer lunch hrs, and work from home.

I do feel as though I'm exhausted the steps of the corporate ladder, and that I cannot move up anymore. There's no increment and with the low pay which caused me to move on??? If that's the case, then I might want to change settings, and start a fresh in a job that allows me to grow professionally and financially.

These days we are more likely to hang on to our car lease longer than our career. In today's workplace, the average young professional burns through nearly three jobs in the first five years of our career.

Once I ever think of when we're past on our first job and actually in the career world, moving into another profession is a lot easier than getting our foot in the door for the very first time. In my point of view, our degree only buys us an initial interview, thereafter it's all about what we actually accomplished and the skills we have learned.