Mariko Aoki Phenomenon – Strange but true?

 

Mariko Aoki phenomenon

Origin

The term receives its name from Mariko Aoki, an otherwise little-known Japanese woman who contributed an essay in 1985 to the magazineHon no Zasshi (ja) (which means “Book Magazine”).^[1] In that essay, she related how she came to the realization that for some years, walking around a bookstore inevitably made her want to go to the restroom. The editors of the magazine received reports of other readers who had similar experiences, and named it the “Mariko Aoki phenomenon”.^[2] The naming of the phenomenon has brought about repercussions in Japan.^[3][4]

There is little evidence of this phenomenon per se being known outside Japan, though whether or not the effect exists elsewhere has not been explored. (e.g. L. Ulin 2010).^[3]

Hypotheses

Some people believe certain chemicals in paper or ink have a laxative effect. Others suppose the posture of browsing makes bowel movement easier. For both explanations the evidence remains weak.^[5]

This is so odd. Internet, you surprise me again!

Perhaps this is why those Uncle John Bathroom reader series has been so successful!

 

How To : Make Your Own Bean Bag Chair / Sofa

How To : Make Your Own Bean Bag Chair / Sofa

Ever wanted to make the coolest, most posh bean bag sofa or chair ever!? Well then check out this article.

Want to get started building your own? Here are the ingredients the guide says you need.

Buy Bean Bag filling here

Velcro Here

You can find your Cordaroy fabric(as recommended) here

Human Sized Hamster Ball!

Matrix Orb – Human Hamster Ball

UPDATE : I have received requests on where someone can get one of these balls, here are a few on Amazon:

• Matrix Orb – $1386.10 (not really cheap)
• Transparent New 3*2m Inflatable Zorb Ball Zorbing Human Hamster Ball Hydro Zorb 1.0mm – $899.99 (still not cheap)
• Banzai Mega Cyclone Ball – $79.99 (cheaper but not as impressive)

Oh boy do I ever want one of these. Thise thing looks awesome. I suppose you could also lock your kids in one of these and you just saved yourself 10 bucks an hour because you don’t need a babysitter anymore when you go out.

Extremely Rare and Stinky Flower Blooms

Hundreds Watch ‘Corpse Flower’ Bloom

This flower blooms every few years and gives off a very strong odor that smells like “…several days old road kill on a hot, sunny day.”

NBC Ordering more ‘Chuck’

I love the NBC show “Chuck” and was disapointed that there would only be a half season when the show returns this year.

However NBC has ordered 6 more episodes!

Go here for more info!

How To: Buy produce

How to … buy grocery produce

If you are like me you probably have no idea how to tell the best produce to buy. It’s seems like a mystery to me am I supposed to sqeeze it or knock on it? Read this article!

12 Tips for an Organized Desk

Productivity501: 12 Tips for an Organized Desk

1. Get rid of pens and pencils you don’t need. – I
   have one type of pen I like to use, but every month or my pencil holder
   gets filled up with other random writing instruments.  If you aren’t
   going to use it, don’t feel bad about throwing it out.  It is just
   clutter.
2. Have a place for pocket stuff.  Your keys, phone,
   PDA, wallet, bluetooth ear piece, etc. should have a home.  My ideal
   setup is to keep them in a drawer with wires already run for charging
   the various items.  Unfortunately my current desk doesn’t have drawers,
   so I have set aside a small amount of space under my monitor that isn’t
   really usable for work anyway.  I have all my charging cables right
   there so I don’t have to hunt for them.
3. Proximity based on frequency of use.  If you use
   it every day, it should be closer than something you use only a few
   times each week.  This is common sense, but it is easy to arrange are
   desk for aesthetics instead of usefulness.
4. Move electronics out of sight. Your cable modem,
   wireless router, firewall, battery backup, etc. shouldn’t be on your
   desk.  Even if you have enough room in introduces visual clutter.

             For more tips follow the link here  Productivity501: 12 Tips for an Organized Desk

Does a camera really add 10 pounds?

This article here explains why a camera can appear to add 10 pounds. Check it out.

Strangest houses around the world.

Here is a collection of some of the strangest houses you will probably ever see.

Kitchen Tips

Here are some excellent Kitchen Tips that will help you with food prep and clean up.

• To get rid of itch from mosquito bite: try applying soap on the area, instant relief.
• If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it’s still cooking, drop in a peeled potato-it absorbs the excess salt for an instant “fix me up.”
• To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.
• To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

Read the rest of the tips here