Portia Speaks

The Dangers of Soya for Ladies

2008-08-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

I love soya products --- tofu, soy sauce, soya milk, etc... But like other foods, i want to eat it in moderation. I am not a healthy food addict but i am also not taking my health for granted, so i eat some healthy foods as well. I eat variations of food, even junk food as well.

Here is an article i want to share with you and see if you believe this? This had been forwarded to me and might be of interest to you as well...

THIS ARTICLE IS THRU THE KIND COURTESY OF MS SUREKHA

RAMCHANDANI ONE WOMAN'S STORY ON SOYA...

All Males - PLEASE pass this info to all your female friends... It may save their lives!

Something to take note of. This is my true story, nothing altered. These are facts, as they relate to my experience, my opinions

based on what I have read and felt. I am relating them to warn other young health-conscious women who are unwittingly harming themselves.

In 1989, I graduated from high school in Texas and couldn't wait to hit the big college city. One of the changes I wanted to make was to eat healthier.

Once I moved to health-conscious Austin, Texas, I began to fortify my body with the best and healthiest foods I could find.
Tofu was the main ingredient in every healthy dish and I bought soya milk almost every day and used it for everything from cereal to smoothies or just to drink for a quick snack. I bought soya muffins, miso soup with tofu, soybeans, soybean sprouts, etc.

All the literature in all the health and fitness magazines said that soya protected you against everything from heart disease to breast cancer. It was the magical isoflavones, the estrogen-like hormones that all worked to help you stay young and healthy. I looked great, I was working out all the time, but my menstrual cycle was off. At 20, I started taking birth control pills to regulate my menstrual cycle.

In addition to this I began to suffer from painful periods. I began to get puffy, it was as though I was losing my muscle tone. I began to suffer from depression and getting hot flushes. I mistook all this for PMS since my periods were irregular. By the time I was 25, my periods were so bad, I couldn't walk.

The birth control pills never made them regular or less painful so I decided to stop taking them. I went on like this for another two years until I realized my pain wasn't normal. At 27, my gynecologist found two cysts in my uterus. Both were the size of tennis balls. I went through surgery to have them removed and thank God they were benign. The gynecologist told me to go back on birth control pills.

I didn't. In 1998, he discovered a lump in my breast. Again, I went through surgery and again it was benign.

In November 2000 my glands swelled up and my gums became inflamed. Thinking I had a tooth infection I went to the dentist who told me that teeth were not the problem. After a dose of antibiotics the swelling still did not go down. At this point I could feel a tiny nodule on the right side of my neck.

I told my mother I had t hyroid trouble. She thought I was being silly. No one in the family suffered from thyroid trouble. Going on a hunch I saw a specialist who diagnosed me with Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

After a series of tests he told me it was cancer. My fiance and I sat stunned. We were not prepared and I was so scared. We scheduled surgery right away. The specialist told us that it would only be after the operation that a pathologist would be able to tell us for sure if it was cancer. They found a tumor in my right lobe composed of irregular cells and another smaller tumor growing on the left, so the entire thyroid was removed.

They told me that after undergoing radioactive iodine I would be safe and assured me that I could live a long life. After treatment I began to search for the cause of all these problems. I never once thought it could be all the soya I had consumed for nearly ten years.

After all, soya is healthy. I came upon a web page that linked thyroid problems to soya intake and the conspiracy of soya marketed as a health food when in fact it is only a toxic by-product of the vegetable oil industry. This was insane, after all, the health and fitness magazines had said nothing about soya being harmful.

I visited a herbalist who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 1985.

She informed me that soya was the culprit. She had a hysterectomy due to cysts and other uterine problems. A few months later another acquaintance who had consumed soya came down with thyroid cancer. A girl in EnglandI met through the Internet in a thyroid cancer forum had just undergone surgery and she was only 19.

What was going on???? Breast cancer is linked to estrogen. What mimics estrogen in the female body, SOYA!

But I never suspected soya because until now I never once found a single article that sta ted soya could be dangerous. Women who took soya prior to thyroid problems will continue to take it after if they are not aware of what soya actually does, what it contains and how it reacts in the female body. I think this is the reason that women with thyroid cancer often develop breast cancer later.

My co-worker is big into soya and I see her losing hair and gaining weight despite a walking workout during her break and after work, and apples and oranges for lunch. She just had cysts removed from her uterus too.

I warned her to stay off soya. I referred her to websites but until it is on the evening news on all four networks, women will suffer. Since the thyroidectomy, I do not touch soya, haven't for two years.

Dear readers, please use my story in any way you can. There are so many young girls who are consuming soya because they think they are taking care of themselves, and women taking soya because they want to be healthy. It is so unfair that the information about the dangers of soya isn't more widely circulated. It is sad.

There are many out there who feel this way and it is a terrible blow when you realize you are not as healthy as you thought and that the information that you depended on was wrong.

2008-08-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

Hand - the First Spoon

2008-07-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Here is an art that i love a lot which i took from an art exhibition in Hong Kong Art Museum... The art is about the demonstration of the evolution of the spoon from the hand. I think it is very cool. In this exhibit, the artist named Anne Wan(Yin Lijuan) swaps the pairs of human hands for pairs of mimicking objects - spoons, which also create an illusion of something between the two. During the artistic process,the arist's mind followed a free flow of thoughts committing to no particular meanings or emotions.

Take a look at this...

Travel the Continents Tag

2008-06-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

I got this tag from Desperate Blogger. Thanks a lot,my blogging pal! The idea is to know the location of our buddy bloggers.

Rules :

1. Start Copy from "Begin Copy" until "End Copy".
2. Put your blog's name and url write in which continent you live, add the country you live in. Example : My Imaginary Travels (Netherlands)
3. Leave your url post in here and I'll add you to the Master List.
4. Please help spread this tag by tagging your friends as much as you can.
5. Don't play unfair! If you have more than 1 blog, you can participate all your blogs for this tag. BUT you will have to post this tag to all your blogs as well. So, please. Don't cheat!
6. Please come back again to copy the update of the master list, often. This process will help new participants to get the same gains as the first participants.
7. Don't forget to use the banner at your post, you can save as or you can just copy the code in here.
Master List :

A. Asia : 1. Moms... Check Nyo (Philippines) 2. Hailey's Beats and Bits (Philippines) 3. allinkorea (Korea) 4. kimchiland (Korea) 5. korean food (Korea) 6. idealpinkrose (Korea) 7. Manna from Heaven (Philippines) 8. and Life Goes On for... (Philippines)9. A Great Pleasure

B. Australia : 1. your turn

C. Afrika : 1. your turn

D. North Amerika : 1. your turn

E. South Amerika : 1. your turn

F. Europe : 1. My Imaginary Travels (Netherlands) 2. Juliana's Site (Netherlands) 3. Picturing of Life (Netherlands) 4. Portia (UK)5. your turn

G.Antarctica : 1. your turn

~ End Copy ~

Can the following blogger friends travel with me?

1. Prily
2. Lynn-Chic
3. Tricia

Sharing the Love

2008-06-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

Got this tag from cousin Lynn. Thanks a lot.

This award is extra special because Crystal created it in honor of the donor who saved her son's life. Her son Noah had to have a heart transplant when he was just over a month old. This award is supposed to help raise awareness of the importance of organ donation.

“The rules of this award are: SHARE THE LOVE!!! Share this award with all those blogs out there that you love. All the people who make you smile. All those that make you laugh. All those that make your day. All those that leave uplifting comments on your blog. **All I ask, is that you include a link to this post with the award and ask your recipient to do the same**

As you may have recently seen on my side bar, I have finally created a custom blog award!! I have wanted to do this for a long time but never came up with something that “fit”. I didn’t want just anything. It had to be something that meant something to me. And what could mean more than Sharing the Love by giving you pieces of my heart?? So I created this award in Honor Of The Donor That Saved Noah’s Life. I share this award with those of you whose love and friendship have enriched my life and made my world a better place.

I hope by passing this award around the blogging world we can all help raise awareness of the need for Organ Donation.”

I am sharing this tag to all my blogging pals. Let us keep the love around.

2008-06-24T06:59:00.001-07:00

Titillating Tulips

2008-06-20T03:40:00.000-07:00

I took photos of these flowers on my daily walks here in a foreign country. They are breathtaking... They are multi-colored --- pink, yellow,lavender, orange, white. They made my day...They are called tulips.

Although tulips are connected with Holland ( dubbed as "Land of the Tulips") they can actually be found anywhere especially on mountainous areas with the dormancy of cool temperature. Hence, it will always be found in temperate regions. Since i am in the European country, tulips abound everywhere. I love tulips.

Here are some of the photos that i took. I hope i can go to Holland one day and so i can take photos of millions of well-manicured tulips. For the meantime, i am quite content with these ones...

Here is the origin of its name....

Although tulips are associated with Holland, both the flower and its name originated in the Ottoman Empire. The tulip is actually not a Dutch flower as many people tend to believe. The tulip, or "Lale" as it is called in Turkey, is a flower indigenous to Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey and other parts of Central Asia. A Dutch ambassador in Turkey in the 16th century, who was also a great floral enthusiast, Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, got their very names because of their Persian origins. Tulips were brought to Europe in the 16th century; the word tulip, which earlier in English appeared in such forms as tulipa or tulipant, entered the language by way of French tulipe and its obsolete form tulipan or by way of Modern Latin tulīpa, from Ottoman Turkish tülbend, "muslin, gauze." (The English word turban, first recorded in English in the 16th century, can also be traced to Ottoman Turkish tülbend.) The Turkish word for gauze, with which turbans can be wrapped, seems to have been used for the flower because a fully opened tulip was thought to resemble a turban.

Onassis Diamond is Sold for 3.6M Pounds

2008-06-14T23:57:00.000-07:00

DIAMONDS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FOREVER...

But not if you are Athina Onassis, who three days ago sold a flawless,icy, pear-shaped 38-carat diamond that belonged to her heiress mother Christina for 3,650,000 pounds at auction or 317,550,000 billion pesos! The pear-shaped, colourless Christina Onassis Diamond, which is the centerpiece of a pendant necklace, was bought for twice its estimated value by an anonymous phone bidder (i wonder who that was??? what a hell of a billionaire!!!). Athina wore the glittering item during a 1980 party in Versailles but the stunning pear-shaped 38-carat rock which the daughter of Greek billionaire Aristotle Onassis wore that night is to go under the hammer.

Athina, 23, sold 44 of her mother's jewels for 6.8 million pounds, nearly three times the 2.5 million estimate. Christina Onassis was born in 1950 to Aristotle Onassis and his first wife, Athena. She lived a life of luxury between exclusive Swiss mountain resorts, country clubs and the yachts her billionaire father favored —including a converted Canadian corvette he named Christina after his daughter.It was on this yacht that Onassis reportedly kept a jade-colored Buddha by Peter Carl Faberge, renowned for creating ornamental eggs for Russia's imperial family. The figurine's hands and head moved on springs and pivots, and would have serenely rocked as the ship sailed the Mediterranean. The Faberge Buddha ornament from Aristotle's yacht also sold at 1,273,250 pounds.

Christina died from a heart attack in 1987 aged just 37 after a history of drug abuse, weight problems and four failed marriages. Her daughter, who is Aristotle's sole descendant, sold the collection in a jewellery sale at Christie's in London because it was said to be too-old fashioned for her. She is young and she just doesn't wear them anymore. She wants to feel comfortable in what she wears. That era was gone.

The items were among a total of 230 lots by designer such as Cartier and Van Cleef and Arpels. Christie's said Christina's gems were the highlight of the day's auction, which made a total of 15 million pounds - a British record for a jewellery sale. Christina Onassis was thrown into the spotlight when her father died in 1975, leaving her to lead the family's shipping and real estate empire. Reports of an inheritance dispute with her famous stepmother — Aristotle's second wife, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis — kept Christina in the news, along with her own short-lived marriages to a Los Angeles real estate broker, another Greek shipping heir, a Soviet civil servant and French businessman Thierry Roussel. The latter is the father of her only child, Athina.

Oprah Is Rocking It Up Again!

2008-06-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

She is again the cream of the crop... So, do you think Obama will win because of the influential Oprah??? Anyway, on another matter here is a breaking news...

NEW YORK - Talk show host Oprah Winfrey is the world's most powerful celebrity for the second straight year and for the fifth time ever, according to the 2008 Forbes Celebrity 100 Power List released on Wednesday.

The annual list also included two couples among its top 10. Actress Angelina Jolie came in at No. 3 and her partner Brad Pitt nabbed No. 10, while music mogul newlyweds, Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z were fourth and seventh.

Golfer Tiger Woods remained No. 2 and soccer player David Beckham was No. 5, while actor Johnny Depp took sixth. Music group The Police nabbed No. 8 after reuniting for a successful world tour and British author J.K. Rowling was No. 9 after the release of the seventh and final Harry Potter book.

"It's not surprising that Oprah Winfrey and Tiger Woods remain at the top this year -- they're certainly some of the biggest earners," said Matthew Miller of Forbes magazine.

The rankings give the most weight to earnings over the past year but also factors in such things as Internet presence, press clippings, magazine covers and mentions on TV and radio.

During the past year Winfrey made $275 million, Woods, $115 million, Knowles $80 million, Beckham $50 million, Depp $72 million, Jay-Z $82 million, and The Police $115 million.

While Jolie's earnings of $14 million and Pitt's salary of $20 million pale in comparison, the popularity of the couple, who have four children and twins on the way, and their constant presence in magazines saw their power soar.

"Had (Jolie) made a couple of millions dollars more she probably would have been close to topping the list because the number of magazine covers that she was on, the number of stories she was mentioned in, far surpassed anyone else on the list," Miller said.

And it was Beckham's move to Los Angeles with former Spice Girl wife Victoria and their three sons in a blaze of publicity that helped propel him into the top 10 for the first time.

In contrast, Rowling earned $300 million in the past 12 months, more than Winfrey, but is a reluctant celebrity.

The 2008 top 100 is made up of 20 film actors, 20 athletes, 10 musicians, 10 talk show hosts, 10 TV actors, five "tween" stars, five directors/producers, five celebrity personalities, four authors, four hip-hop impresarios, four chefs and three models.

The "tween" category, a marketing term that usually refers to an audience ages 9 to 12, is new, Forbes said, with "Hannah Montana" star Miley Cyrus making her debut in the top 100 at No. 35 "following a sold-out concert tour, a hit 3-D movie, and a controversial photo shoot that had the press buzzing."

Among those dropping from the list are Tom Hanks, Jessica Alba, Hayden Panettiere, Adam Sandler and Scarlett Johansson, The Rolling Stones, Elton John and Jessica Simpson.

The full list can be seen at http://www.forbes.com/celebrities.

Madonna's Adoption Joy

2008-06-10T02:35:00.000-07:00

After lots of painstaking criticisms, Madonna's adoption of two-year-old David Banda was finally approved by a Malawi judge. Malawi is a landlocked nation located in southeast Africa. The singer compared her experience of adoption to the pain of childbirth. I could imagine the bureaucratic process she had gone through! I, one day, if Godwillingly would like to adopt a child as well. But right now, just cannot do it for very practical reasons. It is expensive and very time-consuming.

Madonna has a good heart( and very good money) of taking care of David and is spearheading a campaign by her Raising Malawi charity to get help for the 900,000 orphans in the country, many of them HIV-positive. AIDS has destroyed many families in Malawi, which has a population of 13 million.

David's mother died when he was a month old. His father couldn't care for him alone and placed him in an orphanage. He did not object to Madonna adopting David. In fact, he is very, very pleased!

Right now, the star has been caring for the boy at home in London with film maker husband Guy Ritchie. Madonna and Ritchie already have a son and a daughter. They will raise David with their other children in Britain and in the US.

Madonna made a documentary I Am Because We Are which focuses on Malawian AIDS orphans.

Philippine Showbiz Couple to Join the Trend

2008-06-09T05:08:00.000-07:00

I really thought everything was alright about Sunshine Cruz and Cesar Montano after saying to the media last January that everything had been patched up. There was then that much publicized rift between actress Sunshine Cruz and husband Cesar Montano allegedly because of a Brazilian beauty, apparently everything is all right between the celebrity couple. But recently it is not. The things had gone from bad to worse...

I like the two of them. They are one of my few favorites actually in the Philippine local showbiz couples. But just like many of the Hollywood couples(and also some local couples), they themselves will be joining the bandwagon --- and that is an Annulment case had been filed by Sunshine Cruz. What a sad case again ending a romantic marriage solemnized in a romantic twilight garden wedding on Sept. 14, 2000. They should have been celebrating 8 years together this coming September, but unfortunately, that would probably not happen. Just sad!

One of the causes? It’s been reported both in the tabs and in the Internet, that Sunshine and her sister-in-law have been hurling unsavory words and accusations at and against each other. It’s painful to learn that an old controversial clip from an unfinished (and therefore unshown) sexy movie has reportedly been uploaded in the Net to "destroy" Sunshine. Just really foul! It must have been a very bad marriage if some of the family members are always intervening the private marital affairs! And Cesar? Did he defend his wife? Oh well, celebrities...celebrities...what else is new?

Geneva Cruz, Sunshine's cousin had been divorced from her first marriage and now it will be Sunshine... I hope Donna Cruz , also another cousin( who is married to a doctor)will never follow their steps. And Sheryl Cruz? Did she divorced as well? Oh well, what else is new?

Rice and Life

2008-06-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

I am out of the country and the other day i talked to my sister on the phone. My sister is 3 months pregnant. She told me, "how i wish i am not pregnant right now, the rice is 50 pesos per kilo already and it might reach 60 pesos per kilo this year". I answered to her, "you better be pregnant now than when the kilo of rice will be 100 pesos or more!".

The fact is : when is the right time to get pregnant? The right time is when you are there and when you think you can support a life. As for me, there is no right time to get pregnant.

The businessmen are so tricky brilliant. They had been hoarding and hoarding how many cavans of rice? They want to sell it for higher price. Of course, they want profit. What about the NFA (National Food Authority) Rice? I just think they are the lowest, lowest quality of rice. It is just a manifestation how infected our government is! Okay the price of NFA rice is 25 pesos per kilo and you should queue as early as 6 o'clock in the morning to be able to avail. I mean, what a deplorable state of our country. Do you think the price of rice will become less? Do you think the quality of NFA rice will be atleast closer to Jasmine rice? Or Basmati rice? or any other kind of rice? I always believe that price and quality goes hand in hand. What is free in this world?

As for the unborn child in the womb of my sister and for the other unborn children, what future await for them? The very sure thing is : they will eat rice. It doesn't matter if they will eat it with a sprinkle of salt or a little bit of oil, or a little soya sauce. Rice is always a staple food no matter what is the partner. And the price of rice? Always high. And life? It is priceless! Probably, we need to parctice eating maize now! Or just like what my neighbors are eating right now, rice porridge(" lugaw"), with lots and lots of water!

All About Portia : A Tag

2008-05-31T05:22:00.000-07:00

Got this tag from MIAH. Thanks a lot,sis!
RULES:
1. Add your blog/s to the list. Feel free to add all your other blogs. It’s okey if you only post this questions in one blog as long as you answer them.
2. Get back to ME(refers to YEN)and I’ll add your blogs to the master’s list here! Yup, another linking thingy but this one has 15 questions and you get to enjoy answering them too!
3. Tag as many friends online you know. But you don’t need to be tag in order to join.

QUESTIONS:

1. When you buy a greetings card, are the words or the picture more important to you?
+ both...

2. What’s your favorite kind of cake?
+ Chocolate moist...

3. Do you ever make gifts for people, if so what, or do you buy them?
+ I usually buy. It depends what i will give and to whom --- can be jewelries, can be perfumes, can be outfits, can be chocolates --- really depends...

4. What’s your favorite holiday?
+ Rome... Cape Breton Island. Niagara Falls..

5. Are you going on holiday this year? If so, where?
+ Yup, in Canada.

6. What was the best party you’ve ever been to?
+ A friend's wedding in Malaysia. Me and my husband were dancing and my son is in the middle of us....hehehehe... just funny! Ah, there are lots of parties really!

7. If you are married, describe your wedding. If not, what would your ideal wedding be like?
+ My wedding was solemn and fairy-like. Yup, a garden wedding! We had it in the Pearl Farm Resort, Island Garden City of Samal.

8. What's the most romantic thing that’s ever happened to you?
+ Going for a honeymoon in Thailand. When we arrived in our hotel room, there were flowers and fruits in our room and chocolates formed into a heart in the middle of our bed! Ah, just so goddamn romantic!

9. What’s your favorite girl’s name?
+ I love the name "Sophie" or "Sophia"... but i love "Portia" as well!hehehehehe!

10. What’s your favorite boy’s name?
+ I love the name Scott!

11. Which celebrity would you like a dream date with?
+ Uhmmm, hehehehe, dream date? probably, Pierce Brosnan... i know he's older but oh, look at him, he's still sexy as hell!

12. Which female celebrity do you find beautiful?
+ Ah, there are sooo many, but Nicole Kidman's beauty is immaculate.

13. Which male celebrity do you think is attractive?
+ Aha, let me think.... think... think... probably, Leonardo di Caprio.

14. What is your best character trait?
+ Honesty. Integrity.

15. What is your worst habit?
+ Over-eating.... being disorganized...

Now, guys, you can grab this tag if you feel like making it! Enjoy blogging!

The LIST

1. Me and Mine
2. Creative In Me
3. Little Peanut
4. Pea in a Pod
5. Sugar Magnolias
6. Me, Myself + 2
7. Fun Fierce Fabulous
8. Supermodel Wannabe
9. Meiyah

Till "DEBT" Do Them Part

2008-05-29T05:19:00.000-07:00

I always feel sad when two people who are bestfriends will not be on good terms anymore just because of debt or "utang" in Filipino dialect. I had very bad experience with it although not with my bestfriend. The bad thing is that: those who will borrow money from me were the ones who will not even talk to me anymore! Isn't that so strange? I cannot just imagine that!

Okay, of course, each individual is different and each person has just different ways in handling their finances. There are people who do not have the means but still because of "ego", "pride", or whatever you call it would resort to borrowing money just for the sake of buying things that, honestly, they cannot afford. I am very different person. When i was in elementary till college, i can only remember having things that were neccessary. I do not have the "extras". There was even Christmas that we have nothing to eat! But i cannot remember borrowing things or getting envious because some children got new clothes, new dress, new toys. I had grew up without even a doll in my childhood days, but i am okay! I always thought that if people will only live within their means, there can never be too much problems! But when people try to be so "conscious" with how they look, when people will always recognize the things that they don't have instead of the things that they have, oh well, there goes the trouble.

Okay, let's go back to borrowing... I just learnt that my two friends Annie and Sonia who had been bestfriends for probably over 10 years had separated ways due to debt. I was stunned. Both of them are godparents to my eldest son. I feel so sad. What happened from what i heared was that Sonia borrowed money from Annie and that Sonia hadn't paid. This is really crazy and i didn't know how to patch them up as the two of them are not in good terms anymore. If i'll mention the name of the other party, obviously, the person concerned is not very comfortable. So, usually it's me that will avoid the topic. It's just strange that how can real friendship be broken by material things?

Ah, i hated debt. Honestly, i do and i hated people who have no "palabra de honor". I never had material debt in my life. And if i will have in the future, i will never forget to pay plus the interest. The thing is: when we borrow, we enjoyed the money. I remembered borrowing things before, like when i graduated from highschool, i borrowed dress and shoes from our neighbor because my parents could never buy me one! All the people that had helped me when i was in the downest part of my life, i hadn't forgotten. Honestly, when i visited them the last time, i cried and was very thankful to them. And they,too had cried!

I mean, what are material things compared to establishment of friendships? I admit some people had borrowed money from me and never pay me back, but i learned my lesson. The lesson? They can never borrow again! They are the ones who have the nerve not to talk to me. And who cares? I never cared for negative people, never at all. And if they don't want my friendship? It is never my loss.

But i am still sad about my good friends who will never be together again, all because of debt. I never asked how much is the amount. I am just more concerned about the friendship. Ah, just one of those things that made me realize that sometimes in this world, material things would value more than anything. I know it is a lie, but it is a lie that is really happening. And if i will say that FRIENDSHIP or LOVE are the most important, i don't know if it is true for some people. It might be true in an idealistic world but never in this worldly, materialistic society!

More Dark Chocolate

2008-05-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

Here is another one of my dark chocolate collection. The name is Cote d'Or. It is in the market since 1883. Wow! So long already! It is 86% dark as the label said. Naturally rich in anti-oxidant as most of the dark chocolates would claim, this one is really full-bodied and elegant as can be seen by the lovely elegant design. I love elephant and i just adore the design while i am biting it! And the taste? Not so sweet, just the right flavor, but i cannot eat this everyday. There are still so many that i need to taste!

No Hassle STD Testing

2008-05-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

STD testing might be embarrassing. I can just imagine the thought of it! STDs or sexually transmitted diseases testing as found out had been embarrassing, time-consuming and unreliable. But here comes tSTD . It guarantees an easy testing, private, no hassles, complete and accurate with 7 STD tests in one visit. Get tested now and your partner,too!

Fancy Some Dark Chocolates?

2008-05-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

Ah, life is sweet but actually there is no such sweeter thought than taking a break and
eating a chocolate. Milk chocolates are actually sweeter than dark chocolates, but oh well, i have on my collection this Bellarom Deluxe finest dark chocolate. Wanna take a bite?

SugarCRM and Corratech

2008-05-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

Had you heard about SugarCRM? It does have a very close relationship with Corratech. SugarCRM is a product that is installed,maintained and managed by Corratech, which is an open-source software consultant. It is Customer Relationship Management software which is used by companies to manage all aspects of their relationship to their customers. To know more about this product, please check the website now and see more for yourself the advantages which are higher quality, faster upgrades and more flexibility.

Flores de Mayo and Sta. Cruzan

2008-05-27T13:11:00.000-07:00

What will i remember on the month of May? Since i was a child till adolescent age , month of May would mean Flores de Mayo. It would mean performing church activities from May 1 to May 31. I had regularly attended and would always won goodies and awards for being a good kid. Together with the daily catechism classes, there were lots of incentives, not mentioning the daily snacks ( ah, i would remember the "binignit" and the "chocolate rice"--- "champorado")... In other words, i had religiously attended because snacks were free and i would get "tickets" which i can exchange for goodies,candies, or treats at the end of May. Those were the childhood days...

When i am entering my early teens, i would regularly attend because i will meet my "crush". hehehehe. I am just joking... The main purpose of Flores de Mayo is actually honoring the Virgin Mary, offering prayers and flowers for her as she is the Mother of Christ. We usually recited the Holy Rosary and sang many, many songs for HER.

Ah, i had miss those days... how fast the time flies... those were the times when we will dance at the end of May. We'll get awards for being attentive, resourceful, etc... etc... There were lots of awards and really, many, many children would attend. Those were the days when only the people who can afford would have television sets. We only got a television after i graduated college and got a job, so, attending church activities were really regular and saying the Holy Rosary would always be everyday. (I wonder if teenagers and young children now would still regularly say the Holy Rosary or any prayers? Oh well, times are different and they probably are more abreast to American Idol or Pinoy Idol...).

And the Sta. Cruzan? Santacruzan is a religious-historical pageant held throughout the Philippines during the month of May which commemorates the search of the Holy Cross by Queen Helena (Reyna Elena) and her son, the newly converted emperor, Constantine. Her mother, Reyna Emperatriz, is also portrayed while our Lady, Queen of the Flowers (Reyna de las Flores), takes an important role in the procession of characters. I hadn't been a Reyna Elena. I've guess they always chose the Most Beautiful One! So, since i was not, i am contented to become "buddy-buddy of Reyna Elena". I became a Reyna Emperatriz once.

Oh well, i am reliving those memories and since i am out of the country now, i am missing this event. I wonder how they celebrate it now? I wonder if still many kids go to this catechism classes? The last time i heared, there was even Sta.Cruzan procession for the gays???

I wonder what the church would say about that? Ah, i am missing the old days... i am missing those days...

How Much Trump Gives for Tip?

2008-05-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

Cost of Meal: $82.27
Tip: $ 10,000

Wow, lucky waiter/waitress who served him!!!! He is soooo generous! Probably, the service was sooo fantastic! Good for the one who served! Such a lucky day! I wonder if anyone on earth would give such a big tip? I wonder if this message forwarded by my friend is real? Uhmmm, does it matter? He is super rich and he can afford everything. And in our our culture, tipping is a status symbol!

Friendship Tags on Moms

2008-05-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

Before the Month of May may end, i would like to make this overdue Mom's day tags from my lovely mommy blogger pals--- Aidisan and Shiela. Thank you,my friends for your smashing efforts of including me in your tags.

From Shiela i got this flattering World's Greatest Mom Award. What a heartwarming award!

From Aidisan, i got this tag: Best Quote For Moms. Here is my best quote for moms...

A father may turn his back on his child; brothers and sisters may become inveterate enemies; husbands may desert their wives and wives their husbands. But a mother's love endures through all; in good repute, in bad repute, in the face of the world's condemnation, a mother still loves on, and still hopes that her child may turn from his evil ways, and repent; still she remembers the infant smiles that once filled her bosom with rapture, the merry laugh, the joyful shout of his childhood, the opening promise of his youth; and she can never be brought to think him all unworthy.
- Washington Irving

In other words, mothers just know best. The love of a mother is unconditional and she will do anything for her child.

To all the great mommmies out there, keep on smiling and keep on shining!

Uncle's Trophy Room

2008-05-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

You know how people value things in life? Each person has different likes and dislikes. My husband's uncle loves to collect stuffed animals. These stuffed animals here consisted of falcon, deer antlers and heads. I don't have an idea where he got these!

It is quite impressive really considering the great quality of his collection. I can not help but really be amazed by the uniqueness of those. Hats-off to you Uncle Steve!

An Open Source Leading Executive

2008-05-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

This guy is remarkable and his knowledge on his own field can not be compared. He isRonald Bongo. He is a leading executive in the open source software industry. He is presently the CEO of Corra Technology, known in the industry as CorraTech. Ron Bongo brings two decades of diverse experience, to his position at CorraTech, during that time, he honed his expertise in technology, management consulting and finance. He manages CorraTech's corporate strategy, directs its management team and builds key business and strategic relationships for the company.

Resources and Population: Always Related

2008-05-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

I was born from an impoverished family. We are eight siblings. My dad did not have a steady income, going from one job to another( mostly menial labor) and it was only my mom who was a seamstress who was supporting us regularly. That was a very hard life. A hard life unimagined. It still amazes me up to now how we had survived!

Honestly, i don't want to blame the government why we became poor. Honestly, i asked myself, "why did my parents never think about our future? why are we so many? why will they never think about how many of us will divide a kilo of rice?" Sometimes we never had viand at all and just some sprinkle of salt will be fine or sometimes soy sauce. That was quite special that time. My most favorite will be dried fish and sometimes fish paksiw(fish with vinegar accompanied with local condiments). So, i learned how to grow vegetables especially "malungay". In fact i can still memorize the scientific name : moringa olifera lam! It's because it is always my favorite. And what will i do with the malungay leaves? I will boil 1 liter of water put the malungay leaves, sprinkle some salt, a little bit of msg, and that was our viand. Oh, well, we survived and i survived!

There is always a relationship between resources and population. That is why the price of rice will always be surging so high is because the demand is soooo high and the supply remains the same. And just imagine, how we, Filipinos grow everyday. Look at the rich people. Most of them got 2 or 3 kids. It is quite rare you will see the rich couple with 8 or 10 kids. But you go to the impoverished communities, in our Barangay alone in General Santos City, there is a family with 24 chilren and the house is a nipa hut in a squatter's area. How they sleep? They sit. Yup, they sit when they sleep!

Now, okay, i know how government is corrupt. I know also that family is a basic institution where in the discipline, security and comfort should start. Corruption always start within the family. If every family is secured, then our country is. I always love what John F. Kennedy had said, " Ask not what the government can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."

Anyway, i got some facts related to rice:

1. The NFA rice is currently the cheapest available in the market, with the “regular variety" being sold at 18.25 pesos per kilogram and 25 pesos per kilogram for the “premium variety." The prices are way cheaper than that of the commercial rice that are already being priced at 38 pesos per kilogram.

2. Rice is a staple for Filipinos and have rice on top of their list of food to buy. Rice, being a source of carbohydrates, is particularly important for the poor who perform difficult tasks or heavy labor.

3. Filipinos consume as much as 29,000 metric tons of rice a day, but with the country’s growing population, rising faster than its Asian neighbors, the demand for rice is also increasing.

4. The government has announced that the number of Filipinos grew nearly 16 percent to 88.57 million as of August 2007 from 76.50 million in May 2000. By 2009, with a projected population of 92.22 million, the Philippines will consume 9.75 million metric tons of rice, higher than the expected 9.56 million metric tons that Filipinos will consume this year.

Rice production, however, is not increasing.

UK Holiday : Right Hotel To Be

2008-05-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

United Kingdom is always a favorite travel destination to many people. My husband and me had toured all around London before and that was one of our finest travels indeed. The only thing that we made a mistake was paying exorbitant prices for our hotel rooms. I just can not believe how we pay a lot. The reason was my husband booked us directly at the hotel's website. We did not knew then that by searching other alternatives online, we should have saved a lot of money. But that was past and we did enjoy going to many places. We stayed at Marriot Hotel at Grovernor's Square. A nice hotel and very near to many embassies of the world, which was what we really need at that time, as we needed to go to Canadian Embassy. We had discovered many things around the city of London---we rode on the London Eye and saw the fascinating, panoramic view of the city; saw the Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament and never miss to take a photo of the Big Ben. During that time, 2003, I-Max Theatres were still knew and we did watched an Imax show,too. We went to Piccadilly also. I never missed the St. Paul's Cathedral where Prince Charles and Princess Diana had been wed. We walked through the stairs consisted of 529 steps and wow, what a breathtaking view at the very top of the dome!!!!

We will definitely go back to England and actually our planned holiday will be in the famous place of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon plus visit our friends in Bath. It is very good to know about this site online that offers good prices on last minute hotel rooms. We are very spontaneous travelers and we can just decide right away where we wanna go in the last minutes also. The hotel pride themselves in finding last minute deals, even up to the day of departure & customers can save up to 70% OFF hotel room rates!
I am so delighted to find out about the good deals and packages that they offer. Check this out guys and let us visit UK!

Friendship Tag : List of Things To Do

2008-05-21T14:31:00.000-07:00

Got this tag from my lovely blogging pals Anne, Mylou and Jona. Thanks, guys for the tag. Wow, i am feeling special that i had been tagged by three beautiful ladies. Rock on, girls!

Here is my Top 5 to-do-list for this week:

1. Got to enrol my son for the next school year.
2. Organize the house. So many things to do!
3. Blog hopping. Opportunity chasing.
4. Visiting relatives.
5. Consult something in the bank.

I am tagging my friends Arlene , Eva and Tricia.

Secure Your Future Through Scholarship

2008-05-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

If you are like me who came from a financially unstable family background, the only hope to alleviate myself away from it is through education and education is so expensive. Now-adays education is very commercialized and going to university means spending a great deal of monetary resources to support all the way.
I am happy to know that college scholarships are available online and it is fast, free and easy. Check this out and you're on your way to a secured future!

Here is a Press Release:
Highland Park, IL (PR Web) May 21, 2008—Scholarships.com is pleased to announce their latest financial aid contribution—the Scholarships.com $13,000 “Fund Your Future” area of study scholarship. This brand new scholarship essay competition will assist high school seniors and undergraduate students in paying for a college education in their preferred areas of study.

As a means of promoting diversity and developing talent, thirteen $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to students pursuing a degree in one of thirteen different fields and 185 related majors. By establishing the “Fund Your Future” area of study scholarship, Scholarships.com hopes to encourage students to choose their majors and careers based on personal interests rather than financial standings.

Applicants will have to submit a 250-350 word response to the question, “What has influenced your decision to pursue a career in your field of choice?” Content, style and essay mechanics will be among the criteria used to select winners. The thirteen winning essays will be made available to the public on the Scholarships.com Success Stories page.

About Scholarships.com

Scholarships.com is a leading scholarship search service and financial aid information resource that assists students and parents in choosing and paying for college. Recognized by approximately 17,000 high schools and 7,000 colleges and universities, Scholarships.com is among the most trusted online college resources. Since 1998, Scholarships.com has assisted millions of students in their search for education scholarships, grants and financial aid information.

Updated continuously by the company's research team, the Scholarships.com database contains over 2.7 million scholarships and grants worth over $19 billion. Students may also look to Scholarships.com for online tools that will help them compare information on over 7,000 colleges and universities, apply for scholarships and stay organized with approaching deadline email reminders.

Friendship Tag:Arte y Pico Award

2008-05-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

This is a very creative award i got, the most creative i bet! I thank you, cheerful pal Nova of SuperNova and Sweetpain for giving me this . I felt flattered. hahahaha. I am sure there are lots there who are more deserving than me. But because we are friends, hehehehe, i am sure i deserved this,too!

The rules of this tag are as follows:

1) You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.
2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.
3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.
4) Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of "Arte y Pico" blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award. http://arteypico.blogspot.com/
Make sure you visit the link above.(I did visit!

When i looked at the translation of Arte y Pico, it means Art and Tip. So, i need to give this award to my friends who love art, creativity and of course, who love blogging. I am giving this to the following:

Jona - Beauty of Life
Lalaine- Lalaine's World
Lynn1- My So Called Life
Lynn2- Lynn's Chic Spot
Lynn3- Sweet Temptation

Congratulations, girls!!!

What is your Japanese Name?

2008-05-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

Got this fun and interesting tag from blogging buddies Ester and Prily. Thanks, guys, i had been laughing. Can't believe my name is sooo weird in Japanese.

For the instructions: add your name on the list and simply spell out your name using the given Japanese letter- translations below. Tag six of your friends and inform them of the tag (Please excuse me as i tagged more than 6.hehehehe!). Have fun!

TRANSLATION:
A ---> ka N ---> to
B ---> tu O ---> mo
C ---> mi P ---> no
D ---> te Q ---> ke
E ---> ku R ---> shi
F ---> lu S ---> ari
G ---> ji T ---> chi
H ---> ri U ---> do
I ---> ki V ---> ru
J ---> zu W ---> mei
K ---> me X ---> na
L ---> ta Y ---> fu
M ---> rin Z ---> zi

1. OSWALD - moarimeikatate (sounds like american and states har....har...har...)
2. JUNELLE - zudotokutataku (Thank God I’m a Filipino! sounds like sadako. nyay! hehehe)
3. JACQUELINE - zukamikedokutakitoku (Ayay!! Unsaman ni perti mang taasa..wa ko kasabot nyahahaha)
4. LERMA - takushirinka (I’ll use this name if I’m in Japan!)
5. BREGIE -tushikujikiku (Wah....ang sagwa hehehehe)
6. SHENG - AriRiKuToJi (forget it! LOL!!!)
7. LYNN - TaFuToTo (Hahaha! It sounds like... Are we thinking the same thing? Hahaha!)
8. PRILY- Noshikitafu(hehehehee....ah, not bad! it's probably like saying "are you inlove with me????...hehehehehe!)
9. ESTER -kuarichikushi (ngeeee!!!!)
10.PORTIA - Nomoshichikika ( does it mean Chiquitita????)

Now, i am tagging my friends Luki, Lindsay, Bernadeth,Pretty Me, Virgie, and Tara.

Have fun,girls! Let me know what will be your Japanese names.

Word Trivia

2008-05-19T07:12:00.000-07:00

What do these 2-letter words have in common?: AH, AL, AS, BA, BO, BY, IN, IS, IT, LA, MA, MI, MU, NA, NE?

Answer: AH, AL, AS, BA, BO, BY, IN, IS, IT, LA, MA, MI, MU, NA, NE

along with DO, GO, HA, ID, PE, RE, SH, WE, YE

all make 3-letter words starting with A!

Oh,well, i miss playing scrabble. I don't know when can i play again now that blogging is more fun!!!!

Addicted to Paintball

2008-05-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

I had experienced paintball a month ago and i am going to tell you that it is so addictive! I can do it again and again. So, when i heared about this online site related to paintball i was extremely delighted. This online site offers the ultimate experiece you will gonna have with paintball. Take a look at this : They sell Tippmann,Spyder, Smart Parts, Dye, Empire, Draxxus paintball gear plus many more brands which you can find on their website. This company had been in paintball business for 5 years already and it continues to grow big everyday. Their top selling guns include the following - Tippmann A-5, Tippmann 98 Custom, Smart Parts Ion, Spyder Pilot ACS . It offers the best prices with free shipping. Definitely good value for your money. Come on,guys, check this out and have more fun!

The 101 2-letter words

2008-05-17T08:25:00.001-07:00

Do you love Scrabble? I love this game... (ah, it had been a long time since i played!). Memorizing 2-letter words are very helpful because you can connect another word from it and that would mean another score. When i learnt about these 2-letter words, i ask, "are some of these really words?" And yes, they are!!!!!

Here are the 101 2-letter words

AAs ABs ADs AE AGs AHs AIs ALs AM AN
ARs ASs AT AW AX AYs BAs BEs BIs BOs
BYs DE DOs EDs EFs EH ELs EMs ANs ERs
ESs ET EX FAs FEs GOs HAs HEs HIs HM
HO IDs IFs INs IS ITs JO KAs KIs LAs
LIs LO MAs ME MIs MM MOs MUs MY NA
NE NOs NUs ODs OEs OF OHs OI OMs ONs
OPs ORs OS OW OX OY PAs PEs PIs QIs
REs SH SIs SOs TAs TIs TO UH UM UNs
UPs US UTs WE WOs XIs XU YA YEs YO ZAs

What is the secret in winning? Memorize all these words (which i know so many are "weird"). Take a pencil and paper and try to write out the 101 words! Keep doing it till you can. "Guaranteed" to add an average of 50 points to your game!
And don't ever forget which ones can be added with "s".

Trivia:
What do these 2-letter words have in common?: AH, AL, AS, BA, BO, BY, IN, IS, IT, LA, MA, MI, MU, NA, NE

Answer:

On the next post!

Friendship Tag:Lipstick Pic

2008-05-16T10:49:00.000-07:00

This has been a very long overdue tag from my blogging buddy Nova. She said a picture of me wearing my favorite lipstick. But since, i am not fond of taking photo of myself or letting somebody taking my photo ( i love taking photos only!), i am just imagining i am this woman in here with a very lovely lips plus a luscious colored lipstick! About lipstick, hehehe, i am telling you, i love a satin-smooth lipstick that moisturizes and protects my lips. I seem to have dry lips really, so a lipbalm is needed often! hehehehe. A lip gloss is a must also!!! I always go for rouge opulent satin lipstick.

Whoever would like to grab this tag,you are free to do so. Flaunt your lips with your favorite lipstick, don't forget to give me a buzz 'cuz i am wanting to see you!!!!!

Friendship Tag: What A Rose Can Say

2008-05-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

I wanna thank my blogging friend Shiela
for giving me this rose. I appreciated your thoughtfulness,my dear!

What A Rose Can Say
A rose can say I love you and want you to be mine,
A rose can say I thank you for being so very kind,
A rose can say congratulations, whatever the occasion may be,
A rose can say I miss you and wish you were here with me,
A rose can say I'm sorry if I've hurt you in any way,
A rose can say get well soon, May God bless you today,
A rose can say I wish you happiness, and the best for you each day.
A rose can say farewell when someone goes away,
A rose can say hello, I'm thinking of you today,
There's just so many wonderful things that a rose can say,
A rose can say goodbye when a love one is laid to rest,
No matter what there is to say, a rose can say it best.

I am tagging my friends Anne, Lindsay, Ester, and Meiyah. Stay beautiful as a rose,my blogging pals!

The Politics of Being Thin

2008-05-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

Look at these photos of popular celebrities today. They all have one thing in common: miniscule legs, tiny frame and they all feel they are full, i mean, not hungry! They always do and if they eat they think that it will make them big.

In our modern culture, to be thin is to be beautiful and the media had played a great deal about that. Can't you imagine how Tom Cruise's wife, Katie Holmes shed off those pregnancy fat just after two weeks??? We know that women in Western cultures are willing to do quite dramatic and drastic things to effect weight loss. And in some cases, it is gravely dangerous.

In the news, there are few teenagers, especially in North America and Europe who lose their lives because of bad eating disorders. These teenagers just wanted to be like their idols --- to be thin as a stick and the belief that to be thin is to be very beautiful and very sexy.

On the other hand, celebrities like Victoria Beckham, always worry about their figure than his philandering husband. The question is: when is thin too thin? The obsession with weight, especially in the modelling industry is also very tremendous. What is the Model Killer? Answer: Dying To Be Thin.

So, when is thin too thin???? No one ever know.

Improve Life Through Journeylite

2008-05-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

Confucius said that a journey through a thousand miles begins with a single step. The single step may be the search of better options for improving great, quality life by staying fit. A system called lap band is here! It is the is the safest, proven weight-loss surgery available today and it is the only weight-loss surgery that is completely reversible and adjustable – for life. Try this step now and see amazing results!

Tequila and Salt

2008-05-15T08:22:00.001-07:00

I got this message today....Am quite glad i got it and i wanna share it here...

Message: This should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where one could read it everyday. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.

1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.
2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. You are special and unique.
8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
10. When you think the world has turned its back on you take another look.
11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

When life hands you Lemons, ask for tequila and salt,and call me over!
Good friends are like stars........ You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.
"Whenever God Closes One Door He Always Opens Another, Even Though Sometimes It's Hell in the Hallway"
I would rather have one rose and a kind word from a friend while I'm here than a whole truck load when I'm gone.

Reflecting message and i like the number 9 the most(although i do like them all!).

Journey To Better Health

2008-05-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

Who does not want to achieve the ideal weight? Everyone of us wanted to, yet sometimes we struggled how to achieve it. Okay, you tried dieting, you tried exercise, yet at the end of the day, does it work? Probably still didn't. Here is an option --- lap band tampa. This one might be the one that is best suited for you. Take the first step now by visiting their website. Goodluck!

Sweet Princess Sara

2008-05-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

I always love the story of "A Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett. What a charming and intelligent little girl Sara is. Surely, this book had been translated in many languages as it really captivated millions of readers and audiences both old and young, both boys and girls. Even my boys love the story. The writer of the story, Frances Hodgson Burnett was born in Manchester, England, in 1849. After her father's death, the family moved to Tennessee, America, in 1865, where they struggled to earn a living. At 17, Frances sold her first story and she went on to write many novels. So, today, she is very famous for her children's books.

I will not anymore elaborate here what is the story for i am sure we all knew about it. As for my kids, i will always keep on repeating the story time and again!

Burdened With Debt

2008-05-13T09:23:00.000-07:00

One man might brag about his suburban , upper middle class living --- membership to country clubs and exclusive organizations,spacious house, luxury car, an over-indulged wife with all the designer bags and all. How did he do it? It is very easy to take credit. The man represents millions suffering from cash-flow poverty who have trouble paying for basic living expenses without taking on more debt.

Studies show that consumer debt has been climbing faster than personal incomes and shows no signs of abating. Hence, there is a pressure on debtors and deep stress for the consumers.

For those deepest in debt, it can take a long time to get in the clear and a debt advice is one step to be cleared and to have peace of mind. Take action now.

Chicken or Pork?

2008-05-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

I had not been eating pork since 1996. I think my Seventh Day Adventist ex-boyfriend had that impact on me --- that is to eat healthy food as much as possible. Since i stopped eating pork, i don't have pimples anymore. And i thank him for that! But thank God that we hadn't end up together. Ah, there are lots of reasons...

Speaking about sausages, i am always glad that many hotels now offer so many substitutes to pork. just like this one, you can choose either a pork sausage or chicken sausage. Whatever you fancy. I fancy the chicken sausages since i stopped eating pork.

I just say goodbye to pork just like how i said goodbye to my boyfriend!

Stat Tracking Website For Golfers

2008-05-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

Golf is always a favorite game for my husbands' clients. If you want to be a good sales manager, then, you definitely should know many things about golf. I am glad to learn about this website and can't wait to tell my husband and my husband's buddies about it.
Oobgolf is a stat tracking website for golfers that currently serves over 100k golfers monthly. The site allows golfers to keep track of their scores and golf statistics as well as find courses, playing partners and new equipment. This information is very vital to golf enthusiasts and surely this website is very helpful to them. To you golfers out there,Visit oobgolf.com and track your game.

Ten Simple Things To Connect Today

2008-05-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

1. Smile at someone in the elevator.

2. Invite a co-worker to lunch.

3. Call your mother, or someone in your life who nurtures you.

4. Give someone a compliment - and mean it.

5. Make small talk with the person who sells you your morning coffee or your snack at work.

6. Make a funny face in an unexpected place (like in line at the supermarket) until someone laughs.

7. Talk to your family during dinner, without any outside distractions.

8. Call someone you haven't spoken to in a year.

9. Give someone in your life a gift, for no special reason other than that you think they might like it.

10. Tell people that you appreciate what they do for you.

Human beings are our companions and our community. Life is only the big party it was meant to be if there are other people there, dancing, singing, chatting, and making waves right there alongside of you. Draw more people into your life, and the party will just be better...and more interesting, varied, lively, and fun.

Allow yourself to connect with kindness, compassion, empathy, and good humor. Life is a celebration. Come on, let us celebrate!

Blog, Brag , Be Paid!

2008-05-13T06:50:00.000-07:00

I just realize now how exciting it is to blog and make money. Bloggerwave gives us this opportunity. It is aiming to be Europe's biggest advertising media on blogs. Come on,fellow bloggers, join me and let us help Bloggerwave grow so that more and more jobs will be offered to us!

Cute Little Things

2008-05-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

Found these cutie little things while shopping around. Reading the little captions on the outfits make me smile. Aren't they cute????

Will You Come?

2008-05-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

Attention all podcasters, bloggers and online audio and video content creators a big, exciting event is coming your way this coming august. This is the 4th Annual New Media Expo 2008 which will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center on August 14-16. Already, attendees from 35 states and 22 countries have registered to attend. The Expo is a hands-on, exciting, "how-to" event with practical conference sessions about how to produce high-quality online content, grow a loyal audience, and market or monetize that content in creative ways. Sounds very interesting and no wonder each year there is always a guaranteed 3,000 attendees. What are you waiting for? Let's hop in!

Feeling Feetish!!!!

2008-05-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday , i gave my feet a little color....hehehehe, a new lavender slippers. I know i cannot wear it everyday, yet, sometimes, i need to flaunt my not so pretty feet. Oh, well, what the heck? And today, the pair is back in the rack. I am having a new one though! hehehehe!

Bracelet That Will Make You Better

2008-05-12T09:53:00.000-07:00

A bracelet that will make us feel better and stronger? Yes and that is according to many people who already tested and proved the effectivity of this QRay Bracelets. This famous QRay Bracelets holds three design patents. If you are a person who enjoys an active lifestyle, this is very suited for you. Famous around the world, even celebrities and popular athletes wear them. Let's give it a try, guys!

Differing Dates in Celebrating Mother's Day

2008-05-11T00:26:00.000-07:00

While we are celebrating Mother's Day today, some countries like United Kingdom celebrates Mother's Day on different day. In UK, Mother's Day celebrations take place on the fourth Sunday in the month of Lent. Since the Lent days are not fixed, the date for Mothers Day changes every year. This year, Mothering Sunday in UK is march 2 while us in the Philippines and North America is May 11.

It doesn't matter actually what day of the year we give tribute to our dearest moms. As long as there are mothers, so is Mother's Day!

What does each letter of the word MOTHER stands for? Let's find out...

"M" is for the million things she gave me,

"O" means only that she's growing old,

"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,

"H" is for her heart of purest gold;

"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,

"R" means right, and right she'll always be,

Put them all together, they spell

"MOTHER,"

A word that means the world to me.

To my mom and to all the moms, to all grandmoms and great grandmoms, aunts and grand-aunts and great grand aunts, also to the expecting moms...Congratulations! Today is our day and we need to be spoiled!!!!

Jennifer Keilp --- A Mom and All

2008-05-11T00:15:00.000-07:00

It is fantastic to hear about amazing people and their stories. Today, i wanna feature a respectable personality --- Jennifer Keilp. Her name might sound common as there are so many Jennifers, but it is guranteed that there is one and only Jennifer Keilp. She is a Board Certified radiologist, a loving wife to a lawyer, and most of all, a caring mom to daughter Sloan. It is amazing how one can be successful both in professional and personal life. I just think she is a very lucky Jennifer, Jennifer Keilp!

A Day for Mommies

2008-05-10T23:14:00.000-07:00

I wanna greet Happy Mother's Day to all the moms. Have fun this day! Thanks, Kerslyn for this tag. This is lovely!!!

I am passing this tag to my fellow mother blogger friends --- Aidisan, Budget Traveler, Funkie Mommy, Sexy Mom, Lynn, and Prily

2008-05-10T03:04:00.000-07:00

Cutie Candles

2008-05-08T15:46:00.000-07:00

I went to the home furnishing shop nearby recently and i am looking for unique decorative items that may add color to our home. These candles and candle holders really caught my attention. Do you think they are nice?

Quality Professional Translation Online is Here!

2008-05-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

The global economy now is becoming one global village because of the internet. You can just do many things in just an instant. The fact is : in our world, different people speaks different languages. Imagine if you have business transactions, agreements or business contracts to be done but the forms are written in Portuguese or French or Spanish or Italian or Chinese? Well, it might be a setback before, plus it is frustrating to find quality, efficient, simple and reliable translator. But not now. We have Translator's Corner that made professional translation simple and safe.
Translator's Corner is the new online Marketplace for Translators and Clients to meet and do business together. All that needs to be worried about is finding the ideal translator, or doing the translation. The safety of both parties' money and the quality of the translations are well-guaranteed. It gives translators security, by making sure their money is available before they begin working, and it allows clients to get a professional translation job going in 5 minutes.All a client has to do is search for a translator, chat with them instantly, get an instant quote for their job, and pay for it.
Translator's Corner guarantees the following: 1.) Finding a Translator fast - Auto Price Comparison Tool asks 4 easy questions about translation to search their translators' profiles and finds the one you're looking for INSTANTLY! ; 2.) Get Instant Quotes - While searching for the right professional to do your translation, you get instant quotes. No more waiting for days to get bids on your translation job. ; 3.) Guaranteed Quality -The TC Online Court is available to make sure the translation gets done right, or you get your money back; 4.) Great prices - have a transparent global translation marketplace where translators compete for your business and you win. ; 5.) Easy to Use - The Auto Price Comparison Tool finds your translator with 6 questions, and SecureTrans helps you manage your translation job from start to finish; 6.) The Commitment - Find the right translator at the right price and get your translation done right the first time, in less than 10 minutes.
Hence, Translator's Corner is an innovative solution to the biggest problems of online professional translation.

For the Love of Owl

2008-05-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

I thought collecting owl decorative items for her house is enough for my dearest friend, but obviously it's not. Aside from her devorative stuffs she also got owl shirt and yes, she got lots. Sooo interesting how somebody loves something and got to be very proud of it. I love it --- i mean the idea of being obssessed with something. But i don't think i can be obssessed with owls. Oh, well, people are different and i appreciate how my lovely friend Annie loves her owls. Thanks for letting me feature it here! God bless you,my dearest friend and also your owls!

The Launch of Laudable Open Innovation Network

2008-05-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

In a world of widely distributed knowledge, companies cannot afford to rely entirely on their own research, hence the need to source other options outside their own realizing that the best use of internal and external ideas is a winning game.
TekScout is an Open Innovation Network which helps companies finds Experts to solve their most comples R&D challenges.

Press Release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UTEK Corporation Launches TekScout™ Open Innovation Sourcing Service
Tampa, FL -- (Business Wire) – March 3, 2008 -- UTEK Corporation (AMEX & LSE-AIM: UTK), a
leading Open Innovation services company, today announced the launch of its TekScout™ Open
Innovation Network.
TekScout helps companies look outside of their internal R&D department to better address the
challenge of completing complex development projects. The TekScout Open Innovation Network
enables companies to post complex development projects, along with a reward and timeline
required to solve the problem, in a secure environment. A worldwide network of qualified
scientists and engineers can view these challenges and earn rewards for providing unique
solutions.
A 2006 Harvard Business School Study entitled The Value of Openness in Scientific Problem
Solving, by Lakhani, Jeppenson, Lohse, and Panetta, found that presenting scientific problems to
the outside community enabled several large R&D intensive firms to solve over one third of the
problems that they had been unable to resolve internally. The study also found that the most
successful solutions came from experts that are at the boundary, or outside of their specific fields
of interest, indicating the importance of reaching outside of your organization to successfully
innovate.
“UTEK has a unique capability to bring companies (TekScouts) and scientists (TekExperts)
together, based on our deep-seated relationships with hundreds of companies and relationships
with over 2,000 academic institutions around the world,” stated Edward Weisberg, VP and
General Manager of TekScout. “We are able to leverage these existing relationships to help
ensure that we have the best and the brightest scientists available for companies that are looking
for serious solutions to their challenges. TekScout also helps qualified scientists and engineers
find R&D challenges that utilize their problem solving capabilities while providing a financial and
intellectual reward for winning solutions.”
TekScout challenges will be focused in the disciplines of Life Science, Physical Science,
Chemistry, Engineering and Design, Math and Computer Science, and Alternative Energy and
Sustainable Products.
“Over the past ten years UTEK has built a global reputation for sourcing technologies for our
clients. Now, in addition to providing technology sourcing, strategic consulting and patent
analytics, we offer clients the ability to outsource their development challenges to bring products
to market faster and more cost effectively with a comprehensive Open Innovation program,”
added Clifford M. Gross, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of UTEK. “We believe that our goal of
becoming the world’s first turn-key provider of Open Innovation services is further enhanced with
the launch of TekScout.”
The TekScout Open Innovation Network can be viewed at www.tekscout.com.
About UTEK Corporation
UTEK
®
is a leading Open Innovation service company. UTEK’s services enable clients to become
stronger innovators, rapidly source externally developed technologies and create value from their
intellectual property. UTEK is a business development company with operations in the United
States, United Kingdom, Israel and Portugal. For more information about UTEK, please visit its
website at www.utekcorp.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain matters discussed in this press release are "forward-looking statements.” These forwardlooking
statements can generally be identified as such because the context of the statement will
include words, such as UTEK "expects," "should," "believes," "anticipates" or words of similar
import. Similarly, statements that describe UTEK's future plans, objectives or goals are also
forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and
uncertainties, including the financial performance of UTEK, and the valuation of UTEK's
investment portfolio, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently
anticipated. Although UTEK believes the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements
are based on reasonable assumptions, it cannot give any assurance that its expectations will be
attained. Shareholders, potential investors and other readers are urged to
consider these factors carefully in evaluating any forward-looking statements. Certain factors
could cause results and conditions to differ materially from those projected in these forwardlooking
statements, and some of these factors are discussed below. These factors are not
exhaustive. New factors, risks and uncertainties may emerge from time to time that may affect the
forward-looking statements made herein. These forward-looking statements are only made as of
the date of this press release and UTEK does not undertake any obligation to publicly update
such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
UTEK's operating results could fluctuate significantly due to a number of factors. These factors
include the small number of transactions that are completed each quarter, the value of individual
transactions, the timing of the recognition and the magnitude of unrealized and realized gains and
losses of companies in its portfolio, UTEK's dependence on the performance of companies in its
portfolio, the possibility that advances in technology could render the technologies it has
transferred obsolete, the loss of technology licenses by companies in its portfolio, the degree to
which it encounters competition in its markets, the volatility of the stock market and the volatility of
the valuations of the companies it has invested in as it relates to its realized and unrealized gains
and losses, the concentration of investments in a small number of companies, as well as other
general economic conditions. As a result of these and other factors, current results may not be
indicative of UTEK's future performance. For more information on UTEK and for a more complete
discussion of the risks pertaining to an investment in UTEK, please refer to UTEK's filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contacts:
UTEK Corporation
USA:
Tania Bernier
813-754-4330 x 223
UK:
Bankside Consultants

World Red Cross/Red Crescent Day

2008-05-08T06:20:00.000-07:00

I was a Red Cross Youth when i was in highschool until college,so, i never forget that May 8 is the World Red Cross Day or World Red Crescent Day in Muslim countries. I was once a very active Red Cross Youth...In fact, i had been a representative of some Red Cross Youth Congress and Conventions. It is nice to be a volunteer to any sort of humanitarian organization. I love the principles that the Red Cross adheres to. HINIVUU --- that's the seven principles that Red Cross really believe. It stands for Humanity,Independence, Neutrality,Impartiality,Voluntary Service, Universality and Unity.

Why May 8 is the World Red Cross Day? Because it is the birthday of Henry Dunant, the Swiss citizen who founded the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in 1863. Since the time that Dunant first conceived the idea of the Red Cross, the Movement has grown to become the largest international humanitarian aid organization in the world. I am very happy to be a part of this humanitarian organization during my youth. Now, even if i am not a very active "Red Crosser", deep in my heart, i still have the deep longing for service. So, little by little me and my husband see to it that we can contribute to this organization even just a little. My husband donates blood year by year... And today, i am making this post to remind everyone that today is a very important day in the world's humanitarian service.

The Greatness in Giving

2008-05-08T05:41:00.000-07:00

This is Steven, was a 13 year old, 8th grade student at the James P. Timilty Middle School in Roxbury, MA, a neighborhood of Boston. On October 4th, Steven was walking home to make his curfew of sundown when he was cut down by gunfire on the sidewalk just outside his home. But he was not forgotten. His infectious smiles, his leadership, those dreams cut short by violence will always be remembered.
Inspired by Steven's life, through raise money online to build a legacy of hope for the students at the Timilty and show them that they will never forget Steven and that there is a way out of the cycle of violence that affects many in their everyday lives, 2 scholarship grants will be awarded to 2 deserving students. So, a little help will be big help and all the funds raised will be used for scholarships and or/other future scholarships.
Firstgiving, an online fundraising campaign for any charitable cause had helped thousands and thousands of people for thousands of nonprofit organizations. Visit www.firstgiving.com or www.onlinefundraisingblog.com for more details. The people who are supporting these causes are so worthy. Anybody can even quickly set up their own Firstgiving page to raise money for any US registered nonprofit organization. In a little way we help, there is always a joy in it!

Annie's Owls --- Part 2

2008-05-07T11:14:00.000-07:00

What makes the home of each person unique is the way we decorate it and the way we display our decorative stuffs. Here,my friend's living room in particular has lots of owls' stuffs. I love the crystal ones as i love crystals,too! She got lots of paintings showcasing owls but really my space here will all be filled up with owls if i will put them all here.

Anyway, here is the second part. Enjoy your day with Annie's owls...

Write an Article, Get paid

2008-05-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

Hi folks, Get Paid For Writing ! Encyclocentral is currently seeking article writers. Requirements for submission are as follows:

1. All articles must be original work. Submission of any article content with even any content plagiarized will result in that author being banned from this program and full payment withheld. This is a zero tolerance policy, no warning will be given.

2. We will provide you with common "key phrases", but you need to developed those phrases into titles. All articles must have a clear and descriptive title. The title should contain a minimum of 5 words, preferably more. The first letter of each word in the title should be should be capitalized. Only letters A-Z should be used in the title, no other characters.

3. All article content (including title) should be spell checked according to the English language. This includes a grammar check. Basically stated, you are posting into a live database, your submission will most likely be reviewed by us after it has posted live onto the site. (the site is cached, it may take 24 hours or more for your article to post live) Any mistakes that you make will be permanent. Therefore, it is very important that you post correctly. Use of foreign characters such as "á or è" is not allowed. All articles should be 350-500 words. Proper use of paragraphs is required. All articles should end with a link to an informative site on the topic, such as to the topic article on Wikipedia. All articles need to be informative and make correct sense. No article should contain meaningless "filler" contain or article "spinning".

4. Articles submission is done through our online platform. The submission process contains three text boxes; The Title, A snippet and the main article text. The snippet should consist of the first 2-3 sentences of the article. The remainder of the article should be posted in the main article text. There is also a check box for the article category. The key phrases that we assign to are already labeled according to category, however, from time to time they might be better suited for a different category. If you happen to see that a key phrase is better suit to a different category, please use your best judgment and put it in the correct category.

5. Payment is $5.00 USD per article. Payment is made via PayPal on the 5th of the month for all article submit the previous calendar month. If the 5th of the month falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal USA holiday, the payment will be made the first business day after the 5th.

To all interested parties, check this out now!

Annie's Owls --- Part 1

2008-05-07T10:49:00.000-07:00

Had you seen somebody been collecting owls? I had known one close friend of mine and she got sooooo many! Here i am showing you...

I am fond of collecting other animals like elephants, but you know each individual is different and that's what makes us unique. Her collection is just interesting and yup, it did get my attention!

Ronald Bongo - An Open Source Visionary

2008-05-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

Ron Bongo, a leading executive in the open source software industry is presently the the CEO of Corra Technology, known in the industry as CorraTech. After years in the software industry, Ron Bongo became an early adopter of open source and all the benefits that it offered to his clients. Ron Bongo believes that the new formal partner programs will help to drive significant growth this year for his company, which was formerly a Microsoft.Net partner and then moved into the Linux open-source business in 2003 after Mr. Bongo realized the significant benefits that could be produced for clients using open-source software. Mr. Bongo is an advocate of Open Solutions Alliance (OSA)and is very active in numerous Open Sources standards and industry associations.

Thanks for the Brand!

2008-05-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

Have you tried staying in the hotel and had forgotten something? I had experienced many times. In fact if the hotel is just near and the amount of the item i left is not more than 1 thousand pesos, i am not bothered, but if it is more than a thousand and the effort of getting back the item is not that much, oh well, i better get it back. And that was what had happened to this dress --- a Penshoppe brand. I went to this place in South Cotabato called Polomolok and they have a nice farm resort there named Dolores farm Resort, so me and my family had a weekend there, and when we returned in Davao, oh my gosh, i forgot my blue, flowery outfit which i hadn't worn yet. Oh, glad that i got the hotel's contact number and i called and then the lady on the phone said, " ah, the Penshoppe dress? yes, you left it...."....Ah, great, thanks gracious...I just felt better this outfit has a brand or else it would be little bit difficult to describe it!hehehehe. And, yup, got back the dress!

NYCastings Serving the Entertainment Industry

2008-05-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

In the performing arts, casting is a vital pre-production process for selecting a cast of actors, dancers, singers, models and other talent for a live or recorded performance. www.NYCastings.com,is New York's most widely used source for Actors, Models & Musicians of all types to find work in Film, Television, Commercials, Theatre, Music Videos, Voice-Overs & Print. In fact, it has been serving the New York entertainment community for over 7 years now, and has been a dependable, free and highly recognized service for Casting Directors, Talent Reps. & Producers to find the RIGHT type of talent for on-camera, print, voice-over & live projects with minimal effort. It helps in casting over 4,500 projects a year. That is really so impressive. To all interested parties, check this out! It is New York's most widely used database of talents.

HOW TO MAKE A FIVE STAR GUEST ROOM

2008-05-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

It is always my wish to be the most gracious host ever to my closest friends and relatives .hehehehe! If not now, maybe in the future if i will make my dream house...But i did try many times, didn't i? Hehehehe!

For the meantime, i've got these basic pointers for making guests cozy in our guests rooms, and extra touches to make their stay even more memorable.We know that coddling houseguests is one of the life's greatest pleasures. Being a good host is an art and creating a welcoming guest room is important and indicative of a host's thoughtfulness.

1. More important than furnishings, a guest room should be clean, clean , clean!

2. Dress the bed in newly laundered sheets and a thin blanket for those hot summer nights. Provide a thicker one, stored in the closet in case your guests might still want one. If possible, match the sheets to the color of the room.

3. If the room is not air-conditioned, provide a fan in case the weather heats up.

4. Guest bathrooms should be set up for forgetful guests. Stock a decorative basket or container with basics such as towels, slippers, toothpaste, toothbrush, razor and shaving creams. This is the time to bring out your unused airline toiletry kits!

5. Keep the closet empty and stocked with hangers. Open shelving is best including space to store suitcases, extra blankets and pillows.

6. Provide a mirror, a full-length one or at least one on the dresser.

7. On the bedside table, provide the following:
- A reading light in case thy read at night. If not a night-light would be helpful to guide them to the bathroom.
- Water carafe and glass plus bottled water.
- A crystal dish with potpourri or a seasonal flower in a small vase or floating in a small bowl.
- A box of tissue paper in a pretty holder.
- An ashtray, even if they don't smoke, as they make good receptacles for jewelry or pocket contents.
- An alarm clock.
- A flashlight in case of power failure.

8. Other extras to make your guest extra special:
- Fruit in a bowl for when your guest might want a snack in the middle of the night. ( i tried putting chocolates and they appreciated it so much!!!!).
- A telephone.
- A notepad or stationary with a pen for correspondence.
- A CD Player or TV.
- I love the idea of special towel with the name of the guest engraved on it!

9. If your guests are traveling with children, look into providing extra beds or even a crib. Supply small toys or games to keep the children entertained.

10. Last but not the least, DON'T EVER MAKE YOUR GUESTS SEE YOU STRUGGLE. The best hosts work hard at making guests think it's easy to take care of them!

MAKE YOUR GUESTS FEEL WELCOME, AND LIKE IT'S A BREEZE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM!

Delight With Dneero

2008-05-03T05:05:00.000-07:00

I love taking surveys with Dneero. The quotations they put plus the images are so catching, witty and with good sense of humor. It is never dull. I remembered the day when my account there became one dollar, ah, i was so damn happy! Hehehehehe! I mean, okay, you get sometimes, 45 cents and that's after few days if you get impressions from the survey that you posted in your blog. But i am telling you, the thrill of seeing your 45 cents became 90 cents then became 1.20 bucks...isn't that delightful? Hehehehe. Ah, this is me... just sometimes little things fascinates me. What is 45 cents compared to 5 dollars for 50 words with payperpost? But i find great joy with Dneero. hehehehehe!
Look at the newest survey now...look at the caricature ... the image... the quotation that goes hand in hand with the survey theme --- just perfect! For my fellow, dneero fans, let's rock it up, guys! We can even made surveys for Charity of our choice. Great! To you, Dneero, whoever you are, i love you, man!!!!
To those of you who want to participate with the survey, just click the any dneero survey here in my site or to any blogsites with dneero surveys and you are on your way to Dneero's home. Goodluck! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Roasted Turkey, Anyone?

2008-05-02T14:28:00.000-07:00

Ah, i know it is not yet Thanksgiving Day, or Christmas or any special day, but right now, i am really craving for this. hehehehe. I remembered this photo very well --- straight from the oven and i put it on the serving dish. Ah, gotta publish this post now and i wanna get something to bite. Not a roasted turkey though!hehehehe!

Smart Device to Healthy Living

2008-05-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

It looks like a calculator? It does and the right term is calorie calculator . When i look at this handheld device, a food calorie counter that is really very handy , i am thrilled. We all know how nutrition plays a vital role in our lives. But do we have an idea how much nutrition each food we take? Or how much good contents and bad contents it contains? In this busy lifestyle that we have now, sometimes it is very impractical to carry a book everywhere and look at how much each calorie contains. Good thing i found out about this smart and very practical way to keep track of what one eats. A calorie counter that provides nutrition information for 35,000 foods including popular resturant menus. Now, isn't that awesome? After-all, keeping track of what we eat and the awareness of nutrition contents are effective ways to lose weight and to maintain good weight. So, come on guys, check this smart gadget now!

Brunei's "Bruneiyuki"?

2008-05-02T02:17:00.000-07:00

This is the breathtaking The Empire Hotel of Brunei Darussalam and i frequented here a lot of times during my travels to Borneo. It is very near to the Philippines and during my husband's meeting with clients he always wanted me to be with him, plus babysitters!
Anyway, one time, here i am relaxing(while hubby is with clients), taking a walk at the magnificent golf course, and there is this guy jogging and stopping by right at my spot and bluntly asked this question, " who are you booked with?" I said, "what are you talking about"? But hearing the word "booked", i know very well what it meant as sometimes i made a chitchat with some Filipinas in Labuan's Waterfront Hotel or Sheraton Hotel or Kota Kinabalu's Shangrila's or Sutera Harbor Hotel, to name of a few of 5 Star Hotel Accomodations of Brunei and Sabah. So, i said to this guy, "I am sorry, you are talking to the wrong person. Not all Filipinas are prostitutes. If you think all Filipinas are ,then you are very wrong" ... I got so angry and he saw it on my face. I can see also that he got little bit nervous hearing those words from a woman! He said he is very sorry....

I cannot blame this guy because i know so many Filipinas, some with illegal passports going to Sabah and Brunei who will take a ferry from Zamboanga city to Sandakan who will come to Borneo either to be domestic helpers or prostitutes. The ferry ride is pretty cheap and the travel is not very far! I knew some domestic helpers and some of them are really nice people and i also knew some prostitutes who look very pretty indeed but i am sorry about their attitudes. They think they are "somebody" who married Sultan Bolkiah or something....

Oh, well, anyway, Morality is a very personal thing. It just belittled me how many people think that Filipinas are prostitutes. Fine, call me, domestic helper, i don't care. It is very noble thing to do and it is a profession we are proud of. The OFWs are the modern heroes and the situation in our country made them decide to work as DH. And the prostitutes? Aren't it that being "escorts", more popular and more "social" term for "prosti" happen because of the sad situation of our country?...Probably yes, probably not. I can't really answer. There are so many reasons and the only reason i can think is that all what we do is a matter of choice. We always make a choice of what we want in our life.

Now, what i wanna let the world know this ... FILIPINAS ARE INTELLIGENT INDIVIDUALS. WE ARE NOT PROSTITUTES AND SO MANY OF US WANTED CHANGE IN OUR SYSTEM.

I am very happy with this blogging thing because even how small our voices are, it can be heared all over the world and no matter how small the voices are, it is limitless.

2008-05-01T07:14:00.001-07:00

Caution : This is Non-Halal

2008-04-29T13:22:00.000-07:00

This is the Philippine's national dish, popularly known as "Lechong baboy" or roasted pork. Major occasions will never be complete without this dish. Sorry, for the non-meat-eaters, this is not for us. I hadn't had any taste of pork for over ten years now.
The photo may be making the mouths of many pork-eaters watery, but really, i had this self-discipline of not eating it anymore. But,well, with the society where i grew-up, this is the dish that i grew up watching. I have every right to showcase it. hehehe!

Free Reverse Phone Number Lookout

2008-04-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

Answering our phones can sometimes be so stressful and tiring. Had you encountered people calling you and selling you something on the phone? Ah, it is just something we really don't like as many times it can be irritating. But not anymore... Reverse Cell Phone Lookup is an answer. With reverse Phone Lookup service, you now have the resource to track any phone call you receive. Now, answering phone call is not that stressful anymore. Something we just love to! Visit http://www.findoutwhoscalling.com/nocall.php
- or the "National No Call Registry" and live a stress-free life!

Teen Pregnancy and Polygamy

2008-04-29T02:43:00.000-07:00

This is in connection with my post a week ago about polygamy. They are becoming headliner again this week. I pity those teenage girls. And Warren Jeffs, who has been revered as prophet in their polygamous sect? I don't know if he sick or what but he certainly got his own belief and that is --- Polygamy brings glorification in heaven. What a strange belief! And impregnating teenage girls?...
The headline : 31 of 53 teen girls at FLDS ranch are pregnant or had baby

Sure, teenage pregnancy is so rampant in our society but not to get pregnant this way --- being forced by elders. I don't know know what to say, just the moral fiber of the society is getting so loose. Where is the morality? In a country where modernism is everywhere, moral fabric is going nowhere.

Ah, this is strange, just strange!

"epps' or "opps"???

2008-04-26T00:30:00.000-07:00

Am i not alone who wants to grab opportunities in payperpost? Oh, yes, they have very attractive blogging privileges and many of us would wanna grab it...Imagine, minimum 50 words for 8 dollars or 5 dollars? Piece of cake? Oh, yes, it is. But... it is not really...
For the past days i had been sleepless and my hands and back had been aching. All for the sake of grabbing opps at ppp( and i love how we made acronyms!). It is not very easy. You have to be alert, you have to click and refresh a lot of times, just incase they'll be one coming along the way. Alas, there is a white one! So, i clicked it, answer the catching question, and lo, the posts are taken already and the white space will turn into gray. Not really charming and sometimes can be so upsetting! Oh,dear,dear, Lord,please help me so i can grab one! And so, i click and click, without realizing that time is running so late...and i definitely needing my epp("sleep"...uhmmm, sounds close to opp, but it is the antonym of it!). If lucky, i could get one, in a span of how many hours? I could not count. Probably in almost one month i can grab 3. Ah, i am slow, so slow, i know...This is the disadvantage really if we have no rank yet. But mind,you, do you think people with ranks don't grab the opps? I can't answer although i am curious. Or do they grab also and they are very fast on it? Or do they just wait...Oh,so,what shall i do? What about us who got no ranks yet? click and click over and over again? hehehehe. My husband told me, "Darling, that is not very practical really. You don't have to click every second. If you can get one, then, it is lucky, if nothing, don't mind,okay? Just don't keep on clicking, you might break the mouse!"....hehehehehe...Here i go...
And my precious sleep???my precious epps which i really need and which i value so much??? I definitely need one now... And grabbing those opps? I know it is a very thrilling experience to grab one...i know the feeling very well... But really, i realize, it is not worth it...If i can grab one from time to time that i'll refresh, so good, so lucky but clicking it almost all the time? Ah...just forget it...I might break the mouse!

2008-04-25T23:42:00.001-07:00

Baby and Jetlag

2008-04-24T03:45:00.000-07:00

How many days do you think the baby can cope up with jetlag and settled to the new environment after travelling? My friend doctor told me that it will take 15 minutes per day for the baby to cope up. It depends on the time difference of the country the baby came from minus the time zone of the country he is in now. So, if the baby came from the Philippines and come to United Kingdom with a time difference of 8 hours, let us say he will cope up 15 minutes per day, oh, dear, it will take for the poor baby to adjust to the new environment fully around a month. That is really tough! That goes on to say how travel can be travail at some point! But i also think it depends on the baby. Must be tougher with time difference of 12 hours as such countries like Canada and United States!

Oh, Royal Blue!

2008-04-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

I love royal blue color just like this wineglass. I took this photo in my hotel room the last time and it just pleases me. It is marvelous to know how little things can give us comfort and peace of mind. Also, colors give some impact to our moods. This royal blue wineglass just made my day today.

Best Work Boots Online

2008-04-23T06:17:00.000-07:00

I always fancy work boots. They are sturdy and can be worn in all types of weather. I am thrilled to know there is an online store that will cater to all our work boots needs. You can shop by style and you can shop by brand. Top brands include Converse Footwear, Corcoran Footwear, Belleville Boots, Matterhorn Footwear, Bates Boots, Rocky Footwear, Magnum Footwear, and Wolverine Footwear. There are lots of varieties to choose from. Guaranteed that the quality is the best of all. See it yourself and you'll be amazed!

For the Love of LV

2008-04-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

Many people feel powerful and well-respected whenever they wear designer handbags, especially a Louis Vuitton. Maybe it is psychological, but probably they deserve high respect and good service from anybody whenever they wear one. Or do they really deserve one?
How much do you think you'll gonna get if you'll resell your LV? I mean, if i will resell my 24 karat 8 grams ladies gold ring, it might double the price after 5 years. But what of an LV? And what if you are someone i know who has to borrow money just to satisfy the cravings of collecting one??? I know many are hooked to designer handbags. It is good, really it is... They are classy, chic, sassy, or whatever highclass adjectives you would define it. There is a feeling of "high" and i really know that feeling. But there is someone i know, who without realizing it, don't know how to handle her expenses when she found out most of her money went to designer bags of which she don't gotta wear most of them anyway! But who will gotta buy most of them at the same price that she bought before? Of course, none, the prices depreciate everyday.
I don't wanna mention the name of the daughter of the former ex-city Councilor of the biggest city in the world in land area(Davao City), who when we were together in an out of town trip had to borrow money from me because she gotta buy an LV. She promised me she will pay me back when we arrive back home. Hola, i let her because, you know, look at her, she's fashionable, she's beautiful, she looks like a person who can be trusted. And so, anyway,she bought that LV bag she really fancied a lot. So, we returned home and hola, i can't hear from her anymore. I called her to remind her of her debt, it seems that i am the one who got ashamed! I am this kind of person who don't want to keep asking for payment when in fact she knew it already.
So,anyway, to make the story short, she never ever had payed me back. All for her love of this LV. The last time i heard about her and her family, they went bankrupt. I really don't give a damn! hehehe!
So, now,what? You think the one who is wearing an LV is dignified? I would never think so. Some of them may not even pay their credit card bills, maybe? Who knows? Ah, this LV thing....this materialistic world...I better just be a very simple person but with peace of mind. But, oh well, i do have an LV, and i am even shy to wear it!

Join the Look of the Year Contest!

2008-04-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

Do you got the looks? The projection? The X-factor? The beauty? The body? Do you think you might be the next top model whose opportunities are endless? You might be the one that this modelling company had been looking for.
Look of the Year beauty contest is the latest way to get recognized, winning a 10.000 USD price or get spotted by an agency for model career.
Look Of The Year are looking for people from all over the world to send in their best pictures. Use this chance to be the next model working in Paris, New York or Milan.
Visit http://www.lookoftheyear.com today and start your new life together with beautiful people from all over the world!

What would you prefer?

2008-04-21T03:05:00.000-07:00

I took this photo while on my breakfast to the one of renowned 5 Star Hotel in Manila. I know how foreigners hated dried fish...But during breakfast buffet, usually in Philippine hotels, fried dried fish is presented sumptuously as possible in the buffet table. This dried fish from Cebu City called "Danggit"is a must. I can't blame the foreigners if they don't like it. Their taste buds are not just so used to it!
But i love dried fish once in a while! How about you? Would you prefer the corned beef instead?

2008-04-19T23:06:00.001-07:00

Tag : 20 Questions

2008-04-19T14:35:00.000-07:00

I am tagged by Shiela and i wanna say thank you to her for this. Here it is...

Here are the rules:

Remove one (1) question from below and add in your personal question, make it a total of 20 questions, then tag eight (8) people in your list.
List them out at the end of this post.

1. At what age did you marry? I married when i was 26 years old.

2. What color do you like most? I love teal, brown, and royal blue.

3. Have you ever shoplifted? Nope.

4. Where is the place that you want to go the most? Philippines

5. Which part of you that you hate the most? I am impatient and if my expectations will not be met, i can't hold my dissapointments!

6. Ever been in a physical fight? Hahahaha, yes, with my sister next to me when we were kids.

7. If you win 1 Million$ what would you do? I will help my poor siblings, travel the world, give some to the needy one's and save some on the bank as time deposits. I'll just gonna go relaxing...

8. What are you afraid to lose the most? My family and my loved ones.

9. What you loved the most last year (2007). I delivered a baby.

10. How do you cope up with boredom? Blogging, shopping and eating.

11. Till now, what is the moment you regret the most? By not being very protective with my sister and now she got pregnant !

12. Which type of person do you hate the most? Great Pretenders.

13. What is your ambition? Have a home in Canada.

14. If you had one wish, what would you wish for? I wish to just be healthy all the time.

15. It is already 2008, do you have a new year's resolution? To manage anger very well.

16. How did you celebrate New Year? I celebrate it with friends and relatives at home.

17. What do you look forward in 2008? Spend the summer in Canada with my relatives.

18. If your life is a song, what title would best fit in? uhmmm, am still thinking if there is?

19. What "special power" would you like to have? A power to just be young forever.hehehehe!

20. My question: What's your most important asset? My smiles.

Now, i wanna pass this tag to Prily, Lynn, Nita, Nova,Veniz, Virgie, Jana and Jona

I Signed Up for PPP!

2008-04-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

Blogging is a very thrilling to do, something that i am doing as a hobby, and just recently, i found out something : that i can get paid while doing it. Getting paid while blogging is more thrilling and appealing than ever before and is a very attractive leisure anyone can do. Let us face it : who does not need additional income? When all the prices are getting high and high everyday? To be practical, getting opportunity online through blogging is very helpful and enticing.

Thanks for the payperpost that i had been given this rare opportunity to get paid while blogging. I'm not yet one month doing this blogging thing and PPP approved me right away! Piece of cake, isn't it? What else? Doing this post allows me to get twenty dollars as incentives. Wow! They are so generous in giving me this welcome bonus! What a rare privilege! I can't wait to let you know how extremely thrilled i am and that i know that those of you who had been a part of PPP family, you are also happy how generous they are when giving payments for the opportunities that you can grab. For those who just started blogging, continue blogging and get paid doing it. For us who are now PPP posties, more power blogging!

Polygamy is Okay?

2008-04-17T05:20:00.000-07:00

I met many tribal chieftains who have five wives and many mistresses. Ask the royal family or the Sultans how many they got. hehehe! But, well, i suppose, it is accepted in their culture.

Yet, polygamy exists anywhere even in a civilized society, in a very acceptable way. For many, it is a status symbol, for some, it is a society that they preserved, behold, to be flourished till the end of time.

Take the case of this polygamous society in San Angelo,Texas near El Dorado. The polygamous sect lives peacefully, not until young girls reported to the authorities the lurid details of how they were subjected to sexual and physical abuse. These are young girls as young as 13. They were forced into "spiritual marriages" with older men. Investigators even said it was hard to determine who were the biological parents of children in a society where men had multiple wives.

More than 700 child welfare and law enforcement officials were involved in the operation, according to an affidavit filed at the courthouse in San Angelo in support of a state intervention to take custody of the children. The children were living at Yearning for Zion (YFZ) Ranch,a gated compound outside tiny El Dorado. The compound was built by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a sect that broke away from the Mormon Church after it banned polygamy in the 1930s.

The church's leader, Warren Jeffs, was convicted in Utah last year of being an accomplice to the rape of a teen forced to marry hercousin. Jeffs faces additonal charges in Arizona. Locals in El Dorado say townsfolk did not know much about the 1,700-acre compound. This compound is very private and isolated from the mainstream of society. But the late-night phone call of an abused 16 year old girl last March 29 triggered the massive raid of the compound last April 3 by law enforcement and child welfare officials, the affidavit said. It was find out that these young girls are taught to be completely subservient to their husbands and are indoctrinated with such a fear of the outside world that they rarely try to escape. So on occasions when they leave the compound, there is little concern that they will flee.

How strange, isn't it? But this is the reality. In the modern world, it is very difficult to know what is morally wrong and morally right. It is very easy determine what suppose is right and wrong, but how the people morally accepts what is morally wrong and what is morally right is what somehow matters the most.

Ask me if polygamy is okay? A BIG NO. But why is it happening? Because the society accepted it and many practiced it and most who practised it are the powerful and influential men(and even the ordinary men do!). Hence, the saying MEN ARE POLYGAMOUS IN NATURE.

Attuned to Atonement

2008-04-15T02:31:00.000-07:00

This is a movie, me and my husband had recently watched. It is moving, wicked, reflective, erotically charming and enduring. Atonement is the film adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel "Atonement" which was recently nominated for seven Golden Globe Awards including: Best Motion Picture (Drama), Best Actress (Keira Knightley),Best Actor (James McAvoy) , Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Saoirse Ronan),Best Director (Joe Wright), Best Screenplay (Christopher Hampton) and
Best Original Score (Dario Marianelli).

I fell inlove with the music so much. The plot is impressive and the setting of the most of the movie is interesting. Most of the parts of the movie was during the opening phases of the Second World War. There were lots of touching scenes and i leave it up to you to see ...

By the way, i really like Keira Knightley's gorgeous green outfit!

Heavenly Pizzas,Devilishly Good

2008-04-13T21:13:00.000-07:00

Ahhh,this Mexican style pizza made with fresh dough is making my mouth watery. My cousin in the UK had been telling me about this pizza place just a stone throw away from their home. She even sent me an email enumerating the other specialty, heavenly creations. Here's the list...

MIGHTY METEOR Spicy meatballs, american pepperoni, onions and a hint of tabasco sauce.
FIREBALL Topped with bbq sauce, american pepperoni, bbq chicken and jalapeno peppers.
MEXICAN American pepperoni, chorizo sausage, jaapeno peppers and optional corn chips.
NORTHERN DELIGHT Baked beans, sausage and onion.
CHICKEN PEKING BBQ chicken, red onion and hoi sensauce. Try this one and you'll be hooked! (I better not!hehehehe!).
PEPPERONI HEAVEN Pepperoni, pepperoni and more pepperoni! My husband would love this.
SUN GOD Ham, juicy chunks of pineapple topped off with extra cheese.
DOWN TO EARTH The vegetatian pizza - green peppers, mushrooms, onions and sweetcorn. I would love this a lot.
CLOUD 9 Chunks of chicken,mushrooms, onions and sweetcorn.
COSMOS A real meat feast!!! - bacon, chilli beef, american pepperoni and spiy sausage.
APOLLO American pepperoni, bbq chicken, onions and green peppers.
HELLS GATE Devilishly hot!!Ah, this is a scary name!hehehe! American pepperoni, chilli beef,green peppers and jalapeno peppers.
PISCEAN Mushrooms, onions, prawns, tuna and sweetcorn - anchovies (optional)
HEAVENLY BREAKFAST SPECIAL - The perfect hang-over cure!!Bacon, sausage, mushrooms and baked beans.
FITBA CRAZY The perfect partner to afew beers and watching the game!! Spicy meatballs, chorizo, pepperoni and chilli beef.
THE WEIRD ONE Mozzarella, black olives and anchovies. Why weird? One word - anchovies!!!
BBQ HEAVEN Special taste of summer - BBQ chicken, spicy sausage, spicy meatballsand sweetcorn drizzled with tangy BBQ sauce.
VEGETARIAN SPECIAL Mushrooms, red onions and mixed peppers. UHmmm,i'll also prefer this one.
TUNA AND BANANA Ahhhh, never heard this one yet and they exist there? oh, well, good for them! I would love to try this one day!

So, guys, what would you choose from the lots of options above?
For the meantime, i am getting hungry here and the Vegetarian pizza in Greenwich is very inviting. lalalala. Catch you later, guys!

Circle of Friends

2008-04-12T01:23:00.000-07:00

I wanna thank BB_Anne for this friendship tag for me. This is meant to build friendship around the globe. I'm passing this to cousins and friends Prily and Lynn.Hurry let's make friends.

No Pepperoni at Pizza Hut?

2008-04-11T22:55:00.000-07:00

Okay i know you wouldn't believe me. A pizza company who specializes in pizzas got no pepperoni? Yes, and probably this only happens in the Philippines. This experience does not happen to me once but many times. It happened again...
My husband loves pepperoni. I usually prefer vegetarian one(if that would compensate a little bit of the nutrition needed?)...And so, i went to the Pizza Hut in the SM Mall of Davao and lo, no pepperoni toppings available. Great! What is that? Oh well,what can i do? Order only the normal cheese ones after some bitching. lol.

I can't imagine food chains specializing in certain foods, products and services in the Philippines would run out of something that is main component of their businesses? We ordered in McDonald's before or in Jollibee, i encountered two or three times, no french fries? Unbelievable, isn't it? And you would believe me, one time McDonalds and Jollibee even run out ot softdrinks and icecubes. Lalalalala, i know, i know,ridiculous! What can i say?

All i can say is that sometimes quality service in my country sucks. It is hurting to know but it is. I can go on and on and on with my list and enumerating many things and really, some are unbelievable. And what can i do? Yes, give suggestions, talk to the manager, but still it will happen again, i guarantee you! Oh well, what can we do? Some of these companies are monopolizing certain services and commodities and if you complain,sometimes you're just talking to the wind. Whatever, as long as i laid out my point.

And now what? Oh well, be contented with the cheese de luxe toppings i guess.

Medical Program for us!

2008-04-09T17:53:00.000-07:00

Everything these days are expensive. From food, fuel, clothing,jewelries, education, entertainment and more importantly on healthcare. Because of the skyrocketing prices of healthcare, we want to make sure we are given the best quality care possible at the right price. Thanks goodness I found this site online that will cater to the health care sector. The name that we can trust is AmeriPlan®.

AmeriPlan® provides discount healthcare memberships that put the power in the hands of the patient and not the insurance companies. AmeriPlan® offers consumer driven health and discount dental programs. AmeriPlan® works by gaining agreements with a huge network of doctors, specialists, dentists, orthodontists, vision providers, pharmacists, and chiropractors. The providers in our network agree to price discounts for you, the patient. In return they gain access to our 1.4 million members, low cost marketing of their services, elimination of paperwork associated with insurance, and are paid in cash. This is why the program works, it is a win-win solution for everyone in this current situation of sky-rocketing health care costs.

To learn more a great deal about this medical program, click this link AmeriPlan® . It works for many of us, it will work for you. Give it a try!

10 Commandments for the Elderly--- Part II

2008-04-08T13:27:00.000-07:00

Hi, friends how are you today? Had you been recharging lately? I did and i feel good! We need it and draining our energy blogging without moderation is not good for our health.
Anyway, i am back for another 5 Commandments...uhmmm,i'm evaluating if i can also follow these...

6. Thou shalt maintain a good sense of humor and develop the ability to laugh at thyself and the incongruities of life, realizing that a merry heart does good like a medicine and stimulates the immune system. Cultivate a happy face; it is an instant facelift. Had u met somebody who always laughs and when you ask his name you can't believe that his older than you expected. I met many people older than their usual ages and i know they have very good sense of humor. I wanna be like them.

7. Thou shalt reminisce. Recall the good along with the bad, because this conributes to successful adjustment in the present, realizing that optimism is the oil of old age. We have many bad experiences in life and this is part of growing. From these bad moments, we learn and we moved on. I learn a great deal about extreme poverty because i experienced it. I had been criticized,ridiculed and maligned extremely. But i don't wanna be an indifferent people because of that. Life is beautiful and i wanna stay positive. There are negative moments but we should evaluate them and eventually eradicate them.

8. Thou shalt be realistic in thy expectations and learn to accept help graciously when it is offered. Remember that many cultures have over-emphasized independence at the expense of interdependence. We are not powerful, we need the help of others. When my cousin offered to help me how to blog, i accept it. It was a nice feeling. Life is always a give and take. No man is an island.

9. Thou shalt not isolate thyself from family and friends, but regularly initiate contact with people of all ages. Socializing not only stimulates the mind but helps to keep life in perspective; love and caring are the secrets of growing old gracefully. Oh,well i am happy i am not a recluse. I think i followed this No.9 Commandment very well!hehehe.

10. Thou shalt continually give thanks for munificent blessings, realizing that a grateful heart nourishes the bones and help to prevent discouragement, illness, and depression. This is very true--being grateful and contented with what you have will make you happy. If you expect too much but you can't get that expectation, you'll feel really bad and that feeling is not good. Better to count our blessing than the the miseries!

That's it, my friends. Let's follow those not-so-simple Commandments and let's grow old gracefully. Hehehe. It's not really easy but atleast we'll gonna try!

10 Commandments for the Elderly---Part I

2008-04-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

Aging is inevitable but aging gracefully is an option. I am contemplating on the write-up i encountered in Health and Home magazine and i wanna elaborate about it because this issue interests me. The fact is: ageing is a fact of life---a stage we all lead to. Here are some commandments on how to age gracefully...

1. Thou shalt preserve the body in the best possible condition---a brisk 30-minute walk everyday is a wonderful tonic. Oh well, i always do this before, i mean before this blogging thing.lol. I better think over my time schedule and so i can briskwalk again!

2. Thou shalt continue to increase thy knowledge, to anticipate retaining thy memory and to realize that temporary misplacement of stored facts occur at any age. This is very true...i believe i am still young but i am forgetful already! Gotta exercise my mind,too and be attentive to detail! This i hope i can do by reading a lot and probably surfing online a lot?lol.

3. Thou shalt regularly eat nutritious meals of natural, unprocessed foods --- eating slightly smaller portions and selecting foods with more care. Aim for a low-fat, low-salt, high-fiber, and chemical-alcohol-and-caffeine-free diet. This i cannot gurantee to eat small portions because if i like a certain food i will devour a large portion of it! Uhmm,i am thinking how to change this bad habit of mine! Probably not!

4. Thou shalt remember that characteristics developed during early years are simply magnified with age. Therefore, become now the kind of person thou art desirous of being. Meaning desiring to live a positive attitude because negativity really has bad
impact on our character. I will also strive on this one because sometimes i am negative also and i got angry so easily!lol.

5. Thou shalt preserve a good self-image and a healthy level of self-esteem, realizing that there is no substitute for the wisdom of experience. Sharing the gift of accumulated knowledge is a priceless legacy to succeeding generations. On other words,knowledge is power and education is a never-ending process. Knowledge is wealth that cannot be taken away but when shared it become multiplied and more than the double your money on the bank!

Here we go,my friends---the Part I of the Ten Commandments for the Elderly.
I will share the remaining five the next time. For the meantime, i am still pondering on the other five.

The Quiet Hero

2008-04-06T02:30:00.000-07:00

Who cares for an old tee shirt? I do care and my husband,too. Here i am posting these photos of my husband's old t-shirt...What's the importance? Here is a man who is a classic, a baseball legend, a fantastic speaker. He was both and we adored him. He is adored not only by thousands or millions of New York Yankee fans but more so of many million fans of other baseball teams. For our part, the Boston Red Sox.

The "luckiest man born on the face of the earth" , as his most popular speech revealed was born June 19,1903 by poor German parents who migrated to the US. Among 4 siblings, he was the only one who survived infancy. He grew up tall and muscular until fame opened his door and thus became the Iron Horse for his durability. He is most remembered as one of the most talented and most phenomenal baseball players of all time. Dubbed as "The Quiet Hero" because of his winning, kind-hearted and most humble attitude, he touched our lives and would be touching the lives of many younger generation.
He died at a very young age of 36 on the height of a fantasic career because of the disease called as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS), now commonly known in North America as Lou Gehrig's Disease.
Sportswriter Jim Murray once described the tall, strong Gehrig as a "Gibraltar in cleats." Gehrig's character lay somewhere between the average and the mythic. He was a dedicated athlete, a caring son and husband, an honest man and an American hero.
According to his wife, Eleanor that there was no strangeness, nothing spectacular about him. He was just a square,honest guy.
For us he is a hero. He lives in our hearts forever. And yes, definitely we'll be keeping this old tee shirt as long as we live.

Sister's Choice

2008-04-05T20:27:00.000-07:00

You can only do too little to somebody. Even if you think you had done too much, the decision lies within one's self...
My sister is 24 years old,inlove with a boyfriend who got no job, this guy impregnated him 2 years ago. Their baby boy died. Such a very tragic incident. As the eldest sister,i told my sister to move on and ask her what she wanna do. After the baby's death she wanted to work overseas. I helped her...She'd seen the world and came back to our country. Now,she still wanted to be together with her boyfriend. Of course, i don't support that decision nor my parents. I am a very practical person and i thought that this guy is not good for him. That there's somebody who is more deserving for her love and attention. She did listen for a while and said she wanted to work overseas again. Again, i gave the placement fee...When she's almost ready to go the unexpected news arrived---she's pregnant....and of course, she couldn't go...
I can only do too little for her. She's old enough to think wisely what's good for herself. I might be disappointed with her decision of living now to her boyfriend but i might as well accept that she is she and i cannot influence her in a way that i really wanted to. I feel sad with this situation, but disappointments happen in our lives. It happened to me before, happen to me now and there's only too little i can do. All i can do is wish her bestwishes...Take care,sister,wherever you are...

Friendliness and Waterlilies

2008-04-03T15:38:00.000-07:00

Begin the day with friendliness and only friends you'll find.
Yes,greet the day with happiness,keep happy thoughts in mind.

I love this saying from Frank B. Whitney. It does make the start of my day relaxing despite the bad things that happened yesterday with some negative people. I don't wanna talk about them but business people who just think about themselves,i try to forget about them and well, they just lose one valued client! So,anyway,beware of going to Kimsan Pawnshops in Davao. They're a pain in the ass! It's not my lose,it's theirs...
Hahaha!anyway,sorry about that! I better go back to my friendly post here.Today is a good day and i am hoping that today opens new door of opportunities for me and to others out there who are not having opprtunities at all yet!(just like me,we're not alone,my friends!).hahaha! Don't worry,my friends,days are like that,sometimes sunny,sometimes rainy...For those who are great bloggers there who are very helpful enough, thanks for doing so and for those who are selfish enough and would not even linked us who got no rank yet, oh well,who cares about you???
For the meantime,let's look at the water lilies. Aren't they lovely? What does they symbolize? According to poetry, tradition or usage, Water Lily symbolized Purity of the Heart. How wonderful!
To you my beloved friends,have a great day ahead!

My Home and my Blogging

2008-04-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

I am happy to share to you some photos of my home. It is situated in the Philippines and it took us 5 years of painstaking work before we can have this one. You know saving a lot and everything. My home has 5 bedrooms. It is two-storey. There is one big family room upstairs where we spend most of our time playing in the kiddie's area or spending time in front of the computer. Each room has its own toilet and bath. It has big kitchen and one spacious dirty kitchen outside. There's one little bar, comfy living room. I cannot ask for more. I'm just being contented. I am not an interior designer or whatever. I am just a simple homemaker who is doing the ordinary life's routines.
My parents live with me in my home. My siblings can come here anytime and spend time with us. Even my close friends and relatives are free to come.
Since i am new to this blogging thing, sometimes i may run out of words. I just wanna thank all of you in heartily welcoming me in the blogosphere and are very kind enough in adding me. Just in case i am not prompt enough in visiting your site,that means i am doing something in my home. Since i have no helpers, it will take a long time to do lots of household chores! So, if i'm not in the computer,i'm out and about.
Have a great day,my blogging friends!

Mini-Bar

2008-04-02T16:20:00.000-07:00

I love the colorful lightbulbs!

Baby Boy in the Pink Room

2008-04-02T16:15:00.000-07:00

Tricolors Vase

2008-04-02T04:05:00.000-07:00

I am loving this Chinese tricolors vase. I put in our living room.

Gabby's Back!!!!

2008-04-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that after 13 years of being a private person he'll gonna be back in the Philippines and kick butts again....hehehe...I mean active in showbiz again. He said that he's back because he wanted to see his illing dad. Ke must have many reasons why he decided so.
He was a hearthrob back on the 80's making around 60 movies. His face is one of the most recognizable faces and most bankable actors in the local industry. Married once to megastar Sharon Cuneta and a dad to KC Concepcion, Filipinos are getting gaga over him again. He is now the front page of many magazines celebrity and lifestyle magazines again. Even the radios and televisions featured him in their celebrity gossip news. He really captured the hearts of the Filipino masses.
What i like with what he said during his interview last Sunday with Boy Abunda was the virtue about humility. He said that living in the US humbled him. Back in the US, he started from scratch again with no maids, no alalays or "assistants" and i'm sure he learnt a lot from it. That is good experience for him!
Oh well,goodluck to you,Gabby and welcome back to our country! Filipinos love you and will support you. I know how you feel,"There's no place like home!"