Manga is a Japanese word that means comics and cartoons in print. Manga is so popular worldwide that even I am familiar with the different Japanese manga. Why? Because my son is a big manga or anime fan. I sometimes watch the Bleach manga series with him. The Bleach manga series is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. Its leading protagonist is Ichigo Kurosaki whose name means “First Guardian” or “He who protects.”
If I were Bleach a manga character I would chose "The Wise One". I like the implication of the name: a sage; a sensible person; intelligent. For manga fans, Bleach the Movie is coming to select theaters nationwide for two nights only - June 11 and 12. Click the link above for info on where to get the tickets and view the movie.
Test for Dementia
Here are four ( 4) questions and a bonus question.
You have to answer them instantly.
You can't take your time, answer all of them immediately .
OK? Let's find out just how clever you really are....
Ready? GO!!!
Here are four ( 4) questions and a bonus question.
You have to answer them instantly.
You can't take your time, answer all of them immediately .
OK? Let's find out just how clever you really are....
Ready? GO!!!
First Question:
You are participating in a race. You overtake the second person. What position are you in?
Answer: If you answered that you are first, then you are
absolutely wrong! If you overtake the second person and you take his place, you are second!
Try not to screw up next time.
Now answer the second question,
but don't take as much time as you took for the first question, OK?
Second Question:
If you overtake the last person, then you are...?
(scroll down)
Answer: If you answered that you are second to last, then you are wrong again. Tell me, how can you overtake the LAST Person?
You're not very good at this, are you?
Third Question:
V ery tricky arithmetic! Note: This must be done in your head only.
Do NOT use paper and pencil or a calculator. Try it.
Take 1000 and add 40 to it. Now add another 1000 . Now add 30 .
Add another 1000 . Now add 20 . Now add another 1000
Now add 10 . What is the total?
Scroll down for answer.....
Did you get 5000?
The correct answer is actually 4100.
If you don't believe it, check it with a calculator!
Today is definitely not your day, is it?
Maybe you'll get the last question right....
....Maybe.
Fourth Question:
Mary's father has five daughters: 1. Nana, 2. Nene, 3. Nini,
4. Nono. What is the name of the fifth daughter?
Did you Answer Nunu?
NO! Of course it isn't.
Her name is Mary. Read the question again!
Okay, now the bonus round:
A mute person goes into a shop and wants to buy a toothbrush. By
imitating the action of brushing his teeth he successfully
expresses himself to the shopkeeper and! the purchase is
done.
Next, a blind man comes into the shop who wants to buy a pair of
sunglasses; how does HE indicate what he wants?
He just has to open his mouth and ask...
It's really very simple.... Like you!
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Who has not heard of Dockers? My husband plays golf and the brand is his favorite. He said it is comfy enough to play in yet stylish enough to pass the strict dress code of golfers. It is one of the leading brands in today's comfy-yet-classy line of pants. One time, my husband’s tee-off time was at 6:00 am. Wearing his favorite Dockers he was set to finish at 12 noon. Delays came up and he was able to finish his play around 2:30 pm. He had another appointment at 4:00 pm that day. Since he was running late, all he did was freshen up and change his shirt before he went to his other appointment. He was looking all businesslike and suave. Dockers saved the day. Got a interesting tale to tell about your favorite pants?
There is a Dockers contest in the offing. Dockers is sponsoring a TV commercial contest to be aired in Jay Leno's Tonight Show. Joining is a breeze. If you are at least 18 years old and a legal resident of the United States you are eligible to join the contest. The topic or theme of your 30-minute video is an original-modern-uplifting Dockers advertisement. Use innovative ideas in your entries for the chance to win the Make Your Own Dockers Commercial contest. There will only be one grand prize winner and the winning entry will be shown on the June 13, 2008 Tonight Show. Make your video original, creative and spanking riveting. The Dockers contest started April 29 and will end on June 06. However the deadline for submission of entries will be on May 29. Join the Dockers contest!
Hurry now. Start visualizing your clip then do it!
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I admit that the fastfoods from Beijing are a little bit too much for me. I am not very adventurous when it comes to food. One should also consider the country of origin on gauging certain food tolerance or affinity. What maybe yucky for me (a Filipina) might not be yucky to citizens of other nations. Eating exotic food takes a courageous spirit and a high tolerance to the yuck! factor. I don't even eat balot. I used to but when I was old enough to know exactly what balot is, I stopped eating it. What is balot? Well, balot is a Filipino delicacy of nine-day-old fertilized duck egg that is cooked like hard-boiled egg.
A large percentage of Filipinos eat balut. In my household, my hubby is the only one who eats the whole thing: embryo et al! Okay, some non-Pinoys might find that eating balot is a task right-off Fear Factor! To take your mind off the lowly Pinoy balot, take a look at another fastfood from Beijing. Don't blame me. I too was just browsing.
balut picture
Getting old is a fact of life. There is just no way to get around it. Whatever you do; Whatever you say; No matter how much surgical procedures you go through; No matter how many vitamins, hormones and estrogen you take; No matter how many skin peeling you suffer... you, yes you.. will still get old and wrinkly and wobbly.
The fountain of youth is non existent but here's what you should know and do to beat looking old....
Dang! Now I forgot what I was gonna tell ya.
Being Filipino means familiarity with street foods. What are street foods ?, you might ask. Street foods are, as the name implies, foods that are vended on the street, by the street, off the street. In the list are fishball, kwek-kwek (quail eggs dipped in flour then fried), barbeque ( all parts of pig or fowl), etc. I can go on and on but that is for another blog article. Anyway, Filipino street foods are boring compared to what is being sold and eaten in the streets of Beijing. Go on, have a look at the picture.
silk worms, cicadas and black scorpions and dung beetles smorgasbord
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Back in my elementary days, we were taught to get under desks, tables, beds or whatever sturdy furniture is available, in case of earthquakes. Boy!, were we taught wrong! Hiding under a heavy furniture is the worst thing that we can do in case of earthquakes. A study done by Doug Copp, Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI) points out the following correct safety measures:
1) Most everyone who simply "ducks and covers" WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE are crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are crushed.
2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position. You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct. You can survive in a smaller void. Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it.
3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake. If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created. Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries but less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.
4) If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed. Hotels can achieve a much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor, next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.
5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a sofa, or large chair.
6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be killed!
7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different "moment of frequency" (they swing separately from the main part of the building). The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads - horribly mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs. The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even when the rest of the building is not damaged.
8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible - It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.
9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they had been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that had columns fall directly across them.
10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.
Spread the word!
Students of my generation depended on typewriters to present and finish term papers, research works and theses. Oh, we were mean machines in typing as we cannot afford to make much mistakes for there was no way to erase such with precision and some semblance of tidiness. Computers meant cabinet-sized-machines with 2-inch-diameter cables plugged into wall sockets the size of small platters. How lucky are we now? The nano technology pioneered by my generation paved the way to technologies way beyond our imagination.
To type a report, all one has to do is turn on the highly compact-top-of-the-line laptop and fire away. Mistakes in typing is unheard of as backspace literally means, go back and erase the mistake. There are no more excuses for a poorly presented paper. The softwares available for word documents are just awesome. The technology of printing out your work in black and white, gray scale or colored has long been perfected. With five kids doing school works, typing researches and term papers and printing out their works and graphics, my family consumes a lot of printer ink cartridges . Sometimes, the ink runs out and that spells trouble. I find it tedious to shop for ink cartridges. More often than not, the ink cartridge that I desperately need is out of stock.
What good is technology if you can't make the most of it? There's an online site where you can order canon ink cartridges in a jiffy. Pacific Ink offers over 200 brands of ink cartridges and here I am thinking epson ink cartridges and dell printer cartridges are the only other two brands. Pacific Ink sells 70% less than regular than the regular rates of printer manufacturers. The site boosts of easy online order, door-to-door delivery and hassle-free return policy. Click any of the above links before you ran out of ink. You can order now.
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To type a report, all one has to do is turn on the highly compact-top-of-the-line laptop and fire away. Mistakes in typing is unheard of as backspace literally means, go back and erase the mistake. There are no more excuses for a poorly presented paper. The softwares available for word documents are just awesome. The technology of printing out your work in black and white, gray scale or colored has long been perfected. With five kids doing school works, typing researches and term papers and printing out their works and graphics, my family consumes a lot of printer ink cartridges . Sometimes, the ink runs out and that spells trouble. I find it tedious to shop for ink cartridges. More often than not, the ink cartridge that I desperately need is out of stock.
What good is technology if you can't make the most of it? There's an online site where you can order canon ink cartridges in a jiffy. Pacific Ink offers over 200 brands of ink cartridges and here I am thinking epson ink cartridges and dell printer cartridges are the only other two brands. Pacific Ink sells 70% less than regular than the regular rates of printer manufacturers. The site boosts of easy online order, door-to-door delivery and hassle-free return policy. Click any of the above links before you ran out of ink. You can order now.I am a Michael Jordan fan. So be it!
But when I saw this video,
I can't help but admire Kobe Bryant and
laugh at those crazy Jackass crew.
Indeed. Kobe flies!
But when I saw this video,
I can't help but admire Kobe Bryant and
laugh at those crazy Jackass crew.
Indeed. Kobe flies!
Stress is a part of our lives. Show me a person with nary a stress and I'll show an unfeeling, unemotional one. Stress is highly manageable though. I resort to prayers, meditation and talks with relevant people and blog, to destress. I also (as most of the female-population-worldwide-do) turn to comfort foods. We've coined the food we love best - translated to FAT-tening - as comfort food. My comfort foods are: blueberry cheesecake, SPAM lathered in tomato ketchup, chocolate cake and banana split. I know!- all grossly high cholesterol-calorie-laden food! These foods might soothe frayed nerves temporarily but will ultimately make us feel worse.
Sugar's initial rush will fade making blood's sugar level go down triggering the stress hormones. Worry not at real comfort foods do exist.
Avocado: Loaded with vitamin B that is depleted due to stress. This creamy fruit's fat is good fat.
Mixed Nuts: An ounce will do. Nuts are full of vitamins B, E and zinc that are stress-depleted. Buy the ones in shells. Cracking the shell will release tension too.
Oranges: Vitamin C lowers cortisol and blood pressure. Go peel an orange. The break will soothe you too.
Chai Tea: Tea ceremonies have been done in ancient times as a prelude to important decision making time or where sensitive matters are to be discussed. There's nothing to beat a hot-soothing-tea to calm your nerves.
Asparagus: This veggie is full of folic acid, a natural mood lightener.
Dark Chocolate: If you feel the need for chocolate, get the dark one. There's nothing remotely stress-relieving ingredient in it, but what the heck, it tastes good. If the antioxidants in the chocolate might help fight cancer, surely there might something in it to fight stress too - even if it's only-in-your-mind.
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Sugar's initial rush will fade making blood's sugar level go down triggering the stress hormones. Worry not at real comfort foods do exist.
Avocado: Loaded with vitamin B that is depleted due to stress. This creamy fruit's fat is good fat.
Mixed Nuts: An ounce will do. Nuts are full of vitamins B, E and zinc that are stress-depleted. Buy the ones in shells. Cracking the shell will release tension too.
Oranges: Vitamin C lowers cortisol and blood pressure. Go peel an orange. The break will soothe you too.
Chai Tea: Tea ceremonies have been done in ancient times as a prelude to important decision making time or where sensitive matters are to be discussed. There's nothing to beat a hot-soothing-tea to calm your nerves.
Asparagus: This veggie is full of folic acid, a natural mood lightener.
Dark Chocolate: If you feel the need for chocolate, get the dark one. There's nothing remotely stress-relieving ingredient in it, but what the heck, it tastes good. If the antioxidants in the chocolate might help fight cancer, surely there might something in it to fight stress too - even if it's only-in-your-mind.
My head is going to burst anytime now. I have so many thoughts, problems (real, surreal, unreal)zig-zagging through the ever-narrowing corridors of my mind.. I feel like exploding. What am I to do? One thing. Do the tag. Thanks Liza for the tag.
Participants: Tere-Blessing in Life 2.Yen- Me and Mine 3.Aggie - Pink and Brown Diaries. 4. Mich - Random Thoughts 5. Vannie - FunFierceFab 6. Jane - My Charmed Life. 7. Abie – Women Xplore 8. Jody - In This Game of Life 9. Eds – Just Me. 10. something purple 11.vanity kit 12. em's detour 13. mind bubbles 14. In Demand Opinions 15. Sweet Lullaby 16. MJ's Hurrah17. Buzzing Around 18. Tasteful Voyage 19. A Mom's Note 20. moms..... check nyo 21. Manna from Heaven 22. And Life Goes On for a Filipino Mom
1. What do you want for your birthday?
Nothing, as I want a laptop now!
2. Who will be your next kiss?
Ethan, most probably.
3. When was the last time you went to the mall?
Yesterday
4. Are you wearing socks right now?
What?! It's freaking hot!
5. How did you spend your summer?
Staring blankly (sometimes typing) at the cpu monitor.
6. Have you been to the cinema in the last 5 days?
Nope!
7. What was the last thing you had to drink?
Super duper black coffee
8. What are you wearing right now?
shorts and shirt
9. What was your last purchase?
Diet coke
10. What was the last food you ate?
Hopia
11. Who would be the person you would call if you were up in the middle of the night and couldn’t sleep?
Nobody. I'd be intruding and ruining other people's sleep.
12. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week?
Yup, but not mine
13. Do you have a pet?
Yup, rocky the lab and logan the rott
14. What made you laugh in the last 5 days?
Ethan while asking for something said " please....pretty please with ice cream on top..."
15. If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?
At a sidewalk cafe in Paris, drinking coffee.
16. What is the last thing you purchased online?
None.
17. One thing you hate about yourself?
My very short fuse for stupidity and incompetence.
18. Do you miss anyone?
No. But I do miss some things I used to do.
19. What are your plans for the day?
Done already.
20. Last person you msg’d?
My son.
21. Ever went to a camp?
No.
22. Are you a good student in school?
I was a good student academics wise but I was also a fun-loving-let's get-drunk-at shakey's-
skip-class-watch-a-movie type.
23. What do you know about the (your) future?
I will eat dinner and sleep tonight.
24. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne?
Nope.
25. Where is/are your best friend/s right now?
One is in the Philippines, the other in the US.
I am tagging: Daily Happy Thoughts*Loving Tweety*My Daily Ramblings*Pink Posh*Sweet Bites*
Arte Y Pico Award
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. Make sure you visit the link above.
Now I give this award to:Can of Thoughts*Dandelions & Daydreams*Loving Tweety*MJ's Hurrah*Steve and Emz Journey*
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With five children actively downloading music on their MP3s or just simply burning songs for CDs or DVDs, I am either paying a lot on monthly membership for music download sites or I am guilty of illegal music downloading. Never mind which one I am. All I can say is there is great news for all MP3 users.
Get Free Music From MPFree.com. Yes. Free. No strings attached as in giving your credit card information. Now you can choose from over 750,000 original songs sang by its original artists, current or oldies. The service is totally free and the downloading, legal. Join MPFree.com. Register and be a member. As a member you can complete offers by MPFree.com and its partner site. There are hundreds of offers to choose from like: completing surveys, joining sweepstakes and trying new products . For every offer that you complete there is one free music download for you. There are a lot of prizes at stake too like: Apple IPod and XM or Sirius satellite radio. Cool! Click the link above to check it out now.
somebody is thinking of you.
somebody is caring about you.
somebody misses you.
somebody wants to talk to you.
somebody wants to be with you.
somebody hopes you aren't in trouble.
somebody is thankful for the support you have provided.
somebody wants to hold your hand.
somebody hopes everything turns out all right.
somebody wants you to be happy.
somebody wants you to find him/her.
somebody is celebrating your successes.
somebody wants to give you a gift.
somebody thinks that you ARE a gift.
somebody loves you.
somebody admires your strength.
somebody is thinking of you and smiling.
somebody wants to be your shoulder to cry on.
check this out: two angels
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somebody is caring about you.
somebody misses you.
somebody wants to talk to you.
somebody wants to be with you.
somebody hopes you aren't in trouble.
somebody is thankful for the support you have provided.
somebody wants to hold your hand.
somebody hopes everything turns out all right.
somebody wants you to be happy.
somebody wants you to find him/her.
somebody is celebrating your successes.
somebody wants to give you a gift.
somebody thinks that you ARE a gift.
somebody loves you.
somebody admires your strength.
somebody is thinking of you and smiling.
somebody wants to be your shoulder to cry on.
check this out: two angels
It has been my practice to pray and meditate daily. I find it uplifting and comforting to have a one-way conversation with God. I rant and rage; seek for forgiveness; give praise and thanksgiving; asks for help in my prayers. At times, I feel the need to hear words of comfort from other disciples of God.
There is a site where I can literally and figuratively hear the words of God. The site calls on pastors and ministers to upload sermons to share to the cyber community. PreacherTV is a new site where the good news can be shared and spread on the internet. With a few clicks you can watch sermons online if you feel the need for comfort and assurance. Spread the good news. Check out PreacherTV.com.
There is a site where I can literally and figuratively hear the words of God. The site calls on pastors and ministers to upload sermons to share to the cyber community. PreacherTV is a new site where the good news can be shared and spread on the internet. With a few clicks you can watch sermons online if you feel the need for comfort and assurance. Spread the good news. Check out PreacherTV.com.
You see him in the soccer field - arguing loudly with the coach
that his son should play forward.
You see her in the classroom, during parent-teacher-orientation,
arguing with the teacher regarding her daughter's grade.
You see him at basketball games or practice-
forcibly making his son do that crucial shot.
that his son should play forward.
You see her in the classroom, during parent-teacher-orientation,
arguing with the teacher regarding her daughter's grade.
You see him at basketball games or practice-
forcibly making his son do that crucial shot.
You see her huddled in front of the computer
editing her son's essay. (ouch!)
You see them everywhere: Stage Parents
Why?- Because parents today are going to extremes - determined to do anything to make a better life for their children - a perfect childhood for their children. Afraid that their children will make mistakes, most parents today simply refuse to let their children develop at their own paces. They push too hard in terms of academics, sports and the arts.
Oh, my two-and-half-year old son can read phonetically.
Ah!, my three-year old daughter can do double digits addition.
I enrolled my 5 year old daughter in ballet and jazz. I just hope it does not conflict with her piano lessons.
Too much too soon . Your kids might be burned out even before even reaching middle school. I have a few tested-suggestions.
Take a real interest in your kids' lives- do not let them be extensions of yourselves. Let them develop at their own pace. Guide them but do not strangle them. Listen to what they have to say. Be firm, not hard, in handling your kids.Teach them good values and morals for their moral compass. Let them climb the ladder of life - but make sure you're right behind them ready to catch them less they fall. Read More
I was staggered to learn that in the USA alone a reported 5,935,000 vehicular accidents were recorded in 2006. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that 42,642 Americans died in traffic in 2006. The leading causes of these accidents and casualties were drunk driving, car trouble and unsafe driving practices. Of course everyone knows that driving under the influence of alcohol is dangerous and wrong. We also know that regular car maintenance is a must. Bad driving habits can also cause car accidents.
Do you use your cellphone while driving? Do you fidget with the CD player or car radio incessantly? Do you actively engage in conversation whiled driving? Do you follow traffic signs and observe speed limits? Distractions can cause road accidents but if you realize your mistakes and correct them - you might not be a bad driver after all.
One of the benefits of being a good driver - no string of traffic tickets, no reported car accidents - aside from safety and long life, is that the premium on car insurance is basically low. Car insurance is never cheap and most pay more for not knowing the rules of the game. Do you have the right policy for your car? Car Insurance Rates provides free auto insurance quote online. The site is a minefield of information regarding insurance rates, provides a varied listing of insurance companies, offers a general guide on insurance policies and more. Click the above link for more information. This may be your best insurance policy yet.
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Do you use your cellphone while driving? Do you fidget with the CD player or car radio incessantly? Do you actively engage in conversation whiled driving? Do you follow traffic signs and observe speed limits? Distractions can cause road accidents but if you realize your mistakes and correct them - you might not be a bad driver after all.
One of the benefits of being a good driver - no string of traffic tickets, no reported car accidents - aside from safety and long life, is that the premium on car insurance is basically low. Car insurance is never cheap and most pay more for not knowing the rules of the game. Do you have the right policy for your car? Car Insurance Rates provides free auto insurance quote online. The site is a minefield of information regarding insurance rates, provides a varied listing of insurance companies, offers a general guide on insurance policies and more. Click the above link for more information. This may be your best insurance policy yet.
My son's mizuno pair of rubber shoes will kill you... I mean its odor is simply murderous! It has always been his habit that after training or a game, he always, as in always take off his stinky shoes in the car. I always tell him, as in emphatically- Do not take off your shoes! Your smelly feet will be the death of me. Not wanting to be orphaned at a very young age, my son promised to spare me from the stench. We made a pact, no blood involved.
He is to take a shower after every training or game before he gets in my car. If a shower is not possible or if there's no time for one, he could: first- take off his shoes while still in the gym, alcohol his feet then wear his slippers; or his feet remain in his shoes until safely reaching our house.
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He is to take a shower after every training or game before he gets in my car. If a shower is not possible or if there's no time for one, he could: first- take off his shoes while still in the gym, alcohol his feet then wear his slippers; or his feet remain in his shoes until safely reaching our house.
A visualization of my son's smelly shoes
( it's okay. he does not read my blog)
( it's okay. he does not read my blog)
Foreign Exchange is the true term for what we commonly know as Forex Market or Forex Trading. Forex market is a non-stop cash market where currencies of different countries are traded. It is the largest financial market in the world and the trading is usually done by experienced brokers or middleman. Foreign notes are continually bought and sold all over the local and global markets. Since the forex underline conditions changes at any time, the traders' investments increase or decrease in value based upon currency movements.
The trading includes those of central banks, large international banks, financial institutions, multinationals, governments and private investors or speculators. The investor's goal in forex trading is to profit, of course. The market is a 24/7 5 times a week job that entails a lot form an investor, big or small scale alike. An online company eToro had designed a software platform for easy online forex trading. With eToro an investor can basically monitor, share and discuss your trading online.
The platform has two new arenas: Trade Box is for the seasoned trader and the Forex Trend arena will enable traders to see the ongoing trend of currencies. You can also socialize with fellow traders as the platform has a profile area - social and trading network rolled into one.The platform is free to download. Just click the link so may learn more about eToro.
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The platform has two new arenas: Trade Box is for the seasoned trader and the Forex Trend arena will enable traders to see the ongoing trend of currencies. You can also socialize with fellow traders as the platform has a profile area - social and trading network rolled into one.The platform is free to download. Just click the link so may learn more about eToro.
DAVID COOK is the new American Idol. I just knew he will bag the title. Simon practically declared David Archuleta as the winner on last night's three-song showdown of the two Davids. Was that a reverse psychology ploy of Simon? I was just wondering because earlier yesterday, Cowell told the American public who were watching the Ellen DeGeneres show, that Cook will win.
I feel real bad for Archuleta. I think he was sort of expecting to win the title after Simon Cowell's spill last night. Anyway, David A. has all the time to reach peak for he's only 17! David Cook deserved the win. It has been a while since we last saw a real relevant-talented-innovative male singer rise from American Idol. David Cook is the answer.
I was surprised to find out that one of my friends transferred house. I found out about it by accident. We were talking over the mobile phone one day and I said since I was in the vicinity it's better that I drop by. She said no and that she'll just meet me at a certain fast food joint near by. So off I went and waited for her. We met and as our meal progressed she told me that she and her family have relocated. I was really surprised, for her old house was a real find.
Sadly she said that their mortgage had gone awry and their house repossessed. She said the mortgage rates were just too high and that they just can't keep up with the payments. She realized too late that her mortgage loan was not a good deal.
Mortgages should not be a burden for homeowners. Lenders such as credit unions, banks and mortgage companies should take care that their clients get the best value in terms of their loans. It is hard to find the lender with the best deal. Mortgage Finders Network is one such company that helps homeowners find the top lenders and the best mortgage rates for you. Check it out for a chance to compare loan rates and financing options from different lending companies in your area. Read More
I was out all day today. I had to do some errands and fetch two of my kids. I was sitting at a local outdoor cafe having lunch by myself when two men came and sat down at my table..... I gave them the death look, but they just casually stayed at my table and wouldn't leave me alone. I shined up my ring on my married finger, then placed my hand on the table and I hinted to them that I was married and that I was not interested in them.
Luckily for me they got the hint and left, but thankfully the whole thing was captured on the Cafe's camera. I'm sending you this picture as a warning.............. just in case they try and pick you up too.
Honestly, some men think they are God's gift to mankind.
I love flowers. I like them so much that I have an outdoor garden full of flowering shrubs and orchids. I have always felt that in interior decorating, vases and pots of flowers and plants add an extra it to the finished room. The flowers and plants all bring more life and warmth and a homey feel to any interior. Alas, fresh flowers and plants are hard to maintain as they need tender loving care in terms of sunlight, water and fertilizers.
I have recently designed a house that has niches at the ceiling and high walls for indoor plants. Since i know that fresh plants and flowers will not thrive indoors, I have suggested to the owner that we use artificial silk plants. The owner was hesitant at first but when I showed her that I also use silk plants for my house, she readily agreed. Her artificial interior flower decors look so natural.
There are a lot of plus points in choosing silk plants. The variety of arrangements and types of flowers and plants to chose from is diverse. If you are the flowery-type person, then there are geraniums, roses, gardenias and daisies in different arrangement styles to choose from. If you're into topiaries and bonsai, the site offers them too. Trees and plants up to 9 feet tall are also available. Cool!
Thinking of having a very green house sans the pollens and running nose? Silk plants are the answer. Plan ahead. You can order your silk Christmas tree now.
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I have recently designed a house that has niches at the ceiling and high walls for indoor plants. Since i know that fresh plants and flowers will not thrive indoors, I have suggested to the owner that we use artificial silk plants. The owner was hesitant at first but when I showed her that I also use silk plants for my house, she readily agreed. Her artificial interior flower decors look so natural.
There are a lot of plus points in choosing silk plants. The variety of arrangements and types of flowers and plants to chose from is diverse. If you are the flowery-type person, then there are geraniums, roses, gardenias and daisies in different arrangement styles to choose from. If you're into topiaries and bonsai, the site offers them too. Trees and plants up to 9 feet tall are also available. Cool!
Thinking of having a very green house sans the pollens and running nose? Silk plants are the answer. Plan ahead. You can order your silk Christmas tree now.
As a mother of five, you can just imagine how many times I must have encountered emergencies. No. I am not in the mood to count those situations for I do not want to recall how many times I silently died. Yes. I died each emergency time then miraculously bounced back to life after 2 seconds. My mom, relatives and friends say that I am such a cool cucumber in times of stress and emergencies. That's what they think. I AM NOT A COOL CUCUMBER! I am petrified. I hyperventilate. I die!
The thing is even in times of undue stress, I do manage to present a cool exterior. My secret? Um... because I am a vociferous reader. I have read up on emergency procedures as early as I was 3 months pregnant with my first child. I have more or less learned to deal with panic attacks. Here are some pointers you can use to check your panic mode.
1.Learn CPR and first aid: Having first-aid skills makes you do useful actions instead of panic.
2. Grow you brain: Meaning, please use you brain - read, study, write, solve puzzles or any other activity to stimulate tour brain. The hippocampus, the part of the brain which calls up life experiences to moderate fear, shrinks.
3. Imagine the worst: Plan A. Plan B. Even Plan C or D. Yesterday my daughters and some friends we were talking about how to repel a rapist. One idea was to tell the rapist that she i having her monthly period. Another one said, pretend to vomit and say you have to use the bathroom. Tell the rapist you have AIDS. Silly as the ideas may be, at least there's a plan.
4. Practice makes perfect: I have played over and over in my mind what to do in case my kid shallows an object and start to gag. I have visualized perfectly countless times. When daughter # 3 shallowed a key chain at the age of 1.5 years, I knew where to grab her to completely turn her upside down- whack her back - and dislodge the keychain from her throat. When daughter #4's turn came, it was a breeze.
5. SAP 100: Stop. Assess. Plan at 100 meters. Keep away from wild animals, maniacs, fire, car wrecks and the likes until you have decided the most useful and plausible strategy.
6. Determine risks versus benefits. Do you get in the burning house now or do you wait for help? Do you try to save the drowning person and risk drowning yourself too? The key is never endanger more people than can be saved.
7. Prioritise: Professional use this standard: red for critically injured people; yellow for moderately injured people; green for good to go. If there is tie\me for rescue, rescuers will definitely take the reds first. If time is crucial and there's not a second to spare, the rescuers take the green.
The best remedy I have in times of great panic and emergencies is prayer. My best rescue buddy is of course, God.
Father's Day is just around the corner. It is a day that honors not only your father but all men who has acted as your father - uncles, stepfathers, even big brothers. It is easy enough to be a father but to be a daddy in the real sense of the word is hard. Charter HD recognizes this and has put up an essay writing contest named Father's Day in HD to give you the chance to win big prizes for your dad.
We all think we have the world's greatest dad. Now is your chance to show your dad your gratitude. Write a brief story as to why your dad deserves to win a giant HDTV wiht the best Charter HD service. The first prize also includes a free one year Charter Bundle package. Joining is a breeze. If you are 18 years old and above and is a legal US resident, then you are qualified. However, your dad's location should be serviceable by Charter Communications.The contest opened on May 19,2008 and deadline for submission of entries is on June 6, 2008 at 11:59 pm.
There is only one grand prize winner but four other finalists will be chosen. Hurry and check the site out. Click on the above link for more details.
Touching on the subject of baby boomers again, I got this rather humorous e-mail from a high school classmate. As I read it, I become more aware that yeah!, the things written here are true. Have a read.
First, some of us survived being born to mothers who smoked
and/or drank while they carried us. (sioktong ang inumin)
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, fish from a can
(brand : ligo ), and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright
colored lead-based paints, pati na yung laruang kabayu-kabayuhan.
(toy horses included)
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinetsand when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, no kneepads , sometimes wala ngang preno yung bisikleta. (sometimes no brakes too)
As children, we would ride in car with no seat belts or air bags
- hanggang ngayon naman, di ba ? (still being done)
Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a
special treat. ( maykaya kayo pare ! )
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle
(minsan straight from the faucet)
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and
NO ONE actually died from this. Or contacted hepatitis.
We ate rice with tinunaw na purico ( dahil ubos na ang star
margarine) , nutribuns na galing kay macoy and drank popdrinks
with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight kasi nga ......( overall, eating fat-laded food, but we were not overweight because...)
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as
we were back when the streetlights came on. Sarap mag patintero,
tumbang preso , habulan taguan....(street games)
No one was able to reach us all day ( di uso ang celfon , walang
beepers ). And we were O.K. (no cellphones or pagers)
We would spend hours building our trolleys or slides out of
scraps and then ride down the street , only to find out we
forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to
solve the problem .
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video
games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no
surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or
Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found
them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there
were no lawsuits from these accidents. The only rubbing we get is from
our friends with the words.....masakit ba ? pero pag galit yung
kalaro mo.....ang sasabihin sa iyo.....beh buti nga !
We play in the dirt , wash our hands a little and ate with our
barehands...we were not afraid of getting worms in our stomachs.
We have to live with homemade guns - gawa sa kahoy, tinali ng
rubberband , sumpit , tirador at kung ano ano pa na puedeng
makasakit.....pero walang nagrereklamo.
......made up games with sticks ( syatong ) and cans ( tumbang preso)
and although we were told it would happen, wala naman tayong
binulag o napatay....paminsan minsan may nabubukulan.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the
door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!
Mini basketball teams had tryouts and not everyone made the
team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.
Walang sumasama ang loob. NO stage mothers!
Ang magulang ay nandoon lang para tignan kung ayos lang ang
bata....hindi para makialam. ( parents were there to watch not to meddle)
This generation of ours has produced some of the best
risk-takers, problem solvers and managers ever!
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new
ideas
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we
learned
HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! Congrats baby boomer!
DepositNow offers a new kind of banking system. The company's product is remote check deposit scheme that allows you to deposit your checks from your home or from your office. You are saved the trouble of going to the back for deposits making the system more secure for the you.
How does this technology works? It's quite simple actually. The system calls for a check scanner that is easily available from the company at a very low price. The check scanner also works as a regular scanner. All you have to do is feed the check in the scanner and the system will do the job. DepositNow offers three kinds of software system that you can choose from - whatever will best suit your needs. The company offers the following:
Web-Based: You scan your check while connected to the internet then sign in their website so the system software can process your check deposit.Offline Mode: You scan your checks while offline. Then you sign in and upload your scans so the system can do the rest.
Quickbooks or Peachtree: The same as the offline mode but has the added feature of upgrading your financial record.
Each type of account has its own advantages. The remote deposit system of DepositNow is the best in the US today. Anyone in the US can use it. If you are a small scale businessman or a medium scale retailer with numerous store branches US wide, then the system is for you.
For more information it would do you well to click on the above links. Consider the savings on gas you could have with the wonders of remote deposit banking.
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Baby Boomers. I sincerely hope that you have heard the term. In case you have not, Baby Boomers were the generation born between 1946-1964. After WW2, there came an unusual spike in birth rate worldwide-a phenomenon commonly known as the baby boom.I am a baby boomer, a tweener, to be more precise. A tweener is the generation who were kids in the 60's and teeners in the 70's.
I gave birth to two generation xs or gen-exers (1964-1981) or the MTV generation. I have three Y Generation (1981-2001) kids and a Z Generation grandson. What generation do you belong to? I am assuming most of you reading this post belong to the X and Y generations. These are the two generations who grew up with video games, MTV and the phenomenal rise of communication: internet, cellular phone, MP3, Ipod and what have you! These are tools, however, are not so alien to an even older generation than mine - the silent generation (1925-1945) - the Xs and Ys grandparents and the boomers' parents. I know a lot persons who are silent gen'rs and they are still into internet, Ipod and texting. Matter of fact, the silent generation are retired and basking in their hard-earned money and pensions!
So, do I have a reader who belongs to the silent generation? Read More
That is, less pain. According to a research done in Howard Florey Institute in Australia, thirsty people are more sensitive to pain. Study participants had their thumbs squeezed to urge slight pain. Then a saline solution was injected to induce thirst. The subjects all had a PET scan to see if there were any changes in brain activity and blood flow.The thumb pressure subjected to the participant was constant. However, they continue to become thirstier. As the level of their electrolyte went down, the more pain they felt.Why? The study indicated that a part of the brain is activated when pain and thirst are experienced simultaneously. A "priority" switch of some sort is triggered and pain is more emphasized because it is a greater threat than thirst.
Water: no calories, natural pain reliever!
What is web hosting? To get your web page on the internet you need a web host. A web host is a company that has computers or servers hooked to the internet on a 24/7 basis. These servers, with assigned IP addresses, are where you, the site owner, store all your web files of all forms: html, css, graphic, and javascript.
There are cheap web hosting services and there are expensive ones. Cheap does not translate to poor web hosting services as expensive does not necessarily means a great web host. Having just bought a new domain name, I am naturally considering the next logical step of transferring my web page to an independent web hosting company.
In my search for a good web hosting company I stumbled on a site with articles regarding multiple domain hosting. As I have two blog sites, this article naturally caught my attention. The site is a minefield of information regarding web hosting. It touches on subjects from how to gauge the best web hosting companies to tutorials to scripting to security.
If you are seriously considering getting a web hosting service check out the Web Hosting Rating first.
To all Pinoys out there. I know that you have, at some point in your third-world life here in 'Pinas, you have seen some funny-grammatically incorrect-impossible signboards. Here are some of of my favorites. Please feel free to contribute at the comments section so I could publish them.
Seen along Cavite Coastal Road: furniture shop
Furnitures made by palochina
Along Naga Road: eatery
Homed Pansit
Near Imus Public Market:laundry shop
Labadabadooo
On a bus:
Before pay, tell where get on before the get off
Along Aguinaldo Hiway, Cavite: seller of crispy pata
Harry Pata
Seen at a public market flower stall:
We sell artificial but fresh flowers.
Name of a bank somewhere in Alabang:
Alabank
Furnitures made by palochina
Along Naga Road: eatery
Homed Pansit
Near Imus Public Market:laundry shop
Labadabadooo
On a bus:
Before pay, tell where get on before the get off
Along Aguinaldo Hiway, Cavite: seller of crispy pata
Harry Pata
Seen at a public market flower stall:
We sell artificial but fresh flowers.
Name of a bank somewhere in Alabang:
Alabank
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When you stop chasing your dreams.
Let me clarify my meaning of dreams.
I do not mean the castle in the sky dream.
I also do not mean hallucinations nor delusions.
What I mean by dreams in this case are your
aspirations, goals, ambitions or hope.
So don't ever think of stopping!
Go and chase your dreams.
It is never ever too late.
Let me clarify my meaning of dreams.
I do not mean the castle in the sky dream.
I also do not mean hallucinations nor delusions.
What I mean by dreams in this case are your
aspirations, goals, ambitions or hope.
So don't ever think of stopping!
Go and chase your dreams.
It is never ever too late.
This story happened a few months ago along the
Tagaytay Road. There was a guy who got left behind by
a pack of mountain bikers. The group was large and he
didn't bring a cellphone. He crashed his bike somewhere
between Picnic Grove and DBP. To make things worse,
a storm came in. So he walked.
This guy was on the side of the road hitch-hiking on a
very dark night in the middle of a storm. The night
passed slowly and no cars went by. The storm was so
strong he could hardly see a few meters ahead of him.
Suddenly, just before the junction going to Manila , he
saw a car slowly looming, ghostlike, out of the gloom.
It slowly crept toward him and stopped. It was raining
hard, wind blowing all around you, what would you do?
Like you would, he got into the car and closed the door,
then realized that there was nobody inside the car...
even in the driver's seat.
The car slowly started moving again. The guy was
terrified, too scared to think of jumping out and running.
The guy saw that the car was slowly approaching a
sharp curve. The guy started to pray, begging for his life;
he was sure the ghost car would go off the road and he
would plunge to his death, when just before the curve, a
hand appeared through the window and turned the
steering wheel, guiding the car safely around the bend.
Terrified, the guy watched the hand reappear every time
they reached a curve. Finally, the guy gathered his wits
and leaped from the car and ran to the nearest place
where there were houses.
Wet and in shock, he went into a store and voice
quavering, ordered two bottles of beer, and told the
people about his horrible, supernatural experience. A
silence enveloped everybody when they realized the guy
was apparently sane and not drunk.
About half an hour later two guys walked into the same
store
One said to the other..........
"Yan! Yan yung tarantadong sumakay habang
nagtutulak tayo..." (That's him! That's the fool who
got in the car while we were pushing it!)
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Tagaytay Road. There was a guy who got left behind by
a pack of mountain bikers. The group was large and he
didn't bring a cellphone. He crashed his bike somewhere
between Picnic Grove and DBP. To make things worse,
a storm came in. So he walked.
This guy was on the side of the road hitch-hiking on a
very dark night in the middle of a storm. The night
passed slowly and no cars went by. The storm was so
strong he could hardly see a few meters ahead of him.
Suddenly, just before the junction going to Manila , he
saw a car slowly looming, ghostlike, out of the gloom.
It slowly crept toward him and stopped. It was raining
hard, wind blowing all around you, what would you do?
Like you would, he got into the car and closed the door,
then realized that there was nobody inside the car...
even in the driver's seat.
The car slowly started moving again. The guy was
terrified, too scared to think of jumping out and running.
The guy saw that the car was slowly approaching a
sharp curve. The guy started to pray, begging for his life;
he was sure the ghost car would go off the road and he
would plunge to his death, when just before the curve, a
hand appeared through the window and turned the
steering wheel, guiding the car safely around the bend.
Terrified, the guy watched the hand reappear every time
they reached a curve. Finally, the guy gathered his wits
and leaped from the car and ran to the nearest place
where there were houses.
Wet and in shock, he went into a store and voice
quavering, ordered two bottles of beer, and told the
people about his horrible, supernatural experience. A
silence enveloped everybody when they realized the guy
was apparently sane and not drunk.
About half an hour later two guys walked into the same
store
One said to the other..........
"Yan! Yan yung tarantadong sumakay habang
nagtutulak tayo..." (That's him! That's the fool who
got in the car while we were pushing it!)
Got this tag from Shimumsy.
Rule #1: Copy all the links below and replace a single link under the appropriate letter of the alphabet. If your domain name, or even the title of your blog, starts with an “A,” you’d replace the link under that letter and put the replaced link at the bottom. Also, don’t forget to credit the tagger, or where you got the list from, at the end of the list with a full URL of the post so that a pingback gets generated.
A. And Life Goes On
B. BERRYSCRAPPY.com
C. Confessions of a Supermodel Wannabe
D. Different Faces of Me
E. everythingandanythingblog.com
F. forumfinder.net
G. GeekMomMashup.com
H. happykeg.com
I. I am blogger-happy.
J. joanjoyce.com/blog
K. keyboardmonologues.blogspot.com
L. lifeinlenses.blogspot.com
M. Me, Myself + 2
N. notjustmama.net
O. originalmx5.net
P. peapodsquadstuff.com
Q. qweddings.com
R. Republic of A
S. Shower of Manna from Heaven
T. The Simple Life of a Baghag
U. utada-online.net
V. vanity kit
W. working it
X. xaviermedia.com
Y. yimto.com
Z. zbudapest.com
Rule #2: You now have to “tag” at least five people and encourage them to participate. Remember, though, that not everyone is into these kinds of things, so don’t be upset if they don’t participate. Just simply replace your tag. Remember to tag blogs only and no pornographic ones as we do want to keep the integrity as a blogging community.
I am tagging anyone who cares to get tagged.
Because you're late for work or for your kid's soccer game. You blame and curse your luck and envy those who you perceive are in the fast lane. On the other hand, if you are in the fast lane - believe me, there is always a fast lane and almost always I'm not there - and you are not stressed as in late for any appointment, you barely notice that you are in the fast lane.
You hardly notice those poor drivers and commuters in the slow lane, fuming, cursing and on the verge of heart failures and high blood pressure attacks. If you have not observed it, when you are enjoying smooth sailing or having a string of good luck, you barely complain much less, notice. Once you hit one bad spot or lady luck turns her back on you for just a second, everything from there on seems to be running downhill. Right?
We complain. Lament. Protest. Whine. Why is the other lane moving faster than my lane?
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You hardly notice those poor drivers and commuters in the slow lane, fuming, cursing and on the verge of heart failures and high blood pressure attacks. If you have not observed it, when you are enjoying smooth sailing or having a string of good luck, you barely complain much less, notice. Once you hit one bad spot or lady luck turns her back on you for just a second, everything from there on seems to be running downhill. Right?
We complain. Lament. Protest. Whine. Why is the other lane moving faster than my lane?
Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet
is fighting some kind of battle.
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is fighting some kind of battle.
Admit it! Life is not perfect! No matter how much we pretend and put up our happy faces, deep down, problems abound. Are you one of those who is perpetually happy no matter what? Are you the type who mops and sniffs and falls apart? Are you one of those who mops, sniffs, falls apart then bounces back?
Right now, I just want to curl up and die. Life is hard. It is so hard and sometimes seems unfair that you question the validity of your faith. You ask: Why?; Why me; Again?; Give me a break , please!I am not wavering on my beliefs though. I just need a time-out. In times like these, it is good to count your blessings.
Right now, I just want to curl up and die. Life is hard. It is so hard and sometimes seems unfair that you question the validity of your faith. You ask: Why?; Why me; Again?; Give me a break , please!I am not wavering on my beliefs though. I just need a time-out. In times like these, it is good to count your blessings.
A sharp tongue can cut my own throat.
If I want my dreams to come true, I mustn't oversleep.
Of all the things I wear, my expression is the most important.
The best vitamin for making friends..... B1.
The happiness of my life depends on the quality of my thoughts.
The heaviest thing I can carry is a grudge.
One thing I can give and still keep...is my word.
I lie the loudest when I lie to myself.
If I lack the courage to start, I have already finished.
One thing I can't recycle is wasted time.
Ideas won't work unless ' I ' do.
My mind is like a parachute...it functions only when open.
The 10 commandments are not a multiple choice.
The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime! It is never too late to become what I might have been.
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If I want my dreams to come true, I mustn't oversleep.
Of all the things I wear, my expression is the most important.
The best vitamin for making friends..... B1.
The happiness of my life depends on the quality of my thoughts.
The heaviest thing I can carry is a grudge.
One thing I can give and still keep...is my word.
I lie the loudest when I lie to myself.
If I lack the courage to start, I have already finished.
One thing I can't recycle is wasted time.
Ideas won't work unless ' I ' do.
My mind is like a parachute...it functions only when open.
The 10 commandments are not a multiple choice.
The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime! It is never too late to become what I might have been.
The California Supreme Court took a complete turn-about and has ruled equal opportunities to members of the third sex. Simply put, the ban on gay marriages is now lifted in the state of California. The judges believe that all residents of the great state should be treated equally, legally, getting married included.
In line with this, Ellen DeGeneres, 50, has announced on her May 16 show that she and partner Portia de Rossi, 35, will tie the knot in June this year. According to sources ‘Portia demanded that Ellen marry her.’ and this was right after the Oscars. There's talk that Ellen and Portia are really into a big-grand-wedding.
What can I say? I like Ellen. She is simple, down to earth and funny. I like Portia for she is pretty and is quite a talented actress. But something is not right. Last I read and heard, God created Eve for Adam and not for Agnes.
Do you find it hard saying I'm sorry to a person you offended or hurt or to whom you have done a great injustice? I do and I know I am not one of the few who do find asking for forgiveness hard. There are millions out there who do too. Oh it's easy enough to say sorry for petty little things like: bumping into someone, being late for an appointment, losing your friend's ballpoint pen, stepping into somebody else's feet...
What is hard is saying sorry that is parallel with I made a mistake in my judgment or opinion of you and now I am admitting my mistake- or - Sorry I made a bad investment and I lost all your money. Yes! It is so hard to say I am sorry for it is a sure sign that almost-perfect you are a human who is capable of creating errors. Being egoists, humans do not want to admit that they do commit mistakes and apologizing is part of the small cycle.Having said that, and hopefully convinced you that it is indeed hard to say I am sorry like you mean it, how do you say you're sorry?
Next time try whooops!!
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What is hard is saying sorry that is parallel with I made a mistake in my judgment or opinion of you and now I am admitting my mistake- or - Sorry I made a bad investment and I lost all your money. Yes! It is so hard to say I am sorry for it is a sure sign that almost-perfect you are a human who is capable of creating errors. Being egoists, humans do not want to admit that they do commit mistakes and apologizing is part of the small cycle.Having said that, and hopefully convinced you that it is indeed hard to say I am sorry like you mean it, how do you say you're sorry?
Next time try whooops!!
Graffiti : (used with a plural verb
) markings, as initials, slogans, or drawings, written, spray-painted, or sketched on a sidewalk, wall of a building or public restroom, or the like.Graffitist caught in action at Gram's Diner.
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Ethan and my three daughters are back from their vacation. I was late in picking them up at the airport. It was way past lunch time and the boy was mighty hungry and cranky.I was expecting him to greet me with much gusto like mom! i missed you or something.All the fat boy said was Can we go to McDonald's now? I'm so hungry!
Here are some more pictures of Ethan.
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I love scary films. I just love the feeling of being scared to death: the screaming and the cowering and covering the eyes with both hands but actually peeping so as not to miss any scene. I anticipate the silent but erratic thudding of my heart then finally coming to terms that what I'm watching is just a movie and that everything will be fine in the end. Well, that's the usual predictable ending of scary movies anyway. However, an unrated horror movie that has been showing at selected cinemas in the US starting May 9 is proving to be different.
If you want to see what I mean, view the trailer of the Horror movie that is making such a buzz. Be ready for downright blood and gore. I was riveted and wanted more when I watched the trailer. Majority of unrated movies fail to make it to the cinemas for viewing. Since May 9, 2008, Frontier(s) has been showing in Los Angeles, Austin, New York, Boston, Denver, Phoenix, Detroit, Seattle, and Philadelphia. DVDs were out on sale May 13, 2008 at leading DVD shops nationwide.
If you want to see what I mean, view the trailer of the Horror movie that is making such a buzz. Be ready for downright blood and gore. I was riveted and wanted more when I watched the trailer. Majority of unrated movies fail to make it to the cinemas for viewing. Since May 9, 2008, Frontier(s) has been showing in Los Angeles, Austin, New York, Boston, Denver, Phoenix, Detroit, Seattle, and Philadelphia. DVDs were out on sale May 13, 2008 at leading DVD shops nationwide.
I was intrigued by some controversy surrounding the film. I quote and unquote one critic:
I just have to get that DVD now!
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It's goodbye Syesha Mercado.
The two-part Battle of the two Davids will take place next Tuesday. I have written in my April 17 post that American Idol 7 will be a final showdown between David Archueta and David Cook.
The top three sang three songs each: a song chosen by the one of the judges, a song chosen by the contestant and a song chosen by the producer. David Archuleta was just just okay for me as I did not like this personal choice of With You.. Cook was superb as attested by Simon who commented that David Cook won the round. Syesha sang fine but I can see that she is not cut to be a pop nor R&B nor country singer. She belongs on the stage. Broadway perhaps?
The top three sang three songs each: a song chosen by the one of the judges, a song chosen by the contestant and a song chosen by the producer. David Archuleta was just just okay for me as I did not like this personal choice of With You.. Cook was superb as attested by Simon who commented that David Cook won the round. Syesha sang fine but I can see that she is not cut to be a pop nor R&B nor country singer. She belongs on the stage. Broadway perhaps?
I can't wait till next Tuesday.
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I was in UP this afternoon. I saw Coach J and we started talking. He asked me if I felt the earthquake this morning around 6:00. No, I did not. Was there one? He said he thought he was just hallucinating what with the 7.9 magnitude quake that hit China the other day until the guard hailed him and asked if he felt the quake.
We were still talking when we received text messages stating that according to the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 will hit Luzon, Philippines at 6:00 pm May 14, 2007. Added to the message was for the receiver of the message to please take care and forward the message.
The first thing that came to my mind was is an earthquake predictable now? Back when I was a student, my high school physics teacher said that no instrument that could predict an earthquake has been invented yet. Since my schooldays were eons ago, maybe such instrument has now been invented, patented and put to good use. I looked at my watch. It was 6:15pm. Has the predicted earthquake passed? Tick.Tock.Tick.Tock. The clock struck 8:00 pm. Still no earthquake. I went home with my son.
Upon arriving, I immediately turned on my desktop to browse U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program. There was no link or page that has something to do with the predicted earthquake in particular or earthquake prediction in general. I saw links on recent earthquake incidents. I did not know that there are hundreds of earthquakes that happen worldwide on a daily basis. As I continue to look for the prediction post a thought hit me. If earthquakes can be predicted as to the exact time, date and location, why was China not warned?
Simple. My high school physics teacher is still right.
The circulated warning was based on the early morning earthquake that occurred in 16.461°N, 122.273°E, Luzon, Philippines at 5:48 AM! Talk about irresponsible people!
Kids just say the cutest and sometimes, the wisest things! One day, Ethan was lying to his teeth! I was asking him if he ate the chocolate in the fridge because it was missing. He said an emphatic NO! while his teeth still has some chocolate stain. I told him that lying is bad and that he should not do it. He looked me straight in the eye and said: I don't lie. I just tell jokes.
Here are some more priceless quotes compiled by Judith Frost Stark in her book Don't Cross the Bridge Before..... You Pay the Toll.
A miss is as good as a....... MR.
No news is..... IMPOSSIBLE.
Laugh and the whole world laughs with you. Cry and.....YOU HAVE TO BLOW YOUR NOSE.
A penny saved is ....NOT TOO MUCH.
He who marries for money.... BETTER BE NICE TO HIS WIFE.
It's always darkest before..... DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME.
If at first you don't succeed....GET NEW BATTERIES.
Still waters.... WILL GET YOU NOWHERE.
When the blind leadeth the blind.... GET OUT OF THEIR WAY.
Kids! We can't do without them!
Diamonds are a girl's best friend. Whoever coined the phrase knows what he is talking about. If I were to choose what I prefer for a gift, I would definitely say diamond rings please. My obsession with the thought led me to a site that offers quality jewelries.
The site is not your regular sales pitch site. It actually offers tutorials on the different aspects of diamonds. There are over 15,000 photographs that are for viewing and choosing. A client can actually choose and design her own ring. I clicked on the link in 30 seconds flat I was able to design my engagement ring. A couple of more clicks and I was prompted for the final details of the purchase. The site is tight on security that it is safe to order your fine jewelry online. A bonus for the client is the free-shipping and 30-day returns of a purchase with a lifetime guaranty. Cool! Go check it out.
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I read that bloodletting can actually save a stroke victim. We are quite aware that bloodletting, referred to in modern medicine as phlebotomy, was a popular medical practice since time immemorial up until the late 19th century. Bloodletting involves the withdrawal of often considerable quantities of blood from a patient in the belief that this would cure or prevent a great many illnesses and diseases.
A Mr. Liu of Fung-Gaap College in Tai-Chung is endorsing bloodletting for stroke victims. He said pricking the 10 fingers and letting out blood (pea-sized amount) will actually reduce the risk of burst capillaries due to pressure of the blood. He also said, that if the victim's mouth is crooked, pinching the ears till they turn red then pricking the lobes to let out blood will actually do good. He claims that this is 100% reliable since he has tried it. Here is his story:
I learned about letting blood to save life from Chinese traditional doctor Ha Bu-Ting who lives in Sun-Juke. Furthermore, I had practical experience with it. Therefore I can say this method is 100% effective.
In 1979, I was teaching in Fung-Gaap College in Tai-Chung. One afternoon I was teaching class when another teacher came running to my class room and said in panting, "Mr. Liu, come quick, our supervisor has had a stroke!" I immediately went to the 3rd floor. When I saw our supervisor, Mr.Chen Fu-Tien, his color was off, his speech was slurred, his mouth was crooked-all the symptoms of a stroke.
I immediately asked one of the practicum students to go to the pharmacy outside the school to buy a syringe, which I used to prick Mr. Chen's 10 fingers tips. When all 10 fingers were bleeding (each with a pea-sized drop of blood), after a few minutes, Mr. Chen's face regained its color and his eyes' spirit returned, too. But his mouth was still crooked. So I pulled on his ears to fill them with blood. When his ears became red, I pricked his right earlobe twice to let out 2 drops of blood. When both earlobes had two drops of blood each, a miracle happened. Within 3-5 minutes the shape of his mouth returned to normal and his speech became clear. We let him rest for a while and have a cup of hot tea, then we helped him go down the stairs, drove him to Wei-Wah Hospital. He rested one night and was released the next day to return to school to teach. Everything worked normally. There were no ill after-effects. On the other hand, the usual stroke victim usually suffers irreparable bursting of the brain capillaries on the way to the hospital. As a result, these victims never recover.
According to a medical magazine I read, bloodletting, historically speaking, may have been used to reduce the pressure of blood by reducing the volume of blood due to an absence of any form of treatment. I could liken it to letting off air from an over-pumped tire so as to prevent it from bursting. The medical article said that the historical use of bloodletting has been harmful to the patient. If you ask me, I think there is no harm in pricking the 10 digits of a suspected stoke victim. Just make sure that the needle is sterilized for wouldn't it be of great irony if the victim survives a stroke but is diagnosed with tetanus instead?
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A Mr. Liu of Fung-Gaap College in Tai-Chung is endorsing bloodletting for stroke victims. He said pricking the 10 fingers and letting out blood (pea-sized amount) will actually reduce the risk of burst capillaries due to pressure of the blood. He also said, that if the victim's mouth is crooked, pinching the ears till they turn red then pricking the lobes to let out blood will actually do good. He claims that this is 100% reliable since he has tried it. Here is his story:
I learned about letting blood to save life from Chinese traditional doctor Ha Bu-Ting who lives in Sun-Juke. Furthermore, I had practical experience with it. Therefore I can say this method is 100% effective.
In 1979, I was teaching in Fung-Gaap College in Tai-Chung. One afternoon I was teaching class when another teacher came running to my class room and said in panting, "Mr. Liu, come quick, our supervisor has had a stroke!" I immediately went to the 3rd floor. When I saw our supervisor, Mr.Chen Fu-Tien, his color was off, his speech was slurred, his mouth was crooked-all the symptoms of a stroke.
I immediately asked one of the practicum students to go to the pharmacy outside the school to buy a syringe, which I used to prick Mr. Chen's 10 fingers tips. When all 10 fingers were bleeding (each with a pea-sized drop of blood), after a few minutes, Mr. Chen's face regained its color and his eyes' spirit returned, too. But his mouth was still crooked. So I pulled on his ears to fill them with blood. When his ears became red, I pricked his right earlobe twice to let out 2 drops of blood. When both earlobes had two drops of blood each, a miracle happened. Within 3-5 minutes the shape of his mouth returned to normal and his speech became clear. We let him rest for a while and have a cup of hot tea, then we helped him go down the stairs, drove him to Wei-Wah Hospital. He rested one night and was released the next day to return to school to teach. Everything worked normally. There were no ill after-effects. On the other hand, the usual stroke victim usually suffers irreparable bursting of the brain capillaries on the way to the hospital. As a result, these victims never recover.
According to a medical magazine I read, bloodletting, historically speaking, may have been used to reduce the pressure of blood by reducing the volume of blood due to an absence of any form of treatment. I could liken it to letting off air from an over-pumped tire so as to prevent it from bursting. The medical article said that the historical use of bloodletting has been harmful to the patient. If you ask me, I think there is no harm in pricking the 10 digits of a suspected stoke victim. Just make sure that the needle is sterilized for wouldn't it be of great irony if the victim survives a stroke but is diagnosed with tetanus instead?
I was tagged by Renz
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. Have fun.
TRANSLATION:
A - ka -----G - ji -----M - rin -----S - ari----- Y - fu
B - tu -----H - ri -----N - to ------T - chi -----Z - zi
C - mi----- I - ki -----O - mo -----U - do
D - te----- J - zu -----P - no ------V - ru
E - ku-----K - me ----Q - ke ------W - mei
F - lu-----L - ta ------R - shi ------X - na
1. Renz- Shikutona (waaaahh...sounds like KUTO!)
2 . Lena - Takuxka (wadda?? takot ka?!)
I will not tag anyone. However, if you want to spell out your name in Japanese,
feel free to copy /paste.
The picture on the left has nothing, whatsoever, to do with the content of this post. I just felt like uploading it. This was taken infront of the Iron Man poster at Mall of Asia. No. I was not legless. I was jumping for 'joy'.Today I am officially 'maid-less'. My two maids and an extra went home for 'vacation'. How I envy them. They can just pack their bags, make a salary advance (without interest, of course) and go home for a spell of relaxation. I cannot remember the last time I had a complete-restful vacation. My vacations were just extensions of my daily routine more tiring at that since the routines were done in unfamiiar places. Double boohoo for me if the vacations were spent in places accessible by airplanes only.
Anway, the house is quiet enough. My three other daughters and Ethan are now lolling in the white sands of one of the islands in Visayas.. The ones who are not in vacation are hubby, 4th daughter-doing her on-the-job-training, and only son -in the middle of a league. Before I log off and cry, ooopppss..I mean log of and sleep, let me just say that I am not actually feeling lonesome but I actually miss Ethan's chatter. Oh well.
Friends, forgive me if I can't do the tags you sent me. I'll get to them once I have adjusted to my new routine as a housemaid-laundrywoman-driver-cook-gardener-etc. Sigh! Read More
Thank you Kerslyn for the greeting card.
To all great mommies out there, let me share this poem.
To all great mommies out there, let me share this poem.
A mother's love is consistent and patient, it will never fade.
A mother's love is warm and compassionate, even in the shade.
A mother's love will always help you through the weakest hours.
A mother's love is always like a bouquet of flowers.
A mother's love is strong and will never steer you wrong.
A true mother's love is beautiful in many ways.
A true mother's love is sincere and it takes a mother's love to conquer our fears.
A true mother's love knows the depth of love.
A true mother's love is contentment, just like God's love.
A mother's love is absolutely all of the above.
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I woke up earlier than usual today for it was my turn to drive daughter# 3- the dentist- to her duty. Going to the hospital was a breeze but coming back was not. It is the town fiesta tomorrow in my adopted-third-world-town in Cavite so traffic snarls were expected. I greeted Ethan when I got back and gave him some crinkles that I bought in Becky's Kitchen. I proceeded to the basement and turned on my desktop.Mom! I can't open the door to your bedroom. Something clicked and now the doorknob is loose! It won't budge! daughter # 2 - the teacher- said. Ethan is inside and can't get out.
Huh!? Again!? For the nth time, that doorknob has been replaced. My bedroom gets the most traffic in our house. Everybody wants to hang out in my bedroom. Watch TV. Sleep on my bed. Eat. Talk. Rant. Rave. Exercise. Do make-overs. Anything. Everything.
Ethan! I've told you millions of times to stop banging and slamming my door. I shouted as I walked or rather galloped towards my bedroom.
But mom, I didn't do anything, countered Ethan. The teacher and I tried to open the door. We used keys, screw drivers, credit card (expired) to try to open the jammed door. Nothing. Okay. Think. I asked one of the maids to get the ladder so I can climb by the window and try to pry it open- bad idea as the French window is barrel bolted. No harm trying.
It is good that my house is a split-level type and my bedroom is just about 8 steps elevated from the ground. As I climbed the ladder, the three maids and daughter #2 were all gawking at me. Right. You might ask why daughter #2 did not climb the ladder herself. She was all dressed up and was about to leave when the incident happened. I can't let her dirty her clothes.
Ethan, get your chair and come by the window. Step on the chair and try to slide the bolt of the window to your right. Of course I lost about a pint of blood explaining what the heck is a bolt, how it looks like and how to align all parts so it might slide freely and finally unlock.
What mom? Ethan is 5 and can't even get near the window much less understand or execute my instructions. Again. I tapped the window and indicated that he lift the blinds -which as you can probably see in the picture, is now broken- and curtains so he can reach the window bolt. Yes! He was able to reach the bolt. Now, slide the bolt to your right as I indicated with my hand where his right is. It's not working mom. Oh shoot! Slide the bolt to your left! He did, finally, and I opened the window from the outside.
Problem 2. The window has grills but I was able to unlock it. The problem was the grills swing in the bedroom to open which is impossible to do since half of the TV was blocking the window.The TV was heavy and Ethan can't possibly budge it. I got down from the ladder to call my foreman.
Mom?!
What!?
I really have to poo! Great!
Daughter #2 rushed back praying that the door might finally open. Miraculously, it did!
Lessons learned:
for Ethan: do not bang or slam the door.
for daughter#2: miracles do happen in the most tight situations
for me: do not buy that particular brand of doorknob ever again. Read More
To all Great Mommies
"God could not be everywhere and therefore
He made mothers."
He made mothers."
Jewish proverb
regards.com free ecards - click here to send this free e-card
To my mommy online buddies, please get your e-cards.
Analyn Kikay*Brown Pinay*Butchay’s World*
Can of Thoughts*
Carlson Clan*
CC’s Lifestyle*Fil-Oz Blog*
Filipina in Hawaii*
Filipino in Canada*Gwen*
Hip Mama Blog*Just Me Eds*
Kimchiland*Lalaine's World*
Life's Lessons*
Life is Mysterious*
Life Spices*Momhood Moments*
Mommy Allehs*
Mommy's Gibbles*
Mommy's Little Corner*New Wife Blog*
Ms. PinkBiik*
My Daily Ramblings*My Online Journal*
My Small World*Pinay Mega Mom*
Pinay Mommy Online*
Pinay Smile Journey*Saves:My Simple Life*
Reminiscence*Steve and Emz Journey*
Sunshine Norm*A Blessed Life*Irresistable Fascination*
Korean Food*Life is Mysterious*My Not So Private Life*Outback Pinay*
PinayWahm*Republic of A*
Sheng'sThoughts*SimplyMama*Sweet Bites*Uncomplicated*A Fil-Am Journey*
Venus*
My mother was not a SAHM or a WAHM. She was busy practicing her profession (she is a dentist) and running her textile business in Divisoria. I was left mostly to the care of maids-from-hell. From an early age, I learned to fend for myself. I remember going to kindergaten class simply by walking. I was five years old.
As I look back, I am actually appalled at the seemingly uncaring way of my mother. There were many times that I had to eat at my aunt's place for lunch. Dinner was always late. I had to buy my own project materials for mother does not have the time. I can't remember where I got the money for there was no allowance until I was 12 years old.
I was 12 years old when I entered high school. My school was in Manila, about an hour and fifteen minute travel from my hometown of Taytay. In the morning, papa took me to school en route to his clinic. In the afternoon, I had to commute. In my 4th yr, mama decided to put me in a dorm.
I was given so much responsibility and worries at a very early age. I had to learn how to commute, cook, trade and basically take care of myself. When I entered college, I enrolled myself. There was no mama or papa to help me. In my last year of college, it was usual for me to arrive home at 10pm or sometimes 11pm. The main road connecting Taytay-Cainta-Rosario to Manila was being cemented and traffic was horrendous. Many nights I slept without dinner for I was so tired from school and commute.
I graduated. Looked for a job. Got married. Started a family. Put up a practice. Encountered problems: physical; spiritual;financial; marital. Brushes with in-laws. Got saddled with problems and anxiety of rearing five children. Suddenly I got it. I understood why my mother acted that way when my brother and I were growing up
She had no choice.She was having problems of her own then. In her own way, she manged to mold me into the person that I am today. I became the opposite of who she was and I am thankful.Today, my mother is my best friend. She has turned into a very loving and caring grandmother to my children
Happy Mothers' Day Mama!
Do they look alike or what?
On the left is Jason Castro.
On the right is one of my daughter's friend.
Last night's theme was Rock 'N Roll. Rock and Roll started in the early 50's the indeed the song choices were vast and varied. David Cook's first song was a 1982 Duran Duran song Hungry like the Wolf. His second choice was a classic 1970's song Baba O'Riley. Syesha did Proud Mary to which Simon commented that it was a cheap imitation of Tina Turner. Randy did not like Syesha's rendition of A Change is Gonna Come and she cried.Clever girl. She got sympathy votes for the raw display of emotion.
David Archueta's winning songs were Stand by Me and Love Me Tender. The two songs were caressed to perfection. Dear old Simon said that David crushed the competition.
So, finally, we say goodbye to Jason Castro. He sang I Shoot the Sheriff ala Bob Marley but, really, far from it. His second song was Mr. Tambourine Man, a classic by Bob Dylan, in which, during the first few bars, Jason forgot the lyrics. Simon bluntly told Jason to "please pack your bags". He did!
Bye Jason. I will not miss your singing but I will definitely miss your smiley-face.
Girlfriends! Mommies! Set May 30,2008 your day-off. If you have small babies and kids, book someone to babysit on this day! Carrie Bradshaw is coming to town!
Sex and the City fans were left wondering if Carrie and Mr. Big will eventually tie the knot when the series ended in 2004. I guess Sex and the City THE MOVIE will conclude according to what most fans want: Carrie marrying Mr. Big. But as I scrutinize the movie poster, doesn't Carrie looked worried?
In episode 94, we finally learned Mr. Big's name; John. The closing scene of the last episode showed Carrie on the phone talking to Mr. Big. Mr. Big was actually telling Carrie that his Napa property is finally sold and hinted that he'll be moving back to New York.
The last episode showed Miranda happily married with Steve. Charlotte and husband Harry were about to adopt an Asian baby.Samantha in remission from her breast cancer was still in love with Smith. How ironic that in real life, Miranda, or rather Cynthia Nixon is the one in remission.
Anyway, I can't wait for May 30! I am so excited and so are my girls. My son will probably stay home and watch over Ethan. Oh, did I mention that Ethan and daughters 1,3, and 4 watched Iron Man again? Pathetic!
Summer is fast approaching in the Northern Hemisphere. It is that time of the year when vacations are planned. Information is gathered as to the best hotels and airlines to book. It has been the practice of majority of travelers to book accommodations in well-known chain hotels. If you ask me, I prefer the smaller-homey bed and breakfast type of accommodations or the smaller private hotels where service is more personalized.
A visit to Italy would not be complete without visiting the romantic city of Venice. To experience the gondola ride is definitely very romantic. The gondola has been the means of transportation in Venice. Although water-taxis are now used for main transportation in Venice, there are still a few hundreds of gondolas still for hire for tourists. There are more than 50 highly modern yet architecturally challenging personalized and small hotels in Venice. Most hotels listed in Hotel Venice are just a few steps from the water-taxi and gondola ranks. That is indeed, convenient.
Being an architect, it has always been my dream to travel to Italy to see its architectural and artistic wonders. I would want to visit is Florence, the seat of the Modern Renaissance. Hotel Florence is an online directory of small-scaled hotels in and and around Florence. I checked the list and it boast of more than a hundred quaint Florentine style hotels all having the amenities of modern living. How cool is that? The hotels are all strategically located so that commuting would be easy.
If you are a pizza-lover, then Naples is the place to be. Naples is synonymous with pizza due to the food originating from there. I wonder what different pizzas are available in the roster of accommodations in Hotel Naples? There are more than 40 hotels in the list, can that translate to more than 40 unique pizzas too?
It would be a dream come true to finally visit Italy.
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A visit to Italy would not be complete without visiting the romantic city of Venice. To experience the gondola ride is definitely very romantic. The gondola has been the means of transportation in Venice. Although water-taxis are now used for main transportation in Venice, there are still a few hundreds of gondolas still for hire for tourists. There are more than 50 highly modern yet architecturally challenging personalized and small hotels in Venice. Most hotels listed in Hotel Venice are just a few steps from the water-taxi and gondola ranks. That is indeed, convenient.
Being an architect, it has always been my dream to travel to Italy to see its architectural and artistic wonders. I would want to visit is Florence, the seat of the Modern Renaissance. Hotel Florence is an online directory of small-scaled hotels in and and around Florence. I checked the list and it boast of more than a hundred quaint Florentine style hotels all having the amenities of modern living. How cool is that? The hotels are all strategically located so that commuting would be easy.
If you are a pizza-lover, then Naples is the place to be. Naples is synonymous with pizza due to the food originating from there. I wonder what different pizzas are available in the roster of accommodations in Hotel Naples? There are more than 40 hotels in the list, can that translate to more than 40 unique pizzas too?
It would be a dream come true to finally visit Italy.
I got this award from a new online buddy Emila. Thank you Emila for the thoughtfulness.
To all you great mommies out there, I give you this much-deserved award:
Brown Pinay*Butchay’s World*
Can of Thoughts*Carlson Clan*
CC’s Lifestyle*
Dance Floor*
Filipino in Canada*Funkie Mommy*
Just Me Eds*Lalaine's World*Momhood Moments*A Fil-Am Journey*Outback Pinay*
PinayWahm*My World,My Own Word*Republic of A*Sexy Mom*
Sheng'sThoughts*Uncomplicated
*Live the Life of a Dreamer*
Mommy Allehs*
Mommy's Gibbles*
Mommy's Little Corner*A Blessed Life
If I missed anyone,please feel free to get the award.
Read More
Can of Thoughts*Carlson Clan*
CC’s Lifestyle*
Dance Floor*
Filipino in Canada*Funkie Mommy*
Just Me Eds*Lalaine's World*Momhood Moments*A Fil-Am Journey*Outback Pinay*
PinayWahm*My World,My Own Word*Republic of A*Sexy Mom*
Sheng'sThoughts*Uncomplicated
*Live the Life of a Dreamer*
Mommy Allehs*
Mommy's Gibbles*
Mommy's Little Corner*A Blessed Life
If I missed anyone,please feel free to get the award.
My favorite larger-than-life movie character is Indiana Jones. When I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark way back in 1981, I was hooked. Harrison Ford's shining star as Han Solo shone even more brighter as Dr. Henry Indiana Walton Jones Jr. Indie was an archeologist/adventurer. Set in the 1930's the Indiana Jones movie series were all great hits.
There were three Indie films. The first was Raiders of the Lost Ark where the US government commissioned Indiana Jones to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis do. The second was Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The third was The Last Crusade where Sean Connery played the part of his father while River Phoenix played the young Indie. The third film was released May 1989.
After 19 years, the fourth installment of the Indie film will have its worldwide premiere on May 22, 2008. I am so excited. His leading lady in the first film will once again be paired with Harrison. Karen Allen will play the part of Shia LaBeouf's mother. Umm.. could Shia LaBeouf be Jones's son? Let's just wait and see: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
I don't care if Harrison Ford is 65! Grandpa still rocks!
A few days ago I wrote and posted an article regarding kidney trade in the Philippines. There is a worldwide need for kidney donors. In the US alone, more than 70,000 are in need of a kidney transplant. So far, kidney trade is not readily observed in the US. In Iran, kidney and other organ sale is legal.
In Minnesota, the director of the kidney-transplant program of the University of Minnesota has proposed the kidney donors be paid for their donation. How much? How about $95,000.00!! I have done some light researching and found that there are so many ads pertaining to the sale of kidneys. The main reason for the sale is, of course, financial. Here are some kidney ads.
Sampler:
Man 40 years old from Sweden,in exellent health would like to sell my kidney. I never used any drugs,i do not drink any alcohol. I eat right and exersice every week.I am in 100% good health. My blood typ is ARH+. Serious only please! E-mail:xxxxxxxx@live.se or xxxxxx@hotmail.com By xxxxxxxxx -
Blood : O+ve
Ready to have operation done at any place as long as there is no interference.
I give you a man's word which can be trusted. You give me MONEY (Negotiable). We then follow. I speak through email first and then I will call you.
My Email: xxxxx@yahoo.com
Send me your price and I then tell you my price. After all its my ORGAN that I give you and it has a Price.We speak all other aspects through email.
Description:
KIDNEY FOR SALE. MUST PAY BILLS SOON OR MY FAMILY WILL BE ON THE STREET. OPEN FOR NEGOTIATIONS. PLEASE HELP ME KEEP MY CHILDREN IN THEIR HOME. ALL OTHER OPTIONS HAVE FAILED, THIS IS MY LAST RESORT. PLEASE CONTACT xxxxxxxx@yahoo.com
I cannot put words to how I feel regarding this. I know that we are plagued and burdened with problems. The whole world is grasping for, literally, clean air! The price of gas has soared beyond our imagination. It is a great task to rear a family in this time and age. Life, is indeed, harsh and hard. Is the hardship that we are experiencing enough reason for us to lose our quality of being humane?
The selling of body parts is a sure sign that we are losing our humanity. Can't we all try to preserve the civilization and humanity that still remain?
Photo courtesy of: Inkycircus
In my opinion, motherhood may be the most demanding and stressful job in the world. Being a mother is a 24/7 occupation or shall I say, preoccupation. It all started (the occupation/preoccupation) when you carried the fetus in your womb for 40 weeks, gaining a gazillion pounds in the process. When the baby was born, you became a SAHM to take care of the infant, making sure he was fed, bathed, sang to, talked to and loved. You nurtured the child. You taught him things about life, God, the birds and the bees, the universe.
You were there when he took his first walk. You were not offended when his first word was dada and not mama. You had endless doctor's appointment and immunizations. You learned to drive sans your arms as you were using your left hand to unscrew the baby bottle while your right hand was groping for the milk canister in the baby's bag which conveniently rolled on the farthest side of the passenger seat. You became adept in procuring costumes for school plays and presentations. You made do without so many things just so you can have your child enrolled in extra-curricular activities- to enhance his well-being and make him well-rounded.
You were expected to be the driving force of the family. You were expected to cook superb meals, plan and give spectacular birthday parties, and be the life of every family activity. You were expected to pat your child's back, hug and reassure him in times of great disappointment when all you wanted to do was curl up and cry too.
You can never ever get sick. In the rare times that you do get sick, you feel sicker thinking how your child was coping up. You lament on how you never go out with your girlfriends anymore but deep down, you don't really want to.
You can't wait for your child to grow up. Please grow up so I can have more time for myself and my neglected career. The child grows older and you do get more time for yourself as he has learned to do things for himself. However, the anxiety never leaves as new sets of problems present itself in an almost regular consistency- the angst of a teenager; the bickering among siblings; the i-hate-you-mom-i-wish-you'd-die phase; love hurts; career choice; rearing his own family and countless more. Now I know.
Motherhood never ends. You can't stop being a mother even if you want to. To all the great mothers out there, I salute you!
photo: Norman Koren
"All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother." - Abraham Lincoln
It is indeed great to be a mother. Motherhood is such a great blessing. In a child's eye, the mother is the most beautiful woman in his life, for it is from her that he was loved and cherished unconditionally.
Share your favorite Mother's Day quotes and place your blog/name right after the piece of artwork.
1. Irresistible Fascinations / Naomi 2. Manna from Heaven/Lena 3.And Life Goes On/Lena 4. Your site and name
I am tagging a lot of mommies now:Venus Darlene Sheng Jo-N Shimumsy Yums Anne Alleh
I took this quiz and was rated as a great English speaker though one in need of some brushing-up. The thing is, I was not shown the mistakes in the quiz that I took. It was suggested to me , however, to enroll in an advance English class, translating to moolah for the site that gave the free test.
Take the How well can you speak English? Quiz
Why don't you take the quiz and find out if you are a source of nosebleeds? A nosebleed, in Filipino idiom, has the connotation of either a writer or a speaker who uses high falluting words or one whose work or speech is plagued with errors, syntax et al. So which kind of a nosebleeder are you?
If you are a high falluting word nosebleeder, lighten up! If you are the grammatically incorrect nosebleeder, dude, who cares?! Read More
Iron Man rocks! I have always liked Robert Downey Jr. He is one of today's best romantic-comedy actors. I so adored him as Larry Paul, the lawyer boyfriend of Ally in the defunct Ally McBeal show. For the longest time, Robert was a self-confessed drug dependent. He lost so many leading roles in the offing because of his addiction.
When I heard that Downey Jr. was playing the role of Tony Stark aka Iron Man, I was not impressed. I cannot imagine him playing the role of a Marvel super hero. He is just too glam for an action hero role. Think: Brad Pitt as the Hulk. Ewww... With great uncertainty, my kids, Ethan and I went to see the movie.
Surprise! Surprise! Robert did justice to the role. He was not the cutesy-cuddly Robert of old but a mature, highly buffed, toned muscle, withasenseofhumor-sexy Iron Man. He fitted the role to a big capital T! His body looked so toned and lithe, I felt like drooling. The scene that impressed me most was when numerous robotic hands were putting on his gear! Kewl!, Ethan said.
I liked the movie. Why? Because I was not expecting the movie to be of consequence yet it delivered. I was actually expecting Robert Downey Jr. liken to a square peg in a round hole. However: I was mesmerized! Captivated! Iron Man 2?
An online buddy ,Herson, introduced me to a site that pays you to do essays and research works. He said he has been with that company for a year and that the pay is good. Wanting to spread out my wings in terms of writing and well, earning money online, I signed up. All I had to do was fill-up the online application form and attach a sample of my work. I was readily approved to be one of the site's new writer for hire.
I was excited. Finally, a writing gig where I am not hired based on my site's PR or popularity or location or domain(or lack of it). Google will be happy with me. No more paid blogging! I received emails after emails of writing opportunities. As I peruse the topics, I thought what the heck did I get myself into? Here are some samples of opportunities offered to me.
Topic: Mobility/Continuing Care Nursing Care Plan
Type: Case Study (Health and Social Care)
Pages: 30
Level: Specialized Level (Nursing)
Page cost: $10.65
Total: $319.50
Deadline: 2008-05-07 06:21:15 PST
Style: APA, UK English
Sources: 10
Topic:How does an initially successful behaviour establish itself
as a self-defeating behaviour and why is it so difficult for the client
to recognise it?'
Type:Problem-Solving (Other/Not Specified)
Level: College Level
Page cost: $7.14
Total: $71.40
Deadline: 2008-05-03 23:36:17 PST
Style: MLA, UK
Sources:2
I signed up to write for subjects in art, religion and other easy social sciences. The clients specify the number of resources that is why it's imperative to do research work. Researching is not really a daunting task: but if you have to write a 30-page-10-resources-research- in- specialized nursing, a subject I know nothing about, to be written in UK English in 3-4 days, I say, old chap count me out.
The in-demand topics are business, health care and philosophy related. As I continue to receive offers of perplexing topics, my nose persists to bleed!
and
Renz tagged me with this meme. All I have to do is think of six
words that I want to be remembered with...
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words that I want to be remembered with...
So here are the rules:
1.)Write your own six word memoir.
2.)Post it on your blog; include a visual illustration if you'd like.
3.)Link to the person that tagged you in your post, and to the original post if possible.
4.)Tag at least five more blogs with links.
5.)Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!
I want to be remembered and known as a:
mom, christian, friend, artist, architect, home-maker
Now I want to know your six word memoir. I am tagging
all of you out there......
1.)Write your own six word memoir.
2.)Post it on your blog; include a visual illustration if you'd like.
3.)Link to the person that tagged you in your post, and to the original post if possible.
4.)Tag at least five more blogs with links.
5.)Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!
I want to be remembered and known as a:
mom, christian, friend, artist, architect, home-maker
Now I want to know your six word memoir. I am tagging
all of you out there......
Hey Guys!
I now have a new domain.
Please update my old address
to my new one
http://pinaymomblogs.com
Thanks!
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I got this inspirational story through an e-mail sent by a friend. It is worth the read hence I re-post.
Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, 'Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over. I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead 'I will come next Tuesday', I promised a little reluctantly on her third call. Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren.
Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, 'Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over. I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead 'I will come next Tuesday', I promised a little reluctantly on her third call. Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren.
'Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!'My daughter smiled calmly and said, 'We drive in this all the time, Mother. 'Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!' I assured her. 'But first we're going to see the daffodils. It's just a few blocks,' Carolyn said. 'I'll drive. I'm used to this.' 'Carolyn,' I said sternly, 'Please turn around.' 'It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.'
After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, ' Daffodil Garden .' We got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.
It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers. 'Who did this? I asked Carolyn. 'Just one woman,' Carolyn answered. 'She lives on the property. That's her home.' Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.
On the patio, we saw a poster. 'Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking', was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. '50,000 bulbs,' it read. The second answer was, 'One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain.' The third answer was, 'Began in 1958.'
For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.
That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time--often just one baby-step at time--and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world .
'It makes me sad in a way,' I admitted to Carolyn. 'What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!' My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. 'Start tomorrow,' she said. She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, 'How can I put this to use today?'
Use the Daffodil Principle. Stop waiting.....
Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you clean the house
Until you organize the garage
Until you clean off your desk
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until the kids go to school
Until you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you die...
There is no better time than right now to be happy.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
So work like you don't need money.
Love like you've never been hurt, and,
Dance like no one's watching.
Wishing you a beautiful, daffodil day!
After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, ' Daffodil Garden .' We got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.
It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers. 'Who did this? I asked Carolyn. 'Just one woman,' Carolyn answered. 'She lives on the property. That's her home.' Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.
On the patio, we saw a poster. 'Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking', was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. '50,000 bulbs,' it read. The second answer was, 'One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain.' The third answer was, 'Began in 1958.'
For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.
That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time--often just one baby-step at time--and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world .
'It makes me sad in a way,' I admitted to Carolyn. 'What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!' My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. 'Start tomorrow,' she said. She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, 'How can I put this to use today?'
Use the Daffodil Principle. Stop waiting.....
Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you clean the house
Until you organize the garage
Until you clean off your desk
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until the kids go to school
Until you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you die...
There is no better time than right now to be happy.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
So work like you don't need money.
Love like you've never been hurt, and,
Dance like no one's watching.
Wishing you a beautiful, daffodil day!
A Global Day of Prayer is set on May 11, 2008, Pentecost Sunday. Please click on the link below for more information. We have shown complete support and participation during Earth Hour. Let us do the same and more.
Check this out please.
A Global Day of Prayer
The Philippines is fast becoming a popular medical tourism spot. You might ask what the heck is medical tourism? Roughly, the term equates to foreigners in need of expensive medical procedures hopping 0ver to the Philippines to get the procedure done, cheaply.A friend of mine came over from the US to have a rhinoplasty (plastic surgery of the nose). The procedure cost her a measly 20,000 Php compared to the $5,000-$7,000 cost in the US. I don't see anything wrong in this scenario. She was happy with her new nose. The plastic surgeon was happy with his professional fees.The procedure did not have any detrimental effect on the Philippines or its inhabitants. What bothers me though, is the increasing sale of body parts, the kidney, in particular.
Foreigners are coming over to the Philippines to have kidney transplants. The beauty of the procedure for the foreign patients are: 1. Philippine doctors are highly qualified; 2. the procedure is a lot less expensive; 3. there are agents to scour the squatter areas of Manila to look for likely donors.
Yes. One again, the Filipinos are being exploited. A kidney fetches at a lowly 75,000 Php -100,00 Php less the 10,000 Php - 12,000 Php agent's fee. Majority of Filipinos have type o+ blood that makes us ideal universal donor. As of now, the government has put a ban on transplant between unrelated patient and donor. This might curtail the rampant buying and selling of kidneys but it will not totally stop the racket.
As long as there are foreigners willing to pay; as long as there are doctors willing to do the procedure; as long as there are indigents who desperately need the money; the kidney trade will not stop.
photo courtesy
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Good-bye Brooke White. Simon comment of Brooke's first song being a nightmare must have made an impact on the voting public. America preferred Jason Castro than Brooke even when his two songs were forgettable. What is it with Jason? Simon is short of telling the American voters to stop voting for Jason. Jason really, really needs to go home!
Next week's show will be a wreck for Jason and Syesha. It is the do or die episode for them. The two Davids are the likely finalists. I like the little David but the big David is brilliant.
That is the title of Ethan's play, or shall I say operetta. The play tells a story of three fugly caterpillars wondering what their special gift is. They see that the ant's special gift is its strength; the spider its wittiness; the flower, its beauty. Still, the caterpillars were sure that God has special plans and gifts for them so they waited patiently. The moral: Wait patiently for the Lord. Everything will fall in its rightful place in His time. This, indeed, is a beautiful message to instill to children.
Ethan's Self-Portrait. Kinda gearing towards impressionism huh.
Eat your heart out, Vincent!
This is Ethan's picture concept of the play.
The Cast. Encore! Very well done.
Kudos to the never-tiring teachers!
I was off line all day yesterday. I had to leave the house to watch Ethan's summer workshop's culminating activity.
I was distracted yesterday. I was preoccupied thinking of so many tasks still undone. I have to look for a place for my son to stay this coming academic year. I have to prepare myself (physically and mentally) for next week the maids will be off for 2 weeks. I have to make sure I have the money for tuition fees and other school stuff. My garden is still a mess. My car needs some minor buffing. My other daughter tells me she needs a car. All of these thoughts translated to more money needed which set me thinking of the extra income I could have had in paid blogging if only this site has a page rank of even 1.
As early evening came, I sat by my terrace to contemplate. I wanted to talk about blogging, PR, Google, Technorati, paid reviews and anything to do with the blogosphere. My kids are not around and they won't be interested anyway. My friends? Forget it! Blogging is not a word they would understand.
Two entities then came by and sat with me. Ah, an audience. I started to talk. I do not need answers as there were really no questions. I just needed someone to air my thoughts and sentiments. As I finished my monologue, I felt better.
Can we eat now? I'm hungry. Ethan asked.
Woof! joined Rocky.
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I was distracted yesterday. I was preoccupied thinking of so many tasks still undone. I have to look for a place for my son to stay this coming academic year. I have to prepare myself (physically and mentally) for next week the maids will be off for 2 weeks. I have to make sure I have the money for tuition fees and other school stuff. My garden is still a mess. My car needs some minor buffing. My other daughter tells me she needs a car. All of these thoughts translated to more money needed which set me thinking of the extra income I could have had in paid blogging if only this site has a page rank of even 1.
As early evening came, I sat by my terrace to contemplate. I wanted to talk about blogging, PR, Google, Technorati, paid reviews and anything to do with the blogosphere. My kids are not around and they won't be interested anyway. My friends? Forget it! Blogging is not a word they would understand.
Two entities then came by and sat with me. Ah, an audience. I started to talk. I do not need answers as there were really no questions. I just needed someone to air my thoughts and sentiments. As I finished my monologue, I felt better.
Can we eat now? I'm hungry. Ethan asked.
Woof! joined Rocky.
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