Trends and Opportunities in the Global Franchising Revealed

The franchising sector in the Philippines has been experiencing phenomenal growth since the 80’s. It has, in fact, become an effective strategy for entry into business, producing a number of successful homegrown businesses and spurring the growth of entrepreneurship in the country.

Location, ingenuity and human rich resources are the key.

“The Philippines is a key location for successful businesses to branch out. With limitless Filipino ingenuity and rich human resources for an educated, highly-trainable and dependable working force, the global market is not far from our reach” states Froilan Manotok, business and franchise development head and conference chair of Franchise 2008, the 16th Philippine International Franchise Conference and Expo (PIFCE), slated on July 9 to 11, at the Renaissance Hotel in Makati City, and co-presented by PLDT Business Solutions and Seaoil.

Among the top players in global franchising are:

• Food. While food is a franchise that will never go out of style, health consciousness has created a new market for food franchises, particularly those serving salads, smoothies, and other guilt-free food for people taking a more active interest in their diet.

“The food service category is always growing in franchising, and will continue to offer new concepts and niche products to cater to the market’s demands,” Manotok confirms.

• Body and Beauty. Franchised personal services in the form of gyms, spas, and salons are also profitable business ventures as more and more innovations become available on the market for weight loss, grooming, beauty treatments, massage, and even medical procedures such as cosmetic surgery and laser vision correction.

“The desire to stay fit and look good has spurred the growth of these franchises,” reports Manotok. “Beauty and fitness franchises may be young, but they are already a multi-billion industry all over the world.”

• Education. Franchised services are also expanding into the markets of childcare and child development. These are franchises in the form of tutorial service centers, pre-schools, play schools, and learning centers. – www.philstar.com

Sky Experience Adventure

Conquer your fear – this is one of the most common ideas that we know. I did apparently when I visited Cebu atop the 40-storey Crown Regency Hotel and Towers on Fuente Osmena with the hotel’s mini amusement complex.

The amusement facility features a 2-seater edge coaster runs around the edge of the building. It is called Insanity Ride. You get insane as the ride tilts on certain degrees. It is the first of its kind in the world to be mounted on top of a hotel tower as revealed  by US-based Interactive Rides Inc.

The ride starts to move at low speed and it automatically tilts once. While on the track around the building, thrill-seekers would enjoy the option of being able to tilt the coaster car 55 degrees away from the building. You will have the feeling of floating in air because you won’t see the building or the coaster car.

Sky Experience Adventure also includes the Skywalk, which allows one to walk on a platform outside the tower, at level with the 37th floor. Pathways are part steel and part see-through glass. Those who want to take a stroll around the building, almost 400 feet above ground are attached to a harness for safety. The Sky Experience Adventure will also feature a resto-bar, a gentleman’s club, observatory, Vivo game zone and a four-dimensional movie theater.

Entrance fee of P380 per person

Edge Coaster = P500 per person

Sky Walk = P500 per person

The facilities are meant to provide a place where the entire family can have fun.

I think the rides are safe. It’s safety aspect of the rides and their durability were also checked using a software that is used by industrial and space systems.

The roller coaster vehicles and track are made of aircraft steel and aircraft aluminum.

Should We Trust Technology?

I was with a friend helping another friend fix his computer, he asked is everything lost? He was asked if he backed up his data, of course not why would he do that? Then he was asked with the next question, when was the last time you backed-up your data? Then like he had a megaphone in our ears, I DON”T KNOW HOW TO BACK UP MY DATA! All my spreadsheets and word documents are lost, how can that be the computers brand new?

If I had a dollar for every computer that broke down out of the box I wouldn’t have to worry about money. But for some reason when we buy something we just assume it will work for ever, especially things like TVs, stereos, freezers and computers. We put more faith in those purchases than we do in anything else, well, outside of eating in a public restaurant anyway. Why? Why do we do that? Nowhere does it say these devices and equipment won’t breakdown or already be broken before we even get them installed. Most things we buy today all have some form of technology in them, try and think of one that doesn’t…well a potato peeler maybe but there’s not many.

There seems to be this unwritten law that if I buy something it just works, there’s no chance it won’t we’re thinking as we drive home. I have sold more computers than I can count over the years and manufacturer’s don’t always get it right, something can fall through the cracks. Assembly lines are not immune to malfunction, why? Technology!

I got a call to provide some input on what was thought to be a DNS issue, after asking enough questions, two or three I discovered that most likely it was that expensive high end Router that was installed. I said pull it and go get something different and see what happens. You guessed it, that high end router was faulty.

We put a lot of faith in technology, we build spreadsheets thinking that they are accurate and the software can’t make a mistake, really? How do you know? Society has gone down the technology road so far now we can go back, and would we want to? Most of us have High Speed (Broadband) Internet connections, would you go back to dial-up now? I rest my case.

Now technology is progressing at a rate that is exponential, explosive growth. People think linearly, one, two, three, and 30 steps later your at 30. But the reality of information technology it is going 2, 4, 8, 16, and 30 steps later you are at a billion! With growth moving that quickly how will ensure that it is accurate and not faulty?

Take nanotechnology, little blood cell sized nanobots will be injected into our blood streams and cure say diabetes. Will it? What if doesn’t, what are the side effects and who is going to guarantee that nanobots are full proof? I suspect no one will back them up 100% but how can we be sure these technologies will work 100% of the time and not fail in the future?

I believe there needs to be a body that overseas and sets standards to protect us against faulty technology in the future, in light of this exponential growth curve. You may assume that there will be, but, let’s not assume please. So, should we trust technology? Some of it? Yes. A Lot of it? Yes. But when it comes to injecting blood cell sized nanobots into our bodies, I want to know for sure something won’t go wrong. How far do we allow technology to go, to intrude on our privacy and watch over us? How deep is your trust in technology?

I’m just asking the questions nothing more. I’m suggesting we keep things in perspective, make sure we put the proper framework in place now to ensure the safe use of these new technologies being worked on today.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

If the natural order of maturity reverses, and a man can be born old and die young—at least physically—what would his life be like?

Enter Benjamin Button, a charming character who looks older than your grandfather when he was seven and a cute little boy in his 60s. Adapted from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story of the same title, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button narrates the absurdity of his daily life in this premise. And yes, it’s quite long.

You can expect some dragging scenes but the there’s a touch of grace and subtleness in director David Fincher’s treatment. He focuses more on the setting and the characters, even the minor ones. They make this movie worth sitting through until the end. (I specifically like the man who got struck by lightning.)

However, I would like to cite some important scenes that were not given the running time these deserve, which thus makes the film lack depth. I’m sorry to say that there seems to be little on-screen chemistry between Benjamin (Brad Pitt) and Daisy (Cate Blanchett).

Pitt’s cold acting also gets tiring sometimes. Don’t get me wrong. I like Brad Pitt in the beginning but my fascination stops when I see him in his dashing middle-aged scenes. Yes, this is the part where he was at his most drool-worthy state.

Benjamin and Daisy’s love story starts a bit creepy, develops timidly, and ends sadly. You anticipate it to end depressingly but you’ll be surprised that it ends the way it does.

But the production design is amazing and meticulously detailed. I was surprised to see a can of oatmeal with the old label in the background.

You should watch it not just because it stars Brad Pitt or you’re curious about how he looks when he ages. It’s an inspiring touching movie, completely different Forrest Gump, the screenplay of which was also written by Eric Roth.

Achingly ironic, lush, and funny, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is one of the movies you should watch–at least once–in your lifetime.

The Verdict: Yes, it’s worth your hard-earned pesos.

Synopsis:

“I was born under unusual circumstances.” And so begins ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,’ adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards: a man, like any of us, who is unable to stop time. We follow his story, set in New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918 to the 21st century, following his journey that is as unusual as any man’s life can be.

On the day that Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans, elderly Daisy Williams nee Fuller is on her deathbed in a New Orleans hospital. At her side is her adult daughter, Caroline. Daisy asks Caroline to read to her aloud the diary of Daisy’s lifelong friend, Benjamin Button. Benjamin’s diary recounts his entire extraordinary life, the primary unusual aspect of which was his aging backwards, being born an old man who was diagnosed with several aged diseases at birth and thus given little chance of survival, but who does survive and gets younger with time. Abandoned by his biological father, Thomas Button, after Benjamin’s biological mother died in childbirth, Benjamin was raised by Queenie, a black woman and caregiver at a seniors home. Daisy’s grandmother was a resident at that home, which is where she first met Benjamin. Although separated through the years, Daisy and Benjamin remain in contact throughout their lives, reconnecting in their forties when in age they finally match up. Some of the revelations in Benjamin’s diary are difficult for Caroline to read, especially as it relates to the time past this reconnection between Benjamin and Daisy, when Daisy gets older and Benjamin grows younger into his childhood years.

Directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett with Taraji P. Henson, Tilda Swinton, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas and Julia Ormond, Benjamin Button is a grand tale of a not-so-ordinary man and the people and places he discovers along the way, the loves he finds, the joys of life and the sadness of death, and what lasts beyond time.

Facts About Online Business

When I first started exploring the online business arena, I did not have the slightest idea what to look for. I had absolutely no idea as to how anybody could make money with an online business, nor I had a clue as to how a business could come to life and make you money without an office, employees, inventory and all of those things one usually associates with an enterprise.

All I knew for sure is that there were people out there making money out of websites and blogs, and some of them were cashing in big time with only a computer and a cell phone as their weapons. As anybody else would have done, I started looking for information in the search engines and of course, as you can imagine, I found basically millions of results. At this point I did not even know what a text link was, so I really could not tell the difference between a promotional site and what I call an informative site. Therefore, I was being bombarded with information that in most cases pursued only a sale instead of helping me find and actual online business opportunity.

So, instead of going ahead and paying for any of the so called business opportunities, I decided to start taking advantage of some free stuff that I stumbled upon from time to time, like e-books and other resources that allowed me to begin understanding what online businesses were all about. These freebies helped me open my eyes to a whole world I had been missing. I quickly realized that there were basically two types of online business:

1) Affiliate or online marketing

2) Online retail of products or services

This does not mean that there are not other ways of making money online, but it does mean that for a newbie these are the two most intuitive ways of starting a realistic online entrepreneur effort.

Well, after getting a general idea of what online businesses were all about, and understanding a little bit about what it takes make money with an online business, I decided to take the next step got myself one of the so called money making systems.

I tried over 10 online business systems or programs and frankly only a few of them were actually helpful to me. Truth is I spent almost a year crashing my head onto the wall with no significant results, even though I have to say that year came as an important and necessary learning period that got me to where I am today in the online business arena.

You see, the thing is that many many of the so called money making systems are truly a waste of time and money, because once you get your hands on them you realize there is nothing really fancy or new about them, and often they only want you to spend more money in “tools” that will supposedly help you achieve the results they promise.

So trial and error has been definitely a part of that learning experience, which of course has not come without a cost because I have spent probably over $1,000 looking for something that could put me on track and lead me to online success.

In the end, after being a bit more aware of what to look for, my latest choices were really wise decisions, because as it turns out, I managed to put my hands on systems that finally helped me fill in the holes in my strategies. However, it is important to note that I had to do some hard work at the beginning, because when you start this journey you are actually studying and working to build an online business.

As a general rule, the programs that genuinely seek to help you are the ones which do not present you with magic formulas, but instead hand you a set of tools, resources and material for you to study and learn. Of course, I understand that for some people this might be a little disappointing, because everybody is dreaming about making money online with absolutely no effort, but sadly, that is not possible.

The good news is that once you have done the hard work (study, study, learn, and then execute) you will then start seeing some magic, because once you get to understand the dynamics of internet marketing you will realize that making money without a lot of work is actually possible, but only after you have put your back into it for some time.

If you apply the right strategies and build a suitable business structure you will have to work (make no mistake about it), but it will be like building a hotel, once it is finished and you set up all your business structure, it will keep making money for you provided that you -or someone you hired- are supervising the whole operation.

Fact: You can make money with an online business, but you must be willing to put your back into it in order to learn and build it, and you must make some wise decisions when it comes to choosing your tools and resources.

Fiction: You will become rich overnight or within a week (big NO!).

Upcoming: Transporter 3

In my opinion, it could have been much better. The movie went straight down hill from the moment the main character, Frank Martin (Jason Statham), submitted to doing a striptease (yes! s-t-r-i-p-t-e-a-s-e). He was gorgeous though.

Statham’s character has been known from the previous movies to have had rules of conduct yet he ends up choosing to bump ugly ducklingos with a girl whose looks was supposed to be a 17-year-old nice Ukranian girl but looked liked my aunt having an irritating borderline junkies. There wasn’t even any development in their relationship. No friendship was built but just a few conversations prior to them having sex in the car. Yeah, nobody sees that kind of relationship lasting a long time… By the way, before I forget, the reason for the striptease thing was to get his car keys back from the girl, which he was unable to take from her hand but yet was able to take out 14 guys at once earlier in the movie.

Overall, it was disappointing mainly because of the whole involvement with the new girl, which is totally out of character for a highly stick-into-the-rule Frank Martin. BUT! (there is a big BUT… ) I have to admit… there were awesome buttkicking stunts and excellent car tricks.

Synopsis:

Combining Western-style car chases and Hong Kong-inspired fight sequences choreographed by martial arts legend Cory Yuen, the Luc Besson-created TRANSPORTER films have found international success as a sort of working-class James Bond series. Jason Statham, who has become the go-to guy for big-budget B-movie thrills, returns once again as Frank Martin, the driver-for-hire for whom no job is too risky. Brimming with the usual jaw-dropping stunts, this is another crowd-pleasing entry in the saga, delivered at a brisk and flashy clip by director Olivier Megaton. Following the coercion of Ukrainian environmental official Leonid Vasilev (Jeroen Krabbe) into signing papers permitting the shipping of toxic materials into a harbor by criminal mastermind Johnson (Robert Knepper), Frank Martin is forced into accepting the job of driving Vasilev’s kidnapped daughter, Valentina (Natalya Rudakova)–acting as human collateral–from Marseilles to the Black Sea coastal city of Odessa. On the chance the Martin should attempt to flee, Johnson has rigged him with a bracelet that will detonate if he strays more than 75 feet from his car. When Valentina is intercepted by a rival group, Martin will have to push his Audi M8 to the limit to complete his mission and ensure his own survival. The TRANSPORTER films require copious amounts of suspension of disbelief, but then again, one doesn’t hope they will strictly adhere to the laws of physics. The third volume provides ample thrills, not the least of which is the sight of a car driving off a bridge onto a moving train. Plenty of screen time is also given to Statham’s superhumanly chiseled torso, while freckled Rudakova’s unconventional beauty balances out the sex appeal. In the end, Statham’s undeniable likeability propels the film, and his chemistry in a handful of scenes with François Berleand, returning as Inspector Tarconi, provides some nice comic moments. Combining Western-style car chases and Hong Kong-inspired fight sequences choreographed by martial arts legend Cory Yuen, the Luc Besson-created TRANSPORTER films have found international success…

Genderipity

If we look closely at the sexual attraction of both genders, we notice a very odd thing… Males are turned off by a woman who is with another man while women are turned on by a man who is with another woman!

I know there are many exceptions to this observation. But I’ve seen this more than I can disregard it.

Some consider it jealousy, some consider it competitiveness but one thing is certain… it’s there and it’s very observable. I’ve noticed this more in the eastern cultures but this doesn’t mean I have not seen it in the west.

It’s very odd to see that women tend to be attracted more to men who are engaged, involved or married than the abundant available men. Somehow, the one who is in a relationship seems to be more attractive.

“He’s with her. There must be something good about him”. This is how many women think. Sometimes purely out of jealousy. While for guys, the notion that “She’s with him” is enough to turn most men off. (Don’t believe what you see in the movies about how Mr. #2 was attracted to the lady who was out with the jerk!)

I might be completely hallucinating here (that coffee I had this morning sure tasted funny) but this observation kept coming back to me… day after day. It’s just forcefully presenting itself. Women are attracted to men who are with other women!

This probably explains why most men don’t shy from furnishing all their previous affairs on their resume the minute they apply to the courtship of a lady. Alternatively, most women discovered through their amazing intuition that they shouldn’t be mentioning much about their history since it is a turn off.

Many would say this is one of the social double standards. To be completely frank, I’m a big proponent of double standards here. You just can’t treat men and women the same way. It just doesn’t work like that. Each has his or her own insecurities and sensitivities and it’s just not possible to produce one-size-fits-all social treatment.

Similarly, women are attracted more to guys who are not attracted to them. I’m not sure the same is true about men. But that doesn’t stop a guy from following a chick back home.

Three Kings: A Reminder To Be Giving

As Christians celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany today, bishops reminded the faithful of the Three Kings who, apart from introducing Jesus Christ as the savior of humanity, taught the virtue of sharing, especially to the poor.

Msgr. Hernando Coronel, rector of the San Carlos Seminary in Makati City, said, “The significance of the Feast of the Epiphany is the spirit of charity. The Kings’ gifts tell us that during these difficult times, we should think about the less fortunate and we should give gifts to them.”

Coronel, a former Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) secretary-general, said the fact that baby Jesus was born in a manger and not in a posh hospital stresses the teaching of the Church that encourages the faithful to help the poor.

He said Gaspar, Melchor and Balthazar, collectively known as the Three Wise Men or Magi, came from foreign lands and guided by an angel, followed a star that led them to Jesus Christ who was born in a manger in Bethlehem.

“The Three Wise Men searched for the child Jesus who would become the King of Kings or the King of Nations,” Coronel added.

For his part, Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iniguez, who is also the CBCP Public Affairs Committee (PAC) chairman, said today’s celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany is a reminder that the savior of mankind is born and that the faithful should welcome Him into their lives.

He said the child Jesus, who was born into a poor family, is the savior of mankind.

“The solemnity of the Epiphany proclaims that Jesus is the savior of all. May all accept him in their lives, their families and communities,” said Iniguez.

In the liturgical calendar, the season of Christmas starts on Dec. 25 and ends on the Baptism of Jesus that falls on the second Sunday of January.

But for Filipinos who are known to have one of the longest celebrations of Christmas, it begins on Dec. 16 at the start of the nine-day pre-dawn Masses (Simbang Gabi) and ends on the first Sunday of January that is marked as the Feast of the Epiphany. – Evelyn Macairan

Post Holiday Diet Tips

It’s that time again when thousands of people resolve to lose weight and get in shape for the New Year. If, after over-indulging in food and drink during the holidays, you have decided to trade all those unhealthy habits for a new healthier you, the most important thing is to lose weight slowly and continue to enjoy food and life.

There is no magic formula to losing weight. Most of us know that if we consume more energy than we need we will put on weight; if we use up more energy than we consume – by eating less food and being more active – we will lose weight. Why then do so many of us find it difficult to stick to lose weight?

The first thing you should do is assess your own eating habits and identify areas where there may be room for improvement or areas where you are doing well. Each day make sure you get a good mix of carbohydrates, proteins, fruit and vegetables. Limit your intake of fats and sugary foods.

•	Eat three meals a day: breakfast, lunch (or dinner), dinner (or tea).
•	Enjoy healthy, nutritious snacks such as fruit between meals.
•	Grill, stew, casserole, bake or microwave food instead of frying.
•	Fill up you plate with vegetables.
•	Finish a meal with a piece of fresh fruit instead of cakes and biscuits.
•	Use low-fat varieties of foodstuffs – but remember they do still contain calories.
•	Eat foods high in fibre and starch that are naturally low in fat such as potatoes and pasta.
•	Drink plenty of water. Aim to drink about 6-8 glasses of water per day.
•	Be patient. Slow weight loss allows time for you to make changes to your eating habits and is much more likely to result in a lasting weight loss.

As well as changing your eating habits you should make an effort to increase your amount of daily activity.

•	Be active every day. Start slowly by incorporating 10-15 minutes of light physical activity into your daily routine. Aim to increase this to a minimum of 30 minutes on alternate days.
•	Make sure that the activity is enjoyable (otherwise you will soon give it up).
•	Think active whenever you can e.g. use stairs instead of lift/escalator and walk instead of taking the car or bus.
•	It is better to exercise 1-2 hours after you have eaten when the body can burn off an optimum number of calories.
•	Suitable activities include walking, dancing, swimming.

Make sure you participate in moderate to active leisure on most days. Why not ask a friend to join you? You can keep each other motivated and losing weight will be easier and more enjoyable.

Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s Eve has always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. It’s a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and resolve to follow through on those changes. Did your New Year resolutions make our top ten list?

1. Spend More Time with Family & Friends

Recent polls conducted show that more people vow to appreciate loved ones and spend more time with family and friends this year. Make plans to meet up with friends for an evening of camaraderie at a favorite restaurant or take the family to one of these popular places for family fun. Work shouldn’t always come first!

2. Fit in Fitness

The evidence is in for fitness. Regular exercise has been associated with more health benefits than anything else known to man. Studies show that it reduces the risk of some cancers, increases longevity, helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure, and even improves arthritis. In short, exercise keeps you healthy and makes you look and feel better. Why not make this the time to start getting in shape?

3. Tame the Bulge

Over 66 percent of adults are considered overweight or obese by recent studies, so it is not surprising to find that weight loss is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. Setting reasonable goals and staying focused are the two most important factors in sticking with a weight loss program, and the key to success for those millions of people who made a New Year’s commitment to shed extra pounds.

4. Quit Smoking

If you have resolved to make this the year that you stamp out your smoking habit, over-the-counter availability of nicotine replacement therapy now provides easier access to proven quit-smoking aids. Even if you’ve tried to quit before and failed, don’t let it get you down. On average, smokers try about four times before they quit for good. Start enjoying the rest of your smoke-free life! More cities are trying to go smoke-free, and it’s taken them a few tries as well. Locally, there are a variety of free support services, hotlines and smoking cessation classes to help you kick the smoking habit.

5. Enjoy Life More

Given our hectic and stressful lifestyles, it is no wonder that “enjoying life more” has become a popular resolution in recent years. It’s an important step to a happier and healthier you! Consider healing centers for products designed to bring balance to your body, mind and soul. Or just get out and try something new! Take up a new hobby or try your hand at skiing. Go to a theater performance, or head to the local spa, which offer a wealth of artistic and recreational activities to meet just about anyone’s wishes.

6. Quit Drinking

While many people use the New Year as an incentive to finally stop drinking, most are not equipped to make such a drastic lifestyle change all at once. Many heavy drinkers fail to quit cold turkey but do much better when they taper gradually, or even learn to moderate their drinking. If you have decided that you want to stop drinking, there is a world of help and support available. There are also a number of treatment-based programs, as well as support groups for families of alcoholics.

7. Get Out of Debt

Was money a big source of stress in your life last year? Join the millions of people who have resolved to spend this year getting a handle on their finances. It’s a promise that will repay itself many times over in the year ahead.

8. Learn Something New

Have you vowed to make this year the year to learn something new? Perhaps you are considering a career change, want to learn a new language, or just how to fix your computer? Whether you take a course or read a book, you’ll find education to be one of the easiest, most motivating New Year’s resolutions to keep. Most local colleges and universities offer distance and adult education programs. Or if the arts are more your thing, there are places that offer adult studio classes.

9. Help Others

A popular, non-selfish New Year’s resolution, volunteerism can take many forms. Whether you choose to spend time helping out at your local library, mentoring a child, or building a house, there are many nonprofit volunteer organizations that could really use your help. One way is connecting volunteers with projects to fit practically any schedule. Or if your time is really in short supply, maybe you can at least find it in you to donate the furniture, clothing and other household items that you no longer need, rather than leaving them out by the curb to fill up our landfills.

10. Get Organized

On just about every New Year resolution top ten list, organization can be a very reasonable goal. Whether you want your home organized enough that you can invite someone over on a whim, or your office organized enough that you can find the stapler when you need it, these tips and resources should get you started on the way to a more organized life. Reduce the clutter in your life and find peace in your home.

Revolutionary Road: A Review

It’s hard to ignore the Oscar polish involved in Revolutionary Road; an Oscar-winning director, Sam Mendes, reunites the stars of the Oscar-gobbling Titanic. To that end, Mendes does his best to make the film look serious and prestigious. And if you give it a cursory glance it’s possible to come away with the impression that it is indeed a great and important film. But overall, it was grim and needlessly pointless.

Mendes keeps his tone very serious and very gray, with no humor whatsoever and lots of pauses in the awkward conversations. Normally, I like this kind of ebb and flow in films, but Mendes conducts the rhythm not as beats (up and down, with rest spaces in-between) but as dead spaces within the same dreary, constant tone. The movie provides the gray, flat cinematography, which used weather and textures to enhance the story. Then we have the performances, which, in their seriousness, will probably earn a few awards. But DiCaprio seems too baby-faced for this grown-up era, and far too aware of his performance. Winslet now seems much older than him (she’s a year younger), and their Titanic chemistry is all but gone (not that this movie was going to attract many Titanic fans anyway).

It’s puzzling to consider that Mendes tackled very similar themes in American Beauty (1999), making tons of money and winning an Oscar. But American Beauty was at the very least smart and snarky and funny with a few genuinely lovely and/or sexy moments thrown in. When Lester Burnham drops out of society, it looks like fun. And yet, at the end of the movie, it clearly conveys the same ideas conveyed here (you can’t drop out because society disapproves). Revolutionary Road fails to make the idea of dropping out either attractive or relevant. It fails to find any humor, tension or release in its situation. It fails to make this family and their friends feel plausible. The only thing it does really well is create a feeling of suffocation. Which leads to an idea: if you can’t drop out of society, you can a least find happiness by dropping out of this movie.

Synopsis:

April and Frank Wheeler are a young, thriving couple living with their two children in a Connecticut suburb in the mid-1950s. Their self-assured exterior masks a creeping frustration at their inability to feel fulfilled in their relationships or careers. Frank is mired in a well-paying but boring office job, and April is a housewife still mourning the demise of her hoped-for acting career. Determined to identify themselves as superior to the mediocre sprawl of suburbanites who surround them, they decide to move to France where they will be better able to develop their true artistic sensibilities, free of the consumerist demands of capitalist America. As their relationship deteriorates into an endless cycle of squabbling, jealousy and recriminations, their trip and their dreams of self-fulfillment are thrown into jeopardy.

Lego’s TM Battle

I was looking for Christmas gifts and I thought “Lego” would be wise. I like “Lego” and it was a part of my childhood.

While browsing the net, I happened to read an article about the famous company and it’s sad fate.

The Danish toy maker Lego has just lost a court battle over a trademark on its bricks. For fifty years, it has enjoyed protection from rival toymakers. Lego had a copyright on the shape and design of its small bricks and blocks. This stopped competitors from making the same size and shape blocks. However, rival toy company Mega Brands started fighting Lego’s trademark in 1999. For almost a decade, Mega Brands has battled Lego’s lawyers in the courts. Lego argued its iconic bricks were unique, and different from others around the world. It said the design and size of the studs on top of the bricks meant it could be copyrighted. The judges disagreed and decided that the shapes of Lego’s bricks served a clear and useful purpose and could not be protected. They were too ordinary to deserve a copyright.

Children have been playing with Lego for over half a century. The bricks are a permanent fixture of all kids’ bedrooms, school activity areas and department store play rooms. It all started in 1958 when Lego launched its first red bricks. These have changed over the ages into fantasy figures, space stations and motorized models. The popularity of the colourful blocks has led to theme parks around the world. A Lego spokeswoman, Charlotte Simonsen, said the company was disappointed with the judges’ decision: “We at Lego are convinced in our belief that we are right in our views on trademark legislation,” she said. The new court ruling could pave the way for more competition. A “brick war” between Lego and Mega Brands could see cheaper prices for kids and adults.

In your viewpoint, should Lego be allowed to keep its trademark on the size and shapes of its blocks? What do you think of the judges’ decision?

True Meaning of Christmas

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them,

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. –

LUKE 2:8-14

Is This the Right Person for Me?

“How will I know when I meet the right person?”

I often hear this question and I find the answer fairly complex.

There are four different reasons that people have for wanting to get married i.e. love, validation, security, safety,   and to share love and to grow emotionally and spiritually.

People who feel insecure and alone are likely to look for someone who will fill the inner emptiness and give them the love they are seeking. They want to find someone who will complete them and make them feel adequate and worthy. The problem is that no one can do this for another person – it is something we each need to learn to do for ourselves. Since we are always attracted to people who are at our common level of woundedness or our common level of health, a person looking to get love will attract a person also looking to get love. Each person hopes to get filled from the other, not realizing that each feels empty and really has nothing to give. Therefore, no one is the right person when the intent of getting married is to get love and security rather than to share love and learning.

Instead of asking the question, “Is this the right person for me?” why not ask, “Am I being the right person?” Am I being a person who comes to a relationship filled with love to share, or am I being a needy person hoping to get love and validation?

The main reason that many relationships don’t work is because each person is disappointed in not getting what they expected to get from the other person. But when a person does not know how to love and validate themselves and create an inner sense of safety and security, they certainly can’t do this for another person. Yet this is what each person expects of the other. It’s like trying to get water from a rock. What do you have to give when you feel empty within and want to get filled through another’s love?

It is actually fairly easy to know if this is the right person for you when your intent in being in a relationship is to learn together and share love. A person who comes from a full place within finds it easy to discern when someone is empty inside, and will not be attracted to the empty person. A person who is practicing Inner Bonding and is truly open to learning about themselves, to growing emotionally and spiritually, to taking responsibility for their own feelings of safety and security, worth and lovability, will not be attracted to a person who is closed, controlling, and just wants to get love.

Knowing if this is the right person for you does not happen instantly. It takes months to discover whether or not a person is who they say they are. You cannot really know who a person is until you have conflict and find out what this person does in conflict. Some people can appear very open and loving until a conflict comes up and then they get angry, withdraw, resist or comply, closing down rather than staying open to learning about themselves and the other person. An important question is, how does this person deal with conflict and how long does it take them to open up if they do close in the face of conflict?

Since none of us enter relationships fully healed, it is very important to know that your partner is willing to explore conflict rather than just protect against it with controlling behavior. Conflict occurs in all relationships, and if both people are not open to learning about themselves and each other within the conflict, the unresolved conflicts will eventually destroy the relationship.

If you are a person who is open to learning and wants a relationship in order to share love, there are three essential ingredients that need to be present for the person to be the right person for you:

1. There needs to be a basic spark of attraction. If you do not feel physically attracted to this person within the first six months of the relationship, the chances are this attraction will not develop. It does not need to be instant, but it does need to be there at some point.
2. Both of you need to be capable of caring, compassion, and empathy – to be a giver rather than just a taker. If this person just wants what they want and doesn’t care about what you want, they are not the right person for you. If you just want what you want and you don’t care about what the other person wants or feels, you are not ready for a relationship.
3. Both people need to be open to learning in conflict rather than just wanting to win and be right. If both people are open to learning in conflict, conflicts will be resolved in loving ways, but power struggles will result if one or both of you are intent on controlling and winning.

Other ingredients, such as common interests and values, are also important, but without the above three ingredients, they will not sustain the relationship.

Robert Pattinson: What’s All The Fuss About?

If the throngs of teenage girls are to be believed, Robert Pattinson is Edward Cullen, the vegetarian vampire he plays in the recently released Twilight movie.

After all, Pattinson the man is still a relatively unknown 22-year-old British actor most famous for playing Cedric Diggory in two of the Harry Potter movies. So what’s all the fuss about? The fuss is about Edward.

In mall appearances across America, Pattinson has been causing a Beatle-esque frenzy. One girl in San Francisco even suffered a broken nose when the vamp-loving crowd got particularly rowdy.

According to Robert, fans aren’t able to distinguish between him and his on-screen persona. “The connection that I am an actor playing this character is sort of skipped.”

To millions of girls–and, oddly enough, their mothers–Pattinson is the perfect blood-sucking boyfriend. Vampires haven’t been this sexy since Brad Pitt.

And ladies, he’s single.

Born 13th of May 1986 in London, England, he grew up being an English actor, model, and musician. His mother, Clare, worked for a modeling agency, and his father, Richard, imported vintage cars from the U.S.

He had supporting roles in the made for television film Ring of the Nibelungs in 2004, and in director Mira Nair’s Vanity Fair, although his scenes in the latter were deleted, and only appear on the DVD version. In May 2005 he was slated to appear in the UK premiere of The Woman Before at the Royal Court Theatre, but was fired shortly before the opening night and was replaced by Tom Riley.

Later that year he played Cedric Diggory in the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Consequently, he was named that year’s British Star of Tomorrow by Times Online. He also has more than once been touted as the next Jude Law.

Pattinson appeared in the advertising campaign for Hackett’s Autumn 2007 collection. Pattinson plays Edward Cullen in the movie Twilight, based on Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling novel of the same name, which was released on November 21, 2008 in North America. According to TV Guide, Pattinson was initially apprehensive about auditioning for the role of Edward Cullen, fearful that he wouldn’t be able to live up to the “perfection” expected from the character.

He has lead roles in the the forthcoming feature films Little Ashes, in which he plays Salvador Dalí, How To Be, a British comedy, and the short film The Summerhouse. In January he will begin filming a project called Parts Per Billion, which he calls “one of the most lyrical scripts that I have ever read in my life”. – wikipedia.com and limelight.com

A Few Small Business Ideas

Putting up a business is a constant desire. Most people with larger capital delve into franchising. Others shell out thousands to rent their own place
and buy necessary equipment for the business (do not discount the hard facts of marketing). But if you are just a regular Juan dela Cruz, who earns a typical
amount as a regular (or worse, contractual) employee, would this mean that putting up your own dream business is obviously out of your league?

The answer is NO.

As a matter of fact, there are a lot of ways to start a business without the headache of renting a place  (admit it… it will take a  big bite from your moolah), and without the right marketing style, you are expected to hit the ground the earliest possible.

Here are just a few business ideas that require only a considerable amount of money. Capital needed to set it up may range from P5,000-P10,000… so start planning now.

A sari-sari store. The basic. As
long as you have a small place in your home that needs a little bit of
cleaning, then putting up such a business is a breeze. All you need to
do now is to buy all the stuff that you need, and voila! You have an
instant sari-sari store. You don’t even have to put up your own sign,
as long as everyone who passes by takes notice of all the stocked goods
in your place.

A tutoring center. Just like a
sari-sari store, you don’t have to rent a place for this. A vacant room
in your house will do and I’m sure you also have stocks of books (from
elementary to college) in your house that you can use. The only thing
that you need to invest here is a couple of chairs and tables for your
tutoring center. Plus, marketing is very important. But in this age of
technology and computers, you can have all the marketing you need in
just one click. You can also post your ads in newspapers, free of
charge.

A cellphone load business. It’s high time you use your phone to good use. Your phone doesn’t have
to be of the latest model . It could just even be the phone that you
threw away because the numbers seem to vanish, or the phone that you
got tired of because it took a long while for your message to be sent.
And then just buy a special sim card for the phone loading business.
Put up a card outside your home to announce your business and there you
have it… hard-earned money right at your very home.

Cake and pastry business. For
those who love to bake, bake, and bake, this is the job for you. The
ingredients don’t cost much, and the only marketing style you have to
do is to have your family and friends taste the one-of-a-kind cake that
you created. The business works through word-of-mouth. By the end of
the day, I’m sure you will have your orders filled.

A small school supplies store.
Just like a sari-sari store, you just need to clean up a small place in
your house, buy all the school supplies that you need and put up a sign
on your gate to advertise you new business. Or better yet, go around
your neighborhood and put up the sign near a school, a church or the
marketplace. I’m sure, you’ll have students trooping to your store
before the end of the day. – www.magnegosyo.com

A Healthy Relationship

Do not expect anyone to be responsible for your happiness. Accept yourself. Respect yourself. Love yourself first. Take good care of yourself.

Make and keep clear agreements. Respect the difference between yourself and your partner. Don’t expect he or she agrees with you on everything. Reach mutual agreement or plan, and then commit to it.

Use communication to establish a common ground to understand different points of view and to create a mutual, collaborative agreement or plan. You can either choose to be right, or you can have a successful relationship. You can’t always have both. Most people argue to be “right” about something.

Approach your relationship as a learning experience. Each one has important information for you to learn. Let go of a relationship that no longer serves us. A truly healthy relationship will consist of both partners who are interested in learning and expanding a relationship so that it continues to improve.

Tell the unarguable truth. Be truthful to yourself and your partner if you want true love. Many people are taught to lie to protect someone’s feelings, either their own or those of their partner. Lies create disconnection between you and your relationship, even if your partner never finds out about it.

Do not do anything for your partner if it comes with an expectation of reciprocation. The things you do for your partner must always be done because you chose to do them and you wanted to do them. Do not hold your “good deeds” over their head at a later time. Keeping score in a relationship will never work: a person is less likely to notice and value all the contributions of their partner as much as their own.

Forgive one another. Forgiveness is a decision of letting go the past and focusing on the present. It’s about taking control of your current situation. Talk about the issue and try to reach a mutual agreement on how to handle the situation in the future and then commit to it. If you can’t reach an agreement, it’s a bad sign.

Review your expectations. Try to be as clear as you can about any expectations – including acceptable and unacceptable behaviour and attitudes, especially attitudes towards money. Make sure you don’t expect your partner to fulfil every need in your life. One person cannot be everything to you.

Be Responsible. Here’s a new definition: Responsible means that you have the ability to respond. Respond to the real problem, to your true needs. It does not mean you are to blame. There is tremendous power in claiming your creation. If you’ve been snippy to your partner, own up to it, and get curious about why you are jealous and how you might do it differently next time.

Appreciate yourself and your partner. In the midst of an argument, it can be difficult to find something to appreciate. Start by generating appreciation in moments of non-stress, and that way when you need to be able to do it during a stressful conversation, it will be easier. Be sensitively aware so you don’t have to be sugar-coating anything.

Admit your mistakes and say sorry. Right after a misunderstanding or argument, tell your partner to give you some time to think of the wrong and right things that you and he/she did.

Spend some quality time together- No matter how busy you two are, there is always an excitement when you do something together, when you share your precious time.

Skip Bond and see Bolt

I got the opportunity to see this for FREE (courtesy of my aunt). I am NOT into 3d-animated-cartoon-whatever thing!…. BUT… I was very entertained. Great plot, great animation and the 3D was amazing. Sometimes I felt like Bolt’s head was towering over the audience. Good thing he didn’t drool!

All the characters were great. The pigeons were great comic relief. It’s amazing the amount of detail the animators put in. Watching the way the pigeons moved their heads was entertaining in itself. Rhino and Mittens were also hilarious while having more depth as well. A lot of Rhino’s great lines were in the preview but didn’t exactly play out in the story the way they seemed like they were going to. Even with that, he was hilarious.

Obviously the plot is predictable but it’s a very fun story. We were laughing out loud throughout this movie. I’m looking forward to another good film like this.

Synopsis:

Bolt tells the story of a dog who is convinced that his role as a super dog is reality. When he is ripped from his world of fantasy, and action by his own doing. His own obsession with his owner and keeping her protected from the green eyed man of the television show he works on completely absorbs his life. This takes him to the point of no return when he believes that she has been kidnapped, and he accidentally gets packaged and shipped to New York city in pursuit of his owner. This is when the story unfolds, and he goes through a transitional period where he learns that he is as super as every other dog. His disbelief of his abilities being non existent fuels a lot of different emotional changes, and eventually comes to a reality of who he really is. This all culminates when he finds his owner and reunites with her in the action packed climax of the movie.

What Will Be a Hot Business in 2009?

For some time now that I have been looking ahead into 2009. What will be a hot industry to get into? Last week I think I finally found it.

Last week I read the book “Why You’re DUMB, SICK, & BROKE . . . and How to Get SMART, HEALTHY & RICH” written by Randy Gage. In this book Randy Gage explains why the corporate world, traditional businesses, and the Rat Race will keep people dumb, sick, and broke.

In this book he devotes a chapter to some of the hottest businesses today and they are:

1] Real Estate
2] Network Marketing
3] Information Entrepreneur

There is much to talk about the first two but I would like to focus on the third option – becoming an information entrepreneur.

The beauty of an information entrepreneur is that anyone can become one. The concept is that everyone knows something about something. So why not turn that into a profitable business?

What are the steps that an Information entrepreneur needs to take in order to become known, accepted and successful?

1] Today in the world of Social Media it is critical that you set up a website or blog promoting your ideas, promoting your information. The more information you share the more you will become known and focus your efforts on building an audience. You audience are those who will be coming back to your blog or website for more of your information. They are thirsty for your information.

This will get you credibility on the World Wide Web.

2] Never ever leave out your local market. Work local – think global. For an information entrepreneur it’s always good to start from home/ local area and then to work your way out. Becoming known in your local market will help you reach other markets.

How can you become known in your local market?

- Start meetings
- Promote your self as a guest speaker
- Volunteer to speak!
- Start mastermind groups
- Business cards
- Brochures
- Consulting services
- Coaching programs
- Public seminars

Your success in your local market will much depend on how you brand yourself. Do you have the best customer service? Do you dress properly? Are always prepared? Be creative!

3] Developing products is also an important tool when building your information business.

Product ideas include:

- E-books
- Magazines
- Cd’s
- Videos
- Use your imagination!

Once you have developed your product – it is now time to promote it. Learn how you can get others to promote your product [affiliate marketing]. This is very important as it will give you the leverage that will help you increase sales.

4] Most important: You need to spend time on a daily basis educating yourself and staying ahead of the curve in your field. As you are establishing yourself as the ultimate expert it is critical that you be up to date with the latest news, changes and developments in your industry.

At the end of the day your goal should be that people will see you as the ultimate resource. You will see that the more up-to-date you are the more people will see you as the ultimate resource in your field!

Hillel is the founder and developer of http://www.iyazam.com

Hillel has been working in marketing for several years learning many valuable lessons along the way, the fruits of which appear on his website. Hillel lives with his wife and toddler in Israel.

I am One-Proud Niece

Come December of this year, my aunt, prime mover Fe Gimarino-Kim, will be receiving The Banaag Award as an achievement of the Filipino-Korean Spouses Association. The Banaag Award is given to Filipinos and foreign individuals or associations for advancing the cause of Filipino communities overseas or for supporting specific sectors or communities in the Philippines.

SEOUL—PEOPLE WHO HAD known Fe Gimarino-Kim as a mere housewife of a Korean electrical maintenance engineer would certainly wonder how she became a faculty approval specialist in the Pacific Far East Campus of Central Texas College in Incheon, South Korea.

As faculty approval specialist, Fe screens, evaluates and reviews the qualifications of American applicants for teaching jobs in this prestigious school before the deserving ones are finally selected by the campus dean for employment.

Her astronomical rise to this sensitive position came in 2001, after having been promoted from various posts in a span of only two years—from transcript clerk in July 1999 to payroll clerk and later administrative clerk in 2001.

But even her initial employment as transcript clerk was a big surprise, if not a miracle. She was the only Filipino among 12 applicants. The rest were Koreans, three of them graduates of US universities. What made it surprising? Fe was not eve computer literate.

Yet she got the nod of the five-member screening panel, all impressed by her attitude. When asked how well she could handle the computer, Fe honestly admitted her inexperience, but quickly added: “Just give me a month because I learn fast.”

Filipino wives to Koreans

Now Fe is also founder-president of the Filipino Korean Spouses Association (FKSA), whose mission is to help Filipinos like her who are married to Koreans and are living in Korea. Like others before her, communication was the main problem between Korean husbands and their Filipino wives, apart from their cultural differences.

Thus Fe looked for an organization willing to provide free Korean language lessons to various nationalities married to Koreans. In return, Fe teaches them English.

In June 2004, three years after founding the Filipino-Korean group, she petitioned the Philippine Embassy in Seoul to ask the Korean government that foreign women victims of domestic violence be accorded permanent residency status should their husbands divorce them. Her petition was not only acted upon by the Philippine embassy but also enacted into law by the Korean government.

“The Korean government also provides assistance, in cooperation with non-government organizations, in providing counseling services before, during and after inter-racial marriages. Both marrying couple must respect and adjust to each other’s culture for them to have a happy and lasting relationship,” explains Fe, who apparently knows whereof she speaks.

Successful marriage

Fe herself has a successful marriage. “Indeed, I am grateful to my husband for supporting me in helping our less fortunate kababayan (compatriots) in solving their marital problems,” Fe points out.

She says her husband even acts as interpreter and goes out of his way to give advice to his fellow Koreans.

Few knew, however, that she also once had that foreign language problem. Through self-study, she learned how to read and speak Korean, starting in 1997, only a year after she settled in Korea with her husband in 1996.

It was oceans and decades away childhood in Cebu from her humble beginnings in Asturias, Cebu where she was born to poor parents in 1958. Her father was a carpenter with not enough income to send all the children to school. The fourth in a brood of nine, Fe dreamed of finishing college to have a decent job and a better life for her family.

In her young mind, poverty could never be a hindrance to success in life. So she proceeded to work as a sales lady in a watch and jewelry service center in Cebu City, when her parents migrated to Davao City to look for a better life.

She later joined them in Davao, and worked as a photocopier operator. She still had that ambition to finish her education so in June 1978, at the age of 20, she enrolled in first year high school and attended evening classes.

The following year, she took the Philippine Examination Placement Test, an aptitude exam for those deserving to go to college without having to finish four years of high school education.

She finished Bachelor of Science in Commerce, major in Accounting, at the University of Mindanao in Davao City in October 1984 and landed a job in an accounting firm and later at a congressional district office in Mati, Davao Oriental.

In June 1989, Fe took up law and finished the course in 1993-94 but failed to take the bar examination. She was already managing her own business at that time and doing voluntary missionary work with the St. Mary’s Caritas Davao until she met and married her Korean husband in 1996.

The marriage didn’t dampen her passion for missionary work. Obviously, Fe brought it all with her all the way to Korea.

This fighter for foreign wives’ rights is a Cebuana – By Joy Gador, Inquirer – http://globalnation.inquirer.net

Going Home Based

Everybody might have heard this before, but definitely, one can start a profitable home-based business. This doesn’t happen overnight though. You will need to do tons of hard work, but it is worth it. I am one living proof.

I’ve run my own home-based business for the last 2 years. I basically gave up what I did for a living (an employee in a nice pair of shoes and seemingly gorgeous clothing!) and created a website. It took a year of working part time and working on my site and others, but I was finally able to work at home full time.

What I learned after starting my own business?

Only this… you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. I wanted to do everything bigger and better than people in the industry I belong. I was a bit sure I knew better (I just thought so ^^). Finally, when I was tired of waiting for my profits to catch up to my expenses, I decided to start following in the footsteps of people who were doing exactly what I wanted to do… then, it started to pay off the price.

Here in Cosmolife, from time to time, you will find detailed information on how to start various home-based businesses. I WILL BE POSTING THEM SOON FOR YOU TO READ FOR FREE!

Working by yourself is possible. The first thing you need to do is DO SOMETHING. Please don’t just read the info you find here and then do nothing but discuss it over a cup of coffee. Take what you learn and start your business! You won’t lose weighting sitting on the couch talking about how you are going to start exercising “tomorrow”. You can’t start a business discussing it endlessly but never taking that first step. The first few steps are the hardest, but make working on your business a daily habit.

Twilight is IN

I just got up from bed still thinking about “Twilight”. The movie blew me away (shallow me). I’m an avid book lover of a very few “books” and VERY hard to impress as far as book-to-screen adaptations go. But I have scanned Stephen Meyer’s Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and half the way on The Midnight Sun.

I get really bored so constantly passing through chapters (which is not good). But when talking about how the movie goes, I have NO complaints… at all! Some say it was simple, predictable, generic… I thought it was intelligently done with elegance of course.

Kristen and Rob are the perfect Edward Cullen and Isabella “Bella” Swan. They were captivating from start to finish. I sat back on my seat and listened to the whole theatre erupt in laughs, gasps, sighs and jumps at all the right places. Granted most of us in there were young women, but the movie just plain rocked that way. It sucks you in and tells the story just right. Even my friend who hadn’t read the books was just as enthralled as everybody.

The humor was Twilight’s greatest asset. The baseball game was amazing and the mirror fight scene was intense. I enjoyed the music, the non-overdone visual effects, the adherence to all major plot points and characters and the ending. The ending was pretty much the best. I walked out really salivating to see the next three on screen, just like that.

If you give Twilight a shot, you shouldn’t be disappointed. It’s that good (Not to mention… the handsome, bad-and-good flavored Robert Pattinson). One note: Foreign vampires get to shine when hit by sun rays. Filipino version: They light up in fire! Poor economy. Sorry, last comment was not related at all.

SYPNOSIS:

Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) has always been a bit different, never caring about or fitting in with the trendy girls at her Phoenix, Arizona high school. When her mother Renee (Sarah Clarke) remarries and decides to move with her new husband to Florida, and Bella decides to go live with her father, Charlie (Billy Burke), in the rainy little town of Forks, Washington, she doesn’t expect anything to change. Then she meets the mysterious and dazzlingly beautiful Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), a boy unlike any she’s ever met. Intelligent and witty, his piercing eyes see straight into her soul. Soon, Bella and Edward are swept up in a passionate and decidedly unorthodox romance. Edward can run faster than any cheetah, he can stop a moving car with his bare hands, and he hasn’t aged since 1918. Most importantly, he’s a vampire. Like all vampires, he’s immortal. He doesn’t drink human blood (they’re vampire “vegetarians”), which is rare among the vampire population. Instead, they go on regular “hiking” trips, where they feed on prey such as grizzly bears and mountain lions. For Edward, Bella is the thing he has waited ninety years for – a soul mate. But the closer they get, the more Edward must struggle to resist the primal pull of her scent, which could send him into an uncontrollable frenzy. And what will they do when James (Cam Gigandet), Laurent (Edi Gathegi), and Victoria (Rachel Lefevre) come into town and James sets his sights on Bella? Will true love prevail when Edward is forced to save her life and conquer his thirst? The true question is… When you can live forever, what do you live for?

Good Workouts Need a Good Diet

Whether you’re a recreational athlete or a competitive one, you need the right foods to fuel your physical activity.

A healthy diet and the right amount of fluid are keys to good performance. That’s because food provides the energy your body needs to work. The more active you are, the more energy you need to stay active.

Calories provide that energy. Serious athletes need more calories and fluids than those who are less active.

The best diet for you depends on:

• the kind of physical activity you do (A marathon runner has different food needs than a weight lifter or weekend jogger.)
• how long and how often you work out
• your size and weight

Although the same diet won’t work for everyone, there are some general guidelines useful to all. One is that you build your diet around a variety of healthy foods. No “magic” food or diet will turn you into a super-jock.

Another is that, for the active person, carbohydrates and water are the rule. In fact, about two-thirds of your calories should come from carbohydrates. Picking healthy carbs, found in fruits and whole grains, are best for your overall diet.

With all the sports nutrition advice out there, it’s not uncommon for experts to disagree. But avoiding fad diets and foods, and sticking to the basic rules should keep you out of trouble.

If you have nutrition questions related to a specific sport or training routine, consider talking to a qualified trainer or sports nutrition expert. You also can find books dedicated to the sport or activity you’re interested in.

Sports Nutrition 101

Make friends with carbohydrates. You can’t work out, train, or compete well on a low-carbohydrate, low-calorie diet. Your body stores carbohydrates as glycogen in your muscles and liver, and uses it when you exercise. Therefore, about two-thirds of your calories should come from carbs. Good sources include whole grain cereals and breads, fruits, and vegetables.

Know when to eat. Eating before you exercise can rev you up for a good workout and keep you from feeling lightheaded or tired. But having a big meal right before an intense workout can make you sick. A rule of thumb for eating before exercising: allow four hours for a big meal to digest (1,200 calories); two hours for a light meal (about 600 calories); and an hour or less for a snack (300 calories).

Drink up. Generally, you need to drink eight to 10 cups of fluid a day to avoid drying out. You won’t perform your best if you don’t get enough to drink, says Susan Kleiner, a nutrition consultant. Without enough fluid, you can’t build as much muscle or endurance, or burn as many calories.

Drink two cups of fluid a couple hours before you exercise. If your workout is an hour or less, drinking four to six ounces of water every 15 or 20 minutes should help you stay hydrated.

Drink something after your workout, too, like water, fruit juice, or milk. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which dehydrate you.

If you’re a competitive athlete, weigh yourself before and after you exercise. For every lost pound, drink 24 ounces of fluid. If you exercise an hour or less, water is best. If longer than an hour, try sports drinks with carbohydrates and electrolytes to replace lost stores.

• Eat healthy foods. Vitamins, sports drinks, energy bars, powders and gels—you don’t need any of them if you have a healthy diet. Focus on the kind of healthy foods that give your body fuel, says Leslie Bonci, director for sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Besides carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables, and grains, include peanut butter, nuts, and yogurt for protein. Avoid candy bars, potato chips, and other high-calorie foods low in nutrients.
• Refuel your body. Your muscles and body need to recover after a long and tiring workout. Carbohydrates and protein will replace lost fuel and rebuild your body. Having something to eat or drink within 30 minutes after you exercise is best, says Kleiner. Water, sports drinks, juice, and milkshakes are good. Try foods like bagels, yogurt, or a banana or other fruit.

If you want to get the most from your physical activity, make sure you eat right. While you’re not guaranteed a trophy, you’ll come out a winner, both on and off the playing field. – www.aarp.org

Have you been to Davao?

The City of Davao (Tagalog: Lungsod ng Dabaw; Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Dabaw) is the largest city on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines, the country’s largest city in terms of land area, occupying 2,444 square kilometers (recently the city of Puerto Princesa with a total land area of 2,539 square kilometers has been disputing this title). It is also one of the Philippines‘ most progressive cities. Its Davao International Airport and seaport are among the busiest cargo hubs in the southern Philippines.

Davao City is also one of several cities in the Philippines that are independent of any province, though it is usually grouped with Davao del Sur for statistical purposes. The city is also the regional center for Davao Region (Region XI). Davao City has a population of 1,650,337 (2007 census). Metro Davao can also be dubbed as The City of Royalties or The Royal City, because of the presence of the kings and queens of the nature present in Davao. The Queen of Philippine Orchids which is Waling-waling, the King of Exotic Fruits, which is Durian, The King and Grandfather of Philippine mountains, Mt. Apo, the largest eagle in the world and the King of Philippine skies which is the Philippine Eagle, and the City itself which is one of the largest cities in the world in terms of land area.

In recent years, the sprawling urban Metropolis of Davao has emerged as the business, investment and tourism hub for the entire southern Philippines. The city boasts of some of the finest beaches and mountain resorts in the country, and proximity to the Philippines’ most captivating diving spots as well as its highest peak, Mount Apo.

Asiaweek ranked Metro Davao among the 20 Most Livable Cities in Asia, above Metro Manila and Metro Cebu and the number one as the most livable city in the country. Foreign Direct Investment Magazine conducted a study which named Davao City as the 10th “Asian City of the Future”.

Metropolitan Davao

Metropolitan Davao is one of the three recognized Metro areas in the Philippines together with Metro Manila and Metro Cebu. Metro Davao comprises the following cities and municipalities: Davao City, Tagum City, Panabo City, Island Garden City of Samal, Digos City, and the Municipalities of Carmen and Sta. Cruz.

God’s Pharmacy

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye. .. and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All o f the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums.
Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don’t have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female – they look just like these organs. Today’s research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body’s cells. Today’s research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.

A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

Cebu… Here I Come!

Excitement fills up my nerves as the year closes. Posted hereunder are activities for Sinulog 2009:

January 09, 2009 (Friday) Sinulog 2009 Kick Off
Sinulog Photo Exhibits through the years at SM City Cebu, Ayala Center Cebu, MCIAA

2:00PM Solemn Mass (Basilica del Sto. Niño)
3:00 PM Launching Parade (Basilica del Sto. Niño to Cebu City Sports Center)
7:00 PM Opening and Launching Program, Fuente Osmeña featuring Mandaue City Children’s Choir, Dancesports Team Cebu and Dance Troupes from Cebu’s schools and universities
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January 10, 2009 (Saturday) Sinulog sa Kabataan Lalawigan

1:00 PM Parade of Participants, Capitol Site to Cebu City Sports Center
2:00 PM Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan, Cebu City Sports Center
4:30 PM Awarding of Winners
7:00 PM Cultural Show (Fuente Osmeña) DepEd, Cebu Province
9:30 PM Concert at the Fuente Osmeña, Street Party Bands
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January 11, 2009 (Sunday) Sinulog sa Kabataan- Dakbayan

1:00 PM Parade of Participants, Plaza Independencia to Cebu City Sports Center
2:00 PM Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan, Cebu City Sports Center
4:30 PM Awarding of Winners
7:00 PM Cultural Show (Fuente Osmeña)
9:00 PM Concert at the Fuente Osmeña, Street Party Bands

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January 12, 2009 (Monday)

7:30 PM Cultural Show (Fuente Osmeña)
9:00 PM Concert at the Fuente Osmeña, Street Party Bands

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January 13, 3009 (Tuesday)

7:30 PM Cultural show (Fuente Osmeña)
9:00 PM Concert at the Fuente Osmeña, Street Party Bands

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January 14, 2009 (Wednesday)

9:00 AM Airport Welcome (Balikbayan Flights)
7:30 PM Cultural Shows (Fuente Osmeña)
9:00 PM Concert at the Fuente O , Street Party Bands
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January 15, 2009 (Thursday)

9:00 AM Airport Welcome (Balikbayan Flights)
7:00 P.M Ms. Cebu 2008 , Coronation Night at Cebu Waterfront Hotel
7:30 PM Cultural Shows (Fuente Osmeña)
9:00 PM Concert at the Fuente Osmeña, Street Party Bands
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January 16, 2009 (Friday) Visual Merchandising Contest (Dept. Stores and Malls)

7:30 PM Cultural Shows (Fuente Osmeña) DepEd, Cebu City
7:30 P.M Handumanan “The Concert” at SM City Cebu
8:00 PM Balik Cebu, Welcome Party at Ayala Center Cebu
9:00 PM Concert @ the Fuente O , Street Party Bands

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January 17, 2009 (Saturday)

6:00 AM Fluvial Procession of the Miraculous Image of Sto. Niño
9:00 AM Re-enactment of the Baptism of Queen Juana and Rajah Humabon Basilica del Sto. Niño
2:00 PM Solemn Procession of the Miraculous Image of Sto. Niño
6:30 PM Sinulog Festival Queen 2009, Cebu City Sports Center
7:00 PM Street party @ Fuente Osmeñ and Plaza Independencia
8:00 PM Kasadya Nite Mardi Gras @ Ayala Center Cebu
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January 18, 2009 (Sunday) Sinulog 2009 Grand Parade

9:00 AM Sinulog Grand Parade Carousel Kick Off
7:00 PM Grand Fireworks, Cebu City Sports Center
7:30 PM Street Party Bands, Fuente Osmeña
8:00 PM Grand Fireworks Display @ Ayala Football Grounds

Sponsored by Mitsumi Group of Companies
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January 19, 2009 (Monday)
1:00 PM Awarding Ceremonies, Cebu City Sports Center
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January 31, 2009 (Saturday)

1:00 P.M Awarding Ceremonies Photo Contest and Video Documentary Contest
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February 1-10, 2009

Photo Exhibits Winning Photos Sinulog 2009 at SM City Cebu

Men More Attracted to Women in Red

A new study suggests that men are more physically attracted to a woman if she wears red clothes. The report from New York’s University of Rochester conducted different experiments to find out the effects of color on human relationships. Researchers asked more than 100 men to give a score to photographs of women. The men had to rate the women according to how pretty they were, how much the men would like to kiss them, their intelligence and how kind they looked. They also had to provide details of what kind of date they would like to take the women on. The results showed that that the women in the pictures who wore red scored higher and were more likely to be taken on an expensive date. The data showed the color red made no impact on the scores for intelligence and kindness.

The research was carried out by psychology professor Andrew Elliot and his team. He said: “It’s fascinating to find that something as [ever-present] as colour can be having an effect on our behavior without our awareness.” This is one of the first scientific studies to look at the effects of color on human behavior. For most of us, however, it will come as no surprise that red is the color of love and passion. Look no further than red roses on Valentine’s Day and the popularity of deep red lipsticks. Elliot says men may be genetically programmed to be attracted to females wearing red. He said certain apes also display such behavior. Women in the study did not rate the pictured females as prettier; neither did they have the chance to rate men wearing different colors.

Absence Makes What?

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder” means that the time you spend away from one you love makes you love that person even more. (I wanna puke…)

Example: “Does it bother you that your husband goes away on long business trips?” Reply: “No. The time we have spent apart has been good for us. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Well. on the contrary, NOT REALLY. Most women fire up through texting just to check on their partners every millisecond of the day (Am I wrong? ^^).

Reiterated – The word “absence” means to be away. To “grow fonder” is to care more. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” means the time you spend away from someone you love (“absence”) makes you love that person even more (“the heart grows fonder”).

Example: “It is much easier to get along with your parents when you live away from home. You miss them so much and are glad when you see them.” Reply: “It’s true. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” When someone you care for is away, you miss that person and think about them often, and that feeling makes you want to be with them even more.

Romantic. Idealistic. Are you “cereal”? I mean, serious? But surely, it causes a dazzle to frenzy.

A First Glance at Lenovo Thinkpad X300

Out of the blue, I woke up this morning thinking of an intense desire to BUY a laptop (again). Bratty (added to the fact that it is not an easy purchase), but I get so fascinated with the way latest models of laptops look now. Sleek and sexy.. I do not prefer the exaggerated ones, of course. So while surfing the net, I got across Lenovo ThinkPad X300.

Products like Asus Eee PC, MacBook Air, and HP touchscreen laptops are out and gaining popularity in the market. Some people say that everything is getting smaller and smaller which other find not so comfortable. What’s really at stake here? Ultraportability. In line with this, Lenovo has just released their ThinkPad which is expected to create a big roar to all highly portable computers.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X300 costs around $3,000. Its screen is only 13.3 inch (that is, when closed, measures only 1.1-inches thick and weighs as light as 3¼ lbs). Its standard configuration are as follows:

1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor

64GB drive (solid-state )

integrated webcam

microphone

stereo speakers

fingerprint reader

DVD burner (built-in)

2GB of RAM

gigabit Ethernet

802.11n Wi-Fi

There are also available options for your mobile broadband or wireless USB needs.

Now what about its performance? Let’s take a closer look on the HIGH’s and the LOW’s.

On the positive note, it surely has portability and extreme comfort. Having a look very similar to most of its larger cousins, this X300 is dressed in black plastic case with squared edges. Its finish is soft and rubber-like. There are reviews that with the concern on ultraportability, most thin laptops sacrifice the important ergonomics for portability. However, this product features a more comfortable keyboard (full-sized). It also has a relatively larger display. Durability is supported by its solid-state drive which will guarantee protection against accidental bumps. As mentioned earlier, you can have options on mobile broadband and/or wireless USB. It also has a replaceable battery and hard drive if, in the future, you may want to upgrade. Comparing the ports, X300 has a greater array and it is best especially when you are running Windows.

Now what are the low points of it? Short battery life (lasts only 3 hours approximately), limited storage capacity (43GB), mixed performance results (not wise for work involving intensive processing), and ordinary display and sound (colors are not so vibrant).

Well, everything is up to the user. If one’s priority is portability coupled with average performance, then deciding for a Lenovo ThinkPad X300 is not a bad choice at all.

The Forbidden Kingdom

Release Date: April 18, 2008
Studio: Lionsgate
Director: Rob Minkoff
Screenwriter: John Fusco
Starring: Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Michael Angarano, Collin Chou, Crystal Liu Yi Fei, Li Bing Bing
Genre: Action, Adventure
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of martial arts action and some violence)
Official Website: ForbiddenKingdommovie.com
Review: 6.5/10 rating
DVD Review: Not Available
DVD: Not Available
Movie Poster: One-Sheet | Teaser
Production Stills: View here
Plot Summary: A 21st Century American teenager takes a spellbinding, dangerous journey into martial arts legend in the new action/adventure epic “The Forbidden Kingdom.”

Shot on location in China, “The Forbidden Kingdom” marks the historic first-ever onscreen pairing of martial arts superstars Jackie Chan (“Rush Hour,” “Drunken Master”) and Jet Li (“Fearless,” “Once Upon a Time in China”), and features the awe-inspiring action choreography of Woo-Ping Yuen (“The Matrix,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”).

While hunting down bootleg kung-fu DVDs in a Chinatown pawnshop, Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano – “24″, “Will & Grace,” “Lords of Dogtown,” “Seabiscuit”) makes an extraordinary discovery that sends him hurtling back in time to ancient China. There, Jason is charged with a monumental task: he must free the fabled warrior the Monkey King, who has been imprisoned by the powerful Jade Warlord. Jason is joined in his quest by wise kung fu master Lu Yan (Jackie Chan) and a band of misfit warriors including Silent Monk (Jet Li). But only by learning the true precepts of kung fu can Jason hope to succeed – and find a way to get back home.

www.comingsoon.net

Interesting Stuff

Coca-Cola was originally green.

In the 1400 ‘ s a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have ‘the rule of thumb’

Many years ago in Scotland, a new game was invented. It was ruled ‘Gentlemen Only…Ladies Forbidden’….and thus, the word GOLF entered into the English language.

The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV was Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear well.

It is impossible to lick your elbow.

The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this…)

The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%

The average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour… 61,000.

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

The first novel ever written on a typewriter, Tom Sawyer.

Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:

It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride ‘ s father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts… So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them ‘Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.’

It’s where we get the phrase ‘mind your P’s and Q’s’

Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. ‘Wet your whistle’ is the phrase inspired by this practice.

At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow!

Don’t delete this just because it looks weird. Believe it or not, you can read it.

Something To THINK About

-Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
-Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their
conversational skills will be as important
as any other.
-Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you
want.
-When you say, “I love you,” mean it.
-When you say, “I’m sorry,” look the person in the eye.
-Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
-Believe in love at first sight.
-Never laugh at anyone’s dream. People who don’t have dreams, don’t
have much.
-Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it’s the only
way to live life completely.
-In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
-Don’t judge people by their relatives.
-Talk slowly but think quickly.
-When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile
and ask, “Why do you want to know?”
-Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
-Say “God bless you” when you hear someone sneeze.
-When you lose, don’t lose the lesson .
-Remember the three R’s: Respect for self; Respect for others; and
Responsibility for all your actions.
-Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
-When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to
correct it.
-Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your
voice.
-Spend some time alone.

Attraction To Another Man

After years of marriage or relationship with your partner, can you certainly say that you were never in contempt? Well, to define the word.. to be willfully disobedient.

Meeting men during a marriage, or relationship can pose danger to women. It may start with infatuation and grow as deep as fantasizing… even worst being physically involved. How does it feel? As for me, I’m telling you… it was an emotional roller coaster every single tic tac of the clock. My head told me completely different things than my true feelings did. It does take Hercules’ strengths to stay within focus, be objective, and not loose the sight of a greater picture rather than just looking at that precious flirty moment of a temporary “feel-good” factor. The organ called “heart” was the most difficult to convince. You had to whisper “do not give in to temptation” 1 million times. We all know that it is impossible to allow yourself to get attracted to another man while still remain faithful to your partner. One hint of attraction is equivalent to a point of evil (but you can pray that it wouldn’t be… or convince yourself that it is not until you find yourself next to the man’s chest on a hot tub).

However, we can always assess ourselves and do a personal analysis… find out why are you feeling like this in the first place… what consequences could bring this attraction to you?

Quite often as you can think, a woman may have felt something with another man. One friend said that she shared worry-free, fun and relaxed moments with him… and being with her husband or partner, she has to deal with tons of problems and stressful worries as soon as they start a conversation, which has a greater probability of resulting into a fight.

Despite all odds, we have to recognized that instead of living in Hello Kitty’s dream world and “execute” a lot of fantasizing about the man, we have to snap out off it. Think about the deepest commitment. We can never be happy if we were creating our happiness at the cost of hurting our partners.

But this doesn’t mean just because you are married or locked up in a serious relationship, you automatically stop turning your head to other men or even feel any attraction. But be conscious about your actions that they will not hurt your partner… that you absolutely respect and love him. Resistance to something that feels good kills but I’m still holding tight to cross my fingers. ^^

10-Hour Gimmick

TGIF and Sabado nights are much awaited by a lot of people. Getting together, drinking, having fun, and talking about anything under the sun… we had it all last night until now as I am writing this blog. Moments like these are worth keeping, however we should still be watchful about a few details.

Watch out for your funny drunken friends! It can be really enjoyable to simply watch intoxicated people who act stupid and get consumed by alcohol. We love to take photographs and share these with our friends. We can then get surprised about how drunk we looked because of those tantalizing eyes.

If you are not into the drinking spree, I suggest that you act like you’re one just to keep the vibe going on. Well, your friends won’t know the difference (of course!) and then you can just do stupid things with them as I used to do. It may not be good but it is indeed fun. Being euphoric reduces any hangover!

If you can’t push yourself too hard to mingle their way, you can watch a movie.

Can’t find a good DVD? Then, find some sober people to talk to. This is a good opportunity to get to know more of your friends.

If nobody is sober, find drunk people to talk to (worst option possible! ^^). Buzz a friend and he might share a secret that you have been dying to know.

Play bartender if you can (or break those glasses if you can’t).

One can play poker with all the drunk people… gamble a penny and there may be odds that you will win. If you don’t win at all, you can always cheat. Nobody knows that you did because they’re drunk.

Because you are the only normal person in the room, be the designated driver to make sure that your friends arrive home safely. This maybe annoying but it may make you the superhero of the night.

I Once Dreamt of Becoming a Bombshell

Sounds funny and extremely ridiculous, but I would trade my jeans and flip flops for a big hair, thigh-high skirts, and plunging necklines.

I am a far cry from being a glammed-up-hottie persona that shakes every man who stares at me. I am as low maintenance as you get. Getting used to it may sometimes become boring. When looking at a perfect figure, I would have to sigh and wish I am one of them. Not contented huh! Who does not want to be beautiful outside?

If I were a bombshell, I would probably be in the modeling world. It’ s a thrill getting up one sunny morning and knowing that you have got a BIG day ahead of you (apart from the BIG boobs!). Igniting the inner spot, I would go out of my door with a flawless skin, smoky eyes, and glossy lips.

As I have read some articles, I was stunned about how great it is being a real babe.

Lesson One: She cannot afford to become self conscious. You have to be comfortable at all times as long as your butt is not exposed.

Lesson Two: She gets better service. Flattering!

Lesson Three: She has to have the mammaries. Do I need to elaborate more on this? Mammaries… you know.. watermelons in the innocent eyes of men…^^

Lesson Four: Men are dogs. Opppss! Sorry! Well at least for the ones who cannot control their ogling. Some guys walk while holding his girlfriend’s hand and yet his head swivels around just to stare at you.

Lesson Five: Girls will hate. They get furious because you are drop dead gorgeous, too beautiful and they are not… their boyfriends pause for you to blatantly stare at you.

These and more to be happy and be sad with. If this is the case, I realized that being a bootylicious bombshell is not a bomb at all… Let’s call it a day… I should be happier being myself. ^^

Why Do Parents Interfere?

A lot of things frustrates us and first on the list is having our parents try to run our lives (even if you are already married!). As a person, it is a common act to find your own place in the world. Of course we love to make decisions for ourselves… we wouldn’t care if those choices are good ones or bad.

Parents have been there… teen years… married life… and any other life there can be… therefore, we expect them to know that we often need to make mistakes to learn from them. Now why in the hell they can’t just sit back and let us live our “might-be-miserable” lives?

One simple reason… because they love us.

It’s hard to understand (or we just refuse to understand most of the time). But come to think of it… parents find it physically and emotionally distressing to know that their children are up to things that could do them harm. This causes anxiety which makes them act more strictly (as if they’re militia!) towards us. Believe me. It’s definitely a vicious circle. They fear that we will suffer from any danger or be confronted with more problems as a result of the choices that we make, thus they will definitely run with utmost interference. Hahhhh… parental nature.

How to stop it? Just one thing to do; foster some trust. Behave. Be open. Give them an idea of how we think. Show them that we listen (or pretend to listen to make the sermon shorter… ^^). Appreciate the values they have worked hard all these years to instill in us. Agree even if you disagree. Sacrifice on our part demonstrates respect for our parents.

Respect is a vital part of building trust. Work with it to get it.

Are You Having A Cyber Affair?

The Internet is one big technical progress to our civilization, however it also becomes one of the easiest mediums to pornography and, worst, have Internet affairs. Cyber sex is one popular “relationship crime” to commit. In fact, 8-10% of Internet users are addicted to cyber sex and about one third of couple separation and divorce litigation is ignited by these so called online affairs.

Now we are confronted with bigger questions; Is cyber sex a form of cheating? Is it considered adultery? What should a person do if there is a suspicion that your spouse is having an online affair? Is cyber affair a real affair? With our modern times, is it that really easy to cross the line?

A wife was interviewed on this matter and here is what she had to say:

“My husband is spending long hours on the computer in his office and when I’d walk in, he’d be switching so I couldn’t see what he was doing. He’d say he was working. And then I had gotten a picture sent to me from my sister and I’m not very computer literate, and I was checking the computer to find out where I put the picture when I downloaded it. I started finding pictures that he had – some very interesting photos.”

Finding things out, the wife installed a software package on the computer that she and her husband shared. It kept track every inch of activity on the computer from e-mails, instant messages, web sites often visited and even a single keystroke made from that computer. Reports were automatically emailed to her and that’s how she caught him.

That triggered her. She started making copies of everything that was going on as she planned to set him up by pretending that she was somebody with a different name. She was able to have a friendly conversation with him at first. It was for quite a while and then the husband started to shell out his behavior which made her find out exactly what he was doing and what he was saying.

But other people contradicts the idea that this form of activity is an affair. They reason out that no body fluids exchanged… no penetration with sticky keys… when you are “typing”, you are literally typing. Why does a person enjoy pornography? Why does a person engage himself in cyber sex? Why does one enjoy “flirty” chats? Why divert the wrong way?

All of us should consider the fact that there might be a problem in our relationships or marriages because if there was none, one wouldn’t be probably making love to a computer. Most men’s opinion: Cyber affairs are harmless. Do you think so? I think it’s getting close to the edge… which at times, definitely hard to resist.

Holding “The Notebook”

While blogging early this morning, sipping a cup of hot malt, I thought about what movie should I be watching for today (as a part of my undying accent training for some work…).  I feel dramatically “senti” today as I woke up too early out of sleeplessness. I cried so hard out of pity for Ejay… PBB… teen plus… you know? Kinda hooked up here! Also I think some soul must be thinking about me… hehehe!. After looking for a few links, I finally chose a movie which I happened to watch years ago. The pic is your clue.

In all honesty, my uncle paid me to go see The Notebook with my friends because he kept saying how magnificent it was. I went because it was free and with no expectations at all. However, The Notebook drew me into the story from the beginning right up until the credits – and then kept me crying for quite some time after it had ended.

I, along with almost every other person i have discussed the movie with, felt involved in the situations and the lives of the character… crying at the sad moments and feeling joy at the happy bits.

In general, love stories are predictable and somewhat dull (well… in my opinion. I have had all the drama in my life of course!) yet this movie kept me guessing at the outcome and delivered twists throughout the whole film. The Notebook was extremely well constructed and I would give it an eleven-out-of-ten stars… a truly unremarkable film (aside from Notting Hill which I am proud to shout out aloud that I’ve watched it 27 times… ^^).

Life After Your Ideal Diet

Dieting is tough, but backsliding is what really discourages people. As soon as they give up their crash diets, reducing pills, plastic suits, and rigorous exercise, they tend to drift back into their old habits and put pounds right back on.

The ideal weight, as a rule of the thumb, should be to allow 100 pounds for a woman five feet tall and then add five pounds for every inch over that height. For a man, allow 106 pounds for five feet of height and then add six pounds for every inch over that. Actually, your ideal weight is the weight at which you can feel and function at your best, so it could be higher or lower than the tables suggest.

As a home based entrepreneur and a writer, I am not actively engaged in physical activity, so my diet must be even more restricted to achieve weight maintenance. I always plan to enroll in an exercise program (boxing is my utmost choice!), but the plan remains a plan even until now.

There are four techniques which I use to restructure my eating habits to sustain my ideal weight without too much deprivation. It is basically mind over matter!

1. Keep and inventory of what you eat or drink for one week.

List everything down. This may be tiring and nonsense but believe me, it makes sense at all. If you are eating more than you should, cut the calories down.

2. Change your attitude toward food.

Keep in mind that innocent-looking temptations can be culprits (oh… like flirt men, you know! ^^). Fact is you can gain three and a half pounds a year by adding a pat of butter or margarine to your toast everyday; and three pounds a tear by adding just two teaspoons of sugar to your fave hot drink everyday (it breaks my heart to take unsweetened Milo malt… grrr… mind over matter…).

3. Change your food preparation.

Broiling food instead of frying it can reduce as many as 200 calories per serving. Eating a baked potato instead of 20 french fries saves 35 calories. A poached or boiled egg contains 35 calories fewer than a fried egg. When opting for salads, go for fruits and veggies instead of canned fruits. Sprinkle lemon juice on these salads instead of salad dressings.

4 . Put temptation behind you.

Don’t watch “foody witch” TV commercials (hahaha! Close your eyes instead). Don’t go to supermarkets when you’re hungry. While at work, don’t carry loose change for creepy stuff to buy. Don’t snack for pastries during break. Take a walk instead. At home, use smaller plates. Eat slowly pleaseeee… and chew properly!

I do things this way to achieve an ideal weight which results to an ideal look. Friends may say I’m drowning in vanity or wandering in paranoia. But doing this makes me feel good… and looking good is a plus!

Unhappily Breaking Into Boracay

Months ago, we went to Cebu for Sinulog festival and out of curiosity, we headed to the famous Boracay  kingdom via The Panoly Resort Hotel. “Club Panoly”… enchanting right? They typically portray images of the best sunset and whitest sand beach having the four-star hotel facilities suited to our planned vacation. So when one of our relatives told me that they booked our accommodation with the Panoly for our Boracay trip, I was indeed too excited.

After a safe travel, we finally got there by afternoon. Certainly, the sunset was perfect. White sand beach front was amazing. Just one thing destroyed our mood.. the resort itself. The facilities are scruffy (synonym to grungy and untidy!) and everything was ill-maintained. The supposedly “magnificent” pool was uninviting. Where’s the spa anyway? Virtually non-existent. The wall paint in our rooms was peeling off like faces of women who have just started using hydroquinone exfoliant… and a lot more to mention.

In addition to that, they boasted that they have got the best restaurant in the land but the fact is, they were only serving guests who walk in to have their lousy meals (graces… sorry about that…). What irritated me most is that if there was really a real cook around, we would have been satisfied with a hotel-like food. However, I wonder if all of it was just bought out of the blah-blah-blah whatever!

Mind you. I am not good at blogging bitter things but I just happened to wake up this morning feeling the summer breeze (too hot!) and I remembered how pissed off I was breaking into Boracay, sadly, for the first time.

Eve’s Confession

My husband is an Engineer by profession, I love him for his steady nature, and I love the warm feeling when I lean against his broad shoulders.

Three years of courtship and now, two years into marriage, I would have to admit, that I am getting tired of it. The reasons of me loving him before has now transformed into the
cause of all my restlessness. I am a sentimental woman and extremely sensitive when it comes to a relationship and my feelings, I yearn for the romantic moments, like a little girl yearning for candy. My husband, is my complete opposite, his lack of sensitivity, and the inability of bringing romantic moments into our marriage has disheartened me about love. One day, I finally decided to tell him my decision, that I wanted a divorce “Why?” he asked, shocked. “I am tired, there are no reasons for everything in the world!” I answered. He kept silent the whole night, seems to be in deep thought with a lighted cigarette at all times.

My feeling of disappointment only increased, here was a man who can’t even express his predicament, what else can I hope from him? And finally he asked me: ” What can I do to change your mind?” Somebody said it right, it’s hard to change a person’s personality, and I guess, I have started losing faith in him. Looking deep into his eyes I slowly answered : “Here is the question, if you can answer and convince my heart, I will change my mind. Let’s say, I want a flower located on the face of a mountain cliff, and we both are sure that picking the flower will cause your death, will you do it for me?” He said: “I will give you your answer tomorrow….”

My hopes just sank by listening to his response. I woke up the next morning to find him gone, and saw a piece of paper with hi s scratchy handwriting, underneath a milk glass, on the dining table near the front door, that goes….

My dear,

“I would not pick that flower for you, but please allow me to explain the reasons further..” This first line was already breaking my heart. I continued reading… “When you use the computer you always mess up the software programs and you cry in front of the screen, I have to save my fingers so that I can help restore the programs. You always leave the house keys behind, thus I have to save my legs to rush home to open the door for you. You love traveling but always lose your way in a new city, I have to save my eyes to show you the way. You always have the cramps whenever your “good friend” approaches every month, I have to save my palms so that I can calm the cramps in your tummy. You like to stay indoors, and I worry that you will be infected by infantile autism. I have to save my mouth to tell you jokes and stories to cure your boredom. You always stare at the computer, and that will do nothing good for your eyes, I have to save my eyes so that when we grow old, I can help clip your nails, and help remove those annoying white hairs. So I can also hold your hand while strolling down the beach, as you enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful sand… and tell you the colour of flowers, just like the color of the glow on your young face… Thus, my dear, unless I am sure that there is someone who loves you more than I do… I could not pick that flower yet, and die.. “

My tears fell on the letter, and blurred the ink of his handwriting… and as I continue on reading… “Now, that you have finished reading my answer, if you are satisfied, please open the front door for I am standing outside bringing your favorite bread and fresh milk… I rushed to pull open the door an d saw his anxious face, clutching tightly with his hands the milk bottle and loaf of bread…

Now I am very sure that no one will ever love me as much as he does, and I have decided to leave the flower alone… That’s life, and love. When one is surrounded by love, the feeling of excitement fades away, and one tends to ignore the true love that lies in between the peace and dullness. Love shows up in all forms, even very small and cheeky forms, it has never been a model, it could be the most dull and boring form… flowers, and romantic moments are only used and appear on the surface of the relationship. Under all this, the pillar of true love stands… and that’s our life… Love, not words win arguments…

Handling Jealousy

When it feels like the competition is closing in… it’s either you defy or get consumed by it.

For me, jealousy strikes anytime. Who says it is good to feel hanging on air for the longest time? It is not easy to ignore the problem even if you spend considerable time brooding over the matter. But still, it is one of the most difficult things to cope with. We just could not make the changes we wanted for ourselves. We could not change the person the way we want them to be. Any help? Certainly there are some ways which can greatly help.

1. Admit that you are jealous. – I think jealousy eats me, makes me unhappy, hostile and other worst adjective available. So then, tell yourself, “I am jealous and it is normal.”

2. Learn to like yourself. – Mostly, we are dissatisfied because we tend to compare ourselves to others. Love yourself. We are all unique.

3. Make a list of your assets. – Be surprised at the results and appreciate who you really are. Alongside, list your liabilities and stop being egoistic.

4. Don’t dwell on self. – Reach out to other people. Try not to keep your mind closed and “pea-sized.” Enjoy a wide circle of friends because people who care about others are seldom jealous.

5. Take a look at the other side. – Are you happy overvaluing the traits of the other person? Be realistic. He or she is not perfect at all. Everyone is fighting some type of uphill struggle.

6. Be objective about happiness. – You are not a failure if you are not like this or that. Put everything into perspective. If you’re not that beautiful, flaunt your bubbly personality. That way, you can be considered as equally pretty as the person you envy.

Deal with the symptoms. Deal with the problem. Take over the varying shades of green.

The Events of Holy Week

Holy Week is the last week of Lent, when we follow Jesus from Palm Sunday, the Sunday of the Passion, to his death on Good Friday in preparation for his rising from the dead on Easter Sunday.

Palm Sunday: Accompanied by his disciples, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt, while crowds of people covered the streets ahead of him with their cloaks and with palm branches.

Monday: Jesus chased the money-changers out of the Temple.

Tuesday and Wednesday: Jesus preached and taught in Jerusalem.

Thursday: After washing the feet of the disciples, Jesus celebrated Passover, instituting the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

He went to Gethsemane to pray where he was arrested by the Temple guard and taken to an illegal night session of the Jewish court, the Sanhedrin.

Good Friday: Jesus was taken into Roman courts, before Pontius Pilate and Herod Antipas, who sent him back to the Jewish court. Roman soldiers took him to Golgotha, the place of the skull, where he was crucified.

Saturday: Jesus rested in the tomb while his disciples observed the Sabbath.

Easter Sunday: An angel met Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” (perhaps Mary, the mother of James and John) at the tomb to tell them that Jesus was risen from the dead.

http://www.sundayschoollessons.com/holyweek.htm

 

Get It On Time… 3:10 To Yuma

There was a time when Westerns engaged audiences on the level of a simple morality play where audiences knew who the good and bad guys were. James Mangold’s 3:10 to Yuma is a masterful revisionist update of the classic western and I mean “revisionist” in the best sense of the word. That is to say, not only does the film unearth a seemingly forgotten genre but it also deconstructs the familiar elements to their spare parts to explore the darker weathers of human nature and the triumph of good that can arise in between. That I completely forgot there was a previous adaptation of this Elmore Leonard story is a testament to how great this film is.

The movie opens in the home of Dan Evans (Christian Bale), a man seeking to rebuild his own life after he lost a leg in the Civil War. He is tired of the looks of shame and disdain from his wife, Alice (Gretchen Mol) and kids, William (Logan Lerman) and Mark (Benjamin Petry) and he is barely trying to keep his ranch afloat in the face of overdue loans. That chance seems to arrive to him when he seizes the rare and perilous opportunity to transport a captured infamous robber and murderer, Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) to his prison train for a payment of 200 dollars that will help cover his debts.

Dan’s posse includes Doc Potter (Alan Tudyk), Byron McElroy (Peter Fonda), a bounty hunter who has a personal vested interest in bringing Wade to justice, and others who work under railroad worker, Grayson Butterfield (Dallas Roberts). Wade has his own posse now led by his right-hand man, Charlie Prince (Ben Foster), who gazes with snaky eyes at Dan’s crew and follow them to make sure they never make it to the 3:10 train to Yuma, which will transport Wade to prison where he will immediately be hanged.

The film’s focus is really on Dan and Ben, two opposed men who know they cannot trust each other but may have to anyway and even bare their own souls to fight for their lives. Ben is a scarier criminal because he can actually intellectualize about his evil deeds with erudite irony. He is smarter than anyone else can catch on and intuits his situations so quickly that it dumbfounds everyone including himself.

His philosophizing of his hedonistic behavior becomes a source of temptation for Dan, the hero who fears what hidden darker side he will unleash in his quest to redeem his status by bringing Ben to justice. That’s made more complicated when William sneakily tags along and seems eerily fascinated by Ben’s machismo posturing. Such ideas bring greater depth to the gun battles that happen in between where Ben’s violent nature can hurt but also help the livelihood of the posse against other unforeseen enemies.

To make this complex character study come to life, director James Mangold has rightly picked great actors like Christian Bale and Russell Crowe to embody them. There is good acting you recognize and greater acting you hardly notice and when Bale and Crowe exchange dialogue, we reflect on the meaning of the words instead of realizing how well they are really delivering them. Their eloquent conversations make us hardly anticipate another action scene and have us guessing who will be the last man standing.

Watching this film, the best he has ever directed, finally made me understand the common theme that runs through all of his vastly different films – people who seek balance and stability despite their dissatisfaction with their place in the world… 3:10 to Yuma does just that with great brevity. Its most insightful message is how after all the shooting and mayhem, the man who can fight with his words rather than his guns or his fists is the one who truly wins.

http://moviejohn.blogspot.com/2007/09/310-to-yuma.html

 

Why Women Cheat? Well…

 

 

In the old days, women cheating on her spouse were never heard of. There might be some cases of it but were very seldom discussed. However, in our modern and liberated times, a lot of women commit the most dreadful sin in the society (which is unfortunately unacceptable because they are W-O-M-E-N!). Do we notice any difference in men and women cheating? Men often cheat for damn physical reasons while women most often deal with unending emotional reasons. Name it: loneliness, self esteem, boredom and revenge. Fine, they are all inexcusable but they definitely exist in the fickle mind of an unfaithful woman. Guilt increases exponentially. Lust may be an addition, too.
Loneliness. Being in a current relationship doesn’t mean happiness at all times. Most often, when relationships get longer, partners get tired with each other (Fine. Not in general.) When this happens, women feel that the relationship is not anymore emotionally fulfilling. Not receiving the attention she expects to have paves way to be tempted to seek such attention elsewhere thus becoming involved in an affair.
Revenge. Hate to admit it but it has been becoming an increasing factor as to the reasons why women cheat. A modern-day woman is no longer willing to stay martyr, sit back and accept the hurtful fact that her partner may cheat or is already cheating on her. Just one confirmation or a slight suspicion can ignite the fire within. A lot of women fall on the trap of committing the crime as an act of revenge.
Boredom. Some men are boring. These men sometimes act like boys (disgusting!). Unlucky you if you got them. Some relationships are in a rut and relatively having no excitement at all. We tend to find the early stages of the relationship which a partner may fail to keep up. Having hopes of achieving excitement may be good but letting her turn to the man “along the corridor“, should be the worst. Affairs may be a temporary solution… but temporary or permanent, it still destroys.
Zero Self Esteem. A point in a relationship comes where a partner loses effort to reassure his woman making her feel insecure. Guys, haven’t you heard of “THE” fact? Hate to say this AGAIN but a lot of women want more admiration than you can ever imagine. Women want more attention wider than the universe (Okay… that’s just exaggerating!). They tend to look for someone who makes them feel attractive and extremely desirable. Then suddenly a guy next door says something good to her ear… chances are… she turns her head to him.

Some of these ideas may not be acceptable to any of beautiful Eve’s species, but we would not lose anything much if both sexes give a little thought about these things, right?

 

 

10,000 BC The Legend. The Battle. The First Hero.

Old historians always wondered how the Egyptians of the past built the pyramids. Indeed, one of the greatest mysteries of our civilization. Roland Emmerich (Director of Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow) has solved this thing out for all of us. Funny how they needed mammoths to help them. What are these? M-a-m-m-o-t-h-s; kind of like huge, furry mules looking like elephants (whatever!).

Anyway, 10,000 BC is the epic of D’Leh (gorgeous actor, Steven Strait), a young mammoth hunter in the snowy mountains. He and his tribe are in trouble as some of their people are disappearing. He falls in love with Evolet (beautiful Camilla Belle), a uniquely blue-eyed girl his tribe adopts after her family is killed. Nobody had another eye color in the movie except her (worst blue contacts though!). Can’t they just take a naturally blue-eyed actress? When Evolet and a few others are kidnapped by a band of warlords, D’Leh, his mentor Tic Tic (Cliff Curtis)…yes, a grown man named Tic Tic, and D’Leh’s young “sidekick” Baku (Nathaneal Baring) cross the world to save them. Along the way they must fight “ugly terror birds”, saber tooth tigers, and elements of all unimaginable kinds. They are joined by other tribes who have lost people to the slave raiders, and together they march on to “Egypt” to free their people from a tyrannical god (I think he is gay!)…

Some questions I had in mind was that how this ancient man, (with his sexy dirty dread locks) can cross snowy mountains, lush grasslands, and the deserts of Egypt, with little food and water, and have a perfectly groomed goatee? Hushhh… Hushhh…

The performances were great in my opinion. With the loss of Heath Ledger, I say Steven Strait is someone to watch. Believe it. He had to lose 30 lbs of muscle for his role.

I enjoyed the movie despite all the reviews I have read before actually buying the 70-peso pink ticket (not to mention my cheeseburger meal!). I wouldn’t want to expect historical accuracy. I totally get that 10,000 BC isn’t when the pyramids were built. I get that it’s a appropriate number rather than use 2267 BC which may sound itchy as a movie title. I love epic stories about love and heroes. Who cares…

36 Ways to Reduce Stress

An Angel says, “Never borrow from the future. If you worry
about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn’t happen, you have
worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry
twice.”

1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won’t fit into your time
schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough,
two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult
projects over time; don’t lump the hard things all
together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a
concern, find out what God would have you do and let go
of the anxiety. If you can’t do anything about a
situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don’t use credit cards for
ordinary purchases.
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an
extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of
advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in
line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve
your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to
nip small problems in the bud. Don’t wait until it’s
time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair
and hope is often a good “Thank you Jesus.”
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing
the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the
most.)
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down..
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager
of the universe
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you’re
grateful for that you’ve never been grateful for before.
GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU. “If God
is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
My instructions were to send this to four people that I
wanted God to bless and I picked you. I decided to send
it to more than four, because I didn’t want to limit
blessings.

Game of the Bottle

If the game of the bottle is said to be dangerous, how come many people play it?

“I get lonely and I need friends.” Well, it is definitely hard to say NO if your friends are all drinking.

“Alcohol is easy to get.” Certainly. So is rat poison. Just because something is available is no reason to get involved.

“Everyone does it.” This isn’t simply true. Many people do drink – far too many abusing their bodies. Why would you do such crap then?

“I get a kick out of it.” Funny but after the kick comes the heartache.

“A drinker never hurt.” Big mistake. Huge mistake.

“It’s my life. I am only hurting myself.” Another buzz! It is damn impossible to live our lives as if we were in a vacuum. Everything we do affects many others.

“I cannot stop anytime I want to.” Stop convincing yourself this way. It sucks. Recovery rates may be too low mainly because one doesn’t admit that he even has a big problem with it.

“When I drink, I am self confident.” Maybe the exact word is cheerful or euphoric?

Above all, I love alcohol. Blame it on the rain.

References

H & H (Ellen G. White – Testimonies, The Desire of Ages, etc. )

More Marriages will Survive

The bad news is that almost half of U.S. marriages end in divorce currently. The good news is that government researchers expect a decline inthe divorce rate over the next decade.

“Itappears that divorce, remarriage,and redivorce may have peaked in the late 1970s and will recede” between now and the endof the century.

The reasons for this trend reversal include later marriages, more realistic expectations, and less pressure to wed.

Here is an interesting article found in the internet. Take time to read.

For better or for worse

Sooner or later most couples face a test of their marriage vows: a serious automobile accident, the loss of a job, a diagnosis of cancer in the family, a house fire, the death of a loved one. Going through tough times can leave a husband and wife feeling closer and more committed to each other than ever before, or it can sever their relationship.

How would your marriage fare in facing such traumatic times? Would it survive?

The key to helping your marriage survive tough times is to make sure your relationship is built on a strong foundation before hard times strike.

“Some couples come through a crisis and feel that it strengthened the bond between them because they conquered the problem together,” says Norman Epstein, professor of family studies at the University of Maryland. “But in the majority of cases, unfortunately, tragedies tend to drive husbands and wives apart.”

It’s during tough times that couples often do the things that tend to undermine their marriage, just when they need each other the most. “When couples are under a lot of stress, they tend to only do the necessary things for day-to-day survival, and their relationship fades into the background,” Dr. Epstein says. “They focus all their time and energy into the crisis and don’t have any energy left for their marriage. Eventually they may get worn down to the point where they feel alienated from one another.”

“If you let a stressful situation dominate your life, that’s when it’s easy to start thinking your mate is not doing his or her share of the couple’s responsibilities and begin keeping score,” says Scott Stanley, codirector of the Center for Marital and Family Studies at the University of Denver and author of Fighting For Your Marriage.

One Hello

If you’re not afraid
Of what love brings
Then endings are beginnings
Of beautiful things
Its a chance you’ll take
It’s a chance you’ll win
If someone’s gonna find you
First you gotta let them in

Coz love begins with one hello
The hardest part is over
Now its easy letting go
One hello is how it starts
You might win it all or lose your heart

If you’re not afraid
Of what you feel
Then try and keep it simple
Or try and keep it real
And if being real means
Means you’ll some day will say goodbye
Remember my friend
Goodbyes not the end
Its a circle you know
And it starts with one hello

Love begins with one hello
The hardest part is over
Now it’s easy letting go
One hello is how it starts
Remember my friend
Goodbyes not the end
Its a circle you know
And it starts with one hello
It starts with one hello