Michael Jackson: The Total Performer

Everyone is talking about him. There are negative things that his detractors made a field day of. How easily we believe and wallow in them. But have we ever thought of giving him the benefit of the doubt? The more scandalous the item was, the more the public indulged in it. The man had great talent and we should accord him that!

This video is one of my favorites- "Will You Be There?".
Will you be there when it's I who will be needing you?
I hope you'll enjoy it!

From:aliveagain2006

Cardiac Diseases -Prevention and Laboratory Tests

clipart.com
Who are prone to cardiovascular diseases? What tests are performed to determine this? How could one prevent this? Vital questions about the heart that we should answer.

People who are overweight or obese , who are hypertensive, have sedentary lifestyles, smoke and drink alcohol and who have a family history of heart attacks and strokes, are usually prone to cardiac ailments. If you have ticked two or more of these, then you must have an ECG stress test, thallium stress test, ECG, CT scan, and echocardiogram, and of course, the LIPID panel test. In the laboratory, the cardiac panel test commonly consists of :

1. CHOLESTEROL
2. TRIGLYCERIDE
3. HDL
4. LDL

The accepted values for each are:

* Cholesterol <200> 40 mg/dL (1.04 mmol/L)
* LDL-cholesterol <100 style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">Eat lots of vegetables and fruits; e.g. apple, banana, oranges, grapefruit, garlic, watergourd, cucumber, and oatmeal. Fruits and vegetables are antioxidants (have carotenoids and flavonoids) and have lots of fibers to increase metabolism and reduce lipid build up. Oatmeal fibers help carry the bad cholesterol out from the body instead of allowing it to be absorbed by the blood.

2. Exercise 30 minutes everyday : 10 minutes of stretching and 20 minutes of brisk walking. The exercise will increase your blood flow, thereby avoiding the formation of lipid plaques or emboli in your blood vessels.

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3. Lessen fat and dairy intake. This includes meat fat , ice cream, butter , etc. These are sources of LDL (bad cholesterol) which increases the blood levels of the lipids. When lipids are in excess in the blood, they tend to amass in the inner linings of the vessel and form “plaques”. The plaques prevent the normal flow of blood and may plug blood vessels when they rupture. Plaques may also block the vein in the heart and cause a heart attack.

4. Lower salt and sodium intake – this is to prevent the risk of hypertension. High sodium in blood increases the risk of stroke because of hypertension and renal dysfunction. Avoid canned vegetables, luncheon meat, pickles, bacon, cheese, canned soups because they are rich in sodium. Cereals can also be a rich source, so read food labels carefully.

5. Stop smoking – carbon monoxide facilitates the elevation of cholesterol and impedes the transport of oxygen; thereby increasing the risk of cardiac disease. Smoking lowers HDL (good cholesterol) too.

6. Maintain a healthy weight - Obesity is one factor that leads to hypertension and to cardiac disease. e.g. for a 50 yr old female of 5 feet the ideal weight is 128 lbs. There is no consensus however as to what exactly is an ideal weight. This will depend on the body fat , musculature, metabolism and health of the patient. Almost all clinics have a BMI chart to which you can refer to.

7. Be sure you do not have diabetes – having diabetes is one predisposing factor to cardiac ailment. Diabetic patients have greater chances of acquiring heart disease because of insulin resistance that may lead to hyperlipidemia (increased blood concentration of lipids). The formation of plaque or emboli in the veins (atherosclerosis) is also enhanced in a person with diabetes.

8. Daily intake of aspirin has been proven in studies to have reduced by 25 % the risk of vascular attacks according to the British Journal of Medicine dated January 2002. The risk of internal bleeding however, should be considered in patients who may adversely respond to it. Aspirin has an anti-platelet activity which prevents emboli formation inside the blood vessels. A dosage of 80- 160 mg is usually the standard dose. Your attending physician should decide whether it is beneficial to you or not.

9. Stop alcohol consumption –Alcohol elevates triglycerides which can lead to stroke and heart attack. It also increases blood pressure and leads to obesity; all factors that contribute to the increase of heart attack. Researches claiming that red wine reduces HDL are still not approved by the AHA (American Heart Association) because there is no scientific proof to the claims. Locally, the old folk in the barrio drinking “tuba” (sugar cane wine) or “tapey” ( rice wine) are observed to have long lives. This can be explained by the sources of the “wine” – natural food, which have been fermented naturally. Wheat and sugar cane have lots of fiber and antioxidants which can increase HDL (good cholesterol), which is not true with commercially prepared alcoholic beverages.


Free-graphics.com

If, however; after following these preventive measures and you still experience the following:

1. Chest discomfort
2. Discomfort or numbness in the arms, neck, jaw , back or stomach
3. Shortness of breath
4. Nausea
5. Lightheadedness
6. Cold sweat

You are having a heart attack. Rush to the nearest hospital. It will save your life.

If , on the other hand, you feel one or more of the following:

1. Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
2. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
3. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
4. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
5. Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Then it is a stroke. Do not wait for other symptoms to become apparent . Consult your doctor immediately. One heart is all you’ve got!

References:
cnetwork.org
nhlbi.nih.gov
quitsmokingsupport.com
americanheart.org
americanheart.org
Calbreath, Donald F: Fundamentals of Clinical Chemistry

Award and Tag From Mommy Dee

I stopped posting and accepting awards a few months ago, but just this once, I will accept Mommy Dee's award -The Creative Mom Blogger Award. Thanks a lot Dee.

This award was given to her by Mommy Jac of Mom's Special Diary.

The Rules of this Award are: (I copied this verbatim from Dee's post)

1. Take your award and put the logo on your post.
2. Link the person who awarded you. Remember each recipient of the award should acknowledge the person who honored them and go to Mom's Special Diary to copy and paste the award.
3. Put your own blog title and link.
4. Nominate at least five deserving moms.

1.Mom's Special Diary; 2. Tales From The Mom Side; 3. Random Thoughts

I'm awarding this to all my readers. Please feel free to accept and post the award in your blogs. Thanks.

Here's also another tag from Mommy Dee. You could learn about what your name could have been in the 1950s. Here's Mommy Dee's name:

Your 1950s Name is: Joni Gwendolyn

What's Your 1950s Name?

If you're interested, go ahead and discover. I won't be tagging anyone, you're all welcome to the adventure.

Resources for Research Assignments in College Biology

Education - in order for it to be effective - should evolve in conjunction with the society in which it exists in. The knowledge acquired should be relevant with the times. You could not teach now typing lessons making use of the old models of typewriters; instead, it is taught now with highly advanced computers. This is to respond to the society’s needs and the updates in technology.

Likewise with research, the whole world wide web is at your fingertips to research on various genre of topics that would be assigned to you. You should however be careful and particular about your internet sources. Not all internet sources are legitimate and accurate. You have to be certain that your sources are dependable, especially if these are in the field of science - like biology.

For sure, in Biology Lab, there would be several researches assigned to you as students, regarding laboratory procedures that you would be performing.

There are times however, that going out to the environment and observing or collecting live samples are impossible and that’s where internet research options are the best choice of educational materials.

Coursehero provides Biology Homework Solutions , useful study materials, textbook helps and study groups, which would facilitate and enhance your learning experience in your Biology course. This would eventually earn you good marks in your Biology Exam, if you are able to use the available teaching resources properly.

Learning need not be boring and uneventful. You could enjoy while learning!

Find Peace Through Inner Healing

More and more people are becoming aware of the fact that genuine peace and contentment come from the inside - just like the concept that happiness emanates from within. No one can make you happy but yourself. This goes true with peace and inner healing. If you analyze this carefully, you would realize that it is your perception of things that counts, and the attitude that you generate from this perception.


If you perceive things and events with a positive attitude, then you could always be happy and at peace. This however, takes practice and your daily renewal of the positive mind-set that you should acquire.

In order for inner healing to take place, you should be first:

1. at peace with yourself

This can be done through yoga, meditation or mind relaxation. To be at peace with yourself, you should spend some quiet time alone. This would give you the chance to evaluate your life and resolve to be better.

You should forgive not only people who wronged you, but should also forgive yourself for your own transgressions. Sometimes, we are even less forgiving of ourselves than of others. You must remember that no one is perfect.

2. at peace with the people around you

If you had a fight with someone - forget about it. Let bygones be bygones. Renew your friendship instead, and bridge the gap between yourselves.

We oftentimes lose sleep over a person who had wronged us. Because of this, we become insomniacs. Our health suffers, and we become ill physically and spiritually.

You should learn to let go of the past demons. As the cliche' goes: "To err is human, to forgive is divine."

Blissful sleep would be at your doorstep once you let go of those demons that haunt you.

3. at peace with the world

When you have attained the first two, then this third step would not be difficult. You should consider yourself as a tiny unit of the whole, which is the universe.

Every simple little thing that you do contributes to the stability of the whole. One very specific example is about your own garbage. If you don't take the responsibility to properly discard it, then eventually everything around you will get affected by your irresponsible behavior.

When you are at peace with the world, this means being responsible about the environment, nature and all the biota and fauna around you - being in sync with the universe.

Have you noticed that when you help a stray kitten, there is a warmth flow of positive energy within you? It is because your kindness evokes positive vibes back to you.

Have you noticed that when you helped in the "Community Tree Planting Program, or the "Feeding Program"- These gave you a different high?

These are the positive feedbacks of being virtuous and generous. You need not be Mother Theresa redivivus, you just need to do what you can, in your own little way.

All these positive actions attract positive vibes that would lead to inner peace and contentment.

The processes above could be facilitated by meditation methods. Meditation induces inner healing because of the effect it has on the central nervous system (CNS).

"A non-meditated life is a life not worth living", would be an apt description of the very essential role of meditation in a person's life.

Meditation relieves you of stress and anxiety. It is now accepted as one of the alternative treatments for several conditions like, drug addiction, obesity, insomnia and many more. When stress and anxiety are relieved, the accompanying diseases that usually go with these two are also eradicated.

Stress and anxiety cause a lot of stress-related conditions like insomnia, high blood pressure, and an addiction to substances of abuse. This is because most people usually relieve stress by smoking, drinking alcohol, using drugs or through an eating binge which would eventually result to obesity, high blood pressure, insomnia and many other pathologic conditions.

Insomnia in turn may cause hypertension, disorientation, stupor , etc. which would affect your mental and physical alertness. Lack of sleep weakens your Central Nervous System (CNS) and therefore all of your physiologic body functions would deteriorate .

Meditation does the opposite - it relieves you of stress; therefore it decreases your tendency to develop a disease. The cure comes from the inside, as a result of your inner peace and calmness.

Here are simple steps of Benson's Respiratory One Method (ROM):

1. Find a place where you could sit comfortably. Your back should be straight and your posture good. Do not lie down as this would induce you to sleep.

2. Allow your muscles to relax. Your eyes should be closed so that you can "feel" your muscles relaxing. Start with your toes. Feel them relaxing and becoming heavy; then go upwards; the heel, the legs, the buttock, abdomen, arms, neck and then the face.

You should allow each muscle to relax before proceeding. Do this by mentally commanding each of your body parts to relax.

3. Do not breathe through your mouth but through your nose. Feel your diaphragm and chest go up and down so you could feel your breathing. When you exhale, say in your mind the word "one". Do this for about 20 minutes twice a day.

4. Try to focus on your breathing and not on any other thought. Do not force relaxation. Be patient, when you get the hang of it, it would eventually come.

5. after the meditation, rest for several minutes.

PRECAUTIONS:

1. Do not do this right after a meal. Allow about 2 hours or more to relapse, before commencing.

2. Be sure you do not have a debilitating condition before doing this relaxation technique.

Inner healing focuses primarily on the mind. The mind, through the hypothalamus, controls every biological process in the human body because it controls the hormones secreted by all the endocrine glands.

The mind is a very powerful tool. Without the brain recognizing the stimuli from different parts of the body you would not be able to feel, hear, see or taste anything.

It is logical therefore that to be able to control the body, one must be able to control the mind.

Free your mind of negative thoughts and feelings through the processes described above.

Welcome positive thoughts like love, kindness, helpfulness, generosity, forgiveness, caring and unselfishness, and you will indeed be having a healthy mind and a healthy body!

References:

Calbreath, Donald; Fundamentals of Clinical Chemistry

Freeman, Lyn et al; Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Research-Based Approach, 2001

Photo 1 by COCOMARIPOSA

Photo 2 by Young'un

Photo 3 by Dave Hogg

She Didn't Dance - Conclusion

By: Roy dela Cruz

Whew! I was glad that was over. Next was the talent portion. But my baby was number twenty-eight. Would she be able to hold and wait for her turn? Meanwhile, friends and relatives had arrived to support Angel. Everyone - wanting to hold her, hug her, kiss her, or play with her while it was not yet her turn.

Angel-(older now) in one of her model poses -10 yrs. old

As we watched the proceedings of the program, other children performed without any problem.
I had hoped the same would be true with my baby. It was almost nine o’clock and candidate number twenty or twenty-one was performing on the stage. My wife asked me to talk to Angel; she wanted to go home.

Not again! I didn’t know what happened, but Angel was cranky. Maybe her aunties and cousins unwittingly pressured her young mind by telling her to do well. Or maybe she just got impatient and didn’t want to dance. I took her backstage and tried to talk to her.

Number twenty-five was on the stage. I asked her to do it just once and promised her that I would never allow her mommy to put her in a contest like that again.

The Author and Angel - 11 yrs. old

It was harder to talk to her this time, but through patience and daddy’s charms, I was able to convince her. Candidate number twenty-seven was almost finished.

I kissed and hugged my baby for the last time, as they called her name.

I handed her to the usherette and tried to rush to the front to take her picture. I had only taken a few steps when I heard the ushers and usherettes calling me.

When I looked back, Angel was crying! What now?! I rushed to Angel’s side trying to talk to her. She was still crying.

In the meantime, the emcee kept on calling Angel’s name, I was asking for two minutes.

Then, out of nowhere, the daycare teacher came urging Angel to dance on the stage.

Angel in her school uniform - 11 yrs. old

Imagine that! My baby was crying and all this teacher could think of was the talent portion!
Then came Angel’s aunties and cousins, all convincing her to perform her talent.

I was literally pushed-out of the picture. My baby was crowded! My baby was mobbed! And she was crying! The talent portion was called off. My baby never got to perform her number.

Then there was an intermission. The gown portion followed.


I was able to convince my baby to wear her gown, which she personally picked, and continue with the contest. She was on the stage together with the other twenty-seven young ladies.

Waving and smiling to the audience, although there were still traces of tears in her eyes.

We knew she won’t get anything for all her efforts, but we still want her to finish the contest. The finalists were chosen, special awards were given, until all the winners were announced.

For all those proceedings, I wasn’t really concerned; I just wanted it to be over with.

Finally, it was all over. It was time for us to get our baby back and go home.

Angel - Christmas - 6 yrs. old

On the way home, everybody in our group was quiet.

Well, not really quiet, but they were not as enthusiastic as they were three or four hours earlier.

Each one trying not to talk about the contest and the talent portion.

I was carrying my baby, she was happy and smiling. We were kissing and hugging each other along the way.

She didn’t win, but in my heart she’ll always be my little princess. One thing we learned on that day is that, my baby’s charms, talents and wit, was only ours to behold.

My baby didn’t dance. She didn’t have to. She’s my Angel, and I love her very much.

She Didn't Dance - Part 2

By: Roy de la Cruz

Anyway, Angel’s preparation included the old cassette player with Britney Spear’s “Oops! I did it again!” My little Angel followed singing and dancing, again, and again, and again.


My wife’s niece taught Angel the choreography of the song, but being the baby that she was, she performed her own steps.

And her words weren’t really clear, because she didn't speak well yet...

But we didn’t mind, she was our baby.

Then she was asked to memorize her introduction, which was “Mabuhay! Ako po si Angel Liza V. dela Cruz! Tatlong taon gulang! Nag-aaral sa Sta. Trinidad Day Care Center!” (Mabuhay! I am Angel Liza V. dela Cruz! Three years old! Studying at Sta. Trinidad Day Care Center!)

This went on everyday until the day of the contest itself. Oh! There were also meetings and practices, together with the organizers and other candidates.

The details of which, I didn’t know, but my wife told me that Angel sometimes got bored, tired, stubborn, or just refused to cooperate. Well, what did they expect from a three year old baby?

Finally, came the big day!

My wife, together with her sister and niece, brought Angel to the contest at five o’clock, which was the call time.

The program was scheduled at six o’clock. I arrived thirty minutes later, together with my two sons. Nothing had started yet.

My baby was beginning to get impatient. My role there was to be sure that Angel kept her poise and would go up the stage. My wife believed I was the only one who could do that because my baby was a papa’s girl and I was the only one Angel was afraid of.

Thirty minutes past six, the program was about to start, and I was having a hard time containing Angel. My baby was candidate number twenty-eight. Good thing, and later would be a bad thing.

The candidates were already lined up backstage, while I still have Angel in my arms. She refused to fall in line, refused to go up the stage and refused to continue with the contest. Instead, she wanted to go home!

I tried to keep my senses, trying my best to reason out with my three-year-old baby. Candidates one to ten were already up the stage, eleven, twelve, . . . I refused to push the panic button. Nineteen, twenty, . . .


I was able to put Angel behind candidate number twenty-seven.

Putting on my best daddy’s charm, I asked her “Angel, can you please do this for daddy?” She nodded her head and we hugged each other.

I loved hugging my baby; it was -and still is- the purest and most sincere expression of feelings in this mundane existence.

Twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight! I rushed in front of the stage. My baby was up there! Waving to the crowd along with the other candidates.

I waited patiently while the candidates introduced themselves. When my baby’s turn to the microphone came, all I understood was “Angel Liza”, “Tatlong Taon Gulang” and “Day Care Center!”

I didn’t care!

My baby was on stage!

My baby was seen!

My baby was heard!

When they marched towards the backstage, we rushed joyously to meet her. We all hugged and kissed her in our delight.

To be Continued....

Photo 1 from: Rolling Stone.com

Photot 2 from: Randy Son Of Robert

My Picks for the Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs - (complete list)

It was late last year when I participated in Janette Toral's Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs for 2008. Now, the competition is in its third year, and is made possible by the following sponsors, Absolute Traders, My Brute Cheats, Business Summaries, Fitness Advantage Club, Events and Corporate Video, Events at Work, Dominguez Marketing Communications, Red Mobile, Budget hotel in Makati, Lucio C. Tan Group of Companies, and Blog4Reviews.com.

There are several blogs I would like to recommend but most of them don't qualify because they have been created before May 1, 2008, which is one of the major criteria.

This has made my selection more difficult because I have to go around the blogosphere, read blogs and determine if the criteria are met. I do have blogs which aptly fill out the recommended requirements; for this, I have listed them first.

After going around a bit, I came up with my complete list. Without further ado, here are my Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs for 2009:

1. The Struggling Blogger

This blog is owned by Roy dela Cruz, a loving father cum doting mother to his 3 children. I always call him, the "indomitable" blogger because of what he writes and how he writes his articles. There's a certain, wanton angst in his undaunted words. But mind you, he's not only that - he has a sweet side too - he's a poet and a short story writer. Now, can you beat that? A Jekyll and Hide? lol. Just kidding , Roy. I know you've got the bird's eye view of this man. If not, then visit his 13 blogs -yes 13!-( the others are multiply accounts), and you'll surely comprehend the conundrum of this man behind these blogs.

Here are his informative and well written blogs:

• Be Inspired Now!
• Etsetera! Etsetera!
• Kapampangan Blog
• Letters To Mama
• Money OnLine
• more than just copy-paste
• REFLECTIONS
• Roysville dot Com
• Short Stories Blog
• Subukan Taya Ing Kapampangan!
• Sugar Coated World
• The Gospel Of Roy
• The House Of Puroy
• The House Of Puroy Enterprises
• The Struggling Blogger dot Com

I am a witness also, to how his blogs grew slowly but steadily into popular blogs in the blogosphere. He has now an increased readership and is fast becoming a blog to beat; hence this endorsement. Way to go, Roy!

2. Zorlone

Dr. Lorenzo Bernardino known in the blogging world simply as Zorlone is now considered one of the top ranking blogs in the creative writing division of Entrecard.

He says : "I am a specialist in Internal Medicine.
This blog will be dedicated to my other passion, writing. Starting a practice in medicine sure gave me a lot of time to write. While waiting for patients to come, I found myself typing articles for helium and for this blog."

And true enough, he is not only a competent doctor but a superb poet and a short story writer as well. He has already won writing contests sponsored by other blogs and writes for two great sites - Helium and Triond where his articles are excellently ranked .

I have seen how his blog grew from one reader -that's me - to a well read blog in just a matter of months.

His blog is only 4 months old but he has 41 followers to date, and his posts are very well commented on. I have now to wait in line to be able to comment... lol... I could only have one appropriate word for this occurrence - a "Phenomenal" event!

I have no qualms in recommending ZORLONE as one of the Top 10 emerging influential blogs.

3. Writing to Exhale

I chanced upon Jan's blog when I was reading Roy's comments. Jan has this certain jocularity and profoundness rarely seen in writers. I came out laughing - but more informed - from his post: Sex Taught Me All the Things I Need to Know About Blogging.

Sometimes he gets more than a dozen comments in his posts. There is a certain "charisma" that a reader can't ignore.

He writes with flair and aplomb and I admire him for such boldness. The blogosphere needs writers like Jan - not fearful to express their - sometimes - scathing and atypical thoughts.
Informative articles about diverse topics ranging from blog contests to The Lost Art of Being Silly, and many more extraordinary posts are featured in his blog.

His blog deserves a vote for this contest.

To Jan -Kudos to you!

4. LifeLots

IRENE is the author of LIFELOTS, an upcoming blog which inspires and motivates its readers to live life to the fullest.

At her young age (19 yrs), Irene speaks with so much wisdom and a startling conviction about vital topics that only adults are supposed to know of.

She says: "No regrets, just lessons learned..."

With her jovial disposition and unfaltering optimism, she is a blogger worth visiting. Don't just drop and run though, for there is so much wisdom you can glean from her posts.

HERE'S ONE ARTICLE I STRONGLY RECOMMEND FOR YOU TO PONDER ON. It is entitled: Interpret tough experience as an exercise in compassion.
This is only one of the various topics in her inspiring collection.

Hop over her site and peruse her posts and you'll understand what I mean.

Irene, keep holding a torch for those wayward souls who have given in to apathy and indifference. The blogosphere needs you!

5. Father Blogger Dot Com

Angel Cuala is the formidable man behind this blog.

Like most fathers, he writes passionately about his family and how to be a successful family man both emotionally and financially as well.

He has that unfaltering faith in God that makes him meet the challenges that life has to offer. read his post about family : "Battered Wives: Not Just a Problem of Physical Abuse" and "Blogging Tips".

You should visit his blog and learn from his first hand experiences.

He says : "Being a former street child who was raised without a mother, my advocacy now is to help all families to stay together and be happy. This is very far from what I used to do, but this is very close to my heart."

This blogger who has triumphantly hurdled numerous "trials" that life assailed him with, deserves a vote from everyone!

Keep going Angel, we'll always be praying for you.

6. Dear Bloggery

I just had the pleasure of "meeting" Snow from Roy's post and I am delighted to see how lovely she is...lol.... But there is more behind those sparkling eyes, the lady has a lot inside her dura matter .

I visited her blog and she has a lot to offer with regards to being updated with current events, local news and many more interesting stories.

Snow has this to say for herself: "I am currently working in a multinational firm but loves to write about anything under the sun. I also like a lot of stuffs but digs on reading, web surfing, travelling, shopping and writing as my major hobbies."

She is fast gaining friends in the blogging world and is starting to exert some influence which would soon be felt by many bloggers, for sure. Right on, and keep writing Snow!

7. Life of a Teenage Writer

Izzy Daniels is the author of this blog.

"I've picked up a love for writing, and enjoy other activities, such as telling jokes, and break dancing," he says.

His posts like, "5 Things you should learn before starting a blog" and other articles about blogging and writing are worth a read.

They are informative and rich with good insights.

He writes for Triond.com and is into a variety of genre: creative writing - "The Admiration of a Good Friend", novels - "A Letter From Tobias Zeling" and poetry- "Hole" .

If you need help, Izzy is one generous blogger who is willing to spend time just to give a hand to a fellow blogger.

Thanks Izzy, the blogosphere needs more bloggers like you and you deserve a vote for the Ten Most Influential Blogs for 2009!

8. I Love-Hate America

This blog is authored by BING.

She is a highly spirited woman who can be generous and sweet, but who would speak out her mind with candor about issues she feels strongly about.

Her blog is fast emerging into a blog which could serve as the popular "voice" of Filipino immigrants in America.

I copied this verbatim from her "About Me" page: "Married to an American man whose of Irish and French-Canadian descent, and spends most of my time at home, managing the household, working as administrative support for my husband's musical career, copywriting, blogging and networking online."

Just like what her blog's name indicates, she blogs mainly on topics that deal with the negative and positive aspects of being an immigrant in the the US of A.

Visit her blog to know why she deserves to be voted as one of these influential blogs.

9. Tales From the Mom Side

I consider this list incomplete without a blog that represents the hardworking Moms (HWOMs) out there. One such blog is Tales from the Mom Side.

This blog is authored by Dee who writes about Love and Relationships, Money Matters, Parenting , Reading and Writing, Giveaways, and many more topics that only a mother could expertly discuss.

We watch the same genre of movies : "Mamma Mia, North & South, Pride and Prejudice (BBC Version) The Duchess, The Notebook" ( I cried a river in this movie, did you cry too Dee?)

The lady is not only a doting and loving mother but (I believe)is also a successful career woman. I am certain she deserves a vote from this blog. Good luck, Dee!

10. SEOWRIGHT.COM

This newly created blog is owned by Kevin Paquet, a 17 yr-old student from Davao City. Kevin co-authors Pinoy Teens - which is ranked 11th, nationwide, among thousands of blogs in the Top Pinoy Blogs.
Isn't that quite a feat? (mine is only no. 432...something). To list more of his superb credentials, here's an excerpt from a post written by his blogging buddies:

Start of excerpt:

"...The Digital Filipino Club event when you came home with bright eyes saying “bes, we’re the tenth hottest blogs among the new blogs for 2008“? Or the Mindanao Bloggers Summit, the WordCamps that you have attended in Davao City and Saint Benilde; Manila? Still it seemed to be “nothing” really special to him..."

End of excerpt.

The ultimate award of becoming one of the Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs, would be the crowning glory to his blogging career.

I tip my hat off to these young bloggers. Although they still have a long way to go to improve, I could not ignore their unyielding angst to be recognized by other bloggers. This admirable attitude made me vote for him.

Blogs to watch our for ( I would have included them, if I were to vote for two more)

1. Kelvinonian Ideas 2.0

This is owned by Kelvin Servigon. Just like Kevin, Kelvin is a teener who wants to make it big in the blogosphere. He's armed with only his dreams and a persistent desire to fulfill his goals.
He says:

"...I’m just a simple teen guy just like anybody else. I am now studying at Bulacan State University taking up Civil Engineering course. I used to love computers since I was a kid. I know how to use Adobe Photoshop CS3..."

Kelvin, you'll go a long way for sure, even without being voted for the contest.

2. I'm disheartened to know that ELMOT'S blog Ani-mo!!! is not qualified for the Contest. Anyway he still deserves to be featured. Elmot is the proud owner of "Ani-mo".

I also "met" him at Roy's blog. He writes about a variety of articles, and will surely go a long way in this blogging world.

"... this blog is my online alter-ego. I post here my reactions, reflections, joys, triumphs, and frustrations about philippines politics and social issues and blogging. I love to comment on things but I am not the eternal cynic type...," he says this about his blog.

Right on, Elmot!
_______________________________________________________________

She Didn't Dance - 2nd Story for the Inspirational Book (A Replay)

By: Roy dela Cruz

I knew it wasn’t meant to be, but at the back of my mind, I wish it would be. From the start, I was silently protesting against my wife. But seeing her enthusiasm, hard as she tried to hide it, I just could’t let myself be the one to burst her bubble. And like I said, I too, though discreetly, was hoping it might work.

When Angel was only three years old - modesty aside - many people have told us that her name really fitted her. Like most parents, we taught our little Angel to sing and to dance, which she performed to our hearts’ delight.

Babies were the sweetest things to watch, especially if she was your own baby. The problem was that, when we asked her to perform when there were other people around, like close friends or relatives, she would run away, stood still or just clung to us. But she would not perform - leaving us embarrassed and trying our best to change the topic. Okay, so our little Angel wasn’t the showbiz type.

One day, my wife told me my little Angel was chosen by the day care to be the school’s candidate for the search for “Munting Prinsesa ng Angeles” (Little Princess of Angeles) in the upcoming town fiesta. I couldn’t remember how I reacted then. I didn’t say no, but neither did I say yes.

My wife knew that I wasn’t keen on the idea, but it didn’t bother her. She saw it as an opportunity to show the world how beautiful and talented our baby was. A sentiment that I shared with her. She also saw it as a chance for my baby to develop herself and somehow overcome her stage fright.

I, on the other hand, was very much worried. The thought of putting my little darling on the spot, this time with a bigger audience, filled me with anxiety.

But amidst my silent protest, my wife insisted. She said that she asked Angel if she wanted to do it, to which my baby said yes. So with less than two months before the contest, the preparation began.

The road to the beauty contest wasn’t a smooth one. For one, we couldn’t afford to hire a trainer that would help us train and develop my little Angel’s talent. Hence, we had no choice but to train Angel ourselves. But then again, I was a weekend father. Being assigned in a place far from home.

Her daycare teacher was very unsupportive and compromised my baby in the first place; this left my wife by her lonesome self to prepare Angel for the contest.

Juggling her schedule between teaching, herself being a teacher in secondary school, and looking after the studies of my other two sons, and training Angel and looking after the house and the children’s needs.

Something was bound to give, and so it did. My wife eventually got sick for a week, the succeeding weeks, my two sons alternately got sick, and Angel was sick almost every week. In fact, the day before the contest, my baby had fever, and the apathetic daycare teacher was of no help; she even threatened us, “Is Angel ready? Because if she’s not, I have someone who is ready and willing to replace her at a moment's notice.” The nerve!

(TO BE CONTINUED)

All photos by Mel B.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Roy delaCruz is a dedicated and indomitable blogger who successfully authors 13 blogs namely, House of Puroy , Reflections, Letters to Mama Sugar Coated World The Struggling Blogger (1 & 2)
Be Inspired Now Subukan Taya Ing Kapampangan
The Copy Paste Blog Roysville AND
a creative writer (poetry and short story) with his newest baby: Short Stories Blog

He writes expertly about a variety of topics as evidenced by his numerous blogs. A good writer , father and family man, let's put our hands together for him.

Thanks Roy for being my Guest Blogger in the Inspirational Stories Book.

Customized Mailboxes are now Available

Oftentimes, you want your things personalized. You want your names etched in your pens, your bags, your tables, etc. You go to so much effort to establish your identity. You don’t want to be just “one of the guys”. You want to be different and unique.

There’s nothing wrong with this. It’s a natural human need to acquire your own identity and one way of doing this is by having your own mailbox customized according to your needs and specifications.

In this 20th century of computers and electronic gadgets, email internet services are predominantly used in writing and receiving mails. You still need mailboxes in your homes, though. This is because there would be parcels and other mails which you could only receive through your mail boxes.

Your mailbox could be customized the way you want it to be. You could select from several good designs, colors and sizes, be it for a single home or for big business companies.

There are a variety of Mailboxes that could fit amazingly into your house’s structure and individual lifestyle; all you have to do is to take your pick of these affordable mailboxes have it customized and you’re “ready for business.”

PATRICIA ROCKWELL'S REPLY TO MY QUERY

PATRICIA ROCKWELL, author of the blogs COMMUNICATION EXCHANGE and SUBJECTIVE SOUP has responded kindly to my question and request for a post on INDIFFERENT STUDENTS,
In response to this, here is her article "DEALING WITH INDIFFERENCE".

Patricia is retired now and has been a professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the Northern Illinois University.

Her expertise in the field of education and communication has provided her with appropriate credentials to speak on topics such as Online Education and communication. She writes about a lot of topics under the sun, e.g. entertainment (Dancing with Warren Buffet), medical related articles, girl chat and many more. She does not only pen formal and academic papers but also has a creative venture - a novel, Sound of Murder, which she completed in the month of November for NaNoWriMo .

She writes too for Helium and Associated Content and has a book for sale entitled: Sarcasm and Other Mixed Messages: The Ambiguous Ways People Use Language .

Due to these, I had nominated her to the Blogger's Choice 09 Awards for Best in Education Blog. Kindly click this link to vote for her.

Visit her blog and read various, interesting topics that could be very useful and relevant to you. Thanks Patricia and all the best!

Simple Pointers to Ensure the Security and Safety of Your Home

Home should be a place where you should feel secure and safe. Nowadays, we often hear of homes being entered into by criminals who don’t have any respect for people's privacy and property. You should be certain that your home is secure from these unwanted element s of society. What are simple ways to ensure that your home is a safe haven for your family?

The following are simple ways to do this:

1. Before you go to sleep, check all doors and windows, be sure they’re safely closed, latched and locked from the inside. Fix those faulty locks.

2. Do not turn off all the lights outside and inside of the house. Leave one light in your front porch. Inside, leave lamp shades on, so that the house would not be totally dark. This will give the message to intruders that someone is home. Even when no one is in the house and you’re on vacation, make sure sufficient lights are left to secure the house.

3. Instruct your family members not to open the door immediately when somebody knocks. Ascertain the identity of the visitor before letting him in. Your children should be specifically given instructions on this precaution.

4. Have some home security systems in place. This would help you monitor the house security even from the outside. ADT security system is one such company. They have a 24 hr. - surveillance and monitoring system and they respond quickly. This would add more security to your home. What more, the price is affordable!

Knowing you made all necessary precautions in securing your home by observing all these tips and installing a home security surveillance system, you could now confidently leave for work, and you would also be able to sleep soundly in the night.

Some Tips on Beating the Summer Heat

It’s summer once again and the heat is on! You would want to go somewhere else less humid and more refreshing; it maybe a dip in the pool or a swim in the sea. Not everyone; however, could go outdoors to be rejuvenated. There are instances in which you don’t have any option but to stay inside.

Indoors, there are several methods you can use to beat the heat:

1. Drink ice cold beverages

Several glasses of your favorite juice drink would do. Even pure water is good enough. Ice cubes are added to maintain the coolness of the liquid. Drinking would also improve your circulation. Detoxify your body and promote good health. Remember your body is 60-70 % water.

2. Use ceiling fans or air-conditioning units.

To save on costs, ceiling fans are ideal and economical to use than air-conditioners. There are several styles of ceiling fans and thousands of fans you can choose from.

Accessories would not also be a problem as these are easily ordered.

The Casablanca ceiling fans and other popular modern brands are made available for shoppers online. Aside from the Casablanca fans, there are 16 ceiling fan manufacturers you could select from.

Shipping is also facilitated, and you would be sure that what you have purchased is the durable type of fan.

Saving Time and Money by Shopping Smartly

Shopping for clothes is fun but sometimes, it can be a tedious task, especially for women. Women have the propensity to be choosy and be more stylish in terms of clothing, while men have usually very simple tastes. Children on the other hand can be cute when they dress up for special occassions.

I usually shop during evenings because of the humid weather which is typical of a tropical country like ours. But shopping nowadays has a different connotation. In Australia and all over the world, shopping for clothing - whether it be for men, women, or children - is a lot easier due to online shopping stores. This is how you can shop smartly.

Looking out for sales in department stores is one way of buying at discounted prices. You could save a lot and spend the money on more important things instead.

Manage your time by shopping all at once. Don’t buy clothes like you were paying for them on installment basis.

Shopping online is a practical and convenient way of doing it. You choose from a wide variety of colors, sizes and styles, through the assistance of online guides who would help you out in the selection process. Clothing for men, women and children could be ordered online.

You may also be able to buy those items that you’ve been dreaming of - but could not - because of time constraint. Now is the chance, to shop online and you ‘ll realize that you could save time and money simultaneously.