We Filipinos never miss out opportunities that can only be grasped during the summer. Probably, flights now to Boracay and other beach or party destinations are already fully-booked. Summer is the time where students get to enjoy the class-free days. Well of course except students like us who can't have a full-blown summer because of OJT. But there is always an exception and I believe I'd have a taste of salty water at least once this summer.

But are you prepared for the beach, the summer heat and the fun? What do you do on the beach? Do you laze around? Do you flaunt your new sunglasses and flash it to passers-by? Do you shown off your adorable body and let people drool over you? Or do you just swim and enjoy like there's no tomorrow?


Source - www.flickr.com/photos/gep/

We all have our very own definitions of summer and how to spend it. Many would choose to relax on a bright sunny day on a great beach like Boracay. Some may spend the summer at home removing all the stress from the previous months. But beach is always the common thing. This is probably the time when beaches get stuffed. Executives now have the time to remove their classic watches and jewelry and replace it with trendy beach accessories. Students get to enjoy a taste of paraiso. Everybody will surely have fun.

Now that March is coming, will be you be preparing for your summer festivities already? Or are you already ready for the summer heat right now?

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Our society’s preconceived notions can be really wrong sometimes. Do you know that sexual abuse doesn’t only happen to females but also to males, heterosexual or not? In the USA, there is a study that shows that around 1 in 6 adult males get sexually abused. Sounds small, right? But the federal protection of these male victims is as thin as a thread (Note: UK has already created recently special laws for male abuse).

So why is male sexual abuse unheard or unreported?

• Belief that males are capable of protecting themselves all of the time
• Afraid of being shunned and made fun by friends and other people
• Afraid of being accused as gay
  

There are more specific reasons to why we don’t usually hear such incidences in the news and you can find them in www.aest.org.uk. Sexual abuse doesn’t necessarily mean sexual acts as violence and physical torture are part of it. So what are the most common effects a victim will undergo? Just like child abuse, male victims of abuse undergo the following changes after the crime:

• Anger, fear and betrayal
• Sexuality issues
• Peer relations issues
• Self blame or guilt
• Lower self esteem
• Isolation
  

Those are some but there are loads more of effects abuse will give to a male.


Photo by www.flickr.com/photos/gemsling/

Another myth is that male abuse only happens in prison. True, they happen more often in prison but they can happen anywhere just like female abuse and child abuse can. I remembered my mother telling us about new prisoners being subject to molestation by the older ones as soon as they enter the prison here in the Philippines. This is a very sad fact but the society has seemed to shut it down.

Everyone should be careful when interacting with people, stranger or not. Obtain updated Sex Offenders Report from a trusted source. It is always good to be alert and prepared regardless of one's gender.

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I never thought other cultures could spend so much for a birthday celebration.

Quinceaños is for a Latina's fifteenth birthday celebration. The term Quinceañera is given to the celebrant. Quinceanos is equivalent to fifteen years old in English. The celebration highlights God, family, friends, music, food, and dance. This kind of special celebration is similar to the Sweet Sixteen of the Americans, the cotillion of debutantes and a lot more variations between different cultures. I heard one commentary saying that even a Quinceanos can be more extravagant than a wedding. This is how proud Latino parents show their utmost care to their daughters. Wait, how about sons? Well this is not a boy's thing, so never mind.


A Quinceañera with her escorts - www.flickr.com/photos/senor_codo/

A Quinceaños is all about celebrating, merry-making and a symbolism of entering adulthood. Usually, preparations are at its grandest and the girl is given the best Quinceanera accessories to fit the occasion.

Personal Input: Spending much on a celebration like this is not bad as long as it is within the family's financial capacity. It is worthwhile to do this kind of thing for daughters because it will always remain in their memories for a lifetime.

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My philosophy course isn't over yet but I am already into concluding that philosophy and religion are really just like the parable of the oil and water. Yes, it is a category mistake to use that parable in explaining the existence of the mind and body but when you put it religion and philosophy, I don't think it'll be a category mistake anymore.

The parable of the oil and water simply states that these two are completely different entities but they do interact at some point, or what we call the point of interaction.


Photo by www.flickr.com/photos/bonsaikiptb/

So many people actually don't know whether philosophy teachings are anti-religion or not. They are not anti-religion I say. They just sort of pushes down the teachings of religion in an indirect way. Philosophy, if you might have known, is an advocate of constructive skepticism. The church however kills skepticism. The church teaches as is. Dogmatic is the right term. The church won't allow questioning, doubts on the scriptures and many other questions that may danger its position in society. But it is wrong. Skepticism must be practiced in order for us to reach something certain -- indubitable and incontrovertible.

Did you know that philosophy even tried (Descartes specifically, but very poor topic) to prove God's existence through the perfection argument, infinity calculus and the parable of the ocean? So yes, it is not anti -religion or anti-God even.

Philosophy tackles a lot of things. Sometimes it gets in the way of the church, sometimes it even supports or gets teachings from the church. Personally, I'd like the church to act more open about questioning, doubting or skepticism. It is a very healthy exercise that would even give light to some of the problems that we are facing now.

Want to get in touch with someone Catholic? Join a Catholic Chat Room now.

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Two words: Brain drain.

I recently read an article from a Philippine news site and found out that few hospitals in our country are already hiring Nepalese doctors to fill in the vacancies left out by doctors who flew to the USA for "greener pastures".

What does this imply? Does this mean our own people are turning their backs away from their homeland for survival? Logical.

"A hospital in the eastern Philippines is opening up its residency program to doctors from impoverished Nepal to address a shortage of Filipino physicians, a report said Sunday." Yes, shortage of physicians and doctors. Much of our doctors have retrained to become nurses and flew away to America to receive a higher pay.

But is this news something sad or something to be happy about? Personally-speaking, I'd say there is something good as well as something bad about this news. So the bad part first. Of course it is a shame to say we're getting doctors from another country just because our very own are leaving for a better life. It puts a big question mark on the faces of the nationalist people. Some even found this alarming. But can these doctors be blamed? I don't think so. If life is better here at home, they wouldn't go running away. They would stay if they don't need to go out. So who's to blame? The government?

The good thing is that we have opened up our hospitality to these Nepalese professionals. Nepal is "impoverished" according to that news article. I don't mean to make it sound like we are doing this for pure goodwill and that Nepal people need us. What I meant is that Philippines could be a good training ground for these people. At the same time, they also could help the medical world. I have met few Nepalese ladies in Hong Kong and they really look just like Filipinos. There is no problem in having Nepalese people work in our country. They do well in Hong Kong.

So where does this end? Brain drain is very inevitable now that our living here in the country is getting harder. Even with the recession in the USA, some people still say life is better there compared to life here. Let us just hope the standing of our country will soon become stable.

Photo by jawboneradio

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TeamWox GroupWare is something a company must have. So what is GroupWare? First time hearing it? GroupWare is a software for the organization of an efficient cooperation of employees inside a company. TeamWox GroupWare will make sure that work activities in a company are all transparent. This also allows for a better organization and flow of documents and information inside a company.


Photo - http://www.teamwox.com/

So why anti-paper industry? Here's how it goes. It kills the dilemma of document confusion and accidental alteration or deletion. TeamWox's system allows for each employee to log in and upload documents, alter, approve, sign, etc. Also, one can choose whom to let the document be viewable. What's good about this is that employees won't have to face the "which-one-is-the-latest-version" problem when it comes to documents. Signing and approving of contracts can also be done the TeamWox way in a fast manner.

TeamWox makes it possible to lessen the hassle of sending documents over and over again, sometimes causing errors in between. The virtual way of storing documents not only saves paper, but saves time and effort as well.

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Source - www.pikopong.com

I am not a total addict on Japanese movies, animes or live actions. But I do have selected favorites over time, some of which are all suggested by my anime-lover friend, Justine.

Following the two Death Note movies, which I have all seen, is the third Death Note release. It is entitled Death Note 3: L Changed The World. Obviously, this movie is not a sequel to the last one. L died before Death Note 2 ended and I believe resurrection is something stupid to relate to in the movie. Death Note 3, as I have heard is all about L living his remaining life or maybe just about the deeper aspects of his life. We, that is those who've seen the first two movies, know that L is very mysterious. Probably the third movie will give light on the darker sides of his life.


Photo by www.flickr.com/photos/fa6oooom/

But for you who haven't seen any of the three Death Note movies, the first two is basically about the battle of two incredibly amazing geniuses named Kira and L. The movie is about killing for some humanitarian reasons using a death note and a shinigami (death god) but along the way, the killings have gone out of its way and included innocents. L's purpose is to catch the culprit. The story twisted around many paths and in the end, L caught Kira (Light) but on the expense of his own life.

Know more about Death Note and other Japanese movies in an Anime Chat Room.

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Did you ever think only humans are capable of exciting mating sessions? Compared to other animals, humans' mating practices are nothing.

Animals will do a lot just to mate. They try to beat off natural selection. Or maybe go with it. Different kinds of species show a variety of interesting mating rituals to attract some mates. Sounds familiar? Humans are just like animals after all.

1. Black Grouses

Black Grouses do simple things, probably why they're here in number one. Just some simple shake-that-booty ritual and the normal showing off of white posterior feathers oftentimes in capoeira-like battles. Interesting huh? Too bad we don't have feathers. We have some booty to shake though. Photo by Pia's birdseye view

Watch a video now.

2. Abdopus aculeatus

Indian Octopuses seem to divert their rituals from normal to weird. Instead of showing off, they mimic the female's coloration so they'd get close to that female. Talk about gay acting. But more of the time, males just fight. And fight. Watch a video now.

3. Hippopotamuses

Hippos are gross. For us. Hippo females don't seek out for good-looking men (or metrosexuals in our term). Males instead impress the females by flinging their feces using their tails. So what's the use? To tell the world about their reproductive health. I don't know how females can tell. Should humans try it? Photo by Tut99 (Roger)



4. Flatworms

Flatworms are hermaphrodites (not homosexuals) and nature gave them a difficult time to search for their mates. Weirdly, they settle this similarity through a... penis jousting. Of course, the winner takes it all. Good thing penis jousting doesn't exist in humans. Please, don't imagine.

5. Horseshoe crabs

These creatures are surely primitive. But why do you think they survived? Unlike the rest of the animals, horseshoe crabs don't do rituals or signs. They only mate under such circumstances: during the summer, on beaches, under full moons. Very romantic. Humans love to do this.

6. Bighorn sheep

Just like the Black Grouses, they don't do anything special. Just the regular fighting, fighting and more fighting. To impress the ladies, males would engage in battles that engage high-speed head thrusting creating sound clashes that reach miles and miles in the mountains. Photo by Caveman 92223



7. Elephants

Elephants are sweet creatures, much like humans are. They don't fight. They don't kill. And boy, they don't fling their shits using their tails. Elephant males are romantics. They court the females over a period of weeks, squirt her with water and bring them food just to show how nice they are. Very sweet, yeah?

8. Mosquito

The last on the list is our favorite insect. Did you know that mosquitoes are singers? Oh well, not from the mouth of course. Do they have one? Anyways, male mosquito wings produce a sound with a frequency of 600 Hz, while the female a 400 Hz song. Both sexes will adjust to create a melodic tune, around 1200 Hz. Wow, the sound of love. Fortunately, we probably don't hear it.



News and list courtesy of Wired Science / post

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I guess you've also noticed that ever since the recession or sometime before that, PTC sites have gone down, died and got lost forever. With the hundreds of PTC sites, I was then just active with 3. But now only one remained standing and that is Neobux. I patiently waited for my balance to reach at least $5 ($2 cash-out). I don't know how long I've waited but all I know is that I got my $5 now. Neobux is not scam and let's just hope it will never be.

Below is the picture of the payment details in PayPal. They send the money automatically right after withdrawing it. Speed and credibility in one. I know $5.11 may not be big to others but for me it is already a good thing to have around Php 200 plus.



Thank you Neobux for staying firm and true. I hope to see more cash-outs from you.

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I have heard of Zenni Optical long ago. How would I not notice it when I have some eye problems? Recently, there's been a buzz about Zenni Optical being recommended in one published topic in The New York times website. I took a look and found an article about eye care and eyeglass issues. I learned a lot reading the article. Then I reached the part about purchasing eyeglasses online. Few online stores were listed, one of which is Zenni Optical. It says there that Zenni Optical sells affordable and good quality eyeglasses which can be considered a bargain considering that eyeglasses price high. Of course, The New York Times just don't release unverified information so we have to believe it as something true and reliable.

Now let's go away from The New York Times and focus on Zenni Optical. True, it is, that they sell cheap eyeglasses. They have Complete Single Vision Eyeglasses starting at $8.00. I don't know if people really know how important it is to take care of the eyes. I am even afraid what may happen to my eyes especially that I spend hours in front of the computer.

Now, I'd like to choose a product that I'd like to buy if ever I'd really buy. I badly need glasses. I can't see faraway things. I can barely read the blackboard writing at school. I haven't had any eye checkup though.

I'll be choosing from the $8 eyeglasses since I also can't buy myself the more expensive ones if ever. And I choose... 9628 Metal Alloy / Stainless Steel Half-Rim Frame. I actually liked the shape and the simplicity. Though it looked very olden, it would be sufficient. I just need to see clearly.


If you are a person who doesn't have a 20-20 vision, well eyeglasses may be for you. But a checkup must be done first. If you are prescribed to purchase one, you could always freely take a look at Zenni Optical's affordable eyeglasses.

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Gadget Circle is an online store of branded mobile phones at reasonable and affordable prices. It started in 2006 and is still active in service today.

There are a lot of online shoppes for mobile phones and techie stuffs, some of which offer great price ranges and some offer great services. But these mobile stores also differ in a lot of enumerable ways. It is also wise to check if an online store is scam or not.

A Quick Review Of Gadget Circle

Gadget Circle looks like any other online store but one of its striking qualities is that it looks neat and well-arranged. Buyers won't find it hard navigating the site. Links are also lined well on the left corner of the site and on the right, are account-related links, ads and most importantly, a customer support link which is one of the most vital signs of a good service. Their good advertising practice like showing the Hot Products and Bestsellers is also notable.

I registered an account to see how the process of purchasing is (though I won't be really buying). I have found out that you can extend the warranty of a product by adding an amount. This is quite good if you are particular of the warranty.

One bad thing about this one is that they only accept payments through bank transfer. No payment via PayPal, debit card or credit card. This is very not user-friendly as some people are comfortable with buying through PayPal or credit cards.

Final Notes

Gadget Circle is good because they offer great products at affordable prices. But if you don't like to pay via bank transfer, this is not the store for you. To interested buyers, get your gadget at Gadget Circle now.

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Beating My Heart by American piano rock singer Jon McLaughlin is the first single from his album OK Now.

I first came to know of Jon McLaughlin's existence from the movie Enchanted where he sang one of my favorite relaxing songs, So Close.

So why am I mentioning about this song now? Beating My Heart came out in the middle months of 2008. But I'd like to share this song and video right now because today is Valentine's Day. Even though I am single, I still have the right to listen and enjoy such music. I'm 0% bitter about being single that's why I still enjoy this day like I enjoyed it in the previous years. I also bought some tickets to the Sitti concert for my parents. That makes me happy already knowing they'll both enjoy their Valentine evening.

Here is the video of Beating My Heart courtesy of Imeem. The lyrics will follow.


Beating My Heart - Jon McLaughlin


There are times every now and then
I forget why I'm breathing out
And why I'm breathing in
And I get so sick with the little things
I can't relax when it's happening
To know what it means
It means

And then I open my eyes
And I know you're beating my heart, beating my heart
Look at the sky
I know you're beating my heart, beating my heart
I go extra miles to show
That you are the one thing that I've got
Look at the sky
I know you're beating my heart, beating my heart

There's a sun coming over the horizon
I wanna know where it's coming from
But doesn't everyone
It's like who am I and why am I here

This whole world will take me down
Without you standing by my side
My side
You're holding onto me
You're making everything inside
Come alive

I hope you loved that video and the song. Is the video too cool? I really am amazed at the video's simple yet ecstatic effects. Very well-made.

Again, Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Photo by wilshireblvd [circa1983]

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Sometimes it is just so annoying to see people rallying on streets, blaming everything to the government and none to themselves. Have we ever thought what if most of our problems don't come from the government itself but from us?

Our very own drivers hit number one example. Though we shouldn't generalize, most of them really fall under the naughty category. Why?

• Why do you think drivers smoke a lot when there's a big "NO SMOKING" sign on the jeepneys that they are driving? Isn't it too much of an irony or was that signage out of place? Smoking in public places is a sign of disrespect, much more when you are the driver and you are passing secondary smoke to your passengers. The ones in the front seat suffer so much, unless they love to smell the cigarette smoke.
• Why do drivers follow rules only when enforcers are around? And when the enforcers are out, the breaking of rules would get so common that it gets confusing what the rules really are.
  
• Why do drivers force a certain number of persons on one side of the jeepney? Are our butts made in the same sizes that the standard must be followed all the time, worse forced? I understand they need the money but it is also unfair for those who paid their fares full but only half of their butts are seated.
  
• Why do drivers get angry when enforcers confiscate their extension chairs (the one in the middle)? Isn't it weird? They are punished for disobeying the rule and then they justify themselves to the extent of finding which enforcer got their wooden chairs. Why did he got angry when the enforcer confiscated the extension chairs? He is supposed to be sorry.
• Why do drivers litter a lot? When they eat bubble gum, they throw the wrappers outside the window onto the street. Same as with their cigarette butts, empty ice water plastics, and many small things else.
  
• Why do drivers love to race around? This is true for jeepneys that travel towards North and they race with co-drivers for the sake of fun. What happens to the passengers? Do you think they are enjoying? The teens maybe, but how about the elderly, the mothers, the kids?
  
• Why do drivers turn on their stereo in its maximum loudness? Do they think they are a schoolbus for rockers? Do they know it could give headaches to some of their passengers? And do they know they would find it hard to hear other road signals because of such?

Did I sound like a whiner? I was just curious why such things are still widespread and common in our society. Why are these things not controlled? I have been to another country and their drivers are very disciplined, no matter what the circumstances are. Even if the road is empty, they still follow their lanes. I know it is bad to compare but I don't know why such system is prevalent in our country. Where and how did everything go wrong?

I also recommend everyone to read The Jeepney Menace (Rants and hopes on this 60-year old Pinoy invention). Happy ride!

Photo by unreal / musik

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It is once again the rainy days here in the Philippines. I hear some news about a storm. Oh well, we're used to that. Because of the very cold weather, a lot of people either like to cuddle or better yet drink some warm beverage. And what beverage is almost everybody's favorite? Coffee.

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the whole world. Almost everyone drinks and loves coffee. And just like anything else, coffee has many types to choose from. The most popular would probably be Espresso, Latte and Cappuccino. Common people love the instant coffee. But would it hurt to try the best gourmet coffee in the world? Of course not.

Drinking coffee can also have benefits. Do you know that coffee reduces risks of a number of diseases like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, heart disease, dementia and gout among others? The antioxidants in some coffee products also prevent free radicals from harming our cells. So would you opt to get addicted to coffee now? Please don't. Like everything else, coffee must be taken in moderation. And like everything else again, coffee also has bad effects when taken in an overly way. Coffee interferes with iron absorption and thus leads to iron deficiency anemia in moms and infants. Caffeine is the big culprit.

But amidst the bad effects, we can't also just ignore the good ones. Drinking coffee regularly would probably be the good choice. Drinking many times a day would maybe detrimental to one's health.

Love coffee? You're probably wondering if you could save more if you buy bulk coffee beans compared to buying instant coffee packs from the supermarket. Sometimes, some discount bulk coffee would actually be better compared to instant coffee (aside from getting the discount). Gourmet coffee is branded as the best and instant coffee is nothing to it.

Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/albaflickr/

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Four days to go and it will be the love day! It just came into my mind why people put a big importance to the day we call Valentine's Day. Can't love be celebrated everyday? I know I couldn't relate; probably the reason why I'm writing this one.

I am also curious why some single people get sad, lonely or fidgety when Valentine's Day is nearer. Maybe they hate being single. Well at least a lot don't.

Since the world has agreed that Valentine's Day is as important as Christmas Day, let's put it too in the category "holiday". So what do you do on a special day like this especially when you are single? So if you are single and your February 14 is a free day, what are you supposed to do? Here are five things:

1. Spend the day with your family. After all they're your loved ones. At least we see the word "love" hanging there. You could go to the movies, watch a funny show at home, spend the day having fun, doing activities you like to do together, etc. It is a Valentine's Day spent with an extraordinary group. Bonding time!
2. Spend the day with yourself. If you do love yourself then you also have the right to spend Valentine's Day, that is, with yourself. Buy a gift for yourself. Everything is for yourself! Nothing wrong with it anyways. Some people celebrate their heart's day by pampering their own selves. Isn't it fun?
3. Spend the day with other singles. This is very logical! When you hang out with other singles, you wouldn't feel single anymore. Who are these other singles? Well of course it'd be strange if they are strangers... friends of course! You could hang out, play games, eat, and whatever you do that will make everyone in the group happy. Nothing beats a good laugh with your friends.
4. Spend the day hunting. I'm not talking about deer or rabbit here though. We never could tell if Valentine's Day would be your lucky day to find somebody to spend next year's Valentine's. Yikes!
5. Spend the day like you always do. So what if they are reserving the best seats in the restaurant or if they are filling the cozy park up? You on the other hand would continue with your life, treat 14 as nothing like any other day and go on with your routines. This would be good unless you never acknowledge the fact that it is indeed Valentine's Day.

Choosing what to do on that day is very easy if you are single. Do singles celebrate that day? Probably. It is all in one's personal preference. Valentine's Day is a day of opinions, I say. We can do whatever our opinionated minds tell us. So you ask me, what will I do this Saturday? Of course, do my projects! What a bummer.

Photo by migs212

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Anything sent through the postal system is called mail. Even with the increasing popularity of electronic mail and instant messaging, the traditional way of sending letters and documents is still on the go worldwide.

Technology hasn't left out the mail system as currently, big companies and residences alike have been using the newest commercial mailboxes available.

The Old-Style Mailbox

The traditional mailbox must be changed. For one, security is very poor. Even for residences, the mailbox must be secure enough to keep your documents away from intruders, stalkers and thieves. Much more for business establishments (which I don't think are using any old-style mailbox).



The old mailbox is also made up of low-quality materials (steel or wood) and can be easily burglarized and destroyed.

Upgrade To A Modern Mailbox

There are a lot of designs for modern mailboxes that vary in function, size, durability and price. A commercial mailbox is not only made up of durable material but is also designed to enhance security and usability. Examples of commercial mail boxes:



If you want your documents to be safe even if you are away from home, keep away from the old-school mailboxes and purchase the new, enhanced ones.

Final Notes

Even if e-mail is very popular nowadays, there are still things that cannot be sent virtually i.e. bills, documents, letters, packages, etc. If you don't take action in how these things are received at home or at work, there's a possibility for loss. Upgrading to modern residential or commercial mailboxes is a way to a hassle-free living.

Photo by www.flickr.com/photos/daintee/ and mailboxixchange

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I have chatted with an American entrepreneur, Ted Wahler, in Plurk and he told me that he'll be coming here in the Philippines this coming April to start a company. He is looking for assistants qualified in the following:

• Data Entry and Computer Secretarial
• On-line Research
• Writers and Editors
• Accountancy
• Page Layout Designers
• Graphic Artists and Motion Graphics
• Photographers (still and video)
• Video Editors
• SEO
• Web Designers
• designers interested in Drupal
• designers interested in Joomla
• designers interested in Wordpress

Submit the following: Introduction Letter, Contact Information and CV
Submit to: PhilippinesStaff@gmail.com

Drupal Freelancers or Developers

Mr. Ted Wahler is also in need of Drupal Developers in the Philippines. Drupal is a free Content Management System written in PHP.

I have tried Drupal and all I could say is it looks easy to use but it is really a bit complex because it is a powerful system. But once learned, would be a good opportunity for work and development of big sites.

If you want to try out Drupal on your localhost, use WAMP Server then install Drupal. Visit the Drupal website for more details.

If you are interested to connect with other Pinoy Drupal-ers, click here. You could also apply to the job opportunity above.

Good luck!

Photo by DevelopmentSeed

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Have you ever tried a situation wherein one friend talked to you out loud then you smelled something funny and frowned? You then knew it was your friend's bad breath.

We all experience such thing. But we also have the powers to stop it from happening.

Teens and Stinky Breath

A regular teenager's life is a bit busy with school and other extra-curricular stuff. Because of that, some aspects of hygiene like oral care are being left out or given less attention.

The most common causes of bad breath, not only for teens, are poor oral hygiene, some types of food, oral illnesses, dry mouth and basically an unhealthy lifestyle. When you forget to brush your teeth for a long time, your breath becomes foul. Spicy food also causes bad breath. Alcoholic beverages and smoking can also contribute to bad breath and other oral issues.

Having a bad breath brings in personal issues and commonly it is self-esteem. When you have bad breath and you know it you become less interactive. Or if you don't know it and your talk mates do, you'd be a topic of hot and insulting conversation.

Prevent Bad Breath!

Here are simple ways to combat bad breath and live a clean life.

• Don't smoke.
  
• Healthy, nutritious and balanced diet will get rid not only of bad breath but of every other negative effect a bad lifestyle can bring.
• Floss in a minimum of once a day.
• Make sure you brush your teeth and tongue twice a day, everyday.
  
• Use a trusted toothpaste and regularly change your toothbrush.
• Find a dentist, one who knows how to successfully combat your bad breath. Have oral cleaning regularly.

Final Notes

Bad breath, like bad odor, is a very ugly thing. You don't want to be talked about by such things. It is always good to take care of one's body so that all will be well and okay.

Photo by Rod_Monkey

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Story

Nathan has become the bad guy in the series. His motive is to round up all those with abilities and take them away from society. The following are captured: Tracy Strauss, Mohinder Suresh, Claire Bennet, Matt Parkman, Hiro Nakamura, Peter Petrelli and others. Matt Parkman is now a prophet. Noah Bennet is also a bad guy. He is Nathan's assistant together with a new character in capturing the other characters. The only person who wasn't successfully captured was Sylar. Yes, Sylar is alive and is seeking his real parents. But his super powers did not get him captured. The ending is hanging. Claire and Peter were supposed to save the others when Peter acquired Tracy's powers, made a hole in the plane and got them to crash on land. That ends this episode. It is very hanging.

My Comments

This is probably one of the heaviest episodes for me. What I really hate is when good guys go evil. I so detest Nathan. He is selfish, arrogant and unjust. I pity everyone who were victimized by his evil deeds. He says his motives are for America but I see no point in harming others for such reasons -- especially his allies and family. Screw him! The ending is hanging and I can't wait for the next episode to come out. I just hope they are all okay.

I have been waiting for this episode to come out since December. And I guess it is worth the wait. I have been an avid fan and will continue to follow this series no matter how long it will take to reach the ending. And I hope Sylar will be on the good side now and eliminate Nathan.

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Our human eyes have limitations. It is useless in the dark. What a 20-20 vision could see in broad daylight would be the exact opposite of what it sees in total darkness.

But have you ever wondered what surprises awaits you when you could see things in the dark? Well a lot of things surely do happen in the dark -- away from prying eyes. And who knows what else would we see in the darkest nights?

Let's make this post light and funny. I will list things you might not want to see in dark places or dark nights. The things said here are just jokes and deformation of serious ideas.

Would you be surprised when you see these in the dark?

• A snake passing by your bare foot.
  
• A big cow dung directly on where you are standing.
• A notorious stalker peeping in the corner.
• A zombie behind you.
• Cockroaches, rats and other vermin dining on your dining table.
• Your friend making out with another friend.
• Your friend making out with the same sex.
• Your cats having the time of their lives.
• The rocking chair rocking on its own.
• Your obese sibling doing push-ups.
• A thief stealing your roosters.

Forgive me but some of those are gross, scary or nonsense. Probably the most common reactions to those would either be laugh, scream, faint or die.

Well, you would ask how would you see such stuff in the dark? Use night vision binoculars sometimes and take a look at your parents' room. Scary, I know.

How about you? What stuff would probably surprise you in the darkest dark?

Photos by federico.bebber

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Because of the success of blogging, a lot have went beyond purchasing their own domain and have hosted their blogs in their chosen web hosts. Since there are a lot of web hosts in the internet, do you know which one to choose that will fit your every need? Some web hosts give bad service while others are extraordinary. Let's take a look at some characteristics that a web host must have for the benefit of bloggers who want to host their own blogs.

10 Characteristics of an Excellent Web Host

1. The service is worth the price - Make sure that you are offered everything you need for the price you paid. Sometimes you may be thinking you are paying at a very minimum price and you get either lacking service or a poor quality one.
2. The company's name is trusted - Take a look at the qualifications of the company -- how long has it been serving people? what are their awards of excellence? any legal problems in the past?
3. Fast network connection - Connection must be lightning speed. Go for a reliable and high-speed performance. You don't want your blog to be very slow in loading.
4. Load-balanced servers - If they have this, your blog/site should have no problems in downtime when the server does something critical like reboots, maintenance or failure.
   
5. Hardware and propriety ownership - Simple. Make sure the web host wholly owns and operates their system hardware and software.
6. Large Community - If a web host is a choice among many, a large online community will grow. Take advantage of such so you will know other parts, issues, pros, cons, etc. from other clients as well. No community means nobody liked their service.
   
7. Tools for web site - It is a plus if your web host offers you a variety of tools to grow and make your blog successful.
   
8. The best technical support - This is probably one of the most-sought for features. It is here that most web hosting companies differ. A fast and friendly customer support is the key for a healthy business relationship.
   
9. Technologically-advanced - Make sure the web host is constantly upgrading their facilities and software to keep up with the latest in the World Wide Web.
10. Feedback and testimonials - Customers usually give out comments and feedback. Listen to what they have to say. They have experienced the service beforehand so they should know.

Those are the ten qualities of a good web host. If you want to host your own site or blog now, you must start finding the best web site hosting company online. There are a lot with different specializations (Unix, Dedicated, etc). Know your need first before purchasing.

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Are you tired of your ordinary-looking desktop? All those icons being grouped side by side is already a common thing. If you want to try something spicy and playful in your desktop, or if you want the Mac desktop style, you have to try Rocketdock.

What is Rocketdock?

RocketDock is a smoothly animated, alpha blended application launcher. It provides a nice clean interface to drop shortcuts on for easy access and organization. With each item completely customizable there is no end to what you can add and launch from the dock.

Now with added Taskbar support your minimized windows can appear as icons on the dock. This allows for better productivity and accessibility.

Here are the features of Rocketdock:

• Minimize windows to the dock
• Real-time window previews in Vista
• Running application indicators
• Simple drag-n-drop interface
• Multi-monitor support
• Supports alpha-blended PNG and ICO icons
• Icons zoom and transition smoothly
• Auto-hide and Popup on mouse over
• Positioning and layering options
• Fully customizable
• Completely Portable
• ObjectDock Docklet support
• Compatible with MobyDock, ObjectDock, RK Launcher, and Y'z Dock skins
• Runs great on slower computers
• Unicode compliant
• Supports many languages and can easily be translated
• A friendly user base :)
• And best of all... its FREE!!!

For more information, see the embedded video below. Download Rocketdock now!

Photo by Marcus_Roberto

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Alcohol addiction or commonly known as the Love Buster is one source of many evils. Alcohol addiction for teens destroys lives. Alcohol addiction for married ones causes trouble -- more trouble when cheating or infidelity comes in.

Alcohol Addiction for Married People

According to sources, cheating or infidelity usually takes place when the husband is drunk. A drunk person is insensitive, careless, wild or sometimes dangerous. Suddenly, a drunk person's view of his wife is just like anybody else.

Alcoholics usually engage in their most painful habits while under the influence. The fact that he (or she) is drunk at the time is not even a good thing to a grief-stricken spouse. It is the women that suffer much from such alcoholic behavior of their husbands. Physical and emotional abuse are a common thing. Verbal abuse is not an exception.

The most common victims for a drunken man are daughters. Sexual abuse is very likely. Around 70% of daughters of alcoholic fathers have been molested (Iowa Mental Health Clinic). When mothers know of this, they make themselves as baits themselves so their daughters will be spared. The pain experienced by these mothers inside their bedrooms is extraordinarily painful.

Alcohol Addiction for Teens

Alcohol addiction is a common thing among teens who have emotional problems. It is usually family or love problems that may push a teen to start using alcohol.

Teens need guidance when it comes to this issue. Drunken teens will not do good in school or in work. Alcohol addiction will destroy the precious life of a teen.

An alcohol addict must immediately be sent to a guidance counselor or to an alcohol rehabilitation asylum. At this part of life, other things must be prioritized. There should be no time for such acts of alcoholic addiction.

Final Notes

Alcohol is not at all a bad thing. It must be taken in moderation if one can't really run away from it. But addiction to it is a totally different thing. To make it short, it will destroy lives.

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What's good with studying Asian Literature is that you get the chance to know more about the culture of other Asian countries. It is always good to take pride of our own Asian culture and literature. We are the pioneers in civilization. We are also those that have strongly kept their culture even in the modern times.

The poem that I'll be sharing in this post is a poem we took up when I was a sophomore in high school. We did a speech choir then. This is a translated form from Chinese.

"The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter"

While my hair was still cut straight across my forehead
I played about the front gate, pulling flowers.
You came by on bamboo stilts, playing horse,
You walked about my seat, playing with blue plums.
And we went on living in the village of Chokan:
Two small people, without dislike or suspicion.

At fourteen I married My Lord you.
I never laughed, being bashful.
Lowering my head, I looked at the wall.
Called to, a thousend times, I never looked back.

At fifteen I stopped scowling,
I desired my dust to be mingled with yours
Forever and forever and forever.
Why should I climb the look out?

At sixteen you departed,
You went into far Ku-to-en, by the river of swirling eddies,
And you have been gone five months.
The monkeys make sorrowful noise overhead.

You dragged your feet when you went out.
By the gate now, the moss is grown, the different mosses,
Too deep to clear them away!
The leaves fall early this autumn, in wind.
The paired butterflies are already yellow with August
Over the grass in the West garden;
They hurt me. I grow older.
If you are coming down through the narrows of the river Kiang,
Please let me know beforehand,
And I will come out to meet you
As far as Cho-fu-Sa.

-Li Po-
-Translated by: Ezra Pound-

Photo by poetictouch

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