Just For Fun: The One Phrase You Can't Mess With

Read the following lines with conviction. Enunciate every word. See what happens.


"Oh my darling please don't touch me!"


>>Read entire article>>

Stress Busting Techniques In The Digital Age

• Never dwell on something for hours unless it is life threatening

It is always easy to sink into the couch and watch TV endlessly, or work on the computer for hours, or perhaps get lost in a very exciting video game. Yes, it is very convenient and it is also very unhealthy. You could lose track of time, precious time that could be used in some other beneficial endeavors.

How to avoid it?

Set a goal to take a break every 30-min, 1-hour or 2-hour intervals and be sure to comply.

Here's a trick that will really help--I call it the 'bottomless drink' technique. Drink a full glass of low-calorie beverage (water is highly recommended) before you do a prolonged activity. In an hour or so, your bladder fills up and you can't resist the urge to dispose of, thus, you will be compelled to abandon whatever you are doing at the moment, forcing you a break--your much needed break.

• Breathe

Oxygen is important for all bodily functions. Your brain which is a vital organ is the primary consumer of the oxygen that you take in. Take time to breathe. It is as essential as drinking, sleeping and eating. Set a few minutes in a day and devote it primarily for breathing exercises.

• Release your inner tension in a creative way

If your body has been subjected to stress for a long while tension builds up inside your body and this could progress to more serious illnesses. Find a way to let it out.

Frustrated? Angry?

>>Read entire article>>

AppleTV: When Computer Screen Size Ain't Enough

Ever thought of wanting to watch your videos on your 61" TV from your iTunes library?

That used to be a remote possibility but Apple came up with another genius gadget named AppleTV.

What is AppleTV?

AppleTV is a device that allows you to watch your movies from your iTunes library on your TV. It also allows you access to the apple iTunes store so you can rent movies after you browse the different selections. Some movies are even available in HD. The great thing about AppleTV is the fact that it allows you to play your favorite videos from youtube.com directly from your TV screen without the need for a computer.

>>Read entire article>>

Good Friday: How Holy It Used To Be

Good Friday is a big day. This is the day when we basically, die a bit by really keeping a holy day through prayers, reflections, atonement, fasting and abstinence and stopping all worldly affairs. This is also the day when we get to see a reenactment of the passion of Christ in flesh form—real people trying to relive the passion, the betrayal—Judas’ kiss, the Pontius Pilate act, the carrying of the cross, the crucifixion. We also reflect on the seven last words of Christ on the cross. It was definitely a life-altering tradition. At three in the afternoon on Good Friday, the time when Christ supposedly died on the cross, we go to the beach and wash off ourselves in the sea—with the belief that as we do that we cleanse ourselves of all our sins.

On the other hand, tales of witches and black magicians renewing their powers on Good Friday hover around, creating an aura of eerie, empty, godless, sorrowful, almost black Friday. I remember seeing all crucifixes in the church being covered by a purple or maroon piece of cloth and that makes the day even gloomier.

>>Read entire article>>

Feel Good Sunday: Super Bowl XLII

The game was the finest sports match we’ve seen in a while bringing moments when we literally have to hold our breath as the almost impossible happens at the most unexpected moment.

The NY Giants really did a good job of rallying up against the opponent by pounding on Tom Brady with their unmatched defense. The offense’s side was a little shaky yet Manning was able to deliver the goods when the opportunity presented itself.

What a remarkable performance by the NY Giants!

>>Read entire article>>

California Dreamin'

When I first set foot in California, I was kind of shock to see how different it was. I almost felt like I was not on a foreign soil. Yeah, honestly, I felt like I was just somewhere in one of the seven thousand and one islands of the Philippines.

Why? My goodness, you cannot turn your head without seeing another spread-toed flat-nosed creation. They are all over the place. I even asked myself, “How did they get here? Why is my family not here?”

I like the weather in California. It hardly rains in California but when it does it sure feels like rain in the tropics. I kind of like the way the sun shines in California. It’s the closest reminder to warm sunny skies back home.


I even wonder that perhaps if I have my close relatives here I would change my opinion about where home is to me.



>>Read entire article>>

Ikobo: The Sensible Way to Send Money to the Philippines

For most Filipinos abroad it is an undeniable fact that a big part of our earnings overseas is being sent back to our loved ones back home in the Philippines. Even for those who have migrated to places outside of the Philippines, the obligation continues. Yeah it is, in fact, weird as it sounds, an obligation.

Imagine sending $600 to your loved ones and spending $50 bucks for the transfer service? That’s a lot!

You can opt to pay less by doing bank to bank transfers but it takes a while before your recipients get hold of their cash.

In emergency cases, you have no choice but to pay the higher service fee even if it burns your pocket.

I used to do that. For the sake of speed, pay extra fees. That’s an old story.

>>Read entire article>>

DANGEROUS ENCOUNTERS: Surviving the Unexpected

This is more or less a chronicle of unpleasant events that I’ve experienced in my life that really scared the living daylights out of me.

Sweet Talk


I was just casually walking home and darkness had started to set in, and as soon as I reached a shady part on the sidewalk under a star apple tree in front of the elementary school, somebody stopped me. He was a big guy, probably in his late 20s and he somehow asked me in a kind and seemingly harmless way if I knew where a certain person he was looking for lived. I didn’t know if he was really honest about his inquiry or if he was merely namedropping somebody so he can ask me a question. Without any thought of a looming danger, I politely answered the guy that I didn’t know the person he was asking me about. He nodded his head, somehow resigned to the fact that I really didn’t have the answer to his question. Then he said, “Do you want candy?”


An Idle Mind Is the Devil’s Workshop

Then one tragic night, he started slashing and attacking his family with a sharp bolo (more like a machete). His wife was pinned under the bed with a slashed throat and a ripped stomach, gut and all coming out in a very disturbing sight. She met her tragic end before the night is over. His son was able to jump off the window with a minor cut on his finger, while his two other daughters were head-shaved as the sharp bolo scraped the top portion of the skull, cutting the hair in zigzagged fashion everytime the bolo landed on the top of the head. They were able to jump out of the house too. One of the girls had her nose slit in half as the sharp bolo painfully bore a deep wound across her face.


When All Else Fails… Run!

I ran quickly, still with a pail-full of water on one hand, limping my way to our house. I could hear the footsteps behind me as if I was being pursued by whoever is causing the commotion. In my head, I pictured a deranged guy chasing people with a sharp bolo and just hacking everyone in the way.

>>Read entire article>>

The Pale Blue Dot

Let's continue our journey of immersing ourselves in an existence that is not bounded by space. Let's zoom into the limitless expanse of the universe. What do you see? Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Pluto, the Milky Way? Is there ever an end to this infinite vastness of space? Zoom further into space even more. What do you see now?

Yeah, you see the cosmos. But something else caught your attention. There's this pale blue dot, that somehow you just can't take your eyes away from.

Why does that pale blue dot look so special to you? Huh?

Hardly visible and almost just a speck of dust in that vast universe, is your place--the one you call home, your planet Earth. That's where all the drama of your mortality takes place. That's your stage. That's where you maltreat people, cheat on others, party all night long, degrade yourself morally, rot your life away. That's where your stakes are--your possessions, your wealth, your wrongdoings. That's where your precious world is all contained in, in that one pale blue dot.

>>Read entire article>>

The Wire: Probably The Best TV Show Ever

Happy New Year one and all! Whew! It's 2008.

I am a sucker for real TV entertainment, though I don't really spend much time in front of the boob-tube. Nevertheless, when something captures my attention I am eternally glued to the show until it's over.

Over the holidays, I wasn't really able to do much because I caught the bug--the cold virus. I had it all planned that during my vacation I will utilize my time to make up for the tasks that are left unfinished. But what the heck! I was sick, so instead, I opted to fatten my Pinoy ass in front of the TV and what better show to watch than The Wire.

>>Read entire article>>