It's not What you know, but It's WHOM you know

I don't know if this statement applies to other countries but here in my country, this statement sure does. It is basically having and using connections with the right people who are in the Position for personal gains like getting a job, promotions, business deals, etc. But do we really have to resort to this means? What about working your butt out and getting all the skills to become better qualified for a job?

Whenever I hear someone getting hired in the company without even considering his or her qualifications...and to think that there are a lot more better suited and highly qualified for such position...I really get mad. Just because he or she is the niece or son-in-law of this and that! It is so unjust and as much as possible, I don't want to be part of this kind of system.

But what can we do??? This is reality and has long been part of our tradition. Although, it cannot be denied that having connections with the right people is really an advantage. And I must admit that there are times I am guilty of using such means out of frustration.I think the best way to handle this is to continually improve ourselves. And if ever we do find ourselves in this kind of situation, we just have to show that "I got hired because I am qualified" and perform damn well so no one would dare question us.

Can't wait to have a relaxing weekend

I don't know what got into me but whenever Fridays come near, the lazy syndrome takes over and I can't help but wish badly for the long week at work to be over. I don't have an exact plan for the coming weekend but I will certainly have a relaxing one.

I am also looking forward to wish my friend, Sharon who's leaving soon for Beijing, a wonderful journey ahead. I'll definitely visit her on Saturday. Happy weekend guys. :)

Sweet Victory for Noy, and could be a Heartbreaking Defeat for Mar

I never denied that I am supporting Ninoy Aquino for President, and basing from the results which by the way came out impressively faster than we expected, I am happy that Noy is not far from finally taking the seat of the next President of the Philippines.

On the other hand, Mar Roxas' stand for vice-presidency is still uncertain for he is neck to neck with his rival Jejomar Binay. Although Binay is confident that he will come out the winner of this race, he should not be too sure of his place (he leads by 800,000 votes over Roxas) because until the last votes are counted, only then shall we be certain who the next vice-president is.

If Mar doesn't win, it will surely be a heartbreaking defeat for him because he has already given up the race for presidency for Noy and he has been consistently on top in every surveys conducted prior to the election. Maybe if he had given more effort and tried harder with his campaign during the final leg, he might have a bigger chance of winning over Binay. But for now let's just wait for the last 4-5 Million votes not yet counted which could either make or break his dreams.

Worth the Wait

Today marked a very important event in the history of Philippines, it's the first automated national election - Halalan 2010. We headed early to our voting precincts so eager and excited to cast our votes hoping to make a difference in our government system. We came prepared with our lists of candidates but we did not anticipate the long hours of waiting on the line. We arrived 9:30 am and excruciatingly waited for 5 hours and 30 minutes before we were finally able to cast our votes using the PCOS machines.

indelible ink placed over the point finger after voting
photo c/o my friend, Marie

It took me just about 10 minutes to finish filling up the ballot form, and when it was time to feed the ballot form in the machine (PCOS) to validate my vote, I never thought that waiting for the word "congratulations" would be so nerve wracking. Thankfully, the word came out and I felt so relieved that my vote was officially read by the machine. Whew! We came home tired and hungry but I'd say, the long hours of waiting was worth it. Now, all we have to do is wait and be vigilant for the counting and canvassing of our votes.

Weekend Escape at Kaputian Island

It was a nice treat for all of us last weekend where we went to Kaputian Island (courtesy from Candy's private resort) to have a nice break after all the hassle and bustle at work.

a spectacular view overlooking a nice island resort on our way home


night swimming with series of photo shoots

Meet My Colleagues

Here are some of my colleagues at work at the family medicine clinic. There are no more patients left for check up and so we were just waiting for the clock to strike at 5pm so that we can finally log out of work.

With few minutes left, we decided to take some pictures at the area. Smile! ^_^

bone weary at 8-5

Sorry guys for failing to update my blog. I have been so busy with my work at the hospital. I never thought that having a regular schedule from Mondays to Fridays starting at 8am to 5pm can be wearisome... I used to have a rotating schedule but since I am assigned in the out patient department, I work on a regular schedule. Maybe I just need to adjust and in time I'll get used to this kind of routine. I just wish that I don't have to travel longer going to my workplace, this thing really makes me totally exhausted at the end of the day. I am just thankful that I don't have to go into graveyard shift anymore. Thanks a lot!!!

Waterproofing Your Walls

These past few days, we have been experiencing a sudden shift of weather conditions. From a very hot and humid atmosphere, a cloudy weather accompanied by heavy rains would come in the following day. I could not complain with having rain, in fact it is always a nice welcome to cool down our body temps with the summer season we are having. However, there is one thing that's becoming a bothersome brought about by heavy rains and they are leaking windows and pipes where water could easily enter inside your house and irritatingly accumulates on the floor which dampens and even damages your furniture if left unattended.

With poor construction and installation of drainage system, just like ours, water can easily leak inside your house. The situation worsens especially in lower parts of the house like the basement or underground areas. Have you ever experience such problem at your own homes? This is the reason why waterproofing is very important in building houses. Basement waterproofing should really be considered since the basement is more prone to being affected during wet conditions. And now you can easily remedy this problem with ready to use, do-it-yourself waterproofing products which are readily available at the market, easy and safe to apply. So check it out guys before leading your basement areas to total destruction and making them entirely unusable.

Seizure Attacks of Manike

It was in the afternoon of Easter Sunday, when we had the most frightening experience with our dog, Manike, our 8 months old pit bull. She went into several seizure attacks which started at around 2pm till 8pm. We were deeply worried when we noticed that she was excessively salivating and suspected that she was poisoned. We continue to observe her when we were caught by surprise when she suddenly stiffen, begun lip smacking, followed by facial spasm then finally, she went down while her whole body convulsed. The seizure lasted for about 10-15 seconds with about 30 minutes interval. After the seizure attack she seemed so disoriented and would stand up then pace around, running in place, until another attack would come in. Our dog is unable to control her movements so as she continues to run around inside her cage she would bang her head painfully and hurt herself.

It was was both horrifying at the same time utterly agonizing to watch her go through such painful episode. And the worst thing is that we can't do anything about it at that time because it was Sunday, no clinic and vet whom we can sought for consult and help. We felt so helpless that time. You can only imagine the pain she is going through and all we can do is watch and pray the attack would stop. Thinking that she was poisoned, I cursed the person or thing which brought her to such situation. We thought the bouts of seizure attack would never end and that anytime she would stop breathing ...until later that night, she fell down, totally exhausted catching her breath and almost crying for pain and difficulty of breathing, the seizure finally subsided. We vigilantly monitored her the entire night and we can't even sleep because we could even hear her moaning. We felt hopeless and thought she'd never survive. If there was something we could give her that time even take her life, we would give it to her just to end her agony.

Morning came and we were surprised that our dog although barely breathing and moving, with no food and water intake the whole night, was still alive. Meanwhile, I still had to go to work so my sister was left with the task of keeping our dog alive. She was brought to the clinic and the vet diagnosed her of having flu and severe nasal congestion due to colds that's why she was having difficulty of breathing. She was also having high grade fever that's why she ended up having convulsions/seizure attacks. We were wrong to suspect she was poisoned and that she might be going through some form of canine distemper. She was immediately given vaccines and shots of antibiotics. We tried to feed her with fluids but she refused to drink so she had to be placed on IV fluids. We nursed her during the first day of treatment at home but since we were all exhausted, we decided to have her confined at the clinic for almost two days. After that, I was so glad and thankful to see her again with remarkable improvement in her status. Although slightly weak, she is able to stand up, follow commands and eat solid food. The vet said that she is quite stable and can be brought home. With continued monitoring and care, she is now recovering well. We just hope that her illness is not in viral form and that she will fully recover in a week's time and it would never recur. Hopefully... I would never want to see her again go through agonizing experience.

Online Tutoring

I used to like Math when I was in high school but when I get into more difficult topics I just can't help but wish for a reliable Math Tutor to give me a much needed Math help. I thought I was over with difficult computations since I entered nursing but I was wrong. Yesterday, we had a re-orientation on Pharmacology, a campaign geared to help avoid medication errors in the hospital. One of the goals of the seminar is to reinforce our knowledge in drug administration and acquire strategies to accurately compute drug dosage. That was a lot of Math for me, but I was thankful to have attended the said seminar because I gained more knowledge in computing drug dosage.

I remember one time when my niece called me over my cellphone desperately seeking assistance with her Math assignment. Her mom was not familiar with their lesson so she was left at my mercy. Well I tried to answer her questions but to be honest, I was not confident with my answer. I guess I've forgotten all about Calculus, Algebra, and Statistics. But now it is so easy to get Math help through Online Tutor where you can get your answers from an expert and a highly qualified Math Tutor.

Online tutoring has become the most convenient and practical way of learning and studying effectively without going through the hassles of traveling from one place to another and wasting time and money. Tutornext.com is a leading company in this field. They provide top quality, one-on-one supplemental education needed for K-12 and college students with their best Math Tutors Online. You can avail of their services at a very reasonable price. If you are looking for a better and effective Math Problem Solver just try their service. You can even try Free Online Tutoring to see if it really works for you.

Just consider the benefits of an Online Math Tutor right at the comforts of your own homes versus enrolling in an actual tutoring class. Advancement in technology really do have its advantages.

Happy Easter!!!

Happy Easter Everyone!!! It's a great day to rejoice and celebrate Christ's Resurrection. Hope you spend a meaningful Holy Week with your families and friends. I just felt bad that I failed to wake up early and thereby missed the "Salubong". We planned to attend the Salubong or Sugat as part of our family tradition in welcoming the blessed Easter Day. However, we slept so late the night before and all of us forgot to set the alarm. When we woke up it was already past 5am. Nonetheless, we were still able to attend the second mass with much solemnity while remembering the Lord's great love and sacrifice for us. Finally, we enjoyed the rest of the day eating pork dishes. lol Fasting and no pork dishes are over but eating in moderation should not be set aside. Duh!!! As if. lolz Just for today...tomorrow maybe I'll eat in moderation. :)

A Time to Reflect

For the past days I was not able to update my blog because I was so busy doing a lot of things, and more than that, I decided to take a breather, a time for me to reflect and revive my spiritual aspect.

Last Holy Thursday, me and my family, went for a Bisita Iglesia. We visited 7 churches and offered our prayers at each church we dropped by. This was a first time for us because during Holy Week, we just usually have our station of the cross at the Shrine. It was really a worthwhile experience for us. At the 6th church we visited, we stayed a bit longer because of the heavy rain that suddenly poured in. It was actually a blessing because we were able to attend the mass and witnessed the washing of the feet ceremony. It was a very solemn and holy moment for me that I was really glad to have experienced. It took us the whole day to finish the visits. We went home tired but soul satisfied. :) This will definitely become another one of our family tradition during Holy Week.

Look and Feel Beautiful

Every morning, as soon as I wake up, I always say to myself ---" I am beautiful". Yeah sure it helps to boost your confidence and jump start your day but, when you are about to leave the house and check yourself in the mirror and you noticed that your hair doesn't look good, it really dampens your entire day. Dull and unmanageable hair is one of my worst days.

I desperately need a new hairstyle and with that, I am thinking of trying a new hair color to give life to my current boring hair. However, I am still hesitating for fear I might choose the wrong color or the product I am going to select will further damage my hair. I would definitely need the help of my friends and ask their opinions about this matter. Moreover, an honest and expert advice from totalbeauty.com. would greatly help me decide.

In looking your best, one would also need the use of hair accessories. If you got the right headband, hair clip or pin, it would certainly bring out the best in your look. I totally envy Leighton Meester of Gossip Girl because she absolutely have the best hair accessory in town.

Talking about beauty doesn't end with managing your hair. You also have to mind your skin which is very essential. I have to admit, I am one of the anti-aging product fanatics and I get easily fall victim by the convincing TV ads and beauty magazines. Most often, I get frustrated. So lesson for me --- get the right information first before ever trying it on and get it from trusted sources.

Not Bad At All!

I had my first duty today at the Davao Medical Center (now SPMC- Southern Philippines Medical Center). I was assigned at the Family Med Clinic - OPD, and I was really glad to have made my first duty without encountering super toxic patients. I thought it was going to be a morbid day for me. Fortunately, I was assigned in the not so toxic area so my first duty was not that bad at all! Although, I have to say it was still a busy day with almost 200 patients catered for the day but still everything went smoothly. Hopefully, tomorrow will still be the same, but if not, I'll just have to be prepared. At DMC, just expect the worst scenarios and the most toxic patients there are. It is a government hospital with 1200-bed-capacity. Naturally, it will accept all type of patients.

Need A Good Support?

I got this very cute drawing from my friend Tess via email, and I thought the saying is really cute and so true that I'd like to share it with you guys. Hope you'll have good support with your bras...and with your friends. :)

Man's Best Friend

Are you a dog lover? Well if you are, we definitely have something in common. I totally adore dogs. Since I was a kid, we always have a dog at home as our pet. They are very loyal and comforting animals. Whenever you feel down, depressed and lonely, it's as if they can also understand and feel what you are going through. They are always around to cheer you up and keep you company when no one is around. They are definitely man's best friend.

It's one reason why a lot of us view them as a form of therapy. They have become important parts of our families that sometimes, others treat them as if they are their own kids. Aside from being a wonderful pet, they are also very helpful in guarding our homes when we have to leave and no one is around to watch the house and safeguard it against lurking burglars.

It is truly saddening whenever I hear dogs are being maltreated. If you can't treat your dogs right then don't try to violate them. Instead, give them to those kind-hearted persons willing to take care of them. Sure dogs can't choose their owners but we, as owners, can definitely choose our own dogs.

If you are interested in owning a dog and you are somewhere in Australia, you can conveniently buy online Puppies for Sale Sydney at tailsrwagging.com where they take a serious job in the process of putting puppies and its owners together. They will ensure that puppies are socialized well, toilet trained, travel ready, fit and ready to be part of your family the moment you take them home with you.

While browsing through their online store, I found these adorable cavoodles. They are so cute, very friendly, easy tend to, and most importantly, they have limited shedding, just ideal for my asthmatic mom. I really wish I could own one of these beautiful puppies.

Owning a dog entails certain responsibilities and one of those is keeping them healthy and fit. This means you have to feed them well and give them adequate exercise. Lastly, they should have regular dog grooming to keep them clean and in good shape all the time. If your dogs are happy, naturally owners will also be happy as well. So be a good owner and you will surely enjoy the company of your dogs.

Lab Exams

Today is a busy day for me. I have to comply all my laboratory exams needed for me to be able to start my duty at Southern Philippines Medical Center(SPMC). I just finished submitting my urine specimen for the drug test and now I am just waiting for the result to come out. Hopefully, everything goes well with my lab exams. If everything goes smoothly maybe I can start my duty this coming Wednesday. I just hope I will be assigned in the area I am comfortable with, the surgical ward. If not, I just hope and pray that I will be able to cope up with the toxic environment I am sure I will have to go through. Good luck to me! :)

Heading for Australia

It seems that most of my friends are heading for Australia. About two months ago my friend, Rhosette went to Brisbane to accomplish her 150 hours hospital experience to get her license as a registered nurse in the country. Then, just few weeks ago my colleague and dear friend, Pebbles also left for Sydney to visit her brother and attend her nephew's christening. Now, another friend of mine is waiting for her visa approval to leave for Sydney also.

Well I can't blame them. If given chance, I would also love to go out of my own country and experience Australia. I would surely visit Sydney. My friends say it is such a wonderful city with lots of amazing tourist spots to enjoy. The Sydney Aquarium where you'll have close encounters with amazing sea creatures is trully unforgettable and a must destination. I am really thrilled to get there however, I am quite worried about the accommodation. I know for certain that compared to our country, cost of living there is quite expensive. My friend said that I can always find cheap and comfortable Sydney City Hotels at cheaperthanhotels.com.au offering quality service and with friendly hotel staff to accommodate my needs. She even recommended I try one of the Darling Harbour Hotels particularly Four Points by Sheraton Hotel. Based on the reviews, it has the best accommodation to offer ideal for sightseeing and with very courteous staff to assist you. I guess this means good value for your money.

My friend Rhowilyn, who is waiting for her visa to arrive, is asking me for suggestions on where to find nice and affordable hotels in Sydney. She is having problems with her booking so I will surely tell her to check out cheaperthanhotels.com.au where she can have more options of Sydney City Hotels and read their reviews. Getting the best accommodation at a reasonable price is very essential in fully enjoying your stay at a certain place. So I will really make sure I got the best hotel once I decide to head for Australia. I hope it will happen very soon.

Make your Absence Felt

I just went into another state of my reflection moments. And this time I pondered on these thoughts-----"Don't strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt". Sometimes people effortlessly take us for granted. Even though how hard we work and give the best of our jobs as a nurse, a teacher, or an ordinary employee, sometimes it is not enough. As if they just expected us to be that way.

Well I guess they are right at some point but, everyone of us needs a little recognition once in a while. It's like a booster to keep us going and maintain the best of our performances at work. If you want to keep your good employees, I strongly believe in making them happy and letting them feel they are important and not just plainly dispensable anytime. (Hmmm just like what happened in my case) If quality employees do resign and leave their companies, surely their excellent jobs would be missed and that's how their presence would be deeply felt.

Even in relationships, most often than not, we find ourselves missing the person only when she or she is actually gone. Often, we take people important to us for granted like our partners or friends and think that they are there all the time. And so we fail to say thank you. Sometimes it's already too late to get them back. And so my thoughts to linger would be ----always appreciate the person while she/he is there so that there will be no reason for him/her to leave you. This might sound impossible but a good try to keep a person at your side. :0)

New Pair of Eyeglasses for Me

For almost six years now, I have been totally dependent with the use of contact lenses. Even though I have my pair of eyeglasses, I am still comfortable wearing my contacts. However, there are certain limitations and disadvantages with prolonged use of contacts. First, my eyes get really tired and seemed all bruised after the long day. Secondly, I can't wear my contacts if I am on duty at graveyard shift for fear I will fall asleep with my contacts on. Lastly, it's a bit time consuming and tiresome cleaning them after every use. And so now I am really thinking of buying a new, fashionable and most importantly, within my budget eye wear ideal for my everyday use.

I have tried various types of eyeglasses and it seems that they just don't last with me. I am just able to use them for a span of about three to five months. Then, they either break or I got bored with using them. I must admit my previous eyeglasses are not of quality but, I did buy two expensive pairs but still, they didn't last long.

I think it would be best for me to buy an eye wear in various designs at cheaper prices so I don't get easily bore with them. With lots of designs I could always mix and match my glasses with my outfit. Ain't that cool? Now you can have a complete pair of eyeglasses for as low as $8. This is really affordable but of course quality should always come in first. They might end up like my previous ones, so now I should think of quality glasses at the price I can afford.

Saying Goodbye

I am finally saying goodbye to St. John Hospital, without regret and with much enthusiasm.lol I am moving to another workplace, a bigger hospital and with lots of opportunities for me to hone my nursing skills. I'll be a part of the Southern Philippines Medical Center (formerly Davao Medical Center) starting next week as a city detailed nurse. Whew! At last!

I've been waiting for this. Although at first, I had some hesitations because transferring means new place, new environment, new colleagues, and another adjustment for me. I am quite comfortable and happy with my present work except for minor problems with my head but in general, I really like my co-workers and enjoy my job at St.John. However, I have to make this decision in order for me to grow, broaden my knowledge and further my career. It's just that saying goodbye to my colleagues whom I've already made friends with is so damn hard and saddening. :(

Controlling Fire Ants

Have you ever been bitten by fire ants? If the answer is no then you should really be glad. I remember one time I saw this movie set in early times wherein people were punished in a very barbaric way through fire ants. You will be under the mercy and cruel stings of not one but an entire colony of fire ants. Oh my! What a painful form of punishment.

I just hate ants especially those big fire ants. They are pests that must be controlled and avoided. At home, whenever I see them gather and form a steady line going through a leftover food or gathering around the plants in our backyard, I would have goosebumps and I would immediately disrupt their line my throwing a load-full of boiling water over them. It is quite effective in disrupting them but, it doesn't really make them go away. What happens is that they just transfer to another place. This is also true with controlling fire ants.

There are much effective and more importantly, environmentally friendly ways of getting rid of ants. This is through bait treatments. A bait is given as a food source being carried by ant workers to the colony letting the queen ant eat it as well. After the bait is eaten by the queen, its main function would now slowly work and that is preventing the queen from further laying more eggs. It is not a form of pesticide so you can be assured that it is eco-friendly. If you want to know more about fire ants and how to manage them just looked it up over the internet.

Too Much Sun

Summer is here once again and along with the scorching heat are the risks of getting dehydrated and acquiring common illnesses such as cough and colds, not to mention the devastating effects of El Niño to our farmers.

I love summer because it's the best time to go outdoors, enjoy the beach, and get adventurous with nature. However too much sun has some ill effects on our bodies. I have to say that the sun is really getting under my skin, literally! Like for now, I noticed that my skin gets rough, dry and scaly easily. Urgh!! I have to put on lotion twice as much and more often than before. And most importantly, I need to drink plenty of water which sometimes I forget because of having such demanding work. Too much sun does nothing but speed up my aging process. :( Wish I could hide from it but I know it's impossible. Our family is even planning to go to the beach one of these days. The best way for me to do then is just protect myself with sunblock, umbrella, and plenty of WATER.

Adding Beauty to Your Homes with Plants

Gardening has always been one of my many passions in life. If I have more free time, I would love to spend it doing gardening at home. I have been wanting to add more plants to our backyard and tend our potted plants ever since. Plants are therapeutic for me and they have the ability to add natural beauty to our homes.

If you are aiming to beautify your houses, a plant in a beautiful planter is definitely a must have. Plants whether indoor or outdoor just simply give a nice ambiance to a place. Take a look at the colorful flowers placed in a nice and elegant window box planter. It truly is wonderful and a sure treat to the eyes. What a refreshing way to brighten one's home. Now it is so easy to acquire planters for your ornamental plants at ePlanters.com. You could easily choose from a wide selection that comes in various type, style, size, material, form, and finish. I am sure you would adore and would love to have either one of the indoor planters, outdoor planters, garden planters, window box planters, high end planters, or one of the fabulous decorative planters.

With the type of weather condition we are currently experiencing right now, plants are just ideal and a nice welcome to ease the hot and humid atmosphere we are going through. And don't forget to enhance the beauty of your plants, place them in beautiful planters as well. Visit ePlanters.com to check their huge selection of planters and pots and avail of their free shipment plus amazing valued services being offered.

The Gift of Eyesight

Yesterday was really a busy day at the hospital. There was a medical mission for patients with cataract. A number of cataract surgeries were performed under the expertise of Dr. Faigar. Unfortunately, there was a power interruption in the middle of the day so, the supposedly number of patients was cut down to 50 percent. Nonetheless, it was still a successful event.

It was really a tiring day but after seeing the happy faces of post op patient's, it was definitely all worth it. They were really glad to have taken advantage of the chance to be able to see the beauty of the world. And I can totally agree with them because I myself also have problems with my vision. I am near-sighted with astigmatism so I have to use eyeglasses or contacts to be able to see clearly.

Inconsiderate Supervisors

I really had the worst time during my duty at the hospital. And nothing pisses me off more than dealing with inconsiderate, narrow-minded, heartless supervisors / heads. I requested my colleague to swap our scheduled duties for the reason that I had a very important appointment to attend last Monday. He kindly granted my request so I thought nothing could go wrong with the change of schedules I did. I immediately informed our chief nurse through text of the said swap. I didn't expect to receive a reply since we are used to such "no reply" from our chief nurse. Anyway, my purpose was just to let her informed and I also left a letter in her office to state the full detail of the swap. And I thought everything was fine, but to my uttermost disappointment, our chief nurse was mad upon receiving the text and having learned of the swap.

The following day, when I reported for my duty, I noticed that she was already aloof with me and I know she was just waiting for the right time to give me her word (naghulat na ang kasaba). She didn't even wait for me to come to her office and even gave her piece right in front of the attending physician doing her rounds. I tried to reason with her and frustratingly, all my words fell to deaf ears. She tried to penalized me by removing one of my scheduled duties.

I really felt bad and violated. I had been a good nurse and my reliable performance is proof to that. It was my first time to make a swap and look what I got. And to think that I never ever complained for the many times I was overworked and went overtime without pay. I am almost over this bad incident. I am just glad that my family and friends are always around to cheer me up and give me a boost of energy to continue working. I'll let this pass for now, and hopefully, this will never happen again.

The Right Marketing Data

Nowadays, more and more people are thinking of putting up their own business and taking the plunge of the entrepreneurship world. It is a tough job that one should really be prepared to before committing oneself. Along with building your business establishment is the challenge on how to keep it organized and running smoothly. And this is through applying proper marketing strategies which covers your direct mail and telemarketing needs.

If you are a business owner or working on some kind of a profitable project, you should have an effective marketing list to properly address your campaigns to your designated consumers. You also have to think about the consumer mailing lists which should contain properly analyzed and compiled data of consumers and help you in delivering the latest information about your company thus keeping your target customers updated. Sometimes I receive emails from companies telling me about their product or service that are not of use to me or even applicable. It is quite annoying and I must say it is a bad advertising campaign.

If you have the right marketing data, your advertising through telephone and mail can be a lot easier. Rejections may be lessened and success rate of your business will surely improve. Good thing there are dependable list brokers around that you can rely on to provide such data. So don't wait and waste time, give what your customers are looking for and look for the trusted list brokers to give you the right marketing data you need.

Be Patient or Be A Patient

I got this funny but sensible statement from my friend Xenia, and I can totally relate what she is trying to say. Be patient --- with things and plans in your life. Try to extend to the fullest your patience as much as you can. Things may not be going the way you wanted it to happen but just wait and try to be patient.

On the other hand, if you feel that you cannot take it anymore and everything seems to be falling apart, no hope to grip, everything is void without a ray of light to fathom...(duh..emote)... you could always choose to end your fight. Thus, you end up being a loser and be one of the patients in the hospital...

The latter one may seem be the easiest option but obviously, we will not go for it because we don't want to end up being a loser. Right! So no matter how hard life may seem, let's not give up. Just a thought that I wanted to share with you guys. Keep going! I do hope that things will really get better soon. :)

Mailboxes for Your House

I adore my friend's newest house. She is planning to have a house blessing soon before she and her family would officially reside there. She just needs to take care of some minor details and a little adjustment to the house to make it more special. And since she is still open to new ideas, I suggested that she put up a nice mailbox just beside front gate to make it more extraordinarily special.

I always thought mailboxes really give a homey appeal to one's house and even more personalized if it has your own signature on it. Some companies would let you customize your mailbox to suit your own needs and preference. As for me, I prefer something that is made of metal that has a rustic appeal, and of course with our family name placed over it.

It is not a good thing coming home and right in front of your gate or door step you will find all of your mails, bills and letters scattered around all because you don't have a mailbox to keep it intact and safe. Mail boxes do really have a purpose. And in choosing for the right one, I must say quality and functionality should come in first. The touch of elegance and added beauty are just wonderful bonuses.

Graveyard Shift

Thank God it's Friday! But I am sooo not anticipating for the day to come near 11pm because then I would be on duty at the hospital. Yup! I am having my duty at graveyard shift. I tried to sleep all day in order to prepare for my duty tonight. But I know that no matter how long my hours of sleep during daytime is, it's still different and of less quality compared to my sleeping time at night. Our body clock is meant to sleep at night at become awake during the day. Well, I don't have an option for now so I better get myself ready and bring something at the hospital to keep me awake while on duty. :)

Web Hosting

I never realized how dependent I am with the Internet until my laptop was busted and had to see a computer technician to get it fixed. Due to the unfortunate circumstance I had, I am now unable to access the Internet without my laptop. What am I to do now? I got more pressing jobs ahead of me that needs to be dealt with the use of Internet plus a website to maintain. Oh and I failed to mention that prior to the problem I had with my laptop, my Internet service provider let me down again. I personally went to their office to voice out my complaint against the poor Internet service they are giving to me. Well, thankfully, they responded and the following day, their technicians paid visit to our home to check our connection. It took them only a few minutes and our connection was back again. But what a series of bad luck, when I turned my laptop on, the monitor just didn't show any sign of life. I waited and restarted but still nothing happened. So now I am waiting for my laptop to be fixed...(hopefully!).

I wished that I had better ISP... Anyway I am hoping things will get better in the coming days as I am planning on opening a new website, another blog for me. But more than that, I think I need first to look for a reliable web hosting provider. I am also trying to decide if it would be wiser for me transfer my current website to a new domain.... A lot of the companies in the business hosting are giving great offers and even guarantee they can assure the most reliable service in the field, but how do I know that I can really trust them? Well, there is one company that seems to be meeting their clients' expectations, and you can find that out at webhostinggeeks.com. According to the reviews and ratings, InMotion Hosting, Inc is the best business web hosting provider of the year. And basing from their customer feedback, they got an excellent service with a good technical support that you can rely on. I could sure use their service in the future but first, I have to verify if they are really good.

Happy Birthday to My Dear Sis!

It's the natal day of my dearest sis today and she just turned 33 years younger.hehe We decided to have lunch at our favorite restaurant and just stroll along the mall. Unfortunately, her husband is in Manila, waiting for his scheduled departure for his work abroad. So it was just me, my mom, and her son Fredrik who went out. My sis' spirit almost plummeted for the main reason that her husband is away. However, when we arrived home, a nice surprise greeted us. A special delivery came from Manila (from her hubby of course), six long-stemmed white roses with a cute teddy bear was waiting for her. And oh, what change did it make to my sister's aura. Naturally, she was overjoyed and then elatedly called her hubby to thank him for the very thoughtful gesture. Wow that was nice. I must say, in married life, it is always important to make your partner feel loved and cherished especially on her special day even with just mere simple thoughts and gestures. To my sis, happy happy birthday! I hope you will have true happiness, peace, success and good health throughout your life!

Crowd Control Devices

Going to a crowded area is one thing that we just cannot avoid. Everyday we encounter this scenario like going to the cinemas, attending gatherings, going to concerts, doing our regular groceries, or even paying a visit to the bank. A very essential tool in managing these situations are crowd control devices. They are very helpful gadgets in maintaining people on the line thereby avoiding chaos and keeping order in the crowd.

I recall one time when I had to squeeze myself in to a very crowded group of customers all wanting to try out the newly opened restaurant. It was totally disorganized! In the first place, there were no ropes or any form of barriers to keep the customers on the line. As a result, we all rushed in front of the counter to give our orders. It would have been different if stanchions for crowd control were properly installed.They could come in the form of velvet rope, retractable belts, removable chain stanchions, and many others designed to serve their purpose - crowd control.

For big crowded areas and in cases where safety and security, privacy, or traffic control is much needed, barricades are very useful to maintain order. Examples of these are fence barricades, posts and panels, pipe and drape walls, privacy booths, and a lot more.

These are all very important devices that should not be missed in such crowded areas. So next you decide to go in a public place where you will be expecting a lot of people, like going to a concert, make sure the place is well secured with appropriate crowd control devices.

Wounded Fredric

Last Saturday night my little rascal nephew had an injury. He accidentally slipped on the floor and bumped into the wall's edge. The result --- he acquired a lacerated wound about 1 inch long on his forehead. You can just imagine how hard he cried and worst, how his mother and lola reacted in a panic way. I was on my way to work that time when I got a call from my sister hysterically telling me the incident. I have to tell, it was barely comprehensible. I somehow got the picture and rushed to home. The cut was really deep and blood was oozing from it so my sister and mom lost control on what to do. Good thing our friendly nurse neighbor was around to help and immediately applied pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding.

We immediately brought my nephew to the nearest hospital and as expected, the doctor advised to suture the wound. While deciding on it, my sister and brother -in-law was talking over the phone because the father doesn't want to have the wound sutured for obvious reasons that it will leave a scar on his forehead. I was about to opposed but then again, I thought about the trauma my nephew would go through with the suturing process...so I gave in --- no sutures for Fredric!

We refused to have the sutures done so the doctor recommended for steri-strips instead. My, that was a relief! It was immediately applied to close the wound and without shedding tears from my nephew, it was over for no more than 10 minutes. It's been five days now since the accident and we can see that his wound is healing pretty well. He's still on antibiotics for prophylaxis against infection. We will be back at the hospital this weekend for the removal of the steri-strips. We just hope that the wound will completely heal and won't leave a scar, but if there is hopefully, it will just be minimal...

Well I guess accidents are toddlers' twins. They really go together and you just can't avoid the risk of having one no matter how hard you try to protect them. So I think, the best way to deal with it, is to be always prepared and stay calm if possible. :)

Buy Me a Concert Ticket

If a guy would ask me to go watch a concert for a date, I would gladly say YES! I would definitely prefer it over the traditional dinner date. I would also be thrilled to watch an exciting basketball game or see a fantastic show for example Disney on Ice. That would be a winner for me! Although I have to agree that it's not an ideal venue to have a quiet romantic moment to talk and get to know each other, but I think it's a good way to start your date to loosen up and relax a bit. After watching the show, then you can have a romantic dinner date. But first, buy me a ticket. :)

If you are fond of going to concerts, watching theater shows or any sports game, I am sure you are not new to buying tickets online. The challenge is to look for an online ticket company that would willingly offer assistance to help you find what you are looking for, and at the same time give you the lowest possible prices to choose. ACheapseat.com is offering such service. It is a professional ticket broker which has a wide access to many concert, theater and sports events all over US. If you want to watch a show at Bank Atlantic Center, they could assist you with your BANK ATLANTIC CENTER TICKETS purchase. They could also help you get some of the hardest tickets to find like BENEDUM CENTER TICKETS, Harlem Globetrotters tickets and many others. Just check them out and they will surely render their much needed service to get that ticket you want.

Bad Connection

I've been experiencing a bad internet connection for a week now and I am really frustrated. It's my day off so I'm supposed to have ample time to surf, do my regular EC drops, chat with friends and play. But with a very slow internet connection I only managed to give a few drops. This is not new with my ISP but I was really hoping their service would improve considering the stiff competition in the market... I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hope it won't be like this for the next days. I hate to change my provider and deal with all the hassles of setting up for the new connection.

A Song for Me

About two weeks ago, we had a light inuman session (just 1 bottle) with my girl friends. And with a little wine around us, the fun wouldn't be complete without the help of the magic sing. Of course my friend, Jinky, was so eager to choose a song especially for me. And guess what she chose ----

I Know I Need to be In Love
By: The Carpenters

The hardest thing I've ever done
Is keep believing
There's someone in this crazy world
For me
The way that people come and go
Thru temporary lives
My chance could come and I might never know


I used to say "No promises,
Let's keep it simple"
But freedom only helps you say
Good-bye
It took a while for me to learn
That nothin' comes for free
The price I've paid is high enough for me


(*) I know I need to be in love
I know I've wasted too much time
I know I ask perfection of
A quite imperfect world
And fool enough to think that's
What I'll find

So here I am with pockets full
Of good intentions
But none of them will comfort me
Tonight
I'm wide awake at four a.m.
Without a friend in sight
Hanging on a hope but I'm alright

Repeat twice (*)

I think this song is so right for me. lol Hopefully, next time my tune would change.

Play Casino Right at Your Home

I just had a chat with my friend who is Macau. She is currently working in a coffee shop and she said she is getting homesick. She actually invited me to go there so that we could have a taste of the casinos, one of the things Macua is known for. Wow! That was very temping. It would really be super exciting to experience the world of casino gambling.

But since I can't make it there for now, I just have to contend myself trying out online casino . I heard it is just as exciting and stakes are just as high compared to land-based casinos. Most importantly, you will be playing right at the convenience of your own home. That's minus the hassle of traveling and added expense you will have to deal with. All you need is a compatible computer where you can download the gaming platform using the Internet, and a viable payment solution then you are all set to play. I must say this sounds very easy.

I would love to try one of the easiest casino games and that is the slot machine. With online slots you will get a chance to win just by making a bet, hit a button, click the mouse, and the reels of fate start rolling. With you playing right at the comfort of your home, that's no sweat at all! However, there is a minor downside of it because you won't be hearing the real sweet sound clink-clank of the coins upon hitting the jackpot, but still it's a great way to play slots.

Oh by the way, let's not forget one of the most popular casino games there is, the roulette. This game seems very simple and easy to play, all you have to do is pick the winning number or color. You would also have to make a number of different bets. There's more to the game and some ins and outs that one needs to know. It would be better to have some very useful tips before playing this game in order for you to totally enjoy the game.

Overall, playing casino online can be loads of fun and excitement. Why tire and inconvenient yourself going to land-based casinos when you can play it right at the comfort of your home. You will even get more options with selecting your type of game. With online casinos, you are in control of the game. Thanks to the evolution of technology because through it, things like these are made possible.

Recipe Find -- Blueberry Muffins

I almost forgot this recipe. It was shown in one of the True Confection's January episodes. This sure is yummy! And most importantly, very healthy! My mouth was watering while watching how the muffins were made. Surprisingly, it was easy to prepare. I would love to try out this recipe soon. Below is the recipe of the yummy blueberry muffins.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup oil
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1 piece egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups frozen blueberries

Ingredients for the struesel:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line muffin tins with paper cups
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. In another bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. Pour over the flour mixture. Mix just until combined.
4. Add the frozen blueberries.
5. Using a 2 oz. ice cream scooper, scoop the batter over the muffin cups.
6. Make the streusel. Combine the flour, butter and light brown sugar and mix until it resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle top of scooped batter with about 1 tablespoon streusel.
7. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until top is golden. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

photo and complete recipe taken from wmn.ph

Online Poker Game

Do you play poker? If you ask me my abilities are but limited to playing poker using my Facebook account. I don't even play that much but some of my friends are really getting addict about it. I also watched it over TV where interestingly, the players were celebrities. It was really exciting to watch the betting rounds as each player place their own bets trying to match that of their opponents. The players were having cold clammy skin getting both nervous and thrilled at the same time at the prospect of grabbing the coveted pot money. You can almost feel the intensity and seriousness of the game.

Playing poker online is just as serious and exciting. Professional players have been made popular because of online poker game. In this arena, Full Tilt Poker is rapidly becoming one of the largest online poker rooms today. A number of tournaments are held and amazing Full Tilt Poker Bonus is offered. You can join the game by signing up at FlopTurnRiver.com and simply avail of their Full Tilt Poker Referral Code and get the chance to have a 100% up to $600 bonus. This is truly an amazing offer! If you want to get the complete details of this just go to their website and don't forget to check on their special Full Tilt Poker referral code.

In online poker you can earn money at the same time, have fun playing the game. It is no wonder my cousin's husband has become addicted to this game. I will definitely tell him to check out FlopTurnRiver.com.

It's the Love Month

Wow! Time flies so fast and now--- it's the love month once again. Advance Happy Valentines to all! I bet everybody is busy cooking up something special for their loved ones. Of course it doesn't have to be an extravagant gift or an expensive dinner date to a high class restaurant. A simple gesture or a sweet note can mean so much and is felt more deeply as long as it is given and done with all sincerity. :) Spread love and be loved!

Improved Vision with LASIK

For two consecutive days, I had my duty in graveyard shift. I really do not mind my work except for my bothersome defective eyesight. I have to wear contact lenses every time I go to work because I am not comfortable using eye glasses. So you can just imagine the rigorous task I do before and after I wear my contacts. And during these times, I extremely wished for a better vision with the help of LASIK, a laser vision correction surgery.

LASIK is one of the most common surgeries performed in the US. The procedure can be done in less than an hour and the recovery period is as little as few hours. One company that has been in this kind of service for more than 35 years already is the Stahl Eye Center. Based on the reviews and reactions from their past clients, they got the most skillful and highly qualified doctors to render a very satisfactory procedure and you can check them out here.

Although, there are still some who are having doubts about the safety of the procedure, I still think that the benefits of LASIK are far greater and could be a life changing decision for anyone who has been dependent with the use of glasses and contacts like me.

Entrecard Droppers for January

Thanks to all of my Entrecard friends. Here are some of the great blogs who gave me a drop. Do visit them also.

Gone Corporate Lifestyle

Hope to see you again next time. Happy dropping! :)

Understanding Dementia

My grandfather died at the age of 79. I am not sure what primarily caused his death but we were told that he died of old age. I was very young at that time and the only thing I can remember is that my mother, together with my aunt and uncles, would usually complain that my grandfather does not recognize them anymore. They just attributed his inability to recall their names as part of getting old. He just slipped into a state where he became more forgetful and often found does not know what to do. It was very unusual for him because he is known to be a handy man, who always fixes things with his own tools. From being forgetful he gradually lost interest in social activities, became more self-centered. He slowly lacked the will to eat, communicate, and then finally was confined to his bed.

Now looking back and analyzing the series of manifestations my grandfather had, one could surmise that he did not just suffer from an ordinary old age process but instead, he might have had Dementia. The progressive loss of his cognitive function, especially his memory loss, impaired judgment, personality changes, and changes in social behavior were all part of dementia symptoms. According to my cousin, there was also a time he would repeatedly tell a story about the Japanese time. And my cousin, who unfortunately didn't have the right knowledge in dealing such situations, and was obviously alien about understanding dementia was easily irritated and responded the wrong way. My grandfather became fully dependent even in performing activities of daily living. It was really a rough time for my cousin, my mother, and my aunts who took turns in taking care of him.

Without understanding dementia, I can just imagine how difficult the situation was for them, or for anyone who has a family member suffering from such illness. Having no knowledge about it, they become easily frustrated and would sometimes even cause harm to the affected person. I wished my grandfather had proper consultation that time so that with proper diagnosis and knowledge of the disease we were somehow able to get proper dementia treatment for my grandfather and deal better with him.

The Marriage of Convenience

Has it ever crossed your mind? Well for a single lady like me who hasn't found the right guy I want to spend the rest of my life with, this thought has certainly crossed my mind not once but for a thousand time.lol

Marrying a person for practical reasons and not out of love or intimacy might sound heartless and desperate to some. However, the romantic side of me would beg to argue and hoped that a couple who went into this kind of arrangement will eventually find themselves in love with each other. hehe Too mushy eh?! I think this is what I got from reading too much romantic novels.

But seriously, I have given it a thought for practical reasons, and mainly a means for me to go abroad, but then again it's just a thought, for now...:) Duh!!! As if I am getting any younger, somehow I could already feel my biological clock is ticking.

Protein Supplements for Diet

Everyday when I wake up and feel the heaviness of my thighs and bulges in my tummy area, I would always say --- I am going to start dieting. I will eat right and exercise. No more fatty and salty foods for me today. Well it is just a thought, and at the end of day my goal remains to be a thought due to lack of perseverance. Maybe I just got tired of my roller coaster diet regimens. Before, when I want to lose weight I just go into a crash diet, no rice meals, or to put it blatantly I go into voluntary starvation. I agree that it is a very unhealthy way to lose weight which I highly do not recommend, especially the last one.

But now it's different. Going on a diet does not have to mean missing out on palatable meals and eliminating the joys of eating good food. You can always choose to eat healthy with the help of protein supplements . They are high protein diet foods which are packed with adequate nutrition promoting a healthy way of losing weight. At DietDirect.com you will find a wide selection of appetizing protein supplements from their yummy desserts, shakes & drinks, snacks, meal replacements and much more. I simply love pudding and chocolate shakes and would love to try out one of their products. I am sure this will be a treat for me or for anyone who is still in the traditional tasteless diet foods.

No Kissing Scene, No Love Scene

Can you ever imagine an actress or an actor having no love scene or even a kissing scene made in a movie or TV series?.... Except for those youngsters, I guess it's but natural to except one from them especially if the role or plot requires it. It is part of their profession right?

Judy Ann Santos will be making a comeback on Philippine TV arena next week during primetime and in her press con she made an announcement regarding a shift in her career which is ----she will no more have a love scene or kissing scene. What a pity! Especially if you will be paired with such gorgeous hunk, Derek Ramsey, oh such a waste. lol

Game Addict

My fourteen year old nephew just got hooked into another type of computer game. Right after school he goes straight to his PC and play one of his favorite games. His mother would always nag about this bad habit of spending more time using the PC than studying. My nephew with his very quick mind would argue and reason out that -- it is much better for him to be doing what he does right now than spend time drinking alcohol, doing drugs, or chasing girls --- Well I can't argue with that. I can also sympathize with him because I for one got hooked with computer games.

There was also a time I spend my entire day having computer games and when I got bored with what I was playing, I would search the web again for game torrents and find the latest and most exciting game there is. Even the old ones are fun to play with and my favorite is the Super Mario. So guys, if one day you find yourself bored and wanting to relax your weary mind, have a break from serious topics and get into a nice game. Just look for the right game torrents and let yourself have fun.

Another BED Weather

What do they have in common? It's the pleasure of sleeping. lol. It's another bed weather once again... The sun is not around and it's starting to drizzle. Good thing I didn't have to go to work today because it's my day off. So for now I'll doze off to bed and sleep all day just like the sleepy pug and my nephew, Fredric. :)

Go on a Camping Trip with An Airbed

Are you planning to have a bonding experience with nature and go on a camping trip? I suggest you plan way ahead of time so that your supposed relaxing activity wouldn't go awry just like what happened to ours, all because of the worst sleeping conditions we had. And a piece of advice, don't ever forget to bring with you elevated air beds .

We went for a nature trip about three weeks ago in order to celebrate my friend's birthday and at the same time, unwind from our busy schedules at work. In a spur of the moment, we all agreed to go camping at a mountain resort here in Davao City. Our eagerness to make this activity happen could not be quench. And so we made everything possible in a very short time for our planned trip. When we finally got there, the view was undoubtedly fantastic and amazingly serene. We went first for a chattel tour, followed by a sumptuous buffet lunch and last, a short hiking. We basked in the nature's spectacle and almost felt relaxed during the day. However, when we finally decided to retire and take a rest, my friend screamed that she forgot to bring the airbed. Adding to that it was even raining that time. Well what can we do??? We end up sleeping in a very damp, cold, and very uncomfortable mattress. As much as we wanted to blame her for the situation we were in, we can't because she is the celebrant.

If only my friend hadn't been so careless that time, we would not have suffered from such inconvenience. The elevated air beds are waterproof, inflatable, handy and very practical to use. Some are designed to make you comfortable even without a pillow. They are very useful during camping trips, for college students living on boarding houses, or when you simply want to take a sleep outside your ordinary bed. Next time we'll have a camping trip, an airbed should be the first thing on our checklist. And if you ever decide to get one for yourself, be sure to check out first things to consider in buying an air mattress.

Could this be "Bro" ?

Who wouldn't know Bro (a.k.a. Jesus) from the fave teleserye "May Bukas Pa" in Philippine TV? I am sure everyone coming from Philippines knows him, but I don't have the slightest idea what his face looks like. Are you curious as I m? Well here's a picture of him... Got this from my FB account and I'm not sure if this is really him..(macho version eh?) Hmmm... You'll be the judge. :)

Flowerhorn Fish

Last time I featured Maniki, our own Pit Bull dog. This time, let me introduce to you our Flowerhorn fish--- DI. This is by the way the fish of my brother-in-law but since he's working abroad, caring for DI was left to us. I have to say this fish has a voracious appetite! And you know what... his food comes in three kinds -- one for his humpy head, another one is for his shiny look, and the third kind is to enhance his red color.

I used to have various types of gold fishes before, but unfortunately they died tragically when we had a brownout and electricity was cut off for more than 8 hours. I felt bad because they have been with me for more than a year and they've really grown quite big already... Now, I am simply contented taking care of this solitary Flowerhorn. We were nursing 3 other younger flowerhorns, aside from this big one, but since all three were placed in the same aquarium, only one was left alive, and she is still waiting to get bigger.