Twist n' Turn...Rise n' Fall...

Social Intelligence

2009-01-24T19:32:00.000-08:00

Social intelligence is the foundation of your game. You don't have to become a party animal or trendy hipster, but in general you should learn to communicate and vibe with people.
The problem is that many of us are trapped in our own heads due to extended periods of isolation. We work and study alone, get worn out and go home to plug into the television or internet...alone... again! We have to make a conscious effort to be social.
Chilling should be a major priority in your life. Hang out more often with friends. Find places that pique your interest where you can let loose and have a great time. Bars, restaurants, stores, cafes, streets, classes, gyms, clubs, etc. are all excellent places to mingle.
Learn to make friends of strangers and keep expanding your social circle till you are totally at ease in the company of others. Without some degree of social skills, you are pretty much useless!

Some people suffered from social phobia, then they realized some of the mistakes they made that kept them from vibing properly.

Talking/moving too fast.
Not maintaining eye contact.
Not talking at all, lost in their thoughts and spacing out.
Nervous fidgeting, closed body language.
Censoring words, being insincere.
Getting offended when people poked fun at them.
Worrying about the impression they are making.
Over-selling theirselves, trying to be "cool".

All of these things conveyed personal anxiety and neediness

Nobody likes a desperate try-hard, so take another look at the above list and do the complete opposite. Do yourself a favor and RELAX because the world is your living room! You don't have to be a clown or entertainer, but people will enjoy your company when you can make FUN of anything!
The cool part is that once you get a feel for this vibe, you will discover that you really don't need to rely on patterns or routines and will invent new material on the fly.
If your vibe is right, then your game will be tight!

Law of Attraction

2009-01-24T17:42:00.000-08:00

While the Law of Attraction is getting quite a bit of publicity these days, the concept has been around for centuries and has been known (and used successfully) by great minds throughout history. According to books like The Secret, there’s evidence that the law of attraction was used by Beethoven, Einstein and even Jesus, but you’ve also used it in your own life whether you’re aware of it or not! This is because the Law of Attraction works whether or not you’re aware of it. The main reason for the current focus on it is that if you’re aware that you're using the Law of Attraction, you can control what you attract into your life.

Basically, the Law of Attraction works like this: you create your own reality. What you focus on, what you emote about, is what you draw into your life. What you believe will happen in your life is what does happen. This isn’t as simple as it seems, however, or everyone would have the lives that they want naturally. For example, people who are in debt and continually tell themselves, “I need more money,” don’t find more money, they continue to “need more money” because that is the reality that they create.

Why It Works
Many people wonder why this works, and there are more than one explanation. The two main schools of thoughts go along these lines:

The Spiritual Explanation:
Many people believe that the Law of Attraction works by aligning God or the Universe with our wishes. We are all made of energy, and our energy operates at different frequencies. We can change our frequency of energy with positive thoughts, especially gratitude for what we already have. By using grateful, positive thoughts and feelings and by focusing on our dreams (rather than our frustrations), we can change the frequency of our energy, and the law of attraction brings positive things (things of that frequency) into our lives. What we attract depends on where and how we focus our attention, but we must believe that it’s already ours, or soon will be.

The Traditionally Scientific Explanation:
If you’re one who needs things to be a little more easy to prove, there is also a different explanation for how the law of attraction works. By focusing on attaining a new reality, and by believing it is possible, we tend to take more risks, notice more opportunities, and open ourselves up to new possibilities. Conversely, when we don’t believe that something is in the realm of possibilities for us, we tend to let opportunities pass by unnoticed. When we believe we don’t deserve good things, we behave in ways that sabotage our chances at happiness. By changing our self talk and feelings about life, we reverse the negative patterns in our lives and create more positive, productive and healthy ones. One good thing leads to another, and the direction of a life can shift from a downward spiral to an upward ascent.

Proof That The Law of Attraction Works
Whatever the underlying reason, reams of anecdotal evidence confirm that the law of attraction works. And, for those science-minded folks out there, research does seem to support the positive effects of the Law of Attraction as well. For example, research on optimism shows that optimists enjoy better health, greater happiness, and more success in life. (The advantage that optimists share is that they focus their thoughts on their successes and mentally minimize their failures. This article has more information on the traits of optimists.) One of the foundations of therapy is that changing your self talk can change your life in a positive direction. And millions of people have found success with positive affirmations.

Phobias

2009-01-15T10:10:00.000-08:00

Everyone has at least one phobia, myself included. A phobia is defined as an irrational fear of something- although for a phobic this fear seems very real and very rational. Some phobics can even suffer from panic attacks, which are signified by heavy breathing, profuse sweating, a feeling of dizziness, and sometimes even fainting. Phobias can affect everyday life, and many phobics would rather rearrange their lives than face their fears if given a choice.

Achluophobia - Fear of darkness.
Acrophobia - Fear of heights.
Agliophobia - Fear of pain.
Agoraphobia- Fear of open spaces or crowds.
Aichmophobia - Fear of needles or pointed objects.
Amaxophobia - Fear of riding in a car.
Androphobia - Fear of men.

Anthropophobia - Fear of people or society.
Aphenphosmphobia - Fear of being touched.
Arachnophobia - Fear of spiders.
Arithmophobia - Fear of numbers.
Astraphobia - Fear of thunder and lightening.
Ataxophobia - Fear of disorder or untidiness.
Atelophobia - Fear of imperfection.
Atychiphobia - Fear of failure.
Autophobia - Fear of being alone.
Bacteriophobia - Fear of bacteria

Batrachophobia - Fear of amphibians.
Belonephobia - Fear of pins and needles.
Bibliophobia - Fear of books.
Botanophobia - Fear of plants.
Cacophobia - Fear of ugliness.
Catagelophobia - Fear of being ridiculed.
Catoptrophobia - Fear of mirrors.
Chionophobia - Fear of snow.
Chromophobia - Fear of colors.
Chronomentrophobia - Fear of clocks.
Claustrophobia - Fear of confined spaces.
Coulrophobia - Fear of clowns.
Cyberphobia - Fear of computers.
Cynophobia - Fear of dogs.
Dendrophobia - Fear of trees.
Dentophobia - Fear of dentists.
Domatophobia - Fear of houses.
Dystychiphobia - Fear of accidents.

Ecophobia - Fear of the home.
Elurophobia - Fear of cats.
Entomophobia - Fear of insects.
Ephebiphobia - Fear of teenagers.
Equinophobia - Fear of horses.
Gamophobia - Fear of marriage.
Genuphobia - Fear of knees.
Glossophobia - Fear of speaking in public.
Gynophobia - Fear of women.
Heliophobia - Fear of the sun.
Hemophobia - Fear of blood.
Herpetophobia - Fear of reptiles.
Hydrophobia - Fear of water.
Iatrophobia - Fear of doctors.
Insectophobia - Fear of insects.
Koinoniphobia - Fear of rooms.
Leukophobia - Fear of the color white.
Lilapsophobia - Fear of tornadoes and hurricanes.
Lockiophobia - Fear of childbirth.
Mageirocophobia - Fear of cooking.
Melanophobia - Fear of the color black.
Microphobia - Fear of small things.
Mysophobia - Fear of dirt and germs.
Necrophobia - Fear of death or dead things.
Noctiphobia - Fear of the night.
Nosocomephobia - Fear of hospitals.
Obesophobia - Fear of gaining weight.
Octophobia - Fear of the figure 8.
Ombrophobia - Fear of rain.
Ophidiophobia - Fear of snakes.
Ornithophobia - Fear of birds.
Papyrophobia - Fear of paper.
Pathophobia - Fear of disease.
Pedophobia - Fear of children.
Philophobia - Fear of love.
Phobophobia - Fear of phobias.
Podophobia - Fear of feet.
Porphyrophobia - Fear of the color purple.
Pteridophobia - Fear of ferns.
Pteromerhanophobia - Fear of flying.
Pyrophobia - Fear of fire.
Scolionophobia - Fear of school.
Selenophobia - Fear of the moon.
Sociophobia - Fear of social evaluation.
Somniphobia - Fear of sleep.
Tachophobia - Fear of speed.
Technophobia - Fear of technology.
Tonitrophobia - Fear of thunder.
Trypanophobia - Fear of injections

A MOMENT TO REMEMBER MOVIE (korean movie)

2009-01-14T07:55:00.000-08:00

This sappy movie was the one of the most popular chick flicks to come out of Korea in 2004.

The plot involves a love story between two opposites. Soo-Jin, is an annoyingly feminine daddy’s girl. It’s love at first sight when lays her eyes on the ultra macho construction worker Chol-Soo. Chol-Soo is tough and sexy, and just what she needs after her recent break-up with her ex. As chance would have it, Chol Soo is foreman at one of her dad’s building sites.Even though Soo-Jin knows her dad would never approve of the match, love compels her to chase after the manly foreman anyway. She finally gets him after a few very silly and stereotypical courtship scenes. In one scene, Chol-Soo valiantly saves Soo-Jin’s stolen purse from a motorcycle bandit. He then proceeds to drive her home in a very cool beat-up jeep. She acts totally helpless, hanging on for dear life as the dirty jeep speeds along the highway. She dons his welding mask for protection. Beneath the window of the huge iron mask, she’s making a cute doe-eyed expression that seems to say, “I’m a helpless little girl who needs to be saved by a knight in shining armor.” I assume this is where all the teenage girls start sighing, but come on, how corny can you get!In another scene, he’s teaching her how to swing a bat at some kind of baseball driving range. Again she’s completely useless in her secretary skirt and stiletto heels. He has no choice but to come behind her and show her how to swing the bat. He wraps his studly body around her and they zoom in on the grinding bodies. I’m sure hordes of teeny bopper girls swooned over this scene, but all it got from me was a big roll of the eyes. PULEEZE!Even though Mr. Tough Guy insists he doesn’t want to be tied down, Soo-Jin decides that it’s time for them to get married. She stages a surprise dinner with the family because she wants to come out of the closet about who she’s dating. Her dad is furious when he finds out who her boyfriend is and Chol-Soo is put under a severe interrogation. The weak-hearted Soo-Jin can’t handle the situation and faints from extreme stress. Both men soften up and decide to accept each other after they see how vulnerable Soo-Jin is. After the wedding, daddy’s connections help Chol-Soo land a more prestigious job as an architect. Then, tragedy strikes the newlyweds when the 27 year old Soo-Jin gets diagnosed with (GASP!) Alzheimer’s disease! (YEAH, RIGHT!)This is one of those movies that really reinforce male/female roles in Korean society. Men are supposed to be tough and protect their women. (This attitude probably stems from years of war and Confucianism.) Women are meant to act meek, vulnerable and cute. Furthermore, the plot perpetuates an unbelieveable female fantasy that some tough guy would turn out to be so talented and devoted. In real life, manly men are usually just jerks. A Moment to Remember was so over the top, I wanted to turn it off halfway through.

Causes of Stress

2009-01-14T06:44:00.000-08:00

Threat
A perceived threat will lead a person to feel stressed. This can include physical threats, social threats, financial threat, and so on. In particular it will be worse when the person feels they have no response that can reduce the threat, as this affects the need for a sense of control.
Generally speaking, any threat to needs is likely to lead to stress being experienced.
Fear
Threat can lead to fear, which again leads to stress. Fear leads to imagined outcomes, which are the real source of stress.
Uncertainty
When we are not certain, we are unable to predict, and hence feel we are not in control, and hence may feel fear or feel threatened by that which is causing the uncertainty.
Cognitive dissonance
When there is a gap between what we do and what we think, then we experience cognitive dissonance, which is felt as stress. Thus, if I think I am a nice person then do something that hurts someone else, I will experience dissonance and stress.
Dissonance also occurs when we cannot meet our commitments. We believe we are honest and committed, but when circumstances prevent us from meeting our promises we are faced with the possibility of being perceived as dishonest or incapable .

Life causes
There are many causes of stress in life including:

-Death: of spouse, family, friend
-Health: injury, illness, pregnancy
-Crime: Sexual molestation, mugging, burglary, pick-pocketed
-Self-abuse: drug abuse, alcoholism, self-harm
-Family change: separation, divorce, new baby, marriage
-Sexual problems: getting partner, with partner
-Argument: with spouse, family, friends, co-workers, boss
-Physical changes: lack of sleep, new work hours
-New location: vacation, moving house
-Money: lack of it, owing it, investing it
-Environment change: in school, job, house, town, jail
-Responsibility increase: new dependent, new job

Other stress indicators at work include:
-Sickness absence
-High staff turnover
-Poor communication between teams
-Bullying
-Lack of feedback on performance
-Value and contribution
-Technological change
-Lack of clarity of roles and responsibilities
-Dissatisfaction with non-monetary benefits
-Working long hours
-Boring and mundane work
-One-off incidents
-Uncomfortable workplace
-Lack of training

Watch out for your own stress, and help others reduce theirs.
If you are using stress to persuade, watch for these symptoms as indication of your success. Beware of over-stressing people and creating a fight-or-Flight reaction.

Break Up!

2009-01-01T06:06:00.000-08:00

Break up symptoms:
* Leaving the radio off because every song makes you cry
* Loss of appetite
* Binge eating for comfort
* Calling your ex several times a day
* Text messaging and emailing constantly
* Constantly checking your email and voice mail to see if he/she called
* Not going out because you are afraid to miss a call
* Thinking non-stop about why they REALLY left you
* Feeling massively depressed
* Feeling urges to spy on them
* Endlessly rehearsing what you should have said
* Endlessly rehearsing what you will say if you bump into them.

There is always a time in every break up, whatever the circumstances, that you will yearn for the love you have lost and for a while you may experience some, or all, of these symptoms. But none of these will help you regain that love or to even find closure. These actions are more than likely going to make you feel even worse.Your best bet is to deal with your pain and emotions by speaking and spending time with a friend or family member, who can take your mind off your past relationship. Talking through your relationship will help you find out what made the relationship end. It can also help you gain closure and decide whether or not you do still really want to be with that person. Sometimes you are more upset that they don't love you than the fact that you are not with them. If this is the case then it really is time to move on.

There are some things you may do, however, that can make you feel worse. But there are also a LOT of things you can do to make you feel better.

Mistakes you may make:
* You try to convince them we are the love of their life
* You will apologize profusely for everything
* Promise to change for good this time
* Try to get them to see that it wasn't really your fault
* Even beg with them to take you back

These mistakes you make without thinking about them, as you are too overwhelmed with emotion to think clearly. You are hurting, you want to make your ex feel hurt too and you want them to realise how much they really do love you. But when you think about it these are the exact things that are pushing them further away. If the roles were reversed would these actions make you regain your love for an ex? Probably not.The first step is to straighten yourself out. You need to be thinking straight before you can even begin to move on. You need to regain the confidence in yourselves - you are worth it!If you feel negative then you are going to give off negative feelings and thoughts to everyone you meet. You need to deal with your emotions, stop being needy and start rebuilding your life.

This may sound simple but so many of us know that it is not. Try these few tips to help you regain your confidence and start feeling better.
* Stop feeling guilty
* Forget about blame
* Stop sitting around and feeling sorry for yourself. Get out there and do something you love or take up a new hobby.
* Start forgetting. Get rid of everything that reminds you of your ex. Start your new life afresh. Don't do things you did together. You are your own person now. Do things you want to do.
* Start each day on a happy note. Try reading through some break up quotes each morning when you wake up or just do something that will start your day off with a smile.
* Start thinking positive. This is the start of a new life and it will be better than before.You can be a happy person again. All of us do have this within us!

Payong Love ni Bob

2008-12-23T22:29:00.000-08:00

1.Kung hindi mo mahal ang isang tao, wag ka nang magpakita ng motibo para mahalin ka nya.
2.Huwag mong bitawan ang bagay na hindi mo kayang makitang hawak ng iba.
3.Huwag mong hawakan kung alam mong bibitawan mo lang.
4.Huwag na huwag ka hahawak kapag alam mong may hawak ka na.
5.Parang elevator lang yan eh, bakit mo pagsisiksikan yung sarili mo kung walang pwesto para sa 'yo. Eh meron naman hagdan, ayaw mo lang pansinin.
6.Kung maghihintay ka nang lalandi sayo, walang mangyayari sa buhay mo. Dapat lumandi ka din.
7.Pag may mahal ka at ayaw sa 'yo, hayaan mo. Malay mo sa mga susunod na araw ayaw mo na din sa kanya, naunahan ka lang.
8.Hiwalayan na kung di ka na masaya. Walang gamot sa tanga kundi pagkukusa.
9.Pag hindi ka mahal ng mahal mo wag ka magreklamo. Kasi may mga tao rin na di mo mahal pero mahal ka.. Kaya quits lang.
10.Kung dalawa ang mahal mo, piliin mo yung pangalawa. Kasi hindi ka naman magmamahal ng iba kung mahal mo talaga yung una.
11.Hindi porke't madalas mong ka-chat, kausap sa telepono, kasama sa mga lakad o ka-text ng wantusawa eh may gusto sayo at magkakatuluyan kayo. Meron lang talagang mga taong sadyang friendly, sweet, flirt, malandi, pa-fall o paasa.
12.Huwag magmadali sa babae o lalaki. Tatlo, lima, sampung taon, mag-iiba ang pamantayan mo at maiisip mong hindi pala tamang pumili ng kapareha dahil lang maganda o nakakalibog ito. 13.Totoong mas mahalaga ang kalooban ng tao higit sa anuman. Sa paglipas ng panahon, maging ang mga crush ng bayan nagmumukha ding pandesal, maniwala ka.
14.Minsan kahit ikaw ang nakaschedule, kailangan mo pa rin maghintay, kasi hindi ikaw ang priority.
15.Mahirap pumapel sa buhay ng tao. Lalo na kung hindi ikaw yung bida sa script na pinili nya.
16.Alam mo ba kung gaano kalayo ang pagitan ng dalawang tao pag nagtalikuran na sila? Kailangan mong libutin ang buong mundo para lang makaharap ulit ang taong tinalikuran mo.
17.Mas mabuting mabigo sa paggawa ng isang bagay kesa magtagumpay sa paggawa ng wala.
18.Hindi lahat ng kaya mong intindihin ay katotohan, at hindi lahat ng hindi mo kayang intindihin ay kasinungalingan.
19.Kung nagmahal ka ng taong di dapat at nasaktan ka, wag mong sisihin ang puso mo. Tumitibok lng yan para mag-supply ng dugo sa katawan mo. Ngayon, kung magaling ka sa anatomy at ang sisisihin mo naman ay ang hypothalamus mo na kumokontrol ng emotions mo, mali ka pa rin! Bakit? Utang na loob! Wag mong isisi sa body organs mo ang mga sama ng loob mo sa buhay! Tandaan mo: magiging masaya ka lang kung matututo kang tanggapin na hindi ang puso, utak, atay o bituka mo ang may kasalanan sa lahat ng nangyari sayo, kundi IKAW mismo!
20.Pakawalan mo yung mga bagay na nakakasakit sa iyo kahit na pinasasaya ka nito. Wag mong hintayin ang araw na sakit na lang ang nararamdaman mo at iniwan ka na ng kasiyahan mo.
21.Gamitin ang puso para alagaan ang mga taong malalapit sa iyo. Gamitin ang utak para alagaan ang sarili mo.
22.Ang pag-ibig parang imburnal...nakakatakot mahulog...at kapag nahulog ka, it's either by accident or talagang tanga ka.

Mango Cheese Cake Recipe

2008-12-19T18:04:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS
Base

125g plain sweet biscuits

60g butter, melted

1/2 tsp mixed spice

Filling

250g cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup caster sugar

2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract

425g can mango slices or 1 fresh mango

200g tub mango yoghurt

METHOD
Base Crush biscuits in a food processor or with the end of a rolling pin. Add melted butter and mixed spice and stir well to combine. Press into the base of a 20cm springform cake tin. Refrigerate until set.

Filling

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and beat well. Add eggs and vanilla, again beating well. Chop half of the mango in to small pieces and fold into cheese mixture together with the yoghurt. Pour into chilled base and bake at 180 degrees celsius for 20 to 25 minutes or until firm. Allow to cool in oven with door slightly ajar. Refrigerate when completely cool.

Serve with remaining mango and whipped cream.

Who is BOB ONG? - (bobong pinoy)

2008-12-17T23:05:00.000-08:00

Consider him the mass-market mystery man, a publishing phenomenon whose blockbuster book sales are equaled only by the anonymity he maintains. He is Bob Ong—not his real name—the most unusual best-selling Filipino author you’ve never met.
Here is what can be proven about the enigmatic Mr. Ong: he has written five books, “ABNKKBSNPLAko?!,” “Bakit Baliktad Magbasa ng Libro Ang Mga Pilipino?,” “Ang Paboritong Libro ni Hudas,” “Alamat ng Gubat” and “Stainless Longganisa,” all of which have a combined sales of almost a quarter million.
His defunct Bobong Pinoy website received a People’s Choice Philippine Web Award for Weird/Humor in 1998. His books are a favorite among Filipinos of all classes and among students—even if they’re not required reading. He has never appeared at any book launching, not even his own, nor on TV.
That Ong has achieved such success in an age when celebrity is often a requisite of effective marketing is indicative of his following. But the fact that he has successfully kept his true identity a secret is even more astounding.
“Even those who know who he is won’t admit that they do,” says Nida Gatus, Ong’s editor at the publisher Visual Print Enterprises. VPE and Ong himself are fiercely protective of that anonymity. Ong only communicates through the Internet. No phone interviews. No photographs. No personal appearances. Ever!!!
At one time, it was rumored that award-winning poet Paolo Manalo is the real Bob Ong. The literary editor at the Philippines Free Press who teaches literature at the University of the Philippines denies this. “I’m flattered that people think I’m Bob Ong but I’m not him,” he says.
Manalo, who actually ran a “Who is Bob Ong?” contest on his blog, offers his view on why Ong is so popular: “Bob Ong is able to articulate the concerns and attitudes of a generation of students who are aware of the very real and absurd contradictions in the world they live in. He writes with the same casual and ironic tone that made his writings on the old website accessible and popular to Filipino readers. The materials he used in his books are those familiar to this generation of Filipinos. One might even call them urban culture lore.”

Writing and being
It could be Ong’s conversational writing style, easygoing yet percussive, with moments of insightful realization. There’s also humor and introspection with remembered details that lead one to believe that he holds the secret of life in the big city, be it in his essays (“ABa”) or in his fiction (“Alamat”). It is ground-penetrating radar of common sense. That Ong derives his ideas from his life in a self-deprecating and thoughtful manner only means that the secret to Bob Ong’s writing lies in Bob Ong’s being.
Most important was Ong’s choice to write in everyday Filipino. “Consider language as a tool,” Ong explains over e-mail. “English would be a saw. Filipino, a knife. My aim is just to peel singkamas (turnip) for merienda. A second language can never replace the first.”Aside from Ong’s own responses, the best information about Ong—or BO as he fondly refers to himself—can be found within the pages of his books.
Even at his tale’s true beginning, it isn’t a prototypical writer’s story. Ong didn’t grow up fancying himself a future author. In fact, he didn’t enjoy writing as a child nor reading as much as would be expected. After a failed attempt at a college degree, he went on to complete a two-year course in a vocational school and another course in writing. Learning, though, is something he loved. Though not a stereotypical reader, he savored books and TV and found that his daily life gave way to pithy anecdotes brimming with perspective.
“Some of the stories in my books have been written as early as 1999,” he explains. “I am my writing style. I don’t write for decoders of treasure maps. I’m an equal-opportunity writer who wants to be read by anyone who can.”
Ong worked as a web developer and a teacher. And he wrote. His distinctive prose pieces began to be published online, and he put together the first crucial piece in the puzzle: the award-winning Bobong Pinoy website. “I created BP because I needed it for my job,” Ong says. “The twist: although impressed, my boss would’ve fired me had he known I was the one behind it.”
In the process of his getting seriously into writing, Ong’s alter-ego was born. He didn’t coin the name. “Someone else did,” he says. “That somebody mistook me online for someone by that name. It was a light bulb moment days after when I noticed that the name was actually in ‘BobOng Pinoy.’ No tough decisions there.” Through his site, Ong gathered fans quickly.

Personal and private
Ong likes to say that, aside from very detailed personal information everyone wants to keep private, everything about him can be found in the books. He says that he is nothing like people think he is. “Quiet and oftentimes boring,” he says by way of description. “You wouldn’t see the Bob Ong you wish to meet. Other than stories that tend to be wordy when told in person, I’ve got no other entertaining qualities
Gatus adds that Ong “knows what he wants, and is very much in charge of his life. He is very meticulous.” He savors surfing the Net and loves music, and thus spends his time burning CDs containing all sorts of mixes.
The interest regarding his real identity bewilders Ong. “Some readers won’t give up the idea that I might actually be a group of people and that my personal anecdotes are fictitious,” he says. “I made references to real people, places and events. I’ve already met some of my readers. There’s nothing mythical about me.”
There are several reasons why Ong elected to maintain his secret identity, but perhaps the most essential is that he wants to keep doing what he does the way he wants to. It’s continuing to create on his own terms. “I don’t cope well with big changes,” Bob Ong writes. “It’s just not for me. Fame comes with a price I’m not willing to pay. I just want to write while living the average Filipino life. I don’t want to be robbed of that.”

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer

It has something to do with - Conscious & Subconscious mind

2008-12-17T18:34:00.000-08:00

I have observed that many of us in our lives wonder why things just keep happening "to" us. Like me..I keep on thinking ,observing,discovering every purpose of the things that happens to me.The truth is that life doesn't happen "to" us, it happens "through" us. I mean WHATEVER happens to us in our lives is through our own creation. We create it all…the good the bad and the ugly. It is our consciousness that creates our total experience in life. That is why "positive thinking" works if we work it. If we constantly create positive thoughts, they will eventually turn into positive beliefs. The saying is really true that what you "believe you can achieve".our thoughts, feelings and beliefs shape our reality. Many think (I know I used to) that our experiences precede our beliefs, but truthfully it is the other way around: our beliefs precede our experiences. What you believe to be true shows up in your life. Just believe in yourself and nothing is impossible to happen.
It is critical that we focus on our wants and not our "don't wants." What you focus on is what you draw to you. Don't think over and over about your lack of money. Put up a college of all the things you want to attract into your life and put it in a place where you will see it everyday and you will manifest it. You don't even have to try to make anything happen… your subconscious will take on the "how" of manifestation… all we are responsible for is the "what"
In conclusion…as I think… our outer worlds are merely mirrors of our inner worlds. Change the inner and the outer will have to change. When it comes to people… when we heal they will either change or go away.Yes we create EVERY experience in our lives, happiness or sadness, health or sickness, wealth or poverty. Awareness of that… can save our lives!!

A Song for Mama

2008-12-16T17:29:00.000-08:00

You taught me everything And everything you've given me

I always keep it inside You're the driving force in my life, yeah ....

There isn't anything Or anyone I can be And it just wouldn't feel right

If I didn't have you by my side ...

You were there for me to love and care for me

When skies were grey Whenever I was down

You were always there to comfort me

And no one else can be what you have been to me

You'll always be you always will be the girl In my life for all times ....

Mama, mama you know I love you Oh you know

I love you Mama, mama you're the queen of my heart

Your love is like Tears from the stars Mama, I just want you to know

Lovin' you is like food to my soul ........

You're always down for me Have always

been around for me even when I was bad

You showed me right from my wrong Yes you did ....

And you took up for me When everyone was downin' me

You always did understand You gave me strength to go on

There was so many times Looking back when

I was so afraid And then you come to me And say to me

I can face anything And no one else can do What you have done for me

You'll always be You will always be the girl in my life

Breaking Dawn cover

2008-12-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

Breaking Dawn's cover is a metaphor for Bella's progression throughout the entire saga. She began as the weakest (at least physically, when compared to vampires and werewolves) player on the board: the pawn. She ended as the strongest: the queen. In the end, it's Bella that brings about the win for the Cullens.

New Moon (tulip cover)

2008-12-16T09:56:00.000-08:00

That is a ruffled tulip. As for the meaning... If you've read the Twilight FAQ, you know that the apple cover had a lot of meaning for Stephenie, and she was an active part of the covering process. However, that experience is more the exception than the rule in the publishing world. Something to keep in mind if you intend to embark on a career as a writer: lots of things you might expect to be under your control are not. Covers, for example. Those are mostly up to the publisher and the marketing and sales departments. So she don't know what the tulip mean - Stephenie doesn't have anything to do with this one

Twilight apple cover

2008-12-16T09:45:00.000-08:00

The apple on the cover of Twilight represents "forbidden fruit." the author used the scripture from Genesis (located just after the table of contents) because she loved the phrase "the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil." Isn't this exactly what Bella ends up with? A working knowledge of what good is, and what evil is. The nice thing about the apple is it has so many symbolic roots. You've got the apple in Snow White, one bite and you're frozen forever in a state of not-quite-death... Then you have Paris and the golden apple in Greek mythology—look how much trouble that started. Apples are quite the versatile fruit. In the end, she love the beautiful simplicity of the picture. To the author it says: choice.

Trying to deal with it...

2008-12-16T03:21:00.000-08:00

I was diagnosed with leukemia, and I'd like a place to write about it without linking it to my normal journal.It's just not something I don't want everyone freaking out over, and I don't plan to tell most of my friends unless things get really bad and it becomes necessary, but few people knew about my situation,I prefer to deal things myself, because I usually end up being the one caring for everyone else and helping them deal emotionally, and I just don't need that right now, All I want is practical advice on how to cure my illness.
To sum things up, I got some sort of viral infection a couple months ago, and my doctor ran a bunch of tests. My gums were swollen & bleeding, and I had a very high fever, then a low fever for over a week, and aches and muscle pain, but I tested negative for flu & mono. She figured it was just some sort of bad viral infection, butdid bloodwork just in case. It came back with a really high white blood cell count & also an elevated platelet countand to discuss some things in my medical history, and she told me that several things could cause it, but she needed to run more tests, and one of the things that might be causing it is leukemia, a form of cancer that affects my blood.
We talked about symptoms and things, and several of them sounded like me, so I had kind of accepted that I might have it, and started doing some research online, before I got the results back.I have family hostory of cancer, different kinds of cancer...But I don't think I've been exposed to benzene or radiation, Symptoms I'd already been showing, but never thought much of, include fatigue & tiredness, getting out of breath easily, weakness, a recurring low fever, bruising easily, bone/joint pain, and occassional bouts of night sweats.and to a past history of depression [which made me feel tired, achy, and weak].
We went back to my doctor and she told me I tested positive for ALL - Acute lympocytic leukemia. which is a cancer in my blood where my body makes a whole bunch of white blood cells that don't workHonestly, The word "leukemia" is scary as hell, makes me think of those little kids with no hair.but I have to be strong.!I had a "high white cell count" and it was just a blood problem that could be treated with meds.I feel more helpless and annoyed than scared sometimes but I HAVE TO BE STRONG!.. I just don't think about it as if I'm not sick and try to enjoy my life as long as I can...

Loving and Losing....

2008-12-16T02:14:00.000-08:00

Love is overrated but the pain is real...My friends use to seek advice from me, and it seems that no words can appease what they feel. That's just it, reality bites. I remembered cursing a close buddy and basically throwing all forms of god-knows-what-pieces of rhetorical, and smart assed pieces of advice thinking that he's such a fool for crying over someone. If it's not a shame, then it's stupidity to let love, or pain, get the better of your studies and sanity. Friendships are also tested during this phase in your life. It's either they give up on you or stick up for you until your last tear has gone...
But I realized that I was wrong..no one is invincible from pain. Who can get away from love? When it hits you, it hits you like a thunderbolt of lightning -painful and, for lack of words, deadly. That's why I am trying not to or will never go back to that trashy feeling again..
I've been there done taht. It was a huge jump from the moon and back before I realized that , wheowwww, this has got to stop dude!
In retrospect , I used to think that I'll never get out of the enoty abyss that I have gotten myself into. Now, all seems a speck of dirt that couldn't ruin a powdery white dress. And I'd have to laugh to myself for my over-exerted drmarama before....
After raising hell and cursing the antagonist of a supposed what-a grand-love-story. what's next??? reality. !! and reality is telling me to be smart and to learn to prioritize..(make time...make time..+) and try not to fall inlove again..... but ... but..... oh.. anyway... hahaha
Everybody has the right to stumble and be stupid once in a while . ok??? what is learning-your-lesson -from-experience for it you're too perfect to commit a mistake..Unless ofcorz it has become hobby. he he. wake up sweetie! (snap snap) life is knocking at your door. Time will tell......just wait for the right time.... enjoy your life.,...
There's just too mucch goin around me now.. studies,friends,family,friends...friends....myself... and injecting a love life in my rather monotomous life is somehow part of the plan.. but... not now..... committment is not on my list.... not now..Three years from now.I will do this and that. I will go there and here. ad infinitum..
And one song says " I've lost that loving feeling" Yes , indeed, it seems greek and ancient to me now...sometimes...They say that good things never last....well, so do bad things....and i'll bet you will neck on that.

Laughter is d best medicine...

2008-12-15T23:02:00.000-08:00

My friend once told me that her measure for a good day was to ask herself "Did I laugh today? Did I make someone else laugh today?" she felt that if she could answer yes to these questions then she had a good day. What great advice!
As they say, "laughter is the best medicine." Research actually supports this statement. Studies have shown that laughter can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, elevate mood, boost immune system function, protect your heart, and help you relax.

So make it a point to laugh everyday and/or make someone else laugh. ...........

Hindrances

2008-12-15T22:52:00.000-08:00

I studied and fiddled a little with the "five hindrances" to meditation practice this past week. Attachment, aversion, sleepiness, restlessness, and doubt. The first four are pretty obvious, but I had some trouble wrapping my brain around the notion that doubt can hinder effective meditation.I think I kind of got it. My meditation workbook defines doubt as "an inability to make a commitment, or to take the risk of finding out for yourself where a certain path might lead." The workbook warns in particular against skeptical doubt, something I've always tended to see positively. Because of my preconceived idea on the subject, it took me a while to see it in a new light. Anyhow, the author explains that "because we're unable to commit or take a risk, we remove ourselves from the process of discovery. We stay at a safe distance. Instead of letting something speak to us, we obsessively analyze it; perhaps we disparage or judge it. We haven't actually experienced it fully or deeply because we haven't allowed ourselves to. That is how doubt functions in the mind: we remain immobilized at the fork in the road." According to the author, doubt is a "very jumpy state. You hop from one thing to the next, considering and wondering and judging and assessing." The cure is to let the mind settle, "even on a simple object in the moment." It's a concept labeled "sustaining attention." I think a certain amount of skeptical doubt is good, and I like at least reading deep intellectual discussions even if I don't always feel qualified to participate in them. However, at some point, one has to take a leap of faith in some direction. Try something out and see if it works. If not, try something else. I see rather a lot of the less positive side of skeptical doubt on the Foyer, quite honestly -- good people bashing their heads against the proverbial wall because they can deconstruct and disparage all of the contradictions in the belief system about which they formerly were passionate. However, they are unable to take a leap of faith from purely rational analysis to something positive and spiritually affirming...

Rise and Fall song.....

2008-12-15T22:31:00.000-08:00

Sometimes in life you feel the fight is over,And it seems as though the writings on the wall,Superstar you finally made i,But once your picture becomes tainted,It's what they call,
The rise and fall [2x]I always said that I was gonna make it,Now it's plain for everyone to see,
But this gamae I'm in don't take no prisoners,Just casualties,I know that everything is gonna change,Even the friends I knew before me go,But this dream is the life I've been searching for,Started believing that I was the greatest,My life was never gonna be the same,Cause with the money came a different status,That's when things change,Now I'm too concerned with all the things I own,Blinded by all the pretty girls I see,I'm beginning to lose my integritySometimes in life you feel the fight is over,And it seems as though the writings on the wall,Superstar you finally made it,But once your picture becomes tainted,It's what they call,
The rise and fallI never used to be a troublemaker,
Now I don't even wanna please the fans,
No autographs,No interviews,
No pictures,And less demands,Given advice that was clearly wrong,
The type that seems to make me feel so right,
But some things you may find can take over your life,
Burnt all my bridges now I've run out of places,
And there's nowhere left for me to turn,
Been caught in comprimising situations,I should have learnt,
From all those times I didn't walk away,
When I knew that it was best to go,Is it too late to show you the shape of my heart,
Sometimes in life you feel the fight is over,
And it seems as though the writings on the wall,
Superstar you finally made it,But once your picture becomes tainted,It's what they call,The rise and fallNow I know,I made mistakes,Think I don't care,
But you don't realise what this means to me,So let me have,
Just one more chance,I'm not the man I used to be,
Used to beeeeeeeeeeeSometimes in life you feel the fight is over,
And it seems as though the writings on the wall,Superstar you finally made it,But once your picture becomes tainted,It's what they call,The rise and fall [4x]

ZODIAC SIGNS

2008-12-15T11:21:00.000-08:00

The informations you are about to read was written over 110 years ago. Yet, it is still appropriate to today's life. When dealing with horocopes and zodiac signs one must understand it is just a guide. Some poeple use it for entertainment while others live by it. It is my goal to provide this information for blogs sake. >>just kiddin.

Here's what I know to be true: Everyone, including you, have a pattern or things you do all the time. These patterns are a direct result of your personality characteristics. Consequently, if you can identify a pattern and understand it you will begin to learn more about a person....Well, think of Horoscopes or Zodiac Signs as a way of explaining different characteristics of people born within a certain timeframe. Is it accurate? That is for you to decide. Can it help improve your relationship or married life? Only you can be the judge on that,What I do know is with or without the horoscopes and zodiac signs people still have patterns and you will use something to help you understand them. This is just one of many tools you can use! Always remember, it is just a guide..........

ARIES
Ruler: Mars / Element: Fire / Mode: CardinalPole: Positive / Third: Primordial / Half: Subjective Unbridled expression of your inner nature; activity that is self-motivated, unaffected by others; new beginnings, the start of new cycles, birth; enthusiasm and vitality.

Aggressive, willful, powerful, assertive; enthusiastic about whatever interests you at the moment, focused in short bursts, unlikely to sustain interest in the long term; ego expression; adventurious, pioneering; Warrior-type energy; impatient with having to cooperate with others, works best alone or in leadership role; unconcerned with approval or acceptance; lacks persistance and stamina; honest and forthright, "what you see is what you get", not given to airs or pretenses; the first expression (or incarnation ) of spirit within a new cycle on the physical plane.

TAURUS
Ruler: Venus / Element: Earth / Mode: FixedPole: Negative / Third: Primordial / Half: Subjective Grounding, bringing down to earth; constancy, steadiness, fixedness; spirit becoming embodied, entering matter, taking on a form; a vessel or container for spiritual forces.

Earthy, grounded, in touch with the body; sensual, pleasure seeking; stubborn, fixed, stands their ground; focuses and concentrates energy, gives it concrete expression, practical, provides stamina and persistance; slow, steady, methodical; fertile, productive; unreflective, content to simply be; spirit becoming involved with the material world.

GEMINI
Ruler: Mercury / Element: Air / Mode: MutablePole: Positive / Third: Primordial / Half: Subjective Curiousity, cleverness, skill, communication; making connections with surroundings, trying to "figure things out"; the first display of intelligence by embodied spirit.

Talkative ("a Gemini is born with a telephone in each hand!"), communicative, sociable; loves to interact with others (at least on a superficial level); unemotional, impersonal, ruled by "rationality"; requires great mental stimulation, curious to a fault; playful, the Trickster, the Devil's Advocate; changable, inconstant, attention easily drifts to something new, seeks novelty.

CANCER
Ruler: Moon / Element: Water / Mode: CardinalPole: Negative / Third: Primordial / Half: Subjective Nurturing, support, belonging, emotional bonds; your roots, source, ground of your being; the unconscious, feelings, emotion; the Great Mother, Universal Womb; spirit's first emotional attachments to the world.

Mothering, emotional and physical nurturance; experiences and imprinting during infancy and childhood; family, ancestors, heritage, relationships to the past; belonging, feeling "at home"; maternal love, caring; feeling supported by the world, that your needs are provided for; insecurities and fears if your needs haven't been fulfilled; possessiveness, "twisted love", inability to nurture others are negative expressions.

LEO
Ruler: Sun / Element: Fire / Mode: FixedPole: Positive / Third: Individual / Half: Subjective Spirit entering the realm of the individual person; ego development, setting yourself apart from the rest of the world, becoming your own person; self-expression, being true to your inner nature, acting from the heart; dawning awareness of self in relation to others.

Ego, self-centered, arrogant; fixed, stubborn, persistant; artistic or creative expression as a vehicle for revealing "who I am"; needs to be a center of attention, requires acknowledgment and approval, likes to be noticed and appreciated ("ego-strokes"); personal integrity, true to self, honorable, trustworthy; kingly, self-assured, confident.

VIRGO
Ruler: Mercury / Element: Earth / Mode: MutablePole: Negative / Third: Individual / Half: Subjective Embodiment of the individual in the world; problems of adjustment dealing with the world and others; perfection of your approach to life, development of mundane skills; ability to change to adapt to life better.

Service, helping, self-effacing; perfectionist, always seeking to improve, efficiency; practical, functional, interested in crafts and projects; true to self in a simple, unassuming manner; reacts to defeats and setbacks by pulling back and altering approach, lacks confidence in the face of opposition; lives up to duties and responsiblities; interested in maintaining the body as a fit vehicle; diet, exercise, herbs, etc.; aware of conflicts with others, of the give and take required by life.

LIBRA
Ruler: Venus / Element: Air / Mode: CardinalPole: Positive / Third: Individual / Half: Objective Spirit as individual entering into relationship with others; partnership, one-to-one relationships, meeting others as an equal, interdependency; encountering repressed parts of yourself through others (via projection); going beyond ego boundaries; peace, harmony, balance; social awareness.

Partners, marriage; learning how to get along peacably with others, treating others as equals; "I vs. You", conflict, enemies; art, beauty, harmonious surroundings; distressed by stressful, inharmonious interactions; intimacy; people in counseling professions.

SCORPIO
Ruler: Pluto / Element: Water / Mode: FixedPole: Negative / Third: Individual / Half: Objective Transformation, change, ego-death, rebirth, transcendence; intense emotional involvement with the process of personal growth; movement from individual certainties to the "mysteries of life"; spirit breaking through the limitations of individual ego.

Intense, passionate, brooding, magnetic; stubborn, unyielding, driven by emotions; stands up for self, usually covertly, manipulates power; understands deeper layers of the psyche beyond the ego, unable to communicate this well leading to misunderstandings; intrigued by the "dark side" of life; the underground, people whose job involves going beneath surface appearances; sexuality, especially the transformative power of the orgasm; self-mastery, breaking free of illusory limitations, the Hero.

SAGITTARIUS
Ruler: Jupiter / Element: Fire / Mode: MutablePole: Positive / Third: Universal / Half: Objective Spirit moving beyond the realm of the individual into the world at large; becoming a member of a wider society; experiences that lead to consciousness expansion, being receptive to new points of view, wisdom, enlightenment; using your talents for the benefit of the greater whole.

Freedom loving, idealist, unfettered by "small thinking"; inspiration; religion, philosophy, the law; awareness of your connections to the rest of the world; can be distant from others, afraid to give up freedom, reluctant to be tied down; on the other hand, aware of the value of the social contract; enthusiastic, gregarious, generous; loves abstract, theoretical ideas, sees the big picture, ignores the details; in love with an ideal; foreign travel, liberating experiences.

CAPRICORN
Ruler: Saturn / Element: Earth / Mode: CardinalPole: Negative / Third: Universal / Half: Objective Spirit's attempt to bring about the perfect society, to create heaven on earth; making practical, efficient connections with others on the physical plane; ambitious, feels pride in accomplishments; concern with truth, reality, "hard facts"; relationship to authority.

Serious, determined, disciplined, focused; needs to play more; fathering, disciplining love; authority figures; seeks certainties in life, wants things "cast in concrete"; the Businessman, concerned with the practical relationships to support yourself within society; not interested in "blue sky" ideas, needs to bring theory into concrete reality; "knowing the rules and playing the game"; making a niche in the world.

AQUARIUS
Ruler: Uranus / Element: Air / Mode: FixedPole: Positive / Third: Universal / Half: Objective Spirit's attempt to create ideal relationships and organizations, based on freedom and cooperation between individuals; free-thinking, unorthodox, not shackled by outdated ideology; the perfection of society.

Even though ideas are often far-sighted, they can be held and expressed in rigid, dogmatic fashion (this is a fixed sign, afterall!); "everyone should be free to be just like me!"; idealistic, utopian; derives sense of identity from groups and their goals, tends to dominate them; impersonal thinking, detached from emotional considerations; produces "humanitarian without compassion"; friendships based on common goal.

PISCES
Ruler: Neptune / Element: Water / Mode: MutablePole: Negative / Third: Universal / Half: Objective Surrender to the universe, to higher goals; ego sacrifice; compassion and empathy, selfless work; seeing the unity of all things; the ends of cycles, forming "seeds" for the next cycle of growth; spirit as individual dissolving back into pure spirit.

Mysticism, escape into the One; sees the unity, fails to make "normal" distinctions, often weak ego; victim, martyr, servant; tends to escapism, fantasy, drugs (especially alcohol), religion; very receptive, sensitive, even psychic; co-dependency, care-taking; withdrawn from the world; release from the world.
2 years ago

Mary Jane Blidge in her life....

2008-12-15T10:41:00.000-08:00

My friend Carmella started experimenting with marijuana when she was 17 but didn't become a regular user until the following year when she switched schools and fell into an older, drug-using crowd. Carmella's older brother also began abusing drugs, which encouraged her to use drug . In addition to her regular alcohol and marijuana use, Carmella started abusing other substances as well. However, She remained faithful to alcohol and marijuana as her drugs of choice. she also supported her drug use through a generous allowance from her parents and her mental state eventually suffered as a result of her drug dependency.She says, "When I was smoking pot and drinking (heavily), I noticed that when I was sober, I was a lot more depressed. Marijuana also made me extremely unmotivated." She often ditched school, or arrived late to class and slept through it. Rarely did she come sober. She smoke every morning before school and by lunchtime, she would either drink from her water bottle filled with vodka or find someone at school who could sell her just to get through the day before she went home to smoke again. Yet despite her lackluster attendance and attitude, she said her teachers hardly noticed anything wrong with her behavior because she continued to earn good grades.Carmella's substance abuse escaped detections .She also entered drug treatment but she didn't stop smoking weed, she was was extremely paranoid and … was hallucinating.She had to climb up the side of her house. Then it comes to the point that Carmella's decided to choose and quit she met with more success. One of the hardest things for Carm, though, …was telling her drug-using friends that She was never going to see them or speak to them again. She felt completely alone, but at the same time, it was liberating to know that she could do things by herself and she immediately started feeling a lot more able without drugs in her life....<";>