Pinoy Blog Machine (Beta)

Well, what do you know? The Philippines will be opening its own oceanarium this coming December at the Rizal Park in Manila. Officials say it's a Php 1 billion project of Singaporean and Malaysian investors and it is going to be larger than the one in Sentosa Island in Singapore.

I've been to Ocean Park in Hongkong many years ago and recently to the one in Sentosa in 2004 and from what I've seen, it really is breathtaking underneath the water. I'm sure it will just be the same with the one in Manila and it will be scenic attraction for many visitors, especially tourists.

Related link: Finally, world-class marine park in Manila

Having your own house is a dream come true for most people. For some, it is the ultimate dream! But with prices of houses these days on the market skyrocketing, you can't just purchase a house outright anymore. Mortgages are just a way of getting around this dilemma.

In this scheme, you can pay for real estate in installments over a specified period of time. The trick though with mortgages is finding one that offers low interest rates so you don't pay too much than the actual amount of the house itself. Also, you may want to pay as much as you can every time payment is due. The object is to pay for everything in the shortest amount of time possible. The sooner you can pay off your mortgage, the better.

Laro, Lapis at Libro Center for Learners is pleased to invite you to a seminar-workshop entitled “Touch, Look, and Listen: Strategies for Teaching Differently-Abled Students in a Mainstream Setting.”

The seminar-workshop will feature Behavior Management Strategies for handling children as well as classes, Learning Styles, and tips and tricks to address Math, Writing, Spelling and Reading Comprehension Difficulties.

Speaker: Professor Rose A. Aligada

When & Where
17 November 2007, Saturday
8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Social Development Complex, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines

Registration Fees
Pre-registered: P 500.00
On site: P 600.00

Registration fee is inclusive of the seminar kit, handouts, certificate and food (2 snacks and lunch).

We will be accommodating limited slots only. You may register in person, through our bank or through an authorized affiliate of the Center. This will be on a “first-come, first-served” basis. Deadline of pre-registration is on November 9, 2007.

For more information, please contact the organizers at:
Laro, Lapis at Libro Center for Learners
110 Amang Rodriguez Jr. Avenue
Dela Paz, Pasig City
Tel: 915 5265
Fax: 475 3119

Share This

I'm a scaredy cat. Yes, I am. For one, I'm not a fan of horror movies. I don't see the point in calling it a form of entertainment when you scare yourself to death. :P

Anyway, the reason I've brought this up is that Halloween is just right around the corner and you might want some chills to run up and down your spine while reading this article on the creepiest places in the world. I'll do a run down of the list but if you want more, here's the article in full.

1. Bhangarh, India
2. Mütter Museum, Philadelphia
3. Truk Lagoon, Chuuk, Micronesia
4. Sonora Witchcraft Market, Mexico City, Mexico
5. Easter Island, Chile
6. Manchac Swamp, Louisiana
7. Bran Castle, Bran, Romania
8. Paris Catacombs, Paris, France
9. Winchester House, San Jose, California
10. Szoborpark, Budapest, Hungary
11. Abbey of Thelema, Cefalù, Sicily, Italy
12. Mary King's Close, Edinburgh, Scotland
13. Chernobyl, Pripyat, Ukraine

Boo!

It's Daylight Savings Time here in the East Coast. We are now 3 hours ahead of Philippine time. And it is just as well because I have been having trouble sleeping in during the early morning hours as the sun rises at around four AM (Eastern Standard Time). Now, that the clock's adjusted, I can get more shut-eye in the darkness.

J is not so keen about it because he thinks it's just like playing tricks on the mind. The clock says it's late but you know that it's really an hour early. I think it's all a matter of adjusting and setting your mind to the new time.

Of all the rooms in the house, it is the bedroom that I love the most. I would invest in bedroom furniture in a heartbeat. As the rest of the house is going for the modern look, getting Contemporary Bedroom Furniture is just appropriate.

In a few year's time, we would also need to look into kid bedroom furniture for Erin's room. I've been seeing a lot of child bedroom furniture on TV, catalogues and on the internet and I really can't wait to start redecorating our little girl's room.

I am contemplating on renovating our dining room in the future and I am considering to get contemporary dining room furniture. Formal Dining Room Furniture is out of the question at the moment because of the lack of space. But that is also something worth looking into if we can buy a house with two separate dining areas.

When choosing Dining Room Furniture, it is important to take into account your needs and your lifestyle as well. Dining Furniture should be well picked because it is where the family convenes and it should last through the ages.

Some places we go to with anticipation, either because it is new and unique, what we have heard about it, or because of our own past experience. Some places are great because of their people; hotels for their service, luxury, or location, or vacation and holiday places for their relaxing, exotic, or adventurous nature. Some hotels, restaurants and bars are great because they are unique, a cultural experience, or even a way to forget where you are completely and make you think you are home.

It's good to read about places that we intend to go to from people who've been there. Travel stories in Asia or elsewhere are always a big hit, especially if it's from someone who has first-hand experience. You'll get their best and worst experiences and things to do and what not to do in places of interest.

I'm sure you'll enjoy reading about Ten Things To Do If You Are Trapped In An Island and the Best Beaches in Asia. I like the article on Typical Asian Photo Poses. What' your pick?

Hillary Clinton leads the most coverage of all the U.S. presidential candidates, as well as the highest number of positive statements. And climate change finally makes it on media agenda.

These are among the findings made by Media Tenor, a U.S.-based media research institute. Got this from MediaChannel.org.

The findings on the media coverage of presidential candidates in the United States remind me of the recent media monitoring coverage of the 2007 senatorial and party-list elections in the Philippines conducted by the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR). For findings about this project, click here. The page also carries CMFR's findings on the media coverage of the local 2004 presidential elections.

Clinton Generates the Most Good News
By Media Tenor

The most recent data show that Hillary Clinton received the most coverage of all the candidates, as well as the highest number of positive statements. Campaign and fundraising issues composed the majority of each candidate`s media coverage. But Clinton’s personal life and leadership qualities factored in heavily to news reports about her.

John McCain was among the top three most-covered candidates, but his overall rating was negative. Most reporting on him related to his controversial Iraq war policies and trouble fundraising. John Edwards had the highest share of positive coverage of the seven top-tier candidates, with more attention focused on his economic policies.

Read here for more.

Here is a journal article recently published at the Edizioni Minerva Medica site about the “Ergonomic and physiotherapeutic interventions for treating work-related complaints of the arm, neck or shoulder in adults. A Cochrane systematic review.”

The objective of the study was to “determine whether conservative interventions have a significant impact on outcomes for work-related complaints of the arm, neck or shoulder (CANS) in adults.”

The researchers concluded that…

There is limited evidence for the effectiveness of keyboards with an alternative force-displacement of the keys or an alternative geometry, and limited evidence for the effectiveness of exercises compared to massage, breaks during computer work compared to no breaks; massage as an add-on treatment to manual therapy, and manual therapy as an add-on treatment to exercises.

To view the full text of this article, click here.

Share This

I have never been to Las Vegas before. Let alone the United States. I just never had the chance to go there.

But from what I have heard from friends and family, it seems like a wonderful and fun place to visit. The casinos and live shows intrigue me a lot as I have never experienced living in a similar setting as that, having grown up in the suburbs for most of my life.

When we do get the chance to visit the States, we’ll make it a point to include Nevada in our itinerary. Maybe we can stay for a few days and book ourselves at the Stratosphere Las Vegas. Yes, I’m quite certain we’ll be having a grand time.

Seventy! Yes, I have written seventy posts on this blog for this month alone. Gosh, I’ve never written so much stuff in such a short time! Hahaha!

And it is all due to the paid posting work I receive every so often. Don’t get me wrong okay. I am definitely not complaining as I am thankful for all the opportunities that have come my way.

So, I guess you won’t see me stopping at any point now because I intend to post at this pace for as long as it takes. I just hope I don’t run out of things to say!

J and I have been a follower of the So You Think You Can Dance series, ever since it began so many weeks ago. In the last episode that we saw, the competition was now down to only six performers. Of the many numbers presented that night, this one stood out the most.

The female dancer here, Lacey, is one of our favorites in the contest. I have a good feeling she's going to make it to the finals because of her versatility.

A breather from the chaotic political situation we have.

Newspaper industry statistics in the United States may look grim, but it seems a bit premature to put a $60-billion industry on the endangered species list, says Fortune's Richard Siklos.

Newspapers down but definitely not out

Print ads are shrinking and layoffs are legion, but there remains much to cheer in the troubled newspaper business, argues Fortune's Richard Siklos.

NEW YORK (Fortune) -- Last week could hardly have been grimmer for the newspaper industry. First off, Gannett (Charts, Fortune 500) and McClatchy (Charts) - the two biggest newspapers publishers in the U.S., respectively - reported diminished revenues and profits. Meanwhile, following the lead of Belo, publisher of the Dallas Morning News, Scripps announced it was splitting its growing television and interactive businesses off from the company's newspaper business so that investors could get excited about the company's slumping stock price.

The kicker of the week was when stock in the New York Times Company (Charts) hit its lowest point in a decade after a Morgan Stanley fund manager who had been agitating for changes at the company sold off the firm's entire 7.2% stake. Also last week, the equity research arm of Morgan Stanley laid off its newspaper analyst and dropped coverage of the industry, the Times itself noted wryly in its pages. This was almost certainly a coincidence. Otherwise, it might be construed as one heck of a kiss off. The present question in newspaperland is not whether the industry can reclaim its glory, but rather how quickly the erosion in business conditions that has accelerated in the past year or so can be slowed and even reversed.

Read more here.

J and I recently watched Mel Gibson's Apocalypto this morning. And I must say, amid all the blood and gore that the movie showcased, I actually liked the story a lot! :)

Jaguar Paw (played by Rudy Youngblood) running for his life

Here is synopsis of the film from IMDB:

Set in the Mayan civilization, when a man's idyllic presence is brutally disrupted by a violent invading force, he is taken on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression where a harrowing end awaits him. Through a twist of fate and spurred by the power of his love for his woman and his family he will make a desperate break to return home and to ultimately save his way of life.

Gibson sure has this thing with violent films eh? Remember Braveheart? I loved that one too, by the way.

Unknownst to many, I am not a "jewelry person." I hardly wear any accessories on myself. On ordinary days, the only piece of jewelry that I wear is my white gold wedding band. If a special occasion arises though, the only pieces that I add, aside from my wedding ring, are a pair of diamond earrings and the engagement ring that J gave me three years ago. It is as simple as that. Sometimes, I can be convinced to wear a necklace or bracelet to add more bling, but those times are few and rare. As they say, "Less is more." I agree a hundred and one percent!

Have you seen our garage? Well, it is not exactly a garage. I think a more appropriate term is carport. It is practically just a shed for our old reliable car so it is fully exposed to whatever weather we are having here. Plus, it can also be eye-candy for some potential burglars.

Sectional Garages, for me, are just great because they provide you protection from the elements and security from unwanted robbers. Heck, if this were my house, I would get one built for us as well. Not only are they practical, but they are also aesthetically appealing. They’re like cute miniature houses. Yes, I am definitely considering that when we’re getting our own house in the future.

If you are not a “techie” kind of person, then I could just imagine the amount of confusion you will be in if you had to deal with all these new gadgets and machines out in the market today.

Take for example the ’simple’ task of changing the cartridges in your printer. You can’t just buy whatever item off the rack. You’d need to match the cartridge to your printer model to get it to work. There are lots of do-it-yourself sites on the web that can help you with this task and one of them is Cartridge Finder. I’m pretty sure they can help all those technologically-challenged people out there who’s trying to tinker with their printer.

I have complete admiration for my brother R. He is the ultimate extrovert in our family, while I am totally the opposite. His strong personality has helped him push his career into a successful one. He has only been in sales for around five years and yet, he has managed to rise up the ranks to be district manager in record time. I am pretty sure they have undergone tons of Sales Training in their company. But I reckon it is his personality that is majorly responsible for all of his success. I wish I sometimes had his confidence. That would have taken me places as well.

It is campaign season over here in Australia because PM Howard has finally set a date for the election. He has set Saturday, the 24th of November, for the 2007 election of the federal Parliament.

I'm sure all the candidates are very busy now doing all that it takes to get the public's loyalty and vote. Probably they are handing out a few flyers and freebies like promotional pens to make themselves stand out. And, of course, let's not forget the numerous commercials on TV to remind us of their parties.

I'm not voting as I am not yet a citizen. But J is. And I know who he's voting for. What about you? Who's side are you on?

Today saw me back in the pink of health. Well, not a hundred percent yet, but, yes, I am feeling so much better than yesterday. Although there hasn't been any urgent trips to the toilet in the past 48 hours, I was still a bit light-headed yesterday when I was finishing up some chores. None of that can be experienced now.

Also, I was able to go back to eating a decent meal at dinner last night. From Tuesday to Friday noon, all I've been munching on are crackers, fruits, noodles, soup, water and juice for fear that another violent stomach reaction may occur. By Friday night, I had gotten my old appetite back and was very eager to devour the nilagang baka (boiled beef with lots of veggies) which I cooked myself.

Man, you should have seen me wolf down my food! It was gone in minutes and I was still asking for seconds. I can tell you I missed eating so much that I have never felt so hungry in my life!

I ate two servings of food that night. I could have probably gone for a third one but I did not want to push my luck any further. Thankfully, no untoward incident with regards to my gut took place. Yipee! :)

Alright, time to raid the pantry! Haha! ;)

Other Live Blogging for the event.

• Live Blogging at the Mindanao Bloggers Summit
• First Mindanao Bloggers’ Summit on going

» Subscribe to Batang Yagit’s Posts
» Follow Batang Yagit on Twitter

Batang Yagit