Year of the Snake: What’s in Store For Us?

I believe that the birth years of my two sons, being the Year of the Tiger and Dragon are two of the luckiest. Yet I want to keep my fingers crossed with the fact that 2013 as Year of the Snake which happen to be my birth year, would be lucky as well. Now what’s in store for us as the year enters?

This is my birth year. I have been fucking up for a couple of years now.
I want to believe that this is going to be my luckiest year. I imagine excelling in my job, being able to write well, having a great health, healthy and happy kids and family. I believe that no matter what year it is, people are going to succeed if they want to. For some reasons, things that you have been working hard for aren’t given to you JUST YET. But there must be a greater reason for that.

They say that people born in the Year of the Snake tend to be deep thinkers, philosophers, and since they are so good with money, often become financiers. Upon reading this somewhere, I wanted to strongly disagree with regards the financial stuff.  I work hard but for some reason, I never had the chance to earn some extra. They also say that Snake people are charming, and like the Dragon, attract attention wherever they go. But, unlike the Dragon, the Snake native tends to be a big less extroverted and more soft spoken. The Snake also tends to be seen as a more cultured person and loves classical books, great food, good wine, etc. Their social skills are highly refined.

Although people born in the Year of the Snake can be physically strong, the “human” Snake is more prone to winning through various acts of finesse. However, much like a real snake, the person born in this year will also strike figuratively, from odd angles, and is more prone to use an angular or indirect method of winning than a direct frontal attack. In application with real life, snakes – in my own opinion – can be flexible enough in every situation. Be it in a new job, new school and the like. Snakes are more open to changes, and can adapt very easily. Chinese horoscopes/astronomy says that when it comes to money matters, people born in the year of snake have good luck; they don’t have to worry about money too much, such people will always be able to find couple of banknotes if they need it. (which again, still never happen to me LOL) The snake person has an ability to read complex situations quickly and then set about resolving them in a quiet, controlled manner. It is much more convenient and useful for this people to work independently, because in this case they have freedom to travel and negotiate on their own terms. The snake people can not stand being limited by others and this is another reason for them to work solo. People born in this year are logical and organized workers and have all the qualities needed to acquire new skills. They also have a very good memory and that enables them to fulfil the projects thoroughly. They are purposeful and getting towards their aim spotting potential troubles and reacting immediately. On the other hand, should they have achieved their goal the snake people usually withdraw to gather their thoughts and rest. But they need not much time to renew their energies and be ready for new challenges.

This goes along with another known tendency of the Snake and that is toward deceptiveness. The Snake will tend to see telling “little white lies” more as a technique or weapon in their armament to get things done, and will tend to see the use of untruths more as a matter of tactics rather than as an ethical or moral consideration.

Love them or hate them, real snakes are fascinating creatures that tend to bring out extremes of reaction from people. People often either recoil in horror at being presented with a snake, or, as is the case with children who are shown harmless snakes in school, are drawn to petting the cool, smooth scales of these graceful animals.

Part of the fascination of snakes is their method of movement as they slide and glide their way along life. Along with this, people born in the year of the Snake are very sexual, and very sensual persons. Some may even accuse them of being “oversexed”, but for the Snake, it is just following basic natural instincts to what for them, is a natural degree.

Snake people are charming and romantic, (this one I won’t protest at all) but can also be extremely jealous and they may continue this attitude over mates who are no longer with them. Part of this involves the fact that Snakes have great egos and while losing a mate to another can be a devastating blow to a normal ego, but it is almost intolerable to the Snake. The Snake person needs approval from others and this may be a surprise because the Snake may seem aloof or a bit cool, but this is just the exterior. The Snake person needs to find acceptance from his or her social and business contacts.

Innerself.com stated that this year is going to be difficult to predict. The Year of the Dragon overall, was a fairly prosperous, expansive year, but as we journeyed to the Dragon’s tail, i.e. the end of the year, disturbing trends toward possible recession started arising. Both dragons and snakes are traditionally seen as serpentine creatures whose body twists and turns. Snakes are very undulating creatures, but I fear that it won’t be until late Spring/early Summer of 2001 before the Snake starts waking up from the sluggishness of winter.

In the Spring, Snakes become more romantic, more energetic, and thus, I expect the mid to late Spring to be perhaps the most optimistic part of the coming year. I believe that we will see significant swings up and down throughout the year.

Ancient Chinese wisdom says a Snake in the house is a good omen because it means your family will not starve. Although I find this one ridiculously weird considering that my eldest son almost got bitten by a snake when he was 5 months old because a medium-sized snake got into out  house, I want to take it positively.  This could be taken metaphorically to mean that a Snake could never have a problem with his family starving because he is such a great mediator, making him good at business. Or it could mean that a Snake would be willing to sacrifice his possessions, something the Snake has a lot of, in order to pay for his family’s food. Any way it is interpreted is representative of the Snake’s character and is a measure of the value he puts on his material wealth. The Snake is keen and cunning, quite intelligent and wise.

There is nothing wrong to get yourself familiar with all these predictions and beliefs. This is just a guide on living our lives positively. But I must clear things out; Do not actually rely your career and relationship decision with these predictions. Personally, astrology was always an obsession for me, so I’m constantly looking into it and the occasional relationship predictions, but I never let it control my judgement of people nor my judgement of my relations to others.

I find a lot of people doing this lately, and I’m curious as to whether they do it for the occasional guidance or if they rely on the stars 100%. Do you go to Chinese Calendars or astrology before the relationship starts or do you look into after it’s over? Do you depend on it at all for anything? Nah. That’s just funny.

A Simple Guide to Get Your New Year’s Resolutions Done – For Once!

This is my 3rd year as a Mother, not to mention to two cute little angels. So let me greet you all a Very Happy New Year from the bottom of my heart!

Have you thought of any New Year’s Resolution yet? Funny how, people always set a list of  things they wish to change but we all end up, most of the time, not being able to do those. Take a peak on the Top 10 Commonly Broken Resolutions and how we can get it done, for once. (The following are listed in no particular order)

1. Lose Weight and Get Fit (For God’s sake! Haha)
2. Quit Smoking
3. Learn Something New
4. Eat Healthier and Diet
5. Get Out of Debt and Save Money
6. Spend More Time with Family
7. Travel to New Places
8. Be Less Stressed
9. Volunteer
10. Drink Less

Good way to Lose Weight (and that includes No.4 which is Eating Healthier and Diet)
First of all, DO NOT keep in mind that you are trying to lose weight. When we ponder too much on the thought of getting fit, especially when this is our resolution for the year, that’s when we tend to fuck things up.

The healthiest way to lose weight is neither crash diets nor bursts of exercise. The body likes slow changes in terms of food and exercise. For example, someone who hasn’t exercised for years shouldn’t rush into running miles a day or pounding the treadmill. Not only will the struggle to do so leave you feeling disheartened and demotivated, you’re also far more likely to injure yourself and set your fitness levels back further. The same goes for people who suddenly start starving themselves. Diets that severely restrict calories or the types of food ‘allowed’ can lead you to be deficient in the nutrients and vitamins that your body needs.

Your body uses food for energy. It stores any excess energy as fat. This means if you eat more food than your body needs for daily activities and cell maintenance, you’ll gain weight. To lose weight, you need to get your body to use up these stores of fat. The most effective way to do this is to try reducing the amount of calories you take and slowly increase the amount of your activities.

Good Way to Quit Smoking
My favorite part. I have gathered in here 5 reasons for us guys to finally quit on nicotine. From the combined research from many references, here are what I have came up with.

1.) Spend less, Save More.
It doesn’t take a smart person to understand this, just mere common sense. If cigarette is including in our daily budget, imagine cutting it off. Yup, taxes will almost certainly continue to go up. Some states even the Philippines are leaning harder on smokers for revenue, but even some tobacco-growing states are beginning to milk the coffin-nail cash cow. Lawmakers’ reasoning: There is evidence that price increases cause smokers to reduce consumption. And the medical costs of smoking are astronomical—a huge burden to the states.

2. Inhale Fewer Germs.
New research suggests cigarettes are crawling with germs, which can be inhaled along with the smoke. It’s not clear if the germs can make you sick, but the yuck factor is undeniable.

3. Sound Sleep
Smokers are four times as likely to report feeling unrested after a night’s sleep, a study found; it seems going through nicotine withdrawal each night can contribute to sleep disturbances. So especially to those who work, you’ll be able to catch those forty winks much easier if you quit.

4. Nonsmokers have stronger bones than smokers.
Women smokers have been found to lose 2.3% to 3.3% of bone mineral density for every 10 pack-years of tobacco use. The effects are even worse in postmenopausal women. I used to smoke literally A LOT. And this somehow made me understand why my backbone hurts like hell even if I am just walking for only 5 minutes.

5. Decrease your risk of heart disease and heart attack.
Smokers are at two to four times greater risk of develop coronary heart disease as nonsmokers. Cigarette smokers with coronary heart disease are also at twice the risk for sudden cardiac death as nonsmokers with coronary heart disease.

Good way of Getting Outta Debt and Saving Money
You can try reading this previous article to get yourself well-informed about this topic, How To Save Money.

Be Less Stressed.
Stress is what you feel when you have to handle more than you are used to. When you are stressed, your body responds as though you are in danger. It makes hormones that speed up your heart, make you breathe faster, and give you a burst of energy. This is called the fight-or-flight stress response.

Some stress is normal and even useful. Stress can help if you need to work hard or react quickly. For example, it can help you win a race or finish an important job on time.

But if stress happens too often or lasts too long, it can have bad effects. It can be linked to headaches, an upset stomach, back pain, and trouble sleeping. It can weaken your immune system, making it harder to fight off disease. If you already have a health problem, stress may make it worse. It can make you moody, tense, or depressed. Your relationships may suffer, and you may not do well at work or school.

Sometimes it is clear where stress is coming from. You can count on stress during a major life change such as the death of a loved one, getting married, or having a baby. But other times it may not be so clear why you feel stressed.

It’s important to figure out what causes stress for you. Everyone feels and responds to stress differently. Keeping a stress journal may help. Get a notebook, and write down when something makes you feel stressed. Then write how you reacted and what you did to deal with the stress. Keeping a stress journal can help you find out what is causing your stress and how much stress you feel. Then you can take steps to reduce the stress or handle it better.

Learn Something New
Most of us feel fulfilled when we learn how to do something new. And that’s same goal we’re after with work life balance. It’s important for us to try to learn something we do not know yet to avoid boredom. It’s very easy though, we just have to let our creativity kick in by thinking out of the box. Sometimes, the weirdest ideas can be the most fun.

Spend More Time With Family
We all tend to spend less time with the family because of too much working. It’s surely understandable to work really hard to attain our goals in life, and that’s good. But we have to make sure we still spend quality time with our loved ones because I personally believe that just sitting around with them is one sure way to relieve our stress. Never let a chance pass by, never compromise the ones waiting for you at home just because you need to get some works done.

References; www.netdoctor.co.uk – www.MedicineNet.com – www.WebMD.com

Homeschooling and Traditional Schooling Part II (Thesis)

Home schooling is considered an odd option; it is not often regarded as a usual option nor has there been much review of how the homeschooling system may affect the student’s learning curve in general. Home schooling has received little attention compared with other recent changes in the educational system especially because the government pushes E-Learning (Electronic Learning) systems instead. Nonetheless, this report states why homeschooling — a system that once was considered odd — is rapidly becoming more accepted in our society. The perception that schools became more dangerous now than they were in the past generations was one major realization that made people think regular or traditional school isn’t safe for the students anymore. The flexibility of schedule and curriculum caught many parents’ attentions as well. It could eventually be argued that home schooling may have a much larger impact on educational system, both in the short and long run.

Homeschooling may not be very common now but there are a lot of reasons for us to consider such system. For as long as the student has his parents or personal tutor to guide him with all the activities, we may consider the convenience that it offers. Imagine studying with all your schedules gotten personalized. You can continue reviewing a certain lesson without worrying about the limited time. You can take a rest and study again when you already feel refreshed. There is no competition at all, no better classmate nor better project being compare to you/yours. Lunch boxes and allowances are not even necessary since you are just staying at home. You don’t need to drive or commute going to school, hence safe and cheap. And last but never the least, student and parent can make quality time out of these study sessions at home. The parent will get to know his or her child a lot more by seeing his strengths and weaknesses through the way he studies and absorbs information. Parents can be so hands-on on encouraging the child to study more and can attend to the child’s questions without the attention being divided to other children or students — the typical scenario in traditional schools.

Many advocates also wish to push homeschooling up to College, but the concept is still vague having to consider those courses that require license or regulations (i.e. Medicine or Law). You need not only a longer time to study about these specializations but you also have to seek for professional advice. Until now, the debate whether to push homeschooling or not is still going on.

Home School Better than Regular School
 “There is no school equal to a decent home and no teacher equal to a virtuous parent.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

We have all been attending the traditional school for the longest time. We get up at a certain time of the day; allot a few minutes to get ourselves prepared and grab something to eat before we finally go to school. We have to consistently do this, not to mention the entire school year. In a regular school, many subjects were tackled by particular teachers with different specializations, which are very good, too. But considering the hassle of our everyday tasks, the traditional school somehow became a little difficult to attend to. We are all hands-down to the regular schooling system for it has produced a lot of degree holders, smart and successful people in our generation yet all these factors that were mentioned ealier got Michael Farris, a United States Constitutional Lawyer, into establishing the Home School Legal Defense Association in year 2000, a non-profit organization that defends the constitutional rights of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedom. Even after that, more organizations came out defending the same advocacy. However, there is still no law officially considering homeschooling as a good alternative for the traditional one.

Many parents nowadays believe that their children can actually obtain superior and genuine learning through homeschooling. In a usual classroom, one teacher has to teach a class of at least 20 children. Be it in elementary, high school or college. The main concept is this; a single teacher has to handle many students at the same time. Some are skeptic about this, thinking that the students do not actually get enough attention they needed since the adviser always has to divide his or her attention to attend other students’ needs.

While it is true that self-confidence is built when interacting with other people, it is not applicable in most times and many parents do not want to take the risk. Staying at the comfort of your own home, studying with the help of a tutor or guardian maximizes the person’s ability to learn. He is safe in his comfort zone, no nosy classmates to bug him when doing something important; surroundings aren’t noisy when you need to concentrate on reading. Everything appears to be much comfortable. Self-confidence however, isn’t only built through mingling with other students. Whether the kid is going to school or not, simply affirming your kid whenever he does something good surely boosts his self-confidence and self-esteem. Other people had mistaken home schooling as locking your child up at home thus making him a sort of introvert ― of course not. The child simply has to STUDY at home, but he would still socialize. He would go out with the encouragement of his parents, make friends with the neighbors, attend a party, everything. Some people just have a very narrow understanding of the advocacy of home schooling thinking that it will hinder their child in enjoying his childhood, but they have to understand that home schooling doesn’t work that way.

In coming up with a good decision to either home school your child or not, here are a few things to consider;

1. Personalized Schedule – Schools are strict when it comes to each subject’s schedule. After an hour of discussion or so, whether finished with the teaching or not, the adviser has cut it off and go out. I got to emphasize here that when an adviser is in the middle of a discussion, the child as well is in his momentum, and thus the best time for the child to listen because he absorbs the information given to him even more precisely. And cutting it off when the bell suddenly rings? That’s a no-no.  At home, for as long as the child wanted to focus on one particular subject, he always can. He doesn’t have to hurry himself up; he can stop if he thinks he finally understands. Some parents think that children learn best at their preferred time of the day. Lack of sleep when you have to get up early in the morning may somehow cause your inactiveness at school. It is also good when you can adjust your child’s schedule around times of sudden illnesses, vacations or unexpected events without the hassle of asking permission to the student’s adviser.

2. A Different Approach to Education – It is important that intention should not be misinterpreted by the student. The typical home school kid manifests a striking savvy in dealing with the real world along with a strong grasp of innocence, spontaneity and trust. In school, children absorb a wrong perception of education because they got used to the usual classroom setting which in most cases appear as some sort of competition. Having to always beat your classmate’s score, submit a project that looks more beautiful among the others when in fact, the child does not have to literally compete with his classmates especially on a daily basis. The child has to be well-competent by striving to get good grades; there is no questioning that. But having all these competitors when not really necessary may complicate the real intention of education for the child.

3. Monitor the Child’s Eating Habit – We may be very thoughtful on preparing food that our child can dig into at school, yet how sure are we that they really got to eat them? Giving allowance as well doesn’t give you any assurance that the kid spends it wisely. Eating habit should be maintained healthy. Remember that a healthy person becomes more effective not only in school but in all aspect of his daily life.  In schools, lunch nooks offer limited choices of food, maybe most of them are fried. (That’s a personal experience, though). They may be delicious, yes. But nobody knows if the child gets enough nutrition he needs. At home, the parent can constantly monitor the child’s eating habit, and can apparently serve personally-picked nutritious food to boost the child’s well-being.

4. Transportation Issues – Some parents send their kids to school personally, while some prefer their kids to get picked up by a school bus. Why spend money on both when you don’t even have to spend a dime if you go for homeschooling? It’s much cheaper and safer. It doesn’t matter if it is raining, you won’t get wet anyway. And who cares about getting stuck in the middle of a traffic jam? You wouldn’t get late in the first place.

5. Watch Your Kids Grow and Learn – There are some instances where parents believe their kid does well in Mathematics, then all of a sudden, his report card shows he is bad at it. Homeschooling cuts off this tradition since you are going to learn closely with your child. You will learn how, at some point, Math becomes a bit too difficult for him. You can also concentrate on his weaknesses; teach him a bit more until he understands everything well. Now above all these, the bonding moments you can create effortlessly with your child is the most priceless.

Considering the facts that were mentioned above, education advocates do not see anything wrong with pushing homeschooling system into College. Yes, we do not want our children to miss out in terms of socializing with other students their age, but we may also want them to maximize the advantages of homeschooling – in their own decision this time. As a parent, you can still suggest, but you can’t force your child if he doesn’t want to continue anymore. He may have his own way to do things since he is somewhat grown up. Independent experiences can actually teach him useful skills that any formal courses can’t.

A young entrepreneur and currently a freshman at the Hendrix College, Dale Stephens once said, “I don’t feel that I’ve learned things that I couldn’t have learned on my own.”

True enough. Yet this concept is vague because obviously if you want to enter a profession that is licensed or regulated, such as medicine, education, law, etc., then college is necessary. If you are interested in the arts, computer technology, or business, college isn’t necessarily the way to go.

CONCLUSION:
Education systems, both home school and traditional, have their pros and cons that we have to seriously weigh before ever deciding which one to go for. We need to be very prepared though, because the traditional schooling system has been running for hundreds of years now and is proven to be very much effective. A lot of great people from different generations have gone homeschooling long before we knew their names. Homeschooling emphasizes convenience amid our very busy world nowadays. Everything is so face-paced that if we do not go with the flow, it will be difficult for us to cope up. It is just the matter of how we handle either of the two systems. And we should give our best to handle them wisely. Homeschooling may suit for us, and may not suit for some. There are many benefits but they apparently depend according to the reasons of an individual to homeschool. With conservative families for an instance, they are being able to incorporate their own beliefs into their lessons or discussion with the child and considering their way of living, such thing may be a huge benefit.  In particular areas, the schools are very poor and for parents seeking higher quality education might find homeschooling to be exactly the best way to educate.

Everyone surely wants what’s best for the students of this generation. Given better options of schooling systems, we do not want to settle for less. The bottom line is, whichever gives us the convenience and quality that we are looking for, we must go for it.

Motherhood 101, Again: Feeding Your Infant

My little Knighty’s turning 6 months in a few days time and I am really getting excited giving him solid food. I actually start feeding him with soft food when he turned 5 months, though this is not applicable to every Mom out there, yet Knight is already my 2nd baby so I am quite sure of the way I handle things this time.

It’s namnam time, baby! No matter what’s on the menu, the texture of your baby’s first foods should be super smooth and practically dripping off the spoon. If you prepare your own food, you should strain, puree, or finely mash it, and then thin it with liquid if necessary. As your baby becomes a more experienced eater (usually around six or seven months old), gradually reduce the liquid you add and thicken the texture. Serve new foods one at a time for three to five days to make sure your baby’s not allergic, then introduce another. Here are three foods to start with, plus tips for getting the banquet started. Bon appétit!

Cereal. For years, baby rice cereal was considered the best food to start with, but now the American Academy of Pediatrics just recommends any easily digestible foods. If you start with cereal, pick a single-grain variety (rice, barley, or oat — hold off on wheat, a common allergen for many babies, for now). To prepare, mix a small amount of cereal with formula, breast milk, or even water to create a creamy “soup.” Don’t sweeten the taste by adding things like mashed bananas, applesauce, or juice. If you start off tempting baby with sugar, he’ll soon want everything you offer to be just as sweet.

Vegetables.Veggies are wholesome, nutritious, and not likely to trigger allergies. Start with milder yellow or orange options such as sweet potatoes and carrots before moving on to the green team, like peas and string beans, which have slightly stronger flavors. If your baby rejects what you’ve got, try again tomorrow and the next day and the next. Some babies need to be introduced to a new food four or five (or more!) times before they’ll accept it, so perseverance is key.

Fruit. Delicious, digestible first fruits include finely mashed bananas or baby applesauce, peaches, or pears (stick with jarred fruits especially processed for babies). How (naturally) sweet it is! This is also good when your baby start having teeth, their gums are usually itchy so it’s gonna be great if they can munch with some juicy fruit.

The goal is to get your baby acquainted (and happy) with the taste of particular food, so if you mush the meats and veggies together, she may never know the joy of just plain peas. Once she enjoys the tastes of a variety of different items, feel free to mix things up. Create your own yummy creations with baby’s favorite flavors, or try combos in prepackaged jars, but be sure to read the labels. Most first-stage foods are made with totally recognizable ingredients, but commercially prepared foods for older babies can contain added sugar.

But hey, watch out for Allergies!
The bad news: Food allergies are pretty common in babies. The good news: Kids usually outgrow them — but you do need to take them seriously. Babies’ reactions to food can range from gassiness, diarrhea, or mucus in the stool, to vomiting and rashes (which I hate the most!!) — especially around the mouth or anus. Other symptoms include a runny nose, watery eyes, wheezing that doesn’t seem to be due to a cold, and unusual wakefulness or crankiness — day or night.

If you think your baby may be allergic to something you’ve fed her, wait about a week before trying the food again. If you get a similar reaction two or three times in a row, you can probably assume she’s sensitive to it. Eliminate that food from her diet for several months, then try it again if your pediatrician gives the green light. If your baby seems to react to almost every new food you offer, or there’s a history of allergies in your family, wait a full week between trying any new item, and do check in with your doctor.

Any Moms like me surely want what’s best for our babies. Let us try things out but make sure to be EXTRA CAREFUL. Happy Motherhood Mommies!

References: BabyCenter.com

My Personal Pick of Greatest UFC Fighters

1. Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva
One of my most favorite!! Many good fighters have already had the limelight but Silva’s passion for MMA, in my own opinion, is just so priceless. He is very intimidating, especially the way he stares at his opponent – and justifies it inside the ring.

Born July 3, 1976 in Curitiba, Brazil.  His specialty is Muay Thai but he also has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  He has spent the most recent part of his mixed martial arts career fighting for PRIDE but he did fight for the UFC in the late 90’s.  He was defeated by Vitor Belfort in the worst loss of his career in his first UFC fight.  He was even given a title shot in 2000 but lost via decision to Tito Ortiz.

Silva’s PRIDE career began in 1999 and by 2001 Silva was the middleweight (205 lbs.) champion.  Silva would not lose a fight until a controversial loss to Mark Hunt in 2004.  Mark Hunt weighed in at 280 lbs.  In 2005 he lost a non-title fight (it was in a tournament) to Ricardo Arona but later avenged the lose with a split decision victory over Arona.  Silva would again lose a fight to a much larger fighter, Mirko “Cro Crop”, in 2006.  Wanderlei put his middleweight title on the line in 2006 against Dan Henderson, the welterweight champion, and was knockout out with a vicious left hook.

Silva is scheduled to fight Chuck Liddell  on December 29 at UFC 79.  This will be a test for both fighters, as they are both coming off of tough losses, both of Silva’s were by knockout.

Silva lives up to his nickname as most of his fights end with his opponent unconscious or the ref stopping the fight.  Wanderlei is known for his intense glare before the fight and also for coming out and trying to take his opponents head off.  At one point Silva had a twenty-fight win streak in PRIDE.  His defeat of Quentin “Rampage” Jackson in 2003 was one of Silva’s many highlights.  He hit Jackson with 17 consecutive knees before the referee stepped in and stopped the fight.  His mixed martial arts record is 31-7 with 21 knockouts.

2. Anderson “The Spider” Silva”
My newest and will be one of my forever-favorites like Silva. I just love the way he intimidates or mock his opponent by consistently dodging attacks and punches with this little smile on his face. His reach are really long that he doesn’t have to exert much effort in either punching or kicking the other fighter, he just has to extend his arms or leg a little, and there he goes. He is very, very humble too. I remember watching his fight with the legendary Vitor Belfort, he got down on his knee just to praise Belfort, he defeated a legend, and he still pays respect.

Anderson “The Spider” Silva was born in Curitiba, Brazil on April 14, 1975.  Silva is a Muay Thai champion, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, and until 2006 was a member of the elite Chute Boxe Academy.  Late in 2006 he formed his own Muay Thai team called Black House.

Silva has fought for many different organizations and has defeated many great fighters.  He is the current lightweight champion of the UFC and is considered by most people to be the best pound for pound fighter in the world.  Silva is also currently the Cage Rage middleweight champion.

Anderson Silva began his MMA career in 2000 with a split decision loss to Luiz Azeredo.  After the loss, he ripped off 9 straight victories before being upset by Daiju Takase while fighting for PRIDE in 2002.  In 2006 Silva was disqualified from a fight for kicking Yushin Okami in the head while his knees were touching the ground.  Other than that disqualification, Silva has been perfect since early 2005. SWEET!!

3. Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort
When I heard about Belfort and Anderson Silva’s fight, my heart instantly got broken. I love Belfort as much as I love Silva, and it pains me to think that one of them’s gonna knock out the other. And there, Belfort was defeated but of course, I love him just the same =)

Vitor Belfort started fighting in Mixed Martial Arts tournaments at the age of 19. He busted onto the UFC scene in UFC 12 Judgement Day with two lightning fast fights that lasted a total of two minutes. His popularity skyrocketed as he ground and pounded Tank Abbott into submission in the very next UFC.

He lost his next fight against then unknown fighter/wrestler Randy Couture. Couture was not expected to win this fight, but not only did he do so, he did it by punching Vitor out. A groundswell of disapproval dominated the thoughts of Vitor when everyone started to say that he could not wrestle, so much so that he submitted his next opponent without throwing a punch.

Then came his finest moment as a fighter. He destroyed up and comer Wanderlei Silva in 44 seconds, doing so by punching Silva more than 10 times while they went completely across the ring. Wanderlei was nearly unconscious up against the gates.

Vitor moved over to PRIDE for several years and was not as spectacular as he had been in the UFC. He came back in 2002 and matched up against rising star Chuck Liddell. He lost in a unanimous decision. He won his next match to set him back up for a title shot and rematch against Randy Couture.

4.  Brock “The Ultimate Fighter” Lesnar
At first, I didn’t know he was from WWE. He moves relatively fast for someone whose body weight is as heavy as his. I got inspired with his life story and workout routine. He huge body frame is natural, no enhancement used.

Brock Lesnar began his wrestling career at Webster High School in South Dakota.  His senior year he had a perfect 33-0 record and earned himself a full scholarship to The University of Minnesota after a stop at junior college.  Lesnar was the 2000 NCAA heavyweight champion and finished his college career with an impressive 106-5 record.

In 2000, not long after finishing college, Lesnar signed up with the WWF to try and become a professional wrestler.  Early in 2002, Lesnar made his television debut for the WWF and became an immediate fan favorite.  Three years later he would be crowned WWF heavyweight champion.

References: ufcbios.com

For you to check on the Top 100 Greatest Fights (Starts with Royce Gracie, if I’m not mistaken) that I myself haven’t seen yet (and I’m dying to!!) – Check it out.

Anger Will Do You No Good. Control It Before It Controls You.

  “If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape
a hundred days of sorrow.”

Recently someone accused me of something I did not do and never will. Accusation has gone too far that I always lose my patience and end up fighting with this person. I was hurt. As ironic as this may sound given the context of this article, I felt angry. I felt angry because I have always struggled to give my best shot without being questioned of why or how I did this and that. For the longest time, people always have to question my intentions while I got to keep my mouth shut. I felt angry because I felt misunderstood and judged, and I wanted him to realize that he was wrong about me.

I felt angry because I assumed he intended to be hurtful, and I didn’t feel like I deserved that.

It’s inevitable that I’ll feel that way again — and many times, with people I know well and love. We all will. We’ll all have lots of misunderstandings and annoyances, and lots of opportunities to practice responding to anger calmly and productively. If we’re mindful, we can use these situations to better ourselves and our relationships, if there is still a chance to do so.

Funny, because I am now writing this without being able to apply the methods on my previous fight with someone I love the most. But I learned my lesson the hardest way; I end up hurting him and not expressing what I truly feel. Ponder on this because I hope none of my readers would get themselves into the same situation I am into right now just because they do not handle their anger calmly and properly.

No. 1: Take a timeout – Breath in, breath out.
Counting 1 to 10 isn’t just for kids. Before reacting to an intense situation, take a few moments to breathe deeply and count. Slowing down can help defuse your temper. If necessary, take a break from the person or situation until your frustration subsides a bit. Oftentimes when we are angry we feel the need to act on it, but later we’d generally wish we waited. Decide that you’re not going to do anything until the feeling has less of a grip on you.

I have read that deep breathing exercises can help you to relax, take time out and help you to gain control over yourself and the situation you’re in. Deep breathing can reduce stress and anger by re-focusing your mind on bodily sensations instead of negative, volatile thoughts. Deep breathing exercises can help your body to relax itself. Sit in a comfortable chair or lie down. Place one hand on your stomach and close your eyes. Inhale and focus on filling your abdominal area, then your chest, with breath. Pause, and slowly exhale. Continue breathing in this manner until you feel calmer and more relaxed.

I have tried this for several times, although I am not necessarily lying down. For example, anger has caught me while doing some chores; I stop for like a few seconds and breath very, very deeply. It doesn’t totally take away the anger, but I must say it helps me lessen the negative feeling.

No. 2: Once you’re calm, express your anger
As soon as you’re thinking clearly, express your frustration in an assertive but non-confrontational way. State your concerns and needs clearly and directly, without hurting others or trying to control them. You may think you need to cover “negative feelings” with positive ones. You don’t. You’re entitled to feel whatever you need to feel. We all are. Allow yourself to be angry after holding some time to be calm. The very purpose of Deep Breath Exercise mentioned above is for you to avoid doing and saying something you might regret in the end. But now that you have breath some air and remained calm, it’s okay to let go of those negative feelings for once.

No. 3: Get some exercise
Physical activity can provide an outlet for your emotions, especially if you’re about to erupt. If you feel your anger escalating, go for a brisk walk or run, or spend some time doing other favorite physical activities. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that can leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out.

Physical exercise is one of the most effective methods for reducing anger and stress, according to the book, How to Effectively Control Your Anger As what was stated earlier, physical exercise provides you with an opportunity to release your emotions, especially if you feel as if you’re about to explode. Additionally, exercise can help to reduce stress levels by increasing your body’s production of endorphins, which are natural “feel-good” neurotransmitters that promote feelings of well-being. The next time you feel stressed or angry, try going for a run or a walk.

No. 4: Think before you speak
In the heat of the moment, it’s easy to say something you’ll later regret. Take a few moments to collect your thoughts before saying anything — and allow others involved in the situation to do the same. Again I must emphasize, breathing in and out for some time is important for you to be able to think well.

No. 5: Identify possible solutions
Instead of focusing on what made you mad, work on resolving the issue at hand. Does your child’s messy room drive you crazy? Close the door. Is your partner late for dinner every night? Schedule meals later in the evening — or agree to eat on your own a few times a week. Remind yourself that anger won’t fix anything, and might only make it worse.

One thing I have learned is that, anger won’t do you good. A very simple thought that I will surely carry for the rest of my life. People, at certain point of my life, have made me really, really angry. But look at what it did to me. I am hard as a stone, numb as a corpse. Just because I got angry in the past and wasn’t able to overcome it at all.

References; Livestrong.com, Tinybuddha.com, MayoClinic.com

Why Is It So Hard To Apologize?

Apologizing is important for reconciliation.  It is used by people who want to maintain, fix and continue with important relationships in their lives.  Never apologizing has some important facets.  First is the inability of the person to look at their own behavior and find fault, no matter how small the fault may be and decide that they don’t like that behavior and so want to change it. Second is being unable to realize that someone important to you in whatever way was hurt by your actions/words and that now the important relationship has been damaged. And for the record, as what is always said, once a damaged or harm is done, there is no getting it back.

The emotionally healthy person will try to repair the relationship.  They will apologize for the part they played.  If they cannot immediately see for themselves what they did wrong, once it is explained to them, they can acknowledge the problem and apologize.

The emotionally unhealthy person will refuse to look at their actions, instantly believing that they are correct in everything they have done/said.  They will immediately look for defects in the other person and will point them out in order to prove themselves right and the other person wrong.

Only the ego finds apologizing to be a weakness.

Expressing your regret about something you have said or done has hurt another.  This is often necessary when you have not done anything terribly wrong, but have hurt another person anyway.  It is usually accompanied by an explanation as to why the actions were carried out/words said, but it acknowledges the impact on the other person and assures them that it was not intentional and that they are actually cared about.  It is not about arguing your point as to why you were right and trying to force them to agree with you…it is not even about you.  It is about your recognition that your words or deeds have hurt somebody else and trying to make them feel better and making sure that the relationship you have with them is intact and undamaged.

Attempting to skip this step after an argument/incident and moving on while the other person still feels hurt will usually result in a lot of anger from the aggrieved party as they do not feel respected or important.  You are telling them that you can behave any way you want to, hurt them and then when you feel like it, they just have to move on and be sweet and kind to you again.

When you refuse to apologize, there is a big possibility of you, putting yourself before the other person. You are your primary concern and they don’t matter.  Diminishing somebody else will never win their goodwill, but if you are too wrapped up in yourself, and in being right, to care about how the other person feels then you don’t deserve them in your life and they will be right to leave.  Look after the people who matter, look after the people you want to stay in your life.

Recognize that we are not perfect and nobody is right all the time.  We all do things from time to time that hurt other people. Usually it is inadvertently, i.e. we didn’t mean to.  If you didn’t mean to hurt somebody, but did, then why would you refuse to apologize?

Remember that you’ve got nothing to lose anyway. In fact, most of the time, people were able to get back their loved ones simply because they have accepted their fault and did apologize. 

A Closer Look at Social Networking and Sites.

Social networking is the arrangement of individuals into specific groups, most especially to where an individual feels most comfortable at. The word “Social” surely rings a bell, social networking gives people the chance to socialize or interact in their own ways. Although this is possible to be done in person, social networking is most popular online.

The internet is filled with millions of information any individual would find useful, whether it is to meet other people to be friends with, gather and share first-hand information they can use at school or work, personal experiences about cooking, travelling or relationships, professional alliances, possible job opportunities or even groups sharing their outlook in life. Variety of topics – be it useful or baloney – can be discussed on a forum just anywhere in the cyber world. Information is just a click away when you have an access on the internet.

Websites are commonly used for online social networking. It functions like a community where people can normally interact just like in an ordinary residence, talking to each other, sharing knowledge, discussing their lifestyles and common interest in hobbies, religion and even politics. But of course, again, everything is done online. Socialization may of course include browsing the person’s profile pages, getting to know their backgrounds and even possibly contacting them.

Making friends is just one of the many benefits of social networking online. Another one of those benefits includes diversity because the internet gives individuals from all around the world access to social networking sites. This means that although you are in an Asian country, you could develop an online friendship with someone in the United States or India. Not only will you make new friends, but you just might learn a thing or two about new cultures or new languages and learning is always a good thing. Long distance relationships are even made [possible] easier because of this. Couples get to keep in touch and update themselves of their other half’s daily activities.

As mentioned, social networking often involves grouping specific individuals or organizations together. While there are a number of social networking websites that focus on particular interests, there are others that do not. The websites without a main focus are often referred to as “traditional” social networking websites and usually have open memberships. It welcomes every kind of person from any kind of race. This means that anyone can become a member, no matter what their hobbies, beliefs, or views are. However, once you are inside this online community, you can begin to create your own network of friends and eliminate members that do not share common interests or goals.

As I’m sure you’re aware, there are dangers associated with social networking including data theft and viruses, which are on the rise. Poser or dummy accounts are just one of the most prevalent danger, an act that often involves online predators or individuals who claim to be someone that they are not. Although danger does exist with networking online, it also exists in the real world, too. Say for example, you have been chatting with this particular person for the longest time and discovered that you guys have the “chemistry” so you eventually decided to meet up. Just like you’re advised when meeting strangers at clubs and bars, school, or work — you are also advised to proceed with caution online. These online friends may be deceiving as well. Worst, some people do not actually put their true identity on their profile pages. Some use more pleasant-looking pictures of someone else and even include impressive personal information to get you more hooked.

By being aware of your cyber-surroundings and who you are talking to, you should be able to safely enjoy social networking online. It’s okay to put personal information for the benefits of those who really know you personally. But try not to write too precisely. Saying you are from this particular city would be okay, but to actually put the street name or anything that may directly lead anyone to your home is a major no-no. It will also take many phone conversations to get to know someone, but you really won’t be able to make a clear judgment until you can meet each other in person.  Just use common sense and listen to your inner voice; it will tell you when something doesn’t feel right about the online conversations taking place.

Once you are well informed and comfortable with your findings, you can begin your search from hundreds of networking communities to join. This can easily be done by performing a standard internet search. Your search will likely return a number of results, including the very famous Facebook, MySpace, FriendFinder, Yahoo! 360, Google +, Orkut, and Classmates.

Just to give you an idea on the most popular social networking websites for you to register and be a part of, here are the Top 5 Social Sites you can visit anytime.

Undoubtedly the most popular social networking websites are Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Google+. Check on the info-graphics below to see the comparison of these five website from 6 factors: the number of users, the visits per month, user gender ratio, average time spent per month per user, the age distribution and each user’s value of the site.

I personally think that Facebook is the most popular simply because activities in here are not limited at all. You can post without a limit in your characters, share a link so people won’t have to visit Youtube just to check a video out, upload pictures and check-in to places. In fact, you can do blogging in your very own Facebook page. Everything is intact and accessible. Twitter however, are for those who do not want to post that much. This is a micro-blogging site where one to two liners of your updates can be posted. Nowadays, people tweet real time about what is happening anywhere around the world. You can see whatever kind of news on Twitter, because it easier for people to post whatever they see or encounter.

The three other social networking sites as well are reaching its peak. There’s actually a lot to choose from. We just have to be very, very careful in sharing very private information to people we just do not know yet.

Money 101: How to Save [Especially it’s Christmas Season!]

Saving money, for some of us is a challenge. With all the cool gadgets, activities, delicious food, and everything else out there, it is going to be really tough for us to save money. Some of us may have saved a few bucks here or there, but if not all, most of us are guilty of not being able to finish what we have started. In order for us to save money that would make a positive impact on our lives is to have the right attitude and motivation.

1. Debt free individual. Avoid borrowing money for any reason. If you are already in debt, make sure that you allocate a portion of your paycheck in paying your debt. The sooner you are able to pay your debt is best kept in mind. This would not only free you from a financial obligation, but this would also give you an opportunity to save more cash every payday. Not to mention, removing the stress of the feeling that you would need to pay someone on a certain day.

2. Set an amount and time. Depending on what you would like to achieve or have, you may want to set either a short-term or a long-term goal. Achieving a short-term goal may not be of a challenge for most of us. If you have decided to buy a mobile phone as your short-term goal, you may want to check how much it would cost. Map out your expenses in order for you to have an idea on when you would be able to raise the amount of money needed for your short-term goal. Do a little computation to anticipate the possible amount that you will raise on a certain amount of time. Approximate paycheck amount each month, less the approximate amount needed to survive up to your next pay check, is equals to the approximate amount of money that is left in your pocket. Now, you may want to add the approximate amount that’s left from your paycheck each month and add it up until you reach the short-term goal amount. This would help you determine on when you would be able to raise the money.

For long-term goals, it is pretty much like your short-term goals, however; long-term goals are commonly planned for bigger spending. Of course, bigger spending means longer time to wait. The equation mentioned above is also applicable for calculating the approximate time on when you would be able to achieve your long term goal.

3. Keep a record of your spending. Keeping a track of all the money that you are spending is a good way to determine if you are living beyond your means. This would also help you organize your future expenditures.

4. Cut down on your expenses. Review your spending records and try to find the things that you may be able to live without. Also try to find any unnecessary spending on your record. Ask yourself few questions that may help you determine unnecessary things that you spend your money to like:

a. Do I need this or just want this?

b. Would I be able to live my life without this?

c. Is there a cheaper alternative to replace this?

5.  No to Credit Cards. You may want to just use cash or money orders to pay for something. It would be really easy for anyone to overspend if they are paying for something by deducting the payment right out of their bank. Seeing and knowing exactly how much you spend would give you a little self restraint in spending. Using credit cards is just like being on a debt. You would need to pay everything that you purchase after sometime. And if worst comes to worst, you would also need to pay an additional percentage for borrowing money from your financial institution. Not using a credit card would help you not to spend money that you don’t have and make you in control of your money.

6. Open an interest-bearing savings account. Opening a savings account would help you not spend the money that you should be saving. This would help you separate your “money to save” from your “spending money”. Opening a savings account would not only give you the ease to track your savings, but some banks to offer an interest for the money that you put to their institution. This would also help you increase the amount that you save, either monthly or annually.

7. Allocate a percentage of your paycheck to savings. By allocating at least 10% of your income to saving would not only help you save, but it would also help you budget your spending and cut down on your expenses. The percentage that you would be saving should go directly to your savings account in order to increase the amount of interest that you’d me earning. Some banks do provide automatic transfer.

8. “Forget” about the money that you have saved. Anything that you save should stay saved up until your long or short-term goal is achieved. Do not, for any reason, try to spend money from your savings even if you are going to replace it. This may result to cut backs in savings if the money is not returned and it would cause delay in achieving your goals.

9. Make it a habit or routine. By becoming accustomed in saving money, you would not even feel that you are restraining yourself from spending. It would not be stressful. It would not be a hassle. Make saving a part of your life and you would be able to accomplish any goal that you set for yourself easily.

10. Be realistic. Set goals that are possible and achievable based on your current status. It will be pointless for anyone to set a goal that they may not be able to achieve. This would only bring disappointments unto them. Being realistic with the goals that you set would help you determine your capacity to achieve it.

Working and Single Moms – Here’s A Job Opportunity

Being a working Mom, I always want to spend more time with my kids, personally take care of them and play with them everyday. Yet I know for a fact that I have to help my partner on working because shouldering all the expenses of having 2 kids is no easy feat. When you’re a Mom, you always want what’s best for your family, and when you couldn’t do babysitting and working at the same time, that’s going to put you into a serious  dilemma.

I am working as an Online English Tutor for 4 years now, I also maintain a random-informative blog, of course this one, obviously. But at some point, I realized that having a single job wouldn’t be enough. I started to constantly ask my friends if they know a possible part-time job that I can do. And one afternoon, there came this friend who delivered the good news

“You wanna work online? A home-based writing job, to be exact.”

Hearing the word home-based, my mind got bombarded with a lot of questions. So if this is home-based, how can I have the assurance that it ain’t a scam, considering that I won’t be meeting my bosses in person?

My friend introduced Essays.ph to me. She said it offers writing jobs for freelance writers like me, which I find very helpful since I don’t need to go to the office anymore. I searched for some reviews and forums about the said company online, and fortunately, I got very positive feedback. Not to mention my friend personally tried it as well so I really do not have to worry about the authenticity and credibility of the company.

“I have been writing with them since May this year. So far, I cannot complain except that I have limited time. They are very professional and pay on time.” -(Essays.ph writer)

I also knew that the salary system is very much flexible. I can get paid for every project that I get to finish anytime, even daily. Now who wouldn’t want that?

I tried visiting their website and registered myself as an applicant. Essays.ph asked me to submit a sample article for them to check before officially hiring me. Lucky enough, the sample I have submitted got approved.

It’s also up to the writer if he or she wants to commit into many projects at the same time. What good about it is that, you can get another project as long as you finished the previous one. There are various of topics to choose from. So being an aspiring writer, I am rest assured that I can continuously practice my writing skills and earn extra income at the same time.

The first time I tried to get myself familiar with their website, I tried to ask some help from the ones who have been writing for quite some time. And I am very thankful that most of the writers were actually spending time to help a beginner like me get the hang of things faster. When I post some questions, I instantly get a lot of response that made coping a bit easier for me.

I have started writing for them now, and I must say I am really having a great time. Earn extra income, practice your skills and meet new colleagues in Essays.ph!

NOTE:
For bigger international writing opportunities, however, you may want to visit Awriters. Also one of the most credible companies that offers online/freelance writing jobs.  It was just a little too technical though, because they focus more on Academic Research that university students use as reviewers in theirs studies. I have notice that they usually need writers who will be flexible enough to write about Politics, Science Research and Businesses. They focus more on citations. But do not worry, everything that seems to be difficult at first just needs more prac