DESIDERATA

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Laugh All you Want...I Cant Help It, I Love Michael Jackson!

I just cant keep pretending that Michael Jackson's leaving isn't affecting me, when everytime I open a browser and I see news about him, I feel a terrible sense of sadness and loss.

Worse is, the more that I read about him the more that I like him.

Why wouldn't I? I grew up listening to "You Are Not Alone," dancing in the tune of "Black or White" and singing along to "Heal The World, Make It A Better Place..."

My fascination with M.J started when I found a wet pocket book in a deserted waiting shed, when I was on my way home, one rainy afternoon. The book was written by Marc Bego. The cover page says "Michael," written in bold letters, but it
didn't occur to me that what I brought home with me that day, was a Michael Jackson biography, a glimpse to his life and a lifelong liking.

I find it funny that now that Michael Jackson is gone, everyone is talking about how good a man he was, when during his trial, they almost as good as stoned him to death with their baseless accusations...hypocrites!!! .If these hypos showed their support when Michael Jackson needed them most, he wouldn't have incurred a sleeping disorder, he wouldn't have resorted to illegal medicine, and he would still be alive today...

Sorry Michael, this world isn't meant for beautiful fragile souls like you.

M.J.'s life showed us that its not money, fame, talent, success and power that will bring us true satisfaction and happiness. Its the day to day dedication and the endless belief we have in ourselves and in the people we love.

Too bad you're gone too soon...

Like a comet
Blazing in the evening sky
Gone too soon

Like a rainbow
Fading in the twinkling of an eye
Gone too soon

Shiny and sparkly
And splendidly bright
Here one day
Gone one night

Like the loss of sunlight
On a cloudy afternoon
Gone too soon

Like a castle
Built upon a sandy beach
Gone too soon

Like a perfect flower
That is just beyond your reach
Gone too soon

Born to amuse, to inspire, to delight
Here one day
Gone one night
Like a sunset
Dying with the rising of the moon
Gone too soon
Gone too soon

Beauty

It’s weird that I’m writing about this now, when this actually happened last week. I don’t know, I can’t take it out of my mind. I keep remembering that image I saw Friday early morning. So I have to speak now or I’ll have to forever hold my peace.
Friday early morning, I was totally bummed up about my PC having cookie and cache problems. It had been going on since I came in, Thursday evening, so I was already frustrated. While waiting for our technician to fix the problem, I opened the door, and there it was- one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. I’m merely talking about the sky with its really beautiful color and cloud formation. Call me sentimental, but I’m sure that what I saw that day wasn’t something that you see often.

There were times in my life when I was buried in problems and I said to myself that maybe there’s no God, that it will definitely take a lot of proof for me to believe in His existence again. Funny how looking at the sky that day, convinced me that I said to myself, maybe there is a God after all.

Nell

My Personal Lesson

It’s been a while since I‘ve written something personal. Lately there’s been a sort of series of “unfortunate events..” hahahaha.

If I were to interpret it in a twisted way, I can say that it’s just the natural law of survival of the fittest manifesting– those who feel strong preys on those whom they think are weaker than them…hahahaha…I can imagine the so-called weaker one suddenly transforming into something way stronger than the oppressor…I saw this episode from a Japanese anime series Bleach, wherein a cute little kid named Nell who likes playing around and pronounces the main character’s name Itsygo, instead of Ichigo, decided to go on a dangerous mission with her favorite playmate. The main character's enemies were kicking her around a lot thinking that she’s just a kid who needs protecting. But when she saw her 'Itsygo' badly injured she suddenly transformed into a beautiful fighter who turned out to be the opponents’ former boss just to protect him. She then joined her favorite playmate's team and turned her back on her former life. I have actually predicted that that would happen; I usually research the things that I don’t understand or I can’t relate to. Still, I can’t help but be amazed. Wow talk about things turning upside down.

Enough of Nell, she’s just so adorable that I can’t get enough of her…

Going back to the series of unfortunate events, I’ve come to some realizations because of them. I realized that people differ even in their concept of what’s good and what’s bad. There are some who will instantly see the goodness behind every action. Some will be too paranoid and guilty of their wrongdoings to recognize goodness. Still, some will be too dumb to rationalize much more think on their own. These are the funniest people in the world.

I’ve also noticed the importance of choosing good companions. As the saying goes, tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are. This is actually what my mom will say and I can’t believe that there will come a time when I will agree with her on this.

Environmental Psychology is a branch of Psychology that deals with behavior in relation to the environment. It has been hypothesized that environment which includes material objects, plants, animals and human beings influences behavior. I guess there’s no helping it, negative attitudes are infectious, and so are negative people.

Another thing that came to my attention is that when adults refuse to grow up, or when adults don’t know how adults should be like; they tend to be a lot more selfish than kids. Stupid but true. Since they are just kids inside, they are incapable of thinking about people other than themselves, of other people’s fillings other than their feelings. They can’t be expected to understand others because it is them who need understanding.

The fourth and the most important lesson that I’ve learned is to choose whom to invest your emotions with for there will always be people who are just vexations to the soul. You are lucky if the opportunity for you to realize this comes early. Why waste your precious time and energy on those who will only throw it away. Save it for those who need it. The world needs some lovin’

Color your Mood

Know what color to wear to match your mood

RED
- symbolizes awakening. It exudes power, energy, and a passion for life. It is known to heal sexual difficulties and anemia.

Truth: movement, new beginnings, decisions, passion, love, energy, life, security
Challenge: Anger, frustration, lethargy, nervousness

Wear red when:
You want your sexuality to exude from your being.
Your energy is low and you need a boost.
You want to be assertive and want to make things happen faster.

Do not wear red when:
You're feeling nervous.
You do not want attention.
You are feeling frustrated and angry with everyone.


ORANGE
Often worn by Eastern aesthetics. Orange is associated with vibrant health. It has the same vibrational frequency as DNA, the template of all human cells. This color is known to heal shock.

Truth: creativity, new ideas, confidence joy, sensuality, ambition, sports, childhood
Challenge: shock, fear of survival, dependency, letting go, control

Wear orange when:
You wanna have fun and your sensual circuits need a boost.
You need to heal your emotions.
You want to heighten your creativity.

Do not wear orange when:
You want to relax your feminine/masculine charms
You feel restless.
You want to take a rest.


YELLOW
a color often worn by entertainers because it makes them stand out in a crowd and confronts the challenge of being the center of attention. Yellow is know to heal the digestive tract.

Truth: freedom, optimism, mental activity, concentration, open-mindedness,
Challenge: fear, no boundaries, negativity, timidity

Wear yellow when:
You need to attend to details
You are studying and need to keep your mind awake.
You want to infuse some joy into your life.

Do not wear yellow when:
you feel fear.
You do not want to be the center of attention
You want to relax your mind.


GREEN:
Those seeking their own identity, fulfillment of their hearts desire, and/ or are searching for a new direction are drawn to wear this color. By doing so, they are challenged to find ways of creating their own abundance. Green heals the heart, eases tension and regenerates cells.

Truth: security, abundance nature, heart matters, new space, new beginnings, balance
Challenge: unrealistic, shying away from people/society, stagnancy

Wear green when:
You want to see things from a different perspective.
You desire more space around you.
You need to feel like both feet are on the ground.

Do not wear green when:
You are confused about where life is taking you.
You feel your life is stagnant.
You do not want to face the truth of a situation.


BLUE
True blue symbolizing devotion worn by most authority figures- nurses, policemen etc. anyone who consistently wears blue are deep thinkers and tend to re-energize by seeking their own company above that of others.

Truth: authority, peace, organized, practical devotion, structure, communication
Challenge: aloofness, control issues, isolation, depression, martyrdom

Wear blue when:
You wan to exude an air of calm authority.
You need to be more organized.
You want to communicate something important

Do not wear blue when:
You feel isolated or lonely.
You feel depressed.
You are being too critical of yourself and others.


VIOLET
can indicate major change and a need to retreat, as a caterpillar retreats into a cocoon before it transforms into a butterfly .

Truth: transformation, spiritual self-realization, truth, creativity, recovery, healing
Challenge: pain, misuse of power, bruising, looking for a way out, grief, unemotional

Wear violet when:
You want to transform something in your life.
You are seeking purpose in your life.
You need to let go of destructive behavior or addictions.

Do not wear violet when:
You are daydreaming, instead of doing.
You want to turn your back on society
You suffer grief but your emotions are blocked.


PINK
Pink symbolizes unconditional love, wearing it encougaes a sense of affection, increases sensitivity, and challenges you to confront your vulnerabilities.

Truth: unconditional love, affection, flirting, open to love, hearing
Challenge: lack of self-love/self-esteem, healing grief, immaturity, vulnerable

Wear pink when:
You want to feel feminine and vulnerable.
You want others to love you instantly.
You need to concentrate and listen.

Do not wear pink when:
You feel vulnerable and insecure
You are giving all te time and not receiving.
You feel fragmented.


BROWN
the symbolism is based in part on the antural world. For instance, the soil offers some insight into the meaning of brown- needed to grow food, without it, we would be challenged to find ways to survive.

Truth: security, practicality, work, money, commitments, determination to succeed
Challenge: loss of security, lack of money, fear of survival

Wear brown when:
You need to ghet down to some hard work
You need to organize your finances
You feel tyhat everything in your life is going well

Do not wear brown when:
You want to expend a lot of energy
You are feelinfg too bogged down with things
You are not interested with hard work and want to play instead


TURQUOISE
Known to enhance the healing of the immune system, usefull for illnesses such as AIDS. Native Americans use the semi-precious stone Turquoise as an allergy healer also in autoimmune coditions

Truth: Communication, lecturing, media, immune system healer
Challenge: inability/unwilling to communicate, poor defense, rejection

Wear turquoise when:
You are lecturing- especially around the throat
You want to tap into your creativity through dance, music, art, etc.
You want to connect into your own spirituality.

Do not wear turquoise when:
You feel rejected.
You dont to talk about it
You are more interested in yourself and not with others

What Colors Can Do

Red is hot. It can stimulate and excite. It connects to our physical self.

Orange is warm and joyful. It connects to our emotional self.

Yellow is warm to hot. It connects to our mental self.

Green is the master color. It is refreshing and cool. It connects us to unconditional love.

Aqua (turquoise) is cooling. It connects us to our expression.

Blue is cold and acidic. It connects us to holistic thoughts.

Indigo is cool and calming to the nervous system. It connects us to our unconscious self.

Violet is cool. It connects us to our spiritual self.

Magenta is balancing. It connects us to devotional love.

Baker-Miller Pink is relaxing

Just a Piece of My Mind

Color is vital to the repertoir of your average Web designer, and yet many designers don't realize that the colors they choose may be having more of an effect than they realize. Colors are an element of design that people react to on a visceral level. Often, they don't realize they are reacting to it.Once you understand your audience make up you can create a color scheme that suits them.

When choosing the colors for your site, you need to first (as always) think of your audience. Is it a global audience? Is it primarily Western? Eastern? Are they older? Younger? Male? Female? All of these things, and more can affect the color choices for your site.

Cultural Differences
Colors obtain symbolism through cultural references in the culture you grew up in. Depending upon the culture, colors can have very different meanings and actually cause problems for your site.

Age Differences
Young children tend to prefer brighter, more solid colors, while adults tend to prefer more subdued colors. If you're writing to an audience of children and you're using muted pastels and shades of grey, their parents might like it, but the kids will be long gone before the page finishes loading.

Class Differences
Marketing research has shown that working class people tend to prefer colors that you can name: like blue, red, green, etc. While more highly educated classes tend to prefer colors that are more obscure: like taupe, azure, mauve, etc. This is why McDonalds does their store logo in bright red.

Gender Differences
Men tend to prefer cooler colors (blues and greens) while women tend to prefer warmer colors (reds and oranges).

Trends
Colors, like everything else in design, go through ins and outs in popularity. Black Web pages were all the rage a few years ago, and now you hardly see it at all (but it will surely come back into style as I write this). Colors also tend towards seasonality, in other words, the designs reflect the season they were built in: rainy season, whites, and greys; sunny, greens, yellows and bright colors.

The Cat Ate My Thoughts!!!

Here are some of the easy tips to improve your memory, (aside from, "Bawal ang pork, beans...pork and beans").

I'm an impatient person, I don't read magazines and follow some too-good-to-be-true advice from some too-good-to-be-true writer, so when I say easy, I really mean "e-a-s-y".

1. Pay attention!
You can't remember something if you never learned it, and you can't learn something if you don't pay enough attention to it.

2. Tailor information acquisition to your learning style.
Visual learners learn best by reading or seeing what they have to know. Auditory learners learn better by listening. Recording needed information and listening to it until memorized will greatly help.

3. Involve as many senses as possible.
Read out aloud what you wanna remember. Recite it rhythmically, try to relate information to colors, texture, smells and tastes. Writing information can also hep imprint information into your brain.

4. Connect new information to something you already know.

5. Organize information.
Write things down, take notes on more complex materials and reorganize the notes into categories later. Use words and pictures in learning information.

6. Understand and be able t0 interpret complex materials.
Focus on understanding basic ideas rather that memorizing isolated details. Explain it to someone in your own words.

7. Rehearse information always and over-learn.
Review what you've learned on the same day. "Spaced rehearsal" is more effective than "cramming." Over-learn information so that recalling it becomes second nature.

8. Be motivated and keep a positive attitude.
Don't say that you have a memory problem, instead, tell yourself you want to learn what you need to remember. Tell yourself that you can learn and remember it.

Practical Suggestions for Staying Healthy

I'm writing this article for those who are having a hard time keeping themselves healthy(myself included) Let's be honest, unhealthy living is easier and more fun. But I guess its about time for us to be somehow concerned of our health. I don't intend to reach 3000+ or outlive Father Abraham, because they say, old age is regret, but reaching 70 will be really nice. Gives you more time to make up for the mistakes that you did, if not totally undo them..

Well, what I'm trying to do here is to come up with some sort of easy tips to help in staying or making ourselves healthy.

1. Cheerfulness should be practiced at all times. Especially during meal time. According to a famous doctor, "Never eat when mad or bad or sad, only when glad." This is really true. We were having lunch one day when I got so mad at an acquaintance, I felt like chopping him up and throwing him in the steaming bowl of stew in front of me, it was indeed a comforting thought, hehehe but imagining him floating in it with that big annoying grin of his...was sure enough to give an upset stomach.

2. Content and simple food are a great combo meal. Each is necessary for a good digestion.

3. Chew your food thoroughly. If your intestines could talk, you'll definitely hear a mouthful...

4. Regularity of meals is necessary. Rule is, there should be at least a 5- hour interval for every meal. This is the part where I'll be having most difficulty with, because I get hungry almost every hour. I had myself tested for worms and other tummy inhabitants, came out negative. Apparently I have a fast metabolism.

5. Usually, 3 meals a day are ample. but for brain workers who are not physically active, 2 meals are better than 3.

6.The evening meal should be light, composed of food that are easy to digest. when sleeping, the stomach should be empty and at rest. You're not the only one who has the right to rest, you know!

7. Vegetables and fruits are not best buddies. They should not be eaten at the same meal.

8. Do you know that milk is not a drink? It's actually a food! (Don't worry, I'm surprised too.) Eat it with some food that require chewing or else sip it slowly. This is actually a great excuse for buying your favorite cereal.

9. Sleeping immediately before or immediately after eating delays digestion, so does hard mental or physical work. A few minutes of relaxation before meals and moderate exercise for about 30 minutes after meals can help promote proper digestion. Try walking, it is the best of all exercises.

10. Avoid hot food or hot drinks. They tend to decrease the strength of mucous membranes of the throat and stomach.

11. Drinking too much at mealtime or immediately after, should not be indulged in, especially by those who subsist largely on starch. The best time to drink freely of water is when the stomach is empty like in the morning soon after rising or a half hour before meals. Drinking at these periods help in cleansing out the stomach. Somewhat like an internal bath.

12. Deep breathing, singing, or laughter improves the intra-abdominal circlation of the blood and improves the quality of the digestive juices secreted. Unless, you're Rihanna, just be careful not to disturb the neighbors.

13. Immediately after rising in the morning, some moderate exercise, followed by a cool or cold plunge or hand bath and friction with a dry towel is benefitial. If you prefer a hot bath, follow it up with a short period of exercise before dressing up. Clothing should not be put on when the skin is hot. Exercising will allow the skin to cool off. Cool down to stay hot!

14. A lot of us now are begining to like, even idolize vampires. Who wouldn't, Edward Cullen is just sooooo cute! But do yourself a favor, be more like Bella and welcome air and sunshine into your living rooms. But if you really adore Edward and you kind of imagine him lulling you to sleep, you might as well keep your living room cool. Hot air is debilitating to the lungs. I'm sure you wouldn't want to have tuberculosis.

15. Look on the bright side of life. Do not fret or complain always. Worry and discontent are more harmful to digestion than errors in the diet.

16. According to Dr. D. H. Kress, "a heart at peace with God and man is essential to abounding health and happiness."

I always wanna know what is it that I'm doing

blog

Pronunciation: \ˈblȯg, ˈbläg\

Function: noun

Etymology: short for Weblog

Date: 1999

:a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often

-blog·ger noun

-blog·ging noun

Origin

The term "weblog" was coined by Jorn Barger on 17 December 1997. The short form, "blog," was coined by Peter Merholz, who jokingly broke the word weblog into the phrase we blog in the sidebar of his blog Peterme.com in April or May 1999. Shortly thereafter, Evan Williams at Pyra Labs used "blog" as both a noun and verb ("to blog," meaning "to edit one's weblog or to post to one's weblog") and devised the term "blogger" in connection with Pyra Labs' Blogger product, leading to the popularization of the terms.

Personal blog

A personal blog which is the most common type of pblog is an ongoing journal or commentary by an individual. A type of personal blog which is extremely detailed, consists of blogs with very short posts and seeks to capture a moment in time is called “microblogging.

Corporate blog

A blog can also be made for business purposes. Corporate blogs are either used internally to enhance the communication and culture in a corporation or externally for marketing, branding or public relations purposes.

Question blogging

Question blog or Qlog is a type of blog that answers questions. Questions are sublitted in the form of a submittal form, or through email or other means such as telephone or VOIP. Qlogs can be used to display shownotes from podcasts or the means of conveying information through the internet. Many question logs use syndication such as RSS as a means of conveying answers to questions.

By media type

Blogs composed of videos is called vblog, one comprising links is called a linklog, a site containing a portfolio of sketches is called a sketchblog a blog dedicated to music is an MP3 blog, or one comprising photos is called a photoblog. Tumbleblogs are blogs with shorter posts and mixed media types. Blogs that are written on typewriters and then scanned are called typecast or typecast blogs.

A rare type of blog hosted on the Gopher Protocol is known as a Phlog.

By device

The type of device used to compose a blog can also be used as an identifying factor. A moblog is a blog written by a mobile device like a mobile phone or PDA. One early blog was Wearable Wireless Webcam, an online shared journal of a person's personal life combining text, video, and pictures transmitted live from a wearable computer and EyeTap device to a web site. This practice of semi-automated blogging with combined live video together and text was known as sousveillance. Such journals have been used as evidence in legal matters.

By genre / genre blogs

There are blogs that focus on a particular subject, such as political blogs, travel blogs, house blogs, fashion blogs, project blogs, education blogs, niche blogs, classical music blogs, quizzing blogs and legal blogs (often referred to as a blawgs) or dreamlogs. Art blogs and music blogs are the two most common types of genre blogs.

Splog is a type of blog used for the sole purpose of spamming. This is not a legitimate type of blog.

Therapeutic benefits

Scientists have long known the therapeutic benefits of writing about personal experiences. Blogs provide another convenient avenue for writing about personal experiences. Research shows that blogging improves memory and sleep, boosts immune cell activity and reduces viral load in AIDS patients and even speeds healing after surgery

What they say about SEO

Its kinda funny that I am writing about stuff like this when a few years ago I made a vow that I will forever refuse to have my life taken over by computers, that even if the whole world are pushing buttons to kill or give life to each other, I will somehow find a way to retain my manual ways (maybe my stone-age ancestors have a great influence in me..talk about ancestor worship!).

I'm writing this article for Ebdarr, whom I promised to be the star of my next post (happy now?)

for Rod, whom I buddied up, who explained things to me in a very understandable way (very few people has this gift)

for Lutz, who took time out to explain to me what link building is all about,

for myniki...you're one of the major reasons why I'm learning as much as I can about technology....so that I may fully appreciate your world and share your passion (I hope I can learn as much as to build a robot that will do the dishes for us...peach scented hand softeners are becoming really expensive nowaday)

Customer base expansion

Active searchers who actively seek information on your products and services are more likely to buy. 78% of people who go online begin with a search engine; when your website is invisible to the search engines your competitors get their business.(total bummer)

To be seen or Not to be seen

Your website must be found within the first three results. The faster and easier your products and services can be found, the more likely you will increase your sales. Search engine optimization means being placed in front of your customer online when they are looking for you. When people searching online do not find what they're looking for they quickly hit the back button to search anew. Through search engine optimization you can avoid this, by being properly situated for the exact service searchers are looking for.Love the spotlight!!!

It's about time and money

Being listed within the search engines are free however, millions of websites are competing for the top spot. The good news is when search engine optimization is used properly search engines will promote your products and services. Actively seeking customers wish to better understand your services; your website communicates this message without you having to be present. The powerful combination of saving time and money, allows you the ability to focus on providing an even better product, which grows your business even more.

Legal trafficking

Having people visit your website, referred to as ‘traffic’, is an important aspect in building your business online. Gaining traffic does multiple things for you, but first and foremost it helps increase your number of sales. As the number of people who visit your site grows the more likely someone is to buy from you. Secondary benefits include helping you better understand how your site is being used. By tracking what users do once they are on your website, you can adapt your website to better capture the audience that was previously leaving. Through search engine optimization you are able to capture high volumes of traffic and reap the benefits. (do this, or buy a very strong glue and glue the searchers to your website)

Zzzzz ZzzzzzZZzzzzzz

S L e E P i n G
I know everyone lacks sleep, so I'm writing this article

Half of our life we spend sleeping and we really don’t bother to even think on it. Sleep is nothing but the way to rest our body, during which we are relieved from tension and the consciousness of world is suspended. It is a natural process and occurs after specific interval by default. While in sleep we have lessened movement of the skeletal muscles and slowed-down metabolism.

Sleeping is it waste of time?
No actually is just like an investment one makes in buying property. It will pay off definitely. Good sleep is necessary since it gives good health, mental and emotional functioning and safety. So we must find time from our daily busy schedule give our workaholic brain some rest. Brain also requires rest, it starts to give up after long working hours. People who don’t get proper sleep and feel it as waste of time, most of them get on with chronic insomnia and walk atound looking like zombies. They are more likely than others to develop several kinds of psychiatric problems, and health problems.

Amount of sleep:
The amount of sleep each person needs depends on many factors, including age. If we don’t feel sleepy through out the day means we got enough sleep. Scientifically small babies require more sleep around 15-16 hours. The young people sleep for 8-9 hours and the adults require 7-8 hours sleep. However it’s much dependent on the individual’s body requirement also. While some feel comfortable with say 8 hrs of sleep others may require 9hrs.

Factors affecting sleep at night:

1) Environment: A distracting sleep environment such as a room that's too hot or cold, too noisy or too brightly lit can be a barrier to sound sleep. And interruptions from children or other family members can also disrupt sleep. Other influences to pay attention to are the comfort and size of your bed and the habits of your sleep partner. If you have to lie beside someone who has different sleep preferences, snores, can't fall or stay asleep, or has other sleep difficulties, it often becomes your problem too. Kick him out of your bed (kidding), so you can be sure that the there are no such disturbances.

2) Illness: A number of physical problems can interfere with your ability to fall or stay asleep. The pain of backache, stomachache can cause problems. So consult doctor for medicines in such case.

3) Mental Condition:If we have stress in our mind before going to bed it will cause hurdle in sleep. So forget your burden by reading some books(preferably boring books) or watching a light comedy show. This will help to reduce tension.

How to get a good sleep
According to leading sleep researchers, there are techniques to combat common sleep problems:
Keep a regular sleep/wake schedule
Don’t drink or eat caffeine four to six hours before bed and minimize daytime use (Too bad for the coffee manufacturers)
Don’t smoke, especially near bedtime or if you awake in the night
Avoid alcohol and heavy meals before sleep
Get regular exercise
Minimize noise, light and excessive hot and cold temperatures where you sleep
Develop a regular bed time and go to bed at the same time each night
Try and wake up without an alarm clock (This is actually a saving tip. Alarm clock batteries are getting expensive)
Attempt to go to bed earlier every night for certain period; this will ensure that you’re getting enough sleep...ZzzzzzZzz zzZzzzzzzZZzz

Makeover

I'm so happy! I saw Jan Reinze's computer 1 day and I noticed that everything was in pretty shades of brown. I asked him about it and he said that, he customized it. I wasnt really surprised because I know that Jan is good with computers. Aside from Nung Rene, he's the one I usually run to for help when my compter is talking alien. “Greetings Earthlings...Take me to your leader”

I said to myself that one day, I'll be able to tame my alien Ubuntu and dress him up like an Earthling. I didnt know that today is the start of my reighn over the not-so alien-anymore Ubuntu.

Wha-ha-ha-ha-ha...(cough) (cough) (cough)...And again...(Took a deep breath and...)Wha-ha-ha!!!

Guess what! I changed my wall paper!!!

I have this pretty green picture of a blurry flower that I wanted to use as a wall paper. I don't know how to do it, so I asked Zaza if she knows how to. She came and generously helped me out, but since she's not good friends with Ubuntu, she ended up advising me to consult our other friend Google.

Google asked some of his acquaintances, and one of them gave me the tip on how to dress up Ubuntu. I guess Ubuntu liked it, because we ended up shopping for a few more clothes, he's even willing to share some of his clothes to my new friend will626@blogspot.com. I'm just so glad that Ubuntu and I are getting along well now. If there's anyone of you who wants to see my Ubuntu, please don't hesitate to come and visit him in my workstation. He's now wearing a flowered outfit in a striking shade of green.

Accounting, Quickbooks and Me

When I was in high school, my first cousin from Antique came to live us. He was a Commerce student at the University of San Agustine, but he was too busy with his social life to even attend his classes, much more do his reports and assignments. I'm sure you can imagine what usually happens during exam time. Yes, you're righ, cramming, paper scattered all over his room, energy drinks on the table. Worse, he was not the type who can easily grasp what he's reading, and he had poor vocabulary too. Wow! I'm sure he'll kill me if he finds out that I'm writing about him. I'm soooo mean! So what he would usually do is, ask “ Ne, in your opinion, what does this paragraph imply??” “ If you don't mind, read the whole page and explain it to me..” “ Oops, sorry gotta go, I'm meeting my girlfriend, she'll go ballistic if I stood her up..you know how girls are...just read the entire chapter and explain everything to me when I get back...” Guess what, he was making a high school student read and interpret his Accounting lessons for him. And that's how I started to be intrigued with Accounting.

When I found out that I'll be learning about accounting and bookkeeping, I was excited. This is my chance to learn more without enrolling at CPU's and paying the ever expensive tuition. I don't have anything against CPU, I intended to transfer there but to my dismay, I couldn't afford the the tuition fees. Rest in a jar!

Going back to my learning about accounting and bookkeeping, I've been viewing the Quickbooks tutorials for several days now, but I felt like I wasn't going anywhere (farther than the CR or the dreamscape). I had been taking down notes so I wont have to view the tutorials again if I'll have task that will require me to use Quickbooks, and early today, Miss Van and Miss Hyzent gave me the opportunity to share my notes to the future trainees. Yehey! I didn't know that my tool to fight sleepiness can be used for a good cause.

Today also, Miss Van and Miss Hyzent also gave me the chance to manipulate a “dummy” Quickbook, (“dummy”, like a dummy phone). Today is full of exciting events (including Tita Barb's chicken curry). I got to have a more thorough idea of what Quickbooks is really like. I was overwhelmed with how much information you can store in it and how nuch you can do with it. I'm so proud of the people who developed Quickbooks. Instead of using their intelligence to produce something harmful like weapons of mass destruction, they dedicated their time and energy into making something that is very beneficial. Kudos!!!

Buddy Up With EugeneBu

For an hour and 5 minutes, I buddied up with Eugene to somehow get an idea of the possible general task I'll be doing for a client. Eugene is a multi-tasker, who believes that he is more like a jack of all trade person whose task is not solely focused on 1 area. He does some general tasks and some SEO tasks as well.

Despite his busy schedule and my being an alien to his world, he welcomed me with eagerness and patiently explained to me what SEO is all about. He even got a chair where I can sit so I can be comfortable while he's showing me what his tasks are like. Eugene receives emails and listings of prospect clients from our US correspondent Dan, sorts them out and evaluates the possibilities of these prospects becoming clients of Virtual Assistant technologies Inc. To be honest, I'm not confident that I have a strong grasp of everything that we tackled because I was very distracted by the computer jargons that I do not understand.

He is indeed right when he said that the very essence of an SEO professional can be summed up with colloquial terms and jargons. I feel sorry for him because, he would launch into this exciting description of SEO, then he had to stop suddenly to define some term for me. I didnt know that being not computer savvy can be this embarrassing and frustrating.

I find it amazing that I was buddied up with some VAT agents to have an idea on the different task of a virtual assistant, but I ended up not only learning about their tasks, but also their positive outlook and aspirations. Today, I learned about the value of patience and persistence in learning and the importance of computer literacy in this fast paced world.

I'm beginning to see the world as a battle field of the minds with computers as weapons. It made me realyze how much I have missed out by not taking interest in computers and techological advances before. I regret every single time I said, “Im not into friendster, I dont even want a computer.” If I had acknowledge the growing importance of computers before, I would already have met HTML a long time ago. Maybe, Linux and I have been friends already or I'll be talking JAVA by now.

But now that I've been re-introduced to computer and its many facets, I'll work twice as hard to get to know them, before you know it, we'll be best friends. That's where Patience and persistence come in.

An Hour with Jan

First of all, I would like to thank Miss Van for giving me the opportunity to have this buddy up session, to Jan Reinze for his patience and encouragement, to Edbarr for letting me borrow the chair beside him and to myself for my hair and pimples.

The buddy up session with Jan Reinze was very rewarding. His client owns a business that "makes every event a memory" and believes that "success can be earned at home". They personalise stuff, from candy bars, bottled water, mint books to announcements and invitations.

Jan has 2 easy, but arduous tasks which requires him to exercise extreme care in the consideration and treatment of details. His first task is to update the IP addresses of his client's over 800 clients. He had to manually change the old IP addresses to the new IP address. His other task is to find and merge duplicate accounts of prospects and distributors, check if the information listed are consistent and updated. What I appreciate so much about the buddy up session is that Jan let me try doing both of his tasks..with his supervision of course. At first, I was adamant. I was worried that I would mess up and he would be in trouble, but he was very encouraging. If there's one thing that I learned from this buddy up session, its to trust yourself. "If you're sure that you're doing it right, don't be afraid to click OK," that's what Jan told me. So, "OK," this is my reflection.

From Stefan and Loubelle

If life is duty dare it, if life is a burden, bear it. If life is a thorn crown, wear it. Though it breaks thy heart and body in pain, though the burden bears the down, close thy lips and stand the pain, first the cross and then the crown.

At around 2 AM today, my buddy up session with Stefan started. Stefan is one of the general task virtual assistants. Like me, he is also a trainee, and is currently in his 17^th day in the company. Even though he was waiting for a call from his client, he still took time out to show me the day to day tasks he does for his client who owns a company that processes peoples' insurance benefits/claims. Stefan had to make weekly/ monthly reports, sort out emails, discard solicitations/ advertisements, and forward necessary emails to his clients's other employees. He would sometimes make invitations, or do some transcription. His client would send him files that look like minutes of meetings scanned straight out of a notebook. He had to make sense of it and write it in a more understandable format. Sometimes he gets files containing instructions on how to do a complicated-looking spreadsheet file or, a list of jumbled and /or missing information such as email addresses, which he had to sort out and fill up. These tasks could be so tedious that it would sometimes take him several days to complete it. Stefan emphasised that tasks vary depending on the client so I just have to wait and see what my client would be like.

By 4 AM I sat in between Loubelle and Tita Presci and listened as they described their respective clients. Loubelle's tasks with her clientare mostly email related. She manages the client's campaigns, sorts out and forward email messages, answers Skype messages and downloads and uploads videos of the client's campaign. Her tasks are not that complicated but they are pretty tedious. There were times when she had to manage the email accounts of Norbert's associates too. Loubelle has to be always alert and meticulous in doing her tasks.

Judging from what I've observed, virtual assistants have to be well-rounded, capable of multi-tasking, have strong desire for continued excellence and must have genuine the desire to help. I've noticed that virtual assistants are pretty much exposed to delicate and secured information and trade secrets of their clients. Its indeed very important that they are able to observe and maintain confidentiality. Looking at Stefan's and Loubelle's tasks, I can say that I still got a lot to learn in order for me to become an efficient virtual assistant. I have to strive to be one...first the cross and then the crown

5 Positive Thoughts

1. If you're feeling tired and you think you you've had enough, think again! Enjoy being alive, there's plenty of time to be dead.

2. Never bring your problems at home when you go to work. Don't let it affect your work and your relationship with your colleagues. Sometimes, nobody cares if you are miserable, so you might as well be happy

3. If you can't solve it, it's not a problem - its reality

4. Happiness in helping your client and your colleagues is like perfume, you cant spray it on others without getting a few drops yourself

5.If you're client is turning into a big #$%@*(&^%...and you feel like its the end of all the happiness in the world, don't, fret...If all good things must come to an end, don't worry, because all bad things will eventually end too.