Feed the poor... while enhancing your vocabulary

“What if just knowing what a word meant could help feed hungry people around the world? Well, at FreeRice it does . . . the totals have grown exponentially.”
- The Washington Post

Yes indeed, just by answering the vocabulary game on the site (www.freerice.com) will make you feed hungry mouths worldwide. For each word you get right, Free Rice will donate 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program. No wonder that Free Rice was also awarded by Yahoo! as the Charity Find of the Year 2007.

The rice is paid for by the advertisers whose names you will see on the bottom of your vocabulary screen when you start playing.

As of yesterday, the total donations reached 19,794,050,370 grains of rice which started last October 7, 2007.

These grains of rice are now being distributed and has reached refugees from Myanmar sheltering in Bangladesh. Hungry Cambodians, Ugandans and Nicaraguans will be the next to benefit from the award-winning site.

So, with lots of idle time at home or in the office, why not drop by Free Rice and make a difference! Now is your chance to fulfill that charity spot in your heart.

Keep it down... I'm working!

Ok... so it was a boring night! Was OIC for one week and last night was just a preview of the days to come. Hay! I'm so bored!

Why is it hard to say GOODBYE?!?!?!?!

It's been one hell of a crazy week! Things have changed so much in such a short time. Changes that made me think of my priorities. I'm not gonna go thru the details but basically it all boils down to one thing. People change either we like it or not. People change because they have to or they are forced to by certain situations. We say goodbye to people or to stuff we got so used to because we need to grow up!

I realized that in this world, where we are no longer bounded by space and time with advancements in technology, we still tend to let go of people we love.

I miss my old friends... In fact I miss them so much that I wish we could all hangout together again like what we used to. I still have most of their numbers on my phone until now (explains why I have almost a thousand entries). Even those who I haven't heard from for ages!

I said goodbye to some folks in the office the other day. There was a brief moment of sadness at the office when 2 of my teammates and 2 others from the other team expressed their plans to resign. We all have our reasons and I respect their decision. I guess the only thing that I can do is to wish them good luck. They will surely be missed!

Also the other day, I had a long discussion with a friend asking for my opinion either to do what he thinks is right or do what he feels is right. I really had a hard time answering that question since I don't think anyone would be in a position to answer that question. I just told him to follow his heart for at the end of the day... what's important is to have the balls to face life and it's challenges head on! Ey! We only live once!

Thank you so much!

Thanks to my former Team, I got awarded Dell Elite Employee of the month for November and December 2007!

I miss you guys!

I AM THANKFUL

FOR THE Mom
WHO SAYS IT'S HOT DOGS TONIGHT,
BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME,
AND NOT away on a foreign land.

FOR THE Dad
WHO IS ON THE SOFA
BEING A COUCH POTATO,
BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH us
AND NOT OUT with another woman.

FOR my younger sisters
WHO are COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING DISHES
BECAUSE IT MEANS they’re AT HOME,
NOT ON THE STREETS.

FOR THE TAXES I PAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM EMPLOYED .

FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE
BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.

FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.

FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE

FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING,
WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING,
AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME

FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING
I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT
BECAUSE IT MEANS WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM WARM.

FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH
WHO SINGS OFF KEY
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I CAN HEAR.

FOR THE PILE OF
LAUNDRY AND IRONING
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.

FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES
AT THE END OF THE DAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN
CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.

FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF
IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE.

AND FINALLY, FOR TOO MUCH E-MAIL
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE THINKING OF ME.

Cna yuo raed tihs?

Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 56 plepoe out
of 100 can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod
aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was
rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the
hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch
at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't
mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a
wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is
taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in
the rghit pclae. The rset can be a
taotl mses and you can sitll raed it
whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the
huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter
by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot
slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can
raed tihs forwrad it

Holidays for 2008! Vacation Planning mode!

February 25 is now a special non-working holiday! This reverses an earlier announcement of the Executive Secretary that it will be a working holiday.

In Proclamation No. 1463, the President announced the regular holidays for 2008 are Maundy Thursday (March 20, Thursday), Good Friday (March 21, Friday), Labor Day (May 1, Thursday), Christmas Day (Dec. 25, Thursday), and Rizal Day (Dec. 30, Thursday).


Other regular holidays have been moved to the nearest Monday namely, Araw ng Kagitingan on April 7 rather than April 9; Independence Day on June 9 rather than June 12; National Heroes’ Day on Aug. 25, the last Monday of August; and, Bonifacio Day on December 1, instead of November 30.

Also moved was Ninoy Aquino Day, a special non-working holiday, from August 21 to August 18. Another special holiday is All Saints’ Day on November 1, Saturday. Also added were two special non-working days on December 26, Friday, and December 29, Monday. The last day of the year, December 31, Wednesday, is also a special holiday.

The national holiday for the observance of Eid al’ Fitr will be issued after the date of the Islamic holiday has been determined in the Islamic lunar calendar. It is estimated to fall in the first week of October this year.

What we want ain't always what's right

I can't sleep so here I am browsing my multiply... then I read my friend's blog about choices we face everyday.

Something that made me think... with all the problems we face each day and with all the options we have to address these problems... it usually boils down to two things... either we do what we think is right or do what we want to do.

Eclipse's Guide to Men's Fitness

Something I read online from Eclipse's website. Any comments?

Their website: http://www.eclipsegym.com/articles/men.html

Welcome to Eclipse and the Eclipse training program for men. This program is a combination of some of the most effective strength and conditioning programs developed over the past 30 years. We’ve eliminated all of the misinformation and often outright lies taught in mainstream fitness and bodybuilding magazines as well as most mainstream fitness centers and have tested and designed a fool-proof program for you to eliminate any needless guesswork or self-experimentation. If you wish to hire a coach to guide each aspect of training for you from start to finish, you are certainly allowed to do so, but the coaches are always available to answer your basic questions. We have created a do-it-yourself program available that simply does not fail to add size, strength, or both to even a trainee with many years of weight training experience. This program is the basic foundation for sports, modeling, bodybuilding, powerlifting, and everything in-between. Special programs can be designed following this foundation program such as jump-training to increase your vertical to dunk a basketball. Below are some pointers and rules to follow.

rule 1

Workout 3 times per week, for example, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Take the weekends off. Soreness is simply lactic acid in your muscles and you can train them even when you are still sore and continue to make rapid progress. You can obviously do the same thing with Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday and then take Sunday and Monday off. As your weights get heavier you should take 3 days off after three consecutive every-other-day training sessions. The key is that you need 2-3 days off after each bench press session. This is one of our most commonly observed mistakes with trainees at Eclipse 24/7 Fitness Center.

rule 2

If you are trying to gain size and strength, you MUST eat 5-6 meals per day, striving to gain 1-2 lbs of weight per week. If you do not gain at least 1lb per week on average, you need to eat more. You cannot expect to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. While it’s possible, you should instead focus on getting as big and strong as possible. Remember that you don’t see models or actors who are well-built during the off-season when they tend to gain fat while trying to gain muscle. You only see them during their photo shoots after they’ve spent 6 months bulking then dieting/cutting to reveal six-pack abs and chiseled chest, shoulders, and legs. If your shirt or jeans aren’t getting tighter or the scale is not increasing, or especially you are not breaking personal records in the gym, you need to be eating more. When I began training I was the skinniest guy in the gym at 5’10" and 115lbs. I bulked up to as high as 210lbs until dieting down to my contest-ready weight of about 175lbs with 6% bodyfat. My current off-season weight is about 185-190lbs. The point is that when I want to get bigger or stronger, I have learned that gaining a few extra pounds of fat is to be expected and helps keep you injury free.

rule 3

Your meals should be a balance of protein and carbohydrates. You can eat rice, even when you diet, as long as you combine it with a protein source. Examples of carbohydrates are rice, pasta, camote, fruits, or vegetables. Examples of protein are eggs, chicken, fish, beef, beans, milk, and nuts. If you are a vegetarian you can eat red beans and brown rice for a complete source of protein. If you are worried about high cholesterol from eggs, don’t be afraid. Eggs won’t increase your cholesterol as long as they are eaten in moderation. For example, if you are going to eat omelets, eat one with 1 yolk and three whites. Avoid sugary drinks and bread. Eat whatever you want once per day as long as it’s in moderation, and always use good common sense. DO NOT do a cheat day. Cheat days are usually a disastrous display of unbridled gluttony that should be avoided at all costs.

rule 4

If you are dieting, for example, eat half of a cup of rice and an ulam such as 100 grams of corned beef or a chicken breast 5 times per day. Also eat 3 egg white plus one egg yolk omelets filled with vegetables or whatever else you like to use. Strive to lose an average of 1lb per week when dieting. Starving yourself will slow your metabolism, so eat often in small portions.

rule 5

If you gain fat easily, strive to eat one cup rice per meal plus the 100 grams of corned beef or a serving of chicken such as a breast or thigh during your strength/mass gaining phase.

rule 6

If you have a hard time gaining mass and strength, you must eat as much and as often as you can. Eat at least 2 cups of rice per meal plus more protein rich food. Also eat 1 lb of peanuts or natural peanut butter per day and 1 liter of milk in addition to your 5 full meals per day.

rule 7

Extra ab training is not necessary to gain a 6 pack since you can’t spot reduce fat in your mid-section and abs grow when doing heavy basic movements such as squats. The abs must be trained like any muscle in the body, but they respond best to reps in the 1-7 range. In the first 2 phases of your training, your abs will develop through indirect stimulus while squatting, deadlifting, overhead pressing, pull-ups, dynamic rows, and bench press since they are critical for stability. If you feel that you simply must do abs and not training them directly will cause you anxiety, we’ll add them to your program, but you’ll likely develop them better if you leave out ab training until phase 3. Any ab training should be performed LAST since abs, again, are critical to stability during your regular training movements.

rule 8

Squatting is the core of your training. If you don’t want to squat, then don’t expect to grow at the same rate as your fellow trainees. The old saying goes, ‘If you are not squatting, you are not training.’ You cannot substitute leg extensions or leg presses for squats. Squats are actually the safest exercise for knees and make them stronger if done correctly. They also increase testosterone and growth hormone production. All of our current successful trainees are squatting, so learn to put squats above all other exercises in their importance. Even the girls tell us to not let the guys look like Johnny Bravo. That’s unlikely since guys with skinny legs rarely have significant upper body growth.

rule 9

Extra arm training is unnecessary. The guys with the best developed arms at Eclipse never do direct arm training. Ask any of our long-time members who did curls and extensions before. They will all tell you that their arms grew at least an inch in diameter after all of the heavy rowing, pulling, and pressing movements we teach. Their biggest fears were that their arms would shrink after they stopped curling, but instead they grew.

Arms and abs are easy to over-train. Trust in our time-tested program and watch arms fill out your sleeves for the first time and feel your abs get stronger without doing 1000 crunches.

rule 10

Shoes are optional. We recommend that you do not wear shoes unless you are on the treadmill or in a class. Chuck Taylors or special squatting shoes are okay. Regular rubber/athletic shoes cause instability and are the source of most injuries in sports and will make your weights heavier when you squat and dead lift. Always use good common sense if your feet are bare. Look before you step or at least wear sandals when moving around the gym floor.

rule 11

Too much cardio is bad when you are trying to get bigger or stronger. When in phases 1-2, limit cardio to 15 minutes of HIIT on the treadmill or ask a coach to teach you the Tabata method for limiting fat gain when bulking. Unless you gain fat easily, you should not do cardio when bulking. If you do cardio, do it only following your workout.

rule 12

You do not need supplements. Supplement mania is the result of hype, marketing, and outright lies. Most bodybuilding magazines depend on supplement advertising to survive. If they do not cater to supplement companies, they will go out of business. Slick and sly marketing is the reason most people who are reading this believe that they need supplements to make significant gains. If you are eating enough food and are training properly, you will grow. Period. It would be wise, however, to take a quality multi-vitamin. Chew it to ensure break-down and absorption. Also take elemental magnesium. This is very important since most athletes are critically deficient when tested. Creatine either clearly works or it doesn’t. If you try it and are ‘not sure’ if you are getting results, you most likely are not. If creatine is working, you’ll gain 5-10lbs in your first week and your strength will go up at least 10%. Stop taking it and save your money for real food if you don’t see a big difference. Fat burners do not make a significant difference for most people.

rule 13

Free weights are superior to machines. Most machines and their so-called science and testing are funded fully by the manufacturers of said machines. If a scientist dares to challenge the ‘findings’ of the machine manufacturers, they are basically black-listed from receiving funding themselves. You would be correct if you are wondering how a test could be objective and honest if the person paying the scientist to study something is also the owner of the product. Machines also cause imbalances that lead to injuries. When the prime mover muscles get stronger on machines, the delicate stabilizer muscles get weaker and vulnerable to serious injury. If you need a test, go ahead and train on machines for one month and then switch to free weights. Not only will you only lift maybe half of what you did on the machines, you will have very poor control of your ability to stabilize and balance the weights. This is what happens when you use a contraption that does most of the work for you. Balance and stability is one of the main purposes of fitness centers, and this is not achieved from weight machines. Always build your foundation using free weights for maximum long-term safety, results, stability, and balance.

rule 14

When you are finished, rack the weights to their storage areas, even if you found them on the bar already when you began. Your maid or yaya doesn’t work here and if you think that someone isn’t watching you when you leave your weights on the bar, think again. Even if someone doesn’t say something to you about it, mental negative points are being accumulated against you if you don’t put back what you take out. Pick up after yourself always as your way of respecting your fellow lifters and Eclipse and its coaches. Always ask a coach if you need help.

Pointers when training

In Phase 1-2, always rest 5 minutes in-between sets unless you are pyramiding. Dead lifts and squats require as much as 10 minutes in-between your heaviest sets, especially during a failure test that you’ll do during Phase 2.

Always hold your breath when you are performing each rep. For example, in the bench press, when you are holding the weight at its highest point is when you’ll breathe. Hold your breath when the bar travels down to touch your chest and then back up again. Then exhale and inhale to prepare for the next rep. Another example is the squat. Before you squat, take a deep breath and hold it. Then go all the way down as your coach instructs. Do not exhale until you are back at the top of the movement. Take a breath and repeat the rep.

Follow the program exactly as written and do not do extra exercises or force reps also known as a ‘spot’. Forcing a rep is the fastest way to over train. Doing extra exercises or sets is also a sure formula for overtraining. Also, DO NOT STRETCH BEFORE TRAINING! Pre-workout stretching of a muscle weakens it and makes it vulnerable for injury.

You are not required to follow our training when at Eclipse, but if you do, you will make more progress on it than you ever have before at other gyms. All you need to do is ask our long-time members if you want to be convinced further. Happy workout!

Dell Elite Employee of the Month

Got an invite today for the Dell Elite Employee of the Month Awarding Ceremony for November and December.

Too bad I won't be here tomorrow. I'm on leave for Valentines! Hehehe!

Congratulations to my fellow awardees!

Escape from this rat race!

Have you ever felt that you're working so hard and yet it's not worth it? I've been working since I can remember and until now I can't find the fulfillment I'm looking for. I remember when I started working when I was in college. I was so excited back then... finally independence!

I moved out when I was 17... tried living on my own and experienced life at it's best and it's worst! I remember a time when I had to trade partying just for me to survive and have something on my table to eat. Guess I was so stuborn to ask for help from my parents back then... left the country when I was 25 to try my luck elsewhere. It was a humbling experience for me. To those who worked abroad, you know what I mean. I thought at first the moment I leave this country everything will be nice. Yes in a way it is better in another land... but there are times that I wanted to just fly back home and rest. You have to really work to survive especially when there's no one you can turn to but yourself.

10 years after I'm back to my parent's house... yeah it's kinda weird going back to the place that you left and again live under the roof and rules of your parents... but hey this is only temporary. I decided to go back home due to practical reasons... I wanna save enough so I can start my own business.

I don't wanna work for someone and make them rich my whole life... I wanna do something for myself... explore posibilities... and see what my capabilities can take me. I admire those who at a young age has already started in making things work for them and finally escaping the rat race.

Right now I feel like I am a rat in this small cake trying to run after that cheese hanging in front of me but no matter how hard I try I can never get to it... guess why? I'm running on a spinning wheel. Stumbling and getting up and learning from my mistakes but no matter how much I learn and how hard I try I am still in this spinning wheel... I have to find a way to get out of here and go after my dreams.

Only thing is I haven't decided yet on what business I should venture into and where I can get enough capital to fund it...

My options...

Stick with my job and save as much as I can and slowly put up my business (this will take longer but will be the safest way)

Get a higher paying job... I'm thinking of working back in the cruise industry or get a job outside... A few years and I would have saved enough. (this might work but I don't wanna be away for so long... it's hard to leave people you love behind)

Apply for a loan (Risky but the easiest)

Get partners (Might work)

Rob a bank! (Fastest way to get into prison! Hahaha!)

Time to see the Philippines...

My Lakbayan grade is D!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

A step forward...

I decided to take it a step forward... been a member of Greenpeace online community for a few weeks now but I wanna do more for the environment so I decided to join WWF (World Wildlife Fund).

My co-worker is a member and good thing I was sitting beside today during our training session. I got inspired and started talking about my desire to help and make a difference in the world. Sounds cliche but sometimes I feel sorry for the worsening status of our country's wildlife... at least now I can do something about it and not just complain why things are not being done.