Big Bang World Record

I got tagged by Joy and chicshopaholic! Thanks!

Once you have posted this list and added your own site, leave me a comment with your site name and URL. I will add you to the master list. Come back and copy the master list back to your site, often. This process will allow late-comers to get as much benefit as the first ones in.

*Start Copy Here*

You do not have to be tagged to play along. This game is simple and so are the rules.

1. Copy from *Start Copy Here* through *End Copy Here*
2. Add your site(s) to the list. Just be sure to post at each site you add.
3. Tag or don’t tag, your choice, however, the more tags you create the bigger the list will grow.
4. Let me know your blog’s name and URL by leaving me a comment. I will add you to the master list. (In my blog’s case wherein I’ve disabled the comment’s box, leave it on the shoutbox .)
5. Come back and copy the master list back to your site, often. This process will allow late-comers to get as much link benefit as the first ones in.

1-Attitude, the Ultimate Power 2-Juliana’s Site 3-Rusin Roundup 4-Grow Rich Along With Me 5-Comedy Plus 6-lynda’s loft 7-Amel’s Realm 8-MAX 9-Speedcat Hollydale 10-Mariuca 11-Complain Complain Complain 12-Mariuca’s Perfume Gallery 13-Life Is A Roller Coaster 14-Sugar Queen’s Dream 15-First Time Dad 16-Life 17-My Life 18-The Painted Veil 19-My Thoughts 20-DatCurious.com 21-Little Aussie Cynic 22- A Nice Place in the Sun 23-DatMoney.com 24-The Down Side OF Up 25- Ladyjava’s Lounge 26- Cat Tales 27-moms…check nyo 28-Colorado Baby 29-It’s a Woman’s World 30-ENLIGHTENED BITS 31-My View of “It” 32-My Reviews and Finds Along the Way 33-Our Hep Chat 34 - Rantings of a Woman 35- The Callalily Space 36- Mom Knows Everything 37- Hazel 38- Chronicles and Tales Unlimited (RED) 39- From the Mouth of Jabber Jaws 40- Sunny Side Up Foodie & Lifestyle 41-Carmel Corn 42-Daily Stock Picks 43-The Whole New World 44- Wifespeak 45-Slavery Bliss 46- Rooms of My Heart 47- Unpredictable Life 48- My Life, My World 49- At Your Service 50- All About Ebay 51- Everything Amazon 52- Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out 53- My So-Called Site 54- New Wife Blog 55- It’s not the way 56- Nick’s Bytes 57- My Scratch Pad 58- Choc Mint Girl 59- Life Is Just Around the Corner”¦ 60- Amori, poseia, art”¦ virtuali by Hanna 61- Maryannaville 62- monaco - monaco’s 63- Nyumix’s Blog 64- read my mind - my keyboard monologues 65- Shower You Children With Love - The Right Way 66- Secret Agent Mama 67- Pinaymama’s Diary 68- Answers to the Questions 69- Work of the Poet 70- A Total Blog 71- My life, my hope, my future 72- NORTE 73- A Window to Our World 74- Life as a Mom 75- FIELD OF DREAMS 76- lisgold 77- See Me for What You 78- Caught in The Stream 79-Pinay Mommy Online - My Home 80-I’m Running To Win Two 81-CRUEL VIRGIN 82-Garden of Moments in Blog 83-So Cute 84-Love Everlasting 85-WeLcOmE To My CriB 86-WELCOME TO PINAYSMILE’S JOURNEY 87-Ice’s Icelog 88-Jenny’s Wandering Thoughts 89-Hobbies and Such 90-Sweet Paradise 91-Mommy’s Gibble Gabbles 92-Rusin Review’s 93-My Small World 94-Little Peanut 95-Online Ramblings 96-My Mood My Feeling 97-BLOG it with ALLEN 98-Entertainment World 99-Let’s Go Singapore 100-Firelynx 101-Catsy Carpe Diem 102-Every Beat Of My Heart 103-Always Da Fresh Princess 104-Listening.. Learning..Living 105-All About Mars 106- Syii From Afar 107-Some Thoughts I Have 108-From Here and Beyond 109-My Paid To Blog 110-Scholarship Corner 111-Cell Phone Review 112-“Apples of the Eyes” 113-It’s All About Play 114-The Luttrull Journey 115-RennyBA’s Terella 116-Unchained Melody 117-Out of the Blue 118-The Lure Of the Unknown 119-Maricel’s 120-my blog 121-Spiff, the Spaceman 122-Living Well 123-The Dog Log 124-Catnip Corner 125-A Piece of Idea 126-Observations From the Back 40 127-Poetry by The Redneck Gypsy 128-Odd Facts 129-Juliana’s Lair 130-My life is murphy’s law 131- lisgoldsmemoirs 132-My memories, as time goes by 133-Somewhere over the rainbow 134-Blogging by Sandee 135-Our Journey to this so called life 136-Idaho Daily Photo 137-Memories that Never Fades.. 138-Anything goes 139-Your Caring Angels 140-Little Paces 141-Laketrees 142-PoeARTica 143-fracas 144-Just FraCas 145-Archies Archive 146- Chez Francine 147- La Place de Cherie 148- Le bric à brac de Cherie 149- Cherie 150- Gagiers Striking Zone 151- Gagiers Amazing World 152- Caroland’s Breathtaking Adventure 153- Kusina ni Gagiers 154- Chic Shopaholic 155- Gracie de Guzman 156- Jaqqq in the Blogs 157-I am Dzoi 158- My Happy Place 159-Raising Sandy 160-The Working Mom 161 - Online Raket 162- Practical Tips and More 163 - Food, Drink Atbp 164 - Health FAQs 165- INSERT YOURSELF HERE

Now I'm tagging my new blog friends Sheng, Yvelle, Nol, Roseann :)

Why didn't they do a stool exam???

I love watching medical dramas and shows because I learn (or relearn) a lot of things. But, sometimes we find something in those shows that are not consistent with what doctors in real life might do.

Last night, my husband and I started with House MD. It was very enjoyable for us, because we were able to relate with the doctors as they try to find out what the problem was with the patient.

We just started with the pilot episode last night. They diagnosed neurocysticercosis, which is an infection with Taenia solium (or pork tapeworm) in which larvae migrated to the brain and caused the patient's neurological symptoms. What I really don't understand -- once they already had that diagnosis in mind and they can't convince the patient to go through the treatment because they don't have evidence that there IS a worm -- they ordered x-rays of the leg so that they can look for the larva encysted in the muscle. Sure, it's rather simple and non invasive, but a simpler and more non invasive test, not to mention one with more yield -- would be a stool exam. Taenia solium is primarily an intestinal parasite. If there are larvae in the brain and in the muscles, it stands to reason that there are probably worms in the intestines and they lay a lot of eggs or shed proglottids which are passed out with the stool. Which could then be seen microscopically. That's what the medical technologists and parasitologists are there for. And, it's quite a cheap test -- at least here in the Philippines.

Oh well, maybe the stool exam is not as dramatic as an x-ray showing the larvae. :D

Coughing today....relieved by chocolate bar

I have been having cough for the past 2 or 3 days, and it seems like an allergic cough. Something in the air is triggering the cough. It's quite embarrassing, really. I'm seeing a patient, then I have to excuse myself in order to cough.

This afternoon, I found a bar of Nestle Crunch in our refrigerator and decided to indulge. I ate the whole bar. My cough seems to quiet down and my throat seems less itchy. Hmmm, an excuse for me to eat more chocolate! :)

Inexpensive eyeglasses available online

How does this pair of glasses look? Not bad, right? It's difficult to find stylish eyeglasses but Zenni Optical Sells $8 Rx Glasses with case!.

If you already have the prescription for your correction, you could order from their site online and they will send the complete glasses to you via USPS. Shipping and handling rate is flat at only $4.95 within the USA. They all arrive with a hard case and lens cleaning cloth.

Back to Sunday school...

My mother enrolled Ethan in her temple's (she's a Buddhist) Sunday school. This was supposed to be the second Sunday of this study period, but before that there was a long lay off because of the holidays. He was absent last week because he had cough (and still has it!)

Ethan was very irritable. Sigh! And we thought he was already acclimatized since he already had 1 cycle before the holidays and he seemed to be enjoying the company of the other kids.

Because of Chinese New Year Celebrations, he won't be having a class this Sunday. I hope the next time we go, he'll be in a better mood.

Maxdirectory review

If you own any kind of website or blogsite for any purpose, you would want it to be visible to more people on the net. One of the ways of building a more visible web presence is by submitting your url to a web directory.

Maxdirectory is one such web directory. According to their site, it's a "human edited" web directory. Submission is free, although they may require a reciprocal link for specific categories. They promise fast approval, usually within twenty four hours.

The site is new, but it has good potential. It's pretty easy to navigate around the site, since it lists the different websites into different categories and subcategories, with their corresponding pageranks. I have actually found some pretty interesting websites and blogs.

Another thing I liked about their site is the helpful articles found on the right side of their webpage. These articles are helpful for website and blogsite owners who are looking to improve their pagerank, their SEO, and their site visibility, among others.

New submissions are featured as new links -- this gives newcomers a little more visibility while they are still freshly submitted. Top links and popular links are also featured, although, honestly, I'm not quite sure what makes a "top link" different from a "popular link". There are also featured random links, so everybody gets the chance to be featured, even if they are smaller websites or blogs.

College University Attendance

I still remember my first day at University of Santo Tomas. I didn't have my school uniform yet at that time, so I went in using my everyday clothes. It turned out that there were no classes that day, since UST ALWAYS had mass the first day of school.

I didn't live too far from my school, it was a very convenient 2 jeepney ride to and from home, so I did not have to rent a dorm.

I learned more than academics. I had classmates from all walks of life and from different provinces. I was exposed to quite a different social climate from my high school. I found it so exciting!

I'll always have fond memories of college. Other people enjoyed high school more. For me, it's college that was more fun.

Shopping cart software for online entrepreneurs

If you are selling online, it is a must that you have the right "equipment" to do so, especially since you do not really have as many payment choices as those of brick and mortar stores wherein you could accept either cash, credit cards, debit cards or gift certificates. Online payment is a little more complicated, both from the seller's and buyer's points of view and involves a lot of blind faith and trust in the seller.

For online entrepreneurs, there is a new, easy shopping cart software that could be found online and which you can use for your online business. It's web based, so you do not need any installation. It helps you accept credit cards, it's affordable, easy to use and designs are fully customizable. It can also be used right away. If you have any sort of online business, you probably should look into this. They even offer a ten day free trial so that you can test it and see for yourself if it fits your needs -- they're that confident in their product!

"Karinyo Brutal" :)

I'm very happy that my son seems to prefer me over other people. We just had a "bonding session" this afternoon. I was feeling sleepy so I lay on the living room sofa while Ethan lay on top of me. It was that way for over an hour. When he thought that I was already sleeping, he was just content to put his his head on my chest. So sweet!

However, when he knew I was awake, he proceeded to shower with his brand of affection -- wet kisses on my cheeks...and BITES! Yikes! He already has a full set of teeth an his bites HURT and leave marks! I have 2 marks now -- one on my cheek and another on my tummy (he bit through my shirt).

I know he only does it to people he loves, but I really wish he won't do that. Any suggestions to get him to stop?

Review of products to prevent stretch marks

Pregnancy is such a life changing event! Becoming a mother is one of the life events that I have looked forward to. And pregnancy is a time of pure joy despite all the discomfort that came with it. Almost all discomforts of pregnancy are temporary anyway, and there is nothing that could match the pure happiness that a mother feels when her child is finally born.

However, one undesirable and permanent part of pregnancy is the appearance of stretch marks. A lot of moms I know would give anything to be able to look for an effective, reliable and safe way to prevent stretch marks. There are stretch mark creams in the market that promise to prevent or lessen the appearance of stretch marks, but they don't always work as promised.

Divas Skincare Blog reviews the performance of four products for stretch marks. Revitol stretch mark cream came up on top in her study. It contains 100% natural ingredients such as squalene oil, vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin D3 as well as aloe vera and grapefruit seed extracts, which claims to increase elasticity of the skin. It does not require a prescription.

This certainly looks promising. There is nothing to lose by trying since it does not contain anything harmful anyway.

I act like a 29 year old

Tagged by Utah Mommy. This is cute :)

You Act Like You Are 29 Years Old

You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel like an adult, and you're optimistic about life. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. You're still figuring out your place in the world and how you want your life to shape up. The world is full of possibilities, and you can't wait to explore many of them.

What Age Do You Act?

Since I'm already 37, I guess you could say I'm young at heart! :D

I'm tagging Prettylifeonline, Scotty's Princess, Texas Sweetie and Sexymom. :)

Another survey on movies outside the movie theater

Linky Love

I got these from both Peachy and Jane :). Thanks, girls! I tried to use all the links! I hope this will help you :)

Cut and paste the following starting here.

I have randomly selected 5 of you below to be tagged and I hope that you will similarly publish this post in your blog. You will have to tag 5 other bloggers and just keep adding on to the list. (Do not replace, just keep on adding! Yes we hope it will be a long list!)
It’s real easy! Tag others and see your Technorati Authority increase exponentially! The benefits of Viral Linking:
- One of the fastest ways to see your technorati authority explode!
- Increase your Google PageRank fast
- Attract large volume of new traffic to your site
- Build your community
- Make new friends!

The Strategist Notebook Link Addiction Ardour of the Heart When Life Becomes a Book The Malaysian Life Yogatta.comWhat goes under the sun Roshidan’s Cyber Station Sasha says Arts of Physics And the legend lives My View, My Life A Simple Life Juliana RW The Callalily Space Petra Summer in Blue Confessions of an Army Wife Bless’ Sanctuary Happy Life Living @ Evergreen State La Place de Cherie, Chez Francine, Le bric a brac de Cherie, Little Peanut, Pea in a Pod, The Creative In Me, Me and Mine , Me and my Two Boys, My Life is Peachy , http://bless519.bravejournal.com/ Memories Frozen in Time My Joys My Charmed Life, The Working Mom, Online Raket, Practical Tips and More, Food Drink Atbp ADD YOURSELF HERE

I'm tagging Melisse, Norm, Vina, Mari and Teebob.

Valentine's Day, the practical way

Are you ready for Valentine's Day? Being a practical person, I would rather buy my loved ones something they could use, rather than spend it on an expensive dinner date in a crowded restaurant with other couples celebrating Valentine's Day.

My husband has been trying to look for a nice watch for the longest time. I can get him a nice Omega watch at World of Watches for 100 dollars off! I'm sure he'll be very happy with my choice.

I also found some very cute shirts for my toddler at The Children's Place. He'll surely look even cuter in his new clothes!

There are other great deals from Coupon Chief. I'm sure you'll have fun shopping especially with the great discounts that you'll get from the site.

Forever Friends and Spreader of Love Awards

Got these awards from Jhona. I'm very flattered! Thanks!

Update: Yvelle also gave me the above award. I am very flattered that you think of me as a friend!

I'm passing these to my lovely friends Jenny, Kelly, Leah and Lorie.

Feeling lucky?

I'm not really a gambler, but I sometimes try a little bit of blackjack or video poker for fun. I had a trip to Las Vegas a few years back, and what's a Las Vegas trip without a little bit of gambling, even if it's just the slot machine?

Now, short of going to Las Vegas to gamble, you can actually do it online. There are so many online casino websites out there. I am personally very wary of risking my hard earned money in sites which might turn out to be scams.

The fast way to know which of them are genuine and which offer the best deal is to visit pro360.com. Here, you see a good list of different online casinos. These are rated by the editor and the people who actually gamble at these sites. They also show which sites welcome US players. Even the amounts of bonuses offered by each site as incentive are also noted here, as well as a full review.

This would make it simple for you on the days that you're just feeling very lucky.

Another college application survey

This is a follow up to the previous surveys here.

Have fun remembering your college days!

Easy tuna spread

This is one of my favorite recipes, because it's VERY easy, versatile and delicious!

There are only 2 basic ingredients:

1 180 gm can of tuna
1 160 gm can of heavy cream

Basic Instructions:

1. Drain the tuna. If the tuna is in an oil base, you can reserve the oil to be used for sauteeing.

2. If you have the oil from the tuna, you can saute the tuna in the oil first. You can add garlic to the oil before sauteing the tuna if you prefer the taste and aroma of garlic. How much depends on your taste for garlic.

If you prefer less oil, you don't have to saute the tuna. Just put it in the wok or pan.

3. Add the cream.

4. Heat through, mixing all the while. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. When the cream starts to bubble, you can turn off the heat and serve!

You can use this as a sandwich spread or a pasta sauce.

Variations:
This is a very versatile recipe and can be subject to your own experimentation
You can use the "hot and spicy" variety of tuna if you prefer it hot.
You can also add curry for a different twist.
You can also add sliced button mushrooms, peas, or asparagus.

Do feel free to comment on this recipe!

Reviews of cash advance and payday loans

Strapped for cash? Need cash for some emergency? A hard to miss opportunity to buy something you like?

And…horrors, the money that you got from your last paycheck has just run out? There are just some things that cannot wait, and you will need additional cash NOW!

If you need to avail of some quick, emergency cash before your next payday rolls in, the so called cash advance or payday loan may be the right thing for you. However, with the numerous loan companies out there, how would you know which company would be the best one for you? Try looking up trustsource. Their site features different companies who offer payday loans. These companies are ranked by people who have actually availed of their services. There is also a short overview regarding their features and unique selling points as well as reviews by their satisfied customers. This is a good site to research on which company offers the loan that would suit your current needs the most.

If you have not availed of any payday loan or cash advance before, how would you know which company is reliable? The best gauge of the quality of their services is the number of satisfied customers that they had and their testimonials. Word of mouth is the most reliable way of looking for the most reliable company. And trustsource certainly provides you with that.

Marketing with text messages -- what is your opinion?

We Filipinos are very fond of text messaging since for us it is a relatively cheap way to keep in touch. Everywhere you look, there would be people holding a phone composing a message or reading one.

What do you feel about ads in text messages? Here's a survey:

Movies Outside the Movie Theater -- Another Survey

There are a gazillion movies released each year and we just can't see all of them in a theater, but fortunately they are many outlets for after the movie theater run.

Surveys about investing and transfer of wealth

Invest, Save, Spend ... Who Knows?

We get income and it seems to go to someone really fast. Do we have savings or investment goals, like paying to send a child to school, buying a house, a car, an iPhone, a new wardrobe, funding a wedding, a vacation, etc.? Do the goals keep us on track or are they just like well intentioned New Year resolutions?



Transfer of Wealth - Baby Boomers to their Children

Baby Boomers are becoming the old farts and eventually their wills must be executed -- face it folks, it's Mother Nature at work. Regardless of your generation, children may benefit as a transfer of wealth takes place.

And let's be clear about the purpose of this survey ... it's a survey, no one is going to contact you or sell you something because of your answers ...

I am frustrated! I need a little more patience....

My son has been successfully pooping in the toilet whenever we catch him with his "poo" look but he's sneaky about it. He'd rather just do his business in his diapers.

A while ago, I caught him with his "poo" expression and brought him to the toilet, pulled down his shorts and soiled diapers. While seated, he peed but after that he wanted to be let up so I thought that was it. I washed his bum with soap and water, dried it with a towel and put a fresh diaper on him. All ok...or so I thought!

Next thing I knew, he was pooing again in the fresh diaper I put him in!

Aaaahhhhh!!! The worse thing is, he does this mostly to ME! I don't know why. With his papa, he finishes his business with pooing in the toilet before being washed, and doesn't poo after. This isn't the first time it's occurred to me.

The terrible twos! It's just a stage....it's just a stage....it's just a stage...

Software for setting up an online business

I don't know if you're aware of it, but I am currently doing a small time online business. However, since my business can only accept cash on delivery, GCash and bank deposits here in the Philippines, it's very difficult for me to expand internationally since I have to have a way to accept payment from other countries.

Since I'm exploring the possibility of expanding my micro online business, the ecommerce software offered by Ashop seems to be very convenient for aspiring online entrepreneurs. It’s like an all-in-one package for online store setup which is made easier for even people who are not familiar with setting up a web business. They have fully customizable themes, inventory control, integration of real time shipping records and lots more. Their secure shopping cart software is integrated with all major banks, gateways and third party processors including PayPal.

This would make expanding to the international market so much easier!

My blog got accepted at Smorty!

My blog finally got accepted at Smorty! If you're not aware of this site, it is a site that pays bloggers like us to blog, and advertisers to create buzz for their products and services through blog advertising. It is a great way to monetize your blog. If you haven't gotten on board, do try them out!

Why am I excited about my blog getting accepted? You see, not just any blog can be accepted. You have to fulfill some minimum requirements in order that your blog will be considered to accept assignments. Being accepted means that my blog has reached an acceptable level for them, which is quite positive for me. However, if you do not get accepted at the first try, you are told the reasons why and your blog can be resubmitted once the missing requirements are fulfilled.

Another reason why I'm really excited is that this is another income stream for me! Hurray!

If you have a blog, I urge you to try them out!

News from The Working Mom

I'm a little behind today on my blog hops because I am a little busy (but I'm REALLY trying to do it a little at a time :) ). I have exams coming up (I'm taking up Master's classes) and I really NEED to cram right now! Also, my little boy has a little cough and demands just a little more TLC, so I'm having a hard time just finding free time.

I'm launching 2 more new blogs! 1 is a food blog, and the other is a practical tips blog. I also have a health blog, but I'm still determining what topic I should put there next. Maybe anybody would give suggestions?

And yeah! Not to forget my onlineraket blog! I'm trying to maximize my time here on the net, and that blog contains programs I'm in right now. I'm planning to put there proofs of payment pics so you'll know which of them are the ones which really pay.

And last but not least, I'm still collecting votes for Filipino Blog of the week! If you believe my blog has been an interesting read, do vote for me here :). I'd really appreciate it.

Pay per Play and monetize your site

If you have a blog or a website and are looking to make more money out of it, here's Net Audio Ads, a new and exciting opportunity! What's great about this is that you earn from every visitor that comes to your site! Isn't that great? EVERY VISITOR! Not just visitors who click on your ads!

How does this work? Every visitor to your website or blog hears a five second audio advertisement. This is a way for advertisers to reach their an end audience classified according to their geographic location, demographics and specific interests.

The good news for blogsite and website owners like us is that there is currently a generous affiliate program in place, but this is a limited time offer! It will continue only up to February 1, 2008. After February 1, 2008, the program converts to a "Host Only" model, meaning you will only make revenue from the ads placed on your own site. ANY SITE THAT SIGNS UP NOW FOR THE AFFILIATE PROGRAM CAN CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE & SHARE IN AFFILIATE REVENUE AFTER FEBRUARY 1, 2008. It's imperative for any site owner wanting to maximize revenue by way of NetAudioAds consider registering for the FREE Affiliate program before February 1, 2008.

Interesting!

Empanada at Century

My mother's friend sent over a few of these chicken empanadas. The box states that they were from Deli Snack in the Century Hotel over at P. Ocampo Street.

They were delicious! Tasty, A LOT of chicken meat, flaky shell and just the right size for a light meal or a snack.

The true test came when I microwaved it after putting it in the ref (I like my empanadas warm). They are still delicious, although the crust has been "softened" by the nuking.

I'll give it a 10 out of a possible 10.

Sorry don't know how much it is since it was a gift.

College-University: Application Surveys

I remember when I applied for college. It was more than 20 years ago already (eek!) and my choices were University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas because they had the most well known medical schools here in the Philippines.

I got accepted in both but ended up studying in UST because the course I picked seemed to be more advantageous for further medical studies (Medical Technology). Once in a while, I get the feeling that "what if" I had entered UP instead?

No regrets though. I enjoyed my stay at UST. I also went on to Medicine after I graduated from my undergraduate course.

Now, I am ALSO a UP student. For my Master's, I'm taking a distance learning course at the UP Open University.

I will soon be sending my son to small school, later to big school. Eventually, he'll also go to college. I shudder to think how expensive education would be! But, as good parents, we have the responsibility of ensuring our children get a good education.

The following is a survey on higher education from Dneero.

I'm nominated for Filipino blog of the week!

This weekend has been especially exciting for The Working Mom. I got into the front page of TopMomma -- although it's only been for 1 day. I've also started other new exciting blogs, which I will announce as soon as they are up and running.

Another exciting -- and totally unexpected news is -- I got nominated for the Filipino Blog of the Week at http://salaswildthoughts.blogspot.com ! I do not exactly know how I got in, but knowing that somebody felt that my blog was good enough to be nominated is a big honor for me!

For my readers out there (now I know I have readers - GRIN), please do vote for me here. I'd really appreciate it a lot!

US Presidential Politics 2008 - Take Another Look

In both parties the candidates are recalibrating their strategies after the results in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Follow up to previous surveys here.



The election of the next U.S. President is in November 2008. The primaries are beginning and that will determine the two candidates that will compete for the highest position in the U.S. government. U.S. voters are battling with many issues. Let's talk about the issues.

I only lasted 1 day at Topmomma :(

Remember when I was so excited about being on the front page of TopMomma? Well, I lasted only 1 day, but I'm going to try again!

Payday Loans and Cash Advances

What happens when you're between paydays, you run out of money and you run into an emergency or you need cash badly to tide you over until the next payday? Just because it never happened to you before does not mean that it won’t ever happen to you. It is better to always be prepared for any emergency.

The solution for the above scenario is payday loans. However, not all services offering payday loans and cash advances are created equal. They each have different requirements. Their quality of services is also different, some being better than others. And, what do their previous clients have to say about them? Don’t you wish there would be some way for you to make a comparative study about the different available services without taking too much of your time?

Before you take out that payday loan, do look up http://trustsouce.org. They contain different products with descriptions, reviews and rankings from people who have already used the products you are interested in. This includes the aforementioned payday loans. It takes a lot of the guesswork out to just look at other people’s reviews. And these reviews being from real persons and real clients, it saves you time from going around asking relatives, friends and acquaintances who may or may not have experiences with the products that you are interested in, also saving you a lot of time.

I'm Top Momma!

I still have lots of other things to catch up on this blog, but I'm very excited about being notified that I landed on the front page of topmomma!

I even have a badge to prove it!

So what's so cool about this? Just click on the badge to find out!

20 Qs

This tag was handed over to me by Pia and Toni. Thanks to both of you! Some of your questions are already different. I used Pia's version coz I got her tag first :).

Here are the rules:

1. Remove 1 question from below, and replace it with your own personal question.
2. Make it a total of 20 questions.
3. Then tag 8 people, list them at the end of this post.
4. Notify them in their chat box that they have been tagged.


20 Personal Questions Meme

1.) At what age do you wish to marry?

I didn't really have a definite age in mind. I just wanted to marry if and when I meet the right guy and I've finished with my studies.

2.) What color do you like most?

Red!

3.) If you have the chance, what would you probably say to your beloved one?

I love you! I try to say that every chance I get!

4.) Where is the place that you want to visit the most?

China

5.) Which part of you do you hate the most?

My tummy :(

6.) When you encounter a sad moment, what do you do?

Sit down and think, pray.

7.) What are you afraid to lose the most?

family.

8.) If you win $1 million, what would you do?

Pay off my debts, buy a house and a thriving business ( like a Jollibee franchise), get my son the best education possible, give some money to my mother and put a large part of it in investments.

9.) What is your ultimate goal in life?

To be able to live a happy, fulfilling life and to give my child/ren a good head start in life.

10.) . which one would you choose? half empty or half full?

Half full. It's more optimistic.

11.) What qualities do you wish your other half to have?

I'm happy with the way he is right now. A person is the totality of his strengths and faults, I like his strengths and I can live with his faults.

12.) What do you regret the most in life?

I can't really think of any. My life now is the result of past decisions, and it's okay, so far.

13.) Which type of person do you hate the most?

Anybody who does something morally wrong for no reason at all.

14.) What is your ambition in life?
I wanted to be a doctor. I fulfilled that coz now I'm a practicing ophthalmologist.

15.) What do you want most for your children?

They grow up healthy, happy, educated, with a good moral backbone.

16.) Christmas came. Did you celebrate it with the people you wanted the most?

Yes :)

17.) What brand of toothbrush do you use?

Oral-b

18.) Name one of your body parts your partner tells you they adore.

He's not too expressive about this...I guess legs?

19.) It would be 2008 in a few days, do you have a New Year’s resolution?

It already passed :). I didn't!

20.) If your better half is cheating on you, will you forgive them?

I believe in my heart I eventually will. But that doesn't mean that he's off the hook! :)

Now am passing this tag to my new blog friends Byotipol, Bregie, Idealpinkrose, Keep on Going, NickZ, Sasha, Sexymom and Teebob. I hope you haven't done this yet :)

My Planner for 2008

I've always used planners, but being the frugal person that I am (a.k.a. "frugal", "kuripot", thrifty, take your pick!), I do not see the need to buy a planner when so many companies give these out as their corporate giveaways every Christmas season.

I liked Starbucks and Belle du Jour planners but I am hesitant to spend for them.

Since I have insurance policies with Sunlife, I asked my agent if they have planners this year. I have always been happy with their planners even if they look really "corporate". It serves its purpose anyway of recording my appointments and the patients I saw.

This year, however, the Sunlife planner was really very nice! They've completely changed the design and it has become more of a work of art. :)

How is it different from the usual planner?

Sunlife planners always have a leatherette cover with space for a business card (my agent put his card there), and this year it was no exception. There's also a pen holder. It's a pity they don't have the strip of leatherette which could be used as a bookmark. 2 years ago, their planner had that, but they didn't have that anymore for 2007 and 2008.

The extras:
- Every month there's a featured photograph from their amateur photo enthusiasts with a pithy saying. There are also nice looking calenders for the month.
- There's a detachable Mother's Day card beside the date for Mother's Day, with a detachable envelope. I thought that was a nice touch. At least if you forgot the date and flipped to that page, you at least have a card to give to mom.
- There's a card for a travel accident insurance which you have to text in to activate. At least that's what I think it looks like. I couldn't be sure, though. The card is still in the plastic and since I'm not travelling yet, I'm not gonna detach and open it yet.
- There's a VIP pass for a Free Financial Seminar, good for September and October. It's attached just before September.
- There's also a detachable Christmas card.
- The last page features the names of the members of their amateur photo club. What a nice way to give these people recognition for their talent.

If you want a nice looking planning without drowning in coffee or shelling out money AND you happen to be Sunlife client, why not try to ask your agent if he has planners he could give you? :) Do remember, though, not to force your agent -- he/she has to spend for the planner he/she gives you...I really do not know how much it cost my agent, but I'm so glad he gave this to me.

The Best: TV, Tech, Holiday, Sports Event

A brief survey to get you thinking about the good things in your life.

Another Inspiration

Got this very cute friendship award from Lorie. Thank you so much sis! This is very appreciated! :) And you're right, it's possible to make friends even if you don't see each other personally.

I'd like to pass this tag to Gracie, wersp, Meng, Mhay and Peachy.

Bloggers of the World

I snagged this from Keep on Going! :)

Whoever starts this one, I salute you for doing this very difficult job.

For those who would like to grab this, feel free to do so, but make sure you post it in the same way, no ripping, no cutting. Let's respect the person who made this.

0-Cotojo 1-Lisa , 2-Kim,3-Deborah, 4-Pearl, 5-Sandy,6-Jesse, 7-Chris, 8- Colin 9-Santa, 10-Blog Elf, 11-Jackie,12-Marzie, 13-Adrian, 14-Jos,15-NAFA SG, 16-Paula, 17-Sue,18-KathyMaartje, 20-Morgan,21-Greg, 22-MaryAnn, 23-Eric,24-Hawk, 25-Carol, 26-Diane,27-Ev Nucci, 28-Surjit, 29-Kuanyin,30-Christy Z, 31-Sandee, 32-Robin,33-Hanna, 34-Maunie, 35-Kim,36-Bobby, 37-Billy, 38-David, 39-Jennifer,40-Aryst, 41-Winston, 42-Christy,43-LilyRuth, 44-Jess, 45-Rudy,46-Lynda, 47-Lili, 48-Sandy G,49-Ange, 50-BlackWyrm, 51-Vincent,52-Colin & Anne, 53-Blandly Urbane, 54-Marco,55-Mihaela Lica, 56-John C, 57-Aziz-sm,58-Ugyen, 59-Lansy, 60-Alex Badalic,61-Victors, 62-Nostalgia Manila, 63-Franco Yong,64-Herby, 65-Rubie, 66-Santaram & BVK,67-Jean-david, 68-Namgay, 69-Catherine,70-Yunita P, 71-Debbie Dolphin, 72-Lorimer Black,73-Dream Catcher, 74-Fred Plimley, 75-Anja Merret,76-Maria Lourdes, 77-Jon B, 78-Aayush,79-Denise, 80-Dharmendra P, 81-Brent D,82-Jerry & Daryl McCoy, 83-Brian B, 84-Calvin Innes,85-Pieter Marburn, 86-Jessica Field, 87-Taflas,88-Alex Sysoef, 89-Norie, 90-Justin Stanley,91-Ashish, 92-David Ledoux, 93-Thanate Tan,94-Kevin, 95-Etienne, 96-Gerbera,97-Christina, 98-Abhishek d, 99-Uprai,100-Texas_Jam, 101-Azmiel, 102-Daniel,103-Kristin B, 104-Luwis, 105-Adavait,106-Now Sourcing, 107-Buen Amigo, 108-Kiran Pande,109-Peterson Wong, 110-Lynn, 111-Chessnoid,112-Luis Hipolito, 113-Joliveira, 114-Jennifer & Pete,115-Team Dog, 116-Megan, 117-Mark,118-Raivyn, 119-Mel, 120-Andrea,121-Jen / domestika, 122-Mimi, 123-Bobo,124-Lynda Lehmann, 125-Dread Bob, 126-Julie,127-RennyBA, 128-Bobbarama, 129-Becky,130-Magdalena, 131-Michelle, 132-Stacie,133-Climate of Our Future Team, 134-CashMarble, 135-OilOffShoreMarine,136-Jos Additional BlogLove, 137-Piper,Barbara,139-Ann Clemmons, 140-Deb, 141-madang.com,142-RamblingMoo.com, 143-blogginginmypyjamas, 144-StylewithPassion,145-Chinneeq, 146-Dora-zooropazoo, 147-Babyshern,148-HiPnCooLMoMMa 149-Rachel’s Soulful Thoughts 150-When Silence Speaks,151-Dancing in Midlife Tune, 152-Underneath it All, 153- I am Dzoi,154-Hobbies and Such, 155-moms…..check nyo, 156-Choc Mint Girl,157-Amel’s Realm, 158- My Thoughts, 159-Rusin Roundup,160-Juliana’s Site, 161-Max, 162-Rooms of My Heart,163-A Great Pleasure, 164-LadyJava’s Lounge, 165-Jesie,166-Steven, 167-Trinity, 168-Leena,169-Nick, 170-Nessa, 171-Debbie Dolphin,172- Anna t, 173-krrey_boo, 174-Logic,175-Steve Ho, 176-Virtual Entrepreneur, 177-WalksFarWoman,178-Anna, Beth & Cory’s Mom, 179-Toon, 180-Belinda181-EPSpeaks, 182-Teacher Julie 183-jafajfer,184-pmonchet, 185-Aslan, 186-arouetvoltaire ,187-Tanny, 188-Il vaso di Pandora, 189-Non Lineare,190-Omniamundamundis, 191-LineaNeuronica, 192-Semplicemente Lisa193-la penna che graffia 194-Angelbaby, 195-Divya,196-Cyn, 197-Donna, 198-Liudmila,199-djeblog, 200-Gracie Belle, 201-Reverend Ray,202-Walter Winstuff, 203-Denny, 204-Terry (mee mOe),205-awannabe, 206-Z.S., 207-Il Gnagnera,208-Kevin Grieves, 209-DatCurious, 210-DatMoney,211-Sanni, 212-Rolando’s Quiet Space, 213-SatoNa ,214-Levian , 215-21Knots, 216-PuTLie,217-Riciard’s, 218-Darlene, 219-Rantings of a Woman,220-La Place de Cherie , 221-Enjoying The Ride, 222-A Window To Our World,223-Juliana, 224-Retchel’s Pure Life, 225-We Are Family,226-Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, 227-Echoes of Life, 228-My 3 Boys and I,229-Mammagatta, 230-Juliana’s Lair, 231-Bless Sanctuary,232-Confessions of An Army Wife , 233-Jean’s my So-called Life, 234-So cute tiny pixels,235-Denz Techtronics Blog, 236-Wanna Be On Top!, 237-Carpe Diem,238-My so-called Life, 239-TEEBOB, 240-Kikay,241-Alaverde33, 242-CC’s Lifestyles and Reviews, 243-Pinay’s Lifestyles,244-Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, 245-The Creativity Of Me, 246-OzLife247-Scattered Thoughts of Mine, 248-Another Journal of Mine, 249-My Drama,250-By The Way, 251-Paul, Toni and Lance - Bridging the Distance, 252-Live Love Pink,253-In The Lance’s Mind, 254-My Life, 255-Rants and Ramblings,256-WorldBlog, 257-Our Journey to Life, 258-Simply the best,259-Paul and Toni, 260-Alpha’s Blog, 261-because life is fun,262-The Simple Life of a Baghag, 263-Rose DesRochers, 264-Sweet Lullaby, 265-AnitoKid, 266- Lisa WAHM, 267-Ben Spark268-Kesa, 269-Mauro, 270-Sindi271-Alianorah, 272-Jennie, 273-CTN,274-Jeremy, 275-Polliwog’s Pond, 276-Yvette,277-Ali (DorisDay), 278-Rodney, 279-Alice,280- WBAustin, 281-Max, 282-Rodney283-Karen, 284-Michelle, 285-Stacy286-SvenMarin, 287-CoolingStar9, 288-Billy Jack,289-bbrian, 290-Cris Zimermann, 291-Franx,292-Ramil, 293-JaniceNW, 294-Cathrina Jones295-Bels, 296-Raman, 297-Jeques,298-NPSG, 299-Anndi, 300-Georganna,301-Jeane Michelle Culp, 302-Sam Chan, 303 Imagination 304-Kumowai 305. Keep 306.Feel 307.Sail 308. The Working Mom 309. OnlineRaket 310. Family Health Tips

From Jane

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
I guess paid blogging counts. Although I'm only a newbie in this.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't really have a set of new year's resolutions and I didn't make one for 2008 either.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, 4 friends, as far as I can remember.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes, my ninong from my wedding :(

5. What countries did you visit?
I'm afraid I didn't go out of the country this year.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
Another child. And more income.

7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
My happy family. Also the fact that I have patients who stick with me through the years.

8. What was your biggest failure?
I can't really think of any....

9. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I had hydatidiform mole. More on this here and here.

10. What was the best thing you bought?
A few blouses which I bought at the tiangge and looked good on me :)

11. Where did most of your money go?
Bills! Groceries, mostly toddler stuff...

12. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My pregnancy! Only it turned out to be H.mole.

13. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier.
b) thinner or fatter? I’m fatter. :D
c) richer or poorer? Richer definitely! (in all aspects)

14. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Relax.

15. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying.

16. What was the best book you read?
I don't really have a favorite and I haven't really bought that many books this year. I wish I could, but I'm busier than I was before.

17. What did you want and get?
My son's overall good health :).

18. What did you want and not get?
A baby :(

19. What kept you sane?
My family and my profession.

20. Who did you miss?
I still miss my dad, even if he's been gone 7 years.

Anybody's free to to snag this! It's fun!

Exercise your right

Or is it Exercise, You're Right ... regardless, let's talk about how we stay in shape, and couch potato is not a fitness methodology. It's exercise for the sake of health and well-being.

Survey about the Golden Globes -- Movies and TV

Let's look at the popular movie categories ... it''s that rare time of year when comedies and musicals are guaranteed to get the love with their very own awards categories.



Let''s look at the popular TV categories ... handicapping the TV portion of the Golden Globes is a little like predicting the path of a tornado.

Yaya's not coming back....

Remember when I blogged about my son's yaya's taking a vacation leave in this post?

Well, yaya called up today and said that she won't be coming back because of issues within her family.

So far, we've been yayaless since December 24 and we've survived. It was difficult at the beginning but we got used to it already. Since it was the Christmas season, we were home most of the time anyway, so we were able to take care of our son. We have been hands on naman ever since, with yaya as a secondary caregiver, but we've generally given the tedious tasks to her. Also, having a yaya does free a lot of time off our hands so we can do other stuff, like work! :D With yaya gone, it was a little difficult to insert the things I usually do, like blogging for instance! So if I'm remiss with my bloghops, you know the reason. :) There are also other people in the house/s willing to assist with taking of my son whenever we need to something, like my mother, my mother-in-law, brother, the maids in my mom's house, so it was not as difficult as I expected initially.

And, it's been actually enjoyable :) although quite challenging to juggle work and childcare!

Now that we've survived 2 weeks without a yaya, we can say that we're still okay :). But, we still have to look for another one since we do have to work, albeit, part time. There's a yaya applicant I'm interviewing on Monday, she's a referral of my mom's cook. I hope she'll be okay and my toddler will like him.