4 Health Behaviors Can Add 14 Extra Years Of Life is a title of a post I read on this page, http://biosingularity.wordpress.com/2008/01/08/4-health-behaviors-can-add-14-extra-years-of-life/
which I believe is a blog about healthy living.
It states that “people who adopt four healthy behaviours – not smoking; taking exercise; moderate alcohol intake; and eating five servings of fruit and vegetables a day – live on average an additional fourteen years of life compared with people who adopt none of these behaviours, according to a study published in the open access journal PLoS Medicine.”
I do agree with the claim, however it is something that does not apply to everyone as there is one important factor that prevents people living this way… POVERTY.
If you are poor you can not be choosy of what to eat, you eat what you can either FIND, what is AVAILABLE or can AFFORD.
Exercise? Yes… that is possible, if people have any extra time for it, if they can squeeze it into their day, aside from maybe holding 2 to 3 odd jobs just to survive.
In most impoverished countries, people take to vices such as smoking and drinking as their reprieve on the realities of their existence, these are the simple pleasures that they can afford (and in many cases they actually cannot afford it but indulge in it still) In 3rd world countries cigarette and liquor companies know this and capitalize on it by churning out very cheap cigarettes and very cheap booze that gets you buzzed quickly. In some cultures, social drinking actually means a group of people, pitching in to afford cheap liquor, pass around one glass with equal amounts of alcohol (in the spirit of camaraderie and fair sharing?), and each taking a shot when their turn comes.
So, yes I agree these would work, given that you are a person who can afford it… and unaffected by societal and cultural influences, that prevail in the area, city, country where a person lives.
The fuck video
gives new meaning to the word, “fuck” … go view.
What, you thought this was a sex tape or something?
Watch this Sarah Palin Movie Trailer… funny as hell, regardless which side your on. What everyone needs is a little humor, especially these days when there seems to be hardly any good news..and the Vice Presidential debate coming up later.
Here’s what other people are blogging about Sarah Palin.
Sarah Palin is the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party for Vice President of the United States in the 2008 presidential election. Yesterday, someone close to Palin made a whole bunch of edits to her Wikipedia entry making it a little more palatable for the centrists. Read More.
Chuck Norris, the Man himself, has deigned to give an approving fist pump to us as chroniclers of the Little Known Facts about Sarah Palin. He cites his personal favorites as follows. Read More.
The video of Sarah Palin (then: Sarah Heath) in the swimsuit competition of the 1984 Miss Alaska pageant is making the rounds. Read More .
New year’s Resolutions are basically lists of things we want to do, better in the next year. On that note I have updated a few of my personal development blogs, that are centered around leadership, leadership training and development.
My most significant leadership training experiences were those that I learned from being a member of Junior Chamber International, A Worldwide Federation of Young Leaders and Entrepreneurs.
I started out as a member of a local chapter, then eventually pursued training as a calling. As a trainer, I traveled to different cities and countries to conduct workshops and seminars for other JCI chapters and members. Eventually the highest position I ever attained was of National Executive Vice President for the country, JCI Philippines.
It is very different when in a position of leadership in a voluntary organization, that when leading in the corporate setting, which I have also done so. The lessons you learn in a voluntary organization are priceless, and if you are able to master these leadership skills and put them into use in the corporate setting or even if your personal life, you will not just be a very effective leader, but an effective person and human being.
So why is it easier to be in a position of leadership in the office?
Well, to begin with, people at work, people who are your subordinates will simply do what you ask them to do for any of the following reasons: because it is probably their job description; they are getting paid to do what you ask them to, and finally… simply because you are their superior and it is part of their job to simply follow your orders.
In a voluntary organization, you are working with people who are: not paid employees, not your employees, and certainly are people who in their own right have had some measure of success that you cannot simply boss them around. How do you get volunteers, people who just like you volunteer your time and energy, to work for something?
Here is another question, how do you make people work hard for something without getting paid?
This is where true leadership skills are mastered, in motivating people to work for a goal, above and beyond what is probably simply expected of them; to make them believe in something and strive towards it even in the absence of pay or financial remuneration.
Here are two leadership training blogs to check out.
My back is killing me. That’s what you get for sitting in front of the PC at about 14-16 hours a day… I was thinking some pilates back exercises would help… but wait a sec… I know what you’re thinking.. my social life is non existent… I’m now a certified computer geek! Wrong.. I do have a little “social” interaction going on other than virtual interaction. I must saying being online for long hours does get you a little introverted. I actually can’t believe that I spend that much time on my computer. My broadband internet connection is pretty fast causing me to ignore time whenever I sit front of my PC.
Anyways, fact is I haven’t been getting much exercise anyway and I haven’t been out on any trip recently… and haven’t done anything new lately… yeah been total loser lately.
So I thought maybe getting into Pilates would be something worth exploring, ok maybe not really serious into but starting with pilates back exercises because they are killing me.
I wouldn’t have a problem, I just met a guy who teaches Pilates… Cool!
But what is Pilates? Ok, time to dig up some facts.
What is Pilates?
Pilates has actually been around for a long time now, but it was only ’til recently that a lot of people have started getting an interest in it and getting into it.
“It is a low-impact form of exercise that focuses on spinal range of motion, abdominal and back strengthening, flexibility, and breathing patterns. For a variety of reasons Pilates has become an exercise program recommended by many healthcare professionals for those with certain spine conditions, as well as for the prevention and wellness benefits it offers.” Source for that is http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article2700.html.
Pilates is a total body exercise program that focuses on 6 basic principles: concentration, control, centering, fluidity, precision, and breathing. Now most people think that they can exercise and build up a sweat with a lot of physical exertion… yo have got to try pilates… taking things slower is actually much more difficult.
Pilates exercises revolve around the spine and flexibility in what they call all lpanes of motion… and pilates practitioners should pay close attention to their own postural or range of motion limitations so they can get the most out of each exercise.
Looks like I found something for my back, the question is how do I actually get started.. well I could talk to KT about it since she is so into it… or maybe talk to Arnel who is a pilates instructor who’s back from his stint in Singapore… or maybe enroll for some programs in pilates cebu style! Hehehehe… pilates cebu style? Whatever that means, I just made that up. would that mean doing pilates exercises just sitting comfortably?
Anyways, maybe it will work for my back… but how to get started really is the big question.
Ok, it might be a little too late to sing our praises about WordPress since almost everybody says all good things about WordPress, but let me give you one great example… of one bad situation that got solved.
For the longest time my domain name main page simply displayed a default under construction page, which basically diverted traffic to all my other sub-domains which are topic or theme specific.
To the uninitiated let me bring you up to speed a bit, in my own words, your domain is your site’s name or address on the web, like now you are currently on www.roysencio.com; that is a domain name. A sub-domain is a more specific address within your domain name, like say internetmarketing.roysencio.com, which is still part of roysencio.com yet is created to focus on a specific topic or field.
A subdomain is also defined as in internet terminology, a subdomain is a domain that is part of a larger domain. for example subdomain.domain.com where domain.com would be the domain and subdomain.domain.com would be the subdomain. Often this is referred to as a “third level domain”. This definition of Subdomain contributed by Eric Blackwell. (source: www.realestatewebmasters.com)
So as I was saying, I finally had an idea what to put up on the main domain, and it was basically to build a main blog site that would link to all my other subdomains and to their specific themes of interest like music, marketing, movies and radio.
For a few days there was something wrong, I thought it was buggy, I could not post a blog, and I could not add categories either, so you can say I was getting very disappointed and frustrated and was even thinking that the program was corrupted.
I don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner, but finally… I decided to check the WordPress.Org site which is basically a huge forum / help desk where developers, programmers and users converge for whatever WordPress topics or issues there may be.
That’s where I found the answer, nothing wrong with WordPress, it was all about my browser setting, I had to tweak it… and to think I was about to uninstall and start from scratch. Had I done that I would probably be even be more frustrated because I’d be faced with the same dilemma.
So the thing is, if you come into a conundrum of sorts with your WordPress blog, there is a huge support community that can help you.
What more can I say… WordPress Rocks!
Finally!
My main blog on my main domain is finally up. It took a while to figure out some kinks in the system and I was starting to believe that there was something wrong with my WordPress installation, or something wrong with the program until I found that the problem lay with my browser.
I received this through email from a friend of mine, and it was an electronic copy of an article that appeared on the Manila Times site, June 12 (Independence Day) issue…. it is indeed quite a compelling article, and does make us wonder and think about the points the author puts forth.
But more than just actually taking into consideration the valid issues he presents, I think we should consider not only how we got to be this way, but look look forth and ask how we can improve the current situation and move forward.
I believe there is no perfect system, but perfect enough to for a certain need and to suit certain requirements and conditions and to serve perfectly the people that system serves.
In the same way, I am very liberal about religion; in the old days, one professed his faith by extolling his faith’s heroes and dogma, at the same time ridiculing the other faiths. I believe there is no perfect religion; religion was instituted by man’s need of faith and hope, to believe in something intangible and maybe not entirely understood… thus he just simply has faith. Religion is also a manifestation of our desire to make us better people. Thus, there is no such best religion, for the best religion is that which you practice that does make you a better person.
On that note, and before you go on to read the article, I believe there is a need for a change of systems if they are not working, regardless if they be drastic or transitional, peaceful or otherwise. In the end, if it achieves its end; and if that is what is the only recourse to achieve it, then so be it. If the government is not working as it should be, then it is not simply enough to change the government or the system is employs, because the system could also be the mere machine to achieve an end, and like any machine is still run by “people” who could still manipulate the machine to serve their own intentions.
So, what do we change? Do we replace our politicians with another set who all come from the same oligarchy and elite? Do we change our government system with another system which would still be flawed? Or do we simply change ourselves and collectively change the face of a nation?
Anyways, enough freewheeling thoughts… here is the article.
THE EVIL OF DYNASTIES
“Virtual Reality” column of Tony Lopez
Tue, June 12, 2007 Issue of The Manila Times
Just how bad dynasties are to the economy and the country can be gleaned from the amount of taxpayers’ money these people have access to.
Take the Senate. There will be siblings – Pia and Alan Cayetano. In addition,Alan’s wife, Laarni, took his old congressional seat from Taguig. There will probably be a father-and-son senator – Nene Pimentel and Koko Pimentel. The No.2 most popular senator, Chiz Escudero, has his father, Sonny, as congressman from Sorsogon, his son’s old turf. Ed Angara is senator; his son and namesake is a congressman.
A senator draws P200 million in pork barrel; a congressman, P70 million. Therefore, Pia, Alan and Laarni will rake in P470 million a year, or P1.4 billion in three years. Nene and Koko will have P400 million between themselves yearly, or P1.3 billion in three years. Chiz and Sonny will enjoy P270 million per year, or P810 million in three years, just like the Angara father-and-son tandem.
How much does the average poor make a day? A third of the 85 million population, or 25.5 million of the people of this country make less than $1 a day, or P365 (or P17,155) a year.
According to Ping Lacson, the P200-million pork barrel of a senator is just a starting figure. If a senator sponsors a Cabinet department during the budget hearings and sessions, he/she is given access to P350 million in the
line budget of that department. So P200 million plus P350 million, that’s P550 million.
What do the Filipino people get in return for electing these people? Very little, if any.
In the last 100 years since Filipinos began electing their representatives, the Philippines dege-nerated from being the No. 1 economy, trading and commercial power in Asia to No. 73 least compe-titive country in the world.
Today,the Philippines is less free than it was a century ago. Did you know that the Philippines used to be Asia’s industrial power?
As late as the 19th century, the Philippines was already one of Asia’s premier industrialized countries and was the center of culture and education. The country was producing iron-ore sheets, refined iron ore, liquor from
molasses using then unheard-of boilers, fine textiles for export, and was using steam engines and steamships. It established the first bank in Asia, made the first typhoon forecast in Asia, and set up the first European-style
universities in Asia.
Manila had a street car system, just like San Francisco; and had a ferrocarril line from the city to Dagupan in the north and from Manila to Batangas and Bicol in the south. By 1895, Manila had an electric light system. The first
taxi fleet, the first airline, the first modern newspapers, the first conglo-merate were established by Filipino tycoons. What happened after that?
During the last 100 years, Japan became a military power and the world’s No. 2 economic power next to the United States. During the last 50 years, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore became economic miracles. Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore became nation states (they used to be unknown islands while Filipinos were already conducting diplomatic relations with Europe and China). In fact, at one time, the Sultan of
Sulu was a frequent visitor in China because he liked it there. He stayed there for three months, but died of syphilis. The Chinese erected a monument in his honor.
In the last 30 years, the Philippines became the slowest growing economy per capita in Asia, bar none. During that time, Congress produced 15,000 laws and law schools 30,000 lawyers, half of whom are active. So two lawyers for every one law. Yet, the Philippines has a very poor human rights and economic rights record.
We got our priorities wrong. We gave the people the power to vote even before the people and those they elect learned how to govern properly, or at the very least, prepare or educate themselves to have a modicum of competency and honesty.
These days, people kill people just to be able to serve the people. People bribe people just to be able to serve the people. That is the meaning of a heated electoral contest. And of fraudulent elections.
Should our politicians be blamed for the nadir we have fallen into? I will say No if those families mentioned in the first part of this column will return their pork barrel and declare, “from now on, I will truly serve the
people.” C’mon, give the money to the 12-million school-age children who are out of school because of extreme poverty. You don’t deserve so much money. You didn’t earn it.
Today is the 31st of October and as I sit at PC on this Wednesday afternoon, almost everyone I know is either on the way to enjoy a 5 day vacation, or doing financial errands like rushing to the bank and paying bills, as I did some minutes ago. No banks wil be open for the rest of the week.
This is often the case around this time of year, but its not because of Halloween tonight but because of two consecutive holidays, Nov 1 and Nov 1, All Saints and All Souls Days, respectively. A time most Filipinos spend in remembrance of relatives who have gone, and this is especially evident at cemeteries where otherwise somber surroundings were brightly lit, full of people and if not for the location, you would suspect it to be a fiesta. This is a widely celebrated tradition in the Philippines, though there are many who also take this opportunity to get some R&R like my friends did.
Which brings me to answer, if you are, wondering why I am left behind; and all I can say is I have tons of work to do, and these are projects which operate on a different schedule. I have current projects and work tasks with clients in the US, so I am pretty much on American time now… and there is not holiday this time of year in that side of the earth.
Just some days ago I made a post on my Internet Marketing blog and talked about multiple streams of income, and how to find out which of your income sources and the things you do to make a living, are aptly compensating you. Which are working, which are not; which are worth your while and which are wasting your time. I will not get into that, as I blogged already about that on the other blog, you may visit it if you wish.
About a few days ago I had exchanged emails with an existing client based in the US, the gist of which got me thinking and which connected to my multiple streams of income post on the Internet Marketing blog.
I make my living primarily as a marketing and advertising consultant, and have a firm which produces radio ads and tv ads; does design and develops websites. All these are used as tools in marketing. It is a highly specialized service that takes a lot of time, effort, and if I may mention, a right amount of patience a liberal dose of creativity. What we do requires us to possess certain skill sets that are honed and developed over time and experience.
Sometimes, there are clients that do not know what they want…. these are the ones, who want several selections of work output in order to choose one, out of say… 8 or 9 maybe. They could say, they would know what they are looking for when they see it; and as service providers more often we acquiesce lest we lost the account to a more accommodating competitor.
What came to mind is, we allocate resources, personnel, their time and their skills to pour work into a dozen results only for one of those results to be chosen, accepted and paid for. I think it ridiculous.
It’s like going to a restaurant, you order almost everything on the menu because you want to find the one dish that is the best… after tasing all the dishes laid out in front, you eat the one dish that you identified to be the best… then at the end of your meal you only pay for the dish that you liked. Down right preposterous. What about the time, effort, expertise and ingredients that went into preparing the other dishes?
There are clients though who really know what they want and are able to verbalize clearly to us an advertising service provider what it is we need to accomplish for them. On the other hand, we as specialized service providers are not also absolutely right all the time, just because giving to clients what they require or need is something we do for a living.
Come to think of it, there have been some times in the past that I had dealt with clients who were worse. Let me side track a bit as this strays a little far from the topic but I need to squeeze this in, or forget this though forever.
I have had the distinct privilege to work with some clients who, despite your great pitch and reasonable price & proposal, go and dictate the price or the cost they are willing to pay for the service you are offering to them… saying that it can easily be done, or that they can get it cheaper. I think there is some ignorance in these people that translates into a sort of rudeness that we cannot instantly react to and it only hits you later, when you want to then scream out, if you knew how to do it why are you hiring me for it in the first place? Maybe another great snap back would be, if you know so well how to run my business since your dictating my pricing, why don’t we trade places; you run mine and I’ll run yours. But then again, we are just too civil to say such things; probably why there is that relieving joy of blogging when you can vent what you cannot. I remember a couple of instances when they change the details on a contract they are about to sign, and change the agreed cost, “they change it themselves, right in front of your very eyes.” I think in my years of doing sales, these instances are the most unpleasant, and I wonder why I got into sales in the first place. But then a signed contract is a signed contract, despite yo leaving their office like a dog with its tail between its legs.
Going back to my original story, the morale is, it would be insensitive for one to say, they purchase results or a result because results as the word itself, implies a consequence, outcome, sum, or later predisposition brought about by prior actions or tasks that caused it.
Thus, the means to get to the end is just as important as the end itself.
Allocation of resources and personnel for a project or projects that are deemed unprofitable is plain misappropriation.
This was my third trip to Badian, some people told me that they had been there before and that they were not so happy about the beach because it was this.. and it was that… well, maybe this picture changes your mind about Badian.
More pictures available at www.roysencio.com/gallery
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