Glimpses of Life

The Key to Losing Weight Successfully

2009-02-28T04:44:00.000-08:00

Eating heart-healthy, low-calorie foods and exercising is the key to losing weight regardless of levels of protein, fat or carbohydrates, a new study has found.

Weight: A Mid-life Crisis

Overweight patients cast a shadow at a weight reduction clinic. A new study has found that eating heart-healthy, low-calorie foods and exercising is the key to losing weight regardless of levels of protein, fat or carbohydrates.

The research, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health, seems to argue against blanket use of diets that do not necessarily limit calories but call for eating certain foods such as vegetables or proteins, at the expense of others.

The NIH study of 811 volunteers, 38 percent of them men and 62 percent women, aged 30-70 and either overweight or obese, looked at diets that have been popular in the United States in recent years, even as the number of obese Americans has soared.

The "Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies (POUNDS LOST) study found similar weight loss after six months and two years among participants assigned to four diets that differed in their proportions of these three major nutrients," said researchers.

"The diets were low or high in total fat (20 or 40 percent of calories) with average or high protein (15 or 25 percent of calories). Carbohydrate content ranged from 35 to 65 percent of calories.

"The diets all used the same calorie reduction goals and were heart-healthy low in saturated fat and cholesterol while high in dietary fibre," said researchers, whose study is published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Participants lost an average 13 pounds (5.9 kilos) at six months and maintained a nine-pound (four-kilo) loss at two years.

"These results show that, as long as people follow a heart-healthy, reduced-calorie diet, there is more than one nutritional approach to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight," said Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, director at NHLBI.

"This provides people who need to lose weight with the flexibility to choose an approach that they're most likely to sustain: one that is most suited to their personal preferences and health needs," she stressed.

5 Musts for Couples to Stay Happy

2009-01-18T01:06:00.000-08:00

A survey asked happy couples across the United States to tell about relationship-strengthening solutions they've developed. Try your hand at incorporating a few into your daily life and maybe you can be as ridiculously, embarrassingly, revoltingly happy in relationship as they are.

Daily Habit #1: Talk to Each Other

Happily married couples typically say their relationships work better when they can sit down and gab one-on-one, like thinking, feeling adults. But who's got time for that? Actually, anybody who sleeps at night, if you follow the lead of Julie and Thom and their nightly visits to their "igloo."

"It all started one winter night years ago, when Julie had had a really bad day," says Thom, 33, a marketing director in Columbus, Ohio. "We were huddled under the covers of our bed, and Julie was describing how all the people who made her day miserable were 'bad polar bears' and how she didn't want any of the bad polar bears coming into the bedroom and how the bed was our refuge from them. You realize how embarrassing it is to admit this, right? Anyway, that's when we started calling the bed the igloo."

"The igloo is a place to retreat to," says Julie, 31. "It's our little sanctuary; only nice things happen in the igloo."

Eventually Julie and Thom began holding a powwow in the igloo at the end of every day, making a nightly excursion that Julie says has become a vital part of their five-year relationship.

"It's funny, because I always thought that when you lived with somebody, you'd automatically know everything that was going on," she says. "But we find that if we don't take that time to connect with each other, it's really easy for life to get in the way. The igloo offers one of the few times in the day where there's not a whole heck of a lot else going on, so you're able to focus on each other in a deeper way."

Daily Habit #2: Flirt

Most couples realize that getting intimate every night isn't possible, let alone a worthy goal. Indeed, a 1994 University of Chicago survey of Americans' physical intimacy habits found that only about a third of adults have physical intimacy more than once a week.

That doesn't mean, though, that you can't at least talk sensually every day, and that's the approach that Ed and Stephanie have taken in the more than six years they've been together.

"It's funny," says Ed, a 33-year-old San Francisco cab driver, "because we know plenty of couples who fight, a lot, about how often they have physical intimacy. The wife's upset because all he ever wants to do is get intimate. But this has never really been a problem with us, and I think it has a lot do with the fact that we're always talking sensually to each other."

"Absolutely," says Stephanie, a 32-year-old massage therapist. "We're always complimenting each other, tossing out fantasies, telling each other we're appealing. He gets to feel like he can have sensual feelings, and I feel like I don't have to have physical intimacy all the time to appear attractive.

Let's put it this way: The way I see it, physical intimacy is like chocolate cake. After five days of eating chocolate cake, even chocolate cake doesn't taste that great."

"Right," Ed says, "but after five days of talking about chocolate cake, that cake tastes really good."

Daily Habit #3: Get Stupid Together

Bob and Angie are ashamed to admit that the daily ritual that brings such joy to their 12-year marriage is none other than reality TV. That's right. They lived and died with "Survivor." They've adopted "Big Brother." "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" They do.

"Honestly, I think we just need to be dumb for a while," says Bob, 37, a shoe designer for Reebok in Boston. "We're both very into our careers. And when you're at work, with any job there's going to be a certain amount of professional stress. You like to come home sometimes and, for that lousy hour or whatever, kick back and relax."

Or as Angie, 36, a marketing executive, says, "Life is serious enough, isn't it? Sometimes you need to do something stupid. And if you can't be stupid with your husband, who can you be stupid with?"

Daily Habit #4: Declare Your Independence

So hold on, then: Is domestic joy found in partners smothering each other in obsessive daily rituals?

Hardly. In fact, Tessina says that sleepwalking through a series of hollow routines (although probably an apt description of your day job) is worse for your relationship than having no routines at all. The solution, she says, is to also make a daily habit of getting away from each other.

The point, naturally, is not to make space for each other in that I-can't-wait-to-get-away-from-you sort of way but to pursue your own hobbies and interests. It's a distinction that Joe tried hard to make to Lori during their delicate pre-engagement negotiations four years ago.

These days, Lori and Joe are practically poster children for the power of independence. Joe, who works for a nonprofit agency, spends his nights taking painting classes, building youth centers, and recording his guitar sessions. Lori, a college professor, spends hers directing community-theater musicals and indulging in trashy movies on cable television, a passion that Joe (go figure) doesn't seem to share.

"It all brings a freshness to our relationship because we both continue to grow as people," Joe says.

Daily Habit #5: Share a Spiritual Moment

In another University of Chicago survey, this one of married couples, 75 percent of the Americans who pray with their spouses reported that their marriages are "very happy" (compared to 57 percent of those who don't). Those who pray together are also more likely to say they respect each other and discuss their relationship together.
Not to say that prayer is a cure for all that ails you. But whether they're talking about a simple grace at dinnertime or some soul-searching meditation, couples routinely say that a shared spiritual life helps keep them close. And as Doug and Beth say, even couples who are on different sides of the theological fence can benefit from praying together daily.

"We have been married for seven years, but praying together is something we didn't start doing until about a year ago," says Doug, a 32-year-old Salt Lake City biochemist. "In the past, whenever we faced big decisions, we'd have discussion after discussion about them, but we'd never really come to a resolution."

"I soon found that praying together brings out a real sense of selflessness and humility," Doug says. "When you're praying for each other, not yourself, you're focused together and speaking from the heart on a whole different level. I would never have predicted this for us, but it really works."

"As bad as any problem may seem at that moment," agrees Beth, "prayer always helps us see beyond it. It doesn't have to be a long-drawn-out scripture reading, just a few minutes a day. When we pray, it brings another level of honesty to our conversations. I think it's the most intimate thing you can do with another person."

Now they pray together every night, once the "urchins" are in bed, which puts them in the company of the 32 percent of American married couples who say they pray together regularly. It also puts them in the company of Julie and Thom, when the other couple isn't holed up in their igloo, of course.

"It's pretty short and not at all scripted," says Julie about their giving thanks before each meal. "We just join hands and let it rip. Whether we're asking for forgiveness or giving thanks, saying it out loud holds a lot of power.

"Besides, regardless of religion or spiritual preference, I think that most marriages require a ton of faith," Julie sums up. "You've got to believe that somehow the two of you are going to make it through things. You've got to believe that you're being blessed with this person. And even if the power we feel just comes from the strength of our love, even if we don't believe that it's God who is helping us, I still think that it's good to acknowledge that there's a force between the two of us that's helping us out."

Smart Things About Sleeping Late (and waking up late)

2009-01-01T17:52:00.000-08:00

Now here's the dosier to that oft-stated notion "early to bed and early to rise makes Juan a smart guy." And I won't argue, coz this is a product of research, until another research says otherwise.
Here are 3 smart things about it:

1. You may need more sleep than you think.

Research by Henry Ford Hospital Sleep Disorders Center found that people who slept eight hours and then claimed they were "well rested" actually performed better and were more alert if they slept another two hours. That figures. Until the invention of the lightbulb (damn you, Edison!), the average person slumbered 10 hours a night.

2. Night owls are more creative.

Artists, writers, and coders typically fire on all cylinders by crashing near dawn and awakening at the crack of noon. In one study, "evening people" almost universally slam-dunked a standardized creativity test. Their early-bird brethren struggled for passing scores.

3. Rising early is stressful.

The stress hormone cortisol peaks in your blood around 7 am. So if you get up then, you may experience tension. Grab some extra Zs! You'll wake up feeling less like tense than usual.

Wonder of numbers, mystery of God

2008-12-28T12:41:00.000-08:00

Why is 12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111, and 123456789 x 9 + 10 = 1111111111? Also, why is 987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888, and 9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888? Why is there such order in numbers and in the universe?

Lazing around the house or resort during these holidays? It’s a good time to ponder the beauty of mathematics, and of God our Creator, the sum of all wonders, as shared in this PowerPoint presentation. Credits to Wonderful World:

1 x 8 + 1 = 9

12 x 8 + 2 = 98

123 x 8 + 3 = 987

1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876

12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765

123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654

1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543

12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432

123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

Then this:

1 x 9 + 2 = 11

12 x 9 + 3 = 111

123 x 9 + 4 = 1111

1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111

12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111

123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111

1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111

12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111

123456789 x 9 + 10 = 1111111111

And this:

9 x 9 + 7 = 88

98 x 9 + 6 = 888

987 x 9 + 5 = 8888

9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888

98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888

987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888

9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888

98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

Look at this symmetry:

1 x 1 = 1

11 x 11 = 121

111 x 111 = 12321

1111 x 1111 = 1234321

11111 x 11111 = 123454321

111111 x 111111 = 12345654321

1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321

11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321

111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321

Brilliant, isn’t it? So awed was Einstein about the nature of numbers and of the universe that he gushed: “God reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists.” Intelligent Design was for the physicist basic proof that there is a God. (Reprinted)

Financial Management Tips

2008-12-17T02:23:00.000-08:00

In these times of global financial crisis and talks of recession it is wise that we should be conscious of our money habits. Recession or not, our financial habits are something that we should take a second look on. Little money mismanagement can hurt us, without us even being conscious about it… until it’s too late.

Here are just some of the suggestions to make us become more money-wise:

1. Live Below Your Means

Before you take your next frapuccino on your favorite coffee shop, think again, can you really afford that lifestyle? Stall the upgrading of your cellphone to the latest model when your present handset is doing just fine. More shoes? Really now, were you able to wear all the shoes that you already have?

These little “luxuries” are what’s hurting us the most. If we can learn to discipline ourselves and differentiate the necessities from the luxuries, we might do well on our finances.

2. Save For the Rainy Days

It cannot be overemphasized. Learning how to save can make the big difference from financial ruin to a financially fit individual. Even if you start small, say just a P50 a week, what’s important is you get to start the habit of saving. Once you get to earn more, you can increase the amount of money you save.

3. Live the Simple Life

Learn how to do away with the material things and just live with the basic necessities. Don’t be too materialistic. The habit of keeping up with the Joneses isn’t healthy and may hurt your finances terribly in the long run.

4. Don’t Believe Those Get-rich-quick Schemes

One weakness that helps scammers make their jobs easier is the inherent greed in every individual. The promise of earning high returns with a quick investment can easily lure you to part with your hard-earned money. But before you do that, remember the saying, “When something seems too good to be true, it’s because it is.”

5. Pay Your Debts

If you can avoid them in the first place, do so. But once you availed of a loan, be sure to meet your due dates and pay your debts. Aside from a clean credit reputation, you can save a lot from the interests and penalties that you might pay if you failed on your obligations.

As a rule of thumb, start paying off the ones with the higher interests.
These are just some of the suggestions that we can do to check our money habits. Of course, getting financial education and having a plan can help us manage our finances better.

The coming Year (2009) would be a perfect time to correct all our bad spending habits and take control of our finances. (Source: Pinoy Business)

Bill Gates - the Billionnaire: How did it all started?

2008-12-13T13:47:00.000-08:00

The most influential and probably the richest person in the world now is always good to be discussed. Bill Gates. Let’s go back to his past and learn again how this person position himself in the world now. The leading actor in the world economy.

Like any other teenagers that are hooked in computer games, Bill Gates spends most of his time handling and working with the computer (although during those times, computers are not that good as compared to what we have now). He was a bit dissatisfied with the computer and system his school, Lakeside School in Seattle, offers his students. The system that they were using was Teletype link.

Aside from him, there’s this another guy who were also dissatisfied with the primitive characteristics of the computer they were using at school. So he and Bill (age 15) decided to be partners for a business. The teenagers gain a profit of $20,000 because of their development of Traf-O-Data that measures the traffic flow in their city.

Bill later entered Harvard in 1973. He never had a realization of performing well until 1974, when Allen showed him a magazine that contains the article about the invention of the world’s first microcomputer. To their enthusiasm and love for computers, they called MITS (the company) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and told them that they have the best software that will fit their new microcomputer. The company immediately says yes, that obliges them to put up their lies into reality.

Then came BASIC, the system that fits MITS and the reason why Bill dropped out of Harvard and join his buddy Allen to work in Albuquerque. To cut it short, they developed more system (MS DOS) for IBM and obtained more money, moved their company to Seattle and work hard. And later, obliges computer industries, to make sure that in producing computers their software must also come into package, and thus increasing the sales of their business. And until now, their business is such a boom, the Microsoft.

A New Technology Locks Your Laptop When Stolen

2008-12-10T12:51:00.000-08:00

It's an old story but I'll say it again: Stolen laptops are the no. 1 computer crime in the world, though they don't get anywhere close to the amount of press that identity thieves and NORAD hackers do.

But preventing physical theft is a surprisingly difficult challenge, and even the most dedicated security enthusiast can't prevent every mugging, or every rental car trunk from being jimmied open during a quick bite of lunch. Meanwhile, electronic security measures like encryption and biometrics have terrible uptake levels. Other solutions, like LoJack for Laptops, can be helpful in recovering lost hardware, but by then any sensitive data on the device will have likely fallen into the wrong hands.

Enter a new solution from Lenovo, the ThinkPad people: Using a text message sent via the cellular network to disable a notebook when a user discovers it's gone missing. It works just like a standard text message: A 3G cellular chip in the laptop is always listening for the kill signal, and when it arrives, the laptop immediately becomes unusable. If the laptop is off at the time, it goes into lockdown the next time it's booted. No data on the laptop is destroyed, but a password is required to make the notebook functional again.

Tips for Sleeping Comfort

2008-10-23T01:34:00.000-07:00

Generally, it has been assumed that the need for sleep does not decrease with age, but rather that other factors gradually come to interfere with our ability to sleep through the night.

Older individuals, for instance, are at greater risk not only for developing medical and psychiatric disorders but also for taking medications that can disrupt sleep. In spite of these influences, however, it may be that an actual biological deterioration of the sleep drive might also be playing a role.

A new study published in the journal Current Biology has been able to shed some light on this puzzle of sleep and aging. The researchers, who wanted to determine the maximal sleep capacity of both young and older persons, arranged for groups of younger adults (ages 18 to 32 years) and older adults (ages 60 to 76 years) to lie in bed for 12 hours during the night and for another 4 hours in the afternoon.

The subjects tended to sleep significantly longer at the beginning of the experiment, presumably because they were making up for a sleep debt accrued during their usual daily sleep routines. When the sleep patterns stabilized, however, the younger adults were capable of sleeping for much longer times — an average of 8.9 hours daily — than were the elderly people, who got only 7.4 hours daily. This 1.5-hour difference in maximal sleep capacity is impressive.

If your biological drive for sleep seems to have decreased, make sure that you are following the kinds of routines and behaviors that will give you the best chance of getting as much refreshing sleep as possible. Here are some examples of good sleep hygiene:

1. Make sure that you're going to bed early enough to allow yourself to get an adequate night's sleep.

2. As your bedtime approaches, develop a relaxing routine in the evening — don't keep busy until the moment before you expect to fall asleep.

3. Avoid watching TV in bed.

4. Sleep in a cool, relatively dark room.

5. Consider going to sleep to the sound of white noise, either from a bedside fan or
a machine that generates calming sounds.

6. Increase your exercising, but don't do it so near to bedtime that it gets your adrenaline flowing and keeps you awake.

7. Limit your daily intake of caffeinated beverages and avoid them completely after lunchtime.

8. Avoid alcoholic beverages.

The 10 Most Disappointing Treats for Halloween

2008-10-22T14:56:00.000-07:00

On Halloween night, some houses struggle with the idea of candy. There are good houses, and there are bad houses. The best trick-or-treaters know to avoid the latter. At the food site Serious Eats, we all love Halloween, but wish certain homes would just stop handing out the classically bad "treats." They weren't good last year, the year before that, or now. Our own Erin Zimmer put together this list of our top 10 Halloween treats that nobody wants...

1. Toothbrushes

Dentists and orthodontists should not be allowed to celebrate Halloween if they're going to get all tooth doctory on us. Do not bring your work home with you, folks! We all have a personal responsibility to brush, and maybe some of us will forget, but your complimentary bristles on a stick (instead of a Snickers) will not help us remember. It will make us despise you and your trade.

2. Raisins

Little boxes of stuck-together shriveled globs are not what little kids schlep around the neighborhood for all night. When they say trick-or-treat, they want candy that will rot their teeth, not wrinkled grapes. (Using an empty box as a kazoo-like instrument, though, is kinda fun.)

3. Candy Corn

The most polarizing candy of all. The fruitcake of Halloween; it just never goes away. If you love them, fine. But don't subject the rest of us haters to the sickeningly sweet triangle that tastes like neither candy nor corn.

4. Smarties and Necco Wafers

These chalky candies are supposedly "fruit-flavored," but no fruit I know tastes like dust -- and makes everything eaten after taste like dust, too.

5. Dum Dum Lollipops

Usually, foods on a stick are yummy (corn dogs, ice pops), but Dum Dums just can't be included on that list. Not even if they were breaded and deep-fried and served at a fair.

6. Apples

Long before "poisoned candy" scares, evil people were handing out apples instead of candy on Halloween. This disappointing "treat" is the main reason to avoid unwrapped food while trick-or-treating.

7. Tootsie Rolls

It looks like chocolate and sort of smells like chocolate, but the mini brown tubes are not real chocolate. They taste like watered-down chocolate, and have a chewy texture that will strip the fillings right off your molars.

8. Miscellaneous, Wrapped Hard Candies

Halloween is supposed to be a holiday for young people, not senior citizens who suck on hard candies all day. Something about the strawberry-shaped strawberries, gold-wrapped butterscotch, and peppermint feels past the expiration date. (These usually get set aside for Granny.)

9. Laffy Taffy

I do not laffy when I get these. I sobby. I get depressedy. Because it gets all stucky to my teethy and doesn't even taste that goody.

10. Anything Fun-Sized

Who started calling it this? Since when is one bite fun?! Give us the rich houses with the sprawling driveways and full-sized candy bars any day. Portion control doesn't need to start this young.

Check out these Halloween treats you will want to eat.

Too Skinny?

2008-09-19T14:34:00.000-07:00

My friend was recently on the "90210" set and the first thing I asked him about his visit was, "What did those girls look like in person?" He shook his head and told me, "The girl who plays Silver ... it's scary.. she's too thin!"

It is scary. Two of "90210's" stars -- 18-year-old Shenae Grimes and 21-year-old Jessica Stroup -- are significantly and horrifyingly underweight, especially when you take into consideration that what we're seeing on TV includes 10 additional "camera pounds."

The gossip from the set is that Shenae and Jessica have gotten even thinner since the show started and that some of their cast members have become so concerned that they are planning an intervention.

I hope that's true. Think about how tired and cranky you get when you haven't eaten. Now think about the extremely long hours and the intense pressure that these young women are subjected to. If Shenae and Jessica don't start taking their health more seriously, their bodies are going to react negatively.

In an LA Times piece addressing the issue, a few older and highly respected actresses (like Holly Hunter and Kyra Sedgwick) were also called out for being on the super skinny side, but there is something far more inherently wrong about casting emaciated actresses in a show targeted at young women. "Gossip Girl" may be "every parent's nightmare" and "mind-blowingly inappropriate," but at least those exceptionally hot-looking girls look like they've eaten breakfast.

Clearly the olden days of the original "Beverly Hills, 90210," which featured girls with normal teenage bodies (until Tori Spelling got implants), are long gone. An Entertainment Weekly article about this very issue made the observation that "Mad Men" is the only current show where "the exaggerated hourglass ... is the very definition of sexy. But, alas, her curves are another prop of the era."

Maybe the positive thing about all of this is that the audience has responded with an appropriate amount of shock, horror, and concern. And perhaps we're finally acknowledging the fact that someone actually can be too thin.

Secrets to Staying Inspired About Your Life

2008-09-18T01:18:00.000-07:00

By Lucy Danziger
SELF Editor-in-Chief

Today I'm sharing favorite ways to stoke my passion, creativity and determination -- my no-fail strategies for getting and staying inspired, no matter what my aim or what’s going on in my day.
One of my favorites: I’ve created a photo collage on my bulletin board at home of beautiful, triumphant, inspiring images of women meeting all kinds of physical challenges and looking gorgeous, strong and confident. I especially love old black-and-white fashion photographs, as well as Olympians and luscious beauty shots.

The mix is key. Right now, my all-time favorite picture comes from Triathlete Magazine -- it’s of a woman biking in the Kona Ironman in Hawaii, looking glowing, focused, in control and serenely beautiful, which is exactly what I aspire to be when I am at my physical best.

Try these two other tips for inspiring yourself to greater feats, whether of physical endurance or creativity:

1. Make a wonder list. Jot down 10 experiences that have made an impact on you, whether it’s taking a hot air balloon ride or a trip to a beautiful place, or listening to a favorite writer do a reading. “Focusing on something you find inspiring rather than pressuring yourself to [perform] helps your brain shift gears for those aha moments,” says Michael J. Gelb, author of Discover Your Genius (Harper Collins).

2. Get uncomfortable. When life becomes too routine, you may find that your thinking becomes routine, too. Break out of your rut by doing at least one thing differently each day -- advice that works when you’re exercising, too! Instead of having coffee at your desk, for instance, go to a coffee shop with a colleague or sit outside and exchange ideas. The more variety you seek out, the more inspired you’ll be.

Moments of silence mark 9/11 terrorist attacks

2008-09-11T07:26:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK - Relatives of victims killed at the World Trade Center are observing moments of silence to mark the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The ceremony at ground zero included moments of silence at 8:46 a.m. and 9:03 a.m. — the times that two hijacked jets slammed into the twin towers. Two more moments of silence were to be held at the times the towers fell.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg opened the ceremony by telling the tearful audience: "Today marks the seventh anniversay of the day our world was broken."

Other ceremonies are being held throughout the day around the country, including in Washington and in Pennsylvania. Barack Obama and John McCain are due at ground zero to pay silent respects. (AMY WESTFELDT, Associated Press)

Angela Merkel tops Forbes list of powerful women

2008-08-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was Wednesday named the world's most powerful woman by Forbes Magazine, putting her at the top of the prestigious list for the third year in a row.

Merkel soundly beat the likes of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who fell from fourth place last year to seventh place, and former US first lady and Democratic presidential contender, Senator Hillary Clinton, who was ranked 28th by the magazine -- three places lower than last year.

Runner-up in the rankings was the little known Sheila Bair, head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the US agency that "maintains the stability and public confidence in the nation's financial system by insuring deposits, supervising financial institutions, and managing receiverships."

The third-place finisher was another unknown, Indra Nooyi, chief executive of US softdrink giant, PepsiCo, who was one of 54 business leaders on the list.

Argentine President Cristina Kirchner, one of 23 politicians on the list, is in 13th place.

Other notable women on the list include French Economy, Finance and Employment Minister Christine Lagarde, in 14th place; Italian-born Sonia Gandhi, head of the Indian National Congress Party, ranked 21st; and Queen Rania of Jordan, in 96th place.

Six of the top 10 women are American, with the remaining four from Germany, Australia, Singapore and France. Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Philippines did not make it to the top 100.

7 Counterintuitive Ways to Save Money

2008-08-22T15:06:00.000-07:00

by Jeffrey Strain

Earnest attempts to save money here and there don't always add up to much. When traditional methods fail, it's time to consider a few counterintuitive options.

Spend Money

If you want to get the most for your money, you are going to have to spend. One of the biggest mistakes people make when they are trying to get their finances in order is to stop spending money alogether.

Not all spending is the same. You should limit unnecessary purchases, but spending on essential upkeep, preventive measures and items that will save money in the long run is vital for getting and keeping your finances in order.

Scrimp now on items and services that can help prevent larger expenses in the long run--such as routine car maintenance and energy-saving bulbs--and you could pay for it later.

Don't Stay Home in Front of the TV

While staying home is certainly less expensive than going out with your friends, it isn't likely to improve your financial situation significantly. In fact, it can cost you a lot of money.

Instead of staying home and lamenting that you can't afford to go out, take the initiative. Sign up for some classes to improve your job prospects and learn new cost-cutting skills so that next year you don't have to sit at home thinking about the things that you want but still can't afford.

Don't Spend Time Learning How to Invest

When you are first starting to improve your finances, don't make learning how to invest a priority. Instead, put your investing on autopilot and follow the advice of Warren Buffett: "The best way to own common stocks is through an index fund."

Once you've mastered your finances and have saved a nice nest egg, then you'll have time to research individual stocks. Until then, your time will be much better spent on improving your finances through other means.

Don't Leave Your Investments to Experts

Do your own investment research. This research should include getting experts' opinion, but don't rely on it exclusively.

You should make the final decision for your circumstances. Giving your finances completely over to someone else to take care of, no matter how much of an expert he or she may be, is asking for financial trouble.

Don't Let Salary Determine Job Choice

One of the worst financial mistakes you can make is to base your job choice on salary alone.

Visit the Banking & Budgeting Center

For long-term earning and financial health, you're almost always better off choosing the job you will find most satisfying.

Even if the salary is lower at the outset, you'll be more productive -- and more likely to advance -- if you're engaged and motivated.

Don't Buy What Is Cheapest

"Cheap" rarely means "the best value." To get the most out of your hard-earned money, you must think value rather than price. A car that is inexpensive, but costs a lot to drive and needs frequent repairs has less value than a car with a higher price tag but costs less to run and maintain.

This concept of buying value over price can be applied to anything and will mean that you rarely buy items which are the least expensive.

Don't Buy Things That Are on Sale

Much like things that are on the cheap, things that are on sale are rarely the best value.

There are two major problems with most items on sale: They are often something that you really don't need, and even if you do need them, you can usually find an alternative with better value.

If it's not something you'd buy even if it weren't on sale, it's a purchase you shouldn't make.

When you find something on sale that you do need, don't buy it without looking at other options. If you need the item and there aren't better options, buy away.

How they kept the faith and survived in US

2008-07-23T15:26:00.000-07:00

They had every reason not to go to the United States.

Life was relatively easy for the newlyweds Nehemias and Perlita Legaspi in the late 1970s. He was the lone dentist and she was a staff nurse in a top teaching hospital in Manila. Together they were earning more than enough to start a family without having to sacrifice personal comfort and everything else.

Still, the announcement came that they were leaving soon—and for good—much to the disbelief of their peers at the University of Santo Tomas Hospital. “Are you crazy?” the wife remembers one doctor asking, echoing the prevailing sentiment among friends and relatives.

They probably were, considering the tough life that would eventually greet them during their first few years in Chicago and later in Los Angeles. But that was just part of the Nemy and Pearl saga in America.

The couple today have more than what they had wished for—a classy two-story dream home in Los Angeles, nice cars, stable careers and retirement opportunities they most likely would not have had if they had chosen to stay in the Philippines.

And that’s just the material side of the story. The rest of it is known only to people close to the couple – how they kept the faith, held on to each other and survived America.

“Everything was in control because we knew that God was watching over us,” Nemy, 58, says in an interview at the couple’s residence in Eagle Rock, LA.

It was Pearl, not Nemy, who was dead-set on settling in the US. She left him with no choice when she sold all their belongings within a week after they got their visas. She knew her children stood a better chance in the US.

Armed men at checkpoint

One afternoon in Parañaque, for instance, the couple and their 3-year-old son Marco ran into a supposed government checkpoint. Also in the car were their long-time friends Rene and Susan Villanueva and their first-born Irene. Before they knew it, Armalites were pointed at them.

Several anxious moments later, the four men manning the checkpoint let them go. “There are kids,” one of them was heard as saying. “Let’s not proceed with the plan.”

Whatever the “plan” was the family could only think of the worse. It didn’t take much convincing later on for Nemy to share Pearl’s American dream.

The family found instant accommodation in the Windy City where Nemy’s parents owned a three-door apartment. Pearl found work in three weeks at a nearby nursing home. Nemy got none.

Chicago’s biting cold kept him home most of the time, leaving him to tend to the children. By then they already had their second son Marlo.

In-law troubles

In one of those days when the weather was unbearable, father and his two boys woke up to the smell of French fries cooking at the Burger King joint next to their apartment. With Pearl’s salary barely enough for the family, Nemy bought his kids a quarter’s worth of fries, their dad’s best “treat” for months to come.

“That was when I was struck by self-pity,” he says. “I couldn’t even buy my children a decent meal.”

Pearl’s in-laws didn’t exactly make things easier for the new immigrants. To begin with, they didn’t like her, a provincial lass from Zambales. They felt their son deserved better, someone like this Chicago-based doctor they had been pairing him with for years.

“We didn’t come here to break up,” he told his parents each time. “We came here to improve our lives as a family.”

Then thanks to a rumor-mongering in-law, the immigrant couple’s American dream almost vanished. The relative spread the word that Pearl was having an affair with a co-worker.

Pearl found peace in her innocence, saying not a word when the entire Legaspi clan in their Chicago apartment confronted her. One of Nemy’s brothers even poked a finger at her face.

Told about the rumor, Nemy was incredulous, knowing too well that his wife was incapable of such a thing. This wasn’t the Pearl who had single-handedly protected him from a group of fratmen that nearly mauled them in UST a few years earlier, he remembered.

Fightin’ Pearl

With the couple surrounded and outnumbered, Pearl raised her fists, jumped to her toes and began circling her boyfriend to the surprise of their foes. The fratmen backed off and were literally kneeling before Pearl, one after another, at the hospital a few days later.

The fratmen, all medicine students, needed her forgiveness to avoid expulsion from UST. They never messed with the tough nurse or her boyfriend since then.

“That was one of the most embarrassing moments in my life,” Nemy recalls. “Imagine having your girlfriend protecting you with her bare fists? I was stunned myself. I realized then how brave she was and how much she loved me.”

So the rumor could not have been true that Pearl had gone astray, he told his parents in Chicago that evening in 1982. To clear things up, he went to the alleged lover and asked him to enlighten his folks. It turned out that this was the same guy the rumormonger had asked to walk Pearl to the subway every now and then.

“She told me to accompany Pearl because she’s new in the city,” he told Nemy. “I can’t understand why she would spread something like that.”

In the evening, the guy went to the Legaspi apartment and confronted the relative. Pearl was vindicated but knew it was time to go. She didn’t sleep in the apartment that night. The family packed for LA the following day, carrying only $300 max and expiring tourist visas.

Welcome relief

The City of Angels was a welcome relief for the weary couple, its moderate weather more to their liking. Away from his parents’ prying eyes, they started anew with Pearl finding another job as a nurse.

Nemy remained unfortunate. He would spend eight hours, job-hunting on the streets of LA daily but still finding none. Dental clinics shunned him for lacking local experience. It didn’t matter to them that he was an experienced dentist back home.

Pearl remained the sole breadwinner for the next year or so, taking home a monthly salary of $500. Much of it went to their small apartment’s rent downtown, leaving only $120 for the rest of their expenses.

Nemy the house husband would buy one whole dressed chicken that usually lasted them a week: “I would cut it into four and make a variety of dishes out of it.”

Young Marco had his contribution, too. He would take home juice packs that came free with his meal ration in school so that daddy would have something to fill their empty refrigerator with.

All the while, Nemy’s parents knew nothing about their suffering in the West Coast. The couple purposely stayed under the radar when told that his folks wanted them deported. They would later realize that it was probably yet another rumor unleashed by their in-law.

“The news we were getting was that my parents were angry,” he says. “They supposedly wanted to punish us for being ungrateful.”

As if their condition weren’t getting any worse, Pearl came down with a serious lung problem in 1983. The best place Nemy could take her to was the emergency room of a government hospital. There he realized how low they had tumbled.

He says that in the company of stab victims and penniless patients, Pearl became a virtual specimen for group upon group of medical students.

But she got a clean bill of health two weeks later. The hospital discharged her, too, charging her not a penny of the entire $16,000 bill. Nemy’s prayers were answered.

Healing wounds

Fortune began smiling for the hardworking couple in 1984. She passed the nursing Boards; he finally got a job as a dental assistant in Torrance. Later he would become a long-time dental consultant in a private clinic now owned and managed by his son Marco.

Pearl’s nursing license got her a job at the prestigious White Memorial Hospital where she was later promoted to unit manager. She moved to Cedars Sinai Medical Center years later as coordinator for rehabilitation. The probinsyana was made.

By 1986, the couple decided it was time to surface and face his angry folks in Chicago. On their way home from an affair in Indianapolis, the Legaspis detoured to the Windy City and stopped by their old place. The sight of a long-lost son and his family finally paying his parents a visit healed all wounds of four years past.

“Where have you been? We’ve been looking for you for so long,” Nemy’s mother told his family. Her embrace had never felt that good. Healing had begun.

The timing of their reconciliation would later prove propitious when Nemy’s mother phoned him in LA. She was crying. Her other son and daughter-in-law—the same woman who had spread that ugly rumor against Pearl years ago—had transferred ownership of the Chicago apartment to their name. The in-law brought her side of the family in, took charge of the house and confined the old folks to a single room.

‘Good soul’

Among all her children in LA, Nemy’s mom contacted him, saying she was most “at ease” with Pearl. She described her as a “good soul.” “I told you so,” the son told himself.

The couple helped his folks get started and later found them a decent place a few minutes away from their house at Eagle Rock. Last year, they brought them to Encenada in Mexico, their first-ever luxury cruise in all their years in America.

“Son, we didn’t know it was this good,” Nemy’s mother said. “Thank you!”

All’s forgiven

The Legaspis also made peace with the daughter-in-law. She paid a visit one day, apologized for her big mouth and the lives it almost wrecked. Nemy says she had been forgiven long before that.

All these are but stories the couple hardly talk about nowadays. They’ve made it in America. It wasn’t a crazy idea after all.(related by Christian Esguerra; INQ.net)

Five causes of rapid aging

2008-07-22T04:17:00.000-07:00

Dr. Mao's Secrets of Longevity

Most people are aware that negative lifestyle habits like smoking and excessive alcohol can lead to rapid aging. But what about the repeated stress and poor nutrition that are so often a part of a high-pressure style of living today? Read on to see what could be causing rapid aging in your life.

1. Poor Diet
What you eat probably affects your health more than anything else you do. When you eat a poor diet—fatty, processed, or fried foods and simple sugars—you invite rapid aging by burdening your body with chemical additives and trans-fats and depriving your body of essential nutrients. On the other hand, when you eat the life-giving foods, you prevent disease and improve organ functioning.

In general, your diet should consist of a wide array of colors and balance of organic sources of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. Numerous studies show that the different pigments in the skins of fruits and vegetables are powerful antioxidants that are crucial for maintaining health, preventing cancer, and protecting against environmental toxins.

Avoid fatty foods, processed or fried foods. Keep dairy to a minimum because most dairy products are high in saturated fat. Take candy, sugar, soda, and all simple sugars out of your diet. Excess sugar gets stored as fat in your body, which spells in weight gain—a sure path to cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes. You truly are what you eat, so eat well!

2. Unhappiness
Unhappiness does not only depress your mood, it also negatively affects your health. In fact, depressed, unhappy people are twice as likely to develop heart disease. And it has been confirmed that personality profile Type C—people that tend towards melancholy, depression, and excessive worry—are prone to develop cancer. Do not underestimate the power of your mind. Your experience is determined by the energy you embody, and in the end, it is your choice to have a negative perception or a positive attitude in reaction to life's breakdowns.

Years ago, I had the pleasure of working with the late Norman Cousins. His research showed that the mind has a powerful influence on many physiological functions, including the immune system. He found that an increase in immune killer cells that attack cancer occurred in cancer patients who experienced 30 minutes of deep belly laughter every day for twelve weeks. Laughter also increases the release of endorphins, compounds that give you a sense of well-being. Undoubtedly, joyful people liver longer and healthier lives.

3. Lack of Exercise
I have never met a healthy person or centenarian that lived a physically inactive life. Exercise is essential for a healthy metabolism, proper energy circulation, and the expelling of cellular wastes. Being overweight and inactive is a surefire path to rapid aging and a host of diseases. Cardiovascular exercise is the key to speeding up your metabolism, burning excess calories, and fighting body fat. Brisk walking, hiking, jogging, swimming, bicycling, stair climbing-the options are endless for cardio health! Exercise for 30 minutes at 60-80% of your MHR (You can find this number by subtracting your age from 220.) Regular exercise is also the key to preventing non-insulin-dependent diabetes, which is the fastest growing disease in industrialized countries throughout the world.

You can stave off rapid aging to your muscles, joints, and tendons by practicing exercises that extend your range of motion; some options include tai chi, qigong and yoga. Check out simple tai chi moves that you can learn easily in my book, Harmony Tai Chi by clicking here. Also, moderate load-bearing exercises are essential for bone density and muscle strength. Don't forget when you are exercising to always warm up and cool down properly to avoid injury.

4. Stress
Stress is a huge byproduct of our busy lives and it takes a tremendous toll on our health. Our body's "survival mode" gets turned on all too often these days. When you are experiencing stress, your body is programmed to go into fight-or-flight mode, a state that requires a lot of energy. Adrenaline is released from the adrenal gland, and it tells the body to convert stored sugar from the liver to glucose because the energy needs of the body increase substantially during the supposed fight-or-flight scenario.

Unfortnately, this scenario almost never plays out and the excess blood sugar that never got used ends up being stored as fat—inevitably resulting in weight gain. What's more, all of this stress continually depletes your body of its energy resources until it crumples under the overload, leading to adrenal exhaustion, a nervous breakdown, or a broken-down immune system.

To stay stress-free, remember to breathe deeply all day. And give yourself a break! You are a human, not a machine. Try taking a 15-minute powernap during your lunch break. If you only have 5 minutes to spare, just closing your eyes will release tension. Better still, consider taking up meditation, a great way to dissolve stress. To learn more about how to use meditation to decrease stress, click here.

5. Lack of Sleep
There's no way around it: the average adult needs seven to eight hours of quality sleep every night to maintain health. Consider that your immune system drops by an average of 60% after just three nights of poor sleep. Without sufficient "recovery time" each night, you will run your body down and wear out your life force, paving the way for disharmony and disease.

I hope you find the ways to live long and live strong! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy! (By Dr. Maoshing Ni)

When Pinoy doctors become US nurses..

2008-07-19T15:37:00.000-07:00

Since 2001, the Philippine Medical Association noted that about 5,000 doctors have become registered nurses in the United States, United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. GMANews.TV
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Almost every kid once dreamed of becoming a doctor someday.

From the moment they had their first polio shot or underwent a routine check-up, the image of a selfless, patient, and caring doctor has been embedded in children's minds.

And who doesn’t want to take care of lives? Care for the poor? Or help save the world?

If recent statistics are to be believed, a lot of Filipinos grow up not pursuing that childhood dream.

Recent studies show a dramatic drop in the number of college students pursuing a career in medicine. The decline in medical school enrollments can be as high as 50 percent while countless go on an exodus to greener pastures overseas.

Since 2001, the Philippine Medical Association noted that about 5,000 doctors have shelved their hard-earned MDs (Doctor of Medicine) to become RNs (Registered Nurses) in countries like the United States, United Kingdom or Saudi Arabia.

And it’s not hard to imagine why Filipino medical doctors want to become nurses in the United States, the country where most health care professionals migrate. While a doctor, say from the Philippine General Hospital earns P25,000 a month, an overseas nurse can earn more than 12 times overseas.

Faced with the soaring prices of petroleum and basic commodities, most Filipino doctors are forced to make the difficult choice of crossing over to become nurses which in turn create a huge void in the medical health system in the country.

When the doctor is out (of the country)

It is a fact that medical schools charge among the most, if not the most, expensive fees compared with other courses in the country. Therefore, there is an expected return-on-investment on the part of the family and also the person who has toiled to obtain the coveted degree.

In 2005, the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) noted that about 14,694 medical-related workers, or 4.4 percent of the total share of Filipino migrant workers, were deployed overseas as newly-hired OFWs. This sector was the sixth top occupation for Filipinos abroad that year, next to domestic helpers, entertainers, factory workers, construction workers and caregivers.

However, in recent years, the medical profession has experienced a slump. Dr. Fernando Sanchez, executive director of the Association of Philippine Medical Colleges, noted in a 2005 discussion that there is a declining interest in medicine as a career despite the increase of high school graduates - some of whom might have once dreamt of becoming a doctor in their younger years.

“The once popular profession of medicine has lost its glitter," said Sanchez during the 2005 Philippine medical summit. “In the early 1980’s the attention of the government was called to what is termed as ‘reverse education’ or the cross-professional migration of doctors to nursing."

He explained that the growing unpopularity of the medical profession can be traced to two primary causes: The economic situation and the lack of nationalistic policies and planning.

“Medicine used to be the preferred health profession but the course is too expensive for most and takes a long time before one can start earning, “said Sanchez.

The World Health Organization has also considered the loss of health professionals as a matter of utmost concern. Its Western Pacific Regional Office commissioned a study in 2001 which concluded that migration was not a “overspill" but a definite loss to the country, and the negative outcomes are both financial (loss of training costs) and social.

WHO noted that the shortage or complete absence of doctors in some regions or areas of specialization will jeopardize progress towards healthy communities, possibly leading to a reversal of recent gains, especially as degenerative diseases become more prevalent.(GMANews.tv)

Exercises for Sustainable Happiness

2008-07-10T03:03:00.000-07:00

When Aymee discovered positive psychology in college, she set out to unlock the secret to lasting joy. Now an accredited happiness expert, she's made a career out of making people smile.

Aymee's Story

"I was at a pivotal moment in college where I was figuring out what to do with my life, and I realized that I just wanted to help people be happy."
In my adolescence I was social butterfly. I liked to have fun, played sports, went to school and had a lot of friends. It wasn't really until my 20s when the real hardship struck. I was fat, ugly, poor and divorced, and I knew that there was no way that I could help anyone be happy unless I was happy myself. Over the course of the last ten years, through these hardships and through studying positive psychology in school, I figured out how to bring lasting happiness into my life and the lives of others.

"What I care about is sustainable happiness, which comes from having purpose and meaning in life."

Everyone has gone through an experience of fleeting happiness - something you feel when you receive flowers from a secret admirer. I don't focus on that too much because it doesn't last. In sustainable happiness, people focus on and utilize their strengths. They explore the spiritual side of their happiness by achieving a higher level of consciousness. I've made it my mission to teach people how to create sustainable happiness in their lives by doing happiness exercises.

Exercise 1: Take responsibility for your own happiness.
No one is going to make you happy. You have to do it for yourself. You have to choose to let things go and to choose to find neutral ground. If you're just sitting there thinking about all of your problems, you won't be happy. Problems don't lead to happiness, believe it or not.

Exercise 2: Express gratitude for what you have.
Write down five or ten things that you are really grateful for every day. We always have things to be grateful for - our arms, our legs, our eyes, our teeth, the air that we breathe, our family, our friends, the house that we live in. The list goes on and on, so I don't want to hear any excuses.

Exercise 3: Practice random acts of kindness.
Practice five random acts of kindness a day. It can be something as simple as telling your coworker, "That outfit looks good on you." People just want to smile, they just want us to be good to them. There's actually a random acts of kindness foundation where you can learn different types of things you can do daily. If you do this every day for a month, I'm telling you your life is going to change. Mine did.

Exercise 4: Smile.
There is one crucial element to happiness, and you cannot achieve happiness without this element. If you take the corners of your mouth and you put them toward your cheek bones, are you happier? Our smile is the best happiness tool we have because it's a way to make other people happy without saying a word. When in doubt, just smile.

Because I explored the secrets behind holding onto happiness, I now have better health, better relationships and more success than I ever did before.(Aymee: happiness.com)

Why celebrity couples fail?

2008-07-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

Rumors have been tiptoeing around about marriage troubles between Madonna and her husband of seven years, director Guy Ritchie. It seemed to everyone that the once wild, pointy bra-wearing Queen of Pop had settled down for good with her Brit, with her finding Kabbalah, doing massive amounts of yoga, and adopting little David from Malawi. However, all indications point towards a confirmation of a divorce, with word that she's hiring Paul McCartney's divorce lawyer, Fiona Shackleton. Thus, another celebrity marriage bites the dust. Sad, sad, sad. All relationships and marriages face their challenges, but in the world of Hollywood and fame, there are booby traps left and right from being surrounded by gorgeous men and women, having nasty rumors spread, and over publicized romances.

After the jump, pitfalls that celebrity couples face that us average Joe's and Jane's don't have to deal with.

Temptation: the other woman/man
Case in point: Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston
Imagine yourself in Jennifer Aniston's shoes: your husband is the hottest man alive and he's leaving to shoot a movie with the hottest woman alive, Angelina Jolie. The set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith proved to be too much quality time between Brad and Angelina and those pouty lips were no match for Jen's toned arms. Temptation abounds in the sea of endless beauty that is Hollywood.

Over-publicity
Case in point: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez
There was a time in 2002 where you couldn't turn on the TV or read a magazine without seeing or hearing that dreaded, stupid compound word, "Bennifer." They were the ultimate publicity whores, which probably was the end cause of their broken off engagement. The couple was overexposed in a bad way, resulting in the embarrassing, box office failure, Gigli. No wonder both J.Lo and Affleck try to keep a low profile with their now husband and wife, Marc Anthony and Jennifer Garner.

One is more famous
Case in point: Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe
Reese Witherspoon is America's darling. She was charming and hilarious in Legally Blonde and won an Oscar for her portrayal of June Carter in Walk the Line. Her husband...er, what's his name? Exactly. Ryan Phillippe was suffering from a severe drought of good movie roles, and little fame. Perhaps he felt neglected and emasculated? Whatever the real issue was, he cheated on her with actress Abbie Cornish and the World's population collectively thought: downgrade.

Overexposed by Reality TV
Case in point: Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey
They were like the Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez of the millennium, except she was the wacky blond and he was the straight laced boy next door. Neither one of them was very famous before the run of their reality show Newlyweds, that documented their marriage, showcasing her ditziness and his good guy demeanor. It really catapulted Simpson to celebrity status, inflated her ago, and resulted in her leaving poor Nick. Another couple gone bad due to reality TV: Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler in MTV's, Meet the Barkers.

Are celebrity couples doomed to fail because of the nature of the industry they work in? How would it be possible to avoid these pitfalls?

Fast-Growing Careers With High Salaries

2008-06-23T08:07:00.000-07:00

by Gabby Hyman, career writer

Thinking of changing careers? Whether you're just beginning your education or returning to college, there are fast-growing professions that show no signs of slowing down through the end of the decade -- and they pay.

Let's look over some fast-track career groups that offer strong salaries with room to grow:

Commercial Loan Officers. Commercial loan officers work for banks, credit unions, and other lenders to help them analyze loan applicants for their consumer credit history and financial status. You'll need strong financial skills and a degree in business, economics, sales, or banking. Many online finance or management programs can get you up to speed in a hurry.

According to Salary.com, the national average of entry level earnings for commercial loan officers ranges from $55,475 to $71,382 with $3,000-$7,000 in bonuses. After six to eight years of experience, commercial loan officers can earn between $95,015 and $116,670, to a top salary of $128,034.

Financial Analyst. Financial analysts develop critical revenue projections and investment analyses for individuals or companies. There are online MBA or undergraduate business degree programs offering courses in statistics, accounting, economics, and business law that can prepare you for this fast-growing field.

The national annual salary range for entry level analysts is between $40,632 and $51,982, but with seven years experience, you'll leap into the $90,690 to $99,972 range.

Senior Database Administrator. A senior database administrator can design, maintain, and crunch a company's database to dramatically affect the operational bottom line. An online computer science degree or computer programming degree can provide fundamental skills necessary to thrive in this IT career. You'll need at least a bachelor-level IT degree to play on this rewarding field.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reports that senior database administrator jobs will grow faster than the average rate for all career groups through 2014. And you'll look forward to your paycheck. Top salaries range from $90,690 to $113,849, with a top tier around $125,379.

Network Security Administrators. Like their database cousins, network security administrators are among the fastest-growing career groups in the nation. In this role, you'll be the architect and security watchdog for an organization's voice systems, LAN/WAN, and telecommunications networks.

You'll need at least an IT bachelor's degree to compete, and you can better your prospects through online IT network certification and graduate degree programs. But it's worth it. Top annual salaries range from $61,117 to $100,685, with a high end around $123,585.

Registered Nurses. There's no shortage of nursing jobs. According to the U.S. DOL, nurses make up the second-largest career group in the country. There are registered nurses and registered nurses with bachelor's degrees. The difference in earnings and the ceiling on your career can depend on your willingness to enroll in an online RN to BSN degree program.

Consider the evidence: entry level wages for an RN floor nurse range $53,398 to $68,263. Nurses who want to move into supervisory positions better their chances for advancement with a BSN degree. For example, head nurses average between $74,965 to $97,276, and head operating room nurses average from $80,084 to $112,090.

Web Interface Design Directors. Among all the graphics design professions, the U.S. DOL predicts that Web designers with animation experience will have the best job prospects through the decade. And, among these, Web interface design directors are the best earners. You can enroll in online graphics design degree programs and software courses to bone up on the latest graphical user interfaces (GUIs), usability trends, and code management techniques.

In return, look for the national earnings average of $47,551 to $66,277 for entry level designers to ramp up to a muscular $121,310 to $141,662 range -- with top salaries at $148,374 -- for senior interface design directors.

Restaurant General Managers. Restaurant general managers work for major restaurant chains, private bistros, hotels, resorts, and casinos. The Department of Labor predicts best opportunities will be for salaried managers than self-employed restaurateurs. You'll prosper from completing online hotel and restaurant management programs.

National average wages for restaurant GMs range from $53,255 to $60,765, with an average at $70,546 for managers of fine restaurants.

Paralegals.Paralegals provide critical support to attorneys, law offices, corporate legal departments, courts, and government agencies. The Department of Labor predicts brisk growth in the field, especially for graduates of paralegal courses offered through online paralegal degree programs.

The national salary range for entry level paralegals is from $36,641 to $49,754, however, paralegals with eight years experience may earn upwards of $86,666.

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Gabby Hyman has created online strategies and written content for Fortune 500 companies including eToys, GoTo.com, Siebel Systems, Microsoft Encarta, Avaya, and Nissan UK.

Making love is the best sleeping pill

2008-06-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

By Cory Quirino

Getting up every morning is such a chore for most people. More challenging is to wake up with energy. Do you know that when you’re asleep:

Body temperature drops to its all-time low.

Muscles and joints are stiff, blood pressure falls and blood pools in the extremities (legs and arms).

The body undergoes a state of paralysis during sleep cycle for 20-30 minutes to prevent reacting to dreams.

If you have insomnia:

Wind down in the late hours of the evening. Don’t cram so many activities at night.
Avoid eating heavy dinner.

Let go of problems concerning your finances, job, husband/wife/lover/family.
Don’t bring home work.
Soak in a hot tub.
Drink a glass of warm milk or chamomile tea.
Use the bed only for sleeping—not watching TV or surfing the net.
Stretch your spine.
Have a massage.
Read yourself to sleep.
Watch an uplifting, relaxing movie, not a horror film.

Make love at bedtime, it’s nature’s best sleeping pill.

If you need to take an antihistamine or decongestant, do so at least three hours before bedtime.

Finally, visualize you are in a place of serenity—a beach, a mountain top, etc. See it, feel it, experience it.

Stop telling yourself and others you are an insomniac. Don’t label yourself. Reinforcing it makes your subconscious accept it as truth.

Meditate five to 10 minutes before bedtime.

Take 1-3 mg of natural hormone, melatonin, 20 minutes before bedtime. If this doesn’t help, then you are stressed about something that needs addressing.

Instead of a sleeping pill, take inositol and 2,000 mg of pantothenic acid from Vitamin B to induce sleep the natural way.

Mother of all illness

Stress has been called the mother of all illness. It is a condition of the mind that affects the spirit and emotions and ultimately, the body. Experts say treat the cause, the symptom will go away.

If you are in a state of stress:

Sit down. Take a full glass of water.
Get hold of yourself. Release your frustration slowly.
Take a deep breath, slow down your breathing. Do this for five minutes.

Close your eyes and talk to yourself. Affirm: “I am in control of my feelings and situation. The solution is coming.” Or “No problem is too great. My prayers will be answered.”

Listen to relaxing music.

Be in the presence of happy people.

Get up and go. Do something positive that you’ve never done before. Surprise yourself.
Load up on Vitamin B complex, (500 mg daily). This is an anti-stress supplement (especially B1, B2—50 mg each daily), natural sources: green leafy vegetables, liver, eggs, dairy, oatmeal, peanuts, brewers yeast, fish, lean meats, figs, prunes, poultry, root crops.

If you need to turbo-charge your day, get up in the morning with a goal designed to excite you. Make sure your eyes are exposed to daylight. This will directly stimulate your brain. Think of a happy thought that will put a smile on your face. Drink one to four tablespoons of virgin coco oil in the morning, either on an empty stomach or mixed with your juice or oatmeal. Do 20-30 minutes of exercise daily, even brisk walking will do. Have a hearty breakfast. Take your vitamin-mineral supplement. Have a good laugh. Face yourself in the morning before you go out and affirm “You’re a winner. Go out and claim your prize.”

Love and light!

References: “Vitamin Bible For The 21st Century” by Earl Mindell; “Sleep Rx” by Norman Ford

Ways to help prevent cervical cancer

2008-06-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

As early as age 10, one can already acquire the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a common virus affecting one out of 10 people worldwide, or approximately 630 million people.

When left untreated, certain types of HPV may lead to cervical cancer, the second most common form of cancer worldwide, with almost 600 women dying each day.

In the Philippines, 4,349 women had died of cervical cancer, out of the 6,000 new cases reported in 2002 alone, according to pharmaceutical firm Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD).

At a briefing hosted by MSD, Dr. Efren Domingo, president-elect of the research organization Asia Oceania Genital Infection and Neoplasia Philippine chapter, explained that most women suffering from cervical cancer have probably acquired or been exposed to a high-risk type of HPV when they were still in their teens.

In an interview, Dr. Domingo said however that most women show signs of cervical cancer only by age 30-35 and this becomes even more prevalent at age 40-49.

“It takes a while before the tumor fully develops and generates into cancer,” Domingo added.
Contrary to common beliefs, cervical cancer, a serious life-threatening condition is not hereditary. Rather, it is caused by certain types of HPV—particularly types 16 and 18—that women may acquire in their teens just when their body is developing, Dr. Domingo said.
How cervical cancer develops

Cervical cancer develops when these abnormal cells in the lining of the cervix start to multiply out of control. Cervix is the part of the uterus that connects the upper part of the uterus (womb) and the vagina.

The transition from abnormal cell growth due to HPV to cervical cancer often takes a number of years, although in rare cases, it can happen within a year, MSD said.

According to MSD, there are more than 100 types of HPV, affecting both men and women. Most types of HPV do not cause any symptoms, are harmless and go away on their own in 1-2 years through the body’s natural immune response.

While HPVs are usually transmitted through sexual activity, MSD claimed that new studies are now emerging, citing new sources and new ways of acquiring certain strains of HPV.
It further explained that low risk HPV types can cause the formation of genital warts, fleshy, noncancerous growths that appear on or around the genitals. There are, however, 30 types of HPV affecting the genital area that can possibly lead to cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancers.
Domingo explained that once these types of HPV are left untreated and the immune system does not clear the infection, abnormal cells may begin to grow and develop into precancerous lesions. He added that most often than not it takes a number of years before it develops into cancer.

Symptoms

While highly preventable, cervical cancer like other forms of cancer usually has no early symptoms which make it all the more difficult to detect. More often than not cervical cancer is discovered at a more advance stage, Domingo noted.

According to him, the most common symptoms include abnormal vaginal bleeding, increased vaginal discharge usually whitish to yellowish in color, pelvic pain and pain during sexual intercourse.

MSD also warned that precancerous changes and early cancers of the cervix do not generally cause pain or other symptoms and thus, it is essential to get regular pap screenings to detect cancers at a stage when they can be treated most effectively.

Domingo echoed MSD’s warning that only pap smear can detect possible signs of cervical cancer. He stressed that once a person gets sexually active, she should start getting pap smear tests a year after.

Studies have proven that pap smear had significantly reduced cervical cancer deaths. However, like any other medical tests pap smears aren’t perfect, he added.

Cancer prevention

Another way to help prevent cervical cancer is through MSD’s cervical cancer vaccine called Gardasil.

Recently, MSD launched its cervical cancer prevention advocacy dubbed “Everything I Can,” which is aimed at encouraging mothers and young women to do everything they can to prevent cervical cancer.

They are encouraged to understand the risks of acquiring HPV and to visit their OB-gynecologists and/or their daughter’s pediatrician to discuss ways on how to help prevent cervical cancer. ( Tess S. Samaniego; INQ.net)

World's Best Places to Live in 2008

2008-06-12T16:25:00.000-07:00

New York, London, and Paris are internationally renowned cities but consultants at Mercer Consulting have picked Zurich, Switzerland, as the best place to live in the company's annual survey.

Consultants rated each city on a variety of factors including the level of traffic congestion, air quality, and personal safety reported by expatriates living in more than 600 cities worldwide. In the top 25, U.S. cities such as San Francisco, Boston, and Chicago were all edged out by Geneva, Switzerland, Vancouver, B.C., and Auckland, New Zealand. The highest-scoring U.S. city is Honolulu, which came in at No. 28.

Still, Mercer acknowledges that cities with a high quality of life are not necessarily the most exciting. "There are a lot of 'sleepy' towns that got high ratings," said Rebecca Powers, a principal consultant in human capital for the company. "But if you were to judge them on something like nightlife, there are some that probably wouldn't have rated as high."

No. 1: Zurich, Switzerland
Mercer score: 108*2007 rank: No. 1GDP: $300.9 billion (2007 est.)**Population: 7,581,520 (total country); 347,517 (total city)Life expectancy: 80.74 years

No. 2 (tie): Vienna, Austria
Mercer score: 107.92007 rank: No. 3GDP: $319.7 billion (2007 est.)Population: 8,205,533 (total country); 1,825,287 (total city)Life expectancy: 79.36 years

No. 2 (tie): Geneva, Switzerland

Mercer score: 107.92007 rank: No. 2GDP: $300.9 billion (2007 est.)Population: 7,581,520 (total country); 185,000 (total city)Life expectancy: 80.74 years

No. 4: Vancouver, Canada

Mercer score: 107.62007 rank: No. 3GDP: $1.274 trillion (2007 est.)Population: 33,212,696 (total country); 560,000 (total city)Life expectancy: 81.16 years

No. 5: Auckland, New Zealand

Mercer score: 107.32007 rank: No. 5GDP: $112.6 billion (2007 est.)Population: 4,173,460 (total country); 1.18 million (total city)Life expectancy: 80.24 years

No. 6: Dusseldorf, Germany

Mercer score: 107.22007 rank: No. 6GDP: $2.833 trillion (2007 est.)Population: 82,369,548 (total country); 581,858 (total city)Life expectancy: 79.1 years

No. 7 (tie): Munich, Germany

Mercer score: 1072007 rank: No. 8GDP: $2.833 trillion (2007 est.)Population: 82,369,548 (total country); 1,332,650 (total city)Life expectancy: 79.1 years

No. 7 (tie): Frankfurt, Germany

Mercer score: 1072007 rank: No. 7GDP: $2.833 trillion (2007 est.)Population: 82,369,548 (total country); 3,700,000 (total city)Life expectancy: 79.1 years

No. 9: Bern, Switzerland

Mercer score: 106.52007 rank: No. 9GDP: $319.7 billion (2007 est.)Population: 8,205,533 (total country); 122,178 (total city)Life expectancy: 79.36 years

No. 10: Sydney, Australia

Mercer score: 106.32007 rank: No. 9GDP: $766.8 billion (2007 est.)Population: 20,600,856 (total country); 4,297,100 (total city)Life expectancy: 80.73 years

-------------------------

The rankings are based on a point scoring index, with Zurich scoring 108 and Baghdad scoring 13.5. Cities are compared to New York as the base city, with an index score of 100. The quality-of-living survey covers 215 cities and is conducted to help governments and major companies place employees on international assignments. The survey also identifies those cities with the highest personal safety ranking based on internal stability, crime, effectiveness of law enforcement, and relationships with other countries.

More from BusinessWeek.com: • World's Most Expensive Real Estate Markets • World's Most Affordable Housing Markets • Countries With Most Millionaire Households

Coffee - Fact or Fiction?

2008-06-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

By Joy Bauer, MS, RD, CDN

Can that afternoon Americano actually be good for you? Does that Red Bull have more or less caffeine than the same amount of coffee? Test your coffee knowledge with this coffee 101!

Fact or fiction? 3 cups of daily joe helps boost your memory...

Fact. In November 2005, Austrian researchers confirmed that caffeinated coffee can temporarily sharpen your focus and memory. After giving volunteers the caffeine equivalent of about two cups of coffee, their brain activity was increased in two locations - the memory-rich frontal lobe and the attention-controlling anterior cingulum.

Now a new study published in the August 7, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, found the effects of coffee may be longer lasting - specifically in women. At the end of this four-year study, researchers found that women age 65 and older who drank more than three cups of coffee per day (or the caffeine equivalent in tea) had 33% less decline in memory over time than women who drank one cup or less of coffee or tea per day.
This caffeine-memory association was not observed in men - the authors hypothesize that perhaps that's because men and women metabolize caffeine differently.

This is exciting news for women, though it's certainly too premature to recommend caffeine as a memory cure-all. And it's important to point out that this study found no protective effect for true dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

Fact or fiction? Coffee and exercise prevent skin cancer...

Perhaps. According to a new Rutgers University study on mice (it has yet to be tested on humans), the combination of exercise and caffeine increases the body's ability to combat precancerous cells damaged by the sun's ultraviolet rays. The caffeine consumption alone helped destroy precancerous skin cells, as did the exercise alone. But the two together provided significant protection. Dr. Allan Conney, one of the paper's authors, points out the possibility of some sort of synergy between the two.

Of course, this is not a substitute for sunscreen!

Fact or fiction? Coffee is a potent diuretic...

Fiction. It's true the stimulant effect of coffee can act as a slight diuretic. However, the overall volume of water you consume while enjoying your cup of coffee will more than make up for the small amount lost in your urine.

Fact or fiction? Energy drinks deliver more caffeine than coffee....

Perhaps. It varies from drink to drink. For example, Red Bull is known as an ultimate energy drink, but it only contains 80 milligrams of caffeine in one 8-ounce can - less than the 100 milligrams in an average cup of coffee. That said, this is a case-by-case comparison.... check the caffeine amount on the label to know for sure.

Fact or fiction? Coffee enhances your workout...

Fact. A burst of caffeine before a workout can give you a slight edge: As little as 100 milligrams of caffeine - the amount in just a cup of coffee - has been shown to improve the athletic performance of dedicated exercisers (though casual exercisers won't experience the same boost). Researchers aren't sure why, but it may be because caffeine signals your muscles to ignore fatigue and contract differently.

P.S. The following folks should avoid caffeine altogether:

People who are caffeine sensitive: The stimulant effects of caffeine will exacerbate restlessness, anxiety, irritability, and/or headaches.

People with sleeping issues: Caffeine can stay in your system anywhere from three to eight hours. So depending on your personal sensitivity, stop drinking it accordingly.

People with gastrointestinal problems: A dose of caffeine may irritate your stomach if you have irritable bowel syndrome or ulcers.

People with elevated blood pressure or abnormal heart rhythms: In this case, your personal physician knows best.

People with severe PMS and cystic breasts: Caffeine has been shown to worsen these conditions.

When you have 'feeling' for a friend

2008-06-07T01:25:00.000-07:00

Crossing the 'Friend Zone'
By Andrea Syrtash, ONDating

You've had feelings for your friend for a while and you're worried about crossing the line and ruining the friendship. That's not really true, of course, but that's what you keep telling yourself so you can justify not putting yourself on the line and risking rejection.

Sure -- it's possible to love a friend of the opposite sex without picturing him or her in bed. Having feelings for your friend doesn't necessarily prove Harry's theory in "When Harry Met Sally" who famously declared that "No man can be friends with a woman that he finds attractive. He always wants to have sex with her."

There are exceptions to Harry's rule, but one thing is certain -- being seen as just a friend by all the people you want to date can be frustrating. So here are a few ways to prevent being stuck in (cue scary music): 'The Friend Zone':

1. Do Flirt

It's okay if romance is on your brain when you greet your friend. In fact, it can fuel the chemistry. It's good for your friend to catch you subtly checking him or her out. As long as you're not drooling or gawking, it can be sexy. You want your friend to think he or she imagined the look. Light touching and sincere and specific compliments are great for flirting, too.

2. Don't Be the Problem Solver

Are you on speed dial every time your friend needs something fixed or wants to process a bad relationship? It's nice to help your friend occasionally, but make sure you're not the one he or she associates with problems.

If you do come over to help, mention that you're happy to assist for an hour but have plans after that. Better to remain a little mysterious and have your friend wondering who else is getting your attention.

3. Have Fun

Create unique memories. You're aware of your friend's passions, so initiate fun and interesting activities that you know your friend will enjoy but isn't doing with others.

And -- if someone has dumped you, confide in a friend you don't have feelings for! Remember to keep an upbeat attitude and stay confident -- those are two of the most attractive qualities cited by singles when looking for a mate.

Of course, not every friendship ends with a romantic happy ending and you may have to be prepared that your crush just wants to stay your friend. You'll have to decide if that's enough for you.

In the meantime, if you feel like you often end up in the friend zone with people you want to date, plant some of these seeds and see if anything grows in your relationship. Sometimes a glass of wine or a flirtatious exchange can change the dynamic... and you look at each other and wonder why it took so long.

HOW TO GET A GIRLFRIEND

2008-05-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

Ok look... This is actually pretty simple if you knowwhat women are looking for in a guy. To behonest, I can tell you right now WHY you haven'tfound a girlfriend yet. See, you may have found a special woman youWOULD LIKE to be with, but she just doesn't feelattracted to you. She does NOT feel the same way towards youthan you do to her. How come? Because you didn't give a woman what she needsto feel sexually attracted to you. She may thinkyou're a nice guy and a good friend, but that'sas far as it goes. She doesn't see you as apotential boyfriend or lover. And that really sucks ... so we need tochange that.

So what are you doing wrong? What is itthat makes women tell you that "you are anice guy, but not really for her?" Well for once...you are a god-damn wussbag! A woman doesn' reject a man if he doesn'thave anything to offer to a her like money,a muscular body, a fancy sports-car and good-looks.That's not the case even thought everybody thinksthat way. It's not because women think you are aweirdo or you dress like a bum. It's not because you think all those stunning women are out of your league. There Is something else. You haven't found a girlfriend or a woman that loves you for who you are because you are just being yourself...no, no. It's because women don't like men who act like wimps and clingy nice-guys.

Now...READ MY LIPS: You are a wimp!! See, you have been YOURSELF all your life...and has it worked? Not really. But you don'twant to become a different person either andI respect that. The good thing is, you won't have to change at all ... you just need to IMPROVE! I need to show you what really works with women, and give you the necessary knowledge and some of my killer dating tips that actually work in thereal world. Not just any kind of dating tips...I am goingto show you how ANYBODY, regardless of how rich,tall or handsome you are can meet and date the kind of women you always wanted! So why don't you have a girlfriend yet? Because nobody has ever told you what todo to successfully attract women. How couldyou?

Most men aren't born with the gift ofmaking women laugh, giggle and sweeping themoff their feet. It is an art, and if you've never reallyunderstood why women pick certain men overothers, you have some learning to do. So here's what I want you to do: STOP being a wuss! - Don't kiss a woman's ass. - Don't buy them drinks. - Don't pay them any compliments. - Don't invite them to dinner or to the movies. - Don't bring flowers, chocolate, a cuddly-toy or ANYTHING at all! It only shows a woman that you are a clingy,needy nice-guy who wants to BUY a woman's affection...and attraction cannot be bought, let'srather be friends!". And here's another thing. The more you want sex from her, a long-termrelationship or even just a kiss ... the less you will get it. Women don't like what they can have right away. If you are too pushy, needy and "easy-to-get", you are not a challenge for any woman and therefore BORING! The key is to be interesting! So STOP what you are doing RIGHT NOW...and get it right!

*** COMMENT ***

Hey I really must comment you for the mails, I got from u. I would get the book latest next week. it really worked!!!!! The chick had to confess about my self confidence. All I could say inside of me was thanks to mails from nick. The more I receive those mails the bolder I've become, since naturallyI am a very shy guy. Thanks again!Oli.Singapore>>>

MY COMMENTS:

Wow Now that is awesome to hear.I think I just became famous in singapore...

*** SUCCESS STORY ***

Nick First of all I want to say thanks man!I've had your books for about a week anda 1/2 now and it's turned my life around.I'm 32 years old and I've just gone througha divorce It's been rough man. and after 8yrs.of marriage it's not easy getting back intothe dating scene again. since I've studied yourmaterials I've had 1 coffe date and I've gotten2 phone numbers. I seem to be having alot ofluck at the mall and at the local wallmart.I"m still struggling with some confidence issuesthough. today I was in the cafeteria area at themall and 2 gorgeous chics were sitting at a tableand the both looked at me as I walked by so Istood in line to get a slice of pizza...gotmy pizza and sat at a table 2 tables down fromthere's one of them glanced over and the otherone turned around for a look the wispered backand forth and that was it I was like a deer stuckin the headlights I didn't know what to do or say.It's bad enough when your aproaching 1 girl but2 girls that's rough. do you have any advice for me bro.Johnny Inglewood, USA>>>

MY COMMENTS:

Allright, here's what to do: This is much easier than it looks like, and thefact that she is with a friend shouldn't botheryou. If you ready my material then you should knowthat if there is a group of two girls...you can'tignore her friend because if you do, she will DRAGyour target away. I see guys fall into that trap all the time. They ignore her friend, only talk to the onethey like...and then they lose because her friendsays "sorry, we have to go" because she gets jealous. Now, let's deal with the approaching or walking upfirst. You see, when they are sitting down and you don'tfeel comfortable enough to just walk over there, grabthe nearest chair and plant yourself down next to them... ...then I have the PERFECT technique for you. WAVE! Yes that's right. When they look at you, whisper and giggle, you GOTto make a move. They know you are checking them out,they know they got your attention. But they are now testing you if you are man enoughto handle the situation. Just WAAAVEE SLOOOWLY ... and put on a cocky grin. In 99% of the cases, they will wave back. THIS is your cue. Now you can either go overand say "Hey ... will you please stop staring at me likethat ... I'm not a sex-object you know" or ... just makea COME HERE gesture, telling them to come over to youand join you. But the situation isn't COLD anymore...you have anopen invitation to approach and talk to them. Try it, it works. And make sure you pick up a copy of my Secrets Of Attractionbook to give yoruself teh extra edge when it comes tosituations like this. It is essential you know what is going on in a woman's mindand how to create that ATTRACTION at the snap of your fingers! Get your trial copy here: ==> http://www.BecomeaPlayboy.com/Attractionbook

*** SUCCESS STORY ***

Hey Nick,I really want to thank you for what you'vedone and I can't begin to tell you how muchmy life has changed thanks to your programme.You also walk your talk which which I respectyou for. Before I read your newsletters I wouldsee a girl I'd think "shes fit" and neverdream of having a chance but now you've opnedmy eyes I think "shes fit. I wonder how fast I can get her number." It amazing! Anyway to myquestions. I met this girl about six months ago(a long time a ago I know but its still annoying me)in the summer leave at university and Ireally fell for her (this is before I readyour newsletter) and I admit I was beingclingy with her but we went out a few times duringour holiday and we just talked and we really got on, we talked for hours without any silence oranything. But as soon as we got back to universityshe went all weird on me, I tried to talk to herbut she was really quiet as if she had never talkedto me before. It was really weird. So my questionis why would she do this? And what are the most common excuses women give men and how to counter them?Cheers m8 I look forward to reading your "Secrets of Attraction".TomU.K.>>>

MY COMMENTS:

Oh boy! Why would a woman ignore you after you have talked to her for HOURS, pouting each othershearts out...talking about men, women, love andrelationships? You felt there really was a connection...and sodid she. You know what was missing? SEXUAL ATTRACTION! She thinks you're a great guy, but ONLY as a friend!She doesn't think you are boyfriend material...and shealso knows that you want to be with her. That's why she ignores you know. Why? You even answered yoru own question there: Becauseyou were a CLINGY, NEEDY and NICE WUSS!!! What excuses will she give you now? "Well, you're a really nice guy and I think we gotalong great...but I only like you as a friend" There you go! If you behave like a clingy, needy nice-guy,you deserve to become a woman's friend...and no kissy-kissyfor those guys! WAKE UP MAN! You need DE-WUSSIFICATION...fast! Don't do it again, learn how to create sexual andemotional attraction in a woman so you will become herlover and boyfriend instead. Now go and study my newsletter and hit the books!

*** QUICK SUCCESS STORY ***

Hey Nick,Fantastic news. Last Friday I finally decided to giveyour "buy ME a drink" formula a try. It worked like acharm. Without further ado the lady put her phone numberin my phone. To put it midly I now have her at my leisure.Thanks a million!!RobFort Lauderdale>>> MY COMMENTS: Great story ... next time, why don't you try the"buy Nick a beer as he is the greatest" formula? lol!

*** QUESTION ***

Hi Nickbought your book a few days ago and gotta say itreally helped me get more numbers than I used to butheres the problem. I have always done pretty well withgirls who I talk to in quiet normal places like shops,malls, coffee shops or at private partiers etc using yourtechniqes, but when it comes to clubs I just dont seem tohave any success. Me and my friends go out every saturdayand they all seem to go off with girls leaving me the lonerat the bar. You see because the clubs are loud and I haveto shout, I cant seem to come across as the cool calm guy thatI am. None of the lines work simply because they just can'thear them, and after I repeat a line several times to the samegirl because of the noise they dont have the same affect.I was just wondering Nick if you could give me any tips incertain body language to use, and some cool one liners thatdont take long to say, another thing with me in a club is thatone of my main techniques is not to ask a girl to Dance but tohold my hand out this way they can check if they want to dancewith me or not without me coming across clingy. This always worksfor me as they always grab my hand and I lead them to thedancefloor, BUT for some reason while we are on the dancefloormy mind goes blank and I just dont know what to say to her soafter a few minutes of dancing she goes off with her friendsand im left alone AGAIN. I've watched my friends dance withother girls and they will say something in the girls ear andshe will be laughing I've always wondered what there sayingand when I ask them they just say they can't remember, they'veobviously got some sort of techniqe down but dont want to share it.I hope u can help me Nick....... thnx for reading and get backto me ASAPPhillipLiverpool, England>>>

MY COMMENTS:

Allright let me address this one at a time here. First of all, everybody who says that clubs or barsare just too lout to meet women is completely braindead. BUT ... you are right: Clubs and Bars are louder! Is that a problem? Hell no! You just have to rethinkyour logistics. Look, on the street you can talk pretty muchanywhere you want as the environment PERMITS it. However, when you stand next to a lawn-mower ora chainsaw rattling at full speed ... what do you do?

You MOVE 10 STEPS AWAY! Listen, I used to have the same problem in clubs andeverybody thinks that there is no solution, but all youhave to do is make a gesture that you didn't understandwhat she just said or that it's really loud, take herhand and literally WALK (!) to the the bar, anothercorner or away from the loud music in the club. 99% of the women will FOLLOW you when you LEAD, sojust make that gesture, grab her hand and move away10-15 yards where you can talk. Get it? Now, I like your "stick out your hand" to get a womanto dance with you. I used to do the same but found aneven better solution that works EVERY SINGLE TIME, you'lllearn it in my DVDs. But to answer your question: "I've always wondered whatmy friends were saying to a girl on the dancefloor thatmakes her giggle" ... Well, what do YOU think they are saying? Could it be that they are teasing her? Busting herballs that she dances like a little heffalump fromwinnie-pooh? Telling her that she has the same cheekyface like their bratty little sister? Are they asking her what she does apart from pickingup cute guys like them? Attraction, anyone? The secret is what I've been talking about for the lastgazillion days in my newsletters, books and DVDs man!

The Biggest Mistakes Guys Make On Dates With Women

2008-04-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

Tips from Nick Shane
Author of "How to Become a Playboy"

Whenever a guy has a date with a beautifulwoman he tries to impress her. This is so wrong.If you court a woman like we did 50 years ago,try to buy her affection with flowers and giftsor want to impress her so she will like you ...you are on the wrong track!

Look, it's amazing how every man who askedfor my advice has the exact same problems withwomen. No wonder, they ALL make the same goddamnmistakes when it comes to women and dating. Here's what usually happens.
on a date.

Either she will just make a random excuse right there like "oh I'm sorry, I can't. My cousin is in town and I have to spend time with her" or "I have yoga class today, maybe some other time." ...or she doesn't cancel on you and will actually agree to meet up with you again. But when your date is almost over, she won'tkiss you and just tell you that "you are anice but she just isn't that attracted to you".

Then, when everything has failed and yourealize that she doesn't want to be with you... you start to wonder what went wrong.

I'm here to help. The thing is, every guy makes the samemistakes when he is on a date with a beautifulwoman. So here's my black list: a) You pay her lots of compliments. You tell her how nice she looks and how beautiful her eyes are ... and she will say thank you but that's as far as it goes. Paying compliments is a nice gesture, but doesn't push a woman's buttons or turns her on. Oops, you're a wimp! Women don't get physical with those type of men. Sorry! b) You try to be nice...same deal here: Women don't like nicey-nice guys and never go past a first date or further than a kiss on the cheek. c) You act clingy and needy. The more you act like you want sex, the less you will get it. Butthere is nothing worse than a guy who acts needy and desperate for sex. It has to be the biggest turn-off in any woman. So relax, play a little hard to get and let her chase YOU...not theother way around. d) You try to BUY her affection withflowers, chocolates, drinks or even a cuddly toy. It doesn' work because she will NOT get emotionally attracted to you. If you want her to think you are hot and sexy, turn up the heat by being CHEEKY...and not by buying her things. e) You go on a classic date such as arestaurant or the movies where you evenagree to pay for everything. Classic datesare out. Go window shopping or have a coffeewhere she has to buy the second round. Be aman for god's sake and not a doormat you hear? So in a nutshell, everything you do thatlets a woman know that you WANT her and reallyTRY to get her will not have a happy ending.You got to behave like you are the catch andnot her. YOU need to be the challenge no matter howbeautiful you think your date looks. If you wantto be with her, you have to keep her on her toesand let her wonder about you. Keep teasing herby being cheeky and busting her balls and shewill get attracted to you in an instant. But for now make sure you don't make theabove mistakes anymore because if you do, youwill get what 97% of other guys get after theyhad a date with a beautiful woman...another female friend.

*** QUESTION ***

Sup Nick,I've been reading your newsletters andI've been wondering about a few things.Women like jerks? Why do they like jerks?Its taken me all my life to finally realizethat women don't like nice guys and pussysbecause they are so boring, but there hasto be more than just the fact that jerksare a little more exciting?

>>> MY COMMENTS:

Yeah Stu, you're right, women don'tlike nice guys because they are boring. Here is why women like jerks andbadboys so much: Everyone has heard of natural selection, right?Animals with characteristics that are favorablewill survive and pass them on to the next generation. For example, the lion came about because itwas big and fearsome and could kick all the otheranimals asses. So it survived and formed a new species. Put that into perspective. Humans want toreproduce with people that are healthy andintelligent. That is as basic as it gets. That is why we generally like slim, tonedwomen and not fat, obese ones. So women will want to mate with a man whocan get what he wants and will protect her. Yeahof course films and love songs will tell you shewants to be protected and cherished, but her naturalinstinct is to survive and produce offspring withfavorable characteristics. Of course, women don't really like jerks.They may be attracted to them but they wontlike them as much as a player or a badboy. By treating a woman with a little more respectthan an asshole, but by staying bad you can giveher the best of both world's.

*** COMMENT FROM A READER ***

Nick you are the sh*t. I work in a bar and am always around beautiful women... and your stuff has helped me put dumbstruck faces on my now jealous friends. Two weeks ago I was in the laundromat and there was this cute little tanned dark-haired girl I used to know from years ago when I was still a complete wuss, although I never really had the confidence to even talk to her. Anyway, she's a definite 9 and one of those chicks who just see through you or never even glance your way. But now I had a weapon to use. I stood facing away from her and looked at her and gave a sly little james bond smile and simply said

Me : "Hey! You went to my High school"

Her: Yea

Me: Still living with your momie? (James bond smile)

Her: (Laughs) Yea just for a while till I get....

Me: (Interrupting) Yea whatever.

Her: (Laughs).

So my laundry's done, I pack and go out to my car. Just as I start the engine she runs out with a piece of paper with her digits!!! Can you believe it?! I do have 1 question: I have Huge approach anxiety. Its all in my head but when I'm about to approach a girl on the street or anywhere my head goes blank and I give myself some lame excuse like " oh I'll keep looking around first" or "I dont want her anyways" you know. What can I tell myself to fix thisor how do I just get these feelings to just piss off. I needa good mindset for approaches Dude! Its Killing me!!

Kian Dublin City, Ireland.

>>> MY COMMENTS: Ahh, the classic "I'm too scared to approach a womanand I keep making excuses for my sorry butt". Well first of all: GREAT job! You pulled a textbook example of how it's supposed to be done. Playing hard to get, busting her balls, being a challenge, teasing,... the works! But let me tell you that the BIGGEST mistake a guy can make when it comes to meeting women ... is to NOT DO ANYTHING AT ALL! If you don't act, you lose! The quick answer to eliminating fear is actually very simple: You have to REDUCE the fear and make it smaller every time you approach a new woman until it's gone completely.

Here's how to do this:

A) Get more comfortable at approaching womenby getting loads of practice. If you've never doneit, no wonder you're scared. So you better start now!

B) Don't think of it as an approach, think of itas you becoming a natural at TALKING to people. Wheneveryou pass a woman, just open your mouth and say "Hi" andsee how she reacts.

C) ALWAYS (!) have a great line as backup whenyou are about to freeze after the "Hi". There's LOADSof examples in my newsletter, my website and my books. But the REAL secret of approaching women is toNOT think about it. It's as simple as pie guys. It'snot easy ... (every guy is scared of rejection and doesn'tlike his ego getting bruised) ... but it's a very SIMPLE process. Say "Hi" NATURALLY like you just saw her walkingpast you ... and throw in a one-liner if you can'theat up attraction on the spot. That's it. The more you think, the more you overcomplicate things.Just take any intro line from my website (like the mascaraline) or any other form my books and use it after yousaid "Hey, what's up". For starters, that should do the trick!
'
*** SUCCESS STORY ***

Hey I just want to say I used your line saying letme get your opinion on something. She said sure well Iwas like I heard woman can only put on mascara if theyhave there mouth open is that true? She said not all woman open there mouths then I started talking to her andthen soon I realized we talk for an hours! Before I readyour techniques and followed your tips I didn't know what tosay to her. I was only good to talking to woman the first time Imet her or couldn't even say say hey whats up because I wouldalways freeze up like I dont know what else to say. But this isall changed now, thanks to you Nick! I just want to say I reallylike using your techniques...I can now talk to 6 girls and get 4 numbers so ya I love your style man!

Matthew Johnson
Dallas Texas

>>> MY RESPONSE

Everybody seems to love me these days :) I TOLD YOU it would work! If you haven't triedthis line yet ... jesus! Go and try it right now,TODAY! It works every-single-time! That's your golden ticket to a newphone number right there. Not get yourself to a mall,a bar or a coffee-shop and use it on the first attractivewoman you see. Get her number, arrange a date ... and I'll be waitingfor your success story!

*** QUESTION ***

Hi Nick, thank you for giving me your suggestions aboutattracting beautiful women. I have not downloaded yourmaterials yet. However, I am receiving your free newsletters.I just recently subscribed to your newsletters. Well, here is astory that I would like to tell you. I was working at a financialservice company. While I was working, I decided to take my10 minute break. I went to the break room so that I cansit down. Suddenly, I saw this woman that I like. I haveseen her in the cafeteria plenty of times, but I neverasked her out because I assumed she was married. Thistime I took a chance and made a move. As she was walkingout of the cafeteria, I stopped her while I was sittingdown. I told her what my plans are for tonight. I toldher I am going to hang out on a Friday night and thatshe should come along. I did not ask her out on a date.Your newsletter taught me not to ask a woman out on dates.Instead, I gave her suggestions, and I offered her myinvitation about what I am going to do tonight. Thewoman told me that she had plans for the weekend. Sinceshe had plans for the weekend, I asked her if she wouldlike to go out with me on a Monday night instead of aFriday night. She told me she is dating somebody. I askedher when can she go out, and she said she doesn't know.I asked her why doesn't she know. She didn't answer myquestion, so she just walked away from me. I can tell shedid not have any gut level emotional feelings towards me.I moved on to the next available person. After my 10 minutebreak, I went downstairs. I asked another woman out the sameway I asked the first woman. She also told me she had a boyfriend. Does that mean she doesn't know me better to accept my offer? What should I have done to make her respond positively?When she said she was dating somebody, does that mean she is not interested in me?How do I break a women's barrier when she say's "I have a boyfriend."? Norm B,South Florida>>> MY RESPONSE Please don't make me use my WIMP-bat and whack youover the head with it. Look, I said you should NEVER ask a woman out ... that's true.But I also said that if you want to arrange a get-together witha woman ... you need to make sure she's ALREADY attracted to you. Do you get that? She needs to feel that gut-level feeling BEFORE you tell hershe should hang out with you. I mean why on earth would she want to see you? You haven'tpushed NONE of her emotional buttons yet! You didn't make her LAUGH! You didn't make her WANT you! You didn't present yourself as a CHALLENGE! You didn't bust her balls! The list goes on and on ... to sum it up: YES, you are a WIMP!She even gave you numerous hints that you are one. Here, look: She told you she was dating somebody/has a boyfriend. If she wasattracted to you, she wouldn't mention him ... even if she had one. She can't see you because she is doing something else. Obvious excuse,because if she WANTED to see you, she would rearrange her plans or makea counter-offer. You asked WHY she can't see you, and she walked away. You are justthrowing on fire here. She isn't attracted, she got annoyed becauseyou acted liek such a nice-guy and wimp ... and walked away. You didn't ask her out like all the other nice-guys do ... butyou forgot to get the attraction going. If you can't do that, every woman will STILL see you as a wimp and nice guy.

What it takes for a smart woman to succeed

2008-04-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

RIZA MANTARING, chief of Sun Life of Canada’s Asia-Pacific information systems division, has the combination of brains genes and the passion for excellence. And the impeccable timing of entry into the lucrative IT industry.

As a child, she wanted to be an architect, then a doctor, then a writer. Born to parents who were both Chemical Engineering professors and board exam topnotchers, she didn’t know at first what course to take and thus tried to follow her parents’ footsteps.

“I quickly realized I didn’t want to be a chemical engineer. At that time, interest in computers was just starting to pick up and it seemed like a great course to take, so I shifted to Electrical Engineering (one of the only two girls in her batch), which was the closest course to Computer Science, which no one yet offered, at that time. So I’m obviously very far from my original dream, but no regrets,” Mantaring says.

But her parents couldn’t have been any less proud. After graduating as valedictorian of her high school class in the all-girls St. Scholastica’s College, she graduated from UP Diliman cum laude in 1982 and proceeded to get her MS in Computer Science at the State University of New York.
“I never realized it as a child, but my parents really drove the value of excellence into us without making us feel pressured,” Mantaring says. “We had a very simple childhood, very few luxuries but we always had a lot of books, which is probably why we all did very well academically. We had our first TV, a tiny black and white set, when I was nine years old,” she reminisces.
The eldest of five children, she and her siblings were also encouraged by their parents to get involved in whatever caught their interest. So while she admits she was a bit of a nerd in school, she wasn’t bereft of extra-curricular activities.

“At one point in high school, I was probably a member of almost all the clubs. My sister graduated valedictorian of her batch, but she was also a medalist on their track team,” she says.

Career start

Mantaring started her career as a computer programmer at Computer Information Systems (CIS). When she got her first job, her father gave her the book “Passion for Excellence” -- which has obviously been her personal battle cry since then.

At that time, CIS was “the” place to work if you wanted to be in IT, she says. Fresh from graduate school in the US, she was only too glad to be surrounded by brilliant minds.
“My first bosses were very smart, and working with them and the rest of the people around me immediately set pretty high standards of job performance for me. The atmosphere was quite good, challenging but with great camaraderie,” she says.

It was this atmosphere of excellence in CIS that she would later try to recreate in Sun Life.
Her next job was also in IT, as part of a group which had spun off from CIS. She was initially lead designer of a system being built for a multinational IT firm to sell commercially.

“And that was really a tough project. The platform was unfamiliar, but we had to deliver on time or we risked losing tons of money and all future contracts with them,” Mantaring says.
She was pregnant with her second child then but still working long hours.

“I was already in labor but was still in the office trying to finish test plans, until I finally stood up at lunchtime and said I had to leave because I was giving birth,” she recalls.

“That caused quite a panic in the office! I just had time to go home, shower, go to the hospital and was immediately wheeled to the delivery room. I gave birth just three hours after I left the office!”

Forty five days after giving birth, she was back working for 16 hours a day Mondays to Saturdays and even going in to work on Sundays.

“At that point, I decided I wasn’t going to stay in that kind of job much longer. I had a family to raise and I barely saw my son for the first few months of his life,” she says.

With Sun Life

When she started in Sun Life in 1983, she basically had to figure everything out as her team was setting up a shared services group supporting IT for Asia.

“We had no models to follow. When I think back sometimes, some of the things we did were probably quite risky, but all of us were quite young then so we just forged ahead with the boldness of youth and luckily, we succeeded.” she says.

She also thought she would have a less taxing job when she joined Sun Life.
“But I soon discovered that wasn’t the case. My husband says, though, that I would never have a relaxing job because I would drive myself and everyone around me,” she says.

From this company, she learned to better deal with foreigners and to be more assertive, having to deal with people in the regional and corporate offices of this multinational company.
What she says she likes most about Sun Life is its strong corporate governance.

“They say you can tell a person’s true character by what he does when no one is looking. That’s the same for companies. Sun Life does what is right, even when no one is looking—pays the right taxes, treats its people well, gives its clients what they are due and more. It is also a company where the atmosphere of excellence is palpable.”

Family bonding

Outside of her hectic office schedule, Mantaring enjoys sports with her husband, who is also an engineer (they have been married for 23 years) and her three kids, who are all in college now and all athletes. The youngest, 18, has won several medals representing his school in swimming in the NCAA.

“They are also all highly adventurous and very well rounded. And best of all, they’re all good kids, they treat others well and they do a lot of outreach activities even as students,” she says.
The proud mom also says her children are all top students holding leadership positions.
At one time or another, Mantaring herself has taken up golf, bowling and badminton regularly. Nowadays, however, she has very little time for anything but regular workouts, three to four times a week.

She also enjoys reading, surfing the Internet and traveling with the family.
“Traveling is probably our only real luxury. We’ve even gone on adventure trips quite a bit—hiking, rapelling, whitewater rafting, and have done things like jumping off a bridge, walking on hanging bridges,” she says.

The family tries to have dinner every night, even if it’s very late.
“We have great conversations with the kids, and now that they are old they can be as diverse as how the market is moving and what subprime is all about to the ZTE deal, who we think will win in the PBA, NFL or NBA, to who we want to win the Democratic nomination in the US, to what’s happening in campus elections.”

She says it wasn’t easy balancing home and family when the kids were younger as she and her husband both had challenging jobs. Fortunately, they had a good support system.

“When my husband and I both had to travel at the same time, my parents took in our kids. I also have a helper, Emma, who’s lived with us for almost 20 years, and she has been a gem in terms of running the household,” Mantaring says.

“Despite our schedules, however, we made sure to always be there for our kids in the important occasions in their lives. You don’t want your kid to be the only one in class with no parent at a school activity!”

“We also set aside time for vacations every year—traveling was not only educational for them, it also allowed us to bond with no distractions around us,” she says.

At one point, she decided not to be active in extra-curricular organizations so she could spend whatever free time she had with the kids.

Aspirations

“I guess you just have to decide what things really matter and spend your time on those, because you just won’t have time for everything,” she says.

Asked what it takes for brilliant women to succeed in the corporate world, Mantaring says: “It’s the same as for males—work hard, do your best, always act with integrity, treat everyone with respect no matter what their level in the organization, follow the Golden Rule—do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

“Work as if you’re not afraid to lose your job, because then you do what is right rather than what is convenient or expedient,” she says, noting that she never planned to be an “executive.”
Mantaring had been into situations in the past where a supplier was threatening to get her fired if she cut their contract, because his boss was a golfing buddy of the CEO. But the CEO backed her up, realizing that her team had studied it carefully and was shifting technologies for the right reasons.

For her, it’s also a must to always sharpen the saw.

“Always keep trying to improve yourself and continue to learn because the world never stops progressing. What I knew when I started out, or even just 10 years ago, is now obsolete.”
“I’ve been raised to always do my best in whatever I do, and I realize when you do that then the rewards come naturally.”

She also considers herself lucky working in organizations that were fairly nonpolitical and promoted people for talent and accomplishments regardless of sex.

And for someone who has accomplished so much, there’s no sign of slowing down.
“I used to think I’d retire early, but then I see my dad, he’s 80 and he’s still working (as a consultant) and in many ways I think it has kept him young. He recently had an operation and his recovery time was remarkable -- he was back at work less than three weeks after the operation. Amazing, given his age!”

So where shall Mantaring be in the next 10 to 20 years?

“I think I’d like to be like him, still working but maybe no longer in as demanding a job. I’d like to teach, and hope that someone will hire me. I’d also like to do some consulting. I feel that I’ve learned a lot and would like to be able to give back by teaching and helping others.”

Some Good Alternatives to Rice

2008-04-23T17:03:00.000-07:00

With the rising prices of rice, experts have found a good way for Filipino households to keep up with the spiraling cost of rice nowadays. There are actually eight good (if not better) food alternatives that they can set on their tables instead of the calorie-rich staple, according to a crops expert.

Dr. Jocelyn Eusebio, director of the crops research division of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development, is suggesting cassava, sweet potato, taro, potato, tugui, nami, saba banana and white corn as crop substitutes, which are in fact "cheaper and more nutritious."

Eusebio made the recommendation on Wednesday during the monthly press briefing hosted by the Department of Science and Technology in Quezon City.

Although Eusebio said the country has not been facing a rice crisis, she stressed that Filipinos could still tap a wider range of food choices to take care of their nutrition.

While rice could contribute 53 percent of energy, 37 percent of protein and 29 percent of iron to the body, one could get adequate amounts of nutrients from the eight "neglected crops," Eusebio pointed out.

"They are cheaper to produce and buy as well. Even households could plant them in their backyards," Eusebio said.

She noted the sufficiency of the country’s supply of these crops to significantly reduce hunger.
Planting materials can be sourced from various government agencies such as the Visayas State University- Philippine Root Crops Research and Training Center, Bureau of Plant Industry and the Department of Agriculture.

In 2006 alone, the country has produced 2.29 million metric tons of saba, which is a good source of protein, potassium, calcium, carbohydrates, fats, calories and fiber, according to Eusebio.
The banana variety, which accounted for 34 percent of the total banana production two years ago, is widely grown in Region 11, Region 12 and the Cagayan Valley.

Eusebio also noted an increased demand for white corn in the Visayas and Mindanao regions, by 38 percent and 42 percent, respectively from 1990 to 2003.

White corn, an energy-dense food mainly harvested from the fields of Mindanao, gives more calcium, beta carotene and protein than rice, according to the crops expert.

A major product in Mindanao, Bicol, Eastern Visayas and Central Visayas, the cassava gives 145 kcal per 100 grams. Eusebio pegged the production cost at P1 per kilo.

Taro or "gabi," nami (wild yam), tugui and potatoes are also good sources of carbohydrates, giving 78 to 110 kcal per 100 grams of each root crop.

But Eusebio admitted that there must be an intensive advocacy for these food alternatives in order to relieve the Filipinos' dependence on rice.

DOST Secretary Estrella Alabastro agreed, saying that it would take time to convince Filipinos to shift from rice to these crops. "We can't change their food habits overnight... it needs a lot of advocacy," she added.

In the same press conference, weather experts announced that the weather would be favorable for agriculture, particularly for rice production and predicted a "generally" normal rainfall in the next five months.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Administration Services (PAGASA) predicted normal to above normal rainfall from May to September.

"There is a favorable outlook for agriculture, particularly for rice production," said Dr. Prisco Nilo, Pagasa director, noting that there would be a lull of the monsoon rains for a few weeks in July.

But he added that the amount of rainfall would still be within the normal range. The Pagasa predicted the onset of the rainy season between the middle of May and the first week of June, with the start of the southwest wind pattern in the first half of May.

Nilo placed the peak of the rainy season in July and August and expected the monsoon to end by the end of September, in time for harvest.

The weather bureau is expecting a maximum of 15 tropical cyclones in the next five months, with three or four in September.