Capt. Flauvee's Turf

xinnian cuai lah.

2012-01-27T18:51:00.000-08:00

I have no idea where i am... but i will keep on fighting.

Lord grant me strength. forgive those who has done wrong. they dont know what they are doing.

NBA LIVESTREAM

2011-12-27T19:17:00.001-08:00

http://www.livesports30.co.cc/

Pilaterun

2011-12-12T06:22:00.001-08:00

Ask any marathon junkie, and chances are he or she will extol the benefits of running. And why not, when running is easily one of the most affordable, fuss-free, and popular ways to get in shape?
But what they don't tell you is how running can be physically more damaging than other sports like swimming or cycling.
Pauline Leong, principal physiotherapist at the Department of Physiotherapy, Singapore General Hospital, warns that by the time joggers realise that excessive running is doing more harm than good to their bodies, they would have sustained injuries that require costly and painful treatments.
"Often, these patients think the pain — especially to their joints — is part of the rigour of the sport," says Pauline. "What they don't realise is that as the injury worsens, so do their chances of recovery through simple rehabilitation."
Injuries are just the tip of the iceberg. There have been well-publicised cases of otherwise healthy joggers having a sudden heart attack while pounding the pavement. Some have even resulted in death.
Related article: Sudden cardiac death: Are you at risk?
Still, the benefits of running far outweigh its health hazards.
For Pauline Leong, it's about knowing the health risks that are associated with running, and how to mitigate them. "More importantly, it's about knowing yourself and being realistic about your run targets," she adds.
Here are some hazards of running, and the steps you can take to prevent them.
1. Joint problems
Nothing feels the impact of your runs like your joints. They are compressed with every step you take. If you overuse them, they become inflamed, painful and sore. This can lead to serious long-term joint disorders if left unchecked.
What you can do:
"The right running shoes can help absorb some of the strain on your joints," suggests Pauline. "They act as shock absorbers, cushioning some of the impact from your feet as they hit the ground." So if you plan on running regularly, be prepared to spend more on a quality pair of shoes. You need to change your shoes after about 300-400 miles (approx. 500-650 km) depending on your body weight and running style. Picking the appropriate shoe for you foot type is also important. There is no one shoe that fits all. Your knees and feet will thank you.
Related video: Causes and treatments of joint wear
2. Shin splints
A common affliction among runners, shin splints cause searing pains up your shins. In essence, it is a result of weakness and tightness in the muscles that attach your foot to the lower part of your leg. And it usually occurs to those new to running and those doing long distance running without the proper training.
What you can do:
Stretch well after every run, advises Pauline. "This lengthens the muscles and allows you to generate maximal forces through the shin muscles". Pain beyond the normal muscle aches post running should be investigated as it could indicate stress fractures or other shin injuries. Rest and recovery is important if you regularly do long runs.
3. Back problems
Proper running posture is important to keep back problems at bay. Strong core muscles will help you maintain good posture.
What you can do:
Be sure to stretch well after every session. Pauline adds: "Stretching lengthens your spine and separates the vertebrae, easing some of the compression caused by running." Pilates is also a good way to lengthen and strengthen your spinal muscles. It improves the range of movement in your lower back, and may help you cope better with your runs.
Related video: Causes and treatments of lower back pain
4. Muscle tears
Due to the frequency and stresses placed on the muscles, runners may be prone to muscle tears. Over-training without proper rest can make one more susceptible to muscle tears. Cross-training and stretching will help prevent this.
What you can do:
As shortened muscles may be prone to muscle tears and pulls, always stretch properly before and after your runs. Pauline explains: "This gives your muscles maximum flexibility and reduces the risk of tears." Cross train by doing other activities like swimming and cycling to prevent overuse. This trains other muscles not targeted through running.
5. Dehydration
Dehydration increases muscle fatigue and exhaustion. Early signs of dehydration include increased thirst, nausea, dry mouth, and headache. If you're feeling light-headed, or experiencing cramps, chills and disorientation, these are signs of major dehydration. You need to continually hydrate. Do not wait till symptoms occur before drinking. It will be too late!
What you can do:
Always ensure that you are always well hydrated before every run. Pauline says: "Drink as much as five litres of water a day to replace lost nutrients during a long run."
6. Heart attack
Running places huge demands on your cardiovascular system, which requires increased levels of oxygen intake to keep you running. If your arteries are clogged or restricted, your body won't be able to keep up the oxygen supply to your heart. This leads to a heart attack. It can hit even healthy runners, typically due to a previously unknown heart condition.
What you can do:
Before you take up running or any other form of physical activity, have a physician clear you for strenuous activity (even if you are healthy!). Pauline explains: "The physician will be able to determine if you have any underlying heart problems which may be exacerbated by exercise." Keep to a low-fat diet and gradually increase your running to prevent a sudden strain on your cardiovascular system.

HONGKONG

2011-12-03T18:54:00.001-08:00

Feed me, Hong Kong
By Boboy S. Consunji (The Philippine Star) Updated December 04, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (0)

Hutong foyer: You know you’re in for a life-changing dining experience when you see the drama of old China and the Hong Kong nightline peeping through the windows.
| Zoom
MANILA, Philippines - We’ve read all too often the old Proust line about how the real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new places but in seeing with new eyes. I only had less than a week for a break and the default choice was Hong Kong. It’s close to home. I have visited it many, many times, but have not experienced it as the culinary capital of Asia. Feed me, Hong Kong was my battlecry.

Hong Kong was also a natural choice because it had always been the best place to lose myself and affirm myself as well. I had long realized that travail came with travel, when going overseas. I’d always end up physically tired. The aimlessness, the geographical uncertainties, the certainty of running into some hazard wear me down. And I love that. Hong Kong fulfills all that. It also tells me that, while I enjoy having sand all over my feet in an island down south, I enjoy more being in a crazy urban setting. It’s who I am.

The traveler in me wants to shake up the complacencies that living in the more comfortable side of Manila have gagged him. I rarely take public transport. It’s a pain to walk more than two blocks. I don’t sample cheap food. Hong Kong ungags me from those bourgeois restrictions.

So here’s a lowdown on our HK food trip. Thanks to my best pal James Reyes who’s good with maps, I was able to visit most of the restaurants on my list. I had a week to research and prepare the list. You should do the same if you’re in for a culinary adventure: seek the places out with a precise navigator, not enter a restaurant on a whim. Plus, take late lunches or early dinners because all the great places that don’t accept reservations will always be full. Allow time for getting lost, which can actually be fun. The unfamiliar alleys foster local color, humour and great shopping finds.

For our first dinner, we headed for Yuen Kee Restaurant on Kimberley Road, off Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. Yuen Kee was an ideal first stop in my list. It was a short walk from our hotel on a cool late November evening (20 °C).

Yuen Kee is a decades-old chain known for its roasted goose. We ordered that along with braised beef with vegetables. The taste of the goose and its crisped skin was unbelievable good. It wasn’t greasy and gamey at all. It also smelled as good as it tasted. It had an after-taste that I didn’t want to get rid of. You can just have goose and be really happy. The price of the meal, soda included, was just under HK$50.

After dinner, we wanted to have a few drinks which we would usually have in the posh Lan Kwai Fong district. But it was late for a train ride to HK island. So we kept walking and searching for a bar until we chanced upon Knutsford Terrace. We never knew it existed because we rarely stayed in Kowloon before. We thought we were lucky to be staying in that part of HK. Kowloon has a great alternative to Lan Kwai Fong in Knutsford.

Hidden behind the buildings in Kimberley, Knutsford is a terrace street filled with bars and restaurants. Only pedestrians are allowed on the strip which is perched high on Observatory Hill. The bars are mostly themed Italian, Japanese, Indian, Mid-eastern, and Southeast Asian. We settled for Wildfire Grill which had a lone empty table in its al fresco section. The tall glass of draught was great, yet pricey (as in all other HK bars); the conversation with the animated Filipino waiter Sonny from Tondo, most engaging.

From Knutsford, off we went to 7/11 for cheaper beer — Blue Ice Beer. We missed San Miguel’s best beer brand, and HK still has sells it. That’s one more reason to love HK.

Our second day brought us to Horizons in Ap Lei Chau or Aberdeen Island (take Bus 590 from Admiralty). This was a retail adventure and must be the subject of another piece. Let me just say it’s pure retail heaven: 23 floors offering literally everything: home furnishing, books, children’s toys, Joyce, Dries van Noten, Comme des Garcons, Marni, Yohji Yamamoto, Vivienne Westwood, Jimmy Choo, MaxMara, Paul Smith, Armani. Everything that’s beautiful, priced much less than in other stores.

I had to tick off another not-so-pricey restaurant from the list after contributing to Miuccia’s coffers. From Admiralty, we hopped the train to Central for Luk Yu Teahouse, said to be the most famous dim sum place in HK. Luk Yu is a swankier and neater version of Ma Mon Luk on Quezon Avenue. Named after the 8th century tea master Lu Yu, this tea house transport you to old Hong Kong with its marbled floors, stained glass windows, huge scrolls and black fans spinning lazily. The place was packed, the middle-age blasé waiters were all over the place, the kitchen was noisy, the dishwasher was banging pots, pans and plates– all good signs for a Chinese eating place. The dim sum, fried spring rolls with bamboo shoots, chicken in curry sauce didn’t disappoint.

After Central, we headed back to Tsim Sha Tsui for a break from eating, by shopping in our favorite clothing store Another. In Another, there wasn’t any lumberjack-inspired fashion which was the current trend. That was a relief.

I was hoping to visit Lau Sum Kee Noodle House, the Michelin-rated but inexpensive noodle house in Sham Shui Po. But I had been wearing the wrong footwear all day. I dreaded going through the MTR again, wading through the packed streets of Kowloon, unsure of where to find Lau Sum. We chose the nearest seafood and noodle place near our hotel. It wasn’t on my list but I was happy just the same.

At Aberdeen Fishball & Noodles Restaurant, we had braised beef with dry noodles, roast chicken in soup with Shanghai noodles, and fish skin. Unpretentious. Comfort food. Super cheap. Wonderful, wonderful fish skin.

On our third day in HK, we thought we should get nourishment of a different kind, one that feeds the soul: the art in the Hong Kong Museum of Art. We’d always see that huge structure by the harbor but never bothered to check out. If you thought art and HK don’t go together, try visiting the Museum even for just an hour. We were lucky to find Wu Guanzhong’s exhibition. Wu was the father of modern Chinese art, and the first Chinese to exhibit at the British Museum. His work was breathtaking. He combined the Western techniques of oil painting with traditional Chinese brushstrokes and calligraphy. I liken my experience with Chinese art to HK’s famous Peking duck: it’s rich, expertly carved/made, you’d like to bring it home, it takes the Chinese touch to make it distinctive and memorable, it’s hard to replicate. Of course, it’s just as filling.

In keeping with the day’s ‘art’ theme, we booked ourselves a table at Hutong (28/F 1 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui). We knew that dinner at Hutong would be very pricey so the day’s shopping expenses were kept to a minimum. Our friend Sandy Higgins of Slim’s insisted that we save up for Hutong: It’s a must for art directors, ad agency people, or anyone in the arts. Sandy was right. Hutong was just stunning.

A hutong is an alley in an ancient Chinese courtyard. The restaurant version is a stylized recreation with red lanterns as the sole bright accent in a seductive and muted setting. The splendid view of Hong Kong from the 28th floor is what you mostly pay for. It felt like being in a period Zhang Yimou movie.

Some friends warned us that the menu wasn’t as good as the interiors. I thought otherwise. I love Northern Chinese cuisine, and Hutong was all about that. I wanted real Sichuan adventure so I asked for the spiciest thing on the menu: Soft-shell Crab topped with Chili. We ate all the crabs but had to down scoops of Ben & Jerry’s in Knutsford to literally let off steam. The crabs went well with pig’s throat-and-leek salad and some dry noodles which weren’t on the menu. Would I go back to Hutong? Absolutely, as long as I’m not paying.

Our last full day was spent dining in familiar places. We chose to end the adventure into unfamiliar culinary land with Hutong. That was too good to top. So lunch was at Din Tai Fung (Silvercord across Harbour City), also our default Chinese place in Shanghai and Singapore. We had our favorite Xiao Long Bao, steamed chicken and porkchop over rice. We then crossed the street to Harbour City for Lavazza coffee and green apple pudding with vanilla ice cream at Spasso Italian Bar on the mall’s roof deck.

For our last night in HK, we made plans for Da Ping Huo in the Central. The place serves a 12-year-old 12-course Sichuan meal in a hidden private kitchen on Hollywood Road. But we had to cancel. With 12 courses, there wouldn’t much time for shopping for footwear. After all, HK is the citadel for fabulous footwear, other than food.

So we had McDonalds on our last night, after finally getting the shoes I liked in Granville (yes, Inday, the strip that was once famous for knock-offs and cheap viajera merchandise has been made-over as a funky shopping haven). After 4 nights of re-discovering Hong Kong, with our guts and souls nourished to the max, we had to take it easy. The service by the charming elderly fastfood crew was quicker. The McDo burger seemed yummier. Maybe, I’m just biased for Hong Kong.

2011-11-26T22:50:00.000-08:00

calculations

2011-11-21T23:11:00.001-08:00

The science of sexy
Burning calories alone is no guarantee to weight loss
By: Anne A. Jambora
Philippine Daily Inquirer
1:08 am | Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
3share22 16
The science of sexy is really simple. Your body stores as fat excess calories consumed that aren’t burned. Increase your activities, or add an activity into your lifestyle, and you’ll burn calories.
The amount of calories you’ll burn will depend on the intensity of your activity, of course—
running will burn more compared to walking, for instance.
But burning calories alone is no guarantee to weight loss. To lose a pound of fat, after all, requires you to burn 3,500 calories on top of what you normally burn doing what you usually do every day.
Everybody burns calories everyday, regardless of lifestyle. You burn calories sleeping, sitting, reading, eating, breathing. So even if you’re sedentary, you are burning calories. They’re just not enough to burn that extra cookie you had for lunch today.
When those unspent calories from extra cookies pile up over time, you fool yourself into thinking that your clothes are shrinking.
Burning 3,500 sounds like a lot. Calories burned from running, for instance, is 75.6 cal/mile for a 120-pound person. (Formula from Runner’s World: .63 x your weight equals your net calorie burn per mile.)
That’s why the best way to rid yourself of excess fat for the long haul is to make small and doable lifestyle changes one at a time.
Dual-action drink
According to Angeline Go, Del Monte product manager, Fit ’n Right, which debuted in 2007 with L-Carnitine, is now improved with the addition of GCE (green coffee extract). Go said the new Fit ’n Right is now a dual-action drink to aid one’s weight loss journey.
“The L-Carnitine magnifies the impact of exercise, and the GCE blocks the build-up of fat,” Go said.
A natural ingredient from unroasted green coffee beans, GCE partially blocks the body’s absorption of sugar, thus cutting your daily calories. Less calories means lesser chances of it being stored as fat.
Go also said clinical studies show that daily consumption of GCE results in a significant fat-loss compared to L-Carnitine alone. If coupled with an exercise program or activity, it can aid you in burning even more calories.
“The caffeine in GCE is part of what promotes weight loss, but the amount of caffeine is not that high,” she said.
A 330-ml bottle contains 40 mg of caffeine, less than the caffeine in a can of soda and 1/3 of the caffeine you drink in a cup of coffee. That means you cannot use Fit ’n Right as substitute for your energy drink. Go recommends drinking a 330-ml bottle of Fit ’n Right everyday on top of an exercise program or activity.
“When exercising, monitor your heart rate. Your heart rate is like your gas gauge. If you monitor that, you’d know if you’re pushing yourself too hard or exercising too slow,” said fitness expert Raul Banzon.
Safe zone
Banzon, whose brother collapsed and died from cardiac arrest minutes after crossing the finish line during a full marathon race, warns against pushing yourself too hard. He said if people stayed within their bodies’ limits, perhaps tragedies such as that which struck his brother can be prevented.
Before exercising, know your maximum heart rate, Banzon said. This is determined by subtracting your age from 220. Your target heart rate, the safe zone for your heart to keep on exercising, should be 60-75 percent of your maximum heart rate.
You don’t need to buy a fancy Polar HRM to know your heart rate. Find your pulse, count the beats for 10 seconds, multiply that by six and you get your heart rate. If you count the beats for six seconds, multiply that by 10. To get an accurate result, use the clock as timer.

roberto KINGPIN

2011-11-21T00:16:00.000-08:00

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=750128&publicationSubCategoryId=86

Wealth is not his that has it, but his that enjoys it. — Benjamin Franklin

Is the 74-year-old Roberto “Bobby” V. Ongpin guilty of illegalities or a financial genius? Alphaland/PBCom/PhilWeb boss and former Marcos-era Trade and Industry, he recently agreed to a no-holds-barred interview with the Philippine Star. The Harvard-trained Ongpin was grilled on Nov. 14 by senators on allegations he got P660 million in behest loans from the state-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), which he used to buy Philex Mining stocks for resale to Manny Pangilinan. He denied this and other accusations.

Though from a socially prominent family of Chinese immigrants, the family fortune was gone by the fifth generation and Chinese mestizo Bobby Ongpin had to go to school at the Ateneo on a scholarship. He was the youngest chairman of SGV Group and second youngest Cabinet minister of President Marcos, during which he had 22 bodyguards. His P56-billion wealth, as estimated by Forbes, is self-made, making him reputedly the ninth richest person in the Philippines.

Philippine STAR: You seemed very confident during the Senate hearing.

ROBERTO ONGPIN: My friends said I did well…

Is your wealth or net worth US$1.3 billion according to Forbes magazine?

Why should I tell you?

Is the magazine accurate?

It is nowhere near $1.3 billion, but how I wish Forbes was right.

Your 424-hectare Balesin island off the east coast of Luzon, from whom did you buy that?

No, I don’t have it, it’s actually owned by Alphaland Corporation of which I’m chairman. Do you remember Ed Tordesillas, he was my Trade Undersecretary, he used to own the island.

How did he acquire that island?

Ed used to work for Baby Ysmael and he bought it from the latter in the 1950s. The Ysmaels used to be in steel and other businesses. Ed runs a little resort there, but he didn’t have enough money to expand it. He died four or five years ago, then his family sold the island to me two years ago.

How does it compare to Boracay?

Balesin is half the size of Boracay, but also half the distance from Manila. It’s on the Pacific Ocean side, it has seven kilometers of beautiful beachfront.

Is it true what I heard, that you own a castle or a vineyard in Europe?

What? A castle? Again, I wish I did!

I heard you own many houses?

I have 14 houses, but mostly here in Metro Manila, although I spend half my time abroad where I do a lot of business.

What about a vineyard?

No, I don’t have a vineyard.

You own a house somewhere in Italy?

My wife lives in Tuscany, Italy.

(Research showed that Ongpin owns a 500-year-old villa in Tuscany)

You travel to Europe often, I like that continent and I think Czech beer is the best in the world, not German beer.

No I disagree, Wilson, the best beer in the world is not Czech beer, but San Miguel beer. I’m a director of San Miguel, so I have to be faithful.

Are you also buying control of San Miguel as your next corporate move?

I’m just part of a consortium called Top Frontier, with Iñigo Zobel and Butch Campos, and we are shareholders in San Miguel.

So you’re not taking over or have such plans?

Ramon Ang controls San Miguel with Danding Cojuangco.

What are your opinions on Ang and the way he’s changing San Miguel?

Ramon Ang is an excellent manager and strategist, he turned it around on its head from a food and beverage company into a conglomerate involved in infrastructures and many other major industries. He’s brilliant because he thinks San Miguel already controls 95 to 98 percent of the Philippine beer market, and the only way to grow further is through population growth, so walang kuwenta (it’s futile).

So the diversified San Miguel is much better now and more profitable?

Now San Miguel is into energy, toll roads, mining and of course San Miguel controls a major share of Meralco although Manny Pangilinan has a larger share. But we also own Caticlan airport, which we’re going to develop and expand with substantial amounts of real estate. We also control MRT 7. You know the biggest subsidiary of San Miguel is Petron, and the food and beer businesses now constitute only less than 20 percent of San Miguel revenues, therefore the growth potential is tremendous.

In your controversial Philex and DBP deal, you’ve dealt with MVP. Your impressions?

Bobby Ongpin: One of Marcos’s brilliant Cabinet secretaries also had the most colorful private life. And is now embroiled in allegations involving Mike Arroyo and DBP. “I never borrowed a single cent from government, ever, but only this DBP loan because they asked me… because banks want good borrowers.”
MVP is a very astute businessman and very good strategist. All of them are my friends. I’ve known Manny since his Hong Kong days as an investment banker.

How did you come to acquire that building in Makati along Edsa highway, which is now Alphaland?

That was a derelict building for many years. I would see it every time I come from the airport. Once when I picked up my business partners from Ashmore Group, they asked me: “What is that abandoned building?” After I explained what it was, they said to me: “Let’s buy it.”

Who used to own it and why was it abandoned for so long? I heard the Silverios used to own it?

It was foreclosed by, I believe, PNB (Philippine National Bank), then it was auctioned off by the APT. You remember the Asset Privatization Trust?

Yes, APT used to be headed by banker David SyCip, I interviewed him just before he died, brilliant guy.

The winner of the APT auction for that building was the family of Poch Puyat and Ed Reyes, they kept it as an investment. For 25 years it was derelict.

I think the Reyes family matriarch was a sister of former Senate President Eugenio Puyat, Jr., they used to own Premiere Bank.

They’re related, I think.

By the way, is it true that you’re not on good terms with your former boss, SGV Group founder Washington Sycip?

No comment.

I also heard either Wash SyCip didn’t invite you to his birthday party or you didn’t want to attend?

Did he tell you that?

Why do you think you have done well — as SGV chairman, Marcos-era technocrat and now a billionaire?

Hard work, just hard work.

I heard you met Saddam Hussein of Iraq. What about Libya’s Moammar Gaddafi?

I was only 44 when I met Saddam. Gaddafi I did not meet.

Your great-grandfather Roman Ongpin was a supporter of the Philippine Revolution, any family tales about him?

He owned El ’82 in Binondo, it was selling painting supplies for artists. He was patriotic, he wore a barong tagalog every day.

Your late grandfather Alfonso Ongpin was a top art collector, do you collect paintings too?

No, I do not collect art.

You own Tabacalera?

No, I own it together with Shangri-La Group’s Robert Kuok.

Who are the top three business people on earth that you admire?

Gua na lang (Hokkien for “Me na lang”).

Since you’re director of Shangri-La, I presume you admire Kuok of Malaysia?

Yes, Robert Kuok is very much a business visionary and a true believer in China. He was the first overseas Chinese to put in so much investment in China when other tycoons were not yet around. He put in US$150 million in China in 1979.

How old is Robert Kuok?

He just turned 88.

He’s the same age as Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew.

They were classmates before.

What is the secret to his good health?

Hard work.

How did you become a friend and trusted adviser of Robert Kuok?

I first met him in 1970 in Kuala Lumpur, when I was setting up an SGV office there.

I read that Robert Kuok is a top capitalist in Malaysia, while one brother of his was a communist rebel killed by the government?

His second brother William was a communist revolutionary killed by the British in the jungles of Malaysia.

Any other impressions of Robert Kuok?

He’s very close to his mother.

Any impressions on some Philippine tycoons?

John Gokongwei Jr. is very well-read, unquestionably smart. He’s probably one of the few self-made tycoons who understand derivatives. Gokongwei studies. Henry Sy is also admirable, he’s got very good instincts and is very hardworking.

Another famous person I heard linked to your name was the late Anna Nicole Smith, I heard you’re a playboy and had an affair or fling with her?

Who told you that? Why are you asking that kind of question, are you Ricky Lo?

So you had a fling with Anna Nicole Smith?

I have two claims to fame. I’m the only person I know who met Saddam Hussein three times and who also knew Anna Nicole Smith when she was 18.

Where did you meet her?

In Houston, Texas.

When was this and how did you meet her?

It was in the late 1980s, after my government stint. My friend Tony Fung and I went there. There was the REIT (real estate investment trust) crash in Houston, Texas in the late 1980s, so many apartment buildings were for sale then, and Anna Nicole Smith was one of our rental agents.

So Anna Nicole Smith became your mistress, or girlfriend?

No (smiles), hit and run only.

Was she already into showbiz?

She was totally ordinary then, not yet a celebrity.

Who are the local and foreign celebrities you’ve had romantic liaisons with?

Huwag mo ng tanungin (Don’t ask anymore).

Who among our Philippine actresses do you consider most beautiful?

I’m often abroad so I don’t know most of them.

Not a single beautiful actress you can name?

I know only Lovi Poe, because she was recently on the cover of a magazine that also featured me in the same issue, that’s all.

I heard you had lots of girlfriends through the years?

Tama na iyan (That’s enough).

Okay, let’s go to the real reason for this interview. You kept denying that DBP granted you a behest loan, but what about Solicitor General Joel Cadiz saying you committed insider trading?

Bullshit!

So you say there was no insider trading by you, DBP executives then and others on Philex stocks?

There was no insider trading… Just read my statements all over the newspapers, I even have full-page ads about their false accusations.

By the way, you’re a friend of MVP and have dealt with him. Would he make a good president of the Philippines?

I think he would, but I don’t think he would ever want to be.

Speaking of the presidency, you claim you’re a victim of persecution in this DBP issue, maybe because you supported Manny Villar’s presidential bid instead of Noynoy?

No, I always support everybody.

So you donated also to Noynoy Aquino?

I don’t give financial contributions during elections.

Are you fronting for the alleged ill-gotten billions of Mike Arroyo and/or his wife Gloria Macapagal Arroyo?

It’s getting a bit tiresome. I already denied that allegation. They keep saying that I’m fronting for Mike. Sabi nga ni Ramon Ang (Ramon Ang in fact said) he fronted for me.

Ramon Ang was your front?

Joke lang iyon ni Ramon Ang (It’s just a joke of Ramon Ang).

So you are not even indirectly a front of Mike Arroyo and GMA for money laundering?

No… I resent and am most upset by false statements like that. Never have I fronted for Mike Arroyo in any transaction, public or private, directly or indirectly… I have never denied that Mike Arroyo is a friend. Mike is a true gentleman who has been my friend long before his wife became president and he will continue to be my friend no matter what.

What about Ashmore Group being a front for the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the Arroyos, since Ashmore does business in developing nations with lots of corrupt politicos?

The speculation that the Ashmore Group, which I represent in the Philippines and which has assets under management in excess of US$50 billion, is somehow involved with me in being a front for Mike Arroyo is simply presposterous! I challenge you or anyone to show proof otherwise.

You were mentioned by Lee Kuan Yew in his interesting book From Third World to First: The Singapore Story, he said he refused your asking for a new $300 to 400 million loan?

After Ninoy Aquino’s assassination in 1983, we were in crisis and we were then running out of money. I was sent by President Ferdinand Marcos in one day to three leaders of ASEAN. There was a plane assigned to me. I left here at 6 a.m. in the morning. The first stop was the Sultan of Brunei, he’s a friend. I told him that I had a personal letter from our president seeking a loan, the Sultan met me and lent us US$150 million. Then I flew to Kuala Lumpur. Dr. Mahathir of Malaysia was one of my original old friends. He told me: “We’re not as rich as Brunei, but I can lend you US$50 million dollars.” Then I flew to Singapore. Before I even started explaining, Lee Kuan Yew told me he knew why I was there, he also already knew how much each of the two other ASEAN leaders had lent, and he said he couldn’t lend us money. Lee Kuan Yew and President Marcos were good friends, and intellectually they’re probably at par with each other.

Why didn’t he lend you money?

Lee Kuan Yew said: “I have seen videotapes of the funeral of Ninoy Aquino. Your country is going through a catharsis.” Honestly, I didn’t know the exact meaning of that word “catharsis,” I had to look up the word in the dictionary later on. He said: “I know what you are here for, what you got from Brunei and from Malaysia. I’m not going to lend you.” I replied to him: “I don’t want to waste your time…” He said, “No, sit down.” We talked for three hours. I left at 7 p.m. He’s not used to people arguing with him; because I disagreed with him that’s why he remembers that meeting with me. At the end of our conversation he said: “Please tell the President sorry I cannot lend you.” And he also said: “I enjoyed talking to you. You’re a very bright young man.”

So Lee Kuan Yew is one leader whom you admire?

Lee Kuan Yew is a very straightforward guy, I greatly admire him. There are many similarities between Lee and his former classmate Robert Kuok.

You’ve met so many colorful personalities…

I’ve had an interesting life.

After all these many years, how would you assess President Ferdinand Marcos?

Marcos was, I believe, a great leader of our country. Critics say he was a dictator, he was a bad guy and all that, but I do not agree. I believe history will judge President Marcos more fairly.

Why do you think so?

Are you old enough to remember EDSA 1? Do you see old videos of that televised scene when his military generals led by Fabian Ver were urging him to attack the protestors on EDSA? President Marcos then said: “You will not fire on the crowds. You will not fire on our own people.” People should put that in perspective. The critics keep saying Marcos was a bad guy, that he destroyed democracy, etc., but to me he will always be a great man.

You knew Marcos well?

I worked closely with him. I not only respect him, but I will also always love that man.

What about accusations that he and his wife amassed ill-gotten wealth through corruption?

Marcos was a simple man. They say he stole money and most especially his cronies. All of that is probably true, but you’ve got to balance that with the fact that he could have been an Assad, a Gaddafi or a Mubarak, leaders who fired at people in the streets. What Marcos said to his generals about never firing on the crowds, that was on TV. It is sad that people forget.

How was Marcos as a boss, was he strict or stern?

Marcos was a very kind-hearted man.

Did you have disagreements with President Marcos?

Of course, I would argue with him a lot, but only in private.

How did you become part of his cabinet? Were you friends?

I didn’t know him. Actually when he invited me to meet him about the possibility of joining his cabinet, my interview was supposed to be only 15 minutes, but it became three to four hours.

So you immediately accepted his offer to join the cabinet?

No.

Why not?

I said to President Marcos: “I can’t join your government, because I’d bring embarrassment to your cabinet.” He asked me why, I told him: “I have a very complicated private life. I told him that aside from my children with my wife, I also have a child with a German girlfriend. President Marcos said: “Those things don’t bother me.”

(Ongpin has two children by his wife, plus a daughter by his German girlfriend, and a son by his Australian girlfriend.)

You were the youngest cabinet official of Marcos?

I was 42 years old then when I joined the cabinet, but the youngest was former Press Secretary Kit Tatad, but he was only one year younger than me.

I heard that the Marcos cabinet was said to be the best in terms of quality of leaders?

There were many outstanding leaders in the cabinet. For example, then Labor Minister Blas Ople, he was an intellectual. I admire him.

I was a student when Ople had a short rift with President Marcos. I think it was because he said there would be an “interregnum” if Marcos passed away and no clear successor. I interviewed him that day in his house, and Ople told me maybe he would just retire in Penang, Malaysia to read and to write the rest of his life.

Why Penang, why not his native Bulacan? He was a nationalist, very well-read, very thoughtful. Ople didn’t even finish college but was brilliant.

Your late brother Jaime “Jimmy” Ongpin was also an achiever like you and served in the cabinet of President Cory C. Aquino as finance secretary. Was there sibling rivalry?

No, never. We both went to Harvard. Do you know that my Chilean/Italian wife and his future wife Maribel were roommates in the US? Jimmy was a year behind me at Harvard. After college, he went to work for Allen & Co., like Mar Roxas… no, my brother brought Mar Roxas to Allen & Co., one of the leading investment banks in New York, very blue chip.

How was it you’re in the Marcos Cabinet when your brother Jimmy Ongpin was an outspoken critic of Marcos?

He felt Marcos was not a good leader of the country. I was high profile in the Marcos government, so the media tried to make us sabong (to clash or duel like in cockfighting).

You say that Marcos was a great leader, but your late brother Jimmy Ongpin said he was a bad leader. Between the two of you, who is correct?

That’s a silly question.

If your late brother was correct, then you are wrong? Your case reminds of the Abad Santos brothers during the time of President Quezon, his justice secretary then was Jose Abad Santos (who would become chief justice and chose death rather than collaborate with the Japanese invaders), and a Communist leader in Central Luzon was his brother Pedro Abad Santos.

My brother Jimmy was just a simple, highly-principled guy. He was a very serious guy.

Are you very different?

The story is told that Jimmy had a black book; his black book was filled with the names and contacts of the best restaurants in the world. I also have my black book, but it is filled with girls (laughs).

Was your brother Jimmy Ongpin right or wrong on President Marcos?

He believed that the country should be governed by another leader.

Why are you close to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo?

GMA, one of the things that is very ironic is that with every past president, I brought in foreign investments. It was in fact during the time of Cory Aquino, whom I knew the least and had met only once, that I brought in the most foreign investments to the Philippines like the Shangri-La hotels.

Other presidents I know like FVR. Erap, I’m very close to, because we grew up together in San Juan. Erap was one president of this country who was unfairly treated. That guy is very popular, people still love him. On GMA, she is one president whom I knew the least.

You were not close to GMA, you have not met her often even socially?

About five times I had met her siguro (maybe) during her nine years as president.

But you don’t deny being close to Mike Arroyo?

Mike Arroyo is a good friend.

Is he very corrupt?

He’s a very nice guy. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion.

You say that the DBP loan to you was not a behest loan, but doesn’t your being close to Mike Arroyo make it believable that the state-owned bank had somehow favored you?

I never borrowed a single cent from government, ever, but only this DBP loan because they asked me… because banks want good borrowers.

But the loan was approved by this government bank in only one day…

You’re not listening. You should let me finish my sentence… I never needed to borrow from them… They made it like… I do not even need their money in the first place. The total amount of financing I organized over a three-year period was approximately P4 billion and I dealt with a total of six banks, in addition to Ashmore.

Some people suspect your investment funds come from the Arroyos.

My business partner is Ashmore Group of London, which has over over US$50 billion in funds.

You protest your innocence and say all these government charges against you are false. Are you discouraged by all these?

No, this is par for the course. I’ve fought many battles before.

Last question, I researched that as a kid you considered becoming a priest?

Yes, after high school, I contemplated going to the seminary to become a Jesuit priest, but I figured it doesn’t work for me, because you have to celibate (laughs).

SO FUCKIT up

2011-11-08T01:53:00.001-08:00

Foo fighters K's Choice The Afghan Whigs Blue October Blur Bush Death Cab forcutie earlynovember Chevelle Everclear Imogen Heap Hum Jimmy Eat World Marcy Playground MCS Nada Surf Nirvana Pinback Silversun Pickups Smashing Pumpkins Stereophonics TBS The Verve Pipe weezer Hole Yeah yeah yeahs We Are Scientists Thesecret machines modest mouse the postal service My Vitriol Local H and more..
The Starting Line. The Best Of Me

neverending

2011-10-26T23:08:00.001-07:00

We all go through setbacks and depressing situations in our personal and professional lives that put our families, friends, jobs and businesses in a precarious situation or serious challenge. As a result, we undergo persistent psychological stress, our hope becomes depleted and our will to move on gets hampered. Take the recent Basilan clash between Moro rebels and the Philippine Army’s special forces in which 19 soldiers were killed, the series of crimes involving family members, the increasing number of suicides among Filipinos, the political bickering that gets more heated by the day, the endless traffic experiments, potholes, detours and roadblocks, poverty, the inefficiencies in government and deteriorating family relationships. These are just a few of the things that make us feel bad and suck our optimism.

We shouldn’t allow pessimism to get the better of us, and Price Pritchett’s book Hard Optimism comes in handy to provide direction. It connects us to unyielding hopefulness as it presents guidelines on how to manage our minds to advantage. Pritchett brought science to the whole concept of optimism using a research-based set of mental practices from the new field of behavioral science called “positive psychology.” He said, “Positive thinking is important, but non-negative thinking is the essence of hard optimism. The secret is to manage the way we explain situations to ourselves, especially when we experience failure, difficulties, uncertainty, or loss, but also as we encounter opportunity and success.” The tome is peppered with generous servings of passages and helpful insights.

• The mind is everything. It’s all about the mind. (Donald Trump) An outlook of positive anticipation invigorates us and calls out our potential. It amplifies our responsiveness to opportunities. There is a science to optimism. It can be learned. With practice we can develop it, much like any other skill. Optimism is a huge asset. And as such, optimists get paid more, are healthier, win more competitions, live longer and are better at dealing with doubt and change.

• Attitudes are more important than facts. (Dr. Karl Menninger) Which is more important, what’s happening to us at a given moment, or how we’re handling and responding to the situation? We can’t always have power over what the world brings our way, but we’re free to direct our ideas and dispositions. This gives us the opportunity to rise above trials and tribulations. We live with a shifting assortment of experiences, things that run from good to bad to uncertain. But regardless of how life treats us, optimism is the psychological trump card that helps us win.

• What the caterpillar calls a tragedy, the master calls a butterfly. (Richard Bach) That’s the power of a positive perspective in play, and we’re urged to develop (and adapt) to the descriptive fashion of optimists, who view bad events as transitory occurrences that are sure to be trailed by better times. Instead of getting swamped in the marshland, optimists leave the negatives behind and march forward. For good events like success in the workplace, optimists take personal credit for causing favorable outcomes, saying, “We succeeded because of our traits or special abilities.” Pessimists, on the other hand, declare, “We just got a lucky break.”

• Bad news chases good news away. (An old saying in the newspaper business) US News & World Report reported, “People today are 10 times as likely to suffer from depression as those born two generations ago.” Likewise, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently pronounced that depression is, at present, the world’s fourth most debilitating condition behind heart disease, cancer, and traffic accidents, and is predicted to become the second most debilitating condition worldwide by the year 2020. Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power. Pessimism can only survive on a diet of unhappy and unenthusiastic thoughts. Stop feeding our mind with dark elements, and witness how our lives immediately brighten.

• The door to hell is locked from the inside. (Kurt Vonnegut) Pessimism creeps up on us in 4Cs: concern, complaining, commiserating or criticizing. When we’re in any of these four modes of thought, we’re mentally filtering our experiences to dwell on the negative. If we have concerns, change our inner voice from “problem talk” to “solution talk.” If we’re slapped with the urge to gripe or complain, put it on hold until we’ve scanned for a “good news” side to our situation. Defy the inclination to commiserate with others. Partaking in other people’s off-putting outlooks just siphons off all the optimism around us. We will be more helpful if we turn their attention toward more productive activities. Or help fix the warps in their thinking. Or maybe just modify the topic.

• No sense being pessimistic. Wouldn’t work anyway. (Seen on a bumper sticker) Adversity is part of life. When it hits, our innate response is to focus on the 3Ds: the dangers, difficulties and downside. Nothing wrong with that per se, but as the initial shock wears off, we need to give equal time to the upside. Shift the spotlight away from what’s troubling about the situation, and search intensely for what’s potentially good. Use positive reappraisal to handle problems and disappointments. With it, we are able to create space for optimism and nurture hope, as we become more resilient and less vulnerable to the cruel realities of the moment.

• Hope helps move us in the direction of our goals and ambitions. (Dr. Charles R. Snyder, University of Kansas) Make hope a habit. It is an emotional force that points the imagination toward the positive. It is an energizing and mobilizing power towards action. Hope springs eternal, but we cannot count on it to “just happen.” We can deliberately develop hope through mental focus. Practice it like a professional athlete would, armed with a relentless discipline and a fierce determination to improve.

• Defensive pessimism channels the anxiety into troubleshooting efforts. (Dr. Julie Norem) Studies show that, in some situations, pessimism helps us see things more accurately. Some of us cope with anxiety by using an approach that Dr. Norem, a research psychologist at Wellesley College, labeled “defensive pessimism.” It involves a three-step process: setting low expectations, presuming things might turn out poorly, reviewing worst-case scenarios, and mentally rehearsing how to handle the problems. The process enables us to get actual mileage out of our worry, but it can also get on other people’s nerves and give the impression that we lack confidence or ability.

• It is astonishing how short a time it takes for very wonderful things to happen. (Frances Hodgson Burnett) Life always gives us a choice. We can focus on what’s wrong or what’s right. Whichever one we feed our attention to will grow. The one we tend to ignore will wither, weaken and die. We can choose to occupy our minds with anger, or we can forgive other people, situations, and even ourselves. We can empty our minds of these emotional poisons with a grateful attention to things that are wonderfully right. Practice gratitude and forgiveness. And optimism will follow.

• Anything we’re good at contributes to happiness. (Bertrand Russell) Try to shape our work such that every day brings out our best potential. We’ll get a lot more benefits out of recognizing and utilizing strengths than we can from trying to overcome weaknesses. As authors Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton of Now, Discover Your Strengths explained, “We must remember that casting a critical eye on our weaknesses and working hard to manage them, while something necessary, will only help us prevent failure. It will not help us reach excellence. We will reach excellence only by understanding and cultivating our strengths.”

• Now … here … this. (Dr. Richard Keefe) We can use this three-word sequence to help us calm ourselves, to concentrate and bring everything within our being to bear on the task at hand. Golfers have a way of embracing the importance of such an idea flow. When they play they have to be with the present shot, not the previous one or the one coming up. Then they need to shut out the noise and distractions, quiet the mind and direct their attention purely on what needs to be done and what they want to see happen. When we lose ourselves in what we’re doing, negative thinking disappears. Pessimism gets crowded out because we’re mentally consumed with what we are happy doing.

• Optimism is the attitude of champions. (Julia Cameron) We can’t change history but we can change our thinking. And recently scientists have proven that our mind can literally change our brain. William James, dubbed the father of modern psychology, said, “If you want quality, act as if you already had it.” Behave the way we want to feel, and our overall experience gravitates toward alignment with our visible actions. We become what we pretend to be. It is not becoming a fake. It means taking care of ourselves.

Life is an unending journey of hurdles, but of fruitful completions, too. We get better and better, as we fail (and fail fast), learn from the failure, pick up the pieces of brokenness, succeed (and succeed some more). Of course, we’ve had moments of tears and joy, triumphs and defeats, but no one can rob us of the free will to avoid sadness, dread and negativity, and lead our lives to happiness, passion, and hard optimism.

Tips of a JOB steve

2011-10-16T17:34:00.001-07:00

Steve Jobs and the 7 Rules of Success

By Carmine Gallo | Entrepreneur – Fri, Oct 14, 2011 2:36 PM EDT
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Steve Jobs' impact on your life cannot be underestimated. His innovations have likely touched nearly every aspect -- computers, movies, music and mobile. As a communications coach, I learned from Jobs that a presentation can, indeed, inspire. For entrepreneurs, Jobs' greatest legacy is the set of principles that drove his success.

Over the years, I've become a student of sorts of Jobs' career and life. Here's my take on the rules and values underpinning his success. Any of us can adopt them to unleash our "inner Steve Jobs."

1. Do what you love. Jobs once said, "People with passion can change the world for the better." Asked about the advice he would offer would-be entrepreneurs, he said, "I'd get a job as a busboy or something until I figured out what I was really passionate about." That's how much it meant to him. Passion is everything.

2. Put a dent in the universe. Jobs believed in the power of vision. He once asked then-Pepsi President, John Sculley, "Do you want to spend your life selling sugar water or do you want to change the world?" Don't lose sight of the big vision.

3. Make connections. Jobs once said creativity is connecting things. He meant that people with a broad set of life experiences can often see things that others miss. He took calligraphy classes that didn't have any practical use in his life -- until he built the Macintosh. Jobs traveled to India and Asia. He studied design and hospitality. Don't live in a bubble. Connect ideas from different fields.

4. Say no to 1,000 things. Jobs was as proud of what Apple chose not to do as he was of what Apple did. When he returned in Apple in 1997, he took a company with 350 products and reduced them to 10 products in a two-year period. Why? So he could put the "A-Team" on each product. What are you saying "no" to?

5. Create insanely different experiences. Jobs also sought innovation in the customer-service experience. When he first came up with the concept for the Apple Stores, he said they would be different because instead of just moving boxes, the stores would enrich lives. Everything about the experience you have when you walk into an Apple store is intended to enrich your life and to create an emotional connection between you and the Apple brand. What are you doing to enrich the lives of your customers?

6. Master the message. You can have the greatest idea in the world, but if you can't communicate your ideas, it doesn't matter. Jobs was the world's greatest corporate storyteller. Instead of simply delivering a presentation like most people do, he informed, he educated, he inspired and he entertained, all in one presentation.

7. Sell dreams, not products. Jobs captured our imagination because he really understood his customer. He knew that tablets would not capture our imaginations if they were too complicated. The result? One button on the front of an iPad. It's so simple, a 2-year-old can use it. Your customers don't care about your product. They care about themselves, their hopes, their ambitions. Jobs taught us that if you help your customers reach their dreams, you'll win them over.

There's one story that I think sums up Jobs' career at Apple. An executive who had the job of reinventing the Disney Store once called up Jobs and asked for advice. His counsel? Dream bigger. I think that's the best advice he could leave us with. See genius in your craziness, believe in yourself, believe in your vision, and be constantly prepared to defend those ideas.

Carmine Gallo is a communications coach, a popular keynote speaker and author of several books including The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs and The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs. His latest is The Power of Foursquare (McGraw-Hill, 2011).

David Guetta - Just A Little More Love OFFICIAL VIDEO + Lyrics

2011-10-11T02:42:00.001-07:00

C'mon C'mon. The strong survive

Stanford in a Job's way

2011-10-06T00:30:00.000-07:00

The phrase "end of an era" is often overused, but today, it perfectly captures the shock and sadness of learning that an icon and genius has passed away at age 56.
Steve Jobs is dead.
It's still hard to believe.
Like many Pinoy netizens, I found out about the shocking news first on Twitter, and as you might expect RIP Steve Jobs is currently the number one Trending Topic. People have also been tweeting that he is now in iHeaven, which explains why this is also one of the top Trending Topics.
Apple's homepage now shows its legendary co-founder's photo, linking to this page where the company is encouraging people to share their thoughts , memories and condolences to rememberingsteve@apple.com
It's a testament to his genius that the death of Steve Jobs transcends the world of technology. He made technology cool, and allowed people from all over the world to accept and embrace it as part of their lives. It was OK to be geeks, and the geeks and the cool kids could be one and the same.
On the Yahoo! Philippines Twitter account @yahooph, we asked Yahoo! Philippines readers to share their thoughts about his life and death.

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-inbox/time-limited-paying-tribute-steve-jobs-030646516.html;_ylt=AmG4E7skySdGp1tZEbWGD2IFWMd_;_ylu=X3oDMTQ1N2plYjdoBG1pdANGZWF0dXJlZCBCbG9nIFBvc3RzBHBrZwNhZDRlMjc2OS0wNmM4LTNhODQtYmYxYi1iMDU4ZjZjOWI0ZGYEcG9zAzEEc2VjA01lZGlhRmVhdHVyZWRMaXN0BHZlcgM0ZGRhYmUyMi1lZmU4LTExZTAtYjc4MS03OGU3ZDFmNTg1M2M-;_ylg=X3oDMTJ0MGpwYmppBGludGwDcGgEbGFuZwNlbi1waARwc3RhaWQDZDhjYzBlNGQtOTFiOC0zNDU1LThkNDktODYyNzJiOWMxMWUxBHBzdGNhdAN0ZWNobm9sb2d5BHB0A3N0b3J5cGFnZQ--;_ylv=3

NATHANIELS

2011-09-29T00:28:00.000-07:00

Eat's hometown food favorites at Marquee Mall

Susie’s Cuisine, home of native kakanin since 1972, has a convenient new store at the Marquee Mall.
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In our country’s not-so-distant past, the town plaza was the main place where members of a community gathered to socialize, celebrate, or simply shoot the breeze.

Things have changed since then. Although the town plaza still remains an important gathering place for the community during certain parts of the year, people head for the malls the rest of the time. And why not? With so much to do and see in the modern, well-planned, and climate-controlled spaces, today’s malls have become convenient places for entertainment, shopping, dining, and even culture.

For those who want to sample Pampanga’s famous cuisine, there is Marquee Mall just off the Northern Luzon Expressway. As the new home to several of the area’s most popular homegrown dining outlets, Marquee Mall in Angeles City showcases some of the province’s enduring and edible treats.

Pasalubong treats from Susie’s Cuisine made more accessible

“Marquee’s location makes it easy for travelers to make a quick stop for pasalubong shopping,” says food entrepreneur Glenn Yabut of Susie’s Cuisine. ”In the past, they would sometimes be discouraged by the idea that they would have to travel too far from the main highway.”

Susie’s Cuisine, is named after Susie, Yabut’s wife. It best known for home-style native kakanin made the old- fashioned way. The venture, started by Yabut’s mother-in-law Anicia Ayson in 1972, is a place where delicious native kakanin are carefully made the old-fashioned way.

“We have stayed true to tradition and continue to make our kakanin without shortcuts,” says Yabut. He relates that since he and his wife took over the management of Susie’s Cuisine in 2000, the food has grown to 11 branches from the original store in Nepo- Mart. That first store’s specialty of tibok-tibok (P450 per bilao), or rice pudding made with carabao’s milk and topped with latik remains immensely popular to this day. For the EAT Dining Festival with The Philippine STAR, Ayala Malls and BPI that runs until Sept. 30, this has been designated the Star Dish and is renamed Umaatikabong Tibok Tibok.

Other favorites from Susie’s Cuisine are the mochi, or finger- shaped glutinous rice cakes with a sweet mung bean paste filling, sapin sapin or a colorful layered rice cake, and leche flan (egg custard.) Their palabok sprinkled with crunchy bits of chicharon is likewise a favorite.

Halo halo is the Star attraction at Kabigting’s

“When I was young, the original Kabigting’s was in a rented house in Arayat town close to where we lived,” relates Benjie Miranda. He adds, “I was a great fan of their halo halo. In fact, whenever friends or relatives visited, I always urged them, ‘Let’s eat at Kabigting’s Halo-Halo.’ I never got tired of it.”

Benjie Miranda is now married to Irynne Kabigting, eldest daughter of the couple who formulated the original Kabigting’s halo halo. “My parents- in-law encouraged me to go on with the business,” he says. Currently, they have seven stores and look forward to building more. “We work many hours but the effort is worth it because this venture has improved our lives. We are happy that people continue to enjoy our food. That is our greatest fulfillment.”

“Other fast-selling items in our outlets are the pancit luglug and arroz caldo,” continues Benjie. He looks forward to expanding the menu in the future, but is definite that Kabigting’s halo-halo with carabao’s milk and pastillas will always remain a personal favorite.

Since the Kabigting halo halo’s popularity was first fueled by a feature written by lifestyle columnist and Pampanga native Claude Tayag in The Philippine STAR, the halo halo has been renamed Kabigting’s Halo Halo Scoop in for the newspaper’s 25th anniversary.

The Old Spaghetti House: Following Pampanga’s culture of excellent cooks & foodies

Putting up a restaurant in a province that is famous for a surfeit of excellent cooks could be likened to selling ice to the Eskimos. But when the restaurant owners are unfazed, and their store is subsequently embraced by a food- loving community, it is entitled to well-deserved respect.

The Old Spaghetti House (TOSH) has branches in Market!Market! in Taguig City and at the Marquee Mall in Pampanga. It is a popular dining destination for families, groups of friends, and couples on dates. With the EAT Dining Festival, diners can also be lucky winners of Samsung products if they choose TOSH’s designated Star Dishes of Star Marinara or Philly-Pine Star Cheese Steak pizza.

“ But what values of your restaurant are reflective of the Kapampangan food culture?” we asked JB Bolanos, TOSH group marketing manager. “This is a culture of excellent cooks and foodies who consider the subject of food as serious business; in fact (some take it to extremes so that) food is an extended member of the family,” he points out. “But in essence, food culture is all about celebrating the value of family through shared enjoyment of good food passed down from generation to generation.”

And just as the talented Pampanga cooks tutor the younger generation in the culinary arts, the TOSH chain of restaurants ensures that the quality of food in their newest outlets are just as good as the rest in the group.

Nathaniel’s is a family effort

With sister Faye Nerissa, Francis Nathaniel Co worked at his family’s business since childhood. “I started to help out at Nathaniel’s when I was 10 years old,” he says.

But while the 25-year-old BS Manufacturing Engineering and Management graduate of De La Salle University admits that the food ventures entail long hours of work, he also recognizes its rewards. “It is always a pleasure to see a lot of customers in our store,” he shares. “I am flattered when I meet new people from far-flung areas who know of us and our products.”

Nathaniel’s began 1994 in the Co family’s old house in San Fernando, Pampanga. “My mom, Nelly, was a simple housewife who knew how to cook. She wanted a small business and started making siopao which was our first product,” relates Francis. “With my dad Fernando, she went around the market to find dealers of our siopao. From 10 buns a day, production grew to 30, then to 100 pieces. By then, my mom was thinking of other products that they could sell so she formulated our pork siomai.” After some missteps, the business grew through word of mouth. Currently, there are three branches of Nathaniel’s, including the store at Marquee Mall.

Apart from the original siopao and siomai, popular food items at Nathaniel’s include macapuno tarts, puto pao (puto with siopao filling), and mochi. Of course, there is the star of Nathaniel’s menu — their version of buko pandan salad appropriately renamed Ang Ma-Star-ap na Buko Pandan Salad for the duration of the EAT Dining Festival. Exactly how good is it? “I can consume half a gallon in one sitting,” says Francis Co. Go figure.

A Singapore weekend with superstar chefs

2011-09-29T00:01:00.001-07:00

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=731957&publicationSubCategoryId=81

Let the food trip begin: The chef at Waku Ghin Restaurant in Singapore
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MANILA, Philippines - Singapore was always on my list when it came to food trips. It’s an easily accessible place via a quick plane ride, great hotels, and most of all amazing local eats everywhere. This food trip, though, was different from our usual Singapore itinerary as our meals voyaged joyously from one celebrity chef restaurant to another. Wanting to make the most out of it, all reservations were made prior to the trip as we took the first flight out at 6 a.m. to reach our lunch date. Accommodations were carefully planned wherein the best way to save time was to stay where these restos were. It’s quite amazing that all these superstar chefs have made Marina Bay Sands their habitat! With a total of five meals for the weekend, we had to make a cuisine priority list making breakfast and merienda optional so it would not interfere with our appetites!

Only the freshest: Japanese abalone with polenta, tomato and garlic cream at Waku Ghin
Friday Lunch: Pizzeria Mozza

The brainchild of Nancy Silverton, Joe Bastianich, and the famous Mario Batali, Pizzeria Mozza opened in LA in 2006. Singapore is not only the first Asian branch but also only their second branch.

After a quick check-in we journeyed through the mall with our tummies grumbling at the thought of hot pizza! We couldn’t resist ordering a few antipasti, especially where bone marrow was concerned. I’m a bulalo lover and the bone marrow al forno did not disappoint — a buttery, rich, melt-in-your-mouth experience served with crunchy bread and roasted garlic. Spoon it on bread with mashed garlic. The fried squash blossoms with homemade ricotta was tasty but forgettable; however, the meatballs and clams al forno with salsa Calabrese was simple yet surprisingly good!

Our finale was the egg, bacon, Yukon gold potato, cipollini and thyme pizza, which was definitely worth the wait! The combination of the runny egg with bacon, potato and that amazing crust in your mouth was incredible. More than the topping, the crust is quite special — chewy and crunchy with salt crystals. It was no surprise that the crust seemed bigger than usual. I’ve always wanted to try pizza with a sunny side-up egg on top that may sound a bit like breakfast, but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!

Friday Dinner: Guy Savoy

With a total of five Michelin stars under his belt — three from Guy Savoy Paris and two from Guy Savoy Las Vegas — it would be no surprise if he earns more stars, especially for his Singapore site.

It was pre-decided before our trip that we were definitely having the Menu Prestige, the signature degustation of Guy Savoy, but our plan quickly rebooted to having what I call our “personalized degustation.” As our server went through the menu, he explained to us that we had the option of having half-orders of anything on the menu, from starters to dessert, since their serving size was not done the usual French way. This was perfect for us since my husband and I are the type to try a variety of things to get the full experience of the restaurant! Before we even began they gave us several amuse bouche to tease our palates. First were pieces of foie gras in between wheat toasts — a great start! Second was a parmesan and black pepper waffle, which was sweet and savory with a hint of spiciness from the black pepper, and third was the spring onion and celery broth with a hint of ginger powder, which was quite refreshing paired with lightly smoked salmon with poached beets.

With much thought we created our own tasting menu starting with Joselito Jamon Iberico that was carved tableside, then the oysters in gelee with two new styles — these are three kinds of oyster dishes: the salad with oyster vinaigrette, the oyster in gelee, which is fresh oyster served cold in this yummy gelee with crème fraiche underneath, and the slightly poached oyster in dashi broth topped with rice crisps, which had an Asian flair.

The Maine lobster “raw cooked” in cold steam were layers of lobster from tartar, carpaccio, and steamed surrounded by a lobster broth, which gave the full essence of the lobster in different textures. Next was the Colors of Caviar — wonderful layers of Oscietre caviar from Russia and Israel topped with caviar sabayon — a dish that truly made caviar the star. I’m glad I only had a half-order because the intense caviar flavor can get a bit overwhelming with its über-rich taste, but it’s definitely a must-try.

Our main course was the roasted veal chop, black truffle potato puree, summer vegetables glazed with veal jus … this was the most tender veal chop I’ve ever had! The veal chop from Holland was so juicy and perfectly paired with the super-creamy yet fluffy potato puree.

We begged off from dessert and cheese as we had reached the level of gluttony, but just as I thought I didn’t have room for anything more, an amazing amuse bouche dessert trolley rolled over to our table, which included jars of cookies, canisters of homemade ice cream, plates of tarts and macarons, pots of crème caramel and chocolate mousse, and bowls of candies! The caramel and fromage blanc ice cream was delightful, but my faves were the raspberry-and-white chocolate and chocolate-caramel macarons.

Flawless service, incredible food, and perfect detailing created an amazing dining experience, and with a handful of cookies and candies, my husband and I ended our first day completely satisfied!

Saturday Brunch: DB Bistro Moderne

By Daniel Bouloud

As another gastronomic day began I already knew what I wanted to order as soon as I woke up. The DB burger has been haunting me for quite some time now … think juicy burger patty with a mouthwatering piece of foie gras in the center surrounded by braised short ribs, wherein the patty is easily thicker than the parmesan bun, making it the center of attention. I’ve enjoyed several imitations but never the original, so you can imagine my anticipation! I literally ate around my burger trying to save the best (foie gras) for last! My husband’s burger was amazing as well; it actually tasted equally good! He had the Frenchie Burger — a beef burger topped with confit of pork belly (yup, a crispy piece of liempo), caramelized onions, Morbier cheese, arugula, and cornichons on a black-pepper bun. The crispy liempo is much better than your typical bacon because it cuts the salt by half, plus the Morbier cheese gave that creamy punch while the bittery-spicy arugula broke into the richness of the whole burger.

We could not be satisfied with just that as we could not resist a half dozen market-fresh oysters as well as fried eggs Lyonnaises with duck confit and mesclun salad — tender pieces of duck confit and potato topped with a perfectly runny egg, making a perfect mélange in your mouth!

Saturday Dinner: Waku Ghin

Tetsuya Wakuda may be missing those stars, but nevertheless he is highly acclaimed and respected by other chefs as one of the top chefs in the world. He’s more known for his Sydney restaurant Tetsuya’s, where the three-month waiting list is no joke ever since he opened in 1989. Waku Ghin is the only other restaurant he has opened, so my husband and I wanted to make sure that we got two of those lucky 25 seats in his Singapore eatery!

Their “no menu” degustation is quite intriguing; they rely on what’ s fresh and available daily before they create the unique 12-course meal. The brilliant bar-style seating makes it much more fun and interactive as we are face-to-face with our personal chef cooking each of our dishes with its dizzyingly wonderful aroma enveloping our senses and heightening the anticipation. The chef does the plating as well, describing each element he adds to create a stunning dish, a real work of art!

We started with the succulent Cotton Bay oyster with ginger and rice vinegar — one piece was definitely not enough but it was a good teaser for what was to come. The marinated botan ebi with sea urchin and Oscietre caviar was oh-so-rich but extremely crave-worthy with a cold poached egg yolk in the center of it — I would have licked the urchin shell if it weren’t for the other people dining!

Next was the beginning of a long list of warm dishes, opening with the grilled anago with steamed foie gras and zucchini — a piece of zucchini layered with velvety foie gras and topped with sweet anago created a symphony of flavor with each bite. The pan-grilled Japanese abalone with polenta, tomato and garlic cream was super-tender and buttery in taste, while the braised Canadian lobster with tarragon was like an amazing deconstructed bisque. The sumiyaki of Tasmanian grass-fed beef tenderloin was enjoyable but the Japanese Ohmi Wagyu roll was to-die-for! Served with Maitake mushroom, freshly grated wasabi, and ponzu sauce, the Wagyu melted in my mouth while the flavor was enhanced by the fresh wasabi. Next came the consommé with Japanese rice topped with a lightly grilled snapper, which completed the hot dishes. They served us Gyokuro, which is a rare green tea that was lightly brewed enough to release the umami taste and served lukewarm.

We were then transferred to the dessert room overlooking the bay just in time for the amazing light and fountain show they have at Marina Bay Sands. The last three courses started with the granita of Kyoho grapes — refreshingly satisfying and not too sweet. The Ghin cheesecake was airy and light with a thin sponge cake on the bottom that made me want more, while an assortment of petit fours capped our degustation, an incredible meal that showcased the food philosophy of Tetsuya Wakuda — refined and clean flavors using the highest-quality ingredients influenced by both his Asian heritage and French techniques.

Sunday Lunch: Ippudo

When we were in New York our friends raved about Ippudo having the best ramen in town. Often frequented by the Japanese NYC residents as well as repeatedly featured by known food show host, critic, and writer Anthony Bourdain, Ippudo did not fail to satisfy and actually exceeded our expectations with its Master Broth — slightly thicker than the usual and full of flavor — obviously simmered for long days and nights.

Wanting to recreate our NYC experience, we headed over to the Mandarin Gallery and had to wait in line for a bowl of mouthwatering hot ramen to cap our foodie weekend in Singapore. We started with the Ippudo buns, which is similar to the NYC branch’s Hirata buns — steamed buns with pork and Ippudo sauce, except that the NY version is double the size, and the pork slice is three times thicker and has way more of the yummy sauce. The Buta Supearibu No Pirikarani were braised pork ribs that were incredibly tender and had this sweet and tangy flavor. I had the Shiromaru Motoaji, which is the classic Hakata style of ramen with simmered pork loin, while my husband had the Karaka-Men, which is the ramen with spicy miso broth and ground pork. Both ramens fulfilled our cravings. Though it was not as good as the New York outpost, it still had that Ippudo taste, which kept us satisfied!

With so many restaurants and not enough meals, our weekend definitely needs a part two. Not only did we eat our way through Singapore but it was also our five-month-old son’s first trip, so for us, our weekend was definitely one for the books!

Architecture

2011-09-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

Jun Palafox builds memories of Dubai, Paris and New York
CITIZEN OF THE WORLD By Edu Jarque (The Philippine Star) Updated September 18, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (0)

Captive bonding: The Palafox family — Jun, Wilma, Katrina and Philip — that cruises together, stays together aboard a cruise liner, Celebrity Eclipse.
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As a young, raring-to-go sacristan, Felino “Jun” Palafox Jr. would rise at the break of dawn to ring the Spanish iron bells of the historic church of Sarrat in Ilocos Norte, where he would serve the parish priest in the first celebration of the Holy Eucharist of the day.

He studied at Christ the King Seminary in preparation for the priesthood. But he soon realized it was not his calling. He enrolled and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture at the University of Santo Tomas, followed by a master’s degree at the University of the Philippines, as a United Nations Development Program scholar in Environment Planning.

Together with his young wife, whom he met at a Mendiola rally, and their eldest daughter, he found himself packing their bags and headed for Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where as a Filipino he joined other nationals that helped dramatically transform the once- traditionally-bound desert country into the modern, bustling metropolis we know and emulate today.

From then on, there was simply no stopping Palafox, the architect and urban planner, environmental planner and development consultant.

A Palafox is a Palafox is a Palafox: The Palafox couple in their late 20s with their preschool daughter Katrina in front of Cine Palafox along Calle Palafox in Madrid, Spain.
Rich in experiences money couldn’t buy, Jun looked forward to returning to our shores upon the invitation of mall tycoon Henry Sy, and became the leading consultant for several real estate projects of epic proportions.

He likewise joined Ayala Land Incorporated, where as an architect and urban planner he handled projects such as Ayala Alabang, Ayala Heights and the Cebu Business Park.

Just before he turned 40 years old and found himself at life’s crossroads, he decided to establish his very own company, Palafox Associates.

Achieving the goals he set through the years, the firm became the number-one architectural company in the country within 10 years. Within the next three years, it became the top firm in Southeast Asia. Recently, Palafox Associates ranked 94 in the much-coveted roster of the leading 100 global architectural offices.

Among his works are commercial and retail projects such as SM and Robinsons Malls, residential estates such as the Las Casas de Cola Buena in Cavite, the real estate development of Rockwell Center, and high-rise buildings like Rizal Tower and Amorsolo Square in Makati City. He is likewise responsible for the planning of environmental parks, golf communities, and the conceptual master plans for towers, urban centers, provinces, and even islands. Believe me, the list goes on and on, not to mention what the firm has achieved in countries like the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and the United States.

In an earlier interview, the hands-on Palafox, who continues to work close to 20 hours a day, 24/7, admits he is “passionate about his advocacy for a well-planned Philippines, thus making it a more safe and secure, more livable place to be.”

Inspire the inspired: The then up-and-coming architect and urban planner soaking it all in within the ruins of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.
However, he laments that his vision “remains out of reach.” But he is not one to give up for he truly believes in the Filipino.

PHILIPPINE STAR: After traveling for 35 years, what do you remember most about your first trip abroad?

JUN PALAFOX: I was 27 years old when I left for Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where I was hired and named urban planner for the Municipality of Dubai. I initially stayed at the Carlton Hotel for two weeks before eventually transferring to an apartment building together with engineers from the UK. Since my wife Wilma and daughter Katrina didn’t follow for another five weeks, naturally I had to do the household chores. I remember being watched by my officemates — all residents in the same building — going over the manual on how to operate the washing machine.

What won’t you leave home without?

My rosary, eyeglasses, mobile phone, and camera.

Describe your present passport photograph.

I look a bit older in my new passport photograph.

How do you pass time at airports?

I read the books that I usually bring with me every time I travel. I likewise visit airport bookstores, browse through books and magazines. I purchase those I find useful and informative to add to my office library for my staff.

Who are your ideal traveling companions?

My wife Wilma and my children Katrina, Karina and Philip.

Architect’s dream: June and Wilma across the iconic Burj Al-Arab, the world’s only seven-star hotel.
What is the first thing you do upon checking in at a hotel or resort?

I immediately request for hotel and destination brochures. I thoroughly review how best to see the city comprehensively in the shortest time possible.

What would you consider a must-do activity in every foreign destination you visit?

Study how the area was planned and how it evolved, taking into consideration the history and architecture, the arts and culture, the cuisine and its tourist attractions.

Describe your most memorable trip.

A number of trips come to mind. One would be the first around-the-world tour with my wife in 1978. Starting from Dubai, our itinerary included exciting stopovers in Athens, Amsterdam, Paris, London, New York, San Francisco and Honolulu. By the time we landed in Manila, we had flown over the two huge bodies of water: the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Our final destination was our temporary base in Dubai.

The other memorable trip was when I took my wife and the children — the first time we were all complete on an European holiday — to a 14-night Scandinavia and Russia cruise, which was truly unforgettable. Before embarking at Southampton in the United Kingdom we took a side trip to Paris, which I consider to be an “almost perfect” city. We were also impressed by Lyon due to its rich history and significant role during the medieval ages in Europe. The cruise took us to Bruges, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Copenhagen and Stockholm. Oh, yes, from St. Petersburg we joined the group that toured Moscow. The cruise was a great family bonding time. It provided us time to relax, discover new places and everything that it offered. After the cruise, we found time to visit Stonehenge and enjoyed London for another two days before finally going back home.

What a dish: A younger Jun in an Arba dishdash in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
What do you miss most when you’re away from home?

I miss my family when I travel alone. Now that all our children are adults, I bring my wife on three-day or longer trips, most especially where visas are not hard to acquire. Believe it or not, I do miss the day-to-day activity of work.

What is the best travel advice you were given?

I always plan to travel as light as possible for you don’t know what awaits you — delayed or cancelled flights. But I guess that seldom happens, for upon my return from seminars and site visits, I end up bringing home books and brochures.

What is the strangest thing you’ve done on a trip?

I took the Air France Concorde from Paris to New York, where I arrived at 9 a.m. before I had to rush to a meeting at 11 a.m. And yet my hotel room was not ready until 1 p.m., so I attended the conference without freshening up after a flight.

Let’s talk favorites now. Name your favorite city abroad.

It’s hard to single out a particular city. I would say, Paris, for it’s architecture, fashion and food. New York for the many things it offers — a city that never sleeps. I also love Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Name your favorite spot in the Philippines.

Boracay for the beaches, Palawan for the natural beauty and the Ilocos region for heritage, architecture and sand dunes.

Mortarboard moment: Proud parents at Karmi’s graduation from Oxford Brookes University in Oxford, England.
Favorite airline?

Emirates Airlines has never ceased to amaze me on every flight.

Favorite airport?

Without a doubt Dubai, because it has huge business-class and first-class lounges with amenities beyond compare. It’s my favorite hub where I connect to other destinations.

Favorite museum?

The Louvre.

And if you could take home a piece of art, which one would it be?

The Mona Lisa.

Favorite hotel?

The Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco, California, and The Grand Hyatt in Macau, China.

Favorite landmark, building or park?

The Guggenheim in New York City. The Burj Al Arab. It’s the only seven-star hotel in the world. It stands magnificently on the Persian Gulf.

Favorite musical or play?

Meeting of minds: Jack Nicklaus, one of the world’s renowned golfers and topnotch golf course designers, shares his latest project plans with the visiting leading Filipino urban designer at the Nicklaus family home in Florida.
Broadway and West End musicals such as the Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon and Cats.

Favorite mall?

The new malls in Dubai.

Favorite store?

My favorite store is The Sharper Image, as it houses “cool toys for the big boys.”

Favorite restaurant or bar?

Any favorite restaurants or bars frequented by the locals.

Name an event anywhere in the world you would like to participate in?

The Mardi Gras in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

What are your pasalubongs — inbound and outbound?

Outbound: several. As an example, whenever I go to Ho Chi Minh, our clients and friends would always request Magnolia Ice Cream.

Inbound: I usually bring home books and magazines.

What is the worst souvenir you’ve ever bought back from a trip?

I feel bad when I find things purchased abroad that are available in our own local markets.

Ole! Ole! Ole!: Jun happily dances the night away in an over-eight-hour wedding celebration in Alicante, Spain.
Aside from unpacking your suitcase, what is the first thing you do upon returning home?

I check on my family and then take a long, warm shower.

Name a city you have never visited but would like to someday.

The city closest to Mount Everest and many others, including Cairo, Egypt; Petra, Jordan; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Prague, Czech Republic.

Name a country you wish to explore?

It would be Tibet.

What would you say is the best part of travel?

Being in an event, place or city without getting a backgrounder on it, then experiencing what comes your way, like running into an acquaintance or expecting the unexpected.

What is the worst part of travel?

It’s really sad to say, but it would be departing from and arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. It’s an obstacle course, pure and simple. The airport has continued to deteriorate for the past 35 years of my frequent-flying days, while other airports elsewhere in the world continue to improve, expand and modernize.

Global doers and movers: Jun with his classmates at their graduation from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.
If you could reside anywhere in the world aside from the Philippines, where would it be?

It would be Nancy, pronounced “nasi” in French, a city in the northeastern part of France, where the weather is very pleasant. The average temperature is about 10ºC with a high of 24ºC in the summer months of July and August.

By the early 18th century, Nancy had gained a reputation for the arts. Talented French and Italian artists and architects of the Renaissance, such as Jacques Callot, Hieronimo Citoni and Orfeo Galeani not only brought with them their exceptional talents but also served as inspirations for future generations. In 1901, the Ecole de Nancy, a group of artists and architects founded by the glass master and furniture maker Emile Galle, worked in the Art Nouveau style. It was principally their work that made Nancy a center of art and architecture that rivaled Paris.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=728356&publicationSubCategoryId=87

Entrep

2011-09-22T02:18:00.001-07:00

Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is a person who has possession of a new enterprise, venture or idea and is accountable for the inherent risks and the outcome.[1][note 1] The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to launch a new venture or enterprise and accept full responsibility for the outcome. Jean-Baptiste Say, a French economist, is believed to have coined the word "entrepreneur" in the 19th century - he defined an entrepreneur as "one who undertakes an enterprise, especially a contractor, acting as intermediatory between capital and labour".[note 2]

Leadership attributes

The entrepreneur leads the firm or organisation and also demonstrates leadership qualities by selecting managerial staff. Management skill and strong team building abilities are essential leadership attributes for successful entrepreneurs. Scholar Robert. B. Reich considers leadership, management ability, and team-building as essential qualities of an entrepreneur. This concept has its origins in the work of Richard Cantillon in his Essai sur la Nature du Commerce en (1755) and Jean-Baptiste Say (1803 or 1834)[note 3] in his Treatise on Political Economy.

Entrepreneurs emerge from the population on demand, and become leaders because they perceive opportunities available and are well-positioned to take advantage of them. An entrepreneur may perceive that they are among the few to recognize or be able to solve a problem. Joseph Schumpeter saw the entrepreneur as innovators and popularized the uses of the phrase creative destruction to describe his view of the role of entrepreneurs in changing business norms. Creative destruction encompasses changes entrepreneurial activity makes every time a new process, product or company enters the market.

Influences, personality traits, and characteristics

The most significant influence on an individual's decision to become an entrepreneur is workplace peers and the social composition of the workplace. Entrepreneurs also often possess innate traits such as extroversion and a propensity for risk-taking.[2] According to Schumpeter, an entrepreneur characteristically innovates, introduces new technologies, increases efficiency, productivity, or generates new products or services. An entrepreneur acts as a catalyst for economic change and research indicates that entrepreneurs are highly creative individuals who imagine new solutions by generating opportunities for profit or reward.[3]

There is a complexity and lack of cohesion between research studies that explore the characteristics and personality traits of, and influences on, the entrepreneur. Most studies, however, agree that there are certain entrepreneurial traits and environmental influences that tend to be consistent. Although certain entrepreneurial traits are required, entrepreneurial behaviours are dynamic and influenced by environmental factors. Shane and VenKataraman (2000) argue the entrepreneur is solely concerned with opportunity recognition and exploitation; however, the opportunity that is recognised depends on the type of entrepreneur which Ucbasaran et al. (2001) argue there are many different types dependent on their business and personal circumstances.

Psychological studies show that the psychological propensities for male and female entrepreneurs are more similar than different. Perceived gender differences may be due more to gender stereotyping.[4] There is a growing body of work that shows that entrepreneurial behavior is dependent on social and economic factors. For example, countries which have healthy and diversified labor markets or stronger safety nets show a more favorable ratio of opportunity driven rather than necessity-driven women entrepreneurs. Empirical studies suggest that women entrepreneurs possess strong negotiating skills and consensus-forming abilities.[5]

New research regarding the qualities required for successful entrepreneurship is ongoing, with work from the Kauffman Institute forming the statistical basis for much of it.

Types of entrepreneurs

Social entrepreneur
A Social entrepreneur is motivated by a desire to help, improve and transform social, environmental, educational and economic conditions. Key traits and characteristics of highly effective social entrepreneurs include ambition and a lack of acceptance of the status quo or accepting the world "as it is". The social entrepreneur is driven by an emotional desire to address some of the big social and economic conditions in the world, for example, poverty and educational deprivation, rather than by the desire for profit. Social entrepreneurs seek to develop innovative solutions to global problems that can be copied by others to enact change.[6]

Social entrepreneurs act within a market aiming to create social value through the improvement of goods and services offered to the community. Their main aim is to help offer a better service improving the community as a whole and are predominately run as non profit schemes. Zahra et al. (2009: 519) said that “social entrepreneurs make significant and diverse contributions to their communities and societies, adopting business models to offer creative solutions to complex and persistent social problems”.

Serial entrepreneur
A serial entrepreneur is one who continuously comes up with new ideas and starts new businesses.[7] In the media, the serial entrepreneur is represented as possessing a higher propensity for risk, innovation and achievement. Serial entrepreneurs are more likely to experience repeated entrepreneurial success. They are more likely to take risks and recover from business failure.[8]

Lifestyle entrepreneur
A lifestyle entrepreneur places passion before profit when launching a business in order to combine personal interests and talent with the ability to earn a living. Many entrepreneurs may be primarily motivated by the intention to make their business profitable in order to sell to shareholders. In contrast, a lifestyle entrepreneur intentially chooses a business model intended to develop and grow their business in order to make a long-term, sustainable and viable living working in a field where they have a particular interest, passion, talent, knowledge or high degree of expertise.[9] A lifestyle entrepreneur may decide to become self-employed in order to achieve greater personal freedom, more family time and more time working on projects or business goals that inspire them. A lifestyle entrepreneur may combine a hobby with a profession or they may specifically decide not to expand their business in order to remain in control of their venture. Common goals held by the lifestyle entrepreneur include earning a living doing something that they love, earning a living in a way that facilitates self-employment, achieving a good work/life balance and owning a business without shareholders. Many lifestyle entrepreneurs are very dedicated to their business and may work within the creative industries or tourism industry,[10] where a passion before profit approach to entrepreneurship often prevails. While many entrepreneurs may launch their business with a clear exit strategy, a lifestyle entrepreneur may deliberately and consciously choose to keep their venture fully within their own control. Lifestyle entrepreneurship is becoming increasing popular as technology provides small business owners with the digital platforms needed to reach a large global market.[11]

See also

A life for life

2011-09-21T01:19:00.001-07:00

Life according to Ping
COMMONNESS By Bong R. Osorio (The Philippine Star) Updated September 19, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (0)

Lord of the Ping: The tandem books Ping: A Frog in Search of a New Pond and The Way of Ping: Journey to the Great Ocean by marketing consultant and motivational speaker Stuart Avery Gold
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Are you living your finest life, the life of your most profound longings? This is the key question that the tandem books Ping: A Frog in Search of a New Pond and The Way of Ping: Journey to the Great Ocean posits. Both are authored by marketing consultant and motivational speaker, Stuart Avery Gold, and support the belief that one’s “most superb existence” can be attained through a life of option, preference and action, a truism that shouts out to anyone who would care to quiet down and pay attention.

The cover of “Ping number one” says that it is “a parable about adapting to change and overcoming obstacles, while “Ping number two” talks about taking risks and discovering a new path.”

In the genre of The Present, Aesop’s Fables, Who Moved My Cheese, The Little Engine That Could, and my all-time favorites The Little Prince and Jonathan Livingston Seagull, both share the charming story of the life-changing passage of a high-jumping frog named Ping. Peppered with wit and humor, they offer precious nuggets of business and life lessons, and do not make any attempt at downplaying the notion that challenges, obstacles, and out-and-out upheavals are parts of authentic professional and personal living.

“Ping number one” talks about the frog’s setbacks and struggles as he leaves home in search of a new pond. In the process, he meets an insightful owl that mentors him on how to find the real meaning of life and leap to new altitudes. In “Ping number two,” the frog has become the teacher as he shares his past experiences and lessons learned with two young, inquisitive and rebellious frogs as he challenges them to question the certainty of their current state. Let me share some food for thought picked up from Ping. You may consider most of them “nydak” (nothing you don’t already know), but they remain constant reminders of what The Financial Express describes as “the importance of living an intentional life.”

• It’s hard to let go when fear lies in wait inside you. Make the choice to let go of the past, connect to the future, and excitedly launch the great new idea of your life. Have a final glimpse of the surroundings you dearly adore, let go all the wonders of past exploits and make the most precise jump into the greatest adventure of all.

• The dream does not begin unless you do. Don’t just wait for the right time and right place to do something. The very act of waiting actually pushes the desired event away. You must do in order to be.

• Change — authentic change — is unsettling. When change happens, it can create the kind of fear that can take hold of even the most confident of people. Fear of change can grip, grab, and seize you with such strength, it can paralyze you. But only if you let it.

• If the path you travel has no obstacles, it leads nowhere. The “way” is not the path; it is the landscape of the soul that the universe fills with its breath. Within you and without you, it is there for you. Be open to this, and the universe will always lift you up, not keep you down. All else is futile struggle.

• Failure is one of nature’s wonderful teachers. Each failure will be painful and make you cringe and cry and give up in a minute, because that is what failure can do. But just as water effortlessly nourishes all things, failure enriches — it imparts truth and wisdom, insight and knowledge that help you grow.

• Talent comes naturally, while skill must be learned. Talent is incomplete when not aligned with skill. Talent may open doors, but skill will allow you to go through. You must develop both or you will never be a master of your life.

• The flow knows where to go. Go with it. Happiness is not a destination. It is a process — a wondrous, winding journey. Following the flow is a way of life that sustains you, guides you, and leads you to boundless joy and insight. You are a traveler, journeying with others, allowing your truest destiny to take its path.

• There is a bigger world outside your pond. It can indeed be found outside your little kingdom. True, there is nothing bigger, nothing more stimulating, and nothing more rewarding than your pond if you don’t explore. If you take the journey of discovery, however, you can come face to face with the magnificence and reality the great ocean brings. “What is greatly dreamed is nobly dared. The journey begins with you. It takes shape when you take a leap of faith into the beckoning darkness, and see how your own belief becomes evident beyond doubt.”

• Believing what’s inside of you is better than believing what’s outside of you. Meditation is the stillness within you, where the truth of the heart surrounds the mind. It is stillness that harmonizes the body and mind to recognize the limitless possibility that exists for you. Strengthening the body is done by making it move and strengthening the mind is achieved by bringing it to rest. Through reflection, you discover that while it is the brain that moves the body, it is the mind that moves the world.

• The “way” is your daily bread. It is awakening your mind and seeing your true nature. It is letting go of the attitudes and expectations of others so that you may enter the stream of your own destiny, flowing with the wellspring of all possibility. It is a life where you do what you like and like what you do by being who you are and not what others have dictated. The “way” does not ask you to be what you are not, but to be more fully aware of what you are.

• Every living thing has a place in the natural order of things, with a destiny to fulfill. When you focus on your deepest hopes and aspirations, you not only discover the starting point of your life but the source of it, your inborn reason, the life you were born to live. Let everything be what it naturally is. Within the “way,” there always exists two alleyways — the alleyway of what is and the alleyway of what can be, and through the choices you take, you can traverse the alleyway or not. It is up to you.

• A rock that stops you is a rock that you can step on. The path of reality is the one most often overlooked. Know that every problem that exists outside of you has a solution inside of you. Work in harmony with life’s circumstances as you become aware of your ability to correct your course and move onward. To change your life you must be willing to change your mind. Alternative options can be hidden by the unwillingness to listen or the unwillingness to see. Greet a challenge with change; see it with new eyes. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

• The rise to success is achieved by lifting others. A great part of the journey is whom you choose to travel the path with. One of the grand gifts of your existence is being a compassionate companion, knowing that you can depend on friends and be depended on by them, through adventure and hardship.

• The silence in bamboos speaks divine wisdom. The bamboo works in harmony with nature. It remains flexible in its response to external conditions. While the strongest tree can be uprooted and knocked over in a storm, the bamboo prevails in adverse conditions by bending and yielding to the prevailing winds.

• No one can deliver you a rainbow. It is you who must take responsibility for doing what you want to do and being what you want to be. If you believe in yourself, you don’t need the belief of others. Obstacles are there to prevent you. Distractions are there to pull you. Fear is there to keep you where you are. To live your dream, do not worry about what to do, just do what needs to be done. Decisions, not conditions, determine your destiny.

• The best things you’ve accomplished have no permanence, only peaks. But you must not stay and be comfortable on your highest points. You must always go beyond them. When you let go of all meaning, only what is truly important becomes meaningful. By letting go of things as they are, you can experience things as they might be. Unattached action is action that invites your future.

• The lack of will and willingness obstructs your trail. Never lose sight of what you desire or where you wish to be. Hang on to your idealism, hold fast to your dreams. Do not let the pressure of doubt and discouragement determine your fate. Focus on what you really want for yourself. Use the commitment of your own reality to confront the conflict and confusion of others. Persistence overcomes resistance. Stay brave.

• The purpose of life is a life of purpose. Nobody can show you the truth, only the way to the truth. True joy can be had if your life is dedicated to a purpose you recognize as a mighty one. Years can wrinkle your skin, but to live without purpose wrinkles the soul.

The only thing constant in life is change. It is an oft-repeated line, but it continues to ring true, especially as you take on the rapid changes around you that are driven mainly by the technology revolution. Your environment and the way you live are indeed changing at an unimaginable pace. You have to ride the massive waves of change; nobody is spared from it anyway.

Napoleon Hill

2011-09-17T23:51:00.001-07:00

Think Your Way to Wealth (Tarcher Success Classics)

1 DAY Before the BLACK MAMBA 24

2011-09-17T23:48:00.000-07:00

fffound.com

Feltron.com

notcot.com

Shamcey's chilling

2011-09-17T18:57:00.000-07:00

What is your advice to your fellow young people?---------------------

Try to be someone. Do not settle for anything less. Do not be complacent with the status quo. Try to be better. Contribute to progress, don’t just be nakiki-uso (being a conformist). Think and try new ideas, new things, be innovative in different fields. I like one of UP’s mantras: “When everyone is sitting down, we stand up. When everyone is standing up, we stand out.” We should all try to be better, to go to another level.

I heard you love reading. What are your favorite books?-----------------

I enjoy simple books, like Harry Potter. (Laughs). When I was in Japan as an exchange student, my host family gave me the first Harry Potter novel, which I read in one night only. I’ve actually read the entire Harry Potter series 10 times, because I’m hooked on this saga. The author J. K. Rowling is very talented. The story is simple but makes you believe in a world like that. Other books I enjoy are the suspense and mystery novels of Agatha Christie. What I like about all her novels is they’re unpredictable, there’s always a unique twist in the plot. I want to have a collection of all her novels.

What are your secrets for getting the highest grades?--------------------
I don’t memorize textbooks word for word. I just read, and if time permits, I read the book three times. First, to get an idea; second, to understand the concept; and third, to remember important data very well. It’s important to understand what you’re reading.

Boat or Showboat

2011-09-15T03:24:00.000-07:00

And, hey, this is after all --- uh, the Miss Universe beauty pageant? Winning that much desired crown is not tantamount to any position of responsibility in an international arena like the United Nations or an appointed item in the International Monetary Fund. The job of this queen for a year is to be the official spokesperson for the Trump Group of Companies. So let's make that clear in our heads, OK?

In 5 days

2011-09-14T01:11:00.000-07:00

start of September and ber months. Positive thinking

he secret of joy in work is contained in one word — excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.

Discover the magic, power of language

2011-09-03T22:27:00.000-07:00

The glamour of grammer
http://business.inquirer.net/16609/discover-the-magic-power-of-language

Thinking 24

2011-08-31T02:31:00.000-07:00

Be bold enough to reach for the life you want instead of being handed the life others expect you to settle for.

Soundtrip!

2011-08-25T02:25:00.000-07:00

Foals - Olympic Airways
Florence + the machine
Vampire Weekend - A punk
OK Go - Here It Goes Again

A potential in a woman's eye

2011-08-08T18:24:00.000-07:00

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/mila-kunis-loved-ones-keep-grounded-063000220.html

Mila Kunis had such a happy home life going on a “downward spiral” was never an option.
The actress’ fame has soared this year, thanks to her role in Oscar-winning movie Black Swan alongside Natalie Portman. Her latest picture Friends with Benefits sees her team up with Justin Timberlake, with the pair playing pals who introduce a sexual element to their friendship.
Mila also hit the headlines following her split from Macaulay Culkin after an eight-year romance. Despite all the changes in her life her feet remain firmly on the group, something she credits to her family.
“There was never an option for me to go into a downward spiral, because my parents are incredible people. I went to work, I went home, my friends weren’t in the industry. My best friend has been my best friend since I was nine years old. So I never thought of myself as anything other than a 15, 16 or 17 year old,” she explained to the September issue of UK magazine Glamour. “What I do and who I am are not the same person. But sure you can get lost in it… This industry can eat you alive.”
Mila loves her job, but it’s not the centre of her life. Being with friends and family is much more important to her and she thinks some people take Hollywood too seriously. The star rarely goes to showbiz parties or celebrity hotspots as she doesn’t want to live out her personal life on camera, preferring to be known for her work.
“[Making work the centre of my life] is something I will fight for 100% without a doubt in my mind,” she said. “No one’s curing cancer in this industry, remember? It’s not changing the world. It’s just entertainment, an art form of escapism. My friends and family are my number one thing in my life, but you need a healthy balance. It’s not to say my goal in life is to have a family and kids, and let that be my number one priority either. This is a phenomenal job but the most important lesson I’ve learnt is that you never want to let your only source of happiness come from something that’s so filled with uncertainty.”
Since splitting with Macaulay in January, Mila has noticed a big interest in her romantic life. There are constant rumours she is dating men she’s spotted with, and many remain convinced she is in a secret relationship with Justin Timberlake.
She knows it’s part of the business she is in, but Mila sometimes gets bored of the attention. “Being single, I find myself not being able to be in a room with a man without, the next day, I'm dating that man," she laughed. "That happened for a solid six months [after Black Swan] when maybe – maybe! – I'd been in the same room.”
When it comes to men, Mila is more interested in personality than looks. She likes her partner to make her laugh and has a soft spot for sarcasm.
The star’s sultry good looks mean many are surprised she’s single. She avoids thinking about that sort of thing though, and doesn’t see herself as beautiful.
“If somebody finds me attractive, God bless them, I think it's fantastic,” she giggled.

Top 10 heart-friendly foods

2011-08-03T02:56:00.001-07:00

Top 10 heart-friendly foods
MIND YOUR BODY By Willie T. Ong, MD (The Philippine Star) Updated August 02, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (0)

Illustration by REY RIVERA
| Zoom
One day, an exasperated patient complained, “Doc, can you tell us what we can eat? You only tell us what we can’t eat.”

Yes, I agree, we are at fault. Doctors often tell their patients three food no-no’s: Avoid salty foods (to lower blood pressure), avoid fatty foods (to reduce cholesterol), and avoid sweet foods (to lower blood sugar and prevent diabetes). And so, to make amends, here is a list of foods that are good for your heart.

Before we proceed, let me reiterate two facts: First, heart disease is the number one killer worldwide, and it kills 254 Filipinos a day; and eating unhealthy foods accounts for 60 percent of all heart deaths. That is why it is doubly important to eat more heart-friendly foods such as these:

1. Oily fishes, like sardines, salmon, tilapia, and bangus. Oily fishes are rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids that help dilate the blood vessels of the heart and brain. Thus, they can improve blood flow to these vital organs. A large Japanese study shows that patients who take omega-3 fish oil supplements lower their bad cholesterol by 26 percent and reduce their risk of heart attack by 19 percent. Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian from Harvard Medical School believes that taking two to three servings of fish every week already confers substantial health benefits.

2. Oats, such as oatmeal and oat bran. Oats are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, potassium, vitamin Bs, calcium, and a soluble fiber called beta glucans. These beta glucans work by interfering with the absorption and production of cholesterol. Studies show that if you eat a cup of oatmeal every day, you can reduce your cholesterol level by an average of 10 percent. Furthermore, a Chicago cardiologist, Dr. Michael Davidson, adds that one-third of patients who ate more oats were spared from taking an anti-cholesterol medicine. It’s no wonder that the US FDA approved the claim that oat products can reduce the risk of heart disease.

3. Bananas. Sorry, apple lovers, but “two bananas a day will keep the doctor away.” Bananas are rich in potassium, vitamin C, the B vitamins, tryptophan, and carbohydrates. Cardiologists often tell their patients to eat one to two bananas a day, especially if they’re taking certain medications for the heart and high blood pressure. This is because the potassium in banana is essential to heart muscle contraction and preventing heart rhythm abnormalities. Take one or two bananas today, especially the vitamin C-rich lakatan variety.

4. Garlic. Garlic contains allyl sulfides, which may help lower cholesterol levels. According to Dr. Robert Lin, a leading garlic researcher, taking three cloves of garlic a day can reduce your cholesterol levels by 10-15 percent. Cook garlic lightly. Don’t burn it, or else it will lose its health effects.

5. Nuts, like almonds and walnuts. Nuts are filled with unsaturated fats (the good fat), vitamin E, magnesium, and fiber. Hence, nuts are good for the heart, blood vessels, and skin. Dr. Mehmet Oz, heart surgeon and book author, advises the public to snack on a handful of nuts a day (1.5 ounces or less). Just choose the low-salt variety.

6. Dark chocolate. Dark chocolate contains the wonderful components of resveratrol and flavonoids to protect your heart. Scientists are particularly excited about resveratrol because animal studies have shown that it can prolong life. In buying chocolate, choose the dark variety, which has 70-percent cocoa content. Yes, it has a slightly bitter taste, but dark chocolate is healthier than milk chocolate or white chocolate.

7. The orange-colored vegetables, like tomato, carrot, sweet potato, and squash. These colorful vegetables are full of potent antioxidants, including beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamin C, fiber, and potassium. A Harvard study shows that women who eat carrots and sweet potatoes every day reduce their risk for heart attack by 22 percent and stroke by 40-70 percent. These vegetables may also prevent cancer.

8. Beans, including monggo beans. Beans are high in protein, vitamin B, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and fiber. According to a study conducted by University of Kentucky authority Dr. James Anderson, eating a cup of cooked beans daily can reduce your cholesterol levels by as much as 20 percent. All types of beans are healthy, including black beans, kidney beans, soybeans, and even canned baked beans. They’re cheap, easy to cook, and rich in protein.

9. The green vegetables, especially spinach, cabbage, and broccoli. These green vegetables are rich in lutein, vitamin Bs, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and fiber. Just as Popeye gets energetic with spinach (there’s some scientific basis to this), so should kids and adults eat their spinach. Most green, leafy veggies are good for the heart, stomach, and the whole body. A study shows that low levels of vitamin B6 (found in vegetables) are associated with high levels of C-reactive protein, a known marker for heart disease.

10. Soy products, like tofu and soy milk. Soy is packed with protein, vitamin B1, B12, niacin, folate, calcium, and potassium. Although recent studies show that soy does not reduce cholesterol levels, the American Heart Association still considers soy products as a healthy replacement for meat products and other high-fat foods. Moreover, studies have repeatedly shown that vegetarians live longer than people who consume a lot of red meat.

There are, of course, other heart-friendly foods like yogurt and the red-colored foods like strawberry, tomato sauce, grapes, and red wine. Remember to take more of these foods for a healthy heart.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=712240&publicationSubCategoryId=80

Henry Ford

2011-07-30T21:41:00.000-07:00

“If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can’t, you’re right.”

25 most influential lifestyle personalities

2011-07-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=709393&publicationSubCategoryId=86
>25 things about women that I wish my yaya had told me

>25 keys to longevity and health
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=709361&publicationSubCategoryId=86

25 most influential lifestyle personalities
LIFE & STYLE By Millet M. Mananquil (The Philippine Star) Updated July 24, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (0)

from www.people.nfo.ph
| Zoom
Tessie Sy-Coson — Fortune magazine named her as one of the world’s Top 50 Influential Women. But long before she gained her mark in international business and became an icon in Philippine retailing, banking and finance, Tessie was SM Depart- ment Store’s fashion merchandising boss. She would be at SM, checking out the win- dow displays (which were the most fashion- able eye candy then), creating trends (her “sensational slide,” the off-shoulder top, is unforgettable) and brainstorming with designers. It was Tessie who nurtured local designers in the ’70s and ’80s and launched RTW lines for many Filipino couturiers. To- day, SM does not only mean shoes and RTW.

SM means fashion, beauty and global chic, as the mega retailing empire is forever growing with new foreign brands like For- ever 21 that had the young, fash- ionable set queu- ing for days after it opened. In an in- terview with Time magazine, the for- ever-working Tes- sie said: “Life and work become one. My father would love that. He hoped we would be his clones. We do have our own lives.” One thing is sure: Tessie has this natural gift for fashion merchandising. Expect her to be working for more

mega brands to come in at SM malls.

Nedy Tantoco — People know that Nedy is heiress to Rustan’s, the de- partment store that invented luxury retailing and impeccable customer service in the Philippines. But few people know that she is a workaholic who is busy checking/working on her retailing projects until the wee hours of the morning. And that she was a nerdy student (cum laude in business, Assumption; magna cum laude, Colegio de Sta. Maria del Camino in Madrid) who got her best schooling, though, from her mother, Glecy Tantoco, founder of our local version of Sak’s Fifth. With support from her father, Bienvenido Tantoco Sr., her siblings Rico Tantoco, Marilou Pineda, Menchu Lopez, Marilen Tan- toco, and Maritess Enriquez, and her children Anton, Catherine and Mi- chael Huang, and the rest of the third- generation Tantoco retailers, Nedy has steered Rustan’s towards becom- ing the country’s premier retailing empire that owns the franchise to top international fashion and luxury brands, from Acca Kappa to Gucci to Hermes to Prada to Zegna. She stays true to Glecy’s vision of bringing in the best of the world, while offering the best of our very own. Transcend- ing business, Nedy has become an art and culture patroness, working closely with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Philippine- Italian Association to present concerts and exhibits. Maybe she can teach our institutions a thing or two about cultural retailing.

Ben Chan — At a time when it- was aching for one, the Philippine retailing industry got a maverick when Ben Chan, back from years of marketing studies as a long-haired student at the University of Califor- nia in Berkeley, and a fashion design course at the Pacific Fashion School in San Francisco, opened a small men’s T-shirt store 24 years ago with new actor Richard Gomez as endors- er. It was a pioneering move — the use of celebrity endorsers — that led to other much-copied moves: the use of giant fashion billboards and the production of the much-awaited Bench Uncut show every two years. The billboards may have recently made some people cross-eyed, but nothing can change the fact that Bench is the number one T-shirt and underwear brand in the country. On top of creating 17 local brands and

carrying 15 foreign brands — from the chic Charles and Keith to the foxy Fox, and the luscious La Senza to the delicious Patchi, Bench also produces Pinoy pop culture books and regularly creates shirts with nationalist-inspired themes. Inspired by his visionary brother Carlos Chan, Ben revisited his roots and set up Bench stores in China, with Chinese superstars as endorsers. With sister Nenita Lim and brother-in-law Vir- gilio Lim helping Ben carry Bench towards more pioneering retailing feats, Bench has become the bench- mark in the fashion and lifestyle in- dustry. And to think that Ben’s first job was manning the ticket box office of a movie house in San Francisco, earning US$2.50 an hour. Now, Ben can afford to build movie houses, but he remains a humble, hardwork- ing and unassuming icon.

Virgie Ramos — Event planner Rita Neri refers to the workaholic Virgie — she with a fierce eye for fashion detail and a penchant for efficiency (“Do it today, not tomorrow”) — as her market- ing icon. Like many others who have worked under Virgie, Rita considers her experience as career-defining, hon- ing her for future challenges. “If you survive Virgie Ramos, you survive everything,” Rita states. This topnotch retailer is credited for bringing into the Philippines the Hello Kitty and Sanrio experience, regaling generations, many of whom nostalgically admit they haven’t quite outgrown these childhood loves. Now, Virgie regales the hip mar- ket with Swatch — amazing for its end- lessly evolving line of timepieces from Switzerland that mixes precision, excel- lence in design, fashion, artistry, culture, and philosophy. A perfect product to be marketed by someone who is always in the fashion loop, with that rare gift of youthful verve. She matches her Yo- hji and Comme outfits always with a Swatch — be it an old fave or the latest best-seller. Now, the Swatch is hot as the academe’s emblem of choice, much like a school ring, starting with Ateneo de Manila University, which was the first to have a school watch by Swatch. This resulted in Swatch Philippines donat- ing a million-peso check for the ADMU Scholarship Fund. This gave birth to Vir- gie Ramos’ “Love School, Love Swatch” project which now has programs with University of Santo Tomas, University of the Philippines, De La Salle University, St. Scholastica’s College, Assumption College, Immaculate Conception Acad- emy, Xavier School, San Beda College, St. Paul University, Miriam College, and St. Theresa’s College.

Robina Gokongwei-Pe — Robina first made news in 1981 when she was kidnapped on her way to school and later rescued by a police officer named Ping Lacson. Rewind to 2000 when the movie Supercop had Angel Locsin portraying her and Robina remarks: “I wasn’t wearing a midriff on my way to UP, I didn’t have the body to wear that outfit and never will.” According to urban legend, Robina had a twin sister snake, and now, with the rumor dispelled, Robina laughs, “I think she was turned into a snakeskin wallet.” A third misfortune happened when Ro- bina, a journalism graduate of Columbia, convinced her dad, tycoon John Gokong- wei Jr., to buy the pre-martial law Manila Times. The UP student in her envisioned publishing a newspaper as “an effort to be an instrument of meaningful change in society. “Unfortunately, then President Joseph Estrada didn’t like a headline in her newspaper, and so, she opted for a less turbulent life. “Ay naku, magtitindera na lang ako.” Now, she is the very hard- working and conscientious president of the Robinsons Group, which includes not only Robinsons Department Store, but also foreign-franchised shops like Topshop, Topman, Dorothy Perkins, Trucco, and Warehouse. The young and fashionable set who adores these brands should probably thank Erap.

Eman Pineda — What kind of a retailing boss would pretend to be an ordinary salesman in his store and serve his customers, even kneel at their feet to help them try out pairs of shoes? Only a young, fearless and passionate natural-born re- tailer like Eman Pineda would do it. Even if he is jetlagged from a buying trip to Europe, or wearing his spiffy blazer that makes him look more like a GQ model, the tall and handsome Eman will do this in Adora, the newest and most adorable boutique-department store in Greenbelt 5 where coveted brands like Harry Winston, Givenchy, YSL, Lanvin, Anya Hindmarch, Missoni, Chloe, D&G, Pedro Garcia, Rimowa and Becca make it the mecca of the truly fashionable set. “I need firsthand, raw feedback from customers where it matters the most. Customer service is as impor- tant as the merchandise we sell,” explains Eman. He adds that Adora is simply guided by a mantra ingrained in the 350-employee group: We love to buy and we love to sell. This Ateneo economics graduate opened his first shop, Tyler at 27. It was a hit, and couldn’t miss in terms of merchandise and service (he hired only Ateneo graduates for his sales force). He recently sold Tyler “so I can focus on a singular force called Adora. “It is the only store in Manila with a beautiful powder room with mirrors for walls, and its interiors evoke a dream modern palatial residence in Paris, but Eman refuses to use the word “luxe” to describe it. The multi-awarded Retailer of the Year hall of famer would rather say Adora is a “world of everyday wonders.” Certainly, Eman makes sure these wonders never cease.

Bernie Liu — This six-footer towers in the mass retailing industry as the Cebuano architect- entrepreneur who built a RTW empire starting from graphic-designed T-shirts under the Penshoppe label, targeting the 13 to 20 age bracket. Now, his Golden ABC Inc. has other brands like Oxygen, ForMe, Memo, Regatta, Red Logo, and Regatta. His latest acquisition, Tyler, reflects his desire to expand his market to include fashionable A-listers. Guided by deep moral values, Bernie believes in the dictum pray hard, work hard. “I never leave home without a rosary and my scapular,” he once said. He combines this piety with a keen vision — to be a most admired Asian brand --and values-filled work ethic.

Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng — Fresh from Ateneo University where she finished comm arts, and a stint with the family’s short-lived Manila Times, Lisa went to Columbia University for her journalism masters. While in New York, she fell in love with magazines and the first thing she did upon coming home was create a fashion mag, Preview, which today remains the fashionistas’ bible. “I had no long-term vision then,” Lisa admits. “But then in 1997, Hearst was looking for a partner in magazine publishing.” And Lisa’s Summit Publishing was it. The rest is glossy history. Today, Lisa has 23 magazine titles which include best-sellers YES!, FHM and Cosmopolitan, and its latest acquisition, Esquire, with brilliant journalist Erwin Romulo as editor. A Nielsen Media Research shows that eight out of 10 favorite magazines chosen by respondents are from Summit. Lisa is the formi- dable brains and leader in the Philippine magazine publishing industry. Mixing journalism ideals (she values principled journalists like Jo-Ann Maglipon and Myrza Sison) with a cerebral vision, a keen radar for trendspotting, and a sharp business sense, Lisa continues to put Summit on top by establishing niches in digital space as well.

Inno Sotto — He reigns as Manila’s Prince of Fashion, a title he has richly deserved the past three decades. An Inno creation evokes a certain elegance that looks fragrant, clean, and well-crafted. These past many years, his breathtaking fashion shows famously covered by Elsa Klensch of CNN, his beautiful bridal gowns, his penchant for simplicity, talent for editing and restraint set him apart from the fashion heap. As president of the Filipino Designers Group and the Fashion Design Council of the Philippines, he assumed the inevitable role of mentor in the industry. His 30th anniversary show, “30 20 10” at the Cultural Center of the Philippines last November was a testament to his timeless works. As creative direc- tor of Rustan’s, Inno breathes fresh insights into the retailing business.

Dr. Vicki Belo — The country’s most popular beauty doctor had a dream: To make the Philippines more beautiful, one person at a time. Soon, her name, voted by Reader’s Digest as a Most Trusted Brand, became synonymous with the latest scientific techniques in slim- ming, beautifying, and anti- aging. Belo has put the Phil- ippines on the world beauty map, making the country a beauty and medical tourism destination, with her Belo Clinic as a must-visit. She also recently opened a branch in Los Angeles. Vicki has empowered a lot of women — and men — by enhancing their physical image, raising their self-esteem, and making it naturally acceptable to de- clare that they have just had a lipo or an eyelift.

Sari Yap — She is a magazine diva who is now creating electronic versions of glossy magazines. First, Sari launched Mega, the pioneering glossy fashion mag in the country — and certainly one of the thickest. Armed with her media management course in Spain, and a professional publishing course at Stanford U, Sari came home with a dream to put out a world-class fashion mag in Manila.Today, her Mega Pub- lishing Group carries 10 titles — all local yet all successful, each with a target niche. Aside from Mega, there is Lifestyle Asia, Lifestyle Asia Travel, Meg, My Home, BluPrint, Condo Living, Appetite, Inside Showbiz, and Celebrity Living. Last year, Sari conceived of bringing lifestyle reportages, trends and yes, fashion competitions on television by way of the Generation Mega TV shows which aim to carry out one of her passions — nurturing a new breed of fashion designers. Sari is one stylish dynamo who constantly develops new fashion designing superstars and brings reinventions in the lifestyle scene.

Pepito Albert — He is a truly talented designer with consis- tent strokes of bril- liance, originality, and fearless innovation. Unfortunately, he has chosen to be semi- reclusive and selec- tive, designing only for a circle of truly stylish women like Kaye Tinga, Ching Cruz, Patricia Panlilio, Irene Marcos Araneta, Fe Rodriguez, and a few brides like Ko- rina Sanchez. Still, Pepito commands the respect of younger fashion stalwarts like Rajo Laurel who says, “I adore him.” The fashion trends he has created and still cre- ates make him an in- fluential though rarely visible fashion force.

Jessica Zafra — Her fans range from teeny boppers to white- haired adults, which is perhaps why her columns in STAR first appeared in Young Star, before it became a Sunday Lifestyle regular. One of the most prolific writers in the literary scene, this Palanca Awardee has produced nine volumes of Twisted, the National Book Award-winning bestseller, as well as humor collections Chicken Pox for the Soul and 500 People You Meet in Hell. Her movie reviews have been compiled into Twisted Flicks, while the joys and aggravations of her travels — including those she took with the Eraserheads as their manager — have been put together in Twisted Travels. She has done radio and television talk shows, and now she communicates with her audience via her JessicaRulestheUniverse.com. Her BFFs range from Jaime Augusto Zobel (real) to Roger Federer (imaginary), and her current favorite beat is sports — sports personalities, that is. She has chronicled the trials and triumphs of the Philippine Rugby Team, but after a real or imaginary LQ with a member, she has decided she will focus now on other sports heroes as sports writer for the hot, hot, hot Esquire magazine coming out in September. During the STAR’s January events featur- ing favorite books and writers, the lines were longest for those wishing to have their book signed by Jessica Zafra. If you want her autograph, it is easy to find her. Look for the ponytailed woman with huge cat’s eye sunglasses, al- most always wearing a knotted scarf, heading towards the National Book Store or her favorite Wild Ginger restaurant in Rockwell.

The Zobel Family — Their patriarch Jaime Zobel de Ayala, chairman emeritus of the Ayala companies, is renowned for his artistic eye in photography. His regularly- changing photography murals in Greenbelt 3 are always thought-provoking, truly something to watch for. (Check out his cur- rent one, captioned “Today, a somersault. Tomorrow, a leap into their dreams.”) His vision of promoting Philippine art, history, music, photography, fashion, literature, and other aspects of culture through the “Bravo Filipino” series at Ayala Malls is admirable. Assisting him in this project are his wife Bea who finds time from her pet project of providing homes and livelihood to the Mangyans; daughter Bea Jr. who is also active in cultural revival and restoration projects in Bohol; and daughter Sofia Zobel-Elizalde who brings culture to the malls via her Steps Dance Studio where she provides dance scholarships to aspir- ing ballerinas. Brothers Jaime Augusto and Fernando mix business with philanthropy via advocacies such as providing quality education for the underprivelege and the Habitat for Humanity, which helps provide homes for the underprivileged.

The Antonio Family — Headed by the pioneer- ing real estate whiz Joey Antonio, assisted by sons Jigger, Marco, Robbie, and Carlo, all brilliant and educated with honors at Wharton and Stanford, theirs is the company — Century Properties — that defines and spearheads fashionable and luxury condominium in the Philippines. Joey made condo living attractive to an elite market with the opening of Essensa, an award-winning hi-rise project that remains one of the best in the country. They were the first to offer fully-furnished condos via their SOMA project at the Fort, as well as the SOHO Central and Grand SOHO Makati condos. Rising soon are the Century City in Makati, the Versace- designed Milano Residences which is the first local condo designed by an international fashion house, and the Acqua located right after the new bridge linking Rockwell Center to Mandaluyong.

The Syjuco Family — Here is a family that creates, inspires, and rocks! Cesare A.X. Syjuco is a prizewinning painter, poet, and art critic whose latest work is a 15-track CD album and book featuring his avant-garde pottery and music. Wife Jean Marie Syjuco, the foremost exponent of performance art in the Philippines, is also a painter and installation artist. The children were all well-bred in the arts: Michelline is a sculptor and jewelry artist; A.G. Syjuco is a musician and composer of the band Faust!; Beatrix is a performance and video artist who co-hosts an art and culture talk show with Krip Yuson; Maxine is a poet, visual artist, and art teacher in her school, The Little Picasso; Julian is an aspiring artist. The Syjucos are not only an extremely talented force in the local art and culture scene; they are also such a good-looking family.

Impy Pilapil — Certainly a most cerebral sculp- tor whose works are always thought-provoking and beautiful, Impy is a passionate artist whose modern works bear both a global mind as well as a national- ist heart. She got her art education at UP, Accademia Italiana, and Pratt Graphics Center in New York, and her works have been exhibited and acclaimed in countries that are too many to mention here. The Asean Plaza Landmark and the Heroes Memorial Landmark feature her sculptures, as do several build- ings in Metro Manila. She has done works that reflect her concern for the environment, and projects that benefit the underprivileged. She also does furniture that look like functional artworks. Impy has made the experience of receiving awards a pleasurable art reward as well, by designing glass trophies that are more coveted because they afford one the ownership of an Impy Pilapil artwork one can proudly display on the shelf.

Ramon Orlina — Orlina likewise does sculpture in glass and steel, and has exhibited in so many galleries here and abroad. What makes him differ- ent is his affinity to the Singapore art scene, having lived there and met his wife Lay Ann. Thus, his sculptures are seen at the atrium of Wisma Aria on Orchard Road and the Marina Park of the Singapore Outdoor Stadium, among others. His most recent work is “Quattro Mondial,” a 10-meter-high cast bronze and carved glass sculpture unveiled for the 400th anniversary of the University of Santo Tomas, his alma mater. Art critic Cid Reyes exalted the masterpiece as “monumental ... it captures the idea of the university as an institution of learning that has survived 400 years and is still looking towards the future.”

Bencab — Art patron and gallery owner Sari Ortiga considers Bencab “the coolest” Filipino National Artist. Acclaimed as the bestselling painter of his generation of artists, Bencab combines deft strokes with a passion for very Filipino imageries. This UP fine arts graduate moved to London where he reaped recognition as an artist. Back in the Philippines, Bencab eventually embraced Baguio as his home. After the 1990 earthquake in Luzon, Bencab organized ArtAid workshops for children traumatized by the disaster. He also helped create a refuge for local artists seeking a nurturing environment at the Tam-awan Village. His BenCab Museum in Baguio has become a must-see at- traction featuring the works of Filipino masters, as well as highlighting the culture and arts of the Cordilleras. Bencab is an artist who combines his passion for art with a nation- alist consciousness. Perhaps that is what makes him cool.

Lor Calma and Ed Calma — Lor is a pioneer modernist in the Philippines whose furniture designs and architectural works remain timeless. His sculptures are proud landmarks in the metropolis, a testament to a multi-awarded artist with a vision. His architectural works include the Metropolitan Mu- seum, National Museum, and several hotels here and abroad. His son Ed Calma — with academic schooling at Columbia University, Pratt Institute, and the University of Rome — is one of the leading lights in Philippine modern design. He did the country proud by winning a gold medal for design for his Expo 2008 in Zaragoza, Spain; as well as his Expo 2005 design for the Philippines in Japan, both projects done under the aegis of his father. The Calmas are a formidable duo who are defin- ing the future of Philippine design.

Margarita Fores — This culinary princess had to work hard even as she was born with the proverbial golden spoon — or was it a golden ladle in her hand? When her grandfather, Don Amado Araneta, chose to live in New York after martial law, Gaita became an eager New York student, imbibing everything she could in the city where eateries seem never to sleep. Her work stint at Valentino stirred her interest in everything Italian. From there, she moved to Florence where she learned all she wanted to know about Italian cuisine from two Italian cooks. Back in Manila, she debuted as a guest chef at Hyatt Regency. She wanted to open her own resto, but her parents, thinking it was just a whim, didn’t take her seriously. So she borrowed money from her mom, Baby Araneta Fores, and launched Cibo. Of course, she was able to pay back every cent, and thereafter created her Cafe Bola and Pepato restaurants, a highly acclaimed catering service, and her own flower shop Fiori di M inside Adora at Greenbelt 5. This year, Gaita celebrates her 25th year as an exponent of Italian cuisine in Manila and as one of the most hardworking and creative chefs in the country.

Claude Tayag — As painter, sculptor, furniture designer, chef, writer, and book author, Claude is a rare multi-tal- ented personality in the lifestyle scene. He spent years as an architecture and economics student at UP, but learned volumes about Phil- ippine art and cul- ture from his men- tor, the legendary writer-artist-gour- met E. Aguilar Cruz. Mixing his gift for art with a national- ist passion, Claude produced works inspired by Philip- pine festivals, land- scapes, and religious images. This multi- awarded artist who has had countless exhibits here and abroad, is now a full-time chef at his by-reservations-only restaurant Bale Dutung in Angeles, Pampanga where he offers his five-way lechon. A much-copied dessert he created, Claude’s Dream, is a best-seller at the LJC chain of restaurants. He also invented his now-famous Pan de Bagnet. Claude is a man who can design anything. And cook everything.

Cecile Zamora Van Straten — A Parsons-trained fashion designer who opened her edgy brand of fashion in shops called D-Fect, Store for all Seasons, and Grocery, Cecile has made her mark in fashion. Today, her creations are available at the Bleach Catastrophe, one of the best-designed stores in Greenbelt 5. From style maker and trend spotter, Cecile has become a res- taurateur as well, partnering with her handsome husband, chef Jeroen Van Straten , to open Pepper Lunch, the only restaurant in Manila where diners form long lines every day in places like Rockwell, Greenbelt 5, and Shangri-La Edsa. Cecile is also a popular newspaper columnist, but to her millions of readers, she is better known as Chuvaness, the country’s most influential and powerful blogger. She writes about a product she fancies, and the next day, her readers rush to check it out. Whether she writes about her discovery in a museum that Jose Rizal was barely five feet tall, or raves about her favorite Comme or Yohji finds, Cecile’s every little gasp or gushing is talked about.

Lisa Macuja- Elizalde — She is un- doubtedly the fore- most ballerina in the Philippines who has dedicated her life to dancing and mentoring aspiring ballet dancers. She danced her way to stardom after earn- ing a scholarship to the Vaganova Cho- reographic Institute in Leningrad where she graduated at the top of her class in 1984. She became the first foreign solo- ist at the renowned Kirov Ballet, where she was principal ballerina in The Nut- cracker, Don Quixote and Giselle. Back in Manila in 1986, she became the CCP’s first artist-in-resi- dence while dancing with Ballet Philippines. With the Philippine Ballet Theater, she starred in major local productions and guested in foreign ones as well. Her dream of promoting ballet in the country came true when she set up Ballet Manila, her company where dancers get training from her and ballet master Osias Barroso in the highly rigorous Russian method of classic ballet. Lisa brings the art of dance more accessible to the masses nationwide, and even nurtures a relationship between the Filipino audience and artists through her awardwinning radio program, Art 2 Art.

Raul Sunico — From an internationally acclaimed pianist who has won medals in various piano competitions, and who honed his musical skills at the Juilliard School of Music and the NYU, he has come home for good to take a bow at the CCP not as a performer, but as its president. Now, it is his turn to help Filipino performers reap applause in this venue just like he used to, and to promote Philippine art and culture. That is a difficult task consider- ing that this and past governments have other budget priorities. But do it he must. And in his own way, this concert pianist, composer-arranger and music educator has been doing his share by producing more than 40 CDs, 15 of them on Filipino music, and doing a 10-book series for elementary students called Musika at Sining. He is also dean of

UST College of Music.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=709344&publicationSubCategoryId=86

Character is my enemy #1

2011-07-16T22:16:00.000-07:00

Everywhere man blames nature and fate, yet his fate is mostly but the echo of his character and passions, his mistakes and weaknesses. — Democritus

BLACK MAMBA

2011-07-13T00:12:00.000-07:00

“The more you do it, the better you get.”

TED

2011-07-07T01:58:00.001-07:00

http://www.victoriaherrera.com/post/4898201853/ric-elias-had-a-front-row-seat-on-flight-1549-the

Definitely

2011-07-07T01:24:00.001-07:00

“I’m not really much of a bag person,” she confides. “I seldom buy bags for myself, and I never buy expensive ones. I guess that’s one reason why our business is able to grow. We don’t spend a lot. Our biggest personal expense is on food!” she laughs.

For those wanting to venture into their own business, Mercy advises, “Treat people right. I treat my workers and clients the same way I want to be treated myself. I also tell my workers that when they are making a bag, they should always ask themselves, ‘Would I buy a bag that looks like this?’ If their answer is no, then they should not expect others to buy it either.

Simply delicious, simply Thai

2011-07-07T01:19:00.000-07:00

Kung Sarong: Prawns delicately wrapped in egg noodles are crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside.

Dollhouse

2011-07-07T01:10:00.000-07:00

"Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least"

http://www.victoriaherrera.com/page/3

Real Estate

2011-07-07T01:02:00.001-07:00

Once, at a meeting with John Gokongwei Jr. and his younger brother James Go, they asked from where he graduated. Yu replied, “UE.” Gokongwei smiled and remarked, “Ah, the school owned by Lucio Tan?” Yu clarified, “No, not University of the East. I graduated from the University of Experience.” Actually, Yu graduated from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and was once a working student at the firm of famous architect William Coscoluella.

When asked by Gokongwei how he could possibly design so many projects for so many tycoons almost simultaneously, Yu revealed one secret to his success: “I invest in human talent. I hire the country’s best architects and the best brains to work for our firm, so I have trained and replicated myself many times over in our firm.

“I invest in human talent. I hire the country’s best architects and the best brains to work for our firm, so I have trained and replicated myself many times over in our firm.”

How to make it in Manila

2011-07-06T02:38:00.000-07:00

http://www.philstar.com/youngstar/ysarticle.aspx?articleId=692331&publicationSubCategoryId=84

There’s no right timing. If you really love something, work on it. As much as possible, try to learn how to improve your craft every day. Same with anything else.

They say architecture is too straight for fine arts and it’s too gay for engineering. So it’s somewhere in between. Like a full circle of things. You’re scientific and then you’re also artistic. The “in-between-ness” appeals to people.

I’m starting to realize slowly now that as long as you make it good and you get the breaks here then you have absolutely no reason to go abroad anymore. So I wish that a lot of our Filipino architects who are my age would experience more breaks here so they don’t have to migrate and adjust to a different culture.

Mila Kunis

2011-07-06T01:40:00.001-07:00

And also, this: “I don’t regret anything I’ve ever done. Even the dumbest sh*t I’ve done in my life — and believe me, I’ve done some really dumb sh*t — I don’t regret doing it. I’m not talking about projects, but just the stupid things that a kid does, that a teenager does, that a person in their twenties does. I did everything. I was never a bad kid, but I did things that weren’t necessarily good, or smart decisions. But I did learn from them.”

We’ve come to equate those “void” spaces with failure (see Fact 3), and how can we not? We grew up seeing shows and movies where Finding Yourself — while a recurring and successful pop culture theme — wasn’t really interpreted in such a peachy light. That teen who just wanted a little more time was frowned upon by overbearing parents, and success was measured in large, corner offices and mansions and lavish things. It’s utterly aspirational.

But how about before we want everything, when we want nothing in particular first? Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere was just really the icing on the epiphany cake. You basically see this guy, Johnny Marco, who has essentially everything and has gotten somewhere, but is unequivocally empty. And after that I thought: “I never want to have to feel that, ever.”

I know it’s just so convenient for me to say that you should take your time because I’m in a stable place, but give me the benefit of the doubt on this one. Do some dumb sh*t from time to time, and make wrong judgment calls, because you’ll never be as free as you are now. It’s a scary, pivotal point in our lives, but dream and hang in there inconclusively a little longer. These times demand us to make something out of ourselves in haste, and so, slowing down — it can be your last act of adolescent defiance.

Choose to make yourself feel alive. Even if that means you go overboard, even if it means you’ll spend too much (I’m a firm believer in investing in experiences, because you can’t take money to your grave). And soon, something will come into focus from obscurity, and you’ll decide to do something that’ll make you pull a Mila Kunis — on both quote counts.

Life is short, but it doesn’t always mean you’re running out of time.

http://www.philstar.com/youngstar/ysarticle.aspx?articleId=701409&publicationSubCategoryId=84

Groupons - Beeconomic

2011-07-05T03:08:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I almost bought a travel package online: the deal was 50 percent off a three-day, two-night stay in Vietnam. Today’s tempting offer is half off food and drinks at a gourmet restaurant in the Fort. I wouldn’t call myself a shopaholic — especially not on the Net — but never has my finger been so poised to click the “Buy now!” button, and it’s all Groupon’s fault.

You might have heard of Groupon by now. In 2010 Forbes magazine named it “the fastest-growing company in Web history” — even faster than Facebook and Google — and while it took a company like Apple eight years to pull in US$1 billion in revenue, it took Groupon a little over two years.

So what’s the big deal about Groupon? “Deal,” is, in fact, the operative word at this booming dotcom, whose name combines “group” and “coupon.” Founded in 2008 by 29-year-old American Andrew Mason, Groupon offers Internet shoppers one or more deeply discounted deals per day — usually 50 percent off products or services at restaurants, resorts, spas, salons and stores. So sweet are the deals that Groupon became one of Oprah’s Top 10 Picks.

Like an eBay auction, though, there’s a time limit: if a certain number of people don’t buy the deal within a day, for instance, it doesn’t “tip,” meaning no one gets the deal.

Welcome to the world of collective buying.

“We are the pioneering company that came up with the tagline ‘group buying,’” says Lori Villafuerte, president of Groupon Philippines. “Our goal is to revolutionize the way people shop in the Philippines. People just really want deals.”

Villafuerte, 35, started Groupon last February with business partner Anna Saenz, 35, her childhood best friend from Camarines Sur. Five months after launch, the website has over half a million subscribers (close to 61,000 “likes” on Facebook) and is rapidly growing. Sign up and you get the inside track on daily deals in Metro Manila, which they’ll e-mail to you.

“We’re also live in Cebu,” says Saenz, “and will launch Davao and Iloilo soon.”

Groupon typically splits sales 50-50 with its vendors. There’s no upfront cost to be featured, so merchants tie up with them for the brand exposure: “We bring customers to their door instantly and you can track it, whereas if you were to place an ad in a newspaper or billboard you can’t really track the traffic,” she claims. “If we were to feature you and you sell zero, you still won, because you didn’t pay us anything. You only get a cut when you sell.”

Locally, Villafuerte and Saenz have found that discounted food sells the fastest, especially buffets and diner-type American fare. Though they occasionally offer retail, like a recent deal on Crocs footwear, Groupon Philippines considers itself more of a lifestyle guide. “Sixty percent of what we feature is food and wellness because people always need to eat, get a massage, get a haircut,” Lori says. “We also feature travel, classes — usually things you’ve always wanted to do but don’t have the money or time for.”

Villafuerte and business partner Anna Saenz at Groupon headquarters in Makati: “We have an open-door policy,” says Saenz. “We want our staff to have a voice, like if you have an opinion, speak up.”
A recent deal featuring LASIK surgery for half off (P30,000 down from P60,000) sold so well — 75 customers bought within 24 hours — that partner merchant Advanced Lasik Center could barely handle the demand. “Last year they did traditional marketing, paid thousands and thousands to market and got about 50 clients in a month. We gave them 75 in 24 hours,” Lori says.

Groupon doesn’t just feature anyone. A merchant has to have a good product and good customer service, first and foremost. It should also have a website or if not, a Facebook or Multiply page. “Otherwise it’s hard to sell them online because people do their homework,” Lori says. “They want to see what else they sell.” Location is also key. If Groupon features a new place in Batangas, for example, they check the place out first to make sure it’s an aspirational experience: “People will travel there, so what’s the catch? When we structure our deals we make sure that it’s worth it.”

Lori is the youngest sister of Camarines Sur Governor Lray Villafuerte, the enterprising politician who put CamSur on the Philippine tourist map. (Anna also worked with the governor, at the CamSur Watersports Complex.) Originally a chef who trained at the Culinary Institute of America, it wasn’t long before Lori displayed an equally fierce entrepreneurial streak. Her career working at top New York City restaurants took a detour shortly before 9/11. Needing a change from the long hours in the kitchen, Lori applied for two jobs: one at Bliss Spa, the other at Windows on the World, the restaurant on the top floor of one of the World Trade Center towers. Fortunately for everyone concerned, Bliss Spa contacted and accepted her first.

“Windows on the World actually offered me the job, but two weeks later 9/11 happened,” recalls Lori. “It was meant to be.”

Under the tutelage of Bliss’s Marcia Kilgore, Lori opened spas all over the States and became chummy with the spa’s roster of celebrity clients. “Liv Tyler’s my best friend, she’d always go to the spa,” she says. “Kate Hudson, Britney Spears, Keanu Reeves … I never imagined I’d see all these stars, living in the Philippines growing up. We treated them like normal people. Jessica Alba is really nice. All the girls in Charlie’s Angels … Drew Barrymore’s super-nice. Jake Gyllenhaal used to go a lot when he was still dorky. The stars won’t make an appointment. If they’re in the area they just come in. If Brad Pitt came in I didn’t care who was there, I’d just say yes. He’s hot. And Angelina Jolie is very hot. They’re both nice.”

After eight years at Bliss, Kilgore made Lori head of Southeast Asia. She moved to Singapore to open a spa there last year, but found that not many Asians had heard of Bliss Spa. With limited funds for marketing, she was wondering whether to spend on newspaper or magazine advertising when Karl Chong of Beeconomic approached her. Beeconomic was a Singaporean website patterned directly after Groupon USA.

“Karl introduced the whole concept, so I did it and really liked it. I featured a facial for half off, from S$120 to $60. After a day I had 300 new customers, and 50 percent of them actually came back again.”

While Chong was pitching to her, Lori said, “We should bring this to the Philippines.” So she quit Bliss last August and, with Karl, who was now her friend, co-founded Beeconomic here in November. After a month, while she was still setting up, Groupon called. “They were calling the top Groupon sites all over the world. We met in Hong Kong and everything happened all in one day — they bought Singapore and the Philippines at the same time.”

Groupon’s office on Pasong Tamo looks like a fun place to work. Their team, which started with three people and ballooned to 60 within three months, is young, hip, and Internet-savvy. There’s a dartboard, an expansive green lobby where staff can congregate to order pizza, and they actually get paid to Facebook, though some of them are so busy doing research on the Web that they forget to Facebook. Lori presides over everyone as the Queen Bee (a holdover from her Beeconomic days), but they follow the American business model in that no one calls her “Ma’am,” (“My name’s Lori”) and everyone has a say, no matter where they are in the office hierarchy.

“We have an open-door policy,” says Anna. “We want people to have a voice, like if you have an opinion, speak up.”

When structuring deals, Lori, Anna and their staff handle everything from start to finish. All the merchant has to do is come up with a really good deal and make sure they take care of clients who buy in. Groupon has departments for customer service and partner management that take care of both consumers and merchants, so it’s a two-way street. “At the end of the day we tell them, ‘Hey, your brand’s at stake, our brand’s at stake, so you have to make sure you make customers happy.’”

And that’s perhaps one of the most important services Groupon is providing the Philippines: good customer service, not only from themselves but also from their partner merchants. “If we messed up, we admit we messed up,” says Lori, who still answers customer-service inquiries on a daily basis. “We’re following the US business model. Especially me, I came from the hospitality industry for 16 years, so it’s really important. Because we have a Groupon promise and it’s a global thing: If in any way we disappoint you or did not make you happy, we give you your money back with no questions asked. Ninety-five percent of the time everyone’s happy.”

The site offers three to four new deals a day now, plans to open offices and live pages in Davao and Iloilo, and has even started partnering with global vendors like Photobook. “We only sell things we really like, if we ourselves would buy it,” says Lori. “All my staff, half our paycheck goes to Groupon. We really love our deals.”

Though she misses life in New York, she thinks the opportunity here is too good to miss. “Especially with the recession right now in the States, the people I know there are looking for jobs in Asia and moving here. And people like me who lived and grew up in the States, we’re all coming back. Asia’s the place to be right now.”

On one of her frequent forays back to the US Lori actually met Groupon founder Andrew Mason. “He’s a down to earth, laidback guy,” she says, “Very inspiring. What I got from him is hire the best people that you can find out there: smart, young, and make sure they actually make a difference with what you’re doing, and that’s exactly our philosophy as well. We want to make a difference, not just have a business.”

Whiz - kalifa

2011-07-05T03:02:00.001-07:00

No sleep ---- Its all on me

I still believe

2011-07-02T09:24:00.001-07:00

"In the arithmetic of love, one plus one equals everything, and two minus one equals nothing."

Food Gourmand

2011-07-01T01:58:00.000-07:00

Kapampangans are generally regarded to be the best cooks in the country and for Manilans, the 1.5 hour drive makes it even easier to indulge in the area's bounties. Here's a list of my favorites.
Everybody's Morcon
Everybody's is a typical provincial restaurant: it's a cafeteria-style set-up, where the food is displayed behind a glass counter. Scan the dishes and hail the first server (all of them are clad in white casual barongs); they'll take care of your order.
The place may strike you as a bit "tired," it's been around since 1967 after all, although the business itself began in 1946. Get over the restaurant's façade and your initial impressions, and let your taste buds take over.
The star at Everybody's is the morcon, or how they spell it, "murcon." Traditionally a beef roll, this is made from a guarded family recipe. I'm told by the owner, Pette Jorolan, that it takes six hours to make — a dish that defines the spirit of slow food. The murcon glistens in its drippings, the color of what I imagine the sun would be if it were dipped in honey. Taking a bite, I taste deep meaty flavors echoing with saltiness.
Uraro and San Nicolas Cookies
These are two types of cookies from Pampanga that I like: uraro and San Nicolas. Native to the area, both are examples of arrowroot cookies.

Uraro is a cross between polvoron and butter cookies.
Arrowroot is a starch powder obtained from the root of a (West Indian) plant. If I'm not mistaken, I think it may be the cassava plant. Similar to cornstarch or rice flour, it's often used as a thickener for puddings and sauces. It also has a very low gluten content, so cookies made from it are delicate and powdery, much like shortbread. Because the powder is also called araruta, that may have been where the name uraro originated, thus uraro cookies. Its texture is a melting sort of crunchy, if you can imagine that, given its ingredients of arrowroot (cassava) flour, butter, sugar, salt, eggs, and milk. To put it more illustratively, uraro is a cross between polvoron and butter cookies.
Where uraro is found, the San Nicolas cookie can never be too far behind. Also made from arrowroot flour, sugar, and eggs, some versions include anise, dayap (lime) and coconut milk. The cookies are made to celebrate the feast of San Nicolas, the patron saint of bakers. Its characteristic leaf shape is created by rolling the dough then pressing it into wooden molds carved with the saint's likeness. The mold is a favorite among antique collectors because no two San Nicolas cookie molds are alike.

The cookies are made to celebrate San Nicolas, the patron saint of bakers
I've never been able to make out the impressions on these cookies, but it supposedly shows the saint wearing his Augustinian habit and holding a bird on a plate.
Available at Pampanga supermarkets, pasalubong stores, and some restaurants like Everybody's.
A La Crème
I love ube cake but there isn't much of it or a wide variety available in Manila. The A La Crème ube cake is dense and believe it or not, has macapuno and walnuts rippled in the cake. The cake's ube buttercream filling and frosting has that characteristic ube taste with a velvety texture.

The A La Crème ube cake is dense and has macapuno and walnuts
The servers also recommend the Chocolate Sin, a cake with alternating layers of mousse layered between a walnut-encrusted chocolate cake. It's impressive and massively chocolatey.

A La Crème servers recommend the Chocolate Sin cake
I also really like the Belgian Chocolate Cake, the store's version of a decadent chocolate cake. It's so dense that it sticks to the roof of my mouth and it's imbued with a deep chocolate flavor, not to mention that it also weighs a ton in one hand!

Geylang - Thailand

2011-06-25T21:56:00.001-07:00

Where Rafael Nadal vacationed and 25 reasons why Thailand is amazing
WILL SOON FLOURISH By Wilson Lee Flores (The Philippine Star) Updated June 26, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (0)

Traditional teak wood villas at Rose Garden Riverside Resort
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There are so many beautiful parts of the world... Thailand, Italy, the south of France. — Robin Williams

On every visit to Thailand — especially this latest seven-day trip to attend the Thailand Travel Mart Plus 2011 — I realize it is world-famous not just because it is a beautiful and safe tourist destination. Thailand is an enchanting experience for all our five senses of sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing plus our sixth sense of the spiritual.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Suraphon Svetasreni said: “According to Mastercard Worldwide Index of Global Destination Cities, Thailand currently ranks as the third most popular destination in the world and is first among Asian cities… Thailand is also a logical gateway to the Greater Mekong Sub-region or that region sharing the Mekong River such as China’s Yunnan province, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.”

Based on my latest trip with a group of six travel agents and another journalist arranged by Dave de Jesus of the TAT Philippine office and accompanied by Inthira Vuttisomboon of TAT Singapore Office, here are 25 reasons why I believe touring Thailand is simply amazing:

1. Suvarnabhumi Airport. The first and last impressions tourists and foreign investors get of a country is its international airport. Thailand has a modern airport designed by top German-American architect Helmut Jahn, with the world’s third largest single-building airport terminal. It is so efficient, despite being Asia’s sixth busiest airport serving 42.7 million passengers in 2010. Airports of Thailand (AOT) senior executive vice-president Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said capacity will expand to 60 million passengers by July 2016.

The eight kings of the Chakri Dynasty, including the ancestors, father and late brother of the present king, at the Thai Human Imagery Museum. Photos by Liza Y. Licudine
2. Thai orchids and flowers. Beautiful flowers are everywhere and cheap. Pak Khlong Talad Market becomes the city’s biggest depot for wholesale flowers every night, with so many fragrant roses, lotuses, daisies, orchids and other blossoms. Visit, and bring cameras!

3. Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew. I was impressed with the 94.5-hectare royal complex of palaces and temples, in the center of which is Thailand’s most sacred Emerald Buddha. It was taken to Laos for over 200 years but retrieved in the reign of ethnic Chinese King Taksin in 1778 for his capital Thonburi. It was later moved by King Chakri to the new dynasty’s capital Bangkok. Shorts or sleeveless clothes not allowed!

4. Thai massage and spas. Don’t miss being blissfully pounded and stretched via Thai massage with herbal treatment in countless spas of varied prices. TAT arranged for a wonderful massage at high-end Rarinjinda Wellness Spa owned by Prasert Jiravanstit (also owner of the affordable Let’s Relax spas). Cebu travel agency owner Ricky Tio suggested Indara Spa where I paid 450 baht for two hours of relaxing rubbing by a senior masseuse (regular masseuse is 380 baht), while Ever Bilena’s Khristine Gabriel tweeted me to try the affordable massage at Lean On Tree Spa & Resto (across Rembrandt Hotel) owned by Thai Airways’ former Manila head Nivat Chantarachoti.

5. Rose Garden Riverside resort. Our group had a delicious Thai lunch buffet here beside a lake. This resort along Ta Chine River was created 49 years ago by an ethnic Chinese who was the first governor of Bangkok city named Chamnan Yuvaboon and it’s now run by grandson Arrut Navaraj with his brother. It’s 70 acres of lush tropical gardens with 10 acres devoted to organic farming. It has an 18-hole golf course, a hotel plus seven antique Thai teak houses beside a lake. The Thai general manager Krisada Promsarin told me he is a graduate of the former Gregorio Araneta University of Malabon in the Marcos era.

Traditional teak wood villas at Rose Garden Riverside Resort
6. Thai wines and vineyards. One delightful afternoon tour in Hua Hin brought us to the grape vineyards of Siam Winery established by the son of the Red Bull taipan. We tasted various delicious “Monsoon Valley” brand red and white wines in the elegant resto.

7. Conventions and exhibits. At the huge IMPACT Arena, Exhibition & Convention Center (with 14 hectares of indoor space!), we attended the successful Thailand Travel Mart Plus 2011. This is just one of many local and international events hosted by this country. Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) President Akapol Sorasuchart said his country will bid to host the World Expo, which was last hosted by Shanghai. He added a new high-speed train from China to Singapore will be finished in three years, passing through Thailand and expected to bring more tourists.

8. Thai hotels. There are so many kinds of Thai hotels and prices. We stayed at Siam City Hotel (founded by jazz singer Madame Kamala Sukosol who gifted us with her two CDs and her daughter-in-law Melanie Giles-Clapp told me they’re soon opening The Siam boutique hotel) and the prime location Amari Watergate Hotel.

9. Hua Hin royal beach resort. One highlight of our tour was staying at the exquisite beachfront InterContinental Hua Hin Resort where the world’s top tennis player Rafael Nadal was among its first VIP guests when it opened last year, where every room has butler service, and the 119 rooms are impeccably serviced by 270 staff. The five-mile Hua Hin beach is a favorite of royalty and the Thai elite.

Boats with traders of fruits and vegetables at a floating market
10. Thai foods. Tangy, tongue-teasing and spicy Thai cuisine is one compelling reason to visit here. We ate sumptuous Thai buffets at the riverside Oriental Hotel, the Grand Hyatt Hotel Erawan and other gourmet restos. My friends, the young tycoons of the Thai Young Entrepreneurs Association (TYEA), also invited me to great lunch at posh Sukhothai Hotel’s La Scala resto. On my own, I savored exotic Thai street foods at midnight, such as one 79-year-old eatery in Pratuman Road with very delicious Hainanese chicken and sate barbecues but with no English name, just signs in Chinese and Thai.

11. Kanom Thai desserts. I couldn’t resist colorful and delectable Thai sweets at the end of each meal, or in street stalls. My secret to eating it all? I take only half portions of each dessert from the buffet but taste each one, whether made of sticky rice, pandan, coconut milk, boiled taro, mung-bean starch, tapioca, tropical fruits and others.

12. Thai beer. Singha beer is very good, and I also tried Chang and Leo.

13. Nightlife. For those who don’t wish to sleep early, there’s a dizzying array of pubs, bars, clubs, cabarets and other places. Nightclubs are (thankfully!) no-smoking areas.

14. Thai fruits. There are so many colorful, exotic-looking and delicious tropical fruits.

Thai fruits now in season
15. Siam Miramit. This elaborate show with hundreds of costumes and dazzling special effects — complete with flowing river waters and monsoon rains on stage! — retells seven centuries of Thai history. There is buffet Thai dinner before the show starts at 8 p.m.

16. Wax museums. Bangkok has a wax museum by the world-famous Madame Tussaud. Enjoy having your photos taken beside world leaders or Hollywood celebrities. Cagayan de Oro’s Sunbee Tours owner Liza Licudine said she was star-struck upon seeing her crush Brad Pitt. An older wax museum just outside the city called Thai Human Imagery Museum is different and no less impressive, with Traders Travel’s sale director August Ong impressed at how life-like the statues of the famous Buddhist monks were.

17. Thai malls. They have affordable malls all the way to the very high-end Siam Paragon, with luxury showrooms selling Lamborghinis, Maseratis, Ferraris and Porsches on the second floor and Bangkok’s biggest English-language bookstore Kinokuniya on the fifth floor.

18. Siam Ocean World. This Southeast Asia’s largest aquarium at the basement of Siam Paragon is awesome and educational for people of all ages. I enjoyed riding the glass-bottom boat to see big sharks and rays. It’s relaxing to even just sit and watch the aquatic life in the eight-meter-high aquariums or study the fishes in glass-tunnel walkways.

Woman with Thailand’s famous orchids in the Rose Garden Riverside Resort
19. Museum of Siam. When our group visited this fun museum, there were two groups of cute kindergarten kids that I had photos taken with. This museum on the history of Thailand is interactive and has games for kids and teens to enjoy while learning.

20. Chao Phraya River cruise. I now understand why Bangkok was once called “Venice of the East,” after taking a fun boat ride across this clean river. If you have time, go on a romantic dinner cruise.

21. Phra Nakhon Khiri. This simple mountain residence of a former king of the Chakri Dynasty has gardens, monkeys freely running around the grounds and panoramic views of the city. Visit here by riding the cable car up and prepare for lots of healthy walking.

22. Thai elephants. Marvel at these humongous and cute animals. Try to ride one, too!

23. Open-air market. Despite the glitz of air-conditioned malls, I still like the steamy, crowded yet fun markets where one can haggle for the best bargains. Go to Jatujak (Chatuchak) weekend market for a whole day; also Pratunam Market, which is Bangkok’s biggest wholesale clothing market, and other markets.

Thai herbs for treatment during Thai massage
24. Floating markets. I enjoyed our visit to Amphawa to see and experience the traditional floating markets filled with lively multi-colored trading goods and delicious eateries on wooden canoes. If you have time, also visit Damnoen Saduak or Don Wai.

25. Thai people. Last but definitely not the least, one truly great reason tourists love to visit this country is the charming, hospitable, kind and cheerful nature of the Thai people.

A musicians point

2011-06-18T19:40:00.001-07:00

‎"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down "happy". They told me I didn’t understand the assignment.
I told them they didn’t understand life."
— John Lennon

2011-06-10T02:05:00.001-07:00

DALLAS – Everything promises to be sheer torture now, the worst basketball nightmare of LeBron James(notes) unfolding one mocking, ridiculing jeer stacked upon another until the world comes crashing down Sunday night. Biggest game of my life, James proclaimed, and the final minutes of Game 5, the final score, still belonged to someone else. Beyond failure, this felt so much like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Biggest game of his life, James proclaimed, and his good was unacceptable again. Greatness is demanded for a global icon. Greatness is the burden. Back to the brink for LeBron James, back to the dizzying, dumbfounding edge of his chaotic, careening planet.

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All hell crashed down upon James and the Miami Heat in a confounding 112-103 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, an avalanche of Mavericks 3-pointers conspiring with one more pedestrian performance from James in the fourth quarter. From Dirk Nowitzki(notes) to Jason Terry(notes), the Mavericks humiliated him in the clutch and moved within a victory of an NBA championship. Nothing out of James in the fourth quarter, nothing to honor and validate a talent that ought to be controlling these Finals.

These Dallas Mavericks go to great lengths to mess with him, hurling insults and insinuations with regularity that they never would’ve dared with different superstars. Why? Because they believe it messes with his mind. They believe the words will fester within him, keep him thinking when he ought to be reacting. Terry says James can’t guard him, and so far he’s been right. DeShawn Stevenson(notes) essentially called him a quitter in Game 4. Shawn Marion(notes) appeared to call him much worse on the floor, too.

James won’t get mad, and James won’t get even and make people pay a price. When opposing players hear people insist they ought to be respectful of James out of fear of retribution – be careful they don’t stir him with words – they privately giggle.

“Different guys are different,” Stevenson told Yahoo! Sports in a corner of the Mavericks’ locker room Thursday night. “Kobe Bryant feeds off stuff like that. He looks for it every time. LeBron’s a different kind of person. Obviously he’s a freak of nature, able to do a lot of things, but everybody in this league is built different.”

Built differently. Translated: Where’s the killer within? Where’s the best player in basketball, the prodigious talent that left the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics crumpled messes back in the Eastern Conference? Where’s the cold-bloodedness?

Where is this guy?

Deep down, James has to still see the opportunity tangled within the disheartening defeat. He goes home, and gets a chance to fight back and take that championship. The opportunity is historic. Down 2-3 in the series, James has a chance to manufacture the most dramatic narrative in Finals history.

The ultimate frontrunner could still craft the ultimate comeback story.

Maybe going home makes the difference for him. Maybe this was just too much for him in Dallas. After all, James has lost the desire to drive to the basket and get to the free-throw line. He’s lost the touch on his jump shot. He’s lost the fourth quarters of these Finals, totaling just 11 points in all five of them.

Still, LeBron James hasn’t lost these Finals. He hasn’t lost this series. Now, winning could be bigger than ever. He’s set himself up for one of the great, great victories in NBA history or one of the biggest flops ever seen. Never in-between with him, never halfway.

When the game was over, someone asked Chris Bosh(notes) how James had played. Bosh stared blankly for a moment, because James’ performance was statistically sound and perfectly forgettable. Finally, Bosh looked down at the stat sheet and managed to spit out, “Triple-double.”

Yes, triple-double: 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. In the final five minutes, 59 seconds, James missed two of his three shots, had no assists, no rebounds and a turnover.

As Game 5 slipped away, James missed an open 3-pointer with the Heat trailing 102-100. He was called for a charge on the baseline. And he let Terry beat him on the biggest 3-pointer of the night. No one had talked more trash at James, and no one backed it up with such brilliant shot-making. For nearly the entire fourth quarter, James went without a basket – and don’t dare count a layup inside the final minute once the Heat were far gone. This was A-Rod with a ninth inning solo shot to make it 7-2.

Eventually, James is going to do this. He’s going to win a title. Once again, the Heat need to win Games 6 and 7, or the Year of LeBron becomes one big bust. These days, he is a one-man, 24-hour news cycle. When James is done talking between games in these playoffs, half-baked reports on his personal life are flying and innocent bystanders are ducking shrapnel, forced to publicly deny cyber gossip. He’s the deepest, darkest swirling vortex of insanity that modern sports has ever seen.

Just Thursday morning at the Heat’s shootaround, someone asked James how he had been spending his time since a costly and dreadful eight-point debacle in Game 4. Why, he had been reading everyone’s columns on the Internet. This inspired a good laugh, but he probably wasn’t joking. From his mid-teens, he’s always seen himself from the outside looking in, as a spectacle within a spectacle. Reality is a fuzzy place for a child prodigy raised, empowered and enabled by the sneaker industry.

As a product of that environment, the need for James to validate his brand with unforgettable performances, with clutch play in championship games, is monumental. And perhaps paralyzing. He had a good game on Thursday night, but it doesn’t matter that James plays with Dwyane Wade(notes) and Bosh. Good isn’t good enough for him. No one’s even sure great covers it for him.

By design, James and his crackerjack marketers wanted the feeding frenzies, wanted the residual of “The Decision” to be the dawning of a generational, global sports icon. Well, global icons take over fourth quarters. They find a way to will their teams – will themselves – to victory. LeBron James still has his chance. He still has Games 6 and 7 in Miami. All cheers, all adulation for him. He needs it, craves it, because he isn’t so hot with hostility.

The next 72 hours promise to be the most torturous for James, because the world will keep closing on him, keep parsing and replaying and re-engaging everything about his Finals failures. He can’t help himself, because so much of the way he sees himself, the way he built himself, was through the prism of this basketball “Truman Show.”

From the edge of disaster, from the brink, James can still do the unthinkable. After running off to play with Wade and Bosh, the ultimate frontrunner can still craft the ultimate comeback. Between now and then, the biggest job for James will be to spare himself combustion from ingesting everything that’s coming for him now. These Mavericks don’t seem to believe this is all fuel for James. They don’t believe he gets angry and narrow, but shaken and obtuse. They aren’t alone, and that’s the burden on James now.

All these months, all about him, and good isn’t enough now. Greatness is demanded, dominance. James gets his chance again. All that noise, all that static, and those 72 hours between Games 5 and 6 promise to raise the volume, raise the stakes on a man who sometimes can be so easily distracted, easily disturbed. Back to the brink for James, back to that combative, spinning place where his basketball career, his life, has long existed. Seventy-two hours of poring over everything – what the world’s saying, thinking and wishing – could be crippling. Biggest game of his life, all over again.

Here comes Game 6 for LeBron James, here come the walls, the chances, the mayhem of everything he’s created, real and illusionary. Here comes LeBron James, the contradiction of contradictions: the frontrunner chasing a comeback story.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AiHFeGHKwHjt2o_RYpn.FD.8vLYF?slug=aw-wojnarowski_lebron_james_nba_finals_game5_061011

Ten Reasons Why You Should Get Your S**t Together

2011-06-03T01:47:00.000-07:00

MAY. 30, 2011 By RYAN O'CONNELL
You’re going to look old as shit in a few years if you don’t get it together. Excessive drinking and little sleep means you’re going to be channeling Chelsea Handler’s visage very soon. It’s cute to look like shit when you’re 24 because if you just put a little bit of effort in, you can make yourself cute again. “Wow, there’s youthful and fresh skin underneath all of this grime. Who knew?” That changes as you get older. Every line, every life scar starts to stick like glue and you can no longer wash a hangover off of your face with some organic soap you bought at Whole Foods when you were high.
In case you haven’t noticed, life is expensive. There are bills for your bills. You get charged a hundred dollars for just thinking that you have a toothache. Your job at Anthropologie is fine for now. Your expenses consist of your $400 a month rent, your $600 a month alcohol habit, and your growing dependency to Chipotle but it’s time for you to think in the long-term. What can give you benefits and health coverage? What job will pay you if you happen to get hurt or sick? Not Anthro! They’ll just give you an empire waist dress, a tofu burrito and write you a get well card.
It’s fun to see yourself mature! There’s always this fear that you’ll be the last person at the party. You’ll be the guy urging people to do shots when they’re like “um, no. I have to get up at six in the morning.” Don’t be That Guy. Become the guy who’s afraid of That Guy.
Growing up means liking yourself more and more. You’ve been with yourself long enough to feel comfortable in your own skin. Self-respect can be something that’s innate but it can also develop with age. The awful things you let people do to you when you were seventeen should make you cringe. If it doesn’t, you might still be letting them do it.
You can have a real relationship with someone. Your mind can handle it. “Why aren’t we fighting every second and having mind-blowing hate sex? Oh right, because I actually like them. Weird.” When you’re younger, you equate love with mind games, manipulation, and experiencing insane highs and lows. It makes sense because that’s where your head is at when you’re young. I mean, how can you love someone for real when you’re batshit insane? Growing up, however, means letting good people into your life and letting healthy relationships happen
Once you understand that you don’t have to get wasted, sleep with a random, and vomit in a trashcan to have a successful Friday night, you can actually get the good kind of drunk and have the good kind of fun. When people had Walks of Shame in college, they were actually secretly happy about it. Shaming was seen as a good thing. “Wait, you hooked up with three guys, took E, and don’t know how you got home? Ugh, I’m so jealous. I wish I had gone out with you guys.”
You can grow up anytime you want. You can do it at 20, 25, or 40. It doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with age. Growing up just means deleting things and people who are bad for you. It means taking care of business, taking care of yourself, and not repeating the same mistakes. Everyone has their own growing up to do. It does not mean you have to drink Earl Grey every night, get a cat and be in bed by 11. Jesus, that would suck.
You can attract better friendships. F.Y.I. your party friends probably don’t give a shit about you. Have you ever seen them in the daylight? They’re not the people you call when stuff gets real anyway. They’re the people you call when you want to avoid everything that’s real. You want to have a fake time? Call your fake friends.
You’ll be happier. You won’t cry over something as silly as an ignored phone call, won’t walk around feeling like you could break at any moment. When you grow up, things are more steady. No more extremes. Things are just good.
You can stop worrying that you’re never going to get your shit together. You did it! You didn’t get swallowed up by the bad things. U R A 20-SOMETHING SURVIVOR.

Notes

2011-06-02T03:28:00.001-07:00

Spine Articulations. Flexion, Extension and Rotation

FOod To GO

2011-06-01T03:20:00.001-07:00

op 20 less-known hawkers
Monday May 30, 2011 02:22 am PDT

We scour the streets of Singapore to find the best hawker joints that you don't know about but should
1. Ban Mian, L32 Shou Gong Mian Stall 32, Lorong 32 Geylang, 558 Geylang Rd.

These homemade noodles have just the right thickness, and are soft and supple. The soup is light yet flavourful, and complements the fresh and slightly sweet prawns and extremely crispy-fried anchovies. But the best bit is the chili which is delightfully spicy. ($3-5.50)

2. Black Carrot Cake, Le Yi Shi Fried Carrot Cake, #01-38, 93 Toa Payoh Lorong 4 Hawker Centre

The carrot cake here is chopped thickly, so those who prefer chunky cuts will be pleased. Fried until slightly caramelised, it's evenly coated with thick, dark soy sauce. It's not cloyingly sweet and is balanced well with the somewhat fiery and sour chili. ($2-3)

3. Briyani, Ali Nachia Briyani Dam, #02-04, Blk. 5 Tanjong Pagar Plaza

A combination of Northern and Southern Indian influences, the briyani here consists of raita, curry with eggplant and potato, mutton and achar. The rice is fragrant but not too oily, and is topped with a generous chunk of mutton that's amazingly tender when bitten into. The raita is also different from the standard, watery types, and is rich and satisfying. ($6)

4. Char Kway Teow, Heng Huat Fried Kway Teow, #01-36 Pasir Panjang Food Centre, 121 Pasir Panjang Rd.

It's surprisingly vegetable-heavy, but in a good way. Tasty yet not too oily, the crunch from the vegetables mingles well with the softness of the kway teow. ($3)

5. Chinese Rojak , Stall 11 Economic Bee Hoon-Nasi Lemak-Rojak Stall, 11 Sembawang Hill Food Centre, 590 Upper Thomson Rd.

Portions here are generous, so come prepared to eat. The fruits and veggies are chopped into large chunks and tossed with you tiao, tao pok and rojak sauce. The toasted you tiao is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside with a mildly-charred taste, while the tao pok is softer than the you tiao and absorbs the sauce nicely. ($3-4)

6. Fish Ball Noodles, Da Zhong Meatball, Fishball, Kway Teow Mee, #02-196 Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre, 116 Upper Bukit Timah Rd.

The stars here are the springy and firm homemade fish balls, but fish cakes and meatballs are also all full of flavour. ($2.80)

7. Hainanese Chicken Rice, Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice, #01-15 Alexandra Village Food Centre, 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1

You'll be thrilled with this find: fluffy, fragrant rice with moist and juicy chicken flesh. Don't forget to pile on the delicious, finely-ground chili. The soup is also slurp-worthy and has a slight herbal taste. ($3)

8. Herbal Mutton Soup, New World Mutton Soup, #01-55 Bedok Interchange Food Centre, 207 New Upper Changi Rd.

We know folks who won't even go near mutton because of the smell. But they haven't tried the mutton soup here. The broth is both hearty and comforting, while the meat is not tough at all. The chili has a slight Thai-style sweet and spicy tanginess. ($4-10)

9. Hor Fun, Shi Hui Yuan Hor Fun Specialty, #02-33 Mei Ling Food Centre, 159 Mei Chin Rd.

Chicken hor fun done just right. The gravy has just the right amount of salt and isn't too thick, while the chicken slices are tender. But what makes this a real winner are the large, sweet and juicy mushrooms. ($3-5)

10. Kway Chap, 138 Kway Chap & Porridge, #02-138 Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre, 116 Upper Bukit Timah Rd.

This is a tribute to all things porcine, served with tender pork slices, pig skin and pork intestines. The mix of textures is great when eaten with the slippery noodles, salted vegetables and a braised hard-boiled egg all swimming in savory dark soy-based sauce. ($3)

11. Laksa, Wei Yi Laksa & Prawn Noodle, Stall 20 Tanglin Halt Market & Food Centre, 48A Tanglin Halt Rd.

The gravy is rich without being too thick, with just the right amount of fieriness. The serving of chicken strips, prawns and sliced fish cakes is generous too.

If you're all about heat, just throw in more of their yummy sambal. ($3-3.50)

12. Malay Chicken Rice, Lorong Limau Muslim Chicken Rice, Stall 1, 56 Kim Keat Rd.

The serving of fried chicken is generous, the batter light but very crispy, and the rice fragrant and moist. With suitably spicy chunky chili paired with fresh cucumber and lettuce to cool your mouth, we're willing to forgive the mediocrity of the soup. ($3)

13. Mee Rebus, Rahim Muslim Food, #01-02 Ah Seah Eating House, Kovan Centre, 9 Yio Chu Kang Rd.

It's the only hawker we know of that puts satay sauce on mee rebus. The thickness of the gravy is balanced with the nutty taste and slightly chunky texture of the satay sauce. ($2.80)

14. Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle, Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle, #01-62 Ngee Huat Eating House, 51 Toa Payoh Lorong 6

The minced pork is not too soft and has a perfectly chewy texture, while the succulent mushroom slices introduce a rich, savoury element into the dish. ($3-5)

15. Nasi Ayam Penyet, Nur Indah Kitchen, Stall 007 Bedok Corner Food Centre, 1 Bedok Rd.

The crunchy yet tender chicken is a winner, and it goes wonderfully with the rice cooked in chicken stock. The chili is both sweet and sour with a kick, but not overpowering. ($4.50)

16. Nasi Lemak, Sheikh Najib Nasi Lemak, 18 Rowell Rd.

Start with fragrant and plentiful rice, topping that with some chunky and slightly sweet sambal. The chicken drumstick and wings are fried to crisp, golden perfection. There's also omelet and ikan bilis served on a banana leaf-covered plate. ($3.50)

17. Nasi Padang, Hajjah Mona Nasi Padang, #02-166 Geylang Serai Market & Food Centre, 1 Geylang Serai

The power-packed chili padi paste is a perfect match to the ayam bakar which is especially tender with a smoky flavour. The urap - fresh, raw vegetables tossed with bean sprouts and grated coconut - is a favourite among customers, and we can certainly understand why. The crunchiness coupled with the coconut flavour is hugely addictive. ($5-6.50)

18. Or Luak, Riverside Good Food, #01-21 Zion Riverside Food Centre, 86 Zion Rd.

The omelet is fried to perfection. Its crisp, savoury exterior is a lovely contrast to the fresh, succulent oysters. It almost doesn't need the tangy chili sauce. ($4-8)

19. Roti Prata, Riyadh Muslim Food, Stall 12 Soon Soon Lai Eating House, 32 Defu Lane 10

Just slightly bigger than your palm, the prata is not too thick or thin and has a golden brown coat that is crisp. Inside, it is still soft and fluffy. Have it with full-flavoured chicken curry. ($0.70-1.30)

20. Sup Tulang, Al Kader Restaurant, #01-534, 820 Tampines St. 81

Don't let the deep red gravy put you off - this is a fabulous rendition with a strong tomato taste. The meat is tender, and unlike other sup tulangs, there's lots of marrow in the bone just waiting to be slurped. ($6-12)

Must Try

2011-06-01T03:18:00.001-07:00

Buzz: A bona fide cocktail bar that's just about two months old, co-founded by Ethan Leslie Leong and Leonard Low - yet another welcome addition to the buzzing heart of Chinatown.
Décor: With a primarily white colour scheme (the chairs, sofas, walls, curtains and even chandeliers), the vibe is chic but not stuffy. And of course, it comes complete with the requisite dim lighting.

Food & Drinks: First of all, don't expect to find any beer or wine here, although Dom does make an appearance. It's all about the art of mixology here, with a list of cocktails ($22-38) organized by flavour. Pick from drinks such as strawberry Frangelico sour, basil caipiroska or Red Ruby martini.

There's also a special flambé martini ($28). Also try the White Russian, Brandy Alexandra or chocolate.

If you're feeling peckish, bar bites include pizzas ($25 upwards), pastas ($23 upwards), chicken yakit garlic butter escargots ($28).

Music: Chill-out tunes that are undeniably groovy but not too up-tempo.

Crowd: At the moment, it's mostly yuppies working in the area and Lamborghini or Ferrari-driving types. You can help change that.

Why you'll be back: For those days after work when the only reward should be a luscious, well-mixed concoction (or several).

49/51 Kreta Ayer Rd.; 6557‑0538; Open Mondays to Thursdays from 11:30 am to 1 am, Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30 am to 2 am

The Jesuit way

2011-05-31T01:02:00.000-07:00

I think coming from a great family and receiving Jesuit education, I would have to say my foundation is strongly built. For me, one cannot talk of well-being without being spiritually, emotionally, and physically well, too. One cannot exist without the other; they are interdependent.

Manyakis

2011-05-27T01:55:00.001-07:00

5 Foreign Phrases to Help You Get Lucky
1 day ago.

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It’s a common complaint that the working language of the Internet is only spoken by 10% of the world’s population. If you want to get lucky online (and offline), English won’t help you.

You’ll need to speak the languages of love.

It’s understandable that being fluent in another language is difficult, so we’ve compiled five key foreign phrases that will help you impress the ladies. [Source: blog.neu.com]

1. What to say: Hey Du, willst Du mir nicht ein Bier ausgeben?

Language: German

Translation: “Hey you, do you want to buy me a beer?”

German women are strong women, not easily impressed by a weak pansy. Offering to buy her a drink would just make you come across as an unimpressive wimp.

To pull of this phrase, you’ll need a slight overconfidence that tells her that you are the catch. Beautiful women rarely get approached like this, so you automatically stand out from the other guys.

A word of caution – this will not work every time. However, if you do it right and pull it off with bravado, you might just get both the beer and the girl.

2. What to say: Est-ce que tu es aussi doux que tes yeux?

Language: French

Translation: “Are you as gentle as your eyes are?”

They say that French is the language of love. Use it to its full potential to start things off on the right track between you and that beautiful French lady.

This gentler approach is designed to get into her good books early. After all, who doesn’t like flattery?

Drawing her shy laughter promises a good time for both of you.

Of course, this may not always work. She could just shoot you down with a cold ‘non’. Like all good things, you won’t know until you give it a try.

So why not? You're leaving the country soon anyway, and thus have nothing to lose.

3.What to say: Voglio passare il resto della mia vitta con te.

Language: Italian

What it means: “I want to spend the rest of my life with you.“

This is a pretty daring and dangerous pick-up line to use. It’s best paired with a ring hidden in your pockets, preferably a cheap trinket that doesn’t really fit. If you don’t have a ring, just tie a straw around her finger.

If done right, it comes across as endearing, cheeky and comedic.

If she’s into you, you both will get talking. If she isn’t, at least she’ll most likely let you down gently.

However, do use this line with caution. You may never know when a girl will take you too seriously and start planning the wedding.

4. What to say: 我的国家没一个女人像你这么可爱 (Pinyin: Wo de guo jia mei yi ge nv ren xiang ni zheme ke ai)

Language: Mandarin Chinese

Translation: “My country doesn’t have girls as cute as you.“

Chinese people love it when foreigners try to speak Mandarin. The key word being ‘try’ because no number of classes will help you get the intonation of a native speaker.

The success is two-fold. Firstly, the Chinese are generally very forgiving when you fumble with the language. Secondly, you attempt to speak Mandarin lets you come across as cute and adorable.

5. What to say: Oye, muchacha loca. ¿Y una lección de baile privada?

Language: Spanish

What it means: “Hey, crazy girl. How about a private dance lesson?”

Spanish is ranked the second most widely spoken language with 329 million native speakers. So on top of appealing to a large pool of women, it acknowledges their culture and capability of great dancing.

This pick-up line puts the woman in the position of the knowledgeable educator. Most women find it appealing when a man would put aside his pride and ask for help. This line puts you in a good light, while giving you a reason to spend time with her.

Conclusion

Now you'll be giving James Bond a run for his money, stud.

Ants with the Pants

2011-05-27T01:36:00.000-07:00

By Andrew Richdale, GQ Magazine / Photos:Ben Ferrari
We sifted through hundreds of men's jeans in stores this spring and came back with these 20 slim-fit pairs of all prices, brands, and fades.

Model: Arthur K.
Grooming: Kumi Craig
Acne Jeans
Roc Soft Raw $230

You know how your girlfriend got her special jeans? These are the guy version of those. They're not cheap, but a lot easier than doing squats. Buy 'em as small as you can button them. They'll stretch a little and age better that way.

Available at Acne Studio, 10 Greene St, NY and acnestudios.com

T-shirt (shown throughout), $52 by AG Adriano Goldschmied, available at AG Beverly Hills and AG Soho. Bracelet by Miansai. Boots by Red Wing Shoes.

Bracelet by David Yurman. Watch by
TAG Heuer. Wingtips by Alden.
More from
GQ Magazine :

The Worst Fashion Mistakes Men Make

The Cast of ‘Glee’ Gone Wild

GAP 1969 Jeans
Skinny-fit jean, Dark Star $64.50

The masters of classic and affordable American essentials bringing another, well, classic, American pair of jeans. They don't have too many tricks and are perfect for a casual weekend look.

Available at Gap stores nationwide and gap.com

Watch by TAG Heuer. Bracelet by Tod's.
Loafers by G.H. Bass & Co.
Naked & Famous Denim
WeirdGuy, black selvage $135

Winner for Best Name for a Fit Ever goes to denim obsessive Brandon Svarc of Naked & Famous. What the heck is the "WeirdGuy" though? It's got a tapered leg with a little more give up top. Perfect if you like a skinny jean but still want to have kids one day. Not perfect if you're looking for something on the lighter side. These are jeans with some serious, bulletproofish heft.

Available at Barneys New York and barneys.com

Bracelet by Gregg Wolf.
Boat shoes by Rogues Gallery.
Dior Homme Jeans
Powder blue jeans $670

Almost the best jeans money can buy from the brand that really got the mega-pricey denim craze off the ground. Here's what you're paying for: a pair of jeans with a crazy good fit and a subtle, intentional wear and tear. A paint and resin splatter here, a crease and whisker there.

Available at Dior Homme NYC, LA, Las Vegas, and diorhomme.com

Watch by IWC. Flip-flops by Havaianas.
Hudson Jeans
Harper selvage straight leg in rinse wash $238

The thing about selvage is you run the risk of all kinds of not so comfortable conditions in the skin department. Here's a great raw slim option that's still seriously soft to the touch.

Available at Saks Fifth Avenue

Watch by IWC. Bracelet by Tod's.
Shoes by Alden.
7 For All Mankind Jeans
Slimmy in Chester Row $169

From the pioneers of the LA-denim movement, the Slimmy is Seven's skinniest fit. (Shocker, we know.) It also happens to be one of the best dressier summerweight jeans out there right now.

Available at 7 For All Mankind stores nationwide and 7forallmankind.com

Bracelet by David Yurman. Watch by
Victorinox. Sneakers by Converse.
Armani Exchange Jeans
Ultra-slim jean $125

A killer gray option for a fashion-y guy who wants to set himself apart without throwing down his savings.

Available at Armani Exchange stores nationwide and armaniexchange.com

Watch by Victorinox. Bracelet by
David Yurman. Shoes by Alden.
ck one Jeans
Slim Slouchy $69.50

This slouchy-waisted, skinny-legged jean has been called a lot of things. If you don't hang out in hoods with artisanal coffeeshops and graffitied warehouses, just keep on clicking.

Available at calvinklein.com

Lace-up shoes by Ralph Lauren.
J.Crew Jeans
484 slim-fit selvage denim $225

One of the most reasonably priced, best-fitting selvage options on the market. Seriously, any guy looks studly in these and they can be dressed up or down just as easily.

Available at J.Crew stores and jcrew.com

Bracelet by J.Crew. Sneakers
by Converse.
True Religion Brand Jeans
Rocco in Tennessee $216

The just-right textured shade from the washing experts at True Religion. The cut is shorter for a reason: These are made to be rolled up like a cool kid. Don't try and pull them off with anything but simple sneakers.

Available at True Religion Brand Jeans nationwide and truereligionbrandjeans.com

Bracelet by David Yurman.
Wingtips by Ralph Lauren.
AG Adriano Goldschmied Jeans
The Dylan 1 Year Freshman $215

The designers behind LA-based AG are pros at distressing. Their slim-fit 1-years have the perfect amount of creasing and whiskering for our taste with a rise that's on the lower side.

Available at AG Beverly Hills and AG Soho

Bracelet by Tod's.
Sneakers by Dior Homme.
H&M Jeans
Sliq Jeans $29.95

Look, we know that the price of jeans has gotten a little out of hand to say the least, which is why we can really get behind a pair like these from H&M. Here's the truth: the treatment and fit of these is nearly indistinguishable from ones 20x's the price.

Available at H&M stores

Watch by Hamilton.
Wingtips by Ralph Lauren.
Polo Ralph Lauren Jeans
Slim-Fit Cole Wash Jean $145

One of the slimmest pairs you'll see here. They're all-American with a little bit of a rinse and are entirely versatile. They'll become the gutsy basic you can wear with almost anything.

Available at select Ralph Lauren stores and ralphlauren.com

Desert boots by Clarks.
DKNY Jeans

The Williamsburg Jean $69.50

Another affordable option for guys looking for something slim and casual with an urban, washed out feel.

Available at zappos.com

Bracelets by Miansai.
Sneakers by Converse.
Levi's
511 skinny jeans $68

The essential Montauk-y vacation jean without the baggy fit you generally associate with sandy locales. With just the right mix of holes and abrasions, this vintage wash is specifically perfect for the warmer months. And, yes, it's another you should flash a little ankle with.

Available at levis.com

Watch by Zenith. Boat shoes by H&M.
Joe's Jeans
Brixton Fit $169

You probably wouldn't guess it from this photo, but these jeans are impossibly light and comfy. They're also low-rise and—yeah, you get the point by now—slim fit.

Available at joesjeans.com

Bracelet by J.Crew. Sneakers by Vans.
Diesel Jeans
Tepphar jeans $280

These have that dirty "I just wiped the grease from my hotrod on my thighs" kind of wash, which means a few things. You shouldn't be afraid to beat these up a bit. And their usage should be restricted to tee-and-sneaker-friendly occasions only.

Available at Diesel 5th Avenue NYC and diesel.com

Watch by Cartier.
Shoes by John Varvatos.
Spurr Jeans
Slim fit 1-year wash jean $255

These pipe-like jeans are tailored to perfection, a quality any item of Simon Spurr's has. If you're on the prowl for a premium pair with minimum detailing that won't sag out over time, well, then—Eureka!

Available at select Bloomindale's

Necklace by Beryll. Watch by
Hamilton. Boots by Dolce & Gabbana.
GUESS Jeans
Kurt Jean, Activity Wash $148

Denim with some conservative wear-and-tear. The fibers are faded and loosened a bit for a rugged feel. These are the sort of jeans that look great tucked into some equally roughed up boots.

Available at GUESS Retail Locations Nationwide, guess.com

Sneakers by Converse.
J Brand Jeans
Kane in Boone $165

A good reasonably-priced premium option. The rinse of these takes out some of the stiffness denim of this quality usually comes with. They also pack some prominent creases so everyone thinks you've been squatting and roundhouse kicking in 'em for years.

Available at Nordstrom

Bars must try

2011-05-27T01:33:00.000-07:00

op 10 Bar Bites
Tuesday May 24, 2011 08:14 pm PDT

Bar grub has come a long way. Gone are the days when bar menus the world over offered just a bowl of monkey nuts or a packet of crisps, with nothing in between.
Pubs and bars have gone down the whole gastro route with culinary offerings that sometimes actually trump restaurant fare.

Timbre@The Substation
Pizzas at Timbre@The Substation are simply stunning. Sit under the large Bodhi tree, take in the lush greenery and enjoy live music from some of the best local bands while chomping on Timbre's famous square thin pizzas. We also recommend the roasted garlic shrimp pizza as well as the German sausage and peppers pizza

Molly Malone's Irish Pub
Elsewhere, just behind Boat Quay, you'll find one of Singapore's oldest Irish pubs. At Molly Malone's Irish Pub, you'll get the chance to sink your teeth into what we think is one of the most authentic-tasting fish and chips in the city. Served in a basket and on baking paper - its rich batter is both tasty and crunchy while the meat is tender and fresh and the fat fries are generously portioned.

Ice Cold Beer
For classic comfort finger food, Ice Cold Beer whips up some of the most addictive fried chicken wings and drumlets in town. Better than finger-licking good - tearing into their wings is an absolute delight. Fried to perfection (crispy on the outside and moist on the inside) with subtle hints of spice, you'll soon forget about the football game on the big screen once you tuck into this.

Tawandang MicroBrewery
If you are craving for a taste of Asia, head to Tawandang MicroBrewery where you'll find German craft beers alongside scrumptious Thai fare like Thai chili crab, tom yam soup, deep fried prawn cakes, and the crowd-favourite pork knuckle.

Wala Wala Café Bar
This iconic Holland Village bar dishes out some of the most delicious pub grubs to go with your ice cold pint. They have a good selection of lovely thin crust pizzas like Pizza Wala, which comes topped with sausage, pepperoni, jalapenos, pineapple, capsicum, mushroom, bacon, olives, artichoke and ham. The grilled lamb chops in red wine and mushroom sauce with potato wedges, and baked mushrooms stuffed with capsicum and mozzarella cheese are also worth a try while you rock out to tracks from house band, The UnExpected.

Orgo
Sink your teeth into Orgo's spread of bar bites while you soak up views of the bays while downing mixologist Tomoyuki Kitazoe's cocktails. Notables will be the interesting Cod Brandade Crostini, Popcorn Chicken and Grilled Kurobuta.

Stereolounge
Stereolounge boasts of all the right ingredients for a winning hangout: cool cocktails made by skilled mixologists, plush interior, groovy tunes and one lip-smacking menu of grub. Dig into its French fries with truffle mayo dip, trio of mini grilled Wagyu beef burgers with truffled mushrooms (our fav!), or puff pastry pizzas topped with organic mushrooms, mushroom puree, tomato sauce and mozzarella.

Atrium Bar at Morton's
While the restaurant is famous for serving grain-fed aged beef and fresh seafood, the Atrium Bar at Morton's is an elegant location known for its martinis, decadent desserts and bar food. The filet mignon sandwiches are certainly worth dropping by for - slices of tender meat between soft, chewy finger rolls, and just lightly mayonnaised. They're free during happy hour purchase of a martini. Alternatively, you can go for the Miniature Prime Cheeseburger Trio or the Jumbo Lump Crab served with spinach and artichoke dip.

Keyaki Bar
Pan Pacific Singapore's fancy Atrium is a nice spot for some lounging with your BFFs -especially so at the Keyaki Bar where sake connoisseurs can explore an extensive range of sake, as well as sake cocktails. Its Japanese-themed tapas are generously passed around from 5-9 pm. The food can vary depending on the chef but could include items like Pan Pacific Singapore's renowned sausages, or Japanese-style bites like sushi and tempura.

The Queen & Mangosteen
Despite its stuffy English name, the Queen & Mangosteen is far from being your typical English public house. One thing's for sure is that this waterfront watering hole serves up some very Singaporean Archipelago Beer - and it serves up some delish nosh with an Asian touch.
Think fish and chips with curry tartare sauce, Thai spicy minced beef with corn chips and sour cream, lamb kofta meatballs, duck rillettes infused with oranges and served with crusty bread, as well as mini Kobe beef burgers.

Companies to try

2011-05-27T01:28:00.001-07:00

10. DreamWorks Animation SKG

Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation SKG
Rank: 10 (Previous rank: 6)

What makes it so great?

The creators of "Shrek" and "Kung Fu Panda" are lavished with free breakfast and lunch, movie screenings, afternoon yoga, on-campus art classes and monthly parties.

CEO Jefferey Katzenberg still takes time to call job candidates to encourage them to join.

Any DreamWorker can pitch a movie idea to company executives — and can take the company-sponsored "Life's A Pitch" workshop to learn how best to do it.

2009 revenue ($ millions): 725

11. Edward Jones

Courtesy of Edward Jones
Rank: 11 (Previous rank: 2)

What makes it so great?

The investment adviser has made diversity a priority with new recruitment programs to bring people of color into a workforce that is 93% white. As the company itself says, it "does not aspire to be a firm of middle-aged white men."

2009 revenue ($ millions): 3,548

12. Scottrade

Courtesy of Scottrade
Rank: 12 (Previous rank: 27)

What makes it so great?

Discount stockbroker thrives by going against the grain: Its brokers offer no advice to customers and do not work on commission. Its workplace bucks trends too — no one has ever been laid off, and no office has ever been closed.

2009 revenue ($ millions): 863

13. Alston & Bird

Courtesy of Alston & Bird
Rank: 13 (Previous rank: 30)

What makes it so great?

For a decade the law firm has had its own child-care campus a block away from its offices. The facility was expanded this year and now provides day care to 110 children, with subsidized rates for parents in lower-salaried ranks.

2009 revenue ($ millions): 551

14. Robert W. Baird

Courtesy of Robert W. Baird & Co.
Rank: 14 (Previous rank: 11)

What makes it so great?

Employees of the investment adviser praise the integrity that prevails here. "I have worked with a number of firms," says one manager, "and Baird [has] the most hard-working, honest, ethical people in our business."

2009 revenue ($ millions): 718

15. Mercedes-Benz USA

Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz USA
Rank: 15 (Previous rank: 49)

What makes it so great?

The sales and marketing arm of the German car maker offers flexible work schedules, compressed workweeks, and a generous telecommuting policy, as well as a gym with two personal trainers and an on-site car wash, of course.

2009 revenue ($ millions): 9,000

Its not you Its me

2011-05-25T22:59:00.001-07:00

Idiots pinned it on [James],” Ilgauskas said. “But he didn’t do any hiring or firing. That came from higher-ups. You can only blame so much on that kid. Eventually, someone else has to take some accountability.”

Change of Jobs

2011-05-21T20:55:00.001-07:00

http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/112779/surprising-six-figure-jobs-cnbc?mod=career-salary_negotiation

50 cent notice

2011-05-10T02:31:00.000-07:00

50 Cent says visiting other countries has changed his perspective on life.
The rapper, real name Curtis James Jackson III, has performed in a number of struggling countries including Kosovo. The 35-year old says that his travels have made his upbringing seem less difficult.
“The experience of being in different places and identifying with peoples’ struggles on different levels start to shape you in a different way. When you are in third world countries, it makes what you thought was hard in the ‘hood look like you should shut up,” he said in an interview with Vibe magazine.
The American star says people are far too quick to moan about insignificant things. The artist believes that people nowadays concentrate too much on the material things in life.
“It indicates that you should be thankful. You shouldn’t complain as much. Because what you think is bad ain’t as bad as it can be. But people are self-centred. We all want things we don’t need. That’s why there will be 18 bedrooms and you can only sleep on one bed,” he added.

Yes Talent is you!

2011-05-07T22:32:00.000-07:00

Maybe its you? you just don't know, The saddest thing in life is wasted talent. Just some 20 plus year older is never too late!

How you work it!

2011-05-04T23:36:00.001-07:00

In school, I learned that learning doesn’t end when you graduate. In reality, life is not about the battle of the most intelligent person. It’s the battle of the most hardworking person.

Its a business Deal

2011-05-04T23:32:00.000-07:00

What helped me to conquer fear is acceptance of the circumstances. Doing business is a risk. Either you challenge yourself to take the plunge or just be on the side and watch other people swim their way to prosperity. It may or may not turn out good but how can you know if you haven’t tried?

Quote me

2011-05-02T02:44:00.001-07:00

– Wernher Von Braun “One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.”

“You only live once; but if you live it right, once is enough.”

Not the crunches will do enough

2011-04-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/want-flat-abs-4-reasons-to-stop-doing-crunches-2478751/

. Your spine is already flexed—don't make it worse
If your day is spent hunched over a computer or a steering wheel, your spine is in a constantly flexed position, leading to poor posture and a weak core. So why would you worsen the problem with spine-flexing exercises like crunches? You need to do moves that help prevent or correct misaligned posture.

8 Innovative Moves to Polish Your Posture and Slim Your Stomach

2. The terms “core” and “abs” are not interchangeable
Crunches work your abs, but for the biggest benefits, you need to work your entire core, which is made up of the four layers of the abs (rectus abdominis, external and internal obliques, and transverse abdominis), hip flexors, spine extensors, hip adductors (inner-thigh muscles), hip abductors (including gluteus medius), and multifidus.

12 Foods Your Abs Will Love

3. Move more and often if you want to spare yourself an expanding waistline
Consider this stat: Each 10 percent rise in sedentary time is associated with a 3.1-centimeter larger waist circumference. Researchers found that, of the subjects they studied, the waist measurements of people who got up most often were more than two inches smaller than those of people who got up the least.

Sneaky Ways to Lose Weight at the Office

4. Shedding belly flab is not just about gym time
A study found that while a group's average weight loss after a 12- week fitness program was about eight pounds, individual results ranged from a loss of 32 pounds to gains of almost four pounds. So although exercise is key for shedding belly flab, weight control still comes down to calories. To drop weight, you have to burn off more of them than you take in.

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/healthieryou/10-fitness-tools-should-be-using

2011-04-23T23:53:00.001-07:00

Odds are, your gym is littered with fitness tools like BOSUs, kettlebells and pilates rings, but if you’re not using them, you’re missing out big-time—and you may even be wasting time during your sweat sessions by not getting the results you crave. Case in point: A pilates ring is proven to help increase the tush-toning power of a standard squat by a whopping 50 per-cent! Ready to upgrade your workout? Use this easy-to-follow gizmo guide from SELF, which gives you the 411 on your soon-to-be favorite gear, plus fun, effective moves to tone and tighten all over. Give them a go today—do them three times a week and we guarantee they’ll help make you slim!

STABILITY BALL
Crunches are up to 38 percent more effective on this inflatable orb, which comes in three sizes (55, 65 and 75 centimeters). For the right fit, your thighs should be parallel to the floor when seated. For proven gut shrinking, try the rollout, says Michele Olson, Ph.D., professor of exercise science at Auburn Montgomery University. This stomach slimmer was rated most effective at firing ab muscles compared with six other ball moves, according to a study in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy.

The rollout

works abs, arms, back
Kneel on the floor behind the ball. Place your forearms on top of the ball, hands clasped, to start. Contract your abs and roll the ball forward as far as possible without bending your back or hunching shoulders (as shown). Hold for 2 counts, then return to start for 1 rep. Do 2 sets of 15 reps.

MEDICINE BALL
A soft, weighted medicine ball is as versatile as dumbbells but easier to hang on to, especially during dynamic moves that require twisting, swinging or throwing. (Ever try hurling a dumbbell? Please don’t!) The balls range in size from 2 to 30 pounds. Start with a 4-pounder; if you can fly through 12 reps unfazed, increase by 2-pound increments until you feel fatigued by the final rep, says Paul Katami, a trainer in Hollywood, California. To sculpt jiggle-free arms while taming your tummy, try the power-packed suitcase crunch.

Suitcase crunch

works abs, shoulders, butt
Lie faceup with your legs straight, arms extended behind your head; hold the ball with both hands above the floor. Bring your left knee toward your chest as you lift your upper back off the floor and bring the ball to your left foot (as shown). Return to start. Repeat on the opposite side for 1 rep. Do 2 sets of 12 reps.

KETTLEBELL
Quick physics: Because all of a kettlebell’s weight (5 to 100-plus pounds) is in the cast-iron ball, not the handle, momen-tum is on your side during swinging moves, so you can likely hoist twice your typical heft. The quirky shape (teapot sans spout) also creates a long lever, providing unique resistance during static strength moves. The gunslinger capitalizes on that leverage, leaving your biceps no choice but to get buff!

Gunslinger

works biceps
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold the kettlebell in your right hand at your side. Keeping your elbow at your side, curl the bell toward your right shoulder until the bottom of the bell is pointed forward like a pistol (as shown). Lower to start. Do 12 reps. Repeat on opposite side.

BOSU
If you cut a stability ball in half and slapped a plastic base on it, you’d get the BOSU. Think of this balance trainer as a surfboard for landlubbers: Staying steady while standing on it activates your abs. Most people stand on the squishy side, but for an even more effective balance challenge, flip the BOSU over (it does mean “both sides up”), says Rich Barretta, who owns a private training studio in New York City. Now you’re working to steady yourself and the BOSU, so during our tush-tightening, saddlebag-busting side kick, your abs are working, too!

Side kick

works abs, hips, butt
Stand with your right foot centered on the flat side of the BOSU; step your left foot back and to the right on floor, arms out to the sides at shoulder height. Balance on the BOSU, swinging your left foot out to the side at hip level (as shown). Return to start. Do 10 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

BODY BAR
Unlike a barbell, the weight on a body bar is evenly distributed along its 4-foot length, keeping you balanced. (Imagine you’re a tightrope walker.) The bars are covered in rubber for a comfy grip and range in size from 4 to 36 pounds. Start with an intermediate-level 12-pound bar and go heavier or lighter from there, suggests Lashaun Dale, national creative manager for Equinox Fitness Clubs. Grip the bar during our pullover bridge to fight arm flab and keep your body in proper alignment.

Pullover bridge

works butt, arms, abs, thighs
Lie faceup with knees bent, feet flat, hips lifted; hold bar at waist with both hands to start. Lower hips to floor as you ex-tend right leg, bend elbows and reach bar behind head (as shown). Return to start. Repeat on opposite side for 1 rep. Do 20 reps.

STEP
This is no ’80s flashback—the deck popular in high-impact aerobics classes is also a universal toning tool. Add risers to customize the height on this use-anywhere weight bench, Dale says. Do the decline squat to downsize your butt and thighs while going easy on knees. Standing downhill helps perfect your form: You can sink deep into the squat without bringing knees too far over ankles.

Decline squat

works abs, butt, thighs
Put three risers under one side of the deck. Stand facing downhill, arms extended at shoulder height. Squat, then move your right heel down the step, toes up (as shown). Stand, extending your right leg forward at hip height, bringing your arms behind you. Return to start. Repeat on the opposite side for 1 rep. Do 2 sets of 12 reps.

FOAM ROLLLER
Foam tubes come in 12-inch and 3-foot sizes and are generally used for rolling out tight, achy muscles, especially in the quads, hamstrings and calves. The fancy name for the technique is self-myofascial release—it’s basically a sports massage minus the masseuse. During the treasure chest, the roller also has your back: Lying on it releases tension in the muscles around your spine and forces you to balance, for firmer abs, says trainer DeAnna Bellamy, a corrective exercise specialist and owner of Body Revolution in Chicago.

Treasure chest

works chest, shoulders, triceps, back, abs, hips
Lie faceup on the roller with your head supported, knees bent and feet flat. Hold a 5-pound dumbbell in each hand, arms bent 90 degrees. Contract your abs to stabilize and extend your arms up (as shown). Return to start. Do 2 sets of 15 reps.

YOGA BLOCK
Not-so-flexible yogis lean on these foam blocks to maintain proper alignment during poses or sit on them for bonus back support. In the serving tray, the tone-up toy hangs in the balance, and keeping it stable helps to shrink your stomach as you lean your legs, says Kristin McGee, a yoga and pilates instructor in New York City.

Serving tray

works abs, butt, thighs
Lie faceup with your legs extended on the floor, arms at your sides. Bend your right leg toward your chest, toes turned out, and place the block on top of your foot to start (as shown). Balance the block on your foot as you extend your leg straight up. Return to start. Do 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

PILATES RING
Pilates devotees believe in the magic circle—a 13-inch soft rubber ring with comfort grips that adds resistance to basic body-weight exercises. Step into the ring and you’ll increase the tush-toning power of a standard squat by 50 percent, accord-ing to a study from The Journal of Applied Research.

Ring squat

works butt, hips, thighs
Stand with the ring around your thighs, feet hip-width apart. Press out into the ring as you squat (as shown) until your thighs are almost parallel to floor. Return to start. Do 3 sets of 8 reps.

TRAMPOLINE
Hopping on a mini-trampoline, also known as an urban rebounder, is 68 percent more effective than running on a treadmill at a similar heart rate and oxygen intake, a NASA study finds. You can jump off the jiggle and go easy on your joints. While there’s no bouncing with the trampoline jackknife, there’s plenty of benefit. The rebounder’s unstable surface recruits even your deepest ab muscles, says fitness expert Jonathan Roche, who developed a trampoline workout system for Gaiam.

Trampoline jackknife

works abs
Sit on the trampoline, your back at a 45-degree angle, knees bent, feet on floor. Grip the sides of the trampoline. Maintain the tilt as you bring your knees toward your chest (as shown). Return to start. Do 2 sets of 15 reps.

Rain - Train

2011-04-23T22:34:00.000-07:00

http://sg.yahoo.matchmovegames.com/newsarticle/rain-workout

tep 1: The Burpee

From a standing position squat down, place your hands flat on the ground and jump your feet back to assume a push-up position. Do a push-up. Jump your legs forward to between your hands then jump up into the air bringing your knees to your chest and your hands into the air over your head. This makes one complete move. Repeat 20 times.

Rev it up: To increase intensity, do descending sets. After 20 repetitions, stop to catch your breath. Then, do 19 burpees. Catch your breath, then do 18.

Watch how to do a burpee here.

This full body workout alone covers most muscles groups, not to mention good cardio exercise.

Step 2: Upper Body - Shoulders, Triceps and Chest

Pushups

These three parts of your upper body go hand to hand. Most upper body exercises you do work out all three areas so don’t worry about variety; be concerned with the load instead. Start with normal pushups and then move into wide arm pushups and finally diamond pushups. When you get comfortable of doing 3 sets of 20 negative slow (that means doing the motion really slow on the way up), get into the inclined and declined pushups mode.

Dips

There is probably nothing even close to being as effective as dips for a chest and tricep workout. Pull two chairs, blocks or anything of similar height to your shoulder length. Press down your palms on both of these platforms and watch your arms break. Make it more challenging by widening the space between your two chairs. Make it even more challenging by adding weight onto your core, like your college textbooks or something equally heavy. 3 sets of max reps or until muscle failure.

Step 3: Core
Prone Bridges

Forget about situps. They’re boring and you’ll never get the correct form anyway. Prone bridges on the other hand, will give you a sick workout with little room for errors. All you need to do is to enter the prone bridge mode and stay there for as long as you can. Looks and sounds easy? Start with 3 sets of 1min.

Inverse Crunches

A little technical but nonetheless just as efficient, inverse crunches are designed as able replacements for situps. If find this too simple, use the proven formula of doing it very, very slowly.

Step 4: Lower Body – Thighs, Calves and Gluts

Squats & Weighted Squats

The basic form of squats is really simple. Stand shoulder length wide and squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground, rise until you move into your original position and repeat many times. Want to wow yourself? Fill two pails full of water, slot a strong metal pole in between the handles and rest the entire contraption on your shoulders, THEN do your squats. It’s easy to get wet under such circumstances so up the fun by punishing yourself for getting wet. Each time you lose water in the pail, you repeat the set until you don’t.

Calf Raises

Stand straight, lift yourself until you’re on your toes and repeat. Calf raises are extremely simple but require a lot of repetitions to see results so work on it continuously until you feel tired. When you feel your calves tiring, congratulations, you’ve just completed your warmup set. Take note of the number of reps and increase that number by 5 progressively. Again, go for 3 sets.

Step 5: Cardio

Jumping Jacks

A really primitive way of sweating yourself out with no space nor equipment is to just jump. Jumping jacks don’t even require a rope so you can’t even throw out the excuse of getting whipped by it. Get 100 reps in and you’ll start panting in no time. Of course you can always push it up to 300 if you’re up to it.

The prison workout routine is probably the best form of exercise for any lazy person out there. No gym, no travelling, no equipment for you to clean. All you need is a piece of space and you’re good to go.

It's in the Jimmy Choo

2011-04-20T23:22:00.001-07:00

I'm a Hakka. They always say in Cantonese, "there is always a higher mountain." You never say you're better than people, and you always say thanks to people. My father always says to me, "Don't be afraid of spending money, but be afraid of not knowing how to make money."

Building the core muscles warm-up

2011-04-18T01:43:00.001-07:00

CHEST - http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/upper-body-warmup/upper-body-warmup-cable-diagonal-raise.php#slidetop

ABS - http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/swiss-ball/page/2
http://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/ab-exercises/page/1

Food by Zubiri

2011-04-17T23:30:00.001-07:00

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=675967&publicationSubCategoryId=81

Sushi Kappo Kobikicho is at 150 Legaspi St, Legaspi Village, Makati. Call 752-1280.

Swagat is at 119 Rada St, Legaspi Village, Makati. Call, 752-5669.

Investing

2011-04-17T23:22:00.001-07:00

Warren Buffett advised Indian investors seeking a word of financial wisdom from him, saying, “Invest in what you understand...don’t go outside your circle of confidence...don’t just buy and sell.”

The Rap of Jay-z

2011-04-13T23:46:00.001-07:00

“I think it's every human's job to inspire others, to feed one another's senses. Inspiration begets inspiration times infinity. Imagine if the person that was inspired to create the phonograph didn't share it with the world.”

A singapore happening blog

2011-04-09T20:28:00.001-07:00

> http://mynjayz.com/2011/04/pictures-from-johnnie-walker-jet-black-party-singapore-2011/

Made in Taiwan

2011-04-09T20:19:00.001-07:00

Taiwan beyond Taipei
Monday April 4, 2011 09:41 pm PDT

If you think Taiwan is all about Taipei, think again.
Taipei is, without a doubt, a bustling, metropolitan city with much to offer, but once you've had your fill of night market cuisine, gone up and down Taipei 101 and partied yourself out, it might be time to head south. Extend your Formosan adventure to the cities of Kaohsiung and Tainan and discover their many treasures. Rich history, gourmet delights and distinct regional culture await.

KAOHSIUNG

There are no direct flights between Singapore and Kaohsiung (for the moment at least), but it can be reached easily by high-speed rail from Taipei. Once you've arrived, you need only jump on the recently completed metro system (also called the MRT) to speed over to any of Kaohsiung's major tourist locations. Development in this harbor town is keeping brisk pace with that of its northern counterpart, Taipei, but unlike the capital, Kaohsiung is a planned municipality, which means wider streets and lighter traffic. Visitors will find Taiwan's second-largest city well into its evolution from an industrial hub to a modern metropolis.

Shopping Heaven
Tourists looking for a unique shopping experience can visit Dream Mall (789 Zhonghua 5th Rd., Qianzhen District, +886 (7) 973-3888, www.dream-mall.com.tw, MRT Kaisyuan Station), the largest shopping mall in Taiwan and secondlargest in Asia. If touring an endless row of upscale boutiques isn't enough for you, this titanic shopping complex is worth visiting for the spectacle of its rooftop Hello Kitty Ferris Wheel alone.

Seafood Island
Just down the block from Dream Mall is old Kaohsiung's Cijin District (it's a quick $0.65 ferry ride from the MRT Kaisyuan Station). The area is nestled on a slim island just off the city's western coast and is famous for its wide array of freshly caught seafood.

Midnight Madness
Foodies should flock to the Liuhe Night Market (Liuhe 2nd Rd., Xinxing District, MRT Formosa Boulevard). This sprawling snack emporium has been rebuilt by the government for maximum tourist-friendliness. Try the crab legs fried in basil and pepper before cooling down with Zheng Lao Pai's signature papaya milk. The market's 138 stalls also include games and shopping.

Romantic Riverside Views
Make your way over the Love River (MRT City Council Station, just one stop from Liuhe Night Market) before the stars come out. The aptly-named canal will surely stir romantic feelings in anyone who experiences its soothing ambiance, riverside cafés and live music beneath the streetlamps. Treat your loved one to a boat ride down the waterway and enjoy the lights of the city reflected on its shimmering surface.

Where to Stay
Kaohsiung 202 (202 Gwangfu 3rd St., Kaohsiung, +886 938-020- 304, www.kaohsiung-taiwan.com/202) is the spot for budget travelers looking for high-quality, low cost accommodation. The hostel is located right in the middle of the tourist area next to the Love River. Rates start at $12 per night.
For something a little more luxurious, stay at The Splendor Kaohsiung (1 Tzu-Chiang 3rd Rd., +886 (7) 566-8000, www. thesplendor.com). The tallest high-rise in Taiwan at the time of its construction, this glittering tower forms an essential piece of Kaohsiung's cityscape. The 74th floor deck offers one of the best views in the entire city. Rooms start at around $290 per night.

TAINAN
A short train ride from Kaohsiung, Tainan is Taiwan's oldest city and its former capital. Originally established as a Dutch trading base, Tainan is home to some of the island's most fascinating architectural sights. The city is also known as Taiwan's snack paradise.

Relics of Old Taiwan
Various periods of colonial rule have left Tainan with a collection of stunning relics. Anping Fort (82 Guosheng Rd., Anping District), originally called Fort Zeelandia, was built in 1620 by the Dutch. Its commanding views of the ocean make it a popular spot to watch the sunset. From Tainan Railway Station, take Tainan City Bus No. 2 and get off at the Anping Fort stop to get there.

Not far from the fort are the Chikan Towers (Section 2, 212 Minzu Rd., West Central District, 886 (6) 220-5647), formerly called Fort Provintia. The landmark, one of Taiwan's top tourist attractions, was later called "Tower of the Red-Haired Barbarians" by the Han Chinese. Like Anping Fort, the site is popular for its exquisite night scenery. To reach the Towers, take City Bus No. 5 from the Tainan Railway Station and get off at the Chikan Towers train station.

Snack City
Seasoned tourists know that Taiwan is a regional gastro hub and nowhere is that more true than in Tainan. Sample some "coffin toast," a fried bread box with any number of savory fillings such as prawns, crab, chicken and vegetables. Other signature foods include spicy duck's blood and candied guava. All can be found at one of the two dozen night markets throughout Tainan.

Salt Mountain
No trip to Tainan is complete without a hike up the Cigu Salt Mountain (66 Yancheng Village, Cigu). Originally the spot where the Taiwan Salt Corporation mined its product, the site looks like a snow-covered mountain from a distance. This man-made wonder is now open to tourists. To get there from Tainan Railway Station, take the Xingnan bus to the Jiali stop, from where you take another Xingnan bus (towards Qingkunshen) to Cigu.

Where to Stay
Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel (89 West Section, University Rd., Dong District. +886 (6) 702-8888) is Tainan's finest luxury hotel and it's located right in the heart of the city. Rates start at $150 per night. Tayih Landis Tainan Hotel (660 Section 1, Shimen Rd., +886- 6 213-5555, tainan.landishotelsresorts.com) is conveniently located near landmarks such as the Confucius Temple and Chikan Towers. Rates range from about $160 to $340.

Getting There
• Singapore Airlines flies three times daily to Taipei from about $1,180 (including tax)
• EVA Air flies daily to Taipei from about $800 (including tax)
• Tiger Airways and JetStar fly daily to Taipei from about $350 (including tax)
• High Speed Rail from Taipei to Kaohsiung (Zuoying Station) costs about $60 and takes around two hours

Life's nature

2011-04-09T19:34:00.001-07:00

“We go way back. It’s an honest relationship. What I mean by that is he doesn’t tell you what you want to hear. He tells you what you need to hear. That’s something I respect in people. I don’t like ass kissers. Never have. I have a great deal of respect for him.” - Kobe Bryant to Brain Shaw

Food to eat in Singap

2011-04-08T03:08:00.000-07:00

Affordable Luxurious Lunches
Monday April 4, 2011 08:23 pm PDT
Whether you've an important deal to seal or just fancy a change from your usual grab-and-go lunch spot, the set menus at many fine dining establishments around town offer superb value for money. Here we pick some of our favorites across a range of price bands, with tips on what to expect and how much time to set aside. Your lunch hour will never be the same again.

UNDER $50

OTTO Ristorante
The menu: Rotating weekly, with delicately prepared re-workings of homestyle Italian classics, many from the north (their chef's from Treviso). You get a choice from three appetizers, three mains and two desserts. On our visit, there was soup, salad or beef carpaccio, as well as spaghetti with Parma ham and butter sauce, baby snapper fillet with soft polenta or pan-roasted chicken breast with fontina cheese.
The damage: $38 for three courses, including coffee or tea.
The verdict: Boy, does this place get busy. That's worth bearing in mind if you're in a rush, when food can take a while; it's quieter around noon, though. If you're looking to impress, the combination of innovative dishes and enthusiastic service makes it a real winner. And you've got to love the building it's in.
#01-02 Red Dot Traffic Building, 28 Maxwell Rd., 6227-6819. Mon-Fri noon-3:30pm.

Pamplemousse Bistro + Bar
The menu: Chef Adrian Ling presents a selection of modern European dishes and has the others beat in terms of sheer variety. We were able to pick from six different starters, eight mains and three desserts (that's a whopping 17 dishes in total). For appetizers, we went with citrus-marinated salmon and miso aioli, as well as foie gras terrine sachertorte with roselle espuma and apricot jam ($10 supplement), both of which were lovely. Settling on our mains proved to be a tricky business, but we finally decided on the signature uni tagliolini with a rich crustacean cream sauce and pork gratons and onglet steak with caramelized onions, pomme puree and truffle-infused Madeira sauce ($5 supplement). For a delightful finale, osmanthus-scented crème brûlée with lychee sorbet and baked black rice pudding with H jicha ice cream made us happy campers.
The damage: A mere $32 for three courses-talk about a steal.
The verdict: This is an ideal spot for both lunch and dinner, whether you're with business associates or catching up with friends (although we noticed more than a few tai tais in attendance). We're big fans of the discreet, decidedly un-snooty service and real value-for-money sets. Dempsey's not convenient for everyone, though.
#01-04, 7 Dempsey Rd., 6475-0080. Tue-Fri noon-3pm; Sat-Sun 11:30am-3pm.

Restaurant Ember
The menu: A range of 11 appetizers (three of which are foie gras, $6 supplement), seven mains and 10 delectable desserts. We can't help but be impressed that their dessert selection is almost as varied as that of their starters. Don't miss chef Sebastian Ng's drool-worthy homemade crispy tofu with foie gras-mirin sauce and pan-seared Chilean seabass with smoked bacon ragout and truffle yuzu butter. We also adore 12-hour-cooked pork belly with savoy cabbage, apple puree and spiced Calvados sauce. End on a sweet note with the caramelized pear tart and baileys ice cream or coconut panna cotta with gula melaka and water chestnuts.
The damage: $39.50 for three courses, including coffee or tea.
The verdict: It gets really busy here during lunchtime, with an endless parade of OLs and execs who work in the area. So if you're after a quiet meal, this isn't the place for you. But if you care more about good quality fare, are a dessert fiend and don't mind the bustling surrounds, we can't think of a better spot.
G/F Hotel 1929, 50 Keong Saik Rd., 6347-1928. Mon-Fri 11:30am-3pm.

UNDER $50-80

FiftyThree
The menu: Thanks to chef and owner Michael Han, the dishes on offer are well-executed and beautifully presented, with three options for each course. Our entrée of sashimi-style scallops with Earl Grey and lavender granita, balls of compressed watermelon, crisp chicken feet and passion fruit coulis was simply stunning, as were the mains of crisp pork belly with red cabbage puree and braised Wagyu cheek with Asian pear ($10 supplement). Desserts don't disappoint either. Give the five-spiced fried pineapple with brie ice cream a go ($5 supplement) or the Amedei Chuao chocolate ice cream with cassis leather and fresh berries ($10 supplement).
The damage: $53 for three divine courses.
The verdict: We'd gladly lunch here everyday, if we could. The space is understated and elegant (which makes it ideal for a business lunch or an intimate meal with a special someone), the service is exemplary, but above all, the carefully-prepared posh nosh is stellar. As a real bonus, the portions here are generous. We suggest setting aside at least a good hour and a half to get the most out of this experience.
53 Armenian St., 6334-5535. Mon-Fri noon-2pm.

Les Amis
The menu: With eight starters, five mains and six desserts to choose from, they've certainly got their bases covered. We highly recommend chef Armin Leitgeb's signature lightly-smoked eel "tiède," with crispy pork croûton, shaved horseradish and Dijon mustard emulsion and homemade ramp leaf pasta with poached Maine lobster and chanterelles ($12 supplement). Other winning items include Hungarian goose foie gras "parfait" with Gewürztraminer jelly and black Périgord truffles ($20 supplement) and charcoal-grilled Wagyu ribeye with Périgourdine sauce ($25 supplement). End your meal with rhubarb textures and tarragon-scented ice cream or be adventurous and try the pickled Hawaiian papaya, with frozen curry, ginger and lime.
The damage: It's $70 for three and $88 for four (two appetizers, a main and one dessert) courses. Both sets include coffee or tea.
The verdict: We grant that lunch here doesn't come cheap, but then again, you're getting more than just fabulous food. The setting is exquisite.
#02-16 Shaw Centre, 1 Scotts Rd., 6733-2225. Mon-Sat noon-3pm.

Majestic Restaurant
The menu: Expect chef-owner Yong Bing Ngen's signature style of modern Chinese fare with a twist, exemplified in dishes such as a combination platter of Peking duck skin, pan-seared foie gras and crispy soft shell crab with mangoes. Other dishes include double-boiled shark's fin soup with black truffle, honey-glazed rack of lamb with XO carrot cake and stewed noodles with shredded abalone, mushrooms and truffle oil.
The damage: $40/60 per person for the five-course premium and deluxe set lunch respectively (for a minimum of two people).
The verdict: There's just something about Chinese food that makes it better-suited for bigger groups (we think four is the ideal number). While the food is good and service commendable, larger portions wouldn't hurt.
G/F New Majestic Hotel, 31-37 Bukit Pasoh Rd., 6511-4718. Daily 11:45am-3pm.

OVER $80

Andre

The menu: Sticking with the philosophy of a degustation menu, their lunch is prixe fixe, with three appetizers, one main course and a dessert. There are no choices whatsoever, so come with an open mind and be prepared for whatever chef André decides to craft. On our visit, we indulged in creations such as smoked salmon served with white peach and tomato salad, Hijeki seaweed and basil flower sorbet,
bruleed foie gras jello, périgord black truffle coulis with chives and slow-roasted Japanese Omi short rib beef with celery root puree and mushroom polenta Bianca.
The damage: It's one of the steepest lunches, at $125 for five scrumptious courses.
The verdict: For a five-course meal, it's surprisingly quick (we were in and out in just an hour and 15 minutes). The service was beyond reproach, the clientele is well-coiffed and the food superb. Our only gripe is that it's on the pricy side of things. Then again, if you're coming here, that shouldn't be an issue.
41 Bukit Pasoh Rd., 6534-8880. Mon-Fri noon-4pm.

Iggy's
The menu: It's a standard four-course deal here, as standard as it gets at Iggy's anyway. They switch things up every one or two months, depending on what's in season. We were offered a hot and cold entrée to pick from (naturally we ordered both), pea flan with mint and parmesan or a divine oyster with shiso leaf, encased in sea essence jelly, with mascarpone and pickled discs of cucumber. That was followed by a pasta course of squid ink tonnarelli with fried calamari and tomatoes or vegetarian lasagna. For mains, three offerings: Spring vegetables (for herbivores), quail with black beans and white asparagus, or charcoal-grilled Wagyu with tapenade, okra and yukon gold potato ($40 supplement). For the sweet-toothed, three different options such as yogurt panna cotta with raspberries.
The damage: $85 for four courses (one starter, a pasta dish and a main, followed by dessert). Not the most expensive, but certainly not cheap either.
The verdict: The crowd's a little older here (mid-40s, plus or minus 10 years) and it's a pleasant experience overall, with mostly competent wait staff (although they neglected to ask us how we'd like our beef done: For the record, medium-rare please) and good quality fare. The entire affair lasted a pleasurable 90 minutes.
3/F Hilton Singapore, 581 Orchard Rd., 6732-2234. Daily noon-3:30pm.

Kunio Tokuoka
The menu: Michelin-starred chef Kunio Tokuoka prizes freshness and simplicity above all else; you could say his philosophy is: Balance, balance and balance. Both lunch sets, the five-course and kaiseki, don't really give you options, although the former allows you to pick from assorted sushi, seafood shirashi donburi or tempura udon for mains. The latter is undoubtedly more filling, but at $450 a pop, you'd certainly hope so. Seasonal offerings include fresh scallops and ikura with homemade chirizu sauce, a tantalizing spread of the freshest sashimi and charcoal-grilled Wagyu with shaved foie pate.
The damage: $120 for the five-course set lunch or $450 for the seven-course kaiseki menu.
The verdict: Is it absolutely delicious? Without a doubt. But unless you're Miss/ Mr Moneybags, we're not entirely convinced the jump from $120 to $450 is worth it. Ideally, you'd charge it to your company or have your sugar momma take you.
#02-139 Crockfords Tower Lobby Level, 26 Sentosa Gateway, 6686-3633. Daily noon-3pm.

Business Acumen

2011-04-04T02:21:00.000-07:00

Ways to Develop Business Acumen

Reading business publications and watching specific business channels can provide current information about business trends, markets, or economic factors affecting various businesses and industries. Some of these include: The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, the Harvard Business Review, and CNN.
Joining professional networking organizations and associations dedicated to sharing business information with their members can offer networking events, conferences, and seminars.
Attending evening or weekend courses focusing on business topics can build one’s knowledge on matters such as understanding financial statements and P&L (Profit & Loss), cash generation, or revenue growth.
Finding a mentor with a strong business understanding is a great way to learn how businesses operate. The mentor can be a co-worker, a former boss, or someone who is a member of the same professional association.
Participating in task forces or committees responsible for developing the business can offer opportunities to work on challenging and exciting initiatives, such as improving quality, generating higher revenues, reducing costs, or process re-engineering.
Last but not least, finding an accountability partner can be extremely beneficial. He or she will not only provide support, but will also help track progress and keep the individual focused on their learning goals.
Although business acumen can certainly be developed by doing some or all of the things above, one of the best ways to learn is through hands-on experience with various business scenarios and challenges.

Opportunities to Develop Business Acumen
The following are just a few examples of scenarios that can help develop one's business understanding through the challenges they provide and the dialogues they encourage:

http://www.suite101.com/content/what-is-business-acumen-a136088

Butler does it again!

2011-04-04T01:51:00.000-07:00

“I think the most important thing is that we try to advance appropriately without losing who we are,”

“It helps that we’ve been there before,” said Mack, referring to last year’s title game appearance. “We’ve been together three years now. We’ve spent a lot of time together on and off the court. That gives us a lot of confidence, especially on a stage like this.”

Still, even the Bulldogs realize that experience can only take you so far.

“In the end,” Vanzant said, “you still have to go out there and perform.”

“If I have a choice between a talented team and an experienced team, I’m taking talent every time,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said. “I really believe you have to have the best players.”

DEsIgn

2011-04-01T01:59:00.001-07:00

http://brainwavebrandconsultants.blogspot.com/search/label/signage

Lebron James Workout

2011-03-23T01:41:00.000-07:00

MONDAY

Superset 1
1) Pushup
Do as many reps as you can.
2) Pullup
Aim for 10 reps.

Superset 2
1) Dumbbell Snatch
Aim for 5 reps with each arm.
2) Single-Arm Cable RowDo 10 reps with each arm.

TUESDAY

Superset 1
1) Dumbbell Squat
Do eight to 12 reps.
2) Swiss-Ball Hip Raise and Leg Curl
Do 12 reps.

Superset 2
1) Dumbbell Stepup
Do 10 reps with each leg.
2) Single-Leg Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise
Do 12 reps with one leg before repeating with the other leg.

THURSDAY

Superset 1
1) Dumbbell Incline-Bench Press
Do 10 reps.
2) Lat Pulldown
Do 10 reps.

Superset 2
1) Single-Arm Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Do six to eight before repeating with the other arm.
2) Single-Arm Neutral Grip Dumbbell Row and Rotation
Do 10 reps on each side.

FRIDAY

Superset 1
1) Single-Leg Squat
Aim for five reps per leg.
2) Single-Leg Swiss-Ball Leg Curl
Aim for 10 reps with each leg.

SUPERSET 2
1) Dumbbell Side Lunge
Do 10 reps in each direction.
2) Unstable Jump Rope
Skip rope for 45 seconds on a cushiony surface, such as a stretching mat. The instability will help strengthen your ankles.

Morning Trip

2011-03-22T01:25:00.000-07:00

Michael Franti & Spearhead - The Sound Of Sunshine

http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2011/03/10/government-raises-salary-bar-on-foreign-talent/

2011-03-10T03:13:00.001-08:00

Government raises salary bar for foreign talent
By Faris – March 10th, 2011
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400afp_Gankimyong

Mr Gan said that while the government will continue to favour the PMETs, he cautioned against closing the doors to foreigners. (AFP Photo)

Foreign professional and skilled workers will soon have to meet a higher qualifying salary before they can obtain a pass to work here.

Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong said in parliament on Wednesday that the change — which will take effect from July 1 — is prompted by the improving profile of the local workforce and is meant to encourage companies to hire more qualified foreigners.

For professionals, the minimum monthly pay for getting an Employment Pass will be raised by as much as S$1,000. These pass holders, who often are degree holders working in professional, managerial or specialist jobs, are categorised into three groups: P1, P2 and Q1.

The new qualifying salaries are: $8,000 for P1, up from $7,000; $4,000 for P2 from $3,500, and $2,800 for Q1 from $2,500. The revision is the first since 2001, when the qualifying salary was raised from $2,000 to $2,500.

The S-Pass for mid-level skilled workers such as technicians and retail executives was introduced in 2004, and its salary threshold will go up from $1,800 to $2,000.

Mr Gan’s announcement was in response to the concern raised by Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) over Employment Pass holders competing with Singaporeans for jobs.

Acknowledging Mr Hwa’s concern, the minister also noted that the salaries of local professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) have risen in recent years, reported The Straits Times.

Mr Gan explained, “We need to raise the qualifying thresholds for Employment Pass and S-Pass applicants accordingly to keep pace with the local PMETs, and encourage companies to be more selective in hiring foreign talent.”

The number of Employment Pass holders has jumped by more than 20 per cent in the past year, from 115,000 in 2009, to 142,000 last year. For S-Pass holders, the number rose from 82,000 to 98,000.

Employers of existing Employment Pass and S-Pass holders will be given a one-time renewal of up to two years before they are required to meet the new criteria.

A new salary threshold was introduced below which local workers would be deemed to be working part-time for the purposes of foreign worker allocation. The threshold was $650; it will be $850 from July 1.

The move is to stop employers from hiring local workers on token salaries to meet the quota requirement for hiring foreign workers.

Recruiters like Ms Axer Goh of Robert Walters agency are convinced the higher cost of hiring foreigners will push more companies to consider local hires.

Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) president Lawrence Leow said it could also lead to the salaries of locals going up, as companies would have to adjust the pay of their existing staff.

“If I have a local worker who has worked with me for two years and he earns $2,000, and I hire a new S-Pass holder at the same salary, it’s only right to increase his pay to reflect his working experience,” he said.

While Mr Gan stressed that the Government has and will continue to “tilt the balance in favour of local PMETs”, he cautioned against closing the door on foreigners.

“Foreign talent continues to be critical for our growth and these talents will help grow the economic pie, so that everyone will have a bigger share. Otherwise we will lose our attractiveness as an investment destination and we will not be able to create good jobs for locals.”

5 reason to drink coffee

2011-03-08T02:36:00.001-08:00

1. It protects your heart: Moderate coffee drinkers (1 to 3 cups/day) have lower rates of stroke than noncoffee drinkers, an effect linked to coffee’s antioxidants. Coffee has more antioxidants per serving than blueberries, making it the biggest source of antioxidants in American diets. All those antioxidants may help suppress the damaging effect of inflammation on arteries. Immediately after drinking it, coffee raises your blood pressure and heart rate, but over the long term, it actually may lower blood pressure as coffee’s antioxidants activate nitric oxide, widening blood vessels.

2. It diverts diabetes: Those antioxidants (chlorogenic acid and quinides, specifically) play another role: boosting your cells’ sensitivity to insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar. In fact, people who drink 4 or more cups of coffee each day may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to some studies. Other studies have shown that caffeine can blunt the insulin-sensitivity boost, so if you do drink several cups a day, try mixing in decaf occasionally.

Must-Read: 4 Diet-Busting Coffee-Shop Drinks (and What to Drink Instead)

3. Your liver loves it: OK, so the research here is limited, but it looks like the more coffee people drink, the lower their incidence of cirrhosis and other liver diseases. One analysis of nine studies found that every 2-cup increase in daily coffee intake reduced liver cancer risk by 43 percent. Again, it’s those antioxidants—chlorogenic and caffeic acids—and caffeine that might prevent liver inflammation and inhibit cancer cells.

4. It boosts your brain power: Drinking between 1 and 5 cups a day (admittedly a big range) may help reduce risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as Parkinson’s disease, studies suggest. Those antioxidants may ward off brain cell damage and help the neurotransmitters involved in cognitive function to work better.

5. It helps your headaches: And not just the withdrawal headaches caused by skipping your daily dose of caffeine! Studies show that 200 milligrams of caffeine—about the amount in 16 ounces of brewed coffee—provides relief from headaches, including migraines. Exactly how caffeine relieves headaches isn’t clear. But scientists do know that caffeine boosts the activity of brain cells, causing surrounding blood vessels to constrict. One theory is that this constriction helps to relieve the pressure that causes the pain, says Robert Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of neurology and director of the Headache Clinic at the University of Vermont Medical School.

Now, that’s not to say that coffee doesn’t have any pitfalls—it does. Some people are super-sensitive to caffeine and get jittery or anxious after drinking coffee; habitual coffee drinkers usually develop a tolerance to caffeine that eliminates this problem (but they then need the caffeine to be alert and ward off withdrawal headaches). Coffee can also disturb sleep, especially as people age. Cutting some of the caffeine and drinking it earlier in the day can curb this effect. Lastly, unfiltered coffee (like that made with a French press) can raise LDL cholesterol, so use a filter for heart health.

But if you like coffee and you can tolerate it well, enjoy it...without the guilt.

Food Tycoon

2011-03-02T04:02:00.001-08:00

http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2011/02/28/sporean-creates-paradise-dish-by-dish/

Buliding a nation

2011-02-28T16:37:00.001-08:00

The books ‘Doctor M: Operation Malaysia’ and ‘Citizen Singapore: How to build a nation’ both written by Tom Plate is available in major bookstores.

Ah ayan nah! patay!!!

2011-02-28T01:18:00.001-08:00

"I must have been a saint in my past life to have you in my life now. You must have been a very bad person in the past because I'm your karma now."

"I need you to know, that I will always be here for you no matter what—the good and the worst, during sunny days and on very rainy days, when you're moody or not... If you need me or not, you don't have a choice coz I'll be there.

All in a days work

2011-02-22T16:24:00.000-08:00

. Salesforce.com

Average total pay: $318,323
For: Senior Account Executive*
Best companies rank: 52

Salesforce.com goes to extremes to reward the top performers who have helped drive its growth. No wonder this online software provider tops this year's list of best payers.

More from CNNMoney.com:

• See Which Companies Have Tons of Jobs and Are Hiring Right Now

• These Companies Have Had No Layoffs -- Ever!

• Botox? Wine bars? 13 Most Unusual Company Perks

The sales force gets hefty bonuses. The biggest earners get to enjoy goodies like "Breakfast at Tiffany's" -- a $5,000 shopping spree offered during last year's sales incentive trip to Hawaii. Since Tiffany doesn't have a store in Kauai, Salesforce.com hired local carpenters to recreate one, shipped in $1 million in merchandise from surrounding islands, and hired a violin player, chef, and even Miss Hawaii to add ambience.

Not that they don't spread the wealth around: Full-time employees receive a "Mahalo Bonus" (Hawaiian for "thank you"), twice a year -- up to 140% of the target payout. And those lucky employees who've received stock have seen their shares more than double in value over the past year.

[Click here to find an online degree program]

cnnpay2.jpg
©Bingham McCutchen

2. Bingham McCutchen

Average total pay: $219,888
For: Associate*
Best companies rank: 28

This Boston-based law firm not only pays attorneys more than $200K in salaries on average, they also kick in 7.5% of salary to a pension plan for staff members, plus another 2.5% through a 401(k) match. Bingham also pays the lion's share for a health plan that covers everything from acupuncture to sex-change surgery.

Employees can rub shoulders with bigwig advocates like Thurgood Marshall Jr. and the former governors of California (Pete Wilson) and New Hampshire (Steve Merrill). Bingham lawyers last year worked on pro bono cases ranging from supporting gay marriage equality in California to supporting Haitians displaced after the earthquake.

Yet the firm also fosters a playful culture with regular ping-pong matches, poker tournaments, and "Wii and Bucket of Beer" competitions. It even pays to play well in the sandbox: Staff can earn merit bonuses for demonstrating "office citizenship" or "positive thinking and teamwork."

[Things Your Boss Won't Tell You]

cnnpay3.jpg
©Alston & Bird

3. Alston & Bird

Average total pay: $182,681
For: Associate*
Best companies rank: 13

Once the workplace of golfer Bobby Jones, this Atlanta-based law firm provides employees with merit bonuses up to 10% as a matter of course, and that payout has gone as high as 25% when budget goals are exceeded. Staff can top off their pay with a 7% profit-sharing bonus, and 25 cents-on-the-dollar match on their 401(k) contributions, up to 4% of salary.

A&B has outstanding family benefits, allowing primary caregivers to take up to 90 days' maternity leave and covering up to $7,000 in costs related to adoption. The firm also provides subsidized on-site childcare, granting scholarships to the children of lower-paid staff members. Women lawyers and staff help each other throughout the leave process, even swapping clothes through the firm's "Maternity Closet." Every baby born gets a romper that reads, "My Mommy [or Daddy] works at Alston & Bird."

cnnpay4.jpg
©Perkins Coie

4. Perkins Coie

Average total pay: $182,544
For: Associate*
Best companies rank: 55

Associates at this Seattle-based firm earn above-market salaries while representing clients like Boeing, Amazon.com, Craigslist, and Starbucks (yes, they get free coffee). They can also reap dividends from the firm's equity stakes in various early-stage companies.

Last year, P&C fended off spammers for Facebook; helped Al Franken win his election; and defended Osama Bin Laden's driver on a pro-bono basis. One of the firm's partners is President Obama's personal attorney; her predecessor, also from Perkins Coie, holds a post as White House Counsel.

P&C was admirably egalitarian during the recession, as partners took a 10% pay cut but merely froze pay for staff and associates. When business ticked back up, non-attorney staff were the first to receive year-end bonuses. Other progressive perks include a 50% subsidy for employees to commute by public transportation, and $20-per-month reimbursement if they ride a bike in to work.

[Is It Time to Leave Your Job?]

cnnpay5.jpg
©Devon Energy

5. Devon Energy

Average total pay: $172,575
For: Engineer*
Best companies rank: 41

Now that's a lot of turkey: In a tradition dating back more than 30 years, all 3,500 employees at this Oklahoma City-based natural gas and oil company receive a $600 holiday bonus around Thanksgiving.

Devon also pays generous bonuses through a "cash performance" program that paid a median bonus of $7,200 in 2009. And their industry-leading retirement package contributes as much as 16% of salary to employees' 401(k) plans, in addition to a 6% match.

Devon laid off some 450 employees last July, as it divested its offshore operations in the wake of the Gulf spill. The company spent about $675,000 on outplacement services for affected workers. Remaining employees got a 3% raise -- except Executive Committee members, who declined to take a pay increase.

cnnpay6.jpg
©Millennium: The Takeda Oncology

6. Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company

Average total pay: $166,354
For: Sr Oncology Sales Specialist*
Best companies rank: 56

Employees at this Cambridge, Mass., biopharma company have a serious mission: producing therapies to tackle cancer. But they still know how to have fun, holding regular WHIP ("Why the Hell aren't we In a Pub?) events, which last year ranged from taking the whole company to the Red Sox home opener to holding a Cinco de Mayo party where the CEO discussed the company's achievements.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Japan-based Takeda Oncology Company, Millennium rewards top performing employees with phantom and restricted stock through a long-term incentive plan.

Other perks include a tuition benefit up to $10,000 a year; pet insurance subsidies; an on-site camp for employees' kids; food deliveries from a local farm; and an unlimited sick-pay policy that says, "If you are sick, stay home until you feel better." Everyone gets three weeks' vacation -- plus a week off between Christmas and New Year's.

[Worst Cities For Finding a Job]

cnnpay7.jpg
©John Couglin for CNNMoney

7. Goldman Sachs

Average total pay: $160,000
For: Other Exempt (Analysts, Program Analysts, Associates and Professional Non-Exempt)*
Best companies rank: 23

Everyone knows Goldman Sachs pays big salaries and jaw-dropping bonuses, but the firm's other benefits are nothing to sneeze at either. Case in point: Goldman has funded employees' retirement plans every year for more than 65 consecutive years. The current contribution is a dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match, up to 4% of salary, that maxes out at $9,800. Everyone is guaranteed at least $6,000 a year, regardless of what they put in.

Nearly 40% are lucky enough to have access to "wealth creation opportunities" that enable them to reap bounty from the firm's investments. And more than 38,550 current and former Goldman employees have received stock since the firm's IPO in 1999.

Lest anyone say they're just out for themselves, Goldman donates about half a billion to charities and community programs every year, in part through a one-to-one match of employees' donations up to $20,000 per year.

cnnpay8.jpg
©John Couglin for CNNMoney

8. EOG Resources

Average total pay: $158,008
For: Engineer*
Best companies rank: 66

When this Houston-based oil and gas company celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2009, all the men who work there received a pewter belt buckle with a drilling rig design, while women received a sterling silver pendant with 10 tiffany-cut cubic zirconia stones.

Even better than bling, EOG has not had a layoff in its 10-year history. Every new hire gets stock options and benefits on their first day -- including a dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match up to 6% of salary, a money-purchase pension plan, and at least three weeks' vacation.

All employees, from "roughnecks" in the field to the chairman at headquarters, participate in the same benefit plan: EOG pays 100% of employees' health-care costs and covers 80% for their dependents (including domestic partners), with a plan that covers vision care, acupuncture, and other benefits.

Pilates

2011-02-19T18:25:00.000-08:00

The turn is on

5 Basic Principles

1. Breathing
2. Pelvic Placement
3. Rib cage Placement
4. Scapular Stability
5. Cervical Placement

To create intelligent exercise that is both safe and effective. Teaching this principles to clients ensures them how their bodies function. Most importantly, controlling the execution of each exercise make them reap the full benefits.

Singapore for money or a career?

Yes i am here to stay!

2011-01-25T22:37:00.001-08:00

Jan 23 ARRIVAL 210PM SINGAPORE
DEPARTURE 1040AM MANILA

JETSTAR NINOY AQUINO TERMINAL

YES! when the smoke and dust have cleared. I will come out victorious! Thank you Lord
Let's take it one day at a time. I will always cherish this moment forever. Thy will be done. I did not expect. I was calm and easy-going but never thought this was going to happen. Lets get this done! Amen

Chances and time

2011-01-06T22:48:00.000-08:00

I will be forever linked as a journeyman. I also think of my advantages based from the experiences i have gone through. I do believe in luck and the action of doing so. My thoughts will always be safe but the fire is always ready to fight. I may be a small talker atleast i am who i am unlike others. Its true that sometimes you have to keep your feet on the ground to remind you that God exists in this world inspite of the struggles you have been through. I don't get too carried away! Its the 1st time of the year.. 2011 Jan 7, 2:55 pm. I think much but character friends really matter. You just have to feel appreciated. No one cares because it is every man for himself. When one door closes another one opens. With me" Without me" With me" Without me" At the age of 23.. Its so exciting but worried at times to think that another 8 months will pass by before we turn up another year older. The competitive nature in the eyes is a matter of how you handle yourself. People misjudge because of certain things but we grew in different levels and part of this world without knowing each others history. For some, its the road less travel, for others, its the road more traveled. Im happy everyday but one day really is a new day! So what the fuck is yesterday! So, its the 7th day of the new year. Patience really works in mysterious ways but sometimes the burning might fade away so might as well keep the adrenaline flowing.

This is the start of my writing the next one would be in Singapore. I will be drinking milk tea and riding the electronic bus the moment i open this again! Amen to that! The world has so much to offer.

It takes a ROLE to be successful

2010-10-05T20:05:00.000-07:00

“Once you win a championship together, you are going to be linked together for life,” Ben Wallace said. “… I can go two or three years and not talk to them and still feel the same. There could be time lost, and we’d pick up from where we left off.”

“Everybody held each other accountable,” Hamilton said. “Everyone was happy for each other. We never let egos get involved in how we wanted to be successful.”

“L.B. was great for us because he didn’t allow no slippage,” Hamilton said. “Everyone came in knowing what we were doing regardless of whether we liked it or not. We were a special group and we needed someone to say, ‘You need to do this,’ regardless of how great we were.”

“But you got to accept the times. Times are changing. Players are aging. You got to accept the hand you are dealt now.”

Its been 5 months

2010-10-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

Michael Jordan & co. = 6 Nba titles
Mark Zuckerberg & co = Facebook
Bill Gates & co = Microsoft
Tyler Durden & co = Fight Club
Tikboy & co = Palibhasa lalake
Purdoy & co = The Hoodz

What if all _ & co with all Multi-Media Arts graduates unite in Singapore?
What impossible thing can happen?

Resting

2010-05-08T21:52:00.000-07:00

I am here infront of my computer. Reflecting. I don't even know what will happen next. Do i think too much or just scared what kind of potential lies within me. Comparing a lot things mix up ideas towards my next move. I can't even solve a certain tutorial. Why in the world can i not do things my way even though there are things that are spoon-feed already. Sometimes when i tend to disappoint it leads to nowhere. I happy guy that thinks beyond safety. I want to be unleashed. People looks down on you when you have nothing accomplished in life. That is a cycle that one cannot understand by mere mortals contented to what they have in this world. Indeed, you don't have to take things for granted but there are fucking reasons that cannot be explained but already fixed. Its like there is no answer for every struggle. When you look at it, intimidation will always be a factor. You think externally because you are not blessed with something that cannot be seen by other people. And that's the way it is. I am enjoying every part of it. Too young to think of problems. I am ready for giants. I am not even passed my prime looking for a team that will deliver me a championship. I am already a champion inside and out. Family, friends, country and GOD. Amen

Keeping the fire burning

2010-05-07T23:18:00.000-07:00

Women don't know what they want. Men don't know what they have. -Cheyanne

Inspire me pls.

Lets train harder

2010-05-03T22:15:00.001-07:00

To remedy the transgressions of our past, we take a journey of redemption. I was told that one can redeem himself if he aspires and strives, but vital to the process of emancipation is acknowledging and owning up to our faults. I see that humility in Joe Devance. He’s in the process of making up for inadequacies he felt he had when the Alaska Aces lost to Purefoods in the finals of the All Filipino Conference. He really took the defeat hard.

The past cannot be undone. The best one can do is to try to make up for past mistakes. “Your failures make you stronger” shared Devance. These were words of wisdom his father, an ex-military man turned part-time boxing coach, taught him. Even coach Tim Cone saying their failures will help them learn is something that Joe keeps as a mantra nowadays.

After the finals, Joe carried a heavy load on his shoulders. “That fact that we had lost the Talk and Text series the year before and then the same thing happened all over again, and the fashion in how we lost it was embarrassing. I didn’t want to walk around; I didn’t want anybody to see me.” He went on to say that at that time, no positive encouragement seeped in. “It was all about basketball. It was our life. We worked hard that conference to be the number one team.”

Looking back, Joe said that he thought he played the conference well, even the Purefoods series, except for the last game. “That last game was my absolute worst game ever in my whole life.” He felt depressed and just didn’t want to show his face around. But what helped him get by was that his lovely wife Monica was about to give birth to their first born. “I had to move on, look after my wife and think about our baby”.

Isabella Noemi was born on March 18, and weighed 7lbs 12 ounces. She’s been an inspiration to her father since she took her first breath. “I look at my family and I see how much I mean to them. That’s what got me past the Purefoods series.” While they were still in the hospital, they showed a replay of game 4 of the finals and Joe couldn’t watch past the call out of the players. “I can’t dwell on the past. Now I’m ready to get back on track. It’s like a new start and it’s all positive.”

Joe revealed that he apologized to Coach Tim on how he played the last game. He said that Coach actually apologized back, saying he didn’t guide the team in his normal way. But Devance bears no bitterness, “We gotta give credit to Purefoods, they got us off our game, and coach out of his game.”

“We thought (that) after the Talk and Text finals and bombing (at the) last Fiesta Conference, we just would go out there and play. We played the whole conference hard and together. But, as soon as we hit Purefoods in the finals, everything went out the door, we weren’t the same team. I still don’t know why that happened”. In his head, as an individual, he has set his eyes on Purefoods, now called Derby Ace. “They are good and I think they’re the team to beat”. It’s all part of the process of redemption.

Restart / Reprogram

2010-04-28T01:44:00.000-07:00

A decision has been made. The battle is over but the war is about to begin. Still, taking it one day at a time. I am excited and worried. Another monkey is about to be born and carried off my back. I love the pressure it keeps my sanity intact. I love the challenge. It will reshape me again. I am happy but not contented. I need to train harder like a wild beast. I must not think and rethink. I need to deliver. No more point shaving. No more ladies to think off. Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus. Women tend to disappoint. Don’t put your best foot forward all the time. Be a gentleman. There is a big difference from doing and not doing at all. I always need to believe in myself but I have to do things no matter how stressful it can be. I must be a disciplinarian of my own body. If I cannot even manage to control it then my parting shot to success will always go back to zero. I have my lola and parents. Though they are not perfect, they constantly remind me to keep on improving myself creating your own life. I realized when you reach early 20’s to keep yourself grounded and to feel secure is when you talk and pray to God. There are reasons to fight for something. Constantly asking what is it the worth of sacrifice. I take things accordingly I know my limitations but I want to exceed beyond borders. Things are about to change its phase. I love every single moment. 6 month before was different but 6 months after was just the same. I need to keep on reminding myself that there are way to heavy loads carrying other’s people shoulders to think of for my own that I cannot do it. I know it is frustrating when I tend just to satisfy myself knowing a certain achievement. I must focus and concentrate. I can do it. I need to believe more. No more words to listen but actions that have to be done. Do I want to be a coach, owner or a mere player?

http://www.cnngo.com/hong-kong/none/worlds-greatest-city-hong-kong-576599

2010-04-28T01:38:00.000-07:00

2010-04-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

http://www.cvtips.com/resumes-and-cvs/graphic-designer-sample-resume.html

Top 100 Best Fonts Of All Time

2010-04-20T20:47:00.000-07:00

Below you will find the full list of the best 100 fonts along with the designer & the year in which they were designed.

1. Helvetica [1957 - Max Miedinger]

2. Garamond [1530 - Claude Garamond]

3. Frutiger [1977 - Adrian Frutiger]

4. Bodoni [1790 - Giambattista Bodoni]

5. Futura [1927 - Paul Renner]

6. Times [1931 - Stanley Morison]

7. Akzidenz Grotesk [1966 - G nter Gerhard Lange]

8. Officina [1990 - Erik Spiekermann]

9. Gill Sans [1930 - Eric Gill]

10. Univers [1954 - Adrian Frutiger]

11. Optima [1954 - Hermann Zapf]

12. Franklin Gothic [1903 - Morris Fuller Benton]

13. Bembo [1496 - Francesco Griffo]

14. Interstate [1993 - Tobias Frere-Jones]

15. Thesis [1994 - Lucas de Groot]

16. Rockwell [1934 - Frank H. Pierpont]

17. Walbaum [1800 - Justus Walbaum]

18. Meta [1991 - Erik Spiekermann]

19. Trinit [1982 - Bram De Does]

20. Din [1926 - Ludwig Goller]

21. Matrix [1986 - Zuzana Licko]

22. OCR [1965 - American Type Founders]

23. Avant Garde [1968 - Herb Lubalin]

24. Lucida [1985 - Chris Holmes / Charles Bigelow]

25. Sabon [1964 - Jan Tschichold]

26. Zapfino [1998 - Hermann Zapf]

27. Letter Gothic [1956 - Roger Roberson]

28. Stone [1987 - Summer Stone]

29. Arnhem [1998 - Fred Smeijers]

30. Minion [1990 - Robert Slimbach]

31. Myriad [1992 - Twombly & Slimbach]

32. Rotis [1988 - Olt Aicher]

33. Eurostile [1962 - Aldo Novarese]

34. Scala [1991 - Martin Majoor]

35. Syntax [1968 - Hans Eduard Meier]

36. Joanna [1930 - Eric Gill]

37. Fleishmann [1997 - Erhard Kaiser]

38. Palatino [1950 - Hermann Zapf]

39. Baskerville [1754 - John Baskerville]

40. Fedra [2002 - Peter Bil'ak]

41. Gotham [2000 - Tobias Frere-Jones]

42. Lexicon [1992 - Bram De Does]

43. Hands [1991 - Letterror]

44. Metro [1929 - W. A. Dwiggins]

45. Didot [1799 - Firmin Didot]

46. Formata [1984 - Bernd M llenst dt]

47. Caslon [1725 - William Caslon]

48. Cooper Black [1920 - Oswald B. Cooper]

49. Peignot [1937 - A. M. Cassandre]

50. Bell Gothic [1938 - Chauncey H. Griffith]

51. Antique Olive [1962 - Roger Excoffon]

52. Wilhelm Klngspor Gotisch [1926 - Rudolf Koch]

53. Info [1996 - Erik Spiekermann]

54. Dax [1995 - Hans Reichel]

55. Proforma [1988 - Petr van Blokland]

56. Today Sans [1988 - Volker K ster]

57. Prokyon [2002 - Erhard Kaiser]

58. Trade Gothic [1948 - Jackson Burke]

59. Swift [1987 - Gerald Unger]

60. Copperplate Gothic [1901 - Frederic W. Goudy]

61. Blur [1992 - Neville Brody]

62. Base [1995 - Zuzana Licko]

63. Bell Centennial [1978 - Matthew Carter]

64. News Gothic [1908 - Morris Fuller Benton]

65. Avenir [1988 - Adrian Frutiger]

66. Bernhard Modern [1937 - Lucian Bernhard]

67. Amplitude [2003 - Christian Schwartz]

68. Trixie [1991 - Erik van Blokland]

69. Quadraat [1992 - Fred Smeijers]

70. Neutraface [2002 - Christian Schwartz]

71. Nobel [1929 - Sjoerd de Roos]

72. Industria [1990 - Neville Brody]

73. Bickham Script [1997 - Richard Lipton]

74. Bank Gothic [1930 - Morris Fuller Benton]

75. Corporate ASE [1989 - Kurt Weidemann]

76. Fago [2000 - Ole Schafer]

77. Trajan [1989 - Carol Twombly]

78. Kabel [1927 - Rudolf Koch]

79. House Gothic 23 [1995 - Tal Leming]

80. Kosmik [1993 - Letterror]

81. Caecilia [1990 - Peter Matthias Noordzij]

82. Mrs Eaves [1996 - Zuzana Licko]

83. Corpid [1997 - Lucas de Groot]

84. Miller [1997 - Matthew Carter]

85. Souvenir [1914 - Morris Fuller Benton]

86. Instant Types [1992 - Just van Rossum]

87. Clarendon [1845 - Benjamin Fox]

88. Triplex [1989 - Zuzana Licko]

89. Benguiat [1989 - Ed Benguiat]

90. Zapf Renaissance [1984 - Hermann Zapf]

91. Filosofia [1996 - Zuzana Licko]

92. Chalet [1996 - House Industries]

93. Quay Sans [1990 - David Quay]

94. C zanne [1995 - Michael Want, James Grieshaber]

95. Reporter [1938 - Carlos Winkow]

96. Legacy [1992 - Ronald Arnholm]

97. Agenda [1993 - Greg Thompson]

98. Bello [2004 - Underware]

99. Dalliance [2000 - Frank Heine]

100. Mistral [1953 - Roger Excoffon]

10 Phrases That Can Sink Your Resume

2010-04-20T02:54:00.001-07:00

Here are ten of the deadliest resume phrases in use ("massive overuse" would be more accurate) and replacements for each one. You'll rewrite the replacement phrases to reflect your own accomplishments--and that's the key! We can't expect a timeworn piece of resume boilerplate to stand in for our own pithy, personal examples.

Kill this: Results-oriented professional

Replace with your own version of this: I love to solve thorny supply-chain problems

Kill this: Excellent team player

Replace with your own version of this: At Acme Dynamite, I partnered with Engineering to cut our product cost in half

Kill this: Bottom-line orientation

Replace with your own version of this: My accounting-process overhaul saved the company $10M in its first year

Kill this: Superior communication skills

Replace with your own version of this: I led a two-day offsite that yielded our 2010 product lineup and a $40K cost savings

Kill this: Possess organizational skills

Replace with your own version of this: Reduced customer-complaint resolution time from three weeks to one by revamping the process

Kill this: Savvy business professional

Replace with your own version of this: I'm a PR manager who's gotten his employers covered by Yahoo! and Time magazine

Kill this: Strong work ethic

Replace with your own version of this: I taught myself HTML over a weekend in order to grab a marketing opportunity

Kill this: Meets or exceeds expectations

Replace with your own version of this: Invited to join our executive staff at a strategy summit during my first year at the company

Kill this: Strong presentation skills

Replace with your own version of this: Was recruited to join Acme Dynamite after my boss heard me speak at a conference

Kill this: Seeking a challenging opportunity

Replace with your own version of this: I'm looking for a midsize manufacturer primed to grow its business in the Pacific Rim

Get the boilerplate lead out of your resume today, and replace it with concrete, visual stories that bring your power to life. Watch employers respond! You can't afford to send out another lifeless, sounds-like-everyone-else resume. Employers want the real you on the page. Try it!

2010-04-14T02:26:00.000-07:00

Top 10 Romantic Movies

It's chick-flick central with these must-see movies of great romantic proportions

Never has a subject been more emotive than a small survey I conducted to narrow down our favorite romantic movies of all time. First of all, I had to figure out what constitutes "romantic". Then, there is the era and age of the movie to take into consideration. And what counts as a movie, anyway? Does a made-for-TV show count? After much thought, I finally whittled the answers down to a final 10. Although there is nodefinitive list, (we all have our own top 10 romantic movies based on what we have seen over the years) here are the results of our top 10 romantic moves survey in no particular order.

Love Story (1970)

One of the most popular and enduring love stories, Ali McGraw and Ryan O'Neal star in a film that will have you reaching for the tissue box without a doubt. It's funny how often romance is linked with sadness, but I am not getting into that here. We have everything that a tearjerker in this classic:rich boy, poor girl; an opposing father; success; disaster and fatal illness. It's an emotional rollercoaster that is superbly filmed.

Buy Love Story from Wal-Mart »

Titanic (1997)

How would you feel if someone died for you? In tragedy, we often find the barest soul of romance and so it is with this movie. The romance is not so much in the characters, but in the fact that it is so intense and so brief and so unfairly taken away within the setting of huge drama. Self-sacrifice may be the romantic ideal being portrayed here, but there are few us of who could watch without shedding a tear. For three hours of screen time, we are overtaken by every emotion, and for days the movie leaves a haunting impact. But it is the connection between the two lovers that affected the world's audiences the most. Superb.

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks may be too sweet a pairing for some, but in terms of romantic fantasyland, this is about as close to heaven as one can get. Beautifully scripted and filmed, this film is the perfect vehicle to illustrate why both actors are romantic stars. Grab your popcorn and settle in with your sweetheart.

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Pretty Woman (1990)

Maybe it's the dream pairing of Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Maybe it's the story of a girl going from rags to riches. Maybe it's simply about a boy choosing a girl just when you think he might not. Whatever aspect you wish to focus on, this is top romantic entertainment that has not aged one bit. Watch to remind yourself how on-screen romance should be portrayed.

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City of Angels (1998)

This one presents theanswer to the complex romantic equation of romance, love and mortality. "City of Angels" is beautifully filmed and acted, with Meg Ryan particularly on form. Nicholas Cage as the angel Seth finds himself at odds with the world by falling in love with Meg, who looks almost as angelic as Nick throughout the film. Seth's fall from grace to be with the woman he loves tugs at the heart, however nothing on Earth can prepare you for the romantic drama of the final moments. From the opening heart-breaking scene to the angels portrayed as beings of light -- aloof in high places -- this movie appeals on every level. It's glorious and gorgeous in every way, with a score to match.

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Casablanca (1942)

This timeless classic is really a romantic melodrama. Often quoted, it has lost none of its romantic value. Against a wartime backdrop, we are presented as viewers with a classic love triangle where two men vie for the affection of the same woman. Humphrey Bogart is in splendid form as the exiled loner and the film itself attends to the theme of lost love. The ending is a romantic classic. If it's Sunday evening and raining outside, this is the one for you (both).

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An Affair to Remember (1957)

The essential romantic storyline is that Cary Grant, an eligible bachelor, is set to marry an heiress. Then he meets Deborah Kerr while traveling and realizes he's engaged to the wrong woman. Just to complicate matters, she, too, is engaged to the wrong man. The two agree to spend six months apart before reuniting six months later at the top of the Empire State Building. However, the threat of tragedy strikes. A great romantic treat, nonetheless.

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The Way We Were (1973)

Here we have two young lovers (Robert Redford and Barbara Streisand) with differing political ideologies who come together. It's an odd thing, but there are aspects to the American cinema of the early 1970s that have never been emulated (see "The Last Picture Show," for example) anywhere else and this embodies many sensitive romantic ideals that are rarely portrayed today. Streisand won a much deserved Oscar for her portrayal of the woman in love. Plus, the music will make your spine tingle. Just lovely.

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Doctor Zhivago (1965)

The music is mesmerizing. The film work is unbelievable and epic, and the love story, simply stunning. This is one for a weekend in, and perfect for lovers of romantic movies everywhere. Julie Christie still looks as gorgeous as ever and the perfect romantic heroine for this film. Set against the backdrop of the Russian revolution, Sharif and Christie portray two lovers who are separated and brought together again by war and fate. It is a movie that combines romance and tragedy as the two appear to be intertwined. For a treat of cinematic vistas and passion, this is a must-see.

Brief Encounter (1946)

Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard star in this romantic classic. A housewife meets a married doctor at a railway station by chance. What transpires next is a cinematic masterpiece of inspired passion and unrequited love between an English middle-class man and woman. Even the title has moved into general romantic speak. If you haven't seen it, then put it at the top of the list!

picking- - - - up lines

2010-04-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

Ms. Sana dugo ka nalang
- Para lagi kang dumadaan sa puso ko.

Tatakbo ka ba sa darating na elections
- Boto parents ko sayo.

Review later for the exams.
- Kasi papasagutin na kita mamaya.

Bibigay ko SSS and TIN number ko
- Basta ibigay mo lang PAGIBIG mo.

Excuse me ms. Do you think i am a scientist?
- Kasi tinigin ko kaw yung LAB ko

Napapagod ka na ba?
- Kanina ka pa kasi tumatakbo sa isip ko

Is your Dad a terrorist?
- Cause you are the bomb"

Not even an inch

2010-04-13T21:48:00.001-07:00

The hell with what i am doing?
Damn, i can't even understand. To love and to expect in return.
I know it was a risk that should have been evaluated before i entered her world.
I forgot to appreciate the bracelet that she has worn.

I am not into my senses right now...
Feeling of uneasiness and even worthlessness.

No, i mean i will continue what i do best, being a gentleman.
I LIKE her. I mean every move that i take was a simple action that can
bring her to her senses that a man like me is about to be the frog she is looking for.
Independent life is not complete without a partner. Right now, i am just waiting for the
one coveted invite that can bring stars and smiles on my face.