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TRYING HARD TO LOOK GOOD

noreply@blogger.com (Sensei) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:33:00 +0000

Biggest Mistake Men Make in Fashion

For real men, there is no excuse for slacking off! Just because we’re not as fashion conscious as women, we have a responsibility to the ladies to look our best or at least try. Women love to be with men who are well dressed and exude confidence in the way they act. So in the spirit of brotherhood, I wish to impart some manly advice on what to wear…

Over-sized Shirts

I remember the first time I saw rappers in MTV wearing their over sized clothes, at first I thought that’s really cool, but then I realized that was back in the 90’s!!! First of all, Hip-Hop fashion was evolved over the past few years. From P.Diddy, Pharell Williams to Phat Farms, Hip-Hop fashion with its bright colors, sports & athletic inspiration, and over over-sized design, Hip-Hop fashion was glamorous and here to stay.

So what’s wrong with wearing over-sized shirts then? I’ll tell you what’s wrong with it. It’s when a person is lost in the sea of garments. Most people wearing oversized shirts look like they are drowning in their overweight uncle’s old hand me down t-shirts. If you really observed those who wear oversized shirts in the Hip-Hop world, they all have well-build bodies. Most athletes and African-American have broad shoulders, athletic muscular bodies, and stand 6 feet tall. For the rest of us Asian size men, its better to trim to size a little bit and look for clothes that fit us without looking like the shirts came from some counterfeit Chinese company that makes only one size fits all shirts for America.

Sandals with Socks

Admittedly, this is one fashion mistake I’d like to erase from my memory. There was a time when everybody in school was wearing sandals and socks. Socks are for shoes and Sandals are for feet. Think abut it, what is the purpose of wearing the sandals? Isn’t it too looking rugged and laid back while you walk around the beach or even the mall? Wearing socks would just ruin the look (specially, techni-colored ones!) you’re going for. First, it doesn’t make you any classier. Second, if your socks get dirty, how are going to be able to hide it? And lastly, it just looks crappy and out of style. A good pair of sandals doesn’t exactly come cheap these days, so if you got a pair of good looking rugged pair of sandals, be proud and show them of. Of course, do make sure that your feet are clean and toenails are trimmed because if they are not, that’s another article.

Blinded by Bling

Like Mr. T of the A-Team used to say,… “I Pity the Fool!!!”
If you’re one of those guys that thinks all the jewelry in the world will make you feel the “Donald” Mr. Trump, well you sadly confused. So let me feel enlighten you with a little hint, wearing too much jewelry is like when women wear too much make up, it makes you look cheap. A simple gold stud on your left ear (the right ear conveys a different message) is fine to show rebellious side. A gold chain, corresponding bracelet, and even a nice ring look good when you’re going for a stylish Mafia look. However, avoid jewelry that makes it look like your carrying the entire hidden wealth of the Marcoses. It’s all about completing the look and highlighting your outfit. Avoid over the top and crazy designs reserved for Paris Hilton and her pet dog Tinkerbelle. Hip-Hop stars are primary to blame here for all the bling going around, but even the snazziest ones practice a little restrain when wearing them. And that goes for Rockers as well, please stay away from crazy design that looks like they belong in the old Mad Max films (Mel Gibson) or the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment).

Huge Low Waist Pants

Two words, Kriss-Kross! Does anybody remember these guys? Or should I say kids! Back in the early 90’s they burst into the Hip-Hop scene with their over-sized low waist pants worn backwards. So what’s the conclusion for this fashion foolishness? Childish! Loose pants or jeans are very comfortable and great too, but avoid looking like your just lost 50 kilos by joining the show “The Biggest Loser”. Pants that fits well convey a sense of confidence and toughness with a hint of sexiness, which will definitely make the ladies notice.

Remember, women like guys wearing the right fit, have a sense of style and don’t rely too much on the trends and find a way to complement and highlight their handsome looks. Your clothes should not be too tight, not too loose; not too long and not too short. Wear and buy clothes with the right fit and size. Find a nice alterations shop to help you get the clothes to fit better. Don’t ever do the bling and end up looking like Tinkerbelle and get rid of those white socks if you’re wearing sandals.

CONQUERING PICTURE PHOBIA

noreply@blogger.com (Sensei) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Say, ‘Cheese’!

What do you usually do when somebody say that? Pose?

Give a big smile? Or hide your face? Sounds funny! Hehe….

For those people who always hide their faces when cameras are starting to click, I don’t blame you. I don’t criticize you either. I was like you before. Cameras had been my fear for quite time. I considered them as villains in my life. When someone tries to capture my moment without my knowledge, I get angry. It’s going to be war.

As time went on, I’ve come to realize that I need to fight this fear. In the first place, my face will not change anymore. God has given me this. There’s no reason to hide it. Besides, people look at me all the time since the day of my existence. Maybe some like me, but others are just hard to please. Who are they anyway? I need not worry even if my pimples are starting to cover my face. I am human. I don’t treat it as sign of inequality. Having pimples is just a characteristic of being a homo sapien.

So, what are you afraid of? Photos are just things. It may fade just like beauty. Beautiful people will turn old someday, somehow. We will all die; we’ll be eaten by worms and will turn to ashes. We are equal. You must believe that. All has an end.

The essence of taking pictures is that, you want to show that you are happy. You enjoy your precious moment during that particular time. Pictures are proof that you enjoyed the time when you were still alive.

Live life to the fullest!

So, give smile and everything!!! Say smile!

How To Start A Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Sensei) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:39:00 +0000

Friends and family members often ask me how to start a blog, and I always enjoy explaining the advantages of a blog over a traditional website, but it is a lot information to take in over dinner. I thought I would document the process to make it easier to understand.

I recently created a video that documents some of what is discussed in this article.

1. Decide What You Want To Blog About

There are a lot of bloggers on the web already. If you want to attract readers, you are going to need to establish your credibility. Don't just blog about anything. Pick a topic you are are passionate about. Something that you have lots of experience with.

Decide: To Host or Not To Host

When it comes to starting a blog, your biggest decision will be whether you want to host the blog yourself, or use a free blogging service that is hosted for you.
Free Blogging Services
Yes, it's free, but nothing is really free. When you start a blog with a free blogging service, you don't get your own domain. You get something like mygreatblog.blogspot.com (where there are a million other blogs at blogspot.com) and you don't actually own the blog. If you ever do decide to move to your own domain, you have no way to take your readers with you, because you have no control over the site.
Cheap - Host your own blog using WordPress free Blog software
This is the method I suggest, because it offers much more flexibility and freedom to do what you want. You will have your own domain name, like mygreatblog.com. You can get this for as little as $30 per year. In my experience, WordPress is excellent free blog software that allows you flexibility and room to grow.
If you want to go the free blogging service route, check out links to free blogging services. If you want to host the blog yourself, read on.

Find a Domain Name

For me this part is fun. You know what your theme is already, so now you have to find a good domain name.

Find a Web Host for Your Blog

By far, the easiest way to get a website is to go with a hosting company that offers "1 click installs", or instant installations for Blogging and Forum software. Blogs and Forums make it possible for someone with no experience to get good content up fast.
"1-click" (easy) Installation
Dreamhost Hosting
For beginners, I recommend Dreamhost, because they tend to care, where as many other huge hosting companies don't. They cost a bit more, about $119 for a year, but it is worth it. Edit: I actually used a promo code and was able to get 1 year for about $60. Go to: Dreamhost.com and enter Promo Code: WMLGS1 to save $50.

Standard Hosting
1and1 Hosting
If you are on a budget, I recommend 1and1 hosting. They are much less expensive, but the one thing to be aware of is that can take a little bit longer to get good support at 1and1. Having said that, I have been using 1and1 for over 4 years (this site is hosted at 1and1). Compared to a lot of other hosts, they have an extremely user friendly control panel, and their servers are extremely dependable. Prices start at 3.99 / month. Go to 1and1.com

Install WordPress

Installation Overview If you have experience with installing web applications that use mySQL, this could take as little as 5 minutes to do, and the 5 steps below may be all you need, however, I have further explained each step below for beginners.

Make sure your host meets the requirements. details
Make sure you have a database ready with proper username and password. details
Download and unzip WordPress. details
In the WordPress folder, find and make a copy of wp-config-sample.php. Rename the copy to wp-config.php and fill in your database details. Save the new file. details
Upload all the files to the directory in your web host where you want the blog to live - details
Run the installation file. install-folder/wp-admin/install.php. details

Requirements: To run WordPress your host just needs a couple of things:

PHP version 4.2 or greater
MySQL version 4.0 or greater

Create a Database
You can usually do this in your hosting control panel. If you aren't sure how to do this, ask your hosting company. After you have set it up, you should have 4 pieces of information about the database.
1. Database Name - The name of your database.
2. Username - your database user name.
3. Password - Your database password.
4. Host name - This is going to be a host name. It might be something like mysql.mydomain.com, or just localhost. Without these 4 things, you won't be able to set up WordPress. Again, contact your hosting company's tech support if you have any trouble with this.
Download the current version of WordPress.
This is easy. Just go to wordpress.org/download/, and download the current version. You have a choice between the ZIP file or the TAR.GZ file. I think the TAR.GZ file may be smaller, but I always download the ZIP.
Uncompress the WordPress ZIP file.
Again this is easy.
Configure WordPress
Open the WordPress folder and rename the file wp-config-sample.php to just wp-config.php. Now open it and insert the 4 pieces of information about your database into the 4 fields below.
Change:

define('DB_NAME', 'wordpress'); // The name of the database
define('DB_USER', 'username'); // Your MySQL username
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'password'); // ... and password
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost'); // 99% chance you won't need to change this value

define('DB_NAME', 'yourDatabaseName'); // The name of the database
define('DB_USER', 'your-username'); // Your MySQL username
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'your-password'); // ... and password
define('DB_HOST', 'your-hostname'); // 99% chance you won't need to change this value

Choose Your Install Directory and Upload Everything
If you want your WordPress blog in a separate directory of your website, like “yourdomain.com/blog”, then rename the “wordpress” folder to “blog” and upload it to the root directory with an ftp program.
If you want your blog to be in the root directory of your site, meaning the blog will be located at “yourdomain.com”, then just open the wordpress folder and upload all the files and folders into your web root. If you already have a file called index.html, or index.php, you'll need to rename it or get rid of it before you uploading everything.
Finish and Install

8. In a browser, go to the domain where you uploaded WordPress, and then to /wp-admin/install.php, and follow the simple directions there.
You will be given a username and password. Save it in a safe place.
That's it. You now have a new blog. You can now log in with your username and password, and start writing.
Download a WordPress theme
This is the fun part. Picking a WordPress theme. There are many places to find WordPress Themes. When you find one you like, just download it and unzip it just like you did with the WordPress ZIP file.
6. Add Your Theme
You can do this after you upload, but it's probably easier to just do it now.
Look for the themes folder. It's in the wordpress => wp-content => themes.
There should already be 2 theme folders in the themes folder, “classic” and “default”.
Just drop your new theme folder in with them. (remember, it must be unzipped first)