KAMISULAT

Scammers Are All Around in the Social Media - Part 2

2025-01-19T20:01:00.000+08:00

Scammers Are All Around in the Social Media - Part 2

Hello again! Just published my article with the same topic.

Nowadays, most Filipinos depend on their meager income to survive. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority's website, "a family with five members needed at least PhP 13,873 per month to meet their minimum basic food and non-food needs in 2023".

I will not focus on the income and expenditures of an average Filipino. What I will share with you is the rampant scamming activities of lending agencies via Facebook. Every individual, whether a retiree or employee, depend on money to sustain until the next budget is available. In order to cope up with the rising prices of basic commodities, fuel and others, the income deriving from pensions and salaries are not enough for the whole average Filipino family. What if you still have children studying? Or having a family member with illness that needs regular medication? The answer to the shortness of finances is to find means by borrowing money from lending agencies.

The problem is most legitimate lending agencies only accept qualified applicants. They only based on your monthly salary when applying for a loan. Some employees are tied up with loans. What they get every payday is just only suitable for a day or two budget. That's the time they will try to borrow from loan apps which charges too much interest, and you will only get a small percentage of the approve loan amount because of excessive processing charges and everything. The problem is when paying the loans where some cannot pay due to unavailability of finances. They suffer harassment from the lender and some even experienced being shamed in social media networks.

Another type of lending agencies who posted their services in Facebook offer big loanable amounts with long term payments. This will encourage a borrower to try. Take note guys, if you experience contacting someone who indulge in lending money in Facebook, you will notice that they will assure you of a loan but only after reviewing your credit capability. I don't know how they do that, but I never tried sending information to them just to try if they can check my credit capability. They will ask for your name and cell number and wait to be called. Other lending agency will ask you a certain processing fee. The amount will go something from P400 to P999. When you send money to them, automatically your conversation stopped. Your now scammed.

Scammers don't have hearts to sympathize your agony and pain during the process. Scammers on Facebook often pose as legitimate lending agencies, promising quick loans with minimal requirements. They just simply disappear after getting the money from the poor loan applicant.

To avoid falling victim to these scams, follow these precautions:

1. Verify the Legitimacy of the Lending Agency

✅ Check for Official Registration – Legitimate lenders must be registered with government agencies (e.g., SEC, BSP in the Philippines, FCA in the UK).
✅ Look for a Physical Address & Contact Information – A real company will have a verified business address and official phone numbers.
✅ Visit Their Official Website – Check if the company has a professional website and not just a Facebook page.

2. Be Wary of Red Flags

🚩 No Background Checks – If they offer a loan without checking your credit history or income, it's likely a scam.
🚩 Upfront Fees – Legitimate lenders do not ask for processing fees before disbursing loans.
🚩 Too-Good-to-Be-True Offers – Extremely low interest rates or instant approvals are often bait for scams.
🚩 Pressure Tactics – Scammers push you to make quick decisions to prevent you from verifying their legitimacy.

3. Protect Your Personal Information

🔒 Never Share Sensitive Details – Scammers may ask for ID photos, bank details, or OTPs. Avoid providing this info online.
🔒 Use a Separate Email for Financial Transactions – This minimizes exposure to phishing attempts.

4. Read Reviews and Complaints

🔎 Check Reviews & Feedback – Search for the lender’s name followed by "scam" or "complaints" to see if others have reported them.
🔎 Ask in Local Finance Groups – Facebook groups discussing financial matters may have insights on the lender.

5. Report & Block Suspicious Lenders

🚨 Report the Page to Facebook – Click on the three dots (…) on their page, select "Find Support or Report Page," and choose "Scams & Fraud."
🚨 Warn Others – If you encounter a scam, share your experience in relevant groups or forums.

I hope this will serve as a tip and info to everyone. Please don't fall a victim to scammers in the social media.

Scammers Are All Around in the Social Media

2025-01-19T17:57:00.009+08:00

Scammers Are All Around in the Social Media

Hi there! It's been so long since my last post. Anyway, my topic for now is all about scammers using the social media especially Facebook victimizing netizens.

I stopped temporarily writing blogs when vlog came into existence and got popular. A vlog (short for "video blog" or "video log") is a type of video content where a person or creator shares their experiences, thoughts, or daily life in a storytelling format. Vlogs are typically published on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram.

So much about vlog. Let me share with you all about scammers and their activities.

What I noticed nowadays is the rampant existence of scammers in the social media most especially Facebook.

Scammers on social media use various tactics to trick people into giving away money, personal information, or access to their accounts. Here are some of the most common scams:

1. Phishing Scams

Scammers send fake messages or emails pretending to be from a trusted platform (like Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube) to steal login details. They might claim:

"Your account is at risk!"
"Verify your account now!"
"You won a prize! Click this link!"

2. Impersonation Scams

They create fake profiles using stolen pictures to impersonate someone famous, a friend, or a business. Then they:

Ask for donations
Claim you won a giveaway
Pretend to be a romantic interest (romance scams)

3. Investment & Crypto Scams

Scammers promise huge profits if you invest in their "scheme" (often fake crypto or forex trading). They show fake testimonials, edited bank statements, or photos of luxury cars to appear successful.

4. Fake Giveaways & Prizes

They claim:

"Congratulations! You won!"
"Claim your free iPhone!"
"Send a small fee for processing!"

But in reality, no prize exists, and they just take your money.

5. Job & Work-From-Home Scams

They promise high-paying jobs with little work but require an "upfront fee" for training or registration. Sometimes, they trick people into laundering money.

6. Romance & Emotional Scams

Scammers build online relationships, gain trust, and then ask for money due to a "medical emergency" or "travel costs" to meet you.

7. Hacked Accounts & Fake Endorsements

They hack a real person's account and send messages to their friends promoting fake investment schemes or selling "discounted" items.

Most people nowadays especially from the Philippines, are longing to work either on-site or online due to high percentage of unemployment and under-employment. Moreover, netizens are also looking for means on how to earn money online the quick and easy way.

How I identify scammers in Facebook in particular? Most of them do the following:

Scammers often use fresh accounts with minimal activity
They have few or no friends
The have no personal posts or photos
Many scam accounts have weird names (most are fictitious), excessive symbols, or misspelled words.
They offer investments that promise unrealistic returns
They offer big sum of money in dollars for a simple task like typing job, conversion of image to text or PDF files.
They require you to send first money before releasing payment for the task done
Most if not all scammers want to communicate with you using Telegram

That was what I had experienced when I investigated what really are their operations doing. Take note that these people will chat with you using Telegram app. Here are several reasons why they love using Telegram:

1. Anonymity & Privacy

No phone number verification for contacts – While Telegram requires a phone number to sign up, users can hide it, making it easy for scammers to remain anonymous.
Encrypted & Self-Destructing Messages – This helps scammers erase evidence of fraud quickly.

2. Lack of Strict Moderation

Unlike Facebook or WhatsApp, Telegram has looser content moderation, so scams and illegal activities can persist longer before being detected or removed.

3. Fake Bots & Groups

Scammers create fake bots or groups pretending to be official customer service, crypto investment firms, or tech support.
Many "giveaway" or "investment" groups are filled with fake members (bots) to appear legitimate.

4. Easy File & Link Sharing

Telegram allows sending large files and links, which scammers use to spread malware, phishing links, and fake documents.
Many scam groups share fake testimonials, edited screenshots, and fake bank receipts to convince victims.

5. Cryptocurrency & Dark Web Connections

Since Telegram allows users to remain semi-anonymous, many scammers operate in crypto scams, selling fake tokens, fake trading signals, or Ponzi schemes.
Some scammers sell stolen data or run fraud operations on Telegram’s underground channels.

6. Impersonation & Fake Support Scams

Many scammers pretend to be customer support from platforms like Binance, MetaMask, or even banks.
They tell victims their accounts are "locked" and ask for login credentials or private keys to steal money.

Allow me to share with you only two topics: Investment & Crypto Scams and Job & Work-From-Home Scams.

Investment & Crypto Scams

First, I will share with you all about Investment & Crypto Scams. Scammers share the same process on how to bait you in joining investments with them. They engaged prospect victims in Facebook by posting things like how to earn money by doing simple things like copy paste, liking products in a specific website, etc.

Initially, the victim (joiner) will contact the ad poster by sending private message. The ad poster will explain everything all about the task. She (most of the ad poster are women) will give the details and how much will a joiner earn. Then she will refer the joiner to contact somebody via Telegram (somewhat a mentor, trader or a receptionist).

To continue with, the person whom you will contact via Telegram will guide you all about their system. A brief introduction about their services and she will show you the schedule of all capital and profit to get after trading. They call their services GCash Trading and Investment System wherein you need to send money to them via GCash and they will trade your money in Bitcoin. She will promise you to get back your investment 10x in 3 hours (sounds really a scam). If she got your approval of investing in any amount, say you choose P1,000, she will direct you to their Trader also via Telegram. The Trader will request you to submit your name, GCash number and the amount you sent to them as your investment. He will assure to update you soon. This is how the scam starts. After a few minutes, the Trader will inform you "due to the unbalanced stable of bitcoin now at the market we can't be able to trade your 1,000php to generate your profit. All you have to do now is to add up your investment as soon as possible". The Trader will request you to send additional P2,000. See how they easily get your money? Adding up your investment is no longer a possibility because you will end up draining your GCash wallet. Well, if you add more money to invest, that's up you.

Another scam deals with clicking the heart icon in a merchant's product on a notable website. Transactions also entails Telegram as the medium of communication. The deal is very much simple, the person whom you are chatting with in Telegram will give you the product's link. You will have to click the heart icon besides the Add to Cart button, take a screenshot, and submit it to the Receptionist. Three submissions within 20-30min time you will receive P100 directly to your GCash wallet. Sounds good? The process will continue until they end their session around 9PM. You are so glad you earned money by simply hearting a product. The next day will be crucial. You will repeat the same process and still earns the money, but, in between the process, you will be allowed to choose monetary values to send to the Trader so as to receive a commission plus the money you sent plus P100. This might sound good to you, and the lowest monetary option is P900. Well, if you have enough funds in your GCash wallet, why not dare? So, you choose P900 and dare to invest. The Trader will invest your money to a Cryptocurrency website. After trading, they will give you back your P900 plus the commission and the P100 reward. Sounds good? Okay, the next step is to continue hearting products and still you earn P100. Take note, in between this process, you are now allowed to repeat the previous process of choosing amounts to send but at this point of time the smallest amount is P2,900. Now is the decisive point in dealing with them. Are you really sure to invest P2,900 or not. Okay if you still have enough GCash funds. The twist is, if your wallet is low compared to P2,900, the Receptionist will convince you to send to her the money you have (let us say you only have P1,000 left in your GCash wallet) as she can talk with the Trader for you and even assures you that you can still get the refund plus the bonus amount. Here goes the scam. After waiting for the Trader's response (seems like no actual Trader exists), the Receptionist will inform you that the "Trader does not agree with this amount, you need to pay the remaining amount to quality, which is P1,900". So, what will you do now if that happened in your case? Do you think you can still trust the Receptionist and send to her P1,900?

That's how scammers do. They will drain up your GCash wallet with the promises of gaining or earning from their system.

Job & Work-From-Home Scams

As with the above topic, you can find them in every Facebook page that offers Job Hirings, etc.

The ad poster will ask you first if you can handle the task, say, retyping PDF files into Word. If you are interested because of the offer, the ad poster will refer you to the Contractor via Telegram (again). The Contractor will explain you about the task which is to be completed within two (2) days, and you will earn $1,500 (wow, what a catch). Guys, if you were offered a big sum of money especially in dollars but the task is very simple, STOP right away.

So, you tried to do the task with the hope of earning dollars although somehow you will get curious about its legitimacy. After submitting the task (of course you need to have your files copyrighted), the Contractor will now ask you were to send the payment (usually he will show you how much money you will receive). After you send to him the bank details (GCash is not listed in the mode of payment app), he will then ask you to send to him $1,000 as processing fee for the bank transfer. Boom! You're now scammed. Take note, all task projects with the assurance of earning big sum of amount are scam. Don't send your bank details if you doubt that you are dealing with a scammer. I lose nothing but time although I enjoyed retyping the PDF files into Word. The bank account number I gave him is not the real one after sensing that it is a scam since he did not complain that the files I sent to him in PDF format were all copyrighted and cannot be copied/modified, I twisted two numbers in between. Yes, there is a program/app that restricts your PDF files from being modified and copied when viewed over the browser or a PDF reader.

Here are a few tips on how not to be scammed.

How to Spot & Avoid Telegram Scams:

✅ Never trust unsolicited messages – Real companies don’t DM first.
✅ Be cautious with Telegram investment groups – Most "guaranteed profit" offers are scams.
✅ Verify official accounts – Check for a verified badge or cross-check contact details on the company’s official website.
✅ Don’t click unknown links – Many lead to phishing sites or malware.
✅ Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) – This protects your account from hacking.

How to Stay Safe:

✅ Verify profiles – Look for suspicious signs before trusting a new friend request.
✅ Never send money – Even if the person claims to be in an emergency.
✅ Check links carefully – Hover over them before clicking to see the actual URL.
✅ Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) – This adds an extra layer of security to your account.
✅ Report and block – If you suspect a scam, report the account to Facebook.

As always, when dealing with someone whom you don't know online, never trust that person especially if the transaction has money involve. Stay safe everyone. Thank you.

How Can We Stop Animal Cruelty

2022-02-24T00:32:00.009+08:00

We can stop animal cruelty!

Humans have the tendency to treat stray animals with cruelty since we assume we have dominion over them.

The vast majority among these animals are cats or dogs, and their numbers are rapidly expanding as a result of unintentional breeding on the streets and undesired births. Even draft animals, who are used to pull large burdens, are treated cruelly.

Based on the animal cruelty statistics, children who have been sexually assaulted are 5 times more likely to abuse animals.

According to the Philippines Animal Welfare Society, 12 million stray cats and dogs roamed the country in 2019. Thousands of animals are euthanized in pounds each year, or die of sickness, malnutrition, or wounds sustained from fighting.

Thankfully, there are certain things we can do to help homeless animals. Instead of purchasing pricey foreign breeds from pet stores, we should start by adopting abandoned cats and dogs. They struggle to acclimatize not just to the environmental circumstances, but also to their surroundings. Adopting stray animals gives them with a caring home while also limiting their population.

Aside from adoption, animal welfare organizations or homes should be established so that stray animals have a home where they can be properly cared for and fed on a regular basis. As a result, they would not risk their lives by wandering onto busy roadways. To keep the dog population from expanding, stray canines must be neutered if necessary.

In order to prevent innocent animals from becoming victims of unlawful export/import, government rules on animal welfare must be strictly implemented and adhered to.

Despite the fact that today's civilization is contemporary and advanced, individuals continue to ignore animal and pet abuse. They may even condone it in some situations. Animals, like humans, have the right to live a dignified life.

Abuse can take many forms. Sadly, it always has the same effect on animals: fear, suffering, and desperation.

You are very much encouraged to file a complaint regarding any animal abuse where the suspect violates animal welfare law under the amended animal welfare act RA8485.

Please be aware and help stop animal abuse!

* THEY ARE INNOCENT!
* THEY CAN'T SPEAK OR ASK FOR HELP!
* THEY CAN BARELY DEFEND THEMSELVES
* THEY HAVE FEELINGS TOO LIKE HUMANS!
* THEY LOVE THEIR FAMILY ESPECIALLY THEIR PUPS!

We are constantly in need of funds to continue our vital work to provide food and care to our rescues and save as many lives as possible. Donations in any kinds or financial are very much welcomed and appreciated.

Our organization is Bacolod Aspin Rescue Kennel (B.A.R.K.). Person to contact is Theresa Antaran Japsay. Our rescue group is located at Bacolod City, Philippines.

"A nation's greatness and moral advancement can be assessed by the way its animals are handled," - Mahatma Gandhi

"Ransonware Attack" - What It Is And What It Does To Your PC

2021-11-22T15:46:00.018+08:00

Ransonware Attack

Ransomware Attack

Last August of this year, I received a message via Facebook Messenger that their disbursement program was somewhat deleted or was no longer available. I instructed the person in-charge to send me a screenshot of the files in the drive's folder wherein the disbursement program is located. I noticed that the files' extensions where replaced with ".orkf", thus, making it hard for her to execute the program.

I searched the file over the Internet and learned that Orkf virus is a ransomware that originates from the DJVU/STOP family. It encrypts the file making it impossible to open at all unless you will pay a ransom fee ($490 - $980) in BitCoin. The virus also install the Azorult Spyware on system to steal account credentials, desktop files, and more.

I requested the person in-charge of the disbursement to request assistance from the IT staff to have the PC checked for any viruses and malwares. Actions were taken to remove the Orkf virus and to recover the files but all to no avail. The least that the IT people can do is to reformat the PC. They requested me to check and verify the latest clean copy of files available in the PC. I verified the backup files only to found out that the latest records were dated way back in 2008. That is a big task to do encoding the rest of the files until the current period. I gave them options whether to encode the missing records (a tiresome process) or to pay the ransom fee to decrypt the files (quite a hefty sum), or to purchase the software that will restore their files (cost better). They instead asked me if I can find ways to recover the files without encoding all of it. I told them I will try to find a remedy and after several searches in the Internet for any database repair programs capable of displaying the records on screen, I finally found one. The process of retrieving the records is somewhat tricky but can save time than encoding the records manually. But it is still safe to have your hardware ransomware protection to evade such attacks in the near future. There are lots of ransomware virus removal software in the market today.

So what did I do to recover the records from the infected database files?

I used the software that can display the records on screen. I took a screenshot of the screen and saved it as an image file (.PNG) and had it converted to either Word or Excel. I uploaded the converted file to Excel and checked for any distorted records (seldom you can accurately convert all the text format from an image). The Excel file can then be copied to the database table of the disbursement program. Somewhat tricky but worth at it. I already recovered one database (the latest records were dated May of this year) and the recovered records had been randomly verified. The results are 99% accurate. The process of recovery only took 1 day while encoding the records manually will take weeks.

How does your PC got infected?

There are some possible ways your PC got infected with ransomware:

Installing free software from the Internet
Clicking links in spam emails which will lead to virus installer
Downloading pirated software via peer-to-peer resources that includes BitTorrent, Limewire, etc.

There are lots of available software that can remove Orkf virus if you are willing to pay for one. the price is worth the effort to reencode your records especially if the infected file is a big database. Ransomware protection is still the best investment rather that paying for the ransom or having your encrypted files decrypted by other software. Just Google search the best ransomware virus removal software in the market.

There is no guaranteed way to prevent your PC from getting infected with ransomware viruses unless you have purchased ransomware protection software. Just evade the 3 possible ways described above and always keep a regular backup of all your important files. Regularly check your PC for any viruses and malwares.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

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No One Should Be Left Behind

2020-11-16T09:03:00.010+08:00

Image source via Google

If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Typhoon Ulysses brought havoc in the Philippines as it flooded Metro Manila and the rest of the provinces in the northern part.

A tweet shows a dog feeling devastated, tired, full of fear and losing hope. He hangs on the rooftop of a house while the ground is no longer visible due to the strong floods that ravaged around.

The picture is surely heart-breaking. Responsible dog owners made their way of rescuing their pets, others made it, but some perish because they are chained and lose their hopes of surviving.

It is a common practice for most Filipinos to have their dogs tied inside their property for many reasons but not limited to the following:

Aggression
Stray dogs are often caught and brought to the pound
Control canine population
Control or eliminate the spread of rabies
To maintain good health condition and avoid canine parasites like ticks, fleas and mange

Natural disasters like flash floods and earthquake make residents scamper to safe places and oftentimes forget their loyal friends left behind.

We all should learn from others' mistakes. If you can't bring with you your pets, untie them during natural disasters because they can find their own way of survival.

There is no faith which has never yet been broken, except that of a truly faithful dog. -
Konrad Lorenz

Image source via GMA Network

Image source via ABS-CBN News

Image source via The Epoch Times

Beating the pandemic in my own and simple way

2020-06-24T19:56:00.001+08:00

Image source: https://www.moonstone.co.za/

Covid-19 is still around and deaths are increasing in numbers. People from different regions are finding ways on how to survive amid the pandemic. The most trending business is online selling. I see it as the modest and easy way to earn while staying at home.

I'm not good at online selling. What I lack most is the drive to start. I prefer working hard physically or mentally to earn money but never to online selling. I lost an opportunity to develop a computer program when the lockdown started last March. That should had been my way of keeping myself busy during the time when we are required to stay at home. But anyway, it was not my losses after all.

Staying at home and doing nothing is what I hate most. So how did I endure the torment of staying at home? The lockdown helped me to continue my unfinished tasks which I neglected before, like rearranging home fixtures, fixing damaged chicken pens at the backyard, segregating the usable materials from the worn-out ones, removing cobwebs from the ceiling, fixing broken PVC pipes, manually removing grasses at the property next to mine which I borrowed for cording my gamefowls, etc. I have enough time to be with my pets, grooming and giving them baths. The lockdown was indeed a productive one for me.

Travel during the lockdown was limited to those with ECQ passes. Although I have one, but areas of visits were limited due to the pandemic. You cannot easily access entry to neighboring towns and cities because of the strict procedures and protocols. Checkpoint areas were often filled with vehicles trying to pass the area from one location to another. So, the use of ECQ pass was only limited to allow people to buy foods and household items. You cannot easily visit family members from neighboring places. All establishments and malls were closed. The order is to stay at home to evade the contamination.

I remember how my hair and beard grew rapidly because I intended not to have a haircut and beard shave to see how long my hair and beard grow for the rest of the lockdown. I found it funny but great after seeing myself wearing beard with long hair.

Contamination grew in numbers when people from other places went home during the lockdown. Most of them were OFWs and LSIs and others are asymptomatic that pass the virus to the symptomatic ones. The effect that Covid-19 has brought to humanity is chaotic. It grew rapidly and the LGUs were having a hard time containing the spread of the virus. The newsfeeds in Facebook were all but Covid-19 updates. People from anywhere were reportedly died because of the virus.

We all are accustomed to wear our facemasks at all times especially when we get our feet out from our homes. Social distancing is often observed though I found others do not comply with it. I do not mind at all. Every establishments you visit and checkpoints require to take your body temperature and sanitize everyone's hands.That's one way of checking if visitors have fever and by sanitizing the hands with alcohol will definitely contain the spread of the virus.

At this very moment, our city is placed in MGCQ and establishments were already open but required to observe health protocols. The opening of classes are still under observation. Other schools resort to online and modular system of education. The Department of Education are finding ways on how to continue the education and avoid the students from the virus contamination.

Work is back to normal but most companies and institutions were forced to have their employees to work on a skeletal system. In my case, I report for duty on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays only just to comply the 22 hours of duty per week as what our institution had implemented. I belong to the education sector and the pandemic has really put the burden to schools where classes are moved to August and enrollment is expected to drop down.

Everyone is praying that this will end soon. The pandemic has really made each and everyone more resilient and creative. Humanity restored by touching the lives of others and extending extra services and financial aid.

I would appreciate reading comments about your Covid-19 experience. Stay at home and always be safe.

“It’s very clear that once this crisis is over many people will be unemployed, many companies will have filed for insolvency and a huge economic cost will have been incurred. On the way there, people will look for who is responsible and if we’re not very careful there will be a blame game. That is the big danger”

Bernhard Spalt, Erste Group

The ignored ones during the COVID-19 pandemic

2020-04-06T13:22:00.000+08:00

It is almost been a month since our LGU announced the Enhanced Community Quarantine to control the contamination brought by SARS-CoV-2 virus commonly known as COVID-19. It might be so boring to stay at home for the rest of the ECQ mandate but it is compensating as well thinking you saved yourself and your family from the virus contamination.

I noticed that there are those who had been ignored when the pandemic occurs. Who would provide for their needs during times like this wherein all had been ordered to stay at home and supplies distributed to everyone cannot even support a family for the whole ECQ period.

Here's my topmost list among them.

The young children who depend on bottled milk.

These little members of a family solely depend on bottled mild but their parents could no longer sustain their needs because of a lock-down and only rely on the relief supplies distributed by the LGUs to their barangays. It is very heart-breaking seeing these kids have nothing to fill their tummies as most of them do not eat foods yet and the relief goods only last for a day or two for a family of four to consume. Good enough that a friend of mine started a milk-giving fundraising campaign for these kids. The results are overwhelming as donations are pouring coming from the supportive sponsors.

Although the group cannot support all families with little kids relying on bottled milk, at least they initiated a move that somehow ease the problem of the family in sustaining the needs of their kids.

The homeless ones.

The homeless ones or the vagabond, who untiringly scorches the heat of the sun looking for food to eat and begs money to sustain the remaining hours until the sun seats.

Although the DSWD coordinates with the LGUs by providing assistance to these street dwellers, they cannot fully monitor them. It is our obligation as members of the community to inform and report to the LGUs and DSWD of the exact location of a vagabond and other relevant information for them to take action. There is already a law that prohibits us from giving alms to beggars and street dwellers.

The poorest of the poor who belong to the marginalized sector are the priority of the LGU when the city announced a community-wide lock-down. It would much be better if vitamins and medicines are included in the relief goods.

The mentally ill people.

Photo credit: derasachasauda.org

These are the persons who lost their sanity but yet stayed strong and have strong immunity. I wondered how they survived without any nutritious foods to eat and clean sleeping area.

We used to roam around the city to distribute foods to the street dwellers as well as the mentally ill people. You can read in their eyes how glad they are upon receiving the food which for them will keep them alive until the morrow. I do not know how the mentally ill ones perceive about the foods given to them but the thought of feeding the needy ones is just enough for us to continue our charitable works.

Will they just be left ignored during this pandemic? Who will take care of them?

The stray dogs and cats.

I used to be a member of a dog/cat rescue organization. We brought along with us the stray dogs and cats that have no identified owners. They are treated for any illness and are provided with vitamins and nutritious foods in the shelter. Once they regained their health and free of any illness, we set them for adoption to any responsible dog lovers.

The maintenance is too costly. Our group depends on the donations from dog lovers. We are thankful to Theresa Antaran Japsay, our senior member who offered her house in a subdivision as a temporary shelter to a number of rescues. When the lock-down was ordered, she just requested anybody from the group to purchase for the needs of the rescues as she can no longer go out to travel because of the travel restrictions. What worry us most are the rescues in the city pound and the stray ones in the streets.

I hope that this pandemic will soon end so that everything will be back to normal.

Donations are welcome to these different groups.

For the milk-giving program, you may contact:

Irene E. Eleuterio
+63 927 888 0142
FB: https://www.facebook.com/humphrey.castro.3

For the food-giving program, please contact:

Van Calvin B. Inquig
+63 920 402 8064
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/van.inquig
Website: http://ckdwarrior.x10.mx/

For the stray dogs and cats, you may contact:

Theresa Antaran Japsay
+63 966 344 7233
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theresa.japsay

COVID-19: Regenerates family bonding and heals the Mother Earth

2020-03-26T08:06:00.000+08:00

Image credit to GuelphToday.com

The country announced lock-down in Metro Manila and followed by the whole Luzon Island and the local agencies from the cities down to the municipalities followed the mandate. The whole country is now on a state of calamity for six months starting last March 17. This is how SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the commonly known disease COVID-19 affects the Philippines. Health officials are alarmed of the increasing infections due to the proximity of the Philippines to China. PUIs and PUMs increased daily and deaths had already been reported. Face masks and rubbing alcohols already run out of stocks when the Coronavirus invaded the country. The whole country is now put into a greater risk of contamination. Social distancing is imposed and staying at home is highly encouraged.

I already heard all about Coronavirus but this latest one is more deadly and spreads readily all throughout the world where China is the most stricken country because it is there where the virus came. Italy is the worst place outside China being contaminated where numerous deaths are reported in a 24-hour span. The rest of the world has already casualties reported to the World Health Organization (WHO). We are now facing a deadly unseen enemy, a virus that secretly lurks inside our bodies and like a vulture, it preys on our lungs. Lucky to those who survived the ordeal, and sorry for the early demise of some. Among the casualties are the frontliners in the medical profession and the healthcare workers.

For the past few months or years before COVID-19 came, people are all busy in their normal daily chores. Some families are preparing for the graduation of their family members, and some have already plans for a summer vacation when the school ends. Airplane tickets, hotels and tour destination accommodations are early booked. Nobody ever thought that their lives will eventually change. The most affected ones are those who are working in a company as casuals, the small entrepreneurs who solely depend on their meager income and people from the transportation industry especially the drivers. Everybody from all walks of life is affected, the rich and the poorest of the poor. The virus knows no limit. It will kill anybody from anywhere.

For me, the pandemic made me realized that we are all susceptible to any unknown viruses. It also regenerates family bonding and unknowingly heals the Mother Earth because pollution has lessened due to halt in transportation, temporary closure of big factories, and the like. Everyone is facing a dilemma. The government already imposed strict rules to prevent the spread of the virus. It is up to the citizen on how to deal with the rules and guidelines. Some are not taking the order seriously. The virus is not a joke anymore as the number of casualties is already very alarming. The mandate is very simple, stay at home until further notice from the health authorities and the local government. Observe proper hygiene and most of the time wash hands thoroughly with soap. Eat healthy foods as possible and take vitamin C to strengthen the immunity system. Take time to have a healthy morning bath with the heat of the sun. Do not ignore any illness that may arise at home especially cough and breathing problems doubled with fever and body pains.

We do not know yet as to when the virus is totally contained and the lock-down ends. All we need to do is simply heed with what the local health authorities advised all the people in the community. After all, we will benefit more by just following their order.

I stayed at home fixing things that had been ignored for a long time due to time constraint. I stayed at home spending quality time with family members unlike before that we only have time to talk during meals. I stayed at home updating news from the Internet especially Facebook. I stayed at home monitoring family members who are away from me. I stayed at home watching movies though I am not used doing it. Most of the things that I did at home for now were the ones that I ignored before. I have more time with my family and pets. I have more time cleaning areas that I cannot do before. I have more time talking God personally for His protection and guidance. It's been more a week already that I stayed at home and no idea yet as when will everything be back to normal. I firmly believe that all of these will end soon.

I noticed that some people are already getting paranoid of the pandemic. They solely depend on Facebook news, be it legit or fake. They easily react to some issues though the government is taking its time solving and putting things in order. All I read in my Facebook wall are negative opinions, reactions and comments. These could not help the local government in fighting the deadly virus while implementing the programs to supply aid and support to the community. I just hope and pray that violence will be evaded.

The most that I could do for now is to take time reading the lives of the frontliners who sacrificed everything including their lives just to assist the government in its unending battle with the unseen warrior. I salute to them but it is so hurting that they from the medical profession were the ones who are placed in the battle front, they are the ones who stand for what they swear to uphold specific ethical standards, they are the ones who temporarily left their families at home and perform their duties and obligations as medical practitioners and healthcare workers. May their souls rest in peace. And not to forget also the private organizations and volunteers who shared their resources, time and effort in helping the community like giving donations and performing fumigation process to help contain the spread of the virus. Thank you so much. God save us all!

There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. - Luke 21:11

Live life to the fullest

2020-03-06T14:02:00.000+08:00

Photo credit to https://tinybuddha.com

Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. ~Robert Breault

The recent Corona Virus that has been noted as prevalent all over the world has created fears and worries among humanity. All efforts of the big countries to control the spread of the virus turned into futile as cure is not yet been known.

I felt sorry for the loss of lives because of the virus. People all over the world are now prone to this virus, the wealthy and the poorest among the poor. I just image that even the citizens of the wealthiest countries were infected though they have more advanced medical professionals and facilities, how much more those that came from the third world countries?

Nowadays, life is very different compared from the past. As a young kid before, what I only knew then was to study, play, eat and sleep. I do not care about the lives of others as I was only doing what has been best for me. I used to indulge in outdoor games physically with friends, unlike kids nowadays who are hooked to gadgets. I do not have any idea about viruses at that time. The only ones that I remembered was we were all vaccinated at the school to prevent from getting sick. My day was a bit of boring if I cannot play along with my friends.

My father used to work to fed us all while my mother found her hobby in dress making came out to be a family business wherein she employed our relatives to assist her tailoring business. My parents afforded all six of us to attend school. Being the youngest among the siblings, I was still in the grade school while my brothers and sisters were already in college and high school. Our parents used to bring us to outings at the beach during the weekends. During summer vacations, our mother always brought me to her hometown in Cebu to spend time with her family as well.

So much for my past. The present is the most important because we cannot live with the past anymore and we never know what the morrow brings. Today is the best day to thank those who made you happy, who admired you as a person, who treated you as a family although you are only friends, who stands beside you during your happiest and saddest moments, and who are always with you during the times when you need them most. Why wait for a person to say you loved them when they are no longer around? If you still have with you your parents, this is the right time to say to them you love them. Simply kiss and hug them tightly. They know what you already mean, unless you are fond of kissing and hugging them to ask for something. Do the same to your partner, to your kids. Spend a valuable time with them whenever you can. That would surely be the best memory for them when it is your time to go. Money is not important. What is best is your presence. We are not Dr. Richard Teo who had been successful and got rich but ended up nothing when it was his time to go. We are not rich as with the most rich and famous persons in the world just to be happy. Happiness is just within your family. If you are not in good terms with each and every one, now is the time to reconcile. Live a good life with them. When you leave for school or work, bade them not goodbye but assure them you will be safe always and will be back again. When you got home, greet each and every one and always wear your sweetest smile. I normally do the same even to my pet dogs. Do not worry about viruses or the sudden downfall in the money market. All positions and properties that we have are temporary and it is God's blessings to us. We cannot bring our riches and properties in our graves. Share to others whatever you have and practice empathy and humility. God is all good for good servants. If it is our time to go, we will not regret at all as we had lived our lives to the fullest.

That is just my simplest sharing of how to live life to the fullest. Be inspired with the life of this fisherman and have a healthy heart. We may all have different upbringings but all of us wanted to be happy always.

Please share your thoughts at the comment box below.

Dog Rescue

2019-12-19T15:11:00.003+08:00

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Based on the studies, people who have heart for the animals especially dogs are more happy and contented.

Rescuing dogs is not an easy task. It entails so much of your time, effort and even your personal money. So why do we rescue dogs anyway if it will only take much more time, effort and money from us? It is because of our love for the dogs and also our own advocacy to save the lives of hundreds of abandoned and abused dogs in our locality. Karen Davidson's famous quote is:

Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.

Bacolod City, Philippines is one place where stray dogs are being caught and brought to the city pound. You can imagine the horrible situation of the "man's best friend" inside the pound wherein some of them suffers hunger, fear and torment amid all other dogs. Sad to say that these captives will not stay long at the city pound. Their lives are limited and will soon be individually put to sleep by a single bullet.

Photo credit to Theresa Antaran Japsay

We started as a small group rescuing stray dogs. It was on January 2014 that our first rescue happened. We named the dog "PanPan" as he was found astray near the Panasiatic Call Center at the Circumferential Road, Bacolod City. All rescues where brought to the residence of one of our member, Theresa Antaran Japsay. She takes care of the rescues and spends her personal money in medication, foods and grooming. Not until the time came when well-off passionate dog lovers supported our cause and provided us shelter big enough to accommodate all the rescues from Theresa's residence. Proper medical care were given and foods were abundant for the rescues that left us nothing to worry at all. Soon enough the shelter were populated and our group focused mainly on rescuing dogs from the city pound.

Time came when other members got out of the group and started their own advocacy using the social media as their venue of seeking financial support for their rescues. That was also the time Theresa had to withdraw our rescues from the shelter and sent them all back to her residence.

Presently, Theresa's dogs were around 30 plus and awaiting for someone to adopt or foster not to mention the 7 lovely cats she feed. We stopped rescuing from the city pound because of space unavailability. Other rescue groups emerged and continued the advocacy of rescuing from the pound that we had started. We solely leave to them the plight of the rescues from the city pound.

Our advocacy continues even with only a number of donors and supporters. They still support Theresa by sending dog foods and even medicines. I believe that it is really not that easy to feed and take care of the well-being of several rescues. I am writing this not only to ask for support but also to awaken the public on how hard life is in painstakingly taking care of rescue dogs. Your social life is affected and seldom you can find time to attend to gatherings of family and friends if nobody is around to tend your rescues at home. Your personal money will be spent to your rescues that you can no longer afford to buy for your own. But that is what you call passion for the animals. Theresa has the skills and talent in giving extra loving care and attention to the rescues. Hoping that someday there is that someone who will build a shelter for the rescues.

If you wish to send donations for the rescues, you may contact Theresa at her Facebook account https://www.facebook.com/theresa.japsay.

Click this link to view the video of our first rescue.

Excel Tips for Basic and Intermediate Level Users

2019-06-06T16:26:00.007+08:00

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Hi there! I'm back for quite some time of being away from article writing. I will not explain more what Basic and Intermediate Microsoft Excel users are. Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool widely used because of its capability to perform mathematical equations, functions, and computations accurately and organize, format and calculate data with formulas. What most basic users knew about the software like understanding what are rows and columns, applying auto summing up of figures and classifying textual and numeric data already gave them an edge over the other co-workers. They can already claim that they use Microsoft Excel appreciably well.

I had been using Microsoft Excel since 1994 and had been learning more until the present. I do not claim to be an expert in this software but I know more of it than any basic and intermediate users do. I used Microsoft Excel when doing statistical data reports and analysis. I integrate Microsoft Access tables with Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and vice versa. What I like most with Microsoft Excel is its capability to perform complex formulas without affecting its performance.

Here are my chosen tips that will be very useful for every Microsoft Excel users.

Select All

Basically, we select all data by pressing Ctrl + A buttons. I found out that others are still using the mouse which is the primitive way which is a tiresome and slower process if you have many rows and columns to copy. The fastest way to select all data is by clicking the top-left corner button as shown in the image above enclosed in a red square.

Menu Shortcut Keys

Most of the time we use a mouse to navigate menus and toolbars. Our efficiency and productivity are affected by our ability to use a mouse. Often times the mouse is very hard to navigate especially if you do not have a mouse pad, that creates delays in finishing the task given to us. Every menu and toolbar has its corresponding shortcut key. It is just a matter of continuously using the shortcut keys to be more efficient and productive.

The technique to activate the shortcut keys is to press the Alt key without pressing any other keys. You may remain pressing the Alt key or simply press it and release. You will find that all menus and toolbars have its corresponding shortcut keys represented by letters and numbers as shown in the image above.

Try sorting data using your mouse and see the difference if you use the shortcut keys instead.

Steps to do when navigating the data using the mouse:

1. Highlight the cells you want to be sorted
2. Click Data, Sort
3. Select the Column(s) to be sorted, Sort On (default by Values), and Order (default A to Z)
4. Click OK button

Here are the shortcut keys for sorting the data:

1. Highlight the cells you want to be sorted

2. Press Alt, A, S
3. Select the Column(s) to be sorted, Sort On (default by Values), and Order (default A to Z)
4. Click OK button

Your speed of highlighting the cells depend on the volume of data. The more columns and rows you have, the harder for you to highlight the data because what you know on how to highlight cells is you simply click the first cell of the top record and drag the mouse down and right to include all the data. Am I right?

Try it using the sample data that I got from Wisdom Axis website. The original copy has 1007 rows and 10 columns. That's a tough one to sort with. In our example, I will retain the first 100 rows. Click here to download the file. Normally, downloaded files are located in your Download folder.

How long did it take you to highlight the records? I tried it myself highlighting the records using a mouse and it took me 7.35 seconds. The speed will depend on how big your records are. I employ a technique by using keyboard keys and it only took me 1.91 sec to highlight all records. The same speed no matter how many records you have. How did I do that?

Here's the technique. Click the first cell of the first record (Row A2). Hold Shift and press End + Down Arrow + End + Righ Arrow keys. Try it now!

Combine the technique that I use and the shortcut keys in sorting the records you will find that it will take you a little amount of time to accomplish the task. Using the mouse navigating volume of records is very tiring and boring one.

Text to Columns

You can be able to separate the contents of a single cell into separate columns by using Text to Columns toolbar found in the Data Tools Tab.

Let us say that you are working with your SSS R3 Project. By default, the reports are saved as text files and you can be able to open it using NotePad or WordPad. Your boss wants you to convert the employee list file into a Microsoft Excel file. You have no other options to convert the file but to open it in either NotePad or WordPad and copy the list and paste it to Microsoft Excel.

Download the sample data here.

Follow these steps:

1. Open the file (EMPLOYEE_LIST)
2. Press Ctrl + A to select all
3. Press Ctrl + C to copy
4. Open your Microsoft Excel
5. Press Ctrl + V to paste the copied list

You will notice that the list of employees is not formatted by columns. To fix the output, you will use the Text to Column button.

How to fix it:

1. In your excel file, click the first employee record (Row A6)

2. Hold Shift and press End + Down Arrow keys
3. Click Text to Column
4. Click Finish button

You will now notice that the columns are now arranged properly. Experiment with the other options in the Text to Column converter wizard.

Transpose Data from a Row to a Column and vice-versa

You are given a list of data in a tabular format. A tabular format is displayed as one record per row. You are required to display one record for every column, which is the opposite of a tabular format. Retyping all the data would be strenuous for you and would take you some time to accomplish the task. What would you do to shorten the time to prepare the required report?

The above image showed the tabular format report in the left portion. On the right portion, the data is transposed into columnar format wherein the records are displayed in columns rather than rows.

Please download the file in tabular format here.

Here are the steps:

1. Open your downloaded tabular format file

2. Highlight all records (A1:D6)
3. Press Ctrl + C to copy and place your cursor position to column G1
4. Click Home, Paste and Transpose (shortcut key Alt, H, V, T)
5. Click Align Text Left button found in the Alignment toolbar

The result would be similar in the image above. Experiment by converting the columnar format into a tabular format using steps 2 - 5.

Inserting Sequential Numbers in the Records

File to use: Sample-1.xlsx

There are more ways to insert a sequential number in the records. The basic way is to manually type the numbers in every record which is the primitive way. This is only good if you have small records like say 10 records. The alternative to this is by typing the record number of the first two records. That would be 1 and 2. Highlight cells A2 and A3. You will notice a small black rectangle at the right-bottom portion of the highlighted cells. Point your mouse to that and your mouse pointer will be changed into a black thin crosshair. (Refer to the image below)

Drag the mouse downwards until to the last record and release the mouse. Still, I do not recommend this process if you are having bulk records. It would take you some time to drag the mouse if you have 1000 records or more. What a waste of time and an inefficient way of inserting sequential numbers.

Here is the best and fastest way to insert sequential numbers regardless of the volume of records.

Follow these steps:

1. Open the file. Remember we have 100 records to insert sequential number.

2. Insert a blank column in the first column.
3. Type "No." at the cell A1 center aligned. Set the font into bold and put a bottom border.
4. Type "1" at cell A2 excluding the quotation marks.
5. Place your cursor at cell A2.
6. Hold Shift and press the PageDown button until you reached the last record.
7. Click Home, Fill, Series, and type 100 at the Stop value text box. Even if you typed more than 100, still the last record would be 100.

Try that process and you will find it more convenient than the previous process that I explained here.

However, if you have more than a thousand records, you will find pressing the PageDown key so tiresome. Here's what I do to make it easier and quicker:

1. Follow the above steps 1 - 4

2. Place your cursor at cell B2
3. Press End and Down arrow keys
4. Move your cursor to the left
5. Type any figure and remember the row number found at the left
6. Type Ctrl + Home to return to the top
7. Place your cursor at cell A2
8. Hold the Shift key and press End and Down arrow keys
9. Press Alt, H, F, I, S keys one after the other
10.Type 1 in the Step value text field
11.Type the row number in the Stop value text field (do not worry if the row number is greater than the total number of records)

Combining the cell contents

Sometimes you have a pre-formatted Excel file. You are required to combine some cells. We will use the same file similar to the tabular_format.xlsx that we used earlier but this time the full names are separated by the last, the first, and the middle initial. Download the file here.

Steps to do:

1. Open the file

2. Place your cursor at cell D1
3. Insert a column
4. Place your cursor at cell D2 (the new inserted column)
5. Type '=CONCATENATE(A2,", ",B2," ",C2)' exclude the single quotes
6. Copy cell D2 and paste its content until D6

The Concatenate function combines the contents of the cells into one cell. You need to separate the cells or any character or words you want to include with a comma. In our example, we place a comma sign with space after cell A2 and space between cells B2 and C2 to have the text formatted. Ignoring the comma and spaces will combine your cell content unformatted.

The other way to combine cells contents is by using the ampersand sign (&). In our example, replace step number 5 with this: Type '=A2 & ", " & B2 & " " & C2' exclude the single quotes. The result is the same. Use either of the techniques to combine cell contents which you think is best and faster for you.

Note: Please do not confuse concatenate with merge cells. The later function gives a different result. Refer to the image below for the merge function.

So that is all guys. Hope you learn from these very simple tips that I shared in order for you to be more efficient and productive in your workplace.

I would love hearing from you by providing comments below.

Integrating Microsoft Compiled HTML Help in MS Access 2007

2017-09-20T17:22:00.001+08:00

Integrating Microsoft Compiled HTML Help in MS Access 2007

I created a help file using CHM Editor for one of the MS Access 2007 computer programs that I recently developed. The editor is very easy to use and needs not to be an expert in web development to create an online help file. You need to know the basics of HTML to enable you to beautify your help file contents.

In my MS Access form, I created a button to activate the help file by using the Application.FollowHyperlink method instead of the ShellExecute function from the Windows API. Although the help file will be displayed upon clicking the button, MS Access displays a message

Some files can contain viruses or otherwise be harmful to your computer. It is important to be certain that this file is from a trustworthy source.
Do you want to open this file?

This is my first time using the Application.FollowHyperlink method so it was really a mess for me and I need to find ways to solve the problem.

I searched for possible solutions in the Microsoft support webpage http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925757 "How to enable or disable hyperlink warning messages in 2007 Office programs and in Office 2010 programs".

The following are the steps to disable the warning message:

Click Start, then type Run in the text box.
A dialog box will appear, type regedit and click OK.
In Registry Editor, locate the registry subkey for 2007 Office since that is my OS.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Common

If your OS is Office 2010, locate the following registry subkey
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Common
Right-click the registry subkey then click New, and then click Key.
Type Security, and press Enter.
Right-click Security, then click New, and then click DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Type DisableHyperlinkWarning, and press Enter.
Right-click DisableHyperlinkWarning and then click Modify.
A dialog box will open, type 1 under Value Data (0 to enable which is the default value).
Locate the following Registry subkey
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\<CLSID>\EditFlags
Note: A CLSID is a globally unique identifier that identifies a COM class object. In my case, I will locate chm.file as the CLSID.
If the EditFlags exists, rename it to OldEditFlags by right-clicking the file and click Rename.
If you cannot find EditFlags in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\chm.file\, right-click chm.file and click New, and then click DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Type EditFlags, and press Enter.
Right-click EditFlags and then click Modify.
A dialog box will open, type 10000 under Value Data (0 to enable which is the default value).
Click OK, and exit the Registry Editor.

That's all it goes. If you are not sure on how to use the Registry Editor, please don't try it yourself as you may accidentally delete registry keys which will, in turn, create chaos in your computer system.

Happy programming guys!

Life Mapping: A Vision of Success

2017-09-06T16:21:00.000+08:00

Life Mapping: A Vision of Success

Success is more than economic gains, titles, and degrees. Planning for success is about mapping out all the aspects of your life. Similar to a map, you need to define the following details: origin, destination, vehicle, backpack, landmarks, and route.

Origin: Who you are

A map has a starting point. Your origin is who you are right now. Most people, when asked to introduce themselves, would say, “Hi, I’m Jean and I am a 17-year old, senior high school student.” It does not tell you about who Jean is; it only tells you her present preoccupation. To gain insights about yourself, you need to look closely at your beliefs, values, and principles aside from your economic, professional, cultural, and civil status. Moreover, you can also reflect on your experiences to give you insights on your good and not-so-good traits, skills, knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses. Upon introspection, Jean realized that she was highly motivated, generous, service-oriented, but impatient. Her inclination was in the biological-medical field. Furthermore, she believed that life must serve a purpose and that wars were destructive to human dignity.

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Destination: A vision of who you want to be

“Who do want to be?” this is your vision. Now it is important that you know yourself so that you would have a clearer idea of who you want to be; and the things you want to change whether they are attitudes, habits, or points of view. If you hardly know yourself, then your vision and targets for the future would also be unclear. Your destination should cover all the aspects of your being: the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Continuing Jean’s story, after she defined her beliefs, values, and principles in life, she decided that she wanted to have a life dedicated to serving her fellowmen.

Vehicle: Your Mission

A vehicle is the means by which you can reach your destination. It can be analogized to your mission or vocation in life. To a great extent, your mission would depend on what you know about yourself. Based on Jean’s self-assessment, she decided that she was suited to become a doctor and that she wanted to become one. Her chosen vocation was a medical doctor. Describing her vision-mission fully: it was to live a life dedicated to serving her fellowmen as a doctor in conflict-areas.

Travel Bag: Your knowledge, skills, and attitude

Food, drinks, medicines, and other traveling necessities are contained in a bag. Applying this concept to your life map, you also bring with you certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These determine your competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there is a need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you have at present and what you need to gain along the way. This two-fold assessment will give you insights on your landmarks or measures of success. Jean realized that she needed to gain professional knowledge and skills on medicine so that she could become a doctor. She knew that she was a bit impatient with people so she realized that this was something she wanted to change.

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Landmarks and Route: S.M.A.R.T. objectives

Landmarks confirm if you are on the right track while the route determines the travel time. Thus, in planning out your life, you also need to have landmarks and a route. These landmarks are your measures of success. These measures must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. Thus you cannot set two major landmarks such as earning a master’s degree and a doctorate degree within a period of three years since the minimum number of years to complete a master’s degree is two years. Going back to Jean as an example, she identified the following landmarks in her life map: completing a bachelor’s degree in biology by the age of 21; completing medicine by the age of 27; earning her specialization in infectious diseases by the age of 30; getting deployed in local public hospitals of their town by the age of 32; and serving as doctor in war-torn areas by the age of 35.

Anticipate Turns, Detours, and Potholes

The purpose of your life map is to minimize hasty and spur-of-the-moment decisions that can make you lose your way. But often times our plans are modified along the way due to some inconveniences, delays, and other situations beyond our control. Like in any path, there are turns, detours, and potholes thus; we must anticipate them and adjust accordingly.

"Life With Woody" 10 inspirational quotes than can improve yourself

2017-08-17T17:29:00.000+08:00

"Life With Woody" 10 inspirational quotes than can improve yourself

By Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

It might take a little coffee or probably a few rounds of beer or any other booze you could get your hands on when it comes to relaxing after a hard day's work. Well, yeah I'm guilty about that one as well, unless I'm caught dead wearing a lampshade over my head after a few rounds of rum or brandy… half-naked! Okay, bad example and I apologize to everyone reading this after getting nightmares about me in that state of drunken stupor.

Just don't ask how it happened, please.

But what's really interesting is that how do people go through the usual part of life when faced with vein-popping stress? I mean, the new age thing like Zen or yoga is one of the good things and it actually works. Is there room for the intellectual side of people who can actually smell the roses-in-a-can while on the move? It kind of had me thinking that there really must be something in this 'mind-over-matter' thing.

Humor is indeed the best medicine there is whenever you are. I mean anyone can pay good money to listen to a comedian just to make you wet your pants after laughing so hard. Despite of what's been happening, and to those who has gone though the ordeal, it's better to just laugh while facing the troubles with a clear mind than anger with a clouded vision. One of my favorite celebrities of all time may have to be Woody Allen. Now this is one guy who gives you the in-your-face bluntness that he pulls out with gusto, even without even trying. You can talk just about anything with a man, and he's bound to mock the subject and you'll end up laughing rather than being upset about it.

Woody Allen has this to say:

1. "Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons." It sounds good to me, I mean the practicality of all things does involve money but it doesn't have to take an arm and a leg to get it.

2. "I believe there is something out there watching us. Unfortunately, it's the government." 'Nuff said.

3. "There are worse things in life than death. Have you ever spent an evening with an insurance salesman?" This happens to be one of the classic ones. I mean the issue about life's little problems isn't all that bad, until 'he' shows up.

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Sure, relationships can get complicated, or does have its complications that probably any author about relationships is bound to discover it soon. We follow what our heart desires, unless you're talking about the heart as in the heart that pump blood throughout your body.

4. "Love is the answer, but while you're waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty interesting questions." And if you want more, just keep on asking!

5. "A fast word about oral contraception. I asked a girl to go to bed with me, she said 'no'." It sounds, 'practical', I think.

And when it comes to everyday life, he really knows how to make the best out of every possible scenario, and it doesn't involve a lawsuit if he strikes a nerve.

6. "Basically my wife was immature. I'd be at home in the bath and she'd come in and sink my boats." I never had a boat in my bathtub before. Just staring at it while soaking in hot water makes me seasick already.

7. "I am not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens." If it rains, it pours.

8. "I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose." It could get worse when you're guzzling on beer… or mouthwash, and it happened to me once!

9. "If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans." At least he doesn't smite us with lightning, and I'm thankful for that.

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And despite of what may happen to all of us in the next ten, twenty, or even thirty years, I guess we all have to see things in a different kind of light and not just perspective. I can't seem to imagine life without any piece of wisdom that could guide us. Whether we're religious or not, it takes more courage to accept your fears and learn how to deal with them is all that matters when it comes to even just getting along.

And to sum things up, here is the last nugget of wisdom to go by… however, whenever, and wherever we may be.

10. "The talent for being happy is appreciating and liking what you have, instead of what you don't have."

Ciao!

Why is it important to improve your self?

2017-08-10T17:24:00.000+08:00

Why is it important to improve your self?

Sometimes, when all our doubts, fears and insecurities wrap ourselves up, we always come up with the idea of “I wish I was somebody else.” More often than not, we think and believe that someone or rather, most people are better than us.- when in reality, the fact is, most people are more scared than us.

You spot a totally eye-catching girl sitting by herself at a party, casually sipping on a glass of Asti Spumanti. You think to yourself, “she looks so perfectly calm and confident.” But if you could read thru her transparent mind, you would see a bunch of clouds of thoughts and you might just be amazed that she’s thinking “are people talking about why I am seated here alone?... Why don’t guys find me attractive? …I don’t like my ankles, they look too skinny… I wish I was as intelligent as my best friend.”

We look at a young business entrepreneur and say “Wooh… what else could he ask for?” He stares at himself in the mirror and murmurs to himself, “I hate my big eyes… I wonder why my friends won’t talk to me… I hope mom and dad would still work things out.”

Isn’t it funny? We look at other people, envy them for looking so outrageously perfect and wish we could trade places with them, while they look at us and thinks of the same thing. We are insecure of other people who themselves are insecure of us. We suffer from low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence and lose hope in self improvement because we are enveloped in quiet desperation.

Sometimes, you notice that you have an irritating habit like biting off your finger nails, having a foul mouth, and you – of all people, is the last to know.

I have a friend who never gets tired of talking. And in most conversations, she is the only one who seems to be interested in the things she has to say. So all of our other friends tend to avoid the circles whenever she’s around, and she doesn’t notice how badly she became socially handicapped – gradually affecting the people in her environment.

One key to self improvement is to LISTEN and TALK to a trusted friend. Find someone who you find comforts in opening up with even the most gentle topics you want to discuss. Ask questions like “do you think I am ill-mannered?”, “Do I always sound so argumentative?”, “Do I talk too loud?”, “Does my breath smell?”, “Do I ever bore you when were together?”. In this way, the other person will obviously know that you are interested in the process of self improvement. Lend her your ears for comments and criticisms and don’t give her answers like “Don’t exaggerate! That’s just the way I am!” Open up your mind and heart as well. And in return, you may want to help your friend with constructive criticism that will also help her improve her self.

One of Whitney Houston’s songs says “Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.” True enough. In order to love others, you must love yourself too. Remember, you cannot give what you do not have.

Before telling other people some ways on how to improve themselves, let them see that you yourself is a representation and a product of self improvement. Self improvement makes us better people, we then inspire other people, and then the rest of the world will follow.

Stop thinking of yourselves as second-rate beings. Forget the repetitive thought of “If only I was richer… if only I was thinner” and so on. Accepting your true self is the first step to self improvement. We need to stop comparing ourselves to others only to find out at the end that we’ve got 10 more reasons to envy them.

We all have our insecurities. Nobody is perfect. We always wish we had better things, better features, better body parts, etc. But life need not be perfect for people to be happy about themselves.Self improvement and loving yourself is not a matter of shouting to the whole world that you are perfect and you are the best. It’s the virtue of acceptance and contentment. When we begin to improve ourselves, we then begin to feel contented and happy.

Sunshine - you will always be remembered

2017-07-07T13:08:00.001+08:00

She is Sunshine, my Aspin dog. Here in the Philippines, we used to call our local breed dogs Aspin or "Asong Pinoy".

Sunshine used to be a hyper dog. She loves to play around and teases her sister dog Nikki and other dogmates in my home. I have with me 3 female Aspins (including Sunshine), 1 male Aspin, 1 male Pitbull Terrier, 1 female Labrador Retriever, 1 female mixed Shih Tzu and Dachshund and 1 female mixed Shih Tzu and Maltese.

What I love with Sunshine is she barks too loud when she sees cats, rats, dogs or humans. She's just a noisy kind of a pet though she doesn't bite. She loves to let everyone know that she's guarding us all 24/7.

She used to sleep at the back part of my property, the area is large enough for her to run and play. Though I have lots of fighting cocks in the backyard, she doesn't mind nipping or biting them because she knows that it would only hurt her when the cocks fight back at her.

She's only 8-months old when she passed away due to anemia. She was infected with ticks though I tried to save her but it was already too late. Sunshine died in my arms when I visited her at her sleeping area before I reported for work. It was so heart-breaking to see such a lively and loyal house pet to die.

"The experience of losing a pet isn’t easy – it’s one of the cruelest facts of life that we continually outlive our beloved dogs and cats." - http://k9ofmine.com

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Creative Notions

2017-06-27T15:56:00.000+08:00

Creative Notions

People seem to have the misconception that only a select few are able to unleash a steady flow of creative genius. That is not true at all. The fact is, creativity is very much like a muscle that needs to be exercised in order to consistently give out great results. If you don't practice harnessing creative thinking, this skill will very much atrophy into inexistence. But keep working and this skill will soon come to you in a snap.

So how do you unleash your creative thinking? Well, the first thing is to become a human leech. No, we're not talking about just sucking the blood out of every living being available, we're saying that you should take in as much knowledge and learning you can find. Read everything available -- good and bad, and keep your mind open to the infinite possibilities of the universe. The more you know, the more you'll want to know, and the more your faculty of wonder will be exercised. Prepare to be amazed at little facts that add a bit of color into your life.

Focus on a creative activity every day. Yes, it's an effort. Even doodling is a creative activity. Don't let anything hinder you. Mindlessness may be a creative activity, but for people who are just starting out to unleash a little bit of creative thinking in their lives, it is helpful and encouraging to have concrete evidence, that, "hey, what I'm doing is getting somewhere." So why don't you try it? Practice drawing for a couple of minutes each day. Bring out your old camera and start snapping photos like crazy. Keep a journal and make a point to write in it religiously. Another cool idea is to write by describing something with your five senses. Try to avoid vague adjectives like "marvelous," "amazing," and "delicious." Before you know it, you'll have built yourself a tiny portfolio, and you'll be amazed at the growth you've undertaken after amassing all those works of art. Who knows, you might actually take to liking those things you do every day. Pretty soon those things will become a part of you and you'll be addicted to these creative exercises.

Think out of the box -- or don't. Sometimes, constraints are actually a good thing. Limitations discipline you to work within your means. It enables you to be more resourceful. Creative freedom is great, but limitations enforce discipline.

Try something new every day and let your experiences broaden your perspective. Explore a new district in your neighborhood. Spend an afternoon in a museum to which you've never been before. Chat up someone on the bus. Open up to the people around you. As you thrust yourself out of your comfort zone more and more each day, your sense of adventure grows and so does your zest for life. Think about it. When was the last time you did something for the first time? If it's been a while, I tell you, you've been missing out on a whole lot of experiences that could've added to your growth, emotionally, mentally, physically, or spiritually. Why don't you try bungee jumping today? Not only will you learn, but you will also have plenty of stories to share, enabling you to practice your storytelling skills and making you the life of the party.

Embrace insanity. No, not to the point of practically admitting yourself into the mental ward. As John Russell once said, "Sanity calms, but madness is more interesting." Exactly! Every creative thought was once deemed insanity by other "normal" people at one time or another. Luckily, that didn't stop the creative geniuses from standing by them. The thing is, sanity or being normal confines people to think... well, normally. Within limits. Creativity is essentially breaking through barriers. Yes, this includes the bizarre and the downright strange. I'm not saying that you yourself should develop a creative personality. That might go haywire. An example of a creative personality would be George Washington, who often rode into battle naked, or James Joyce, who wrote "Dubliners" with beetle juice for an intense fear of ink, or Albert Einstein, who thought his cat was a spy sent by his rival (or in thinking creatively, in this case, the term could probably be "archnemesis.") It's important that your creativity doesn't get you detached from the real world completely.

I hope this article has inspired you to start thinking beyond your "limits." If you follow these steps pretty soon you'll be living a life full of interesting adventures. Unleashing your creative thinking will bring about a new zest for living life.

Genuine Happiness Comes from Within

2017-06-19T17:22:00.001+08:00

Genuine Happiness Comes from Within

Life isn’t the sweetest candy. Sometimes, when I feel like the world is just too heavy, I just look around and find people who continued to live fascinating and wonderful lives. And then thoughts come popping into my mind like bubbles from nowhere – “How did their life become so adorably sweet? How come they still can manage to laugh and play around despite a busy stressful life?” Then I pause and observed for a while… I figured out that maybe, they start to work on a place called ‘self’.

So, how does one become genuinely happy? Step 1 is to love yourself.

My theology professor once said that “loving means accepting.” To love oneself means to accept that you are not a perfect being, but behind the imperfections must lay a great ounce of courage to be able to discover ways on how to improve your repertoire to recover from our mistakes.

Genuine happiness also pertains to contentment. When you are contented with the job you have, the way you look, with your family, your friends, the place you live in, your car, and all the things you now have – truly, you know the answer to the question “how to be genuinely happy.”

When we discover a small start somewhere from within, that small start will eventually lead to something else, and to something else. But if you keep questioning life lit it has never done you any good, you will never be able to find genuine happiness.

I believe that life is about finding out about right and wrong, trying and failing, winning and losing. These are things that happen as often as you inhale and exhale. Failure, in a person’s life, has become as abundant and necessary as air. But this should not hinder us from becoming happy.

How to be genuinely happy in spite all these? I tell you… every time you exert effort to improve the quality of life and your being, whether it is cleaning up your room, helping a friend, taking care of your sick dog, fail on board exams and trying again, life gives you equivalent points for that.

Imagine life as a big scoreboard like those which are used in the NBAs. Every time you take a step forward, you make scoring points. Wouldn’t it be nice to look at that board at the end of each game and think to yourself “Whew! I got a point today. I’m glad I gave it a shot.”, instead of looking at it all blank and murmur “Geez, I didn’t even hit a score today. I wish I had the guts to try out. We could have won!” and then walk away.

Genuine happiness isn’t about driving the hottest Formula 1 car, nor getting the employee of the year award, earning the highest 13th-month pay, or beating the sales quota. Sometimes, the most sought after prizes in life doesn’t always go to the fastest, the strongest, and the bravest or not even the best. So, how do you become genuinely happy? Everyone has his own definition of ‘happiness’. Happiness for a writer may mean launching as many best-selling books as possible. Happiness for a basketball rookie may mean getting the rookie of the year award. Happiness for a beggar may mean a lot of money. Happiness for a business man may mean success. So, really now, how do we become genuinely happy? Simple. You don’t have to have the best things in this world. It’s about doing and making the best out of every single thing. When you find yourself smiling at your own mistake and telling your own self “Oh, I’ll do better next time”, you carry with you a flame of strong will power to persevere that may spread out like a brush fire. You possess a willingness to stand up again and try – that will make you a genuinely happy person. When you learn to accept yourself and your own faults.

You pass step 1 in the project “how to become genuinely happy”. For as long as you know how to accept others, you will also be accepted. For as long as you love and know how to love, you will receive love ten folds back.

Again, throw me that same question “how to become genuinely happy?” I’ll refer you to a friend of mine who strongly quoted- “Most of us know that laughter is the best medicine for life’s aches and pain. But most of us don’t know that the best kind of laughter is laughter over self. Because then you don’t just become happy… you become free.”

10 Dangerous Things In Your Home, Every Day

2017-04-27T16:42:00.000+08:00

10 Dangerous Things In Your Home, Every Day

By Gary Le Mon
This article appears courtesy of www.Natural-Wonder-Pets.com

Household consumer products injure 33.1 million people in the United States every year. These incidents cost $800 billion in related expenses from death, injury or property damages. And many scientists are starting to believe that, in particular, the chemicals found in a wide variety of the goods you use every day may be more toxic than previously thought. Here are 10 of the most common products that may be hazardous to your health:

10. Mothballs

Since moths chew holes through clothing and other textiles, people pack away these stinky repellents to kill them. But studies on one active ingredient in some repellents, paradichlorobenzene, found that it can cause cancer in animals. Other types of moth balls use naphthalene, which after prolonged exposure can damage or destroy red blood cells, and which can also stimulate nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

9. Pesticides

Ninety percent of households in the United States use some form of pesticide, a broad term that encompasses a variety of chemical formulas that kill everything from tiny microorganisms up to rodents. In 2006, the American Association of Poison Control Centers received nearly 46,000 calls regarding children under 5 years old who had been exposed to potentially toxic levels of pesticides.

8. Pressed Wood Products

This faux wood takes bits and pieces of logs and wood leftovers and combines them together. Pressed wood products include paneling, particle board, fiberboard and insulation, all of which were particularly popular for home construction in the 1970’s. However, the glue that holds the wood particles in place may use urea-formaldehyde as a resin. The U.S. EPA estimates that this is the largest source of formaldehyde emissions indoors. Formaldehyde exposure can set off watery eyes, burning eyes and throat, difficulty breathing and asthma attacks. Scientists also know that it can cause cancer in animals. The risk is greater with older pressed wood products, since newer ones are better regulated.

7. Chemicals in Carpets

Indoor carpeting has recently come under greater scrutiny because of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with new carpet installation. The glue and dyes used with carpeting are known to emit VOCs, which can be harmful to your health in high concentrations. However, the initial VOC emissions will often subside after the first few days following.

6. Laser Printers Chemicals

A 2007 study found that some laser printers give off ultra fine particles that can cause serious health problems. Another study confirmed that laser and ink-jet printers can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ozone particulates. All of these have been linked with heart and lung disease.

5. Lead Paint

In 1991, the U.S. government declared lead to be the greatest environmental threat to children. Even low concentrations can cause problems with your central nervous system, brain, blood cells and kidneys. It's particularly threatening for fetuses, babies and children, because of potential developmental disorders. Many houses built before 1978 contain lead paint. Once the paint begins to peel away will, it release the harmful lead particles that you can inhale.

4. Air Fresheners and Cleaning Solutions

Air fresheners and cleaning solutions, when used excessively or in a small, unventilated area, can release toxic levels of pollutants. This comes from two main chemicals called ethylene-based glycol ethers and terpenes. While the EPA regards the ethers as toxic by themselves, the non-toxic terpenes can react with ozone in the air to form a poisonous combination. Air fresheners in particular are linked to many volatile organic compounds, such as nitrogen dioxide, and some fresheners also contain paradichlorobenzene, the same chemical emitted by mothballs.

3. Baby Bottles and BPA

Canada has taken the first steps to outlaw the sale of baby bottles made from polycarbonate plastics, which are the most common type on the market. It has done so because the plastics are made with a chemical called bisphenol-a (BPA). BPA has a structure very similar to estrogen and for that reason is referred to as a "hormone disruptor." Hormone disruptors can interfere with the natural human hormones, especially for young children.

2. Flame Retardants

Commonly used in mattresses, upholstery, television and computer casings and circuit boards, flame retardants use polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs for short. Two forms of PBDEs were phased out of use in manufacturing in the United States in 2004 because of related health threats, but the products containing them linger on. Studies have linked PBDEs to learning and memory problems, lowered sperm counts and poor thyroid functioning in rats and mice. Other animal studies have indicated that PBDEs could be carcinogenic in humans, although that has not yet been confirmed.

1. Cosmetic Phthalates

Phthalates, also called plasticizers, go into many products including hair spray, shampoos, fragrances, and deodorants. Phthalates bind the color and fragrance in cosmetic products, and are also used to increase the durability and flexibility of plastics. Like BPA, these hormone-like chemicals are linked to reproductive and developmental problems in animals. Because of these findings, California and Washington state have banned the use of phthalates in toys for younger children.

Source: http://home.howstuffworks.com/dangerous-home-products.htm

Have a Heart: Prevent Heartworm

2017-04-18T13:03:00.001+08:00

Have a Heart: Prevent Heartworm (328)

(NewsUSA) - Your pet offers unconditional love, so shouldn't you do your best to take care of his or her heart?

Cats and dogs can become infected with heartworm from mosquito bites. All cats and dogs are susceptible to heartworm, no matter their age or state of health. It is important to protect your pet regardless of where you live as heartworm disease has been found in every state.

When an infected mosquito bites a pet, it transmits heartworm larvae, which mature into long adult heartworms that can live in the heart and surrounding vessels for several years. The number of heartworms living within the heart can be astounding; up to 250 heartworms have been found in a single dog. Pets treated for heartworm don't develop immunity and can be reinfected at any time by another mosquito bite, so prevention after treatment is essential.

While many pets don't display symptoms in the early stages, a dog with heartworm disease can show signs including: coughing, fainting, weight loss or difficulty breathing. If left undetected and untreated, heartworm disease can cause sudden death by blocking blood flow to the heart. In dogs, heartworm treatment involves slowly killing the worms without harming the pet. Cats tend to have fewer worms, but their effect can be just as devastating. Currently, no heartworm treatment exists for cats.

Luckily, heartworm disease is completely and easily preventable. Administering an oral monthly heartworm preventative, or having your veterinarian give an injection every six months, will kill immature heartworms before they mature and are able to inflict damage to the pet.

The experts at Banfield Pet Hospital (www.banfield.com) suggest pet owners get their pets tested for heartworms and then discuss prevention or treatment if necessary. The test is quick and simple and requires only a drop of your pet's blood. Only a veterinarian can prescribe heartworm preventive, and he or she will make sure your pet gets the appropriate protection.

For more information, visit www.banfield.com.

Source: http://about.newsusa.com/article/have-a-heart-prevent-heartworm.aspx

Study Refutes Link Between Strokes, Chiropractic Care

2017-03-21T17:03:00.001+08:00

(NewsUSA) - Is it time to finally put this one to rest?

Every once in a while, when some high-profile young man or woman dies unexpectedly from a stroke, the media races to find an explanation. Aha! She ran a marathon without being in shape! Aha! He visited a chiropractor several days before to relieve a pinched nerve in his neck!

The latter theory at least is refuted by research done this year by a team of neurosurgeons at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. They performed what they described as "a systematic review and meta-analysis of published data" to determine whether there's a direct correlation between the manipulation performed by doctors of chiropractic -- manual adjustments widely acknowledged to relieve muscle-related pain -- and a condition called cervical artery dissection (CAD) in which a small tear opens in the artery walls of the neck.

That's important since such a tear can result in a stroke should a blood clot form and later break free to block a blood vessel in the brain.

The team's conclusion? "There is no convincing evidence to support a causal link between chiropractic manipulation and CAD."

CAD is actually quite rare. It's been estimated that it annually strikes only two to three people, per 100,000 of the population, and various epidemiologic studies through the years suggest that strokes can occur at an equal rate whether sufferers are under chiropractic or other medical care for the headaches and neck pain it often produces.

As for chiropractic care in general, it's worth remembering that -- after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged doctors last March to avoid prescribing potentially addictive prescription painkillers in the face of mounting deaths -- a slew of health experts joined the chorus of those who'd already been praising chiropractic as a safe and effective treatment for neck, mid back, and lower back pain.

"Not only is chiropractic care very safe, it actually poses fewer risks than medical or surgical treatment," says Gerard Clum, DC, a spokesperson for the not-for-profit Foundation for Chiropractic Progress.

Source: http://about.newsusa.com/article/study-refutes-link-between-strokes-chiropractic-care.aspx

March: Rabies Awareness Month

2017-03-20T17:06:00.007+08:00

March: Rabies Awareness Month

March 2017 is almost to end and yet there are still reported incidents of people bitten by rabid dogs despite the government's effort to inform the public of the awareness about rabies.

"Rabies remains to be the most acutely fatal infectious disease claiming 200-250 lives of Filipinos every year. At least one-third of human rabies deaths are among children less than 15 years of age and two-thirds of the total cases are males. The high cost of anti-rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin, expenditure for medical consultations and the loss of income are an additional burden to a regular Filipino family confronted with a potential rabies exposure." More info here.

The city/provincial veterinary office in every region continues its campaign on impounding stray dogs and cats to prevent the alarming cases of rabies. Pet owners should be responsible enough with their pets as it is mandated by the law that the city/provincial veterinary office should be in the frontline of veterinary-related activities, such as in the outbreak of deadly rabies and the like.

We cannot blame the proper authorities (city/provincial veterinary office) for impounding stray dogs and cats as it has been practiced ever since and that the owner's obligation is to claim their pet/s at the city or local pound by paying a minimal pay. The problem is when the owners never take their time to claim their pets and the animal population inside the pound increase, thus the pound staff will take some measures to minimize the said increase in population by euthanizing the animals.

Is there a way to prevent rabies? These simple steps should be strictly adhered to prevent or put an end to rabies.

Be a responsible pet owner, you should provide proper nutrition, exercise, and shelter to your pet dogs/cats.
Have your pet/s vaccinated for anti-rabies at the nearest local veterinary office when your pet/s reached 3 months of age and every annual thereafter or you may avail of the annual mass dog vaccination campaign by the local government agency headed by the Department of Agriculture.
Never let your dogs roam or go astray to prevent contact with infected dogs. If possible. keep your dogs inside your backyard with fully enclosed property fence or have it leased if you have a small vacant area for your dogs to play inside your property. I do not recommend having your dogs tied up for the rest of its life as it would put more stress on them.
Have your dogs spayed/neutered with the proper approval of your veterinarian. A dog normally goes astray during mating period and that put them at risk for rabies infection. A spayed/neutered dog is healthy and never roams around to find a mate.

Support the information and education campaign on the control and prevention of rabies spearheaded by your local/provincial veterinary and health office and the Department of Agriculture. Let the people know of the danger that rabies brings to them and provide steps and procedures on how to treat patients bitten by a rabid dog. Rabies awareness poster should be visible publicly.

If you are from Bacolod City, Philippines or from any neighboring cities or towns and willing to adopt, foster or sponsor rescued dogs from the city pound or make a donation, please visit B.A.R.K. Facebook page and join as a member to be able for you to post your intention. Please support our cause to spare the dogs from the city pound to be euthanized.

Always remember that March is a rabies awareness month.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” - Benjamin Franklin

Workplace Ergonomics Get an Update in Today’s Working World

2017-03-17T14:27:00.000+08:00

Workplace Ergonomics Get an Update in Today’s Working World

“Workplace ergonomics” used to be a buzzword in past years, which meant ensuring that employees were outfitted with what they needed to be comfortable at work. Nowadays however, more people are working from home, be it by their choice or their employer’s. Regardless of the reason, one thing is obvious: It’s just as possible to injure yourself no matter where you physically work.

Consider this: When it comes to a wide range of musculoskeletal injuries caused by stress to the joints from repetitive tasks, overuse of muscles, and poor posture, what’s the difference if you’re slumping in front of an office computer or a home laptop? Knowing how to bend properly and lift objects of all sizes is important, wherever you work.

As the Society for Human Resource Management advises: “Employees who work from home or travel for work should be taught to assess their adhoc workplaces for ergonomic risks.”

If you’re experiencing pain, doctors of chiropractic — who have a minimum of seven years of higher education — focus on structure and function. They care for pain syndromes with a drug-free approach that includes spinal manipulation and exercises to help stretch out and strengthen core muscles. Meanwhile, here are a few tips that can help:

• Get a good chair, be mindful of your posture and learn proper lifting and stretching techniques.

• Keep your eyes at the same height as the computer monitor — without leaning forward — to help avoid headaches and neck pain.

• Take frequent stretching mini-breaks and stay hydrated with water.

“Back injuries are the most prevalent occupational injury, and studies have shown chiropractic patients have consistently better outcomes with high patient satisfaction results,” says the not-for-profit Foundation for Chiropractic Progress’ Gerard Clum, DC.

To learn more or to find a local chiropractor, visit www.F4CP.org/findadoctor.

Source: http://www.copyrightfreecontent.com/newsusa/workplace-ergonomics-get-an-update-in-todays-working-world/
Published by: http://about.newsusa.com/

Why Facebook status appears in large font

2017-01-31T10:17:00.001+08:00

Why Facebook status appears in large font?

Ever wondered why some posts appear in large font? Try to check your posts and you'll found out that some of it are in large font while the others appear in normal font. I am talking about textual posts only; no images or videos added or uploaded; no check in place added and website links.

At first I thought something goes wrong with my browser. I noticed it many months ago but I just simply ignore it thinking all the way that it's Facebook's own way of displaying posts that will catch everyone's eyes. But how did they do that?

The normal font Facebook used in every post and news feeds is 14 pixels and the large one looks likely in 24 pixels. Is there a way how to fix that? I guess we can't fix that because Facebook has designed it that way. I noticed earlier that when my posts reach a certain number of letters, it displays in normal font. So what I did is to make a series of trial and error test by posting numbers and when it reaches 85 characters (any letters, numbers, special keys, emoticons, etc.) the display changes to 14 pixels. Just take a closer look at the images below.

Please share your comments below.

Trump Stays Silent On Health Law In Speech, Then Sets Tone For Repeal

2017-01-23T12:26:00.000+08:00

President Donald Trump takes the oath of office as his wife Melania Trump holds the bible on Jan. 20, 2017. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act has been considered the new Trump administration’s top priority. But you wouldn’t know that from the new president’s earliest speech.

President Donald Trump’s brief inaugural address mentioned many of the issues he raised repeatedly on the campaign trail — jobs, immigration and trade policy. But there was not even a brief mention of his plans to improve health care.

The new White House website was similarly silent on anything health related. Under the “issues” section it includes energy, foreign policy, jobs, the military, law enforcement and trade. But no health section.

The website for the Department of Health and Human Services, however, while scrubbed of any outgoing Obama administration personnel, still features ways to sign up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Open enrollment continues until the end of the month.

Trump did act on health care during a first-day round of executive orders. One of the orders he signed said it was intended to “minimize the economic burden” of the health law.

Among other things, it directed the secretary of HHS and other agencies that oversee the law (primarily the labor and treasury departments), to “exercise all authority and discretion available to them to waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision or requirement of the Act that would impose a fiscal burden on any State or a cost, fee, tax, penalty, or regulatory burden on individuals, families, healthcare providers, health insurers, patients, recipients of healthcare services, purchasers of health insurance, or makers of medical devices, products, or medications.”

But while the executive order allows the new president to say he did something on the first day, there are no confirmed secretaries or political appointees in place at any of the relevant agencies yet, so it is unlikely anything will happen in the very short term.

Trump voters in Washington for the inauguration didn’t seem fazed, however.

“I believe he’s going to make a difference when he changes Obamacare into something new and better,” said Kim Traffanstedt of Plant City, Fla. “With all the ideas they’ve been working on now for a while, it’s going to make a difference to a lot of people.”

“I think there is a specific plan, he just hasn’t revealed it yet,” said Kathy Bohn of Bloomington, Ill.

As recently as last week, Trump told The Washington Post that he was putting finishing touches on a health plan that would guarantee “insurance for everybody.”

Those comments, however, were quickly walked back by staff. Meanwhile, progress on the nomination of Trump’s choice to lead HHS, Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., has been slowed by allegations of conflicts of interest involving his ownership of stocks in health companies while he served on congressional committees overseeing health issues.

Congress has already taken the first step toward overhauling the Affordable Care Act. Both the House and Senate passed a budget resolution that orders committees to begin writing bills that would eliminate portions of the law that directly affect the budget.

But even while that bill (which has yet to be written) could pass the Senate with a 51-vote majority, Republicans have only 52 seats in the Senate and more than a half dozen senators have expressed reservations about repealing the law without an immediate replacement.

House and Senate Republicans are scheduled to discuss the matter in more depth next week at their retreat in Philadelphia. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence are scheduled to attend.

This article has been updated.

Kaiser Health News reporter Rachel Bluth contributed to this article.

Written by Julie Rovner and published by Kaiser Health News

"Kaiser Health News is a national health policy news service that is part of the nonpartisan Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.”

KAMISULAT

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2. Be Wary of Red Flags

3. Protect Your Personal Information

4. Read Reviews and Complaints

5. Report & Block Suspicious Lenders

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2. Impersonation Scams

3. Investment & Crypto Scams

4. Fake Giveaways & Prizes

5. Job & Work-From-Home Scams

6. Romance & Emotional Scams

7. Hacked Accounts & Fake Endorsements

1. Anonymity & Privacy

2. Lack of Strict Moderation

3. Fake Bots & Groups

4. Easy File & Link Sharing

5. Cryptocurrency & Dark Web Connections

6. Impersonation & Fake Support Scams

Investment & Crypto Scams

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