Videoke - EDSA Style!

Yes, you can relive (for others) or just feel it (for those who weren't there yet during the original EDSA revolution) with this videoke of the iconic song that simply resonates EDSA from one wall to another.  Ponder on each word, and dig deep why those words just came together perfectly and for so many years (25 years), there's never been any attempt to switch to a different EDSA song  (or perhaps there were but I didn't know of them).



Just singing this or even listening to this song and remembering the context of the times it was written and composed, and comparing it with how our country is in turmoil from internal disputes right now, just broke me to tears.

Here's the version with audio incase you just want to listen (with videos from the original revolution):




Have a peaceful day!


From,

Life's Lessons - Through Signs

 Enjoy!

The future isn't set in stone.  The future and your destiny is what you make it. (This psychic probably agrees now.)

Practice what you preach.

Nobody is perfect.

Be sensitive to other people's feelings and circumstances.  (Why is there braille there?)

The fight to save the planet is in dire need of your help.  (Some folks just don't care.)

If you teach your students well, you fly high with them.  (IF you teach them well...)

Read the signs.  Most of the time, you were warned but you didn't heed.

Say what you mean, mean what you say.  (Nice name for a water park...)

Think 7 times before you say something (or else it'll come out like this...  Kudos to whoever can "drive through" and "park" at the same time!)

Sometimes life can be unfair.

From,

Sources:
http://www.oddee.com
http://blog.ivman.com
http://www.decaturmetro.com

Love Lego? Love Big Trucks? Love Electronics?

Here's a Motorized Lego Truck!  Yes, signal lights are automated, steering is controlled, doors and hood open, and everything else that people with enough time, skills and Lego fascination put together to create a cool AWESOME, lego truck!





Love it!  And it's Black and Red!  Perfect combination! - From Anne in Red.

They Are Attracted to Me: Mosquitos

In the office, yesterday, and from as far back as I can remember (I think high school), I've been favored by mosquitoes more than anyone else staying in the same room as I am.  I've read once before, that mosquitoes are more attracted to the smell of perfume and to people who use lotion, than those who don't.  I'm a regular (daily) lotion user, I always have a mini lotion container in my bag, and I use perfume too.  I also read that they are attracted to body heat (well, nothing we can do about that).  I figured, it's time to update my "mosquito" knowledge based on the principle of "know thine enemy".

Here are some mosquito facts I've gathered from the internet and ways to stay clear of them:

1)  Only female mosquitoes bite for blood, but why?  Female mosquitoes require a "blood meal" for egg development.

2)  People are not their primary blood hosts.  In some areas they prefer the smell of herbivorous animals and birds.

3)  Mosquitoes locate their blood host by CO2 emissions (like when we exhale - we release a good concentration of CO2 in the air), by the lactic acid in our sweat, body heat, floral perfume scents and lotion (moist).

4)  Diet can affect mosquito magnetism, and some say people who have high potassium diet (yes, those banana dieters), tend to attract mosquitoes more than other people.

5)  Dark colored clothes tend to attract mosquitoes.  Stay away from trees with dark colored leaves as well.

6)  Aedes aegypti, the mosquito culprit for most diseases, tend to be more active in the day (9am-5pm) and they fly low (children are most often their victims).

7)  Female mosquitoes can lay 100-300 eggs at a time, or 1,000-3,000 eggs in her lifetime (females live 3-100 days).  They breed in stagnant water (yes, DOH always reminds people to make sure there's no stagnant water near where you leave or cover them up at least so that mosquitoes can't breed there.)

8)  Citronella oil when used with a diffuser can help repel mosquitoes but you have to stay near the diffuser for it to be effective.

Will knowing these facts help?  Yes, maybe, sometimes...  Well, at least the ones about "perfume", "lotion", "sweat", "stagnant water" and "dark clothes" can contribute to a mosquito free afternoon.  The other ones are just fun to know.  ^_^

Stay mosquito-bite-free and protect you and your family!  -  from Anne in Red.


*sources:
http://www.control-mosquitoes.com/#mf11
http://www.allmosquitos.com/what-attracts-mosquitos/what-attracts-mosquitoes.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026172056.htm
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-attracts-mosquitoes.html

The Black Mamba - A Nike Film about Kobe

The Black Mamba has a new definition for me now.  It is the Nike film production starring Kobe Bryant, Kanye West, Bruce Willis and Danny Trejo, which features Kobe's alter ego, the Black Mamba, in real life - his struggles, determination, and deadly basketball skills.

Enjoy the 2 trailers below!

Together with the launch of the film on Feb. 19, 2011 (6PM at Ronac ART Center, Greenhills - gates open at 4PM), Nike will also be launching Nike Zoom Kobe VI.  The new Kobe Nike is inpired by the film, and also inspired by the deadly snake it's named after.  It's a low-profile, performance basketball shoe that weighs just 10.6 ounces in men's US size 9.

Now, should we fear The Black Mamba?  I say not.  Stare it in the eyes, but remember to respect its power.  Watch it closely, watch it intently, notice how it moves, how it achieves its goals, and how it strikes fear to the hearts of many.  Soon you'll find yourself in its shoes.  The Black Mamba inspired shoes, Nike Zoom Kobe VI.

From Anne in Red.

What Your Favorite Colors Say About You... Is it true?

  

I was just curious, just as the position of the stars and moon at the time of birth has implications to your personality (as claimed by experts), does your favorite color say anything about yourself?  I would think it does because criminal profilers base (at least on TV) base the suspect's personality on his/her choice of music, art, clothes, style, etc.

Here's a compilation of what my favorite color, RED, means from different sites:

Red: The color of strength, health, and vitality, Red is often the color chosen by someone outgoing, aggressive, vigorous and impulsive—or someone who would like to be! It goes with an ambitious nature but those who choose it can be abrupt at times, determined to get all they can out of life, quick to judge people and take sides. Red people are usually optimistic and can’t stand monotony; they are rather restless and not at all introspective, so they may be unaware of their own shortcomings. They find it hard to be objective and may blame others for any mishaps. Quiet people with a preference for red may feel the need for the warmth, strength and life-giving qualities of the color, or they blanket their true feelings under a sober exterior. Red is usually chosen by people with open and uncomplicated natures, with a zest for life.
SOURCE:  http://www.care2.com/greenliving/favorite-color-personality.html


RED
Bright and dramatic, red is the color of love, joy and bravery. Rooms that are painted red are often warm and cheery while people who wear red are often energetic, optimistic individuals who love attention and being in the spotlight. Those who love red live life to the fullest and are tenacious and determined in their endeavors. 
SOURCE:  http://www.catalogs.com/info/people/what-does-your-favorite-color-mean.html

RED

One small breath can spark a flame that lasts forever. If red is your favorite color, you are passionate in the extreme. You see no object in your path and will aggressively stampede others out of the way until you reach your goal. If you meet another red lover, it's possible that the two of you may spontaneously combust! If you're not a red and find yourself pursued by one, embrace the passion or get yourself a restraining order! 

SOURCE:  http://www.angelfire.com/ga2/sweetgeorgiapeach3/favcolor.html

Red

What it represents: Ah, the color of passion, anger and high blood pressure. Red is a primal color. It represents primal urges, like lust (“I must have you now!”) and fury (you know the phrase “seeing red,” right?). Yes, red is a commanding color: think of how stop signs get you to halt in your tracks and how you stand back when a red fire engine goes whizzing by. 

Understanding people who love it: They act — sometimes without thinking — on immediate desires. In fact, they’re usually the poster children for immediate gratification. It’s up to you if you go for it... or proceed with caution.

SOURCE:  http://yahoo.match.com/y/article.aspx?articleid=6130

Red

Red is the color of passion. If your a Red person, chances are you love attention. If your the life of the party, and love to make head turns, you could very well be a Red person. Folks that love Red tend to want to experience life to the fullest. Lovers of this color may be romantic, brave, and athletic.

SOURCE:  http://hubpages.com/hub/What-Your-Favorite-Color-Says-About-You

RED

Your Favorite Color Says You're Charming

Ambitious --- Energetic --- Passionate

Spontaneous --- Attractive --- Inspiring

Seductive --- Powerful --- Addicting

SOURCE:  http://www.blogthings.com/whatdoesyourfavoritecolorsayaboutyouquiz/

I think the last one was the most "spot on" or closest description to my personality... ^_^;  You knew I'd choose the best one, right?  But here's the thing, I"m not sure if these sites have any "scientific" basis (Did they consult a psychiatrist before posting?  I don't know).  But here's what I know, people have different colors that they like.  If you want to get the most accurate reading of your own personality, you can try doing this:

1)  Rank your favorite colors from the most favorite to the least favorite color (but all of them you like)

Example mine is:

     -RED

     -WHITE

     -BLACK

2)  Next, if you can put percentages of how much you like each color (total 100%) so that when you read the meaning of the colors, you can say, "well, I'm 25% black, so only 25% of the description matches my personality as I know it"... something like that...

Example:

     -RED: 80%

     -WHITE: 15%

     -BLACK:  5%

In the end, you know that's this is just a playful activity to spend some of your free time, right?  Your personality is more complex than what these colors make them out to be.  The important thing is for you to engage in activities that will get to know yourself better - know your strengths, your weakness, your quirks, and your talents so that you can use that knowledge to improve your personality or to pursue a passion in life.

From Anne in Red.

Transitioning to a No-Rice Diet

I'm going back to my "No-Rice" diet.

One self-designed diet that was really effective for me is my "No-Rice Diet" which, is simply, staying away from rice.  I did this diet a few months before my wedding in 2009 and it was really effective!  Well, I didn't lose as much weight as the "Biggest Loser" contestants but I did lose weight every week (everytime I go to my gown fittings, they had to adjust to make the gown smaller), and it's also something that I know I can do easily even after the wedding.  Why did I stop, well, I got cocky.   ^_^  After finding out the formula for my own weight-loss program, and finding out how semi-easy it is to do, I figured I can just go back to doing it if I find that I'm gaining some lbs.  Well, I'm gaining a "few" pounds back, so it's time to steer clear of the rice section and on to the meats, wheat breads and many more.


Reasons why it worked for me:
1)  There's only 1 rule to remember
2)  I can still eat the viands that I love without limiting myself

Challenges:
The biggest challenge really is how to not eat rice if you've been eating rice for as long as you can remember.  Staple food in the Philippines and for most Filipinos even abroad is rice.  It's always rice + viand, or even rice + anything at all (yes, some eat rice and ketchup - that's it... XD )  Not to mention, I'm a real rice eater.  I eat more rice than viand (compared to most people).  For example, Jollibee's 2pc. burger steak, I can consume 3 orders of rice (or 4 if I want to).  So how did I overcome not eating rice?  Here are the things that I think helped me transition to a NO-RICE diet:


1)  Wheat Bread
This is the ultimate savior.  I am not a bread person but, it turns out, I like wheat bread a lot! It really does a good job in making you feel full with just 1 sandwich.  It satisfies your hunger really well, and what I do is, I convert some of my favorite viands into a sandwich spread (sisig, liver steak, tuna, etc).  How do I do this?  Well, sisig, no problem with that.  You can use it as is, and just stuff it in your sandwich.  You can also put some honey barbecue sauce or any barbecue sauce to add a little sweetness, just like Subway's sweet onion sauce.  Make your own variations by adding veggies (the leafy ones and onions, etc) and/or hot sauce!

For the liver steak,  you can grind or mash it (the liver) and add some tomato paste, chili, and some onions.  For tuna, I use the canned tuna and turn that into my version of tuna sisig (cook the canned tuna in a pan and add onions, pepper, mayo, hot sauce, and egg).  Then store it in the fridge and use it whenever you want to!  Keep it in the fridge for about a week.  Longer than that, I'm not sure if it's still safe to eat.

2)  Wheat Pasta
Umm... Yes, wheat noodles for spaghetti.  We tried it, it works for me, but not for Mario.  He said that he can't enjoy the "spaghetti experience" because of the wheat pasta's different taste.  Oh well, still the same effect as wheat bread.  It makes you full a lot faster than regular noodles.  It's because of all the fiber in it.  Do I use the same sauce?  Yes, the same spaghetti sauce recipe without change (and lots of cheese).  I told you, the reason why this diet was easy for me is because there's only 1 rule, and that's no rice.  ^_^  But still, I lost weight!  Because if wheat pasta makes you full faster than regular noodles, you won't get another serving, thus also lesser sauce... I guess... ^_^;

3)  2 Viands - No Rice
In the office, at lunch, I order 2 viands (no rice) and eat them by themselves.  ^_^;  (Umm... I can already sense violent reaction from some readers...)  Yes, it's possible.  But you'd have to choose the type of viands that have a lot of meat, big chunks of veggies, or viands that are soup-based and the other viand which is dry or a little saucy so they balance out.  Viands that are meaty and also with lots of veggies like kare-kare, caldereta, liver steak (yes, I love liver dishes), and sweet and sour pork/fish.  Soup-based viands that can be eaten alone or with bread or another viand are sinigang, tinola, and nilagang baka.

4)  Water
Lots of water!  Our bodies need that anyway.  It's to make you feel full if you really have that urge to eat.

5)  Meat
Eating a lot of meat with veggie side dish is what Mario really enjoyed when he joined me in my diet.  He particularly loved grilled fish, grilled beef steak, and grilled chicken.  So all things grilled plus corn on the side or something else.

6)  Weekends are the only exception... ^_^
I'm a food blogger and I just can't resist going to restaurants and tasting their dishes (with rice).  I mean, come on, there's gotta be 1 (or 2) days of reward after 5 days of successfully (assuming) not eating rice, right?

7)  Fruits!
That's a no-brainer, right?  Lots of this, and you can switch them up (different fruit everyday).

*  I coupled my diet with green tea, as it helps increase your body's metabolism by a certain percentage, thus burns more calories than usual.  Some folks recommend 4 cups of green tea, I only took 1 or 2 during the time I was doing the no-rice diet.  I'm still drinking green tea occasionally.

I really had fun with that diet but it can also be a little more expensive than the usual rice+viand meal.  For starters, wheat anything is more expensive than regular anything (wheat bread vs regular bread, and wheat pasta vs regular pasta).  Next is buying a serving of rice is a lot cheaper than buying an extra viand.  Rice is 10-15php in most restaurants, but viand (in an office cafeteria) is around 50-60php.  So if other people have 70php lunches, you spend 120php for your no-rice lunch.

After reading those transitioning tips, do you think it will still be difficult for you to do this diet?  I'm not a doctor or a scientist so I don't know the other implications to the body of this diet.  Best is to always consult your doctor before doing a drastic change to your diet.  But the most important thing is to love yourself, your body, your face, the whole you no matter the size, weight, color, shape.

Love yourself and everyone else around you will feel how much you respect and value yourself so they will treat you with the same respect you treat yourself. - from Anne in Red.

Thoughts About Passion

Exchanging "hi" and "hello" messages on facebook with a friend this morning and we were talking about how we're now doing what we love doing and that sometimes she's missing some meals and how I almost begged for a job related to my passion from every company I applied for the past year.  


In the course of our exchange, here's something I wrote that I hope someone might draw inspiration from:

"If it's something you're passionate about, you tend to see past the adversities that might have set you back normally. Passion drives your soul and mind to do wonders, your body will follow. So even if you 'occasionally' starve yourself doing the thing you love doing, your body tends to forgive you for it and lets you borrow an ounce of strength every now and then. Cheating fatigue through passion..."

And yes, I finally can say that I love my job and I love the fact that it took me quite sometime to get it.  It might be premature to celebrate because I've only been at it for a couple of months, but that's how happy I am that I'm just blurting it out prematurely, probably.  ^_^


Find your passion and set your eyes on it, do everything you can to get it.  It will be difficult, that's for sure.  It might have been easier for others, but for most, you'll have to go through hoops and over hoops to get it... ^_^  But you will get it.


Be energized and find your passion! - from Anne in Red.

General Angelo Reyes Committed Suicide

Just in (click here for article).  General Angelo Reyes committed suicide just few minutes past 8:30am.  My officemate came in with this news and a quick research shows only 2 bloggers and 1 (very slow) abs-cbn site ( probably because of internet traffic) article with this news.

I don't want to comment "politically" on this... yet.  I feel sorry for their family.  A loss is a loss.  A death in the family, is a death in the family, whether he's unknown to the public, or under investigation, and a news item everyday.

It's a time for grieving in their family and I think we should give them space and the time to do so.

That's just my honest opinion.

From Anne in Red.

Project Vanity's Name Your Price Contest!

Chance to win whichever of the 3 prices she has at stake on her FB page!

Click here for details about the contest!

Good luck to all of us!!! - from Anne in Red.

I Like Big... Veggies

Yes, I love big veggies!  I don't like peeling (I think it's a waste of time) so if I must peel, I make sure I spend less time peeling than I have to, by buying really big veggies (that way you only have to peel 1 big veggie instead of 2 or 3 small ones).  The photo above, all those chopped onions, came from 1 big onion.  And I have 1 more biggie onions for photo.  ^_^  I used all those onion for my version of tuna sisig (will post recipe soon).

Do you like big veggies too?  Share your rare biggie veggies find!

Happy cooking! - from Anne in Red.

Chance to Win Free Shoes!!!

I'm setting my eyes on SO FAB BOOTS!!!

Want to join!?

Check out Thirsty Thought blog or just CLICK HERE for contest rules and mechanics!

Good luck to all of us! - From Anne in Red.

Online Gaming Parental Control

Online gaming parental control is being ordered by the Chinese government to online game 'operators' (click here to read full article).

Quite frankly, although it's with good intentions, this is just a very futile attempt which may just be for show so that parents would think they're trying to do something about it.  Why do I think it won't work?  Here are a couple of their suggestions/provisions they want the online game operators to do:

1)  "Upon proving their identity, parents will be able to put daily or weekly restrictions on their child’s game playing time, the notice said. They would also have the option of putting in place a total ban."

Get ready for more, as parents say it, "rebellious" children.  Kids will surely find ways to make it happen.  It will prompt hackers to create some work around, sell it to kids who have been banned or limited in gaming.  Yes, it will drop the number of kids playing their eyeballs out (some kids who can't get their hands on the new hack), but it will not stop them from rebelling.

2)  "It urged game operators to employ special staff to assist with the project and to set up web pages and hotlines"

Employ additional staff?  Set-up web pages and hotlines?  Both mean additional expense items for the companies.  Of course they'd protest, but if it's something mandatory, they'll set something up, like a crappy system that would be the most cost effective set-up for them, and it won't be efficient enough to do the task the government intends them to do (with regards to parental control) and of course, kids would stay away from online games that would boast "GREAT PARENTAL CONTROL SERVICE"...  What!?  No way!  So do companies like that?  Hmm...  I bet not.


In any case, there's been similar attempts to limit gaming in the Philippines, but I don't remember that ever stopping me.  Is it something I should be proud of?  Well, of course not, but that's the reality.  I remember walking to one computer shop at Dapitan (the other UST Exit parallel to Espanya) and a  group of guys almost ran past me as I was nearing the door to the shop.  And once I got in, the group of boys (high school boys) were calling their friend warning him that their teacher was on his way to the shop because he heard (the teacher) from one of the classmates that he cut school to play.  Apparently, it was a very important day or he was just a very pissed off teacher, or the kid was a frequent offender.  In any case, even after I left the shop, the teacher was delivering his sermon to the highschool boy.  It wasn't scandalous, because the teacher was very calm and very gentle.  It was just a sad sight seeing kids neglecting their school duties for video games, but there are also kids (like me and my bro) who turned out ok, and was able to balance school (get good grades) and gaming (get good scores).  ^_^

So, am I saying that nothing should be done?  Definitely something should be done, and that something is the right kind of discipline starting from when the kids are really young.  One way to do it is gaming through reward system.  Instead of restricting gaming to 1 or 2 hours a day or a week period, it would probably better if parents say, "Son/Daughter, you can play 1-2 hours a week only, but you can get 1 or 2 hours more in the weekend if you do good in school."  Something like that.  Another thing is, videogames are just electronic versions of real-life games that parents can play with their kids.  If, at an early age, kids enjoy little games with their parents (scrabble, boggle, chess, flash cards, twister, etc), then even if they try videogames, it won't be too difficult to switch them back to those non-electronic games every now and then, because to them, videogames and boardgames, etc are all the same.

What do I know, I'm not a parent?  Well, but I was a kid, and I had parents.  This is how they did it with us, and we turned out ok.  We appreciated all games in general.  We loved boardgames (tried all ninja turtle version of boardgames, snakes and ladders, scrabble, chess, Salpakan - Games of the Generals), we loved trivia games (Thinkaton), card games (flash cards - yes, the math ones, suited cards... ^_^), games with other kids (langit-lupa, si nena, dodge ball), etc.  These are what worked out best for us, but you can try different styles or approach according to your kids' personality.

My opinion, government mandated parental gaming control >>> FAIL

In-house, personal parental gaming guidance >>> ^_^ thumbs up!

Gaming aren't just for kids! - from Anne in Red.

2011 Resolutions - Never Too Late! ^_^

It's February already but I've just pushed myself to write about one of my resolutions this 2011 just now.  The thing is, once it's written down, it doesn't really help much in terms of keeping it, but it does add pressure.  Do I really need or want pressure?  Well, I guess this year I do.  ^_^

Let's see how many I can write that I think I can keep and how many (after 1 year) did I really manage to do...

1)  Be active in the blogsphere.
I have 3 blogs (♫ the left and the right, hold them up high, ♪ so clear and bright...♫ - ^_^; just had to...).  Again, I have 3 active blogs (and yes, there are a bunch of inactive ones too) and they are:

Anne in Red - personal blog, anything goes

The Game Boots - free online games tips and reviews

The Wandering Boots - foodie blog (started out as a travel/movie/food blog)

One would think that writing articles/blog posts (even for a personal blog) is quick and easy, but sometimes you're just not in the mood and you can't find the time, inspiration or reason to write.  ^_^;  The struggle for each blog is:

For my personal blog, I sometimes either have too many things I want to blog and I end up blogging nothing, or I have nothing blog worthy to write about, or I want to write about something but my personal editing says it's too personal to blog about.

For my game blog, the hassle in this one is that each post should have screenshots of the different aspects of the game, and I refuse to post anything without post worthy screenshots and informative or insightful reviews and tips.  It won't be called a tip or review article if it doesn't have enough information in that article.  Another thing is, of course, I have to play games (no problem doing that) but once I start playing games, there's almost always no stopping - thus the problem of finding time to blog about that game... ^_^;

For my food blog, yes, need to find time to go to a restaurant, need to set budget for it too, and shots should be watermarked and out of the dozens of photos, chosen carefully (I want to post only the good ones, of course).  The article itself takes time to do.  Well, yes, not the whole day but still, time.  I'm a fairly quick article writer, but doing the same thing for a long time just bores me easily, so I blog when I get that "mood" to blog.  ^_^

So mostly, the fault is really mine.  All the things (struggles) I've written about on top are excuses.  I can definitely keep to this resolution, and I intend to do so (so far so good - don't jinx it).  My solutions:

To address the boring and time consuming watermarking issues, I will not watermark my images anymore.  Just threaten those who wish to use them without link backs or permission with years of bad luck...  Kidding! I leave it to people to do the right thing whenever they want to use any of my photos from any of my blogs.

I also developed my own technique in quickly cropping screenshots so that's done.  And I discovered that (for my blogger blogs) it's faster and easier to just upload my photos at Photobucket and add them to my blogs via URL instead of uploading to blogger/Picasa which has a ridiculously small space allowance for users.

As for being in the right "mood" to blog, having different blogs about anything should address that already, even the struggle of being bored after doing something for a long time.  I can switch my blogging attention between 3 different topics to keep me sane and to catch whatever mood I'm in.  If I'm in the food mood, game mood or whatever mood.

The rest can be addressed by discipline (knowing when to stop playing - or dedicating just a specific number of hours for gaming) and also by saving (money for food blogging - ^_^).

You see, it's just 1 resolution but it requires many actions and steps just to make sure that resolution is kept!  Just reviewing everything I have typed so far got me tired... ^_^;  But nothing's ever gonna happen if I don't make it happen, so I will.  ^_^

I hope we all keep our resolutions (for those who bothered to make one) or just continue to do better than what or how we did last year.  Be a better person, do more things, meet more people, just more of the good stuff, period.

Good luck to us! - from Anne in Red.