Sunday, October 12, 2008

I'm at year of the Dog

Dog Overview
This year may be a bit more challenging than the last, but it still has the potential to be very favorable. The Dog is more comfortable with the Pig, which symbolizes endings, rather than the Rat, which is associated with new beginnings. If you are willing to leave your comfort zone, you can make significant progress towards your objectives and also achieve one or more notable successes. As with most things, your attitude is likely to determine just how well you do.
Dog Rating
58% (8 favorable and 4 unfavorable months)

Dog Career
If you have been considering a change in occupation, this could be the year to try something different. This is a time for action, not delay, so be decisive whether it is change you seek, or simply advancement in your current role. Spend time promoting yourself and your skills and make sure that those above you on the company ladder are able to recognize the good things you are doing this year. Your coworkers will be more valuable than ever this year, so pay close attention to what they have to say to you.

Dog Relationships
You will find the most comfort in your family relationships this year, be it with you parents, children or loved one. There is a chance someone in your immediate circle will need a good friend and you will need to find the time to step up and take care of them. The single Dog will find good fun and mental stimulation this year. You should have plenty of chances to meet new friends and explore new love interests.

Dog Health
Be alert for signs of increased stress or burnout. This will be an active year for you, which means you are at an increased risk for physical injury. Always be sure to exercise proper caution when out and about and you should be just fine. Your health, in general, should be good as long as you avoid stress related issues.

Dog Wealth
You should see a significant improvement in your financial situation this year. There is a good chance that the Year of the Earth Rat will be favorable towards your new savings plans and investment decisions. Your tendency to trust those around you too much might get you in trouble, this year. The wisest thing to do when considering a financial decision involving someone you trust is to get a second opinion.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Ryan Jaranilla(Olympic Chef) Proud to be Ilonggo

MANILA, Philippines—It’s a day before the much-anticipated opening of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and already the Philippines has struck gold!
Meet our kitchen gold medalist, chef Ryan Jaranilla, senior executive chef, Olympic Catering Services Project of the Athletes’ Village in Beijing.

Tagasaan po sila(From where are you)?
Born in Iloilo, grew up in Manila. My father was with the Air Force and my mother a school teacher at Villamor Air Base. In high school, I went to Philippine Normal College, and college at UP Los Baños. I moved to California after Christmas 1991.


How did you become a chef?
I was working part-time in the Nutrition department of the Hospital of the Good Samaritan when my director encouraged me to take an AA in Nutrition Tech. After a year, a Filipino chef manager, Alex Jose, joined our team and encouraged me to pursue a Diploma in Culinary Arts.
After getting my culinary arts degree, I took a job in Lufthansa Skyschefs as food service manager and later became the chef manager of the Far East. I was handling all Asian Airlines such as JAL, Korean, Eva Air and PAL. But long hours and days took a toll on me, so I pursued a different area. I took a job as the chef manager for University of California in Santa Barbara, while on my days off I would do some catering.How was your climb up the “kitchen” ladder?
I came to California with no experience, so I started out as dishwasher. My job began at 10 p.m. and ended 4 a.m. It was hard labor. At the end of day, my hands would be chapped from water and detergent exposure. I had to walk seven blocks to catch a bus home, which came only once every hour. I also became a bus boy and waiter after that.
I never complain about work no matter how hard, and I always deliver. This is something I learned from my father, and it paved the way for people like chef Alex and chef Cecelia de Castro (a culinary school adviser) to throw their support behind me.
I am doing the same mentoring to some young aspiring cooks in UC Irvine. I just wish there was a Filipino cook among them. Someday, I will also open doors to young Filipino cooks. I’m working hard to make it happen.

Who are your kitchen heroes?
My father, the cook in our family. He would come home and cook every meal as my mother couldn’t even boil an egg. The other person is my grandmother; she is very meticulous in her cooking—even the vegetables should be cut the right way. She taught me how to develop my palate by making me taste everything she cooked and making me guess all the ingredients she used in her dish.
My fave chef is Wolfgang Puck. The man is very down to earth—not an inch of ego. Working with him was fun and unpretentious. He will give you a chance to make your own niche. He gets involved in the kitchen and will roll up his sleeves to get the work done.
You got to cook for the Oscars, the Grammys and People’s Choice Awards, right?
As a young chef, I found that fun and exciting. I worked that year when Julia Roberts won the Oscar and she passed through the kitchen to reach the Governor’s Ball. I was so shocked to see her in person that I dropped the chocolate Oscar I was placing on top of the chocolate mousse.
Danny De Vito came through the kitchen to ask for a second helping of lobster and to thank us for the dinner he really enjoyed.

How did you become senior executive chef of the Olympic Catering Services Project?
I was already working with Aramark (a professional service provider) during the Athens Olympics, but did not qualify in the selection process. So I called Human
Resources and asked them how I could make it to the next Olympics.
I started building my credentials within the company, took new projects and implemented a lot of company programs within our unit. I went back to school and added a certification in Catering Management & Event planning from California Polytechnic University.
So when the announcement was made for the Olympics Project, I had my credentials and was well-prepared for the interviews. When the final lineup was published, I was surprised that I got the senior position in the culinary department! There are seven senior executive chefs and I’m the youngest and the newest in the group. The rest are veterans of three or two Olympics.
What is it like to be an Olympics chef?
My friends and family think it is cool and prestigious. So it seems. It is a different story once the curtains are down and you are serving hungry athletes with different dietary needs. It is hard work, with long hours and no days off.
Every day is a different day. My day starts at 2:30 a.m. when I wake up for breakfast, and ends at 7 p.m. when dinner has been served.
Then I get to sleep for four hours, as we are now on 24-hour on-call service. I got a call from my sous chef at 1 a.m., asking me if he could serve couscous salad to an athlete with a gluten-free diet, since the dietician was not around and I have a Nutrition background.
There are challenges in abundance. Communication is top on the list, as our Chinese cooks do not speak English. Also, a lot of the spices and ingredients are in Chinese characters without any translation. I would end up tasting all of them before adding them to my food preparations.
We do have translators, but their English is also limited. One time, I asked for saffron but my translator thought it was apron!
You will not believe it, but the apron ended up on top of the paella, because they thought it would serve as a cover like those on Chinese buns!
With a final count of 15,000 athletes and 7,000 media people, this is definitely not a picnic.

How many people are under your wing?
Our kitchen is like the United Nations. I have an executive chef from Belgium, six sous chefs from the US, England and Bulgaria, and 108 Chinese cooks. Language is only a challenge but never an obstacle as we have one common goal, to serve the athletes.
The other Filipinos in the kitchen are Ian Mendoza, a Filipino-Canadian facilities manager, and Norma Frias, sous chef.

What are your plans after the Olympics?
I will return to my home base, the University of California in Irvine. I will handle special projects for Aramark and will travel to different locations [in the US] or international units. Also, probably a visit to the Philippines.
Could you share a recipe that’s Olympics-inspired, or a signature Jaranilla dish?
When I learned we were serving Philippine mango in the Olympics, the first thing that came to my mind was Mango Crème Brûlée—a classic dessert with a Filipino twist.
I did Mango Pudding, Mango Tart, Mango Chutney, Mango Parfait, anything I could possibly done to showcase mango! The mango will always be the center of our fruit and dessert stations!

Mango Crème Brûlée
8 egg yolks.,1/3 c granulated sugar.,2 c heavy cream or Nestlé cream.,1 tsp vanilla extract.,¼ c puree Philippine mango.,½ c diced Philippine mango.,½ c granulated sugar (to caramelized top)Preheat oven to 325 ºF.
In a bowl, whisk yolks and sugar until thick and yellow in color.
Combine heavy cream and vanilla extract in a sauce pan and heat until hot but not boiling.
Slowly add the heavy cream into the egg mixture. Whisk until blended.
Continue to whisk mixture and add the puree mango.
Spoon diced mango into the ramekins and pour the mixture.
Pour the custard into the ramekins.
Place ramekins in a roasting pan with hot water bath.
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until edges are set but loose in the center.
Remove ramekins and chill for 3 hours.
Sprinkle with granulated sugar and blowtorch until sugar melts into dark shade.
For a more exotic presentation, scoop middle section of a cut mango. Place the crème brûlee in the middle and blowtorch to a caramelized top.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Carrie on a new Look..


You know what's awesome? When you develop an unexpected girl crush on a celebrity you'd completely written off. This is what just happened to managing editor Annette and me after reading Allure's September cover story about Carrie Underwood. In it, the 25 year-old singer/ American Idol winner comes across as vulnerable, likeable, frugal, slightly confused and young. Which is so much more honest than when 20-something celebs try to pretend they actually know something or get all deep and pretentious about their "craft" and "life path." Sure, Underwood still looks freakishly perfect—super, super airbrushed, glossy, coiffed and skinny (she apparently has to maintain a weight of between 110 and 115lbs, so she records every snack she eats). But it's what she says that made us want to hang with her, protect her from the jerks and maybe sit her down and give her some old-fashioned sisterly advice.Read on for excerpts from the interview (the issue is on newsstands now).


On money:
The Steinway piano she craves? "I have the space. It's just waiting for the piano, but, you know, they're expensive!" The SUV she desires? "They're expensive, too!" She is still driving around in the Mustang she won on American Idol."But what if I don't earn any more next year? What if something awful happens? I'm not at the point where I say, 'OK, I've made enough.' I don't know what the limit is."


About Chace Crawford of Gossip Girl:
"We didn't have a fight. No one cheated. It plain didn't work."


On ex-bf Tony Romo:
"We were both small-town people doing very big things, and we relied on each other, dealing with fame," she says. And now? "I don't know. The phone will ring and it'll be him, and I'll maybe not answer.


"What she thinks about fame:
"You never really know why somebody wants to be around you, or if they do genuinely like you," she says. "I wish everyone had a label on their forehead so you could automatically tell their intentions. Sometimes you just wish that no one wanted anything from you."and"I really have gotten rid of a lot of people in my life that don't need to be there.


"About the inequalities in the music industry, especially country music:
"I know [the record companies] figure out their target audience is thirtysomething females. So they get these guy singers in there, thinking that will appeal to them. But there's nobody left for these thirtysomething women to relate to! The guys, they're just there to be eye candy!" She stares furiously down at her black flip-flops sprinkled with silver glitter. "We work harder than the guys do, because we have to! They think, She's doing great 'for a woman.' They don't come out and say it that blatantly. But they think it.†Moreover, she continues, "There's a lot of women who should have been nominated for Entertainer of the Year. Martina McBride! Faith Hill! You know what I mean?"Meanwhile, Underwood has plans. Maybe these plans will even include Faith Hill. Underwood says she intends them to include Kellie Pickler, another Idol graduate tilling the same musical soil. "I want to have a girls-only tour and get some awesome chicks together, and have us all go out and," Underwood beams a happy smile out toward this future, "kick butt.


"On fashion and her critics:
"Whenever you wear a simple, solid color dress, they'll be like, 'Oh, she's playing it too safe.' But then you do something fun and you hear, 'Oh, she should have stuck with something simple.' Nobody is ever happy. Style is all about what you feel great in."

King Bhumibol of Thailand...


NEW YORK (AFP) - With a fortune estimated at 35 billion dollars, Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej is the world's richest royal sovereign, and oil-rich Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi is far back at No. 2, Forbes magazine reported Thursday.
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King Bhumibol, 80 and, at 62 years on the throne the world's longest-serving head of state, pushed to the top of the richest royals list by virtue a greater transparency surrounding his fortune, Forbes said.
It said that the Crown Property Bureau, which manages most of his family's wealth, "granted unprecedented access this year, revealing vast landholdings, including 3,493 acres in Bangkok."
Forbes called it a good year for monarchies, investment-wise. "As a group, the world's 15 richest royals have increased their total wealth to 131 billion dollars, up from 95 billion last year," Forbes said on its website.
With oil prices soaring, the monarchs of the petro-kingdoms of the Middle East and Asia dominate the list.
Sheik Khalifa, 60, the current president of the United Arab Emirates, was estimated to be worth 23 billion dollars, on the back of Abu Dhabi's huge petroleum reserves.
In third was the sovereign of the world's biggest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia. King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, 84, who inherited the Al-Saud family throne in 2005, came in with a fortune of 21 billion dollars.
The previous king of kings, wealth-wise, 62 year old Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of tiny, oil-endowed Brunei on the Southeast Asia island of Borneo, fell to fourth place with 20 billion dollars.
"The sultan, who inherited the riches of an unbroken 600-year-old Muslim dynasty, has had to cut back on his country's oil production because of depleting reserves," Forbes explained of his dwindling fortune.
Fifth was Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, 58, of another Emirate, Dubai, with a net worth of 18 billion dollars.
One of two Europeans on the list, Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein, 63, ranked six on the list with 5 billion dollars in wealth. However the bank that is a key source of his family's wealth, LGT, is under investigation by the United States for helping wealthy people evade taxes.
Qatar's Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, 56, came in at seventh, worth two billion dollar; eighth was King Mohammed VI of Morocco, 46, his 1.5 billion dollar fortune based on phosphate mining, agriculture and other investments.
Number nine was Prince Albert II of Monaco, 50, his diverse fortune in the southern European principality put at 1.4 billion dollars.
Tenth on the list was Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman, 67, worth 1.1 billion dollars.
Rounding out the top 15 were: The Aga Khan Prince Karim Al Hussein, 71 (1.0 billion); Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, 82, 650 million dollars; Kuwait's Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 79, 500 million dollars; Queen Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard of the Netherlands, 70, 300 million dollars; and King Mswati III of Swaziland, 40, with 200 million dollars.
Forbes noted that because many of the royals inherited their wealth, share it with extended families, and often control it "in trust for their nation or territory," none of those on its list would qualify for the magazine's famous annual world billionaires ranking.
"Because of technical and idiosyncratic oddities in the exact relationship between individual and state wealth, these estimates are perforce a blend of art and science," it added.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Taekwondo Hunk
















Steven Lopez (born November 9, 1978) is a 2000 and 2004 Olympic gold medalist in Taekwondo at the Olympics. Lopez became the first official Olympic gold medalist in the sport of Taekwondo at the 2000 Olympic Games. In 2003, he earned the rank of Taekwondo world champion in his weight class.
Born November 9, 1978, Lopez's parents moved to New York City in 1972 from Nicaragua, where his father, Julio, worked for the government of the then-President Anastasio Somoza who was overthrown in 1979 after the Sandinista Revolution. His father took odd jobs to support his family but later relocated to Texas.[2] Lopez first learned the sport of Taekwondo in his garage at the age of five from his father and Jean, his older brother.[1] He is a 1997 graduate of Kempner High School in Sugar Land, Texas where he was voted "most likely to succeed" and was member of the National Honor Society.
Steven's siblings,
Mark, Diana, and Jean Lopez (coach) are all USA National Team Members in the sport of Taekwondo. His younger siblings, Mark and Diana, will also be representing the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This is the first time since 1904 that three siblings have been on the same Olympic team. Steven and his siblings, Mark (men's featherweight) and sister Diana (women's featherweight) made sports history in April 2005 when they all claimed a world championship title at the same event (2005 World Taekwondo Championships) with their oldest brother, Jean, participating in the feat as their coach.[3]
On January 2006, Lopez tested positive for a banned substance (L-methamphetamine) which he said came from an over-the-counter vapor inhaler he used. Lopez promptly accepted a three-month suspension and participated in an educational anti-doping program.[3]
Lopez has appeared in People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People.[3]

Septuplets babies


CAIRO, Egypt - A 27-year-old Egyptian woman gave birth to septuplets early Saturday in the coastal city of Alexandria, family members and the hospital director said.
Ghazala Khamis was in good condition after having a blood transfusion during her Caesarean section due to bleeding, said Emad Darwish, director of the El-Shatbi Hospital where she gave birth.
The newborns, four boys and three girls, weigh between 3.2 pounds and 6.17 pounds and are in stable condition, Darwish said. They have been placed in incubators in four different hospitals that have special premature baby units, he said.
"This is a very rare pregnancy — something I have never witnessed over my past 33 years in this profession," Darwish told The Associated Press by phone from the hospital.
Darwish decided to carry out the Caesarean section at the end of Khamis' eighth month of pregnancy due to the pressure on her kidneys. He said Khamis, who already has three daughters, took fertility drugs in an effort to have a son.
Khamis, the wife of a farmer in the northern Egyptian province of Beheira, was admitted to the hospital two months earlier, Darwish said.
"From the initial checkup, I say that none of the babies have any sort of deformities or incomplete organs," Darwish said.
The woman's brother, Khamis Khamis, said even though his sister was trying to conceive more children so she could have a son, the family was astonished when they found out she would give birth to multiple babies.
"We thought about an abortion, but then we felt it's religiously forbidden. So we said 'Let God's will prevail,'" he told the AP by phone.
Egypt's health minister announced that the seven babies will receive free milk and diapers for two years, the brother added.

Hamed Ehadadi 7' 2'' from Iran




BEIJING – As interest has grown in the NBA over signing 7-foot-2 Iranian Olympian Hamed Ehadadi, the league office has sent a letter to its 30 teams instructing that they are forbidden to even discuss a contract with Ehadadi, Yahoo! Sports has learned.
In the letter, which was sent Friday, NBA legal counsel wrote: “It has come to our attention that representatives of Hamed Ehadadi, an Iranian basketball player, may be contacting NBA teams to discuss the possibility of signing Mr. Ehadadi to an NBA player contract.
“We have been advised that a federal statue prohibits a person or organization in the
United States from engaging in business dealings with Iranian nationals.”
The NBA is applying to the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control for a license that, “if granted,” the league said, would allow teams to negotiate with the 23-year-old Ehadadi. Until then, no franchise is allowed to do so.
Commissioner David Stern invited the Iranian national team to compete in July’s NBA summer league in Utah, allowing the team a pre-Olympics tune-up. When NBA teams started to show an interest in signing Ehadadi, Stern had league counsel begin the process of clearing a path through this complicated circumstance with the U.S. State Department.
After his most impressive game of these Olympics – 21 points and 16 rebounds in a 97-82 loss to
Argentina on Saturday – Ehadadi, a center, said through an assistant coach, Mehran Hatami, “It is my dream to play in the NBA.”
When asked if he had been in contact with NBA teams, Ehadadi said, “two or three,” including the
Memphis Grizzlies.
“It’s our pleasure for one player from
Iran to one day play in the NBA,” Hatami said. “I am sure he will play there this season because he has played great (at the Olympics). He is a talented player. He is OK for beginning in the NBA. After practicing a few years, you will see that he will be one of the great players.”
League executives don’t exactly share Iran’s grand vision for Ehadadi. He’s considered a project – “Pretty limited,” one league executive said Saturday – but there has been intrigue with his developing offensive game and an ability to block shots. In Iran’s four losses in Pool B thus far, Ehadadi has averaged 16.5 points, 10 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.
“He’s huge,” one NBA scouting director said. “You have to give him that.”
After going unselected in the 2004 NBA draft, Ehadadi became a free agent eligible to sign with any team. He has played with several clubs in the Iranian professional league, including Peyakan and Sanam. Ehadadi gathered some favorable reviews among several NBA scouts for his play with Iran in the summer league.
“The Iranian basketball federation supports him to play in the best situation for his basketball career,” Hatami said. “We would like for him to go to a place where he will play, not sit on the bench. That’s very important for our basketball – and also for him.”
If that’s the case, Iranian officials are likely to be disappointed if Ehadadi ever does get to the NBA. For now, politics make him wait to get that opportunity.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Chad Michael Murray










Birth Name: Chad Michael Murray



NicknameThe Chad CMM Mayhem The Good Son



Height6' (1.83 m)



Mini Biography:
Born in Buffalo, New York, Chad found a ready audience early on. When he was four or five years old, the young ham performed skits and sang made-up songs for his large family which includes three brothers, a half-brother and a sister. At age fifteen, an injury landed him in a hospital where a nurse encouraged him to pursue a modeling career.Two years later, Chad won a scholarship from a modeling agency in Buffalo to attend a modeling convention in Orlando. There he met his destiny when an agent from Los Angeles spotted him and persuaded the seventeen-year-old to pursue his dream of acting upon graduation from high school.In 1999, the aspiring actor headed for Hollywood where he supported himself modeling for such clients as Sketchers,
Tommy Hilfiger and Gucci while looking for a break. Soon after he arrived, Chad appeared in several guest-starring television roles including an episode of "Diagnosis Murder" (1993). Then he got the call he'd been hoping for. The WB's "Gilmore Girls" (2000) was casting for the role of Tristan DuGrey. They were looking for someone who was likable and charismatic but with an edgy side, and someone who had that certain "IT" quality. Chad was all that plus he had the perfect physical characteristics that the show's writers had in mind. The teenager won the role and has since made the character his own.He admires the talents of actors Edward Norton, Leonardo DiCaprio, Al Pacino Robert De Niro and Sean Penn and uses their influences in his work. Always a firm believer in clean living, Chad is a natural athlete. He played his favorite sport, football, in high school and keeps fit by working out at the gym, in-line skating, playing soccer, volleyball and basketball as well as football pick-up games. He is an anti-drug role model for kids and is active in charities for children and teens during his spare time. Before he married Sophia Bush on April 16th, 2005, Chad had set up house with a pug named Gus and a unique boisterous cat named Jack, who kept him from missing his large family too much.IMDb Mini



had Michael Murray was born on the 24th of August 1981 in Buffalo, New York. The 6-foot tall star who resides in Wilmington, North Carolina is more known to audiences of "One Tree Hill" (2003) where he plays the good son, Lucas Scott.Growing up, his mother left his family at a young age and since then he had to help take care of his younger siblings together with his dad and brother. While working his way through adolescence, he learned a lot about work ethic which eventually builds his character. Because he only grew up with a father, his biggest idol is his father. Chad once said in an interview that he could call his father anytime of the day whenever he needs help as his father is his rock.The "One Tree Hill" (2003) star started his life as a paper boy where he would deliver newspapers around the neighborhood before working as a janitor at Donut World. Chad was only working there for a few days when he lost his job because he was shooting Skittles into the deep-fryer. Sure enough, one of the Skittles got caught in the machine and Chad got fired. Chad has also worked as a receptionist at a limousine company.When he was 15, he had a resection of his small intestines. His intestines were so twisted they had to be cut out, but there were some complications causing him to not be able to eat for three months. Chad had also broken his nose when he was jumped at a Burger King outlet which then got him into the hospital. It was there where he met the person who inspired him, his nurse. His nurse was a model and she told Chad to start modeling, but Chad only wanted to act. Chad then took a chance and went to a convention in Buffalo and they wanted him to go to another convention in Biloxi, Mississipi. Chad then met a man named Eddie Winkler who offered Chad a place to stay in Los Angeles to kick-start his career.Not long afterward, Chad got a Tommy Hilfiger campaign which paid his bills and that was when he thought he could really focus on acting. He started out on "Dawson's Creek" (1998) with his two "One Tree Hill" (2003) co-stars, Hilarie Burton and Lee Norris. After that, he got a role as rich brat Tristian DuGrey on "Gilmore Girls" (2000) before turning into Lucas Scott as one half of the brothers in popular teen drama "One Tree Hill" (2003) where he met best friends James Lafferty and Tyler Hilton. Chad also starred in a B-grade horror flick called House of Wax (2005).The blonde-haired, blue-eyed star finally decided to get married when he was 23 years old to his "One Tree Hill" (2003) co-star, Sophia Bush. Chad actually cried on his wedding day, the 16th of April, 2005. In less than a year of marriage the couple signed for an annulment. Chad is engaged to another "One Tree Hill" (2003) co-star, Kenzie Dalton. The couple got engaged on April 4th, 2006.Chad played football growing up and the love of that sport was re-directed into a charity game where he would help underprivileged kids with the money he gains from the audience. A fan of philosophy himself, Chad's favorite book is "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger. He enjoys listening to music from Incubus, Frank Sinatra, James Brown and watching shows like "The Simpsons" (1989) and "Fear Factor" (2001). As for movies, Chad has given credit to Gladiator (2000), Fight Club (1999), Varsity Blues (1999) & Any Given Sunday (1999) as his favorites.This model turned actor has serenaded Jamie Lee Curtis with Britney Spears' 'Baby One More Time' on _"Freaky Friday" (2000)_, became Hilary Duff's Prince Charming and even watched Paris Hilton die in a violent on-screen death. With all these acting roles given to him, we're sure that this talented anti-drug star will be one of Hollywood's biggest stars.

Friday, August 8, 2008

A Corporate Prayer

Almighty God
we humbly entrust our company
into your caring and saving hands
We implore your constant guidance
in our daily endeavors.
We need your divine presence
And providential assistance as we
perform our individual functions.

O God, we sincerely ask you in prayer
Bless and protect us so that
no accident may happen,
no harm may befall us,
no misfortune may come.
Deliver us from anything
that will decrease our productivity
and from anyone who will reduce
our efficiency by keeping us
from doing our work well.

O God we sincerely ask you in prayer
to watch over us and give us the grace
to work together I peace and harmony.
Grant that the management
and the rank-and-file may trust
each other and function as one;
that the management may look after
the well being of the workers;
that the employees
may concern themselves
with the company’s future;
that we may all reap a fruitful harvest.

O God we sincerely ask you in prayer
to bless us and intercede for us.
Help us to meet our deadlines
as well as the clients demand
for our products.
Help us to settle all conflicts,
solve all problems,
cope with crises
and enjoy the lasting benefits
of our efforts.

Look with kindness at
those who work with us;
those who supply our raw materials;
those who patronize our products.

You know our hearts’ desires,
but you also know what is best for us
We humbly ask you to help us
achieve our corporate goals
To you who have given us all,
we offer the fruits of our labor.

O God, help us set our priorities.
Keep us from focusing solely
on material rewards.
Remind us of our commitment
to serve humankind

All this we ask of you
through Jesus Christ,
your obedient Son,
our loving Lord.

Amen.


I remember this prayer always in times of my struggles, pains, heartaches, bitterness, happy and everytime i need encouragements from our creator...


LEARNING CHIST


Teach me, my Lord, to be sweet and gentle in all the events of life-

in dissappointment

in the thoughtlessness of others,

in the insincerity of those I trusted,

in the unfaithfulness of those on whom I relied.


Let me put myself aside,

to think of the happiness of others,

to hide my little pains and heartaches,

so that I may be the only one to suffer from them.


Teach me to be profit by the suffering that comes across my path.

Let me so use it that it may mellow me,

not harden nor embitter me;

that it may make me patient not irritable

that it may make me broad in my forgiveness,

not narrow, haughty and overbearing.


May no one be less good for having come within my influence. No one less pure, less true, less kind, less noble for having been a fellow traveler in our journey toward ETERNAL LIFE. As i go my rounds from one dsitraction to another, let me whisper from time to time a word of love to Thee. May my life be lived in the supernatural, full of power for good, and strong in its purpose of sanctity.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Six Relationship-Ending Dating Behaviors

"No matter how much love exists in your relationship, it cannot survive without trust".

Finding the one to share a relationship with is a blessing. Once you've bonded with this special someone, keep in mind that respecting your partner's privacy and retaining trust are essential to maintaining a healthy relationship. If you cross certain behavioral boundaries that violate your partner's trust, you may cause irreparable damage to your relationship.
As a dating coach, I'm not usually a fan of hard and fast "rules" for relationships. I've, nevertheless, identified widespread behaviors which will likely end any relationship. So to help you ensure that you don't breach the "trust" boundary in your relationship, here are six detrimental dating behaviors that should always be avoided:

1. Prying into private info. If you suspect your partner of betrayal, does that give you the right to start reading your partner's email? To listen to his/her voicemail messages? To hack into his/her
online profile? The answer to all of these is "no!"
You should never dig through your partner's personal emails or listen to your partner's voicemail messages.
You should never dig through your partner's personal emails or listen to your partner's voicemail messages. By doing this, you violate not only your partner's trust, but also the trust your partner has with anyone who left those voice messages and emails.

2. Lying for the greater good. Lying is never good in a relationship, although we've probably all been guilty of doing it. Lying to your partner in an effort to avoid hurting him/her or to avoid confrontation may seem like a wise decision. Regrettably, you will end up digging a deeper hole for yourself when that lie is exposed, which is almost always inevitable. When caught in this situation, you end up hurting your partner anyway, and whatever you were trying to protect your partner from -- by lying to them -- will be even worse because of your deception. I recommend honestly communicating with your partner from the get-go.

3. Pulling a "James Bond." You should never snoop in your partner's private things (drawers, wallet, filing cabinet, or private records -- such as bank or credit card statements). Furthermore, nothing justifies snooping. No matter what you have a "hunch" about, snooping through your partner's things should never be pursued to confirm or deny your hunch. Your partner's possessions and personal records should be kept private unless he/she gives you permission to look at them. Spying on your partner is one of the most blatant violations of your partner's trust and will achieve nothing except having your partner never trust you to be alone near his/her things ever again.

4. Designating yourself "Magnum P.I." Another ill-advised way some people try to verify suspected bad behavior by their partner is to take on the role of private investigator by attempting to "catch their partner in the act" of doing something. Whether this takes the form of searching for your partner's car by driving by his/her house, work, or gym or it takes the form of following your partner in your car, this is something you should never do. Even if you have a convincing hunch that your partner is hiding something from you, stalking is the wrong way to address it. If your partner finds out you've been "tailing him/her" in your car, he/she will no longer trust you.

5. Sending others to do your dirty work. Don't ever send a friend or anyone else to gather information for you about your partner or to spy on your partner for you. This means, don't send a friend to go hang out where you know or suspect your partner will be. Don't have your friend try to eavesdrop on your partner's conversations in places he/she goes. Don't ask your friends to use their cell phone to snap covert pictures of your partner. All of these favors from friends not only violate your partner's trust, but also reveal your total lack of trust in your partner.

6. Checking up constantly. One of the biggest ways to reveal that you don't trust your partner is to manifest that distrust with paranoid and obsessive behavior. While calling your partner regularly is quite normal, calling him/her incessantly to "check up" comes off as obsessive and will drive your partner away. If, for example, your partner is unable to answer his/her phone for a few hours and by the time he/she accesses it he/she discovers you've called 50 times, you not only come off as being paranoid and obsessive, but you clearly communicate to your partner that you distrust him/her. Also, when you panic every time 10 minutes go by without a reply from your partner by a phone call or an email, it sends the exact same message.
So even if you have some type of "intuition" that your partner is hiding something from you, it's better to engage in a confrontation with him/her openly rather than searching for answers secretly. Even if your partner doesn't respond to your attempts to talk about it the first, second, or third time, chances are that you'll eventually discuss it -- and the outcome of voicing your suspicions honestly with your partner will always be better than if your partner discovers you engaged in any of the behaviors I've talked about.
No matter how much love exists in your relationship, it cannot survive without trust.
No matter how much love exists in your relationship, it cannot survive without trust. Violating someone's trust will never take a relationship to a better place. In fact, by doing so, you may very well be single-handedly orchestrating the end of what could have been a fantastic relationship. Also, keep in mind that I didn't mention the most obvious relationship-ending behavior to avoid:
cheating.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Friendship that counts.....

I thought this was the end of our friendship...coz were facing small conflict like misunderstanding..., shes good to me and of corz I to her, she smiles..., laughs at my jokes..., try to understand me.., ahmmmmm...gives empathy. One time she enters my office and says .. "why your always laughs at me when you see me.., is there somethig wrong with my face.." I said.. nothing coz it was my habit to smile also with a person who wears a smile..heheheh.. I let her sit in a chair and ok...go on ...do what you wanna do... Shes typing her resume and I was impressed by her sample of it..its a curriculum vitae..nice and impressive style of format.. clean and awesome., so tidy. After she done she said to me ..ahhmm im finished.. "Ahh ..ok lets check it " I said.. its ok now and it was nice format haaa...very good..impressive. After that i didnt save it again in the PC's document coz i thought she saves it already there...it was my fault and after that i check..if her document is ok now in my server....but i found.., the one page only saves there.. I go back to her place and i check again her work but in unpleasant situation i cant open her document. She says what happen O God..i took an hour to finished tha and it turn into nothing.. O c'mon it must not.....O my God please make a way to retrieve it... "oohh Ok im trying Ok..." Next option i said ...do you have still time right... and our next solution is to type it again....
I let her tarnsfer to another computer and she said ok... The olny one thing i wrote this to my blog bcoz i cant forget what she says..."If your not my friend you'll have an embarrassment here now..." OMG .. I understand why... coz of her anger ...i concluded. I try to ignore what she says and still try to continue my work on my table...I feel hurt by what she says..but i said to my self another phase of our friendship here that counts..i must not be angry with her..work is work and my personal life is separate here...I know that she feels that I'm not ok with those words i hear from her. That what friendship and bonds are connected..when someone of your feriends get hurt of corz you can feel also what his/her feelings. On the other side she has a nice sense and nice person...still there am I helped her assist her in her resume to finish. Well after all our friendship still there....that exist..suddenly she tells me bout here family background..., what she did..., coz shes no work as of now and she said she gives up everything just for her loving mother suffers from a pain before..., it must be confidential for her... the end.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

13 Things Your Waiter Won't Tell You

1. Avoid eating out on holidays and Saturday nights. The volume of customers guarantees that most kitchens will be pushed beyond their ability to produce a high-quality meal.

2. There are almost never any sick days in the restaurant business. A busboy with a child to support isn't going to stay home and miss out on $100 because he's got strep throat.

3. When customers make personal attacks, adulterating food or drink is a convenient way for servers to exact covert vengeance. Waiters can and do spit in people's food.

4. Never say "I'm friends with the owner." Restaurant owners don't have friends. This marks you as a clueless poseur the moment you walk in the door.

5. Treat others as you want to be treated.

6. Don't snap your fingers to get attention.

7. Don't order meals that aren't on the menu. You're forcing the chef to cook something he doesn't make on a regular basis, and it won’t be as good.

8. Splitting entrées is okay, but don't ask for water, lemon, and sugar so you can make your own lemonade.

9. If you find a waiter you like, always ask to be seated in his or her section. Tell all your friends so they'll start asking for that server as well. The server will be grateful and take good care of you.

10. If you can't afford to leave a tip, you can't afford to eat in the restaurant.

11. Always examine the check. Sometimes large parties are unaware that a gratuity has been added to the bill, so they tip on top of it. Waiters "facilitate" this error.

12. If you want to hang out, that's fine. But increase the tip to make up for money the server would have made if he or she had had another seating at that table.

13. Never, ever come in 15 minutes before closing time. While you're chitchatting over salads, your entrées will be languishing under the heat lamp while the dishwasher is spraying industrial-strength, carcinogenic cleaning solvents in their immediate vicinity.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

"Edmund" in Narnia





















































Skandar Amin Casper Keynes
(age 16)London, England
Skandar Amin Casper Keynes (born 5 September 1991) is an English actor. He is best known for starring as Edmund Pevensie in The Chronicles of Narnia film series. He has appeared in the first two installments, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, released on May 16, 2008, and will star in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, due May 7, 2010.[1]
Contents[
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Biography:
Skandar Keynes was born in
London, the son of Zelfa Cecil Hourani and writer Randal Keynes.[2] His maternal grandfather, Cecil Fadlo Hourani, is a famous writer of Lebanese descent, and the brother of Albert Hourani, also a well-known writer and professor.[2] On his father's side Keynes is the great-great-great grandson of the famous biologist Charles Darwin, through whose paternal grandmother Mary Howard he is descended from Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk (uncle to both Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard) and thus from King Edward I. Keynes is also the great-great nephew of the economist John Maynard Keynes and the nephew of the historian and Cambridge professor Simon Keynes.[2] Through his great-grandmother, Hester Agnes Pinsent – the wife of Nobel Prize laureate Edgar Adrian, 1st Baron Adrian – he is also related to the Scottish philosopher David Hume.[3] He has an older sister, Soumaya Keynes,(born 1989), who has appeared in various productions for BBC Radio 4.
Keynes has stated that he is an
atheist.[4][5]
Keynes attended the
Anna Scher Theatre School from 2000 to 2005 and currently attends the all-boys City of London School along with Daniel Radcliffe. He starts Sixth Form and the first year of his A Level studies in September 2008. He has taken History, Biology, Chemistry and Maths for A-Level.
In the summer of 2006, Keynes and his grandfather, mother, and sister were forced to flee from
Beirut, Lebanon, where the family was holidaying when the 2006 Lebanon War began.[2]
Keynes currently resides in
Highbury, London. He studies Taekwondo and plays the cornet, the cello,the flute,and the guitar. He supports Arsenal F.C..
He auditioned (successfully) for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at the same as he auditioned (unsuccessfully) for the role of Simon Brown in
Nanny McPhee. His voice broke during the filming of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, leaving his sister Soumaya to voice some of his lines.[6]

2010
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Edmund Pevensie
pre-production
NA
2008
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Edmund Pevensie
$357.3 million
2005
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Edmund Pevensie
$744,783,957
2003
Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari at the age of 8
Television movie
NA

^ "Narnia Voyage Postponed to 2010", E! Entertainment (2007-09-21). Retrieved on 2007-09-21.
^
a b c d Anderson, Jon Lee (2006-07-24). "Change of Plans". The New Yorker. Retrieved on 2006-10-18.
^ "Notes on the Rendall family". Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
^ Martin, Paul (2006-03-25). "Exclusive Interview with Skandar Keynes". Narnia Fans. Retrieved on 2008-06-18. “I am an Athiest. I know the films really Christian and everything but it doesn’t really affect me. Oh and you know I’m related to Charles Darwin.”
^ Savage, David (2006-06-19). "William Moseley and Skandar Keynes Interview!". Popcorn. Retrieved on 2008-06-25. “So apparently I'm an atheist, I'm into Darwin...”
^ Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, and Andrew Adamson. The Chronicles of Narnia:The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe [Cast Commentary] [DVD].

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Just Pause... and Thank You.....

In this busy world were negatives vibes, auras, people sorrounds you, sometimes your customer, some are your friends..., peer pressure they said. You feel happy when someone acknowledge, smile and say thank you to you..when u did something good in their part. Let me share to you my experience here at Blue 11, one day in my busy schedule..smiles and accomodate my customer daily, assist in their needs inside our cafe...one day a girl came back, early in the morning in our cafe and ask if i found her USb in PC number 7.., I said: yes i found it there...at PC number 7... i thought u forgot it there? i said..grateful i found it..hehhehe.. She smiles at me and added... she told her friend she has to check the USb of where she left it..i guess in Blue 11... and her friend says: dont worry the attendant in that cafe is good and approachable dont worry im sure he'll give it to you the other day...., So amazing and impressive words i hear..it akes my day complete and i saw a clear aura and vibration..it feels good to be affirmed by my customer, though were'nt so close to each other... Thank God..!

How to Manage Stress During Tough Times

With news headlines all around us announcing economic changes for the worse, a lot of us are beginning to feel the twist of anxiety. When this stress response comes, the neurochemicals in our brain are thrown off balance.
Sustained periods of stress will affect your brain, leading to chemical imbalance. It will interfere with your memory, focus and concentration, making you feel agitated and unable to calm down. It is crucial for brain health and overall peace of mind that you learn to control your anxiety effectively. Read on to learn the ways to quell your anxiety and relax. As always, if you are undergoing serious anxiety, consult a healthcare professional.

1. Health in Mind = Health in BodyThe average person has 60,000 thoughts a day, and nearly 80 percent of them are negative. Imagine what this is doing to your body! This negativity affects your thought patterns and behaviors subconsciously, and this has an unhealthy impact on your body.
Reframe the way you say things to yourself. You can actually change the response to anxiety with repeated affirmations, which will introduce a new positive pattern behavior in your thinking. Instead of being anxious, give empowering messages to yourself: I am strong, I am grateful, I can get through this. Repeat these positive affirmations throughout your day to transform the stress and change your attitude.

2. Cut Back on StimulantsStress, anxiety, insomnia, and a racing mind are byproducts of taking in too much caffeine, the central nervous system stimulator that works against your attempts to relax the body and calm the mind. To start, try cutting back for just week to see how fewer stimulants affect your overall stress level. Switch to decaf coffee, or better yet, drink herbal tea. Also, cut out sodas and other drinks that are packed with stimulants.

3. Deep Breathing Calms AnxietyIf you are in a stressful situation, you may have noticed that you breath very shallowly, up in your throat area. Unfortunately, many adults breathe this way all the time; somewhere along the way, we stopped breathing abdominally, as we did when we were babies. This habitual shallow breathing mimics the bodily actions of stress, which can actually induce your body to feel anxiety. When you learn to breathe deeply all day - by breathing from your diaphragm - you will reduce general anxiety and gain other proven benefits, such as lowered blood pressure and heart rate. Also, it is estimated that 70 percent of the toxins and wastes in our bodies are eliminated through respiratory breathing. So start deep breathing!
Here's how: Make it part of your every day schedule to practice 20-30 minutes of deep breathing every day, and your body will respond by being relaxed all the time. To learn a method for proper breathing, click here. Also, look into stress-reducing mind-body disciplines such as tai chi, yoga, qigong, and meditation, which all incorporate breathing work into their routines.

4. Herbal Help for AnxietyValerian, sometimes called "nature's tranquilizer, is used to regulate the nervous system and relieve tension, irritability, nervous exhaustion and stress, and anxiety for centuries. As a sedative, valerian is non-addictive and relieves sleeplessness without the morning-after grogginess often associated with prescription sleep medications.
Schisandra berry has been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine to revitalize the senses. It increases physical endurance and mental concentration, while at the same time soothing the nerves and taking the edge off anxiety. Take these herbs anytime during the day and before bed in tea or capsule form. Many of my patients have had remarkable results with Calm-Fort Elixir, an all-natural formulation of herbs to calm your spirit. For more information, click here.

5. Try the Nutrient GABAA healthy brain needs a balance between neural chemicals that excite the nerves and those that calm the nerves. GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) is the primary neural transmitter for calming the transmission of nerve signals. It can help prevent anxiety-related messages from reaching the brain. Having levels of GABA that are too low can increase anxiety, insomnia, irritability, and depression. My suggestion is to eat a diet rich in GABA including fish, especially mackerel and wheat bran or to take 250-500 milligrams on a daily basis, along with vitamin B6.

6. Get Out of Your Head By Helping OthersMost of us could sit around all day agonizing in our heads about bad news and working our way into a negative inner dialogue. The way to get out of your own head is by doing something for others. Offer to help someone else and completely focus on his or her needs. Give a friend a hand with moving or planning an event. Volunteer for a charitable cause. It's amazing how taking the focus off yourself can reduce your stress and anxiety.I hope you find the ways to check your anxiety! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!