Eureka!

After years of searching for the best, if not perfect, shampoo and/or conditioner, I have finally found one that is suitable for my hair type. Eureka! I found it on the shelves of a grocery store. It may be a bit pricey to some but hey, if it will prevent bad hair days, why the hell not?! I bought L'Oreal Elseve Shampoo and Conditioner and true to their claims, it did expunge frizz on my hair. No need for leave-ons. The conditioner is the best, you'll feel like you are Eva Longoria. 

According to the back label of L'Oreal Elseve Smooth-Intense Anti-Frizz Shampoo/Conditioner: "L'Oreal labs have succeeded in combining a nutritive micro-oil with a smoothing agent to create NUTRILEUM. It is instantly absorbed onto the hair fibre, calming rebellious hair and smoothing out frizz along its entire length." 

For me, this is so true. Since using that shampoo and conditioner, I rarely have trouble fixing my hair throughout the day. It became smoother and more manageable.

I strongly recommend this product for all the women out there who is still on their quest for the best/perfect shampoo. Try L'Oreal Elseve which has different varieties that will suit every woman's hair needs. 

Emong out!

The weather today makes me wanna sing Annie's song, Tomorrow.

"The sun will come out tomorrow,

Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow,

There'll be sun.

Just thinkin' about tomorrow,

Clears away the cobwebs and the sorrows,

Till there's none..."

Just yesterday, the storm Emong made his powerful entrance into the Philippine area of responsibility giving volumes of rain to certain parts of Luzon. Today, it's as if no storm had passed by. The sun shines brightly proclaiming that summer ain't over yet. Confusing. Good thing, I haven't brought my jacket (with me only blazer and umbrella, just in case). The awful truth--global warming at its worst.

I have watched AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH in HBO presented by former US Vice-President Al Gore. It was a frightening scenario but, as the title goes, it's the inconvenient truth. According to climatecrisis.net, global warming is already happening. We should take action, before it's too late. Here's the explanation on global warming from their website.

What is Global Warming?

Carbon dioxide and other gases warm the surface of the planet naturally by trapping solar heat in the atmosphere. This is a good thing because it keeps our planet habitable. However, by burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil and clearing forests we have dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere and temperatures are rising.
The vast majority of scientists agree that global warming is real, it’s already happening and that it is the result of our activities and not a natural occurrence.1 The evidence is overwhelming and undeniable.
We’re already seeing changes. Glaciers are melting, plants and animals are being forced from their habitat, and the number of severe storms and droughts is increasing.
The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.

Malaria has spread to higher altitudes in places like the Colombian Andes, 7,000 feet above sea level.
The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade.
At least 279 species of plants and animals are already responding to global warming, moving closer to the poles.
If the warming continues, we can expect catastrophic consequences.
Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years -- to 300,000 people a year.
Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica, devastating coastal areas worldwide.
Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense.
Droughts and wildfires will occur more often.
The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050.
More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050.
There is no doubt we can solve this problem. In fact, we have a moral obligation to do so. Small changes to your daily routine can add up to big differences in helping to stop global warming. The time to come together to solve this problem is now.

START AT HOME.

What can we do? According to the website, we can take actions in the convenience of our own home. Here's how:

• Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl). CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. If every family in the U.S. made the switch, we’d reduce carbon dioxide by more than 90 billion pounds! You can purchase CFLs online from the Energy Federation.

• Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner. Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

• Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases. Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most efficient models. If each household in the U.S. replaced its existing appliances with the most efficient models available, we’d eliminate 175 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year!

• Turn off electronic devices you’re not using. Simply turning off your television, DVD player, stereo, and computer when you’re not using them will save you thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

• Unplug electronics from the wall when you’re not using them. Even when turned off, things like hairdryers, cell phone chargers and televisions use energy. In fact, the energy used to keep display clocks lit and memory chips working accounts for 5 percent of total domestic energy consumption and spews 18 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year!

• Be sure you’re recycling at home. You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates. Earth 911 can help you find recycling resources in your area.

• Buy recycled paper products. It takes less 70 to 90% less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide.

• Plant a tree. A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%. The Arbor Day Foundation has information on planting and provides trees you can plant with membership.

• Switch to green power. In many areas, you can switch to energy generated by clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar. The Green Power Network is a good place to start to figure out what’s available in your area.

• Buy locally grown and produced foods. The average meal in the United States travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate. Buying locally will save fuel and keep money in your community.

• Buy fresh foods instead of frozen Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.
  Seek out and support local farmers markets They reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you by one fifth. You can find a farmer’s market in your area at the USDA website.

• Buy organic foods as much as possible. Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farms. If we grew all of our corn and soybeans organically, we’d remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere!

• Avoid heavily packaged products. You can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10%.

• Eat less meat. Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath.

• Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit wherever possibleAvoiding just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year!

Hope this post helps.

Tropical Depression Emong

Somewhere in the business jungle called Makati, I sit in my humble green chair reviewing case decisions drafted by the best legal minds of this government agency. I sit here like a royalty. Here in my little corner, I am the ruler. Outside, however, Emong reigns supreme. Damn, the trees outside sway like paper figures. Rains kept on pounding. I want to go home.

But how bad is Emong, really?

According to gmanews.tv, Emong is fierce (move over, Sasha Fierce!). Storm Signal No. 3 is now raised over Pangasinan, La Union and Ilocos Sur as of 12:03PM today.

Here's the entire report:

MANILA, Philippines - State weather forecasters have placed three areas in Northern Luzon under Storm Signal No. 3 as typhoon "Emong" intensified further Thursday morning.In its 10:30 a.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported that "Emong" now packed maximum sustained winds of 140 kph and gustiness of up to 170 kph."Emong" was estimated at 200 km west-northwest of Iba, Zambales, or 240 km west-southwest of Dagupan City, and moving at 15 kph.Under Signal No. 3 were Western Pangasinan, La Union and Ilocos Sur.Placed under Storm Signal No. 2 were Zambales, Tarlac, the rest of Pangasinan, Benguet, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Kalinga, Apayao, Abra and Ilocos Norte.Metro Manila is now placed under Storm Signal No. 1 along with Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Lubang island, Calamian Group of Islands, Cavite, Pampanga, Bataan, Bulacan, Northern Quezon, Aurora , Nueva Ecija, Nueva Viscaya, Quirino, Isabela, Cagayan, Babuyan Islands and Batanes.The typhoon is expected to make landfall on Friday but Pagasa warned residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes against possible flashfloods and landslide. Those living in coastal areas under Storm Signals 2 and 3 are alerted against big waves or storm surges generated by this typhoon, Pagasa said. – with Katrina Elaine Alba, GMANews.TV

For more info, visit http://www.typhoon2000.ph/ (The Philippines First Website on Tropical Cyclones).

May 8, 2009 declared Holiday

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared 08 May 2009 as a National Day of Celebration through Proclamation No. 1764 to honor the pound-for-pound best fighter of the world, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, upon his arrival that day.

I thought it will be long weekend again. But I had another think coming when Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III explained that despite earlier announcements, it will not be a non-working holiday.

They should not have called it a holiday, in the first place, if it will be a working holiday! So much for resting. Otso De Mayo no more. 

Congratulations Manny Pacquiao!

Congratulations, Manny Pacquiao! You made us all proud to be Filipinos! WOooHoooo!!

Yellow Brick Road

I cannot sleep. I have to, there's work tomorrow. 

BTW: Congratulations, Manny Pacquiao for beating Ricky Hatton on the second round!

I am listening to the Elton John song, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road over and over again. Ironic, because the song talks about going back to the country. 

"So goodbye yellow brick road

Where the dogs of society howl

You can't plant me in your penthouse

I'm going back to my plough"

Yesterday, I was in a hurry to be back here in the city. Last friday, May 1, was a holiday. I was alone in the house so my mother decided to take me home to the province. However,  I cannot stand there even for another minute. So, I hurriedly went home the next day to escape the place I used to love--the place where I grew up. I cannot understand myself. I do not know what has gotten into me. I preferred to stay alone in the city than to mingle with my fun-loving, gossip-mongering, loud-talking relatives. I used to love it there. Things had changed.

I am a bit paranoid, maybe. The polluted air in the city might have gotten into me. I have no business there, so why go there? At least here, I can always browse the internet and entertain myself. Internet is my ultimate medicine for boredom these days. 

Of course, I am not saying that I don't ever wanna go there. All I am saying is that, I have my moods. Last Friday, I do not have the heart to go there. I am not in the mood. 

So, why can't I sleep now? Please, enter Mr. Sandman!

Swine Flu Alert!

Prevention is better than cure. The following tips for the prevention of flu are very useful these times that there are threats of swine flu. I got this at www.dumblittleman.com. 

Influenza (or flu) is an infection of the lungs and airways causing a fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose, headache, and muscle aches. Every year, in different countries in the world, widespread outbreaks of influenza occur during the flu season, which typically runs from late-November to March. Those who have had flu even once, know that it is better to prevent the disease rather than treat it.

The following simple tips will help you stay healthy this season:

1. Raw garlic. Garlic is one of the best natural remedies for flu prevention. It kills viruses responsible for colds and the flu, according to tests by a microbiologist at Brigham Young University. You can simply chew chive garlic and you even don't need to swallow it.


2. Drink plenty of fluids. Drinking plenty of water will keep you well hydrated. Proper hydration is essential for strong immune system and overall health. Water is the best, however water with lemon juice sweetened with honey, green tea, herbal tea, or fresh sugar-free juices are also good choices. How to know if you are getting enough of fluids? If the color of your urine is close to clear, you're getting enough. If it's deep yellow, you need more fluids.


3. Stop Smoking. This is the hardest tip to implement, but if you are a smoker and want to protect yourself from the flu - break off your habit. Commonplace advice you hear many times, isn't it? However, an increase in influenza infections among smokers compared to nonsmokers is proven by research studies.


4. Fruits and vegetables. Remember to eat the recommended 5-9 servings per day of fruits and vegetables. Apples have anti-viral properties and are great preventive remedy against flu.


5. Room ventilation. Proper ventilation significantly reduces the concentration of pathogenic bacteria and viruses in the air. Opening windows is an easy and extremely effective natural ventilation technique.


6. Keep the distance. To reduce your chances of infection develop the habit of keeping a distance (about six feet), if possible, between yourself and others during flu epidemic.


7. Hand washing. Human influenza viruses can survive on surfaces up to 48 hours. Washing your hands often for 15-20 seconds with warm water and soap will help protect you from germs.


8. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. A hackneyed tip, but a number of people neglect this well-known simple advice. The eyes, nose and mouth are entry ports for flu viruses. Rubbing your eyes, nose, or mouth is a sure-fire way to get the flu.


9. Flu vaccination is pretty common sense, however to complete the list it was added.

The weather today is very unstable. The sun will shine in the morning and there will be showers in the afternoon. Thanks to global warming, our weather makes everyone sick. I cannot remember a summer when it rained for a week or there was storm. The four seasons had crocked up. Crazy. Let us take care of ourselves. Be healthy, everyone!