Your Daily Dose of Useful Stuff

The trick in driving firstly, is to be calm and relaxed at all times. This is what I learned after the first two hours with my instructor. Don't let nerves get through you.  Breathe in and relax when you get behind the wheel.  Also, it pays for you to master footwork. Even when you are not driving always practice your left foot by imagining it pressing  clutch, and your right foot pressing break, and gas. You can also make an improvised gear stick so that you can coordinate your footwork with your arm movements.  This will help you gain confidence when you get behind the wheel.  I practiced my footwork first for an hour. Imagining me behind the wheel and driving.  Later, I imagined moving the gear stick according to my footwork.  It did help a lot in terms of making me feel more relaxed and feel more confident.  I also watched some youtube videos that made me feel  more relaxed and gave me more confidence.

It was a contest that she did not set her mind into, she the unassuming one, always just works quietly and steadily.  Not one who really works hard to be in the news, Jennylyn was so surprised to learn she bagged the crown of the Philippines' sexiest for 2015.  And who would not?  The way she takes care of her body is epic Jennylyn engages in sports and joins triathlon competitions.  This tells us she can bike, swim and run.  She does these with a passion and dedication almost like a religion.    Aside from triathlon, Jen does other physical exercises that develop many aspects of her well-being.  Who would have thought that she with the frail and tiny physique would even think of trying the traditional Filipino martial arts, arnis.   I saw a video of her with a trainer and it seems that Jen has become a competent arnis fighter.  I wouldn't dare cross her or she could beat me till I lose consciousness.   

Driving is a very important skill and learning how to drive is very tricky, requiring concentration and focus.  Many professions require driving as a qualification.  It is useful not only for your personal needs but also for your professional needs.  Ever since childhood, I have always wanted to drive a vehicle.  For me, I can do a lot of things if I know how to drive.  It can come handy especially during emergency occasions and can enhance my image.  And if I am a really a good driver, I would earn  the respect of men, especially if I drive a huge vehicle.  So after many decades of planning, I was able to enrol in driving lessons, and now,  finally i'm able to start my lifelong dream of learning how to drive a vehicle. It was not an easy decision to do and start. Since I live in the boondocks of Rizal, I had to find if there is a good driving school near my area, fortunately there is one, so I inquired at the SMART driving schoo...

Vanity Fair ushered the arrival of Caitlyn Jenner and people have mixed emotions about it.  Some people still could not believe that someone so popular and world-famous was willing to give up fame to give way to his, now, her, happiness.  Caitlyn Jenner is the dream-come-true of Bruce Jenner, a facially-transformed male, therefore he is Bruce Jenner no more.   Although Caitlyn often makes slips like using he, instead of she, in her mind, she was always a woman/girl.   So she wasted no time, after getting a facial transformation, and started hosting 'girls night' with her girl friends so that they can all discuss about girl stuff (whatever those are , considering she is over 60 already). How does she look now after that operation? She seemed to get the best features of Jessica Lange and Kate Winslet rolled in one, a neat package that is cover-girl worthy.  Kate Winslet's lower facial  features and Jessica Lange's sharp upper features make a grea...

Kate Middleton's name is synonymous to the British royal family, without even trying, she is overshadowing the pure, blue-blooded royals.  She is probably the world's most photographed personality lately.   Search Google images and you will know what I'm talking about.  Who can forget the day she and Prince William tied the knot while the entire world was watching?   The entire world was probably asking who is this brave young lady who accepted the challenge of marrying Britain's second heir to the throne? Who is she who is brave to give up her private and personal life and be constantly followed by cameras and papparazzis at every sight of her?   Who is this who wants to continue the British royal line by mothering the third in line to the royal throne?  There were different reactions and stories about Kate Middleton at that point and I'm sure it did not escape her that she was under the world's scrutiny and she has rose up to the challenge and so far...

Tea is considered a healthy beverage.  According to studies there are many benefits that tea gives our body.  Among the benefits we get are:  better dental health, healthier circulatory system, lower cholesterol, anti-cancer qualities, it's an antioxidant and an antiviral agent, and a host of other disease preventing characteristics.   Studies have shown that it is best to drink tea before dinner in order for the stomach to get filled up partially and also before going to bed to feel relaxed and mentally destressed.   I am a tea-lover and I like to put lemon and honey in my tea for two reasons:  to add zest to my drink and also to reduce the bitterness.   Lately, the market has been infused with this new beverage called 'milk tea.'  All of a sudden, there is a milk tea branch in every corner of the city.   Milk tea is a beverage that is part of the culture of people from Hong Kong.   It is black tea mixed with milk, usually...

I am not really a big fan of Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes, but I can't help feeling excited for the royal couple of GMA.  Lolit Solis, veteran showbiz writer and host of Startalk, a longtime showbiz program of GMA,  hinted over the weekend that GMA's primetime queen is infanticipating already, four months after their altar date.  This prompted the couple to finally reveal their secret, much to their chagrin.  I'm sure they would have wanted to keep the joy of knowing that their love for each other brought this wonderful gift for both of them, but somebody let the cat out the bag already so might as well share the big news with the fans.   Both Marian and Dingdong are reeling with happiness and are overjoyed over this future addition to their union.  In an interview with Ms. Jessica Soho, GMA's former vice-president for news program, Marian revealed that she is suffering from morning sickness and has an aversion to strong smell.    In...

Are you the type of person who feels guilty whenever you see food rotting in the ref and fruits becoming over-riped because you have lost interest in eating them?   You are not alone.  Yours truly feels very guilty whenever I see bread, rice and fruit rotting away.  One of the most common fruit that easily ripens is the banana.  People often refuse eating over-riped bananas in the Philippines because there is an oversupply of bananas.  In some places in the country, bananas are very cheap.  They are almost given away.  But there are also expensive banana varieties.   The lacatan variety is an expensive kind of banana.  This is often the exported quality.  They are exported to countries like Japan and Korea.  Koreans take their fill of these delicious bananas whenever they visit the Philippines because bananas are expensive in Korea.  They always say, it's so unfair that there are so many delicious and cheap fruit...

Bill Gates was in the Philippines lately although it was a trip that was not announced, which is typical of Bill Gates, it still got leaked by some media men.  One television station got a photo of Mr. Gates' heli in the premises of IRRI, that prestigious research center inside UP Los Banos.  We all know that UP Los Banos is a premiere university dedicated to the study of agriculture and other allied courses so it is fitting that researches on rice should be conducted here.  Besides that, great scholars and educators in the field of agriculture from all over the world have worked in UPLB.  Going inside IRRI is very challenging.  A confirmation of a booking or scheduled visit is needed before anyone is allowed to enter the compound.  So what brought Mr. Gates in IRRI?  He just happens to be the biggest private donor of IRRI and maybe it is time for him to sign that check again that's why he came over to see the goings-on in the center.   But t...

One Direction is by far the hottest boy band of this decade and it is a phenomenon that I neither have the energy or time to spend on being that their music is not my genre of preference and the young handsome guys are not suitable to my generation.  I am more of the Motown craze, not that I have not taken a slight liking to their music.  Pop is as pop goes and truth is, I am not a pop music lover, but then, one can't help but overhear their music playing from the radio.  Well, One Direction is hot again lately because one member is emotionally unprepared to handle fame. It turned out that success and fame is not what Zayn Malik is after for he just announced his retirement from the boy band. What his real reason is, we can only speculate.  He cited he wants to live normally.  He wants to experience what a normal 22-year old experiences and does.  In truth, he can't stand being mobbed by rabid fans it seems.  Well, he seems to be in the wrong b...

This year's first casualty from local showbiz is Liezl Sumilang Martinez, who comes from local showbiz royalty.  She succumbed to lung cancer on Saturday, March 14, 2015.  Prior to lung cancer, Liezl was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in 2008, after two years of treatment, among them stem cell treatment, she recovered and was able to serve in the MTRCB (Movie and Television Review Classification Board).  Unfortunately, in 2012, cancer cells were discovered in her left lungs which ultimately caused her demise.  

                    The fight that has made everyone, except me probably, excited about will finally happen on May 2 and for sure it will be the first of firsts, especially if Manny Pacquiao will knock Floyd "big-mouth" Mayweather out.  As we all probably know, both boxers have stunning records and have fought against the greatest fighters in the boxing arena.   Manny Pacquiao is  called "the Pambansang Kamao" or "the National Fist" (We Filipinos have a knack for catchy labels) for being the only boxer that fought in 7 different divisions and emerging victorious.  Although Manny suffered some defeats, which for me are quiet negligible, these do not erase the fact that he crossed different divisions and holds the championship belts in these divisions.  It's a clear sign of courage and determination.    Manny Pacquiao just needs somebody challenging enough plus, he is also an entertainer who wants peo...

She probably is not the typical beauty pageant contestant with her short-cropped hair, but boy she can carry herself regally.  Tall and shapely, Kaci hails from that nation where the music "reggae" originated.    A real dark horse, Ms. Jamaica was not even in most of the predicted top finalists, but her classy appearance, in the tradition of Hollywood beauties Audrey Hepburn and  Halle Berry,  wowed and impressed the judges.  Her modeling background did play a big role in her disposition.  Camera lenses just love her, they can't get enough of her.  

The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the Philippines' bet for this year's Ms. Universe pageant, MJ Lastimosa, was, holy cow,  this girl is a dead ringer of Shamcey Supsup and like Shamcey Supsup, she has more than fifty percent chances of bagging that crown, which for the past three decades had numerously slipped from the fingers of  each Philippine candidate.   I guess, we've all sympathized with our contestants who came back home without the  major "bacon" for the past three decades, and we all felt sorry and sometimes "bitter" when Philippine contestants didn't get the crown even if majority of them did win runner-up awards. Winning runner-up is not the same as getting the major crown.  But then it's better than coming home empty-handed.  So what's MJ Lastimosa's edge over former candidates we sent to this most prestigious beauty pageant?  Frankly, while others think and believe our former contestants, the likes of ...

The entire Catholic community in the Philippines is again in a state of euphoria because Pope Francis arrived in the Philippines today for a five-day pastoral visit.  Pope Francis will be in the Philippines until January 19.  Pope Francis is the third Pope to visit the Philippine Islands.  The first was Pope Paul VI in 1970, Pope John Paul II, who came to the Philippines twice in 1981 and 1995, during the World Youth Day and Pope Francis, the current Pope. Pope Francis is known as the Pope of 'firsts' because Pope Francis's leadership is non-traditional, going beyond and against the normally practiced traditions/dogmas.  He is also the first non-European Pope, being that he is from Argentina, but he is of Italian ancestry.  He also is the first Pope to use the name Francis, from St. Francis of Assisi.    Because of security concerns, there are many guidelines that the police and other government leaders have imposed in order to prevent any ...

She will forever be Serena Van Der Woodsen to Gossip Girl fans like me, epitomizing the glamorous, girl-next-door that every teenage boy wanted to date or hang out with: a heart breaker.  Loyal fans oohed at her style and fashion, both on screen and off screen.  Her sense of style is impeccable, never wearing anything not suitable to her image, which is something between a "classy and smart fashionista."   Many adored her when she and co-star Penn Badgley became a real-life couple; her followers even prayed they will eventually end up together, like a fairy-tale ending.  Alas, fate would not hear of it.  Being young, talented and  attractive, her destiny would not be her equally attractive baby-faced co-star.  Blake would find the man of her dreams when she was casted opposite Ryan Reynolds in the movie version of Green Lantern, a DC comics character.  Their onscreen romance became for real, and they eventually tied the knot in 2012.  ...