BTW, Happy Halloween!

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Just Do It!

Remember the Nike commercial? We saw basketball players saying, Just do it. Well, in organizing, it is sooo applicable.

Messies came up with this habit of doing it now - JUST DO IT - Do not wait till you feel like it. Just move your body through the motions like a robot if that is all you can do. Face the fact that some things do not inspire. It is nice to want to. But do not wait for the humor to hit you. Just do it. Set a timer for just ten or fifteen minutes and say to yourself what someone on the group has said, "Only fifteen minutes, then I can quit."

That's Nike.

Mamma Mia!

I attended a baptismal last week (a celebration for another baby in the family) and it was ok. And as usual, food was good. Don’t we just love celebrations? Mostly because of food…not just any food, but good food. Yumyum.

Anyway, I watched Mamma Mia this evening and I just love the songs! It was all Abba and I like the way how smooth it blended with the script. It’s exactly (if I have to term it better than being apt).

The story was all about a daughter in search for her father – the thing is, she doesn’t have any idea which among the three persons written in her mother’s diary (which she discovered). And one of them will giver away on her wedding day. Okay, it’s kinda confusing as I write this one, but you better watch to find out. All I can say is that, I enjoyed watching it and hearing the songs!


PLOT

20-year-old Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) lives with her mother Donna (Meryl Streep) in her hotel ‘Villa Donna’, on the small Greek island of Kalokairi. She wants her father present at her upcoming wedding to Sky (Dominic Cooper), but does not know his identity (I Have a Dream). Sophie confides in her friends Ali (Ashley Lilley) and Lisa (Rachel McDowall) about her potential fathers. After reading her mother's old diary, she has concluded he must be one of three men: Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), Harry Bright (Colin Firth), or Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgård) (Honey, Honey). She secretly sends wedding invitations to all three – under Donna’s name and that she expects to recognize her real father instantly, but when she meets all the men at once, she realizes she cannot tell which he is. She hides them from her mother and makes them promise not to reveal she invited them to the wedding.

Meanwhile, Donna bemoans to her newly-arrived friends Rosie (Julie Walters) and Tanya (Christine Baranski) the troubles of running and repairing a hotel by herself (Money, Money, Money), although she insists she is happier alone. While making repairs, she accidentally discovers the three men and panics. While trying to get another look at them and fighting a losing battle of desire versus sanity (Mamma Mia!), she falls through the trapdoor in the roof, and the men convince her that their presence there is a coincidence, honoring their promise to Sophie. A horrified Donna asks the three men to leave the island.

Tanya and Rosie try to comfort Donna after seeing her upset (Chiquitita). Donna explains that the three potential fathers are on the island, dubbing it a ‘hideous trick of fate’. Tanya and Rosie, who used to be her backing dancers in ABBA-esque girl group “Donna and the Dynamos”, remind her of her free-spirited past, and they gradually cheer her up spectacularly (Dancing Queen).

Sophie visits the three men as they prepare to leave Kalokairi, persuades them to stay for the wedding, and listens to their memories of her mother (Our Last Summer). She returns to Sky and they talk about their love (Lay All Your Love On Me) on the beach, where he is ambushed by friends from his bachelor party.

That evening, “Donna and the Dynamos” recreate their act for Sophie’s bachelorette party (Super Trouper) to entertain the guests, and Bill, Sam and Harry end up at the party by mistake. The bachelorettes pounce on the unsuspecting men at the bar (Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!).

Sophie talks to Bill alone, who realizes he could be her father, (The Name of the Game) and agrees to give her away at the wedding. Meanwhile, the others also conclude that they could be her father. Sky's bachelor party invades the hen party (Voulez-Vous), and in the commotion, each ‘father’ separately tells her that he will give her away at the wedding. In the midst of the party, Sophie faints over her dilemma.

The following day, while Donna’s friends are trying to keep the men away from the wedding, Sophie and Donna argue, as Sophie believes her mother wants her to call off the wedding, while she still resents growing up unaware of her father’s identity.

Harry feels badly for missing Sophie's upbringing, and insists that Donna accept a large monetary gift to cover the “cost of the wedding”. Sam and Donna try to talk but are increasingly frustrated with each other, and they separately lament their lost love (SOS). Tanya rejects the playful advances of younger barman Pepper (Philip Michael) and some of Sky's other friends (Does Your Mother Know).

Sophie confesses to Sky what she has done, and he becomes unsure about their coming wedding, feeling sidelined by her ‘fathers’. A distressed Sophie asks her mother if she will help her dress for the wedding (instead of her bridesmaids) and Donna agrees, thrilled. Donna reminisces about precious times to get her now grown-up daughter (Slipping Through My Fingers). Sophie asks her mother to give her away at the wedding.

En route, Donna rebuffs Sam, as she is still deeply hurt that he left her (The Winner Takes It All) and offers him to sing with her because he was engaged to another woman. She then runs away to her daughter’s wedding on the hilltop.

During the ceremony, Donna reveals that Sophie’s father (although she doesn’t know who) is present, and then realizes Sophie had invited them all. The three men declare they are all thrilled to be Sophie’s potential father, and will gladly be ‘a third of a father each’. Sophie cancels the wedding, to Sky’s delight, so that they can go traveling together instead, as they still feel too young to settle down.

Making the most of the surroundings, Sam declares he is still in love with Donna, and proposes, explaining that after leaving her 20 years ago, he went to England to break off his engagement, but returned to Kalokairi to be told she was away dating another man (Bill). He went home and got married anyway, but he is now divorced. Donna eventually says yes after learning the truth (I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do).

While Sam and Donna celebrate with their newfound family and friends (When All Is Said and Done), Rosie pursues her attraction to the (initially reluctant) Bill, (Take a Chance on Me), and it is revealed that Harry is gay. As the crowd dances in the courtyard, a tremor breaks open its central mosaic, and a tall spray rains over the party (Mamma Mia! reprise). Sophie and Sky sail away on their travels (I Have a Dream reprise), leaving Sam and Donna to live happily ever after on the island.

During the end, Donna and the Dynamos perform "Dancing Queen", and the main cast join with Waterloo. Amanda Seyfried sings Thank You for the Music over the end and every part of the credits in the world.

Source: Wikipedia
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BTW, this movie was one of the highest opening weekend ever before High School Musical 3 replaced it...but that's another movie! And here's one of my favorite songs from the movie, Honey, Honey, happy singing!

Asthma and the Purified Air

The changing weather these days is really not good for my kids. You see, they got allergic rhinitis, or what they call hay fever that it really worries me when they start rubbing their noses and start sneezing. The worst part is, if they colds weren’t prevented or cured, they would start coughing. These eventually lead to more serious problems.

A month ago, my youngest that’s only ten months old got hit with pneumonia, my second got upper respiratory tract infection, and my daughter, the eldest, got bronchitis. It’s so hard to be in a situation where the concern is my children’s overall health.

So, how do I avoid it?

One, I try to explain as much as possible to them that they should cover their mouths and noses when somebody sneezes or coughs, and if and when they do the same. In our little home, I bought an EcoQuest International air purifiers, to lessen their allergic reactions (since hay fever is normally allergic to dusts and dust mites). And at this time, I think it’s really working for them because the sneezing is lessened when I installed it!

Torpedoing Words

Let us imagine that you have decided to dejunk an area. As you go about making decisions you find these unproductive words recurring in your thinking, urging you to keep the very things that are cluttering up your life.

MIGHT - As in "I might need that later."
COULD - As in "Somebody could use that."
MAYBE - Like "Maybe I will think of something to do with this."
OUGHT - Like "I ought to read this book."
SHOULD - "Somebody should preserve this for posterity."

These short little words will torpedo your resolve if you let them stay in your thinking. They may be true but they don't apply to your situation. Be alert to their destructive force. Don't let them determine your action -- or lack of action.

(Source: Della of Nestbuilders, The Organizer Lady)

Make a Successful Take Off

DAILY ACTIVITIES

A good take-off sets the tone of the day

1. WAKE UP - set a time

2. JUMP UP - don't lie abed, there's a wonderful world waiting

3. MAKE UP - the bed immediately, automatically

4. EAT UP - something nutritious

5. WASH UP - bathe body or wash face

6. BRUSH UP - take care of your teeth

7. DRESS UP - Completely from head to toe including hair, shoes, and make-up of some kind on your face

8. LOOK UP - Somewhere during the day you need to turn your heart upward to God. It is a good way to start the day.

9. START UP - Take a few minutes to prepare for tomorrow's launch by making lunches, putting materials by the door, etc.

10. ADD ANY OTHERS YOU NEED

(Source: part of the Messies Anonymous founded in l981 by Sandra Felton, The Organizer Lady. Messies Anonymous has more organizing help for you. Check out www.DOTm. Check out wwwdotmessiesdotcom and other organizing tools.)

Willingness

We have to be willing to make some changes
in the way we think
if we are ever going
to make permanent changes
in our houses.

(Source: Messies Manual)

This is really true. It's not just enought that we plan it, but there should be willingness to work for it. Serves true in every aspect of our lives.

Getting Things Done

This is how my life is going in the past couple of years:

* I have several folders with must-do things that was never done;
* I have bought books I wanted but never got to read;
* I spent more time using the Internet than any other time supposedly doing more important things;
* I have less and less time of productivity;
* I have several chores that never get done;
* I have other things I wanted to do but I never quite did it.

As a result of the pressure of things to do, I ended up not doing it. This fact is stressful that I wanted to finally change it. Then I bought a book on organization, I wasn't thinking at all of reorganizing my stressful life (which became full of baggage simply because I procrastinate), but when I got to read the pages (I read that when my baby was hospitalized), I realized, there should be something to be done before I really fall flat to my face, at my own folly. So, here it is!

Quote:

There are no shortcuts
to any place worth going.
- Beverly Sills, Opera Singer

Remembering this:

When you choose the behavior,
you choose the consequences.

Breaking the Mañana Habit

The title said it. My days of disorganization have to stop. Got to stop. I wanted order. And I'm getting it. As the homily said: "Learn to know what to start. Learn to know what to stop. Learn to know what to continue and sustain."

This new category is a journey of self-discovery to improve quality of life and break-free from procrastination. To accomplish goals long been pending from the road to self-improvement, to working the plans. Setting a pace, pursuing the goals and become stress-free from small stuff. Go, go, go!!!

Breaking Down But Going Up

The past few days was a mess. I was a mess. I couldn't think straight. As if all things seems too overwhelming, my stress level shoots up every time I hear negative things, my thoughts were topsy turvy as it rewinds negative thoughts - over and over again. It was soo frustrating and I keep on fighting it - just to get through.

I couldn't say if I am okay now, but I have to declare that I am. In my most darkest moments, it is so good to remember the simple things. And then, it really dawned on me, yeah, in this hustle and bustle of life, we do forget the most simple things.

The simple thing of listening to your body as it asks for a good rest. To listen to your kids or watch them as they try to understand the world around them. To always be thankful of what you have now - which is not the material things you own or the fame you have or whatever temporal things that surrounds you. The most important thing is your life - and the present you have to live it. To always look up to God and thank Him for whatever He has given you. To always take care of your family, and live happily with them.

As we look at our kids, our husbands and relatives, how do we look at them? It's true that at times, it can be irritating, because in a sense,we wanted the peace of being alone - but you know what? In times of suffering, you don't want to be.

Now, I listen to my body. I rest when I need to and when I want to. I am not a net addict anymore. There's more to life than sitting in front of a computer. I am now trying to relax more and not allowing distractions and stress to get the better of me.

As the Organizer Lady said, "Honor your needs for drinking enough water, taking time to go to the bathroom, getting enough rest, and not over scheduling."

Rumelhart's Interactive Model of Readng

Explain the compensatory features of the interactive model of reading. Give a personal example with a specific text.

======================================================

The compensatory features of the interactive model of reading can be applied when doing a research. When I was still an MBA student, we were tasked with topics to study. Given the tasks, it involves thorough reading and at the same time a lot of scanning and skimming (discern important points and ignore the rest) especially when some reading resources were to be taken from the internet.

I think that the beauty of the interactive model is emphasized when the reader is an active reader and proficient in his readings. Added to that, motivational beliefs of that reader tend to be high. This is not disregarding that there are others that’s low on motivation but are interactive readers especially when prompted or compelled.

When I read this question, I did not quite know what to write. Stressing what was pointed in Box 3-2 that “if the reader lacks any crucial skill or piece of knowledge, the flow of information through the system will be obstructed”, in this case, the piece of knowledge I’ve wanted to point out seems to be escaping me. Thus, I’ve compensated it with other readings to finally make my own understanding of the texts. Here, the usefulness of the interactive model has been noted.

Rustom Padilla a.k.a. Bebe Gandanghari

This was really a surprise when Rustom Padilla on TV wearing this! Now that he's out in the open, he's more accepting to other possibilities, and the society, even in shock, others in awe (he's really pretty), although it's kinda weird, well, that's Rustom!

RA 1405

LAW ON SECRECY OF BANK DEPOSITS
Republic Act No.1405, as amended

AN ACT PROHIBITING DISCLOSURE OF OR INQUIRY
INTO, DEPOSITS WITH ANY BANKING INSTITUTION AND
PROVIDING PENALTY THEREFORE

Section I. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Government to give encouragement to the people to deposit their money in banking institutions and to discourage private hoarding so that the same may be properly utilized by banks in authorized loans to assist in the economic development of the country.

Sec. 2.1 All deposits of whatever nature with banks or banking institutions in the Philippines including investments in bonds issued by the Government of the Philippines, its political subdivisions and its instrumentalities, are hereby considered as of an absolutely confidential nature and may not be examined, inquired or looked into by any person, government official, bureau or office, except when the examination is made in the course of a special or general examination of a bank and is specifically authorized by the Monetary Board after being satisfied that there is reasonable ground to believe that a bank fraud or serious irregularity has been or is being committed and that it is necessary to look into the deposit to establish such fraud or irregularity, or when the examination is made by an independent auditor hired by the bank to conduct its regular audit provided that the examination is for audit purposes only and the results thereof shall be for the exclusive use of the bank, or upon written permission of the depositor, or in cases of impeachment, or upon order of a competent court in cases of bribery or dereliction of duty of public officials, or in cases where the money deposited or invested is the subject matter of the litigation. (As amended by PD No.1792, January 16, 1981)

Sec. 3. It shall be unlawful for any official or employee of a bank to disclose to any person other than those mentioned in Section Two hereof, or for an independent auditor hired by a bank to conduct its regular audit to disclose to any person other than a bank director, official or employee authorized by the bank, any information concerning said deposits. (As amended by PD No.1792)

Sec. 4. All acts or parts of Acts, Special Charters, Executive Orders, Rules and Regulations which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed.

Sec. 5. Any violation of this law will subject the offender upon conviction, to an imprisonment of not more than five years or a fine of not more than twenty thousand pesos or both, in the discretion of the court.

Sec. 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

APPROVED, September 9, 1955.

__________

1 This Section and Section 3 were both amended by Pres. Decree No.1792, issued January 16, 1981, PD 1792 was expressly repealed by Sec. 135 of Rep. Act No.7653, approved June 14, 1993. The original Sections 2 and 3 of Rep. Act No.1405 are hereby reproduced for reference, as follows: "Sec. 2 All deposits of whatever nature with banks or banking institutions in the Philippines including investments in bonds issued by the Government of the Philippines, its political subdivisions and its instrumentalities, are hereby considered as of an absolutely confidential nature and may not be examined, inquired or looked into by any person, government official, bureau or office, except upon written per- mission of the depositor, or in cases of impeachment, or upon order of a competent court in cases of bribery or dereliction of duty of public officials. or in cases where the money deposited or invested is the subject matter of the litigation," "Sec. 3. It shall be unlawful for any official or employee of a banking institution to disclose to any person other than those mentioned in Section two hereof any information concerning said deposits."

(source: BSP)

Ruth and Bonita Trust

On our way to mass in St. Paul, the kids and I saw a woman in her 40s carrying a crying infant. I got kind of worried since I’ve heard a lot about babies being sold. I worry about the baby’s safety and I worried about the mom who will worry and hurt for losing her child. It’s not a good feeling. Being a mom is hard, worrying about the safety of your kids all the time. I guess, at times, I think that because of poverty. They would just grab any opportunity they could get at the expense of others.

But you know what? There are others who grab opportunities for the benefit of others. Example of that is Ruth Parasol. She’s a philanthropist based in Gibraltar. One of her goals for the people of Gibraltar is to augment the quality of education Gibraltar students have.

Imagine, this place does not have a full time higher education, so, how would these students who aim to graduate to college do that? I would assume there are students, who aim to get a degree, with the aid of people who does charity works like Ruth Parasol, who is the founder of Bonita Trust. If I have the same capacity to give, I would also do what this good person did through her Trust.

Appreciate Yourself

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"Lend yourself to others,
but give yourself to yourself."

-Michel de Montaigne



"Your problem is -
you're too busy holding onto your unworthiness."

-Ram Dass



"Don't let anyone steal your dream.
It's your dream, not theirs."

-Dan Zadra





"Other people's opinion of you
does not have to become your reality."

-Les Brown







"Don't let life discourage you;
everyone who got where he is
had to begin where he was."

- Richard L. Evans