Online dating site scammers

Scammers are everywhere. They do their stuff on unsuspecting people and get away with it, oftentimes in a successful manner. Ugh. I remember stories about how scammers would act as if they know you, they can easily strike conversation with strangers they think they can easily fool. Such swindlers operate even easily via the Internet. They find a way to hack emails and send messages asking for financial help. Some also send emails introducing themselves as well-respected individuals or somebody who has connections with government authorities, then cleverly trick the recipient into sending money to their account.
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They’re here!

Finally, the Prague bunch is here! I’m so happy to play with my two-year old nephew and four-year old niece again. This morning, my niece insisted that she go with us to the market. Poor kid, it was so hot today with the summer sun at its peak. After few minutes at the market, she already wanted to go home. LOL. Maybe she thought we were going to the mall? The kids also had fun taking a bath and splashing in an inflatable pool in our terrace.
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Out of the blue not-so-good news

Just this day, I got some not-so-good news that made me so disappointed. Ugh. Sometimes helping others can be such a risk, and the people you help behave in the least manner you expect of them; not even thinking of the sacrifices you took just to help them, not even finding a common ground to work it out when things go south. I know I am talking in riddles here, but I just feel so jaded about the whole thing.

Isn’t it that most of the ironies and complexities life brings happen between friends, families and especially couples? Such misfortunes in relationships serve as lessons and you learn more about others, if they are worth trusting or not. Another life lesson learned for me, and I am again reminded to be more aware and sensible, more proactive and prepared for the unexpected.
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Practical home decors

Giving one’s home that warm and comfy look need not be complicated. There are so many ways to spruce up a room or area in the house without much hassle. For instance, putting small plants strategically in the right places goes a long way. Even handcrafted items or souvenirs from travels provide an interesting appeal when displayed in shelves to break the monotony of seeing a line of books or documents.

Another simple way to liven up a space is with candles. The warm flicker from candles brings such a relaxing ambiance to a room. One needs to be careful about using them though, not to leave them unattended.
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Comparing online backup services

Whenever I need to purchase a product or service, I do a lot of research and comparison, especially if it involves a lot of money or related to my work. Doing your homework and reading up on customer reviews as well as product information truly helps. For instance, I did a lot of browsing online before I decided on an unlimited mobile plan; I looked up the free mobile phones included on top of the subscription package. When I also decided on webhosting, it took me weeks to finally choose a provider which I thought had the best package for me.

When it comes to choosing online backup, one needs to do research as well. I know it takes time and it can get tiresome reading all you can about each provider, but it sure goes a long way, and you save yourself from future regrets of choosing poor and unreliable service.
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Career growth and advancement

Isn’t it that we have been told “learning is a lifelong process” and that one should never stop learning new things even after school? I truly believe in this as well. Life keeps on putting new things in our plates and every minute something new comes up especially with the advancements in technology. Some folks might be too tired to learn a new skill or two but they are actually making themselves less prepared for what lies ahead. For instance, folks who resisted learning about computers are now forced to do so, simply because it has become a basic tool in most households; even small kids know how to use them.
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Transforming lives through the arts

We all have our ups and downs in life. I admit to being down oftentimes, even few days ago, I felt sad and confused after I got a call that brought me some really bad news regarding two of my major online income sources. I’m just glad that I have my family to help me through tough times and of course, prayers do help a lot to keep a positive outlook.

For those who have no one to turn to, or those who have difficulty keeping up with life’s problems, depression and loneliness tend to kick in. This is even more evident in nursing homes and hospitals, where people not only feel physical weakness or helplessness but they also go through emotional insecurities oftentimes. 
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Travel safe on the road

There’s so much to look forward to this summer. For one thing, my sis and her family will be here with us soon and we are set to go to Boracay. Wow, I am getting so excited just thinking about it! She and her hubby will also be going to Puerto Princesa for few days. I’m sure many folks have vacation plans for summer as well. We also plan of going to Sipalay and maybe stay there for few nights in one of the beach resorts, but I am not sure if it would push through; the place is just too far for a road trip and would take about half day to go there. I know it would be worth it as I’ve heard rave reviews about Sipalay beaches, but we’re still thinking about it, considering the long drive and if our van can handle it.
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Summer is definitely here!

The heat is on! Yup, summer is here. Normally, I don’t need an electric fan to cool me when I’m working, but right now, I do. Some folks have even gone up to Baguio to escape from Metro Manila’s heat. Here in my province, we also feel the weather getting warmer. The beach and mountain resorts are definitely beckoning us! We do have a scheduled trip to Boracay and I can’t wait for that.
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Virtual storage solutions

It used to be that our data files were kept in cartons and containers, securely sealed and put in a storage room. Nowadays, however, with the shift to digital media, storing files poses some added challenges while entailing less room space. A person thinking about where to store his files should consider few important things in finding out his needs and what method is best in making sure that his files are secured.   

Personal storage solutions are quite simple; just save all files to CDs or DVDs and other data backup medium, then put these in a safe storage place, e.g. safe deposit boxes with lock. Essential data such as financial and funding information are usually kept in such location.
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Personal management issues

I’ve installed some nifty Android apps on my phone to help me manage my time, and remind me of some important stuff, but nowadays I forget about them or even ignore them. For instance, my “Drink Water” app would always remind me, with an alert, when it’s time to drink another glass, but I just ignore it, continuing on with my work. If my phone was a real person, he would have kicked me in the butt for ignoring him. LOL.

The same goes with managing my computer files. I have about three usb drives, they’re actually hard disks taken from old laptops, where some of my old files are stored. I planned on browsing the files in these hard disks and sort out which ones are not important anymore, so I can delete them to clear up disk space. But until now, I still have not gotten to managing them. Oh well. I just hope these hard disks won’t crash. (more…)

Clean-up Week

We will be having some visitors from Prague! Yipeee… that makes me so excited just thinking about it. But there’s a big BUT… the house needs to be cleaned up! LOL. Okay, I love cleaning and tidying things up, but not when there are other tasks needing my attention. But the cleaning up needs to be done anyway, so next week I declare it as “Clean-up Week”, at least here at home. *wink*

Here’s a list of things to do for the Clean-up Week:
1. Dining area: clean windows and wash curtains, clean table glass top
2. Bedrooms upstairs: clean floor, dust off furniture, prepare beddings
3. Stairs: clean and wax floor (more…)

On busyness and missing my exercise routine

My busyness caught up with me again! And with just less than two weeks to go before the Prague bunch comes here, my days are getting busier than ever! Sigh. Sooo many stuff to organize, clean and arrange. The bedrooms upstairs need to be tidied up, as well as the dining area. And the windows…they are crying for some TLC as well.

With such hectic schedule, I doubt if I can still sneak in an hour of dance-exercise session within the week. I even used to have at least ten minutes of exercise after waking up, but not anymore. (more…)

Organizing my computer files

Aside from trying to keep my desk and shelves neat and organized, I also make it a point to regularly clean up my hard disk and delete some obsolete files. It sure takes time though, but it is important to do so once in a while to free up some precious disk space. Another important thing I have to do yet is to backup my files, especially the important ones. I know I am sort of procrastinating on this aspect. I used to have online backup, a free version, but now I have totally forgotten about that account and am sure it’s already been disabled by the provider.

For those who love keeping their files, just like me, why not consider online backup. If you already have backups of files in DVDs and hard disks, you may as well consider storing your precious data virtually in the ‘cloud’, as most businesses are doing these days.
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Rainy yet busy Tuesday at home

It’s been raining mostly today. A gloomy yet relaxing weather such as this makes me want to procrastinate on a lot of tasks, have a really nice rest and daydream about an overnight stay in this resort… *wink*

I was able to finish some long overdue room cleaning though and I’m glad about that. I started to arrange some of the bed sheets, curtains and other stuff inside the small cabinet.
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Keeping up with the latest trends in the construction industry

“Sorry for the inconvenience: Road construction ongoing.” That’s the road sign glaring at motorists these days as they enter our city. Ugh. It’s been months already and the ongoing road construction is currently causing heavy traffic, resulting to only one lane instead of two, impeding the smooth flow of traffic whenever a public utility vehicle stops by to pick up or drop off some passengers along the highway. I do hope that the contractor would finish the project according to schedule. In the construction industry, it is a good practice to provide not just quality work but completing it within specified time as well.
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The search is on

Doing research can be tough especially if the topic is something you are not familiar with. How many hours or days do you spend looking online for that something you really need? Well, it could be information related to work, such as the historical background of a place, or something related to shopping and other personal needs. My sis is fond of browsing online for all sorts of stuff, from arts and crafts projects to travel deals and beach clothing. One can spend days just browsing over affordable hotel deals for an upcoming vacation.
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Reminiscing

Music can really bring us back to those good old days. I was listening to few albums from Everything But The Girl and their songs made me nostalgic, especially their Worldwide album and the song One Place. Oh well, those were the days of staying up late, doing homework and battling with pimples! My favorite songs would usually take me back to those days because I used to solve some of those calculus problems with music blaring in the background.
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Spring cleaning

In my part of the world, there are only two major seasons, wet and dry; no chilly winter, glorious spring, sundrenched summer or colorful autumn seasons. Thus, I can’t relate with the Western way of changing types of clothes to adapt to the different seasons. Here, you just wear what’s comfortable and suited to the occasion; most of the clothes here can be worn all throughout the year. Even during the cold season of December and January, people here are still wearing sleeveless tops and shorts at the malls. One can easily reach for a cardigan if the weather gets too cold.
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So excited

Just this morning, while on our way home, I noticed more and more buildings being constructed along the highway; definitely proof that our city is increasingly becoming modern. In fact, a mall is being constructed just few kilometers from our subdivision. This is making me excited! I hope it would open soon, if possible when my sis and her family will be here by May. Hmmm…Maybe, it is asking too much though, as I see the present construction site; still not much progress, but hey, some buildings are put up pretty fast with modern technology, right?
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Home sweet-scented home!

Nothing beats coming home to a sweet-scented place; inviting you to relax after a long stressful day at work. Lighting up your favorite scented candle can bring such sweet-smelling ambiance, and we know these are also great as decors in dimly lit corners of the home, the yellowish hues of light providing a comfortable and relaxing scene.

However, there are more practical, and safer, ways of bringing that sweet scent to your home with Scentsy warmers; these are attractive ceramic decors installed with a low-wattage light bulb that heats up and melts the scented wax on the cover dish above it. There are so many Scentsy fragrance packs to match your mood, as well as a wide range of ceramic warmer styles to suit your design preferences.
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On failed expectations and picking up the pieces

Lately, I have experienced some disappointments in my life. One of them was about an expected payment which turned out nada. What a big disappointment to have waited over a year and be informed that something went wrong with my account, and I won’t be getting any payment at all, plus my account was suspended. Another major letdown was the insurance company that we’ve been diligently paying quarterly for our life plans; we heard from the news that they are facing some financial setbacks. The other disappointment, I won’t discuss here but it was very much unexpected and caused a lot of confusion and regret on my part.
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Work at home dilemma

As somebody working at home, I can list so many advantages for it over a career as a regular employee who needs to work in the office. I have worked in a telecoms firm before, commuting daily to the office, staying up late sometimes to catch up on some deadlines, and all that stuff. I truly enjoyed my career in the corporate world, but after much deliberation, I decided to go the risky path of self-employment, and consequently, working at home.

While working at home offers the flexibility of schedule and the convenience of working at your own pace, there are also some disadvantages to it. The major one that I can think of is discipline and strictly following your schedule. This is easy if you are the only one living in the house, but with other persons around, you need to adjust your time to accommodate some unexpected things that would come up that are not listed in your day’s agenda.
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Your dream home

If you were asked about your dream home, how would you imagine it to be? I’m sure most folks would readily answer with something that resembles a millionaire’s mansion, fully furnished and complete with all the residential facilities you’ll ever need. The rooms inside would actually depend on a person’s priority and hobbies, things that make him happy. For instance, some would prefer a chapel or prayer room in their house, while others would like a large family area with entertainment facilities.
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Zzzleeepy…

I dunno what’s wrong with me these days, I’m just feeling too tired and sleepy and lazy. I guess that’s what sleeping late, at almost 3 AM, successively, did for me. And yesterday, I had to wake up at 6 AM, even if I was only able to sleep for about 3 hours. We had to attend the early morning Sunday Mass since we were going to a birthday celebration at a nearby resort. After the late lunch, which had my tummy grumbling, I decided to have a nap, but unfortunately, I was not well rested because of the noise around. And today, I felt sleepy again after breakfast. LOL.
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Two more months to go!

Wow, I am obviously getting excited about the merry month of May! My cutie sis, her hubby, and their two cute kids will be coming here for a vacation. It’s really something we’re looking forward to this coming summer. Now, I am busy working day and night, so I can afford to spend lots of bonding time with sis and her family when they’ll be here. I really am excited, right?

We already booked a 3D/2N stay in Boracay among other things. And that means going to Iloilo and hiring a van to take us to Aklan. My sis is still inquiring about the rental rates, hoping to get the best deal for us.
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Looking good online

I’ve not been active on Facebook lately. It’s a self-imposed hibernation so I could focus on so many piled-up tasks. I do login sometimes to check some important messages and family updates, but I decided not to post status updates or comment on friends’ posts. I just noticed that most of the people on my friends list have updated their photos. Regarding uploading of profile pics on social networking sites, it’s usually amusing to find all sorts of poses from funny to desperate. LOL.
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On church interior acoustics

“What time do we go to Mass tomorrow?” Dad asked during dinner. “Ten AM, of course,” was my reply. That is our usual schedule every Sunday, but I guess he just wants some clarification. Anyway, we prefer that time because it is in a subdivision chapel and the sound there is better compared to our parish church. We have attended many Masses in our parish church and unfortunately the sound is just so unintelligible especially if you sit in the middle section. I think the echo within the walls is just too much and the church interior needs acoustically designed walls and ceilings.
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Music from the 80’s

Last night I was caught up in the 80’s music era, lost in the world of Tears For Fears, Psychedelic Furs, Level 42, Johnny Hates Jazz and other bands. The bittersweet memories of school days came to mind, making me wish that I could “turn back the clock,” as the Johnny Hates Jazz song goes. Those were the days when my friends and I would always take time to watch the concerts of our favorite local bands and most of the songs they played were new wave and punk.
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Catching up on my exercise routine

After postponing and making up a hundred excuses for not being able to exercise, finally I did it! I was able to return to an almost daily fitness routine, with more focus on the abdomen and chest areas. Yeah, I want to have a flat tummy! LOL. I call it my Set A routine with basic exercise movements. I plan to add Set B with more rigid movements involving a dance fitness program.
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