Are you suffering from some form of Addiction?

If so, seek medical help before it is too late. There are several types of addiction. The most common from my personal point of view are gambling, computer, nicotine or TV addiction. There are other types such as drugs, pornography or sex or even food addiction. Any activity that ruined the balance of your life is an addiction. Let me discuss only four types of addiction that I have personal experience.
Image from youcanstopnow.com
Nicotine: My wife is addicted to nicotine. She is a nurse and she knows the medical implications and effects of nicotine in her body. She tried to quit several times for the last 40 years. I even sent her to a Cessation Clinic, but after a few weeks, she is back to smoking. Nicotine causes changes in your brain, that makes people to use it more and more. Nicotine addiction is the hardest to break, because of the physical symptoms of withdrawal.Among the symptoms of withdrawal are: Irritability, anxiety, hostility,impatience, depressed mood, restlessness, difficulty concentrating and decreased heart rate.
The worst part of this habit, is that cigarettes increases one's risk of a heart attack My wife knows this as a medical professional, but she can't quit. I need help to convince her to stop. Can you help? For more information on nicotine addiction call 1-800-662-4357.
Photo from highlyvisitedblog.com
Computer/TV Addiction: I am mildly addicted to it. I spent about four to six hours in the computer every day. First thing I do, when I wake up is to read my e-mail. Then I check my Face Book and Twitter Accounts. Then I read all the news in US and in the Philippines. Then I manage my eighth blog sites. Afterwards I will start writing articles if I am in the mood. By the time I could get out of the computer, it is about noon time. I know I am mildly addicted, because when we are in Marinduque, if there is a power outage for more than an hour, I become restless and irritable and depressed. Luckily, I still could control my computer habit and it is not ruining my life. My wife is mildly addicted to the Filipino TV channel. She loves watching Filipino soap operas(Amaya). For information on how to treat computer addiction, call 1-617-855-2908.
Photo from cbc.ca.gov
Gambling Addiction: Both my wife and myself are mildly addicted to the Casinos. As part of our entertainment, we go to the Casinos every week. My wife loves the slot machines and I play Pai Gow Poker. We used to go to movies, eat in fancy restaurants and attend Broadway shows and Concerts prior to my retirement. We do however, stick to our weekly budget. Once we reached that budget, we go home. Sometimes we win, but our losses are more than our winnings as expected. I know that I will never get rich going to the Casinos. We also go the Casinos because of the reasonable prices of food in the Buffet. When we are in the Philippines for six months every year, we go only to the Casino maybe once or twice and we really do not missed it. So, thank GOD, we are not GAMBOHOLICS yet ! If you know of someone with gambling problems, the number to call is 1-877-718-5543.
Again, let me emphasized, if you think you are addicted to the Casinos or the Computer, please seek professional help, as soon as possible. Do not wait until you are deeply addicted or the addiction have already ruined your life. Call your local Gamblers Anonymous for help for gambling addiction.

Choral Singing in the Philippines and in the US

When Macrine and I were students at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City (early-1950's), we joined the University of the Philippines Student Catholic Action Choir (UPSCA). This was an extracurricular activity that we both loved and enjoyed.

So every time I heard choral music it reminds me of my student days, making me feel young again. This video is one of the best choral music that I have heard so far from You Tube. Enjoy "the Prayer" as sang by the world renown Philippine Madrigal Singers. The background are scenery's of nature, animals and birds with most of the photographs highlighting the four seasons in the US. A couple of photos show children from the Philippines and India.

Macrine and I loved singing in the choir here in Northern California. In our younger days, we sang in our church choir on Sunday masses in Pinole, as well as with the UP Alumni, Berkeley Chapter Choir based in El Sobrante, California. Six years ago, we sang in the Church Choir here in Fair Oaks. We even sang a duet of Silent Night in Tagalog at the concert before the Christmas midnight mass. Macrine and I had also organized the Marinduque Association of the Capital Area( MACA) Christmas Caroling Group in Colesville, Maryland in the late 1990's.

Macrine used to be a soloist. She sang soprano coloratura in her younger days. Today her voice is ruined by her cigarette smoking. I sang baritone, also comfortable with tenor. I could read notes, and took piano lessons, when I was a kid. I have taken only about six months of voice lesson, but did well on my first concert singing "O Solo Mio", an Italian song and Buhat, a Tagalog song. This shows that I am not only a frustrated writer but also a frustrated singer.

7 Months Stats on Number of Page Views from my 8 Blogs

The following is the 7 months statistics on the number of page views from my eight blogs. The first column was taken on 6/23/11, second column on 1/15/12, the 3rd colunm the net gain and the last colunm is the percent increase. Visitors from my 8 blogs came from 135 countries.

Blog Name 6/23/11 1/15/12 Net Gain Percent Increased

1. Life in US 9,853 77,443 67,590 906%
2. Marinduque Awaits You 4,696 93,491 88,795 1,890%
3. Chateau Du Mer 6,401 71,888 65,487 1,023%
4. Marinduque, My Island Paradise 10,266 74,724 64,458 627%
5. Why Retire in the Philippines 10,273 27,614 17,348 168%
6. Where the Heck is Marinduque? 3,278 31,678 28,400 866%
7. I left my Heart in Marinduque 2,410 24,765 22,355 927%
8. The Intellectual Migrant 10,313 53,051 42,738 414%

Conclusion: I have no reason to quit blogging. The number of page views is increasing in the right direction. Hopefully this will translate into more adsense dollars. To all my readers from 135 countires, thank you for visiting my sites, especially to those of you who took your time in making comments. Have a good 2012 and I hope you continue supporting my blogs and tell your friends and relatives about my blog sites.

Slide Show of Photographs on this Site

Balanacan Cove, Mogpog, Marinduque

Are You Ready for the End of the World?

I just received an e-mail from a friend reminding me that the end of the world as predicted by Nostradamus, or by the Masons is just a little more than 11 months from now, that is on 12/21/2012. He asked me if I am ready. I answered him, yes without a doubt. I even told him, that it could be sooner, if the US and other countries do not watch carefully what is going on in North Korea, Iran,or Pakistan these days.

The e-mail aroused my curiosity so I went to the website, www.history.com under Armageddon I found several videos, about the Masons, Nostradamus, THE MAYAN CALENDAR and Chinese predictions saying the same thing. But I am not worried and still feel ready for the end of the World. I feel I have done my best to the utmost of my ability, to be a productive citizen of the world as well as a good father and grandfather, husband and chemist. I even informed, him I just finished organizing highlights of my autobiography and is now published in one of my seven blogs that I dedicated to family and friends. My autobiography is now in book form and had been given as my Christmas gifts to my grandchildren last year.

My question to you, my readers, Are you also ready? If not, start organizing your life. If you believe in this prediction you have only about 11 months to get ready. What do you think? Is this pure fiction or just a hype to sell more videos. Is there scientific basis for this prediction? Here's a short video for your information.

A Tribute to Our Senior Citizens

Image from swapmeetdave.com
Senior Citizens Merriment

Recently I received this short posting from a friend knowing that I am a member of the group called "senior citizens" here in Northern California. If you have been a follower of my blogs, you probably know this already. However, if this is your first time to visit my blog, let me assure you that I am a very proud member of that group. As a member, I just don't seat all day watching TV, but quite active in managing my eight blogs and one web site and writing when I feel like it. However, I believe, there are not too many seniors involved in blogging, most of the bloggers I know are in their early 20 to late 50's. If you know of a blogger who is over 77 years old, please introduce me to her or him, for we have something in common. Here's the posting that I received recently. It is titled " The $2.99 Special".

"If you are a senior you will understand this one, if you deal with seniors this should help you understand them a little better, and if you are not a senior yet........God willing, someday you will be......
We went to breakfast at a restaurant where the 'seniors' special' was two eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast for $2.99.

'Sounds good,' my wife said. 'But I don't want the eggs.'

'Then, I'll have to charge you three dollars and forty-nine cents because you're ordering a la carte,' the waitress warned her.

'You mean I'd have to pay for not taking the eggs?' my wife asked incredulously.

'YES!!' stated the waitress.

'I'll take the special then,' my wife said.

'How do you want your eggs?' the waitress asked.

'Raw and in the shell,' my wife replied. She took the two eggs home and baked a cake.

DON'T MESS WITH SENIORS!!!
WE'VE been around the block more than once!