Barack Obama is Elected the 44th President of the USA

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November 4, 2008– Before Poll Closed

Here is the real-time election results widgets that will be shown Nov. 4, US time! Watch the electoral vote count and the congressional balance of power with the national U.S. map or choose a state and see how individual counties are voting. As soon as either McCain or Obama is declared the winner, you and I will know!

The countdown will be replaced automatically by the map a couple hours before the first polls close. (If you can’t view the widget, just look out for the interactive electoral map)

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Develop a Thick Skin and Stay Focused on Blog Goals

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I am into blogging for many reasons like all bloggers have their own reasons. I am in it for the long haul. Yes, I can be opinionated but it’s all part of being a blogger. I make a stand whether it is popular or not. My entries may have hurt a few bloggers and readers. I apologize (when given the opportunity) when feelings are hurt but it doesn’t mean I don’t stand by my entries.

I don’t even claim to be a good person. I am a mainstream blogger trying to make herself a better blogger and person and I fail sometimes. I am not afraid of failure. Pain is a wonderful teacher. I don’t pretend to be nice either especially when I summon my bitch powers to get what I want. I am firm when I know I am right. I admit when I am wrong. I can be civil even at the heat of an argument but I will never act like a palengkera (loudmouth) about it. It doesn’t mean I have not learned from my mistakes. Recovery from unhealthy behavioral pattern is a work in progress and I am not making excuses about it.

Reading Darren Rowse’ Psychology of Blogging affirmed my belief that bloggers should not just know the technical side of blogging. One must be able to stay on track, stay committed and hopefully stay sane. Reality is, not everyone will like you. The more high profile you are, the more the criticisms. The more successful you are, the more some people will want to see you fail. One of his tips is Develop a thick skin which I am quoting here . The bold highlight is mine.

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Photo Hunt: Blue (Skies)

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Photo Hunt theme today is Blue. What better way to portray the Photo Hunt theme than the clear blue skies of Jamesport, Missouri. You know how much I love the country side so a trip to a town with 505 residents was even more exciting for me. As we head off to Jamesport, I notice the sky is a lovely blue as the sunshine starts to beam and the green grass starts to gleam from afar. Not to mention the bales of hay.


It’s rare to see perfect blue skies in a tropical country like the Philippines. I’m not seeing any clouds. Such perfect day it was! I just had to capture the beauty by taking photos of the pristine blue skies as my brother and I head off to our destination with Kippy Cat as my travel mascot.

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Getting Through Stressful Times

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I worry about my daughter who is still in the states. She is there for vacation and some thesis research. It’s natural for a mom to worry especially if she finds out that her daughter’s housing is unpredictable and her money resources are slowly dwindling off. I keep telling her to move to my sister’s place in the suburbs of San Francisco but all she says is I have to learn to start living in the real world.

Yes, she is right. She is an adult and needs to learn to solve her dilemma.

Being the protective mother, I can’t help feeling disappointed that her original housing plan did not materialize. I feel like calling my bitch powers and spew out a tirade of tongue-lashing at the person causing her discomfort and misery. I check myself and remember that my daughter is not a little child. She is not the little girl that I use to place a band-aid on her knee. She can fight her battles. . The ““band-aid” she needs is just within her reach.

It really bugged me that things didn’t work out as planned.

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Subscribe to My Free Weekly Email Newsletter

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So why should you subscribe to my weekly newsletter when you are already subscribed to my blog? Isn’t it redundant?
Email:

Before I encourage you to subscribe to my free weekly email newsletter, let me bring you back to Janette Toral’s commendable project, Philippines Top 100 Blogs for 2008. Unfortunately, I did not make it to the event but she sent a series of interview questions like What have you done this year for your blog that contributed to its growth?

I’d rather measure my blog’s growth to the rewards reaped from my blog’s goal than statistical measurement. Sure there was a rise in subscribers and readers but if there is one thing that touches my heart, it is Saving a life. Strange that this should come from a blog that promotes grief support in the Philippines but I figured that I can do both, save a life and comfort others.

I received an email from someone thanking me that my page on Suicide Prevention saved the life of his friend. The thing is the Suicide Prevention page was more for parents , health practitioners and educators to help prevent suicide deaths. Never did I imagine “suicide thinkers” to actually research on dying by suicide and re-think their plans.

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Mead Johnson’s Enfakid A+ Milk Formula Does Not Nourish Your Kids’ Brain

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Oh the irony of Enfakid A+ Milk Formula with Nourishing the Brain and the Pursuit of Excellence!

Milk Formula Manufacturers are quite aggressive in their marketing campaign that they are not checking their “trying to be smart” ads. Blooey first pointed out the Enfakid Milk Ad as shown in the Inquirer (Page D3, October 22) and I want to re-post the photos and explanation below.


Flipping through PDI today, an ad reads… (page D3)

Flap opens to…

And then the milk formula in the corner.

Their ad further shows that

Your child can learn, discover and imagine far richer with Enfakid A+. Now with enhanced DHA levels that help brain cells communicate well to support your kid’s rapid mental development. Nourish the brain. Pursue Excellence”.

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Happy Birthday Dear Bloggers

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Meet Casey, one of the first generation net kids. If you have read my daughter’s blog (then online journal) when it started in 1996, then you might have met Casey in a few of her entries. Casey is not his real name. I first met Casey and a few of my daughter’s online friends in 1996 because I was an internet safety head of World Kids Network. Back when modems were cranking screeching noises and webpages screaming with blinking fonts, I was a Web 1.0 designer where I built hand-coded HTML pages as the structure to house the content of our websites. I didn’t have an online journal. I thought it was for kids. Lauren and Casey were one of the few kids that started an online journal in 1996.

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Home Sweet Home

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I woke up to the sunlight streaming down my face. A bit dazed, I thought “Where am I?” As the bay window shape loomed in front of me, I smiled and realized I was back home. Oh home sweet home, back to the arms of my sweet husband despite the sore right shoulder. I felt I never left home. The vacation in America felt like a brief respite from the humdrum of my daily grind in Manila.

The day after Lauren arrived in San Francisco, she wanted to spend her time with her good ole mama at the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) instead of the malls. I yelled “let’s shop at the Sephora!” but she refused. This good ole mama just had to agree with her daughter. But the MoMA was closed on wednesday.

The Golden Gate Park was a better plan because it was a few blocks away from her friend’s pad. I just knew there was something for young and old alike from the green oasis of gardens, museums, and over 1000 acres of flower beds, meadows, lakes, playing fields, hills and forests.

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US Elections, Obama, Proposition 8 & Serious Catholics

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US elections is just a few weeks away. As a tourist, US politics is all so new to me. I see the American flag and candidate signs in front of homes and certain spots of each city and state. I like that the signs are not littered all over the place. It is quite neat actually. Conversations in dinner table are now centered on the upcoming elections and some propositions that one needs to answer on the ballot. It’s my first exposure to US politics. Normally, I just read about it in the newspapers.


Sunday mass and the Catholic church in Northern California is a revelation in itself. After the mass, a group passed out brochures on Proposition 8 and a “Voter’s Guide for Serious Catholics”.

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