Is Manila Ready for an Earthquake? -- from CNN

A big NO would be my answer. I did not need to be an architect, a scientist, or a politician to answer that question. I may not have scientific calculations and reports as proof, but I am definitely sure Manila is not yet prepared for an earthquake like what happened to Haiti (7.0), Chile (8.8) and China (6.9).

Earthquakes hit without warnings, they damage and kill without exceptions, so why isn't Philippines getting ready for it when we've already seen the destruction it brought to Haiti, Chile and China recently? I sure would love to be a part of that preparation.

According to CNN, after what happened to Haiti, Chile and China, Philippines could be next. The Marikina fault is more or less ready to give in, it goes straight into the heart of Manila where 11 million people reside.

According to Mahar Lagmay, a geologist, a magnitude 7 earthquake is like detonating a thousand Nagasaki atom bombs, underneath the earth's surface along the trace of the Marikina Valley fault.

Let's face it, it's not only the Marikina Valley fault that's in danger of giving in when an earthquake hit the Philippines. There are hundreds or even thousands of houses that has cracks on its walls and floors, not to mention, the poor housing standards our country has.

Felino Palafox, one of our country's top architects, has submitted recommendations to the government on what has to be done to make Manila safer, but got no response... Now that the election draws nearer, could it really be that politics is more important than the safety of the lives of many Filipinos?

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake could probably wipe out Manila, but what if a much bigger earthquake hits us instead? What would be left of Manila then?

Watch the video below to know more!

Though what the Philippine's defense chief Norberto Gonzales said is true, "there's no 100 percent preparation for a major earthquake... despite all the preparations, there will be casualties", a preparation is all that we can do to minimize damages and casualties that a major earthquake can do.

Source: CNN

Life of a Search Engine Optimizer

As what most people would expect, we, search engine optimizers or SEO specialists live the same life on the net. You see us searching through the web for hours reading articles, joining all sorts of forums, interacting with other SEOs and even spot us on some social networking sites, but what you don’t see is that these things are a part of our job. It‘s not even half of what we do inside the office!

We may seem so similar with each other, but what really makes a search engine optimizer different from another is through the methods and strategies we use, our years of experience, and our aggressiveness when it comes to pushing our limits. Some find it easy to learn and understand what Search Engine Optimization is, everyone can be a SEO, but not everyone can be a good SEO.

Personally, I learned SEO by force and in a hard way. It was year 2007, I was a fresh grad looking for a job as a programmer. Due to many failed 3-hour programming exams (and one failed web design exam) on several companies, I ended up applying for a SEO specialist position in a small company in Pasig, where they offered me training. I was depressed and really frustrated at that time, so I took the job.

My SEO trainer made me do a lot of stuff on the internet that I never knew, like for example, blogging. Yeah I know, creating blogs is very simple; I was a shy introvert who spent most of her time locked up at home watching TV and playing Ragnarok Online, how am I supposed to know?! I was even embarrassed when my trainer instructed me to create a Gmail account and I didn’t even know where to start.

It was a very rocky road for me becoming a SEO specialist, but the moment I came to realize that this field kinda suits me, I held tight on it and instead of remaining a simple backup link builder for the big shots, I worked my way on top and became a real SEO specialist.

Let me give you an idea of what kind of life a search engine optimizer lives:

The Noob

The newbie search engine optimizer always, with a bit of fear, follows search engine guidelines, read lots of articles and join webmaster forums. It is a must for a newbie to always have his beginner’s manual whether it’s a hard or soft copy, and you may sometimes caught a newbie peeking at his fellow noob’s techniques. A newbie never spam, unless told so or forced to, and always mistakenly use his own personal info instead of using a dummy account.

The Experienced SEO Lad

By this time, this search engine optimizer has already realized that it’s much safer for him to use a dummy account. An experienced SEO has his own set of techniques and strategies, still read lots of articles, experiments on his new found skill, and definitely have his own blog. On-page optimization may still be at a learning curve, but improving, or rather, must improve.

The Somewhat Arrogant SEO

Now, this type of search engine optimizer is easy to spot. What matters is that if the arrogant SEO can prove his skills or not. The arrogant yet not so great SEO is more of a chatterbox than showing his skills, mostly caught by unprofessional writing of proposals and website analysis; or worse, can’t even write a decent proposal; and often caught by his superiors copy-pasting previous reports. On the other hand, the arrogant but skillful SEO may boast a few times but can actually deliver the goods.

The Half-Empty and Half-Full SEO

By now you are wondering, what I am taking about half-empty and half-full, I’ll explain it to you.

• There are search engine optimizers that do very well in link building, but slowly lacking on-page optimization skills;
• There are some who specializes in gathering fresh info on how to get more links, rather than how to do them;
• There are those who are more technical than others who handles on-page optimization the best, but slow on filling his quota of building links;
• and don’t forget, there are those that can part great knowledge, give excellent advice, suggest the best ideas or recommend the perfect plan, but still a junior or newbie optimizer working their way on top.

Beyond the learned skills and developed strategies, a search engine optimizer still continues to learn new ways on how to improve a website’s rank. It’s a continues learning process that gets heavy with responsibilities depending on how gradual or drastic are the changes on the web. So don’t be upset when we sometimes can’t make it to your birthday party or wedding, because the continuance of our search for knowledge is already a part of our lives the moment we became real SEOs.

House Staging Sells Faster

Here's another good tip for home sellers out there. Getting your house fixed, repainted and trimmed does help prep up the interior of your house, but house staging makes it sell even faster. House staging is the part where you, as the seller, make your house appeal more to home buyers. You may even call it 'staging an illusion', but it's what sells a house faster!

The house staging process focuses on adding the “welcome” mood inside the house, making potential buyers feel they can live in it for a long haul.

Simple House Staging for Vacant Houses

Vacant homes attracts less visitors, so professional house stagers add in a few furniture to each room just enough to showcase the room's purpose, so that potential buyers can see and feel themselves living in it.

Simple House Staging for Previously Occupied Houses

After clearing the clutter, depersonalizing, and taking care of the curb appeal: Patching up holes on the wall and repainting it isn't enough, you need to get the right color combination for each room to make it look more irresistible. Not to mention, adding flowers, fruits, scented candles, and even a little bit of music. Paying attention to color, patterns, lighting and air gives a room that homey feeling.

Here's a few tips:

• You may fancy dark a colored theme, but a house with bright rooms sell faster! So brighten up those gloomy walls and floors.
• Make things shiny by thorough cleaning! Make the windows clear and shiny, make the bathroom tiles sparkle, dust and vacuum every corner of the house, polish the bricks of your fireplace and add some stone color enhancer to make it more attractive.
• Always use fresh flowers and leave a few windows open to let the air in when a potential buyer visits the house.
• If you want to add a background music, make sure it's soft and the volume is low so it soothes your visitors.
• They say, the kitchen is the heart of the home, so make it look like one by adding a couple of bowls with polished fruits and some colored cookbooks on the shelves.
• For the bathroom, you may add some scented soaps, lotions, moisturizers and towels.
• For the backyard, potted flowers and plants would look lovely. You may also want to set up a picnic table for added attraction.

Professional house stagers uses different methods to get your house sold faster. Hiring one means spending hundreds and even thousands of dollars, depending on your location and size of the house, but with a professional, you can even increase your house's value and sell it quickly.

Tips on How To Sell Your House Fast: Preparation

If you want to sell your house fast, don't rely on luck alone, careful planning is a must. Though it may look easy to broadcast your home for sale, it isn't the same when attracting buyers. I'll teach you a few tips I've learned that will surely help get your house sold fast so you can finally move on to that gorgeous new home you want!

Depersonalize. As the home seller, it is important that you disassociate yourself from your house. Set yourself to let go your house, as you’ve decided to sell it. What do I mean by this? Depersonalize by removing your personal photos and collections, family heirlooms, and everything that will make the house feel it belongs to you. No home buyer would want a house that's still attached to its previous owner. If you were the buyer, simply ask yourself, “would I buy this house”? Remember that YOU are selling your house and you need to make your buyers feel they can live in it, make them see themselves living in it.

Patch, Paint and Trim. Here's another better way to show your buyers that your house is in tip top shape. Patch up those holes, fix leaky faucets, fix that loose doorknob, wax the floor, repaint faded walls and windows, and so on. If you think your house needs a patch, paint and trim inside and out, do so! If you're a handy person, It'll only cost you a few dollars, a couple of hundreds if you hire someone, but cheaper if you ask your friends to help out.

Show More With Less. This means, to de-clutter your house. Not all the furniture you posses will make the house look homey for they buyers, too much stuff inside the house makes it appear smaller and uncomfortable. You'll be able to make a room appear larger if you maintain just enough furniture to showcase the room's purpose. Almost every home shows better with less furniture!

The whole point here is to get your house SOLD, not brag about your possessions. So don't make your buyers focus more on your possessions than the house you're trying to sell.

The Curb Appeal. It's the initial impression of a home, more buyers will be enticed to check out the inside if it has a curb appeal.

After you've done everything inside the house, you might want to check outside. If you're going to post an ad online with a photo of your house's exterior, no buyer will even think of calling you if your house looks worn out, and you also don't want your house to look like it's haunted. So, mow the lawn, plant flowers colorful if you must, trim the bushes, clear the sidewalks and get it fixed if it's cracked.

Finally, Getting The Right Publicist. You want to sell your house fast? You want to sell it for the right price? Then get the right publicist. Sure there's lots of them eager to sell your house, but don't just pick out one out of the blue. Take time to check for somebody who knows your neighborhood intimately, how long they've been in the business of selling houses, ask for a couple of references, know their marketing plans, and most of all, pick one who's trustworthy. You can attend open houses, search online listings, or even ask someone about their experience with their real estate agent.

Now that you know the things to look out for if you're going to sell your house, make look irresistible for buyers!

Music Video: "Time for Miracles" by Adam Lambert

Well, the runner up in American Idol's Season 8, Adam Mitchel Lambert, has released his debut album named "For Your Entertainment," last month, November 23, 2009. Within this album is a favorite of mine! "Time for Miracles," which was included in the 2009 hit movie, "2012". You've got to watch the video below from YouTube.

Here's the lyrics for "Time for Miracles" (My apologies if the lyrics isn't accurate):

It's late at night and I can't sleep

Missing you just runs too deep

Oh I can't breathe thinking of your smile

Every kiss I can't forget

This aching heart ain't broken yet

Oh God I wish I could make you see

Cause I know this flame isn't dying

So nothing can stop me from trying

Baby you know that

Maybe it's time for miracles

Cause I ain't giving up on love

You know that
Maybe it's time for miracles

Cause I ain't giving up on love

No I ain't giving up on us

I just want to be with you

Cuz living is so hard to do

When all I know is trapped inside your eyes

The future I cannot forget

This aching heart ain't broken yet

Oh God I wish I could make you see

Cuz I know this flame isn't dying

So nothing can stop me from trying

Baby you know that

Maybe it's time for miracles

Cuz I ain't giving up on love

You know that

Maybe it's time for miracles

Cause I ain't giving up on love

No I ain't giving up on us

Baby can you feel it coming

You know I can hear it, hear it in your soul

Baby when you feel me feeling you

You know it's time...

Baby you know that

Maybe it's time for miracles

Cuz I ain't giving up on love

You know that


Maybe it's time for miracles

Cuz I ain't giving up on love

You know that

Maybe it's time for miracles

Cuz I ain't, I ain't giving up on love

No I ain't giving up on us

I ain't giving up, no

Oh I ain't giving up on us

Coping Up With Life

Through my miserable years of searching for answers why my life isn't as blooming as the others, or how come other people live a better life than me even though I know I am much better than they are, I found several ways to keep myself sane and my miserable life in order. Yeah I know, some of you might be wondering, "what the heck is she talking about miserable?!" Well it's a long story, I'll tell you next time, if I have the time.

As I spent my life through high school and college, I've always thought that having a partner can make life less complicated for me. I grew up believing that having a partner means having someone to share my miseries with, someone who'd understand and care even though it's my own fault.

My mom always says, having someone older than you as a partner is way better than having someone at the same age as you are, or worse, younger than you are. As a little girl way back in high school, I deeply believed in this, until the heart aches started to appear...

I started falling for guys older than me, the first guy was seven years older than me. The others were older than me by one, two, nine and ten years. By the way, I did not fall for all of them! Just a few :P

As I grew up, I realized what my mom said isn't true. I sure did learn that the hard way! All alone, standing up, falling, crawling in pain, and then standing up once more just to fall back again sure was agonizing. I had no one to turn to. You might be wondering why I never told my mom about these, it's because all she ever did was make things worse for me. She yells, telling me that I deserve it, that I the pain I felt isn't enough, that I needed more pain, that I'd never learn, and so on... Yes, you kinda figured it out! I wasn't the special apple among my siblings. I was the rotten one. I learned almost everything the hard way.

Through the ups and downs of my life. I decided to dedicate my whole life to someone who's willing to sacrifice, willing to take responsibilities, and willing to push his limits a little bit further to make life easier and comfortable for me. Unfortunately, I never found that guy... For the past 25 years of my life, I never felt this heavy depression of being alone and betrayed.

I finished high school, unlike those ungrateful bastards who left their parents and came home one day with belly as big as a watermelon! I finished college, unlike those who dosed their bodies with every kind of heroine, marijuana, and other kinds of illegal drugs, and yet got a second shot a life, a peaceful and happy life. From time to time, I even got noted by my professors as being one of the top achievers, a great student, someone who'll be having a successful career one day, and yet I am all alone. Left with broken dreams and a dismantled heart filled with hatred. Why so? I don't know.

There was even a period of time in my life were I became a teacher for our church, I taught little kids about the Bible and how God loves them. Heck! I was the last person in our household who continued to attend church! But not anymore. How could a person as sinful as I am go to church every Sunday? My mom lectured me well on that...

And so, here I am! Still smiling, still having fun with my friends, and enjoying every moment that I live. Not a care in the world! No matter how hard it is, I know I must continue for my own sake. Life goes on, no matter what.

But still. Left with broken dreams and a dismantled heart filled with hatred...

Love Poem: Longing

Category: Love Poems

By Matthew Arnold

Come to me in my dreams, and then

By day I shall be well again!

For so the night will more than pay

The hopeless longing of the day.

Come, as thou cam'st a thousand times,

A messenger from radiant climes,

And smile on thy new world, and be

As kind to others as to me!

Or, as thou never cam'st in sooth,

Come now, and let me dream it truth,

And part my hair, and kiss my brow,

And say, My love why sufferest thou?

Come to me in my dreams, and then

By day I shall be well again!

For so the night will more than pay

The hopeless longing of the day.