5 Strategies for a Happy Relationship

Relationships require focus, and the chaotic bustle of day-to-day life is distracting. What’s a girl to do? Start with these five relationship strategies.

Independence Keeps Things Interesting
Doing everything together may sound romantic, but the reality is, well, a bit boring. If you each venture out on your own to explore new hobbies and friendships, you can come together to swap stories about twice as many new experiences.

Check out these beauty and health tips you need to read before having sex.

Pick Your Battles
Do you find faults in each other… all the time? It’s time to take a step back for a better view of the big picture. Before you nitpick, ask yourself this question: “In the grand scheme of things, is this really
important?” Your egos are equally as sensitive, and no one wants to be criticized constantly.

Forgive Each Other
It’s not a matter of who apologizes first. If you trust each other, you know that you generally have each other’s best interests at heart. Does that leave room for human error? Of course. Once you’ve acknowledged bruised feelings, recognize that the damage was not inflicted maliciously—and move on. Do you fight over these 11 things guys don't understand about women?

Laugh a Lot
Did you pay the credit card bill? Did you do the dishes? Did you pick up the diapers? Life happens, but, every now and then, dedicate some time to being silly and having fun: dance around your living room, eat burritos while wearing sombreros, have your own little wine and cheesy music party... The dishes can wait (trust me).

Touch
From flirty hand-holding to steamy sex, humans crave contact. The way you touch is what pushes your relationship beyond platonic boundaries—and reinforces your connection.

Best job in Brazil? Painting nude Carnival models

RIO DE JANEIRO - Betto Almeida is the Mr. Lucky of Rio's Carnival.

The 36-year-old artist awakes at 8 a.m. Has a little breakfast. Survives a commute through the city's tough traffic. Arrives at the office by 11.

Then he spends hours painting the bodies of gorgeous women _ and earning as much as $2,000 a day.

"You wouldn't believe how many applications I get for an assistant," Almeida deadpanned, never taking his eyes from his work as he brushed bright orange paint on the stomach of a model in his glass-enclosed studio under the grandstands at the Sambadrome, where Rio's Carnival parades ended Tuesday at dawn.

"But it's hard work, man. I take my job seriously."

Slight, soft-spoken and unassuming, Almeida devotes his art to a sideshow of the samba parades: models who earn about $250 a night to mingle, clad only in paint, with high-rollers in the luxury boxes.

Wearing plaid pants, a green shirt with a red phoenix on it and a denim-and-camouflage hat, Almeida goes about his work with a nonchalant air as the party-crazed hordes outside press their noses to the glass and snap photos.

His day job is art director on television soap operas, but for the past 12 years he has been brushing, dripping and spraying paint on some of the most beautiful bodies Brazil's Carnival has to display.

Michele Peres, a 28-year-old model wearing tiny black shorts, snakeskin stilettos and a watch, said the quality of Almeida's work was vital to her professional success.

"I've been doing this for nine years, for Carnival and other events," she said as Almeida painted a jaguar on her breasts. "He is the best body painter I've come across and his work draws more attention to me. It is good for him, it is good for me."

A gentleman tapped on the studio window and, as gingerly as a drunk Carnival reveler could, requested that Peres turn toward the growing crowd. With a barely perceptible sigh, she complied, not hesitating to light up a smile once the cameras started popping.

Luana Minini, a 22-year-old actress, was making her first appearance as a Carnival body paint model and she took a slightly more timid stance: She had Almeida paint critical areas of her body in a back room before agreeing to have a red parrot with green wings covering her chest completed under the public's gaze.

"I've always worked in theater and dance. This is a bit more free- spirited. But I've learned to control my nervousness. The paint acts as a cover, it makes me feel protected," she said, motioning toward the jungle foliage in which the parrot on her breast resided.

Both women said some men _ mostly foreigners _ get a little frisky in the box seats, where the models mingle for 15 minutes before taking a champagne break for 15 minutes in a glassed-front room next to Almeida's work space.

"It gets a little rowdy. Not too many men grab us or anything, but there is always one or two who get a little confused," Minini said. "Brazilians understand the ambiance of Carnival and they come here prepared to see this."

As the models answered questions, Almeida kept working. On his knees behind Peres, he dipped his brush into one of a dozen plastic water bottles cut in half to hold his paint, carefully painting jaguar spots on the back of the model's thighs.

Sweat on his brow, he said the hard work is worth it. A modeling agency that employs the women pays him $1,000 for the roughly two hours it takes to paint each model. During the samba parades, he paints two women a night. And in a typical year will paint a minimum of 50 women for various events.

"I started doing it for theater and one of the samba parade officials asked if I would do it for Carnival models. How could I say no?" he asked, diving into a cheeseburger after finishing up with Peres. "A lot of guys are jealous of my job."

How heart handles anger predicts irregular beat!

Ive just read this and i like it... and i just want to share it with you!

WASHINGTON - How the heart handles anger seems to predict who's at risk for a life-threatening irregular heartbeat. Negative emotions like hostility and depression have long been considered risks for developing heart disease, and deaths from cardiac arrest rise after disasters such as earthquakes.

But research released Monday goes a step farther, uncovering a telltale pattern in the EKGs of certain heart patients when they merely recall a maddening event _ an anger spike that foretold bad news.

In already vulnerable people, "anger causes electrical changes in the heart," said Dr. Rachel Lampert, a Yale University cardiologist who led the work. When that happens even in the doctor's office, "that means they're more likely to have arrhythmias when they go out in real life."

At issue is cardiac arrest, when the heart's electrical system goes haywire and heartbeat abruptly stops. Survival requires a fast electrical shock from a device called a defibrillator.

To track anger's effect, Lampert gave EKGs to 62 patients who had defibrillators implanted in their chests because of preexisting heart disease. When they recounted something that had made them angry, some patients experienced beat-to-beat EKG alterations that were similar to irregular heartbeat-predicting alterations that doctors can spot during treadmill testing.

In other words, the emotional stress was producing a red flag like physical stress can. But it did so without causing the jump in heart rate that exercise does, suggesting anger's Adrenalin rush may act directly on heart cells.

The result: People whose EKGs showed a big anger spike were 10 times more likely to have their defibrillators fire a lifesaving shock in the next three years than similarly ill patients whose hearts didn't react to anger, Lampert reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Next she's studying whether anger-reducing techniques might help those high-risk patients avoid irregular heartbeats.

Don't race out for an EKG. Nobody knows if anger has a similar electrical effect in people whose hearts aren't already diseased.

But that question should be studied, said Dr. Nieca Goldberg, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association who wasn't involved with the research.

There's a clear connection between the heart and the head, that chronic negative emotions are somehow heart-damaging. "But we haven't been able to explain why that happens," said Goldberg, a cardiologist at New York University School of Medicine. "This is a step in the right direction."

The question of the still-healthy aside, this is a small study and researchers must test the anger spike's predictive ability in many more heart patients to be sure of its value.

But if it pans out, the finding could affect a huge population: About 100,000 defibrillators are implanted each year in people at risk of irregular heartbeats because of damage from a survived heart attack, genetic disorders and other conditions. Scientists are searching for ways to tell which patients most need the implants, and the anger spike may offer help.

Filipinos in Greek Filmfest

Filipino actors Sid Lucero and Emilio Garcia were both hailed Best Actor for their film. Selda, at the 49th Thessaloniki International Film Festival in Greece.

The film's inclusion in the festival makes it the first time a Filipino film became part of the festival's main completion program.

Selda was also the first film to complete at the Motreal World Film Festival in Canada in August 2008.

Wow another Filipino are being awarded and i believed in them also. they are good actors and they deserved it!

SWEAR TO SURVIVE 2009

In the wake of a financial meltdown, five oaths for staying afloat.

As the new year begins with the world in recession, raise your right hand and solemnly swear to:

Oath #1. SPEND ONLY ON ESSENTIALS --------> for the next three to six months, forego all luxuries. if not having something wont physically kill you, you can live without it. Make a detailed monthly spending forecast for the year and see which expenses can be deferred, eliminated, or submitted with something cheaper. build up your emergency fund in your company decides to cut jobs due to the economic slowdown.

Oath #2 PRE-TERMINATE DEBT---------> with capital markets still wobly, it may be better to use your extra cash (exceding your emerncy fund) to reduce debt instead of staying invested. as long as your debt was used to purchase something that appereciates in value-such as highly marketable real estate bought at a low price - pre-paying debt in not money out the window but actually a good investment. you'll save on interest payments, and the value of the cash your property's market value goes up.

Oath #3 PICK UP INVESTMENT BARGAINS -----> if you are cash-rich abd debt-free. dont waste this once in-a-lifetime opportunity to invest in good mutual funds and stoscks at prices that have been artificially driven down by the contagion. quality cars, condos, art, and jewelry are also being sold fire sale prices in the secondary market, so now is an excellent time to go into acquisition mode if your cash hoard can withstand they cyclical dips of the economy.

Oath #4 PRUNE YOUR PORTFOLIO -------> Accepting defeat is never easy, especially where life savings are concerned. anyone who invested in anything more than time deposits most likely lost some money in the carnage that began in October. should you cut your losses or hand on the hope of recovery? the answer depends on what your alternatives are. is there debt you can pay down with whats left of your funds? are there safer in investments you can switch to that generate reasonable yields? if recovery takes a long time can you afford to wait? bear in mind that once the value of your investment has slipped significaly below acquisition cost, its an uphill climb from there - unless recovery is really dramatic, any gains you realize in the future will simply bring you back to where you started.

Oath #5 NEVER TRADE PEACE OF MIND FOR MONEY -------> one good thing that can come our for the economic crisis is the chance to regain a more balanced attitude towards money. with credit taps tigher and "easy" investment gains more unpredictable, it is easier to appreciate the basics. the high-flying life may be gone for a while, but peace of mind is still life's greatest luxury and that is something you can always have for free.

from this moment,i will appy this into my spending habbit. hahahaha

THe Fashion Insider

I WANT TO TRY OUT MAXI DRESSES FOR SUMMER BUT I'M ONLY 5 FEET TALL ---- CAN I STILL PULL IT OFF?

Logically, petite women should stay away from maxi dresses, but style-savvy women with diminutive frames such as Mary Kate Olsen and Nicole Richie prove they're no longer off limits.

* The key is cut and proportion ---->choose a dress with an empire line or cinched waist to avoid being swamped by the fabric.

* Avoid Voluminous skirts ----> Opt for a stylish A-line or bias-cut for an elongating look.

* A solid-colored Dress cinched with a chic belt right on the waist complements your frame. Another flattering option is a dress with a solid-colored top half and printed bottom half. Just steer clear of gargantuan prints as they have a tendency to drown you.

* Dont be Afraid to Show some skin. you'll find that it is the most flattering way to wear a maxi dress. To create the best proportion, flat-chested women should pick a low-neck style while top-heavy ones should go for a halter cut or backless style. Adding a slit on one side can also create an elongating look especially if you opt to wear flat sandals.

* wear you belt right ----> a thin belt is in order when wearing a printed dress. A statement belt, on the other hand, looks sophisticated on a plain dress as it anchors your entire look.

* a fitted vest or waistcoat is a great way to personalize your style while creating definition in a dress and adding the illusion of shape.

* Finally, finish off your look by adding a little height with chunky platform shoes in wood, rope or leather.

hope my tips will help you be more trendy and fashionable,. and summer is near approaching.. have and indulge everything under the sun.. :)

How DO I Look! LOL

going to bed, and make a pose! LOL
inside the salon, i accompanied my sister ,,, shes making papaganda. LOL
smile.................... whew, pretty girl!

My New FRiend

since i resigned from work, i only have a friend, or shall i say i can call her my bestfriend. shes my angel! shes my neighbor, her name is BELEN, shes only 26 years old. a mother of 2 also, married, still studying, and shes about to graduate this march,congrats to her!

the other week, when i went to downtown, i met this girl also, a very talkative and has a very strong personality. and she offered me something that i can make money! at first while shes explaining i dont really interested what shes talking though.! remember that was only our first time we met and talk!. and that day also she is willing to lend me the vitamins she is selling, even she dont know me yet!.. i really told her, hey u dont even know me personally then you will lend me your stuff?.. she said, i can feel that you can be trusted naman! (WOW) isn't is great! deep inside of me, wow ha,... ang galing..!!!! so i grab it but i paid the 10 capsule and the other 10 capsule im going to pay her in the next week, and she agreed. and of course we exchanged contact numbers noh! LOL... were texting and so on... the next day around, we met again, and i joined the business.!!! its VITAL C actually... until now, were very good friends already, as in like were friends so many years ago.. LOL

life is really unpredictable. RIGHT?

Happy Valentines to all readers

My Idol KC Conception and HEr DAD

look at them? parang pinagbiyak na bunga,. right? shes really pretty my gosh!!!!!

Bugoy sheds tears during album launch

Cont. from my Previous Post ( are you a computer addict)

here are some tips on how to prevent if you are already a Computer Addict o Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD)

if you want to get "rehabilitated" read this:

* make specific time limits. set an alarm to go off in 1 hour and end computer time when it rings.
* set aside "computer-free" parts of the day. if your computer use starts after dinner and extends into the night, get all your computer work done in the morning, dont touch your computer after dinner.
* install software to restrict your access to websites that you visit compulsively. find a friend you can trust to keep the passwords for the software so you cant circumvent it.
* make a list of things you could be accomplishing instead of wasting time on the computer, and post it prominently near your monitor.
* enlist family members in high-traffic are of the house. with others looking over shoulder all the time, you'll less likely to overuse the computer. this is especially effective for parents who fear excessive computer use in their children.

hope this post can help you to minimize your addiction in Internet..