Kumusta? =)

fine.

Ask me something, anything, everything.

WHAT SHOULD BE THE LENGTH AND WIDTH OF ANAME PLATE FOR A MEDICAL EQUIPMENT

huh?

Ask me something, anything, everything.

Dear Ms. Carol of HR

You are so AWESOME; beautiful with your fair skin and long shiny hair and charming in the way you move, so lady-like and elegant.

YOU are so BEAUTIFUL and CHARMING; so beautiful and charming in fact that my gay officemate even has a crush on you.. I know right, it’s C-RA-ZY. lol

You always bring me the good news. When I was down in the dumps when I screwed up the Reuters thing, you gave me that surprise call just an hour later to ask if I was interested in going at your office to take my exam for copy editor. I lost a job opportunity but gained another one, and you were the bearer of that joy.

And when I screwed that up too, it was you who e-mailed me to ask if I was interested to come in again, this time for the research analyst exam. 

Again, you brought me the GOOD NEWS when you came into the conference room after my interview with the group supervisor by giving me that little slip of paper. That slip of paper where my employment requirements are printed.

That was the time I knew I was hired. And your beautiful cat-like eyes confirmed it. 

YOU are an ANGEL. I didn’t even mind it that you were sick and coughing away when you oriented me about the company policies. You are soo adorable whenever you cough into your little handkerchief and say, “Excuse me” after. You could’ve coughed right on my face and it would have been bliss for me.

Now, I want to go to the 10th floor, to your department everyday just to see you. I’ll make every excuse.

Count on it. XD

Sincerely,

This Ghost

Outta There

So I was wandering around aimlessly in Makati yesterday, like I was in a bad episode of Lost except I wasn’t being chased by a smoke monster or getting killed off by fellow survivors. 

I had sooo much time to kill before my 2pm workday that I got to strangle one, stab one and hammer one with a Pikachu stuffed toy. I know, I know, you get it, I HAD A LOT OF TIME TO KILL. :D

And that was why I ducked inside SM’s Toy Kingdom awhile to check the Nintendo corner.

Now here’s one thing I hate about salesladies and sales guys: they are TOO helpful. 

I stood with my hands in my pockets by the Nintendo DS ‘gets, admiring the extra-large touch screen (they added a few thousand to the price just for that new feature) when this sales guy came around and asked, “DS, sir?”

Yeah, I can see it’s a DS, no kidding, I thought.

Now this has happened a lot of times before but it was still annoying. Try standing next to a product at the mall, try looking interested at it long enough and seconds later some sales person would sneak up behind you to ask if you need some assistance.

YES, honey, I need you to assist me in just looking at this… (insert product here).

Imbes na maisipan mong bumili, hindi na lang kasi may mang-iistorbo. I don’t know about you pero nakakawalang-gana para sakin yung ganun. 

So yesterday, it took a lot of willpower not to snap back at the sales guy, “Leave me alone, I’m just looking.” 

Normally, I don’t think like that at all (I’m mostly polite, no matter what I say in my blog posts) but yesterday I was already tired and hungry and in dire need of my vitamins, plus I didn’t catch a lot of ZZZZs because I had to wake up early to go to the city hall. Unbelievable.

But (amazingly) I calmed myself, turned to the smile at the sales guy and shook my head, “Nah, it’s okay.”

And I walked away, still annoyed. 

I know it’s their job to help, but seriously, can’t they just leave me to admire and yearn for that NDS (which I may be able to afford after seven months’ salary) in peace? Can’t they just let me look through its glass case and dream for the time when I’d finally get to play Pokemon Platinum and have orgasms everytime my team levels up?

But noooo, they just have to ruin it.

How crapola.  

After that, I went to the department store and the same thing almost happened. I wanted to check out some professional-looking bags (because I was still using my Bench schoolbag with its cute Pokemon tag for work). I saw this sleek, black one that I thought would look good on me. I discreetly peeked at the price tag.

I thought, Okay. Pwede, medyo mura lang. 

But in the corner of my eye, I saw a saleslady approaching— I was kinda expecting that already. So I casually put the bag in its shelf and moved off. The saleslady stopped in her tracks when she saw me leave, did a double-take and then headed to another direction.

A good thing I got outta there before she could pester me with, “Bag, sir?” XD

This Ghost and Problems in Journalism

I wrote this somewhat half-assed essay (titled It’s Problematic) for our Special Problems in Journalism class; back when the real world was still light years away.

Nostalgia and flashbacks go hand in hand for me these past few months. 

Oh well.

Read it here:

Journalists do live a glamorous life.

They live in excitement every day. Hell yeah, they do.

It’s because they’re a lot of things. Like doctors, their facts should be accurate and precise so they don’t kill off people, though in their case— a person’s reputation. Like lawyers, they protect their sources the way attorneys do their clients. Like scientists, they learn something new in the field every day. Like cops, they are there to watch for something off coming from those big guys up there in their seats. And like actors playing victims, they get to escape possible torture and .38s, though not necessarily in that order.

As a 4th year Journalism student, I expected bullet-dodging for our finals but it hasn’t come up in the curriculum. With all of that stretching in the road right in front of me after graduation—the cold precision of a news story, different people with different agenda, and the power I can wield with only my pen (or keyboard)— it just goes to show that a journalist’s day is and always will be full.

Which brings me to this: what we are taught in class won’t always be what one expects after the party balloons and graduation gifts are put away.

If I ever wander away from my BIG dream of working for a glossy magazine (without the Mexican background, the braces, glasses and the mousy brown hair) and become a REAL hardcore journalist with the vest, camera and the old brown polo (wink, wink), I’ll have some specific problems. I know that working in a mag will entail the same but it is way serious for those who are following the real, hard road to watchdog greatness.

When I’m out there in the real world, a newbie journalist soon to cover stabbings, local elections and the occasional grandpa flashing his wrinkled noodle to school girls, I’ll be opening myself to these…

Behind Door No. 1 is sensationalism. ‘Tis the one where someone dies (for example) and Mr. Journalist tries to write it off as if that person’s death is the saddest, most tragic death the world has ever seen since Michael Jackson’s. And he’ll make it as if that person’s killer is the most deranged, evil monster the pits of hell has ever produced to torment humanity.

In short, he’ll be making a soap opera instead of a simple news story. Then he’ll compose the most shocking, vulgar headline to attract readers. He’ll even go crazily creative and ask his editor to put a picture of Francine Prieto in a bikini beside it. 

That’s one special problem in journalism; when you blow a story up and push the more important ones to the backseat. Which is wrong. As a journalist, he has to cut the cheese and prioritize what the audience needs—a real news story with all the major info.

Our Mr. Ephraim Aguilar discussed that way back— when Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng terrorized Manila like two guys high on meth— almost all news stories were sob stories of people in calamity’s aftermath. It would’ve been fine, yes, but it gets tiring after two weeks of the same old, same old.

Why didn’t the major broadcast companies focus on what the government did or didn’t do to prevent and manage the disaster? Why show Marian Rivera packing relief goods and pass it off as news? As a media practitioner, he has to report deeper things than human suffering; he has to scratch that surface and dig until that issue is perceived in a different light and the more worthwhile issues are exposed.

Then, right off the bat is bribery. A media practitioner’s earnings are anything but caviar and Cabernet Sauvignon. He’s lucky if he can afford a new pale blue polo to replace the old brown one. That’s why the people in media are prone to bribes.

Ah… It’s amazing how an envelope loaded with cash from a kindly politician (and with the elections right around the corner too!) can make the difference. Take the money given; make the politician or another person with something to gain look good and smell fresh. Oh, sleek compliments there, a good word there. Take the cash though, and that person owns you forever—with the emphasis on OWN.

Dirty now, a politician’s little lap dog instead of watchdog, the poor media practitioner is now taking sides. Impartial no more— losing the neutrality that society needs, the only possible solution to that is obvious.

Don’t take it.

A shake of the head, a polite refusal is way better. It’s always possible that the envelope-man will dog our fellow media practitioner into submission, in which case Mr. Journalist will have to make a firm stand. Although that won’t involve announcing to the world at large with open hostility, “I will not be bought!”

If that fails, just take the damn money, especially when you suddenly feel threatened and envelope-man’s eyes begin flashing lasers. Staying alive will always be the ‘in’ thing for journalists.

Just don’t make a habit of it.

Convergence is up. Is it possible that newspapers will be a thing of the past? Will parents regal their children with stories of how they used to read news on printedpaper? “Once upon a time, the Filipino people read newspapers”, the parents will tell their kids; and the kids will exclaim, “No way! How soo uncool!”

That’s another problem: convergence. Media and technology are both evolving. It’s now a digital age, when everyone have it easier. One doesn’t have wait for the paper the next morning to catch what’s latest. They won’t even have to turn the radio dials when it’s all right there on the Net.

Even non-journalists can participate in the media and report their own news stories via videos or photos. They can be citizen journalists! Except they don’t know how real journalism goes and the element of impartiality may be lost.

This one’s easy because the tri-media (according to Mr. Henry Maceda and Mr. Jonas Soltes, and I happened to agree with them on this) will stay on. Even with all the technology taking over, people will always, always keep to the old ways. Media practitioners won’t even worry about losing their jobs. In the far future when the tri-media is finally obsolete, media practitioners still have that new media to fall on. It’s more of an opportunity than a loss, in Mr. Anacito Dematera’s opinion (and I happened to agree with him too).

Suitable working provisions are in it too. I’ve heard in class about media men and women working like dogs all day but without even a scrap of meat to chew on after. It’s crazy when you’re expected to work in your little corner of the office that looks suspiciously like a bathroom, if you’ll notice the painted-on tiles on the walls, and work as hard as you can but with hardly any pay.

The horror!

If that happens, it’s always better to leave and look for another job in another media company, where it’s more comfortable. Unless bathroom-offices are your thing.

Needless to say, a journalist’s life has some problems, but still charged with excitement. And it’s even fun to experience those but still come out the winner.

It won’t be easy but…

When and if I go that path, expected problems and all, I like to think that I’ll turn into a better person and media practitioner because of it. 

—This Ghost

Do Attractive People Earn More?

After months of searching, I finally landed a job as a research analyst in a BPO/KPO at Ayala, Makati. It was all very exciting and a whole new different ballgame for me. And because of that, I haven't had the time to do much blogging. 

And I was reminded of THIS: a feature story I wrote for my former college paper.

Read it here:

                                

Two women sit in a reception room. They patiently wait as the boss in his inner office finish studying their resumes.

One woman is plain-looking in her neat blouse and slacks, confident in her excellent experience and education. The other is pretty, all sweet and polished in a slick ruffled dress. When the intercom buzzes finally to reveal, “You’re hired”, who do you think gets the job?

Surprise, surprise. According to research, the prettier woman most likely gets it.

It’s called ‘Beauty Premium’.

It’s not fair that there are some people who were just born screaming out of the womb with perfect looks. They look cool in clothes and without. And we’re…well, maybe we should just keep our stretch marks to ourselves. It’s genetics; we can’t do anything about it.

“Good-looking men and women are generally judged to be more talented, kind, honest and intelligent than their less attractive counterparts,” says Dr. Gordon Patzer in an article for CareerBuilder.com. He spent more than three decades studying and writing about physical attractiveness.

“Controlled studies show people go out of their way to help attractive people of the same and opposite sex because they want to be liked and accepted by good-looking people,” Dr. Patzer added.

It seems that less attractive people have to prove themselves more capable, and better—a hard and ugly (excuse the pun) truth that may be too much to handle for people who looked like a gorilla with a bad hair day. Maybe when God rained down beauty to humans, most of us were carrying umbrellas.

Economic professors Daniel Hammermesh of the University of Texas and Jeff Biddle of Michigan State University have also found out that plain people earn 5 to 10 percent less than people with average looks, who in turn earn 3 to 8 percent less than those deemed good-looking.

There are those of us who are about to graduate in a few months and looking for a job is hard enough. But worrying if we won’t get that corner office because of the way we look, well… that’s harder.

“Looks do count,” agrees Ralph Revelar Sarza, 20, a Bicol University graduate. “Good-looking people get paid more. People react more to them.”

But it’s not just on looks though, height and weight matter too. If you’re taller, you get an added edge. According to two professors from universities in Florida and North Carolina, tall people acquire considerably more money in their careers than their shorter co-workers.

And if you’re one to enjoy 3 extra rice, chocolate cake and ice cream desserts, and large breakfast fries, you may want to rethink that. A London Guildhall study on beauty premium explains that people who are overweight will probably be unemployed.

This is from an online article by Kathleen Hauser: “Certain characteristics have been found to be more sought after by employers than others. Among women, obesity is the most limiting physical trait when it comes to employment opportunities and wages. Studies conducted in 1981 and 1988 found that women who were obese earned up to 17 percent less than their slimmer counterparts. For men, height is the most valued trait, with research showing an 18 percent increase in pay for every inch of height above the national average.”

Unfortunately, that’s not all. Studies also show that prettier and handsomer students get a lot more attention and good evaluation from their teachers. Doctors will provide more personalized care to good-looking patients, and attractive convicts receive lighter sentences than his butt-ugly fellow murderers, thieves, druggies and rapists.

All these facts almost make us average people book an appointment to the nearest upscale salon to work up some magic. Maybe even sign up to those makeover reality shows on TV.

Believe it or not, there were average people who actually called up a lawyer to file a suit for “Ugly Discrimination”—an entirely legal suit in the U.S. that is almost always a losing battle.

But there is hope yet. Despite all these facts and research, some of the most successful people are ordinary-looking people at best. I mean, look at TV host Mike Enriquez; behind his pockmarked face, colossal nose and disturbingly weird way of talking, everybody knows him and respects him; he gets paid well and a regular feature every night in our living rooms. Oprah Winfrey looks like an average black woman behind all the hair and makeup, but she has her own studio, magazine, talk show and all that.

“I don’t think good-looking people earn more,” says Joana Sodsod, 25. She once worked at a high-end cosmetics store. “It’s more on the person’s ability. At work, it’s not always about looks. When I was employed at a cosmetics store, height doesn’t matter—we were all given a chance.”

Confidence can be all you need. As long as you know you can do your job better and doesn’t have to apologize for it, you’ll be walking tall. A confident outlook makes you feel good about yourself, and when you feel good you’ll look good. “When beautiful people are not pulling their weight, their looks count against them and it is the unattractive who come out winners,” this from Beth Hale of Mail Online.

Adding to these facts, Roshawn Watson, Pharm. D says that 20 percent of attractiveness is confidence. “Better looks do not translate to better productivity,” she explained. “Appearances may get you into the door but productivity will decide whether you stay.”

So how do you beat this beauty premium?

Career advice blogger Penelope Trunk advises job seekers to dress to impress—a neat, organized physical appearance that is in line with contemporary standards can go a long way towards impressing potential employers.”

Another tip from Kathleen Hauser: “Improve your image. While physical traits such as beauty and stature may be beyond your grasp, the way you present yourself to employers and the rest of the world is absolutely within your control.”

She added: “Though a more attractive employee may initially make more money, if he or she cannot perform at the level of plainer-looking but better qualified workers, the benefits of beauty may be short-lived. An employee who is honest and confident in his or her own abilities is much more of an asset than one who intends to float by solely on the merit of good looks. A confident, well-qualified, and well-presented employee is truly an asset to be sought after.”

And that sound you hear is a multitude of average-looking people around the world sighing with relief. Comforted. ■

(I just have to put Ugly Betty in this post. She looks cute here. lol) XD

This Ghost and Roaches

I hate cockroaches. I absolutely refuse to believe they’re God-made.

I mean, really, look at them.

             

Uhh…not that. 

This ONE!

          

I mean what are they here for? What’s their purpose in God’s green earth besides creeping around all the over the place and looking gross?

Can they cure cancer?

Are they ugly-ass Tinkerbells that possess magic dust that helps children fly when they think happy thoughts?

I don’t think so!

So, when one of these despicable creatures decided to play Creep-on-Jay’s-Neck-While-He’s-Sleeping this morning, I introduced it very thoroughly to Mr. Flip-Flop.

Oh-kaay. It was 6am and I was minding my own dreamy business when I heard this disturbing whizz of gossamer wings and felt little legs tickling my neck.

I woke up very quickly after that, slapping at my neck and jumping out my bed. Just in time, a small brown creature I recognized very well scurried under my desk.

Omigod. A fuckin’ cockroach just crept all over me like I was a runway and it was fuckin’ Heidi Klum! And it wasn’t even wearing sexy VS lingerie! WTF!

I did a sort of bunny hop as I took a minute to imagine how long the roach has been doing it.

My lips curled, “Euww!” I immediately reached for one of my flip-flops, morphing into the terror that was Jay, Roach Killer.

It was time for the brown abomination to meet its Maker, which is definitely not God. Hah!

What happened afterwards was a flurry of flipped-out bed sheets, knocked-down book shelves, overturned chairs and the constant slap-slap of a flip-flop missing its target. I chased it under the bed, reached out for it when it tried to fly across the room.

I didn’t know how it got inside in the first place. My door’s always closed and we have screens in all our bedroom windows. I decided to think about that later. I still have to kill it. It was clever; it was fast and has the advantage of flight.

It would fly too close to my face, as if it was taunting me. 

But finally, it made a mistake. It hurried straight under the desk again, wedging itself into a corner. I gave a triumphant yell and brought down my rubber weapon.

SLAP!

Still wiggling its creepy legs.

SLAP! SLAP!

White ooze leaked out of its body.

I waited a moment. It didn’t move. I waited again, but it still didn’t give any signs of life.

Hell yeah! I pumped my fist into the air.

Ding Dong, the roach is dead.

The roach is dead as a doornail.

The roach is now swimming with the fishes. Sorta. :D

I gingerly nudged the roach with my now flip-flopped clad foot and kicked it out of my room. Then I went down the stairs and doused my neck with antiseptic.

I climbed up the stairs again and checked out the dead roach.

It was gone like poof. I looked around for it but to no avail. The smart fucker was gone!

FFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUU!

The battle is still on as I write this. XD

While I anticipate our final showdown, here’re some facts about cockroaches:

• Cockroach excrement and body parts are major allergens in house dust.

• In some parts of the world, roaches are profitably raised for chicken feed. (I’ll have to examine my next Jollibee chicken meal)

• The world’s largest roach (which lives in South America) is four inches long with a seven-inch wingspan. (as long as it stays in South America, we got no problem)

• The record for eating live cockroaches is held by Ken Edwards of Derbyshire, England.  In 2001 he ate 36 hissing Madagascar roaches in one minute. (I admire and pity this guy at the same time)

• The favourite food of the cockroach is actually the glue on envelopes, the glue bindings at the backs of books and the glue on the back of postage stamps.

• A cockroach can hold it’s breath for up to 40 minutes.

• Some female cockroaches mate once and are pregnant for the rest of their lives. (aren’t we lucky human females don’t breed like them)

• Cockroaches can live for up to a month, without its head. (which makes it easier to flip-flop them to death)

• Ever wondered what the supposed purpose of having cockroaches on the planet at all is? Well try this handy example of a coackroaches supposed usefulness: Crushed cockroaches can be applied to a stinging wound to help relieve the pain. (I’ll try this tip  right after I slit my throat)
  
  
  

                

(Not if I do something about it) XD

Sources here, here and here and here.

‘Til  next time!

—This Ghost

This Ghost and Day Challenges #2

Tut-tut! It’s another one of This Ghost’s Day Challenges, where I randomly choose one interesting topic from 4 different Tumblr challenges.

This is beauty pageant season and if you don’t already know it, Ma. Venus Raj— our own Ms. Philippines— came 4th-runner up at the Miss Universe 2010. Don’t fret, guys, THAT’S still one helluva honor to get. I don’t even mind all the, “Major, Major” stuff flying all over the place. Actually, that trend’s pretty catchy. :D

Anyways, since we’re all about the beautiful girls strutting their stuff onstage, with today’s post, I’m gonna show you not-so-beautiful guys making fools of themselves in front of a big-ass crowd.

Unfortunately, I was one of those fools. Freak. XD

Here goes.

#2.  Photo/s That Make/s You Laugh

This photo makes me laugh alright; coupled with embarrassment.

This was taken last February during the 3-day CAL Congress 2010 back in my college senior year.  My friends and I were invited to join in on what seemed like a fun way to spend our few remaining weeks as collegians. So we were like, “What the heck; let’s sign up”. 

And then THIS happened.

The horror that was Ms. Earthquake.

Okaay, so Kuya Nap, one of the organizers already told us about this particular event in the Congress but I never really took it seriously. I mean, what are the chances of me being one of those guys pushed into wearing a dress?

That only happens to poor suckers.

                       

Seriously.

So we were like in the activity hall, already placed into groups. When they announced about the pageant, where each group had to have a guy to represent them, all my groupmates turned to look at me.

I stared back at them, feeling a bit of a dread. “What?”

“Ikaw na lang, kuya,” one girl said. And the others nodded in agreement.

I tried to get out of it by flirtatiously tucking my longish hair under my ear. Gays weren’t allowed to enter the competition.

“I don’t think so,” another girl told me. And that was it. 

What happened after was, “What the fuck?!”

They slapped some make-up on me, made me wear couture out of red curtains, held it in place with a belt and with a finishing touch, balled some socks and stuffed it on my chest for some very firm fake tits.

I was relieved there was no swimsuit competition. I draw the line on tucking my jewels with masking tape.

That’s me with the other candidates. I was already nicknamed, “Rubi” then.

The next week, a Monday morning (the Congress happened on a weekend), I was walking around Bicol University with my usual backpack slung over my shoulder, on my way to my boarding haouse. I live in Sorsogon but I board a room in a house inside the university. I go home for the weekend and then I stay in the boarding house on school days. 

Okay, so I was walking around, thinking the guys from school who’d watched the event probably got over it.

I figured it was back to normal for me.

And then…

Seven feet from my lodgings, a group of girls wearing our college uniform got out of Delgado’s— this canteen my landlord owns—and glanced at me briefly.

Did a double-take. Stared at me again, their eyes widening.

“Si Rubi!” they cried, and then they burst into laughter.

Enough said.

After the event. :D

What I Learned from the Ms. Earthquake pageant:

1. They said I look good in a gown with fake tits.  (I don’t know what to make of that. Thanks, I guess. :D)

2. It was hard acting like a girl and wearing all the girly stuff. I’m never gonna stare at a skirt the same way again.

3. I suck at question and answer.

4. I’m not gonna do it again but the pageant was actually a very different but fun experience.

5. I’m glad I was born a guy. :D

‘Til next time!

— This Ghost

This Ghost and Chocolates

(After the hostage-taking incident that has taken over the news all day and night, I’m in dire need of some big-ass endorphins— C.H.O.C.O.L.A.T.E.!) 

Do you find yourself sneaking to the fridge at 3am just for a bite of dark, guilty goodness?

Be guilty no more. Here’s one more reason to love chocolate: it just steals your heart, in a totally healthy way!

                                  

Us Filipinos have always had a long-standing love affair with chocolate. What’s not to love about it? Chocolate is a luxe.

 We can never say no to it.  From the simpler chocnut and almond-filled chocolate bars to the heavenly Godiva brand, chocolate is a treat always included in our dining palette.

Our weakness for it probably dates back two thousand years ago, when the Mayans and Aztecs developed a bitter drink from the fruit of the cacao tree. In fact, the word ‘chocolate’ which translates to ‘nahuatl’ in Aztec means ‘bitter water’. Cacao beans are also very valuable and in Aztec culture they were used extensively in trade.

Another historic fact—it is believed that chocolate plays an important role in the worship of the Aztec goddess of fertility, Xochiquetzal. So every time we consume every sweet, creamy piece of that chocolate bar, we should probably give a tip of the hat to the ancients who invented it.

Now besides the fact that it is an awesome dessert, chocolate is also well-known for its health benefits; the darker the chocolate, the less it contains sugar and fat.

According to Mark Stibich, Ph.D, chocolate is made of plants; therefore it has many of its health advantages. One of those advantages is flavanoids, which act as antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body from aging caused by free radicals, which can cause damage that can lead to heart disease. Flavanoids too help relax blood pressure and balance certain hormones in the body.

A small bar of chocolate everyday is good for the heart, as it keeps the heart and cardiovascular system into running well. It lowers blood pressure and cholesterol. Studies show that it reduces LDL (the bad cholesterol) by up to 10 percent.

You may ask, doesn’t chocolate have lots of fat in it? Here’s the good news: some fats in chocolate does not affect your cholesterol level. The fats in chocolate are 1/3 oleic acid, 1/3 stearic acid and 1/3 palmitic acid. That means only 1/3 of the fat in dark chocolate is bad for you.

Apart from protecting your heart, chocolate also holds other benefits. It tastes oh-so good; it stimulates endorphin production, which gives a feeling of pleasure; it contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant; and it contains theobromine, caffeine and other substances which are stimulants.

But that still doesn’t mean you should eat pounds of it every day. Excessive consumption of chocolate is still unhealthy. It is still a high-calorie, high-fat food. Most of the studies done used no more than 100 grams, or about 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate a day to get the benefits.

Mr. Stibich has the following tips:

Taste the Chocolate. Chocolate is a complex food with over 300 compounds and chemicals in each bite. To really enjoy and appreciate chocolate, take the time to taste it. Professional chocolate tasters have developed a system for tasting chocolate that include assessing the appearance, smell, feel and taste of each piece.

Go for Dark Chocolate. Dark chocolate has far more antioxidants than milk or white chocolate. These other two chocolates cannot make any health claims. Dark chocolate has 65 percent or higher cocoa content.

Skip the Nougat. You should look for pure dark chocolate or dark chocolate with nuts, orange peel or other flavorings. Avoid anything with caramel, nougat or other fillings. These fillings are just adding sugar and fat which erase many of the benefits you get from eating the chocolate.

Avoid Milk. It may taste good but some research shows that washing your chocolate down with a glass of milk could prevent the antioxidants being absorbed or used by your body.

Bet you don’t feel so guilty anymore. Racing to the nearest chocolate store? Have a happy, healthy chocolate fix! ■

Info source here.

— written by This Ghost

This Ghost and Day Challenges #1

A repost from my other blog, Ghost Over the Roof at Tumblr.

Since I’ve signed up in Tumblr in July, I’ve caught on some of these Day Challenges eg. 30 Days, 30 Letters, 30 Days of Photographic Memories, 10 Day Challenge, 30 Days of Constipation…oh-kaay… I made that last one up. :D

I gathered they were there, circulating all over the tumblng world, so bloggers have a fail-safe way of still posting worthwhile stuff in their respective sites during those days when Mental Block guy slaps them upside the head.

I’ve been thinking that these challenges might be the reason I signed up here in the first place. Sorta. I deactivated at least six different Tumblr accounts in the last four months and kind of given up with the challenge thing.

But damn, the allure of it remains. I saved three different challenges (I’ve been using the word ‘challenge’ a lot) in my draft box and everyday I’m gonna pick one interesting topic at random. *excited*

Here’s to hoping I finish them all.

                                 

#1. A Recent Picture of You and 15 Interesting Facts About Yourself

About this photo: This is recent enough; I just took it this morning, Aug. 23, at 8:30am. I share a bedroom with my sisters; that wood thing over my head’s my bed, the top bunk. I woke up and just for the hell of it took a picture of myself (because that’s the first thing I thought of every morning). I don’t even know how I opened the laptop; I was still half-asleep then. :D

Fact me. XD

1. I suck at Math. I’m still wondering how I pulled that 2.9 average for algebra and statistics back in college. I’m pretty sure I was the most pathetic guy in that class. My heart skips a beat in raw terror whenever Madam Manzanillo announced a short quiz. I mean, seriously, I’ve been thinking a bunch of geniuses back in ancient times went on a convention somewhere and invented math just to make things difficult for kids who can’t do numbers unless it’s in the bathroom.

2. I walk around and around the living room couch and dining table fifty times or more while listening to music. It’s an odd habit of mine I got from high school. Doing it helps me think and figure things out creatively.

3. I love cinnamon. If I have my way, I’ll cook up a whole buffet with cinnamon in it. Fried cinnamon rice, chicken dipped in cinnamon sauce, chocolate-cinnamon ice cream for dessert, etc. I just LOVE it. Years ago, back when they still made it, I almost spent all my allowance on Gardenia’s Apple-Cinnamon bread.

4. I like girly pop and RnB music (except from a handful of singers I can’t stand like Miley and Charice). Yeah, I listen to them all the time. 99.5 of songs in my borrowed iPod are female singers. Somehow, listening to them is more pleasant; sensual and inspires positivity; stuff I don’t get when I listen to guys rocking it out.

5. Torpe ako. Enough said.

6. OC ako sa book collection ko. Especially for the ones I got from National Bookstore, my personal book heaven; where I get orgasms whenever I see the SALE signs. I take good care of my books (lalo na sa mga pinag-ipunan kong bilhin kasi mahal eg. Harry Potter Books 1-7) and I’ll be very firm in telling you can’t borrow them. Sorry. :D

7. If No. 6 is any indication, I’m also selfish. Bunso ako eh, that must be it. Most of the time, I’m willing to share some of my things, like those that don’t really matter much. But if I see you enjoying my things too much, and I happen to LOVE that thing too…tsk tsk… nuh-uh, hon, gimme that back.

8. I live to love Pokemon. They’re the best creatures ever. I mean, a cute yellow furball that electrocutes you on occasion? That’s AWESOME! And the games! I’m like a kid trapped in a porn store whenever I play them. I get a kick out of being the best trainer in the region; kicking the Elite Four’s asses, catching ‘em all to fill up my Pokedex. Hell, and I don’t even own a Nintendo DS; I play it on the PC. :D

9. I used to want to become a doctor. Doctors are sexy; they save lives and act so cool and fly in their white coat and stethoscope bling. And then one day I woke up thinking med school was expensive. And I found out that cutting up people and reaching over to all that blood and flesh and internal organs to make the patient better won’t really be my thing. I don’t want to see the things that the worst of health can do to people. Plus, I discovered that I looked more like a patient than a doctor with my skinny frame and bony shoulders. I don’t think ill people trusts a doctor who looks like he should be wearing a black hooded robe and a scythe. Baka isipin nila, ako ‘yung susundo sa kanila sa kabilang buhay.

10. I like watching porn. Always. I know, it’s not that interesting; I mean, almost all guys do it.

11. I have diverse tastes in some personal stuff. ;D

12. I am extremely lazy. But when I’m very passionate about something, I’m like a shark with a mouthful of human. ‘Pag gusto kung gawin yung isang bagay, driven talaga ako. I try to do it until it’s awesomely, truly perfect.

13. OC ako sa mga gripo at appliances sa bahay. I check them all, over and over again. Some nights, I wake up just to see if I left anything on. It nags me if I don’t go check.

14. I get withdrawal symptoms if I’m not online everyday. Something always pushes me to double-click Google Chrome, kahit walang load ang SmartBro. Freak. :D

15. I am me. And I’ll never change unless I really, really have to.

Til’ next time!

— This Ghost