EZUnsecured For All Your Unsecured Financing Needs

With the economic downturn of the American economy, you might think it is crazy to start a small business. Well, I heard a very famous radio talk show host yesterday talking about starting a small business at this time of economic crisis. She said it isn't as bad as most people would think. In fact, this might even be a good time to venture in that area, as well as getting into the stock market. She could be darn right!

Anyhow, if you have the same frame of mind as this talk show host I was talking about, your help is just a click away. You are going to need lots of money to start a new business for it to succeed. That's where  EZunsecured.com comes in! They are the only company that can be trusted when it comes to Unsecured Financing for your business. So, don't waste your time calling anyone else. EZUnsecured is the right place with the right people to go to. Find out how their experts can get you funded by calling their Toll-Free 800-201-0001.

"Give a Portion to Seven, and Also To Eight !"

This verse comes from Ecclesiastes 11:2 and follows verse one which says, "Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days."

Our pastor talked about this before and after our Missions Conference which was held the 19th to the 22nd of this month. He said that to give a portion to "seven" means that is what we expect to do with our giving to missions. Seven is the number for completion. It is doing what we normally would do with our giving. We can invest in those missionaries with whom we customarily give and receive God's blessings for that. But to give also to eight is most interesting as part of that same verse. Not only is the number eight a number for "new beginnings", but it is logically a number that is more than seven. Since it is more than seven, we must take a look at why God made the statement, "and also to eight."

He believes that God is saying to His people to take a big step of faith to stretch ourselves even beyond what we may have done in the past or plan to do this year for missions. To give "also to eight" means to step to another level of giving. It means to go even further and to sow just a little more in faith and do what God might put in your heart to do.

For weeks and months, our church has been preparing for our World Missions Conference. The theme for this year was "fresh Wind; Fresh Fire; and Fresh Word." What a perfect theme! God powerfully presented Himself through the wind of the Holy Spirit as it fell over the missionaries and those attending the conference. God's Word was presented with a strong anointing and so many people were ministered to at the altars.

My husband and I had the opportunity to attend the conference and we saw how God moved in the midst of His people. With the recent downturn of the American economy, it was uncertain as to what would happen financially to meet the needs of those missionaries who would be attending the conference this year. But, let me tell you . . . God's resources are NOT dried up! Our 2007 Missions Conference received $ 113,964.00. It astonished all of us when we reached that level. But because the congregation's step of faith to go beyond and to "give a portion to eight," we have surpassed 2007 and have received for 2008 a total of $115,998.00. Shell Lake Full Gospel is just a small town church, but the members are so faithfully sowing their seed of finances into missions. To God be the glory! 

What's Your Shopping Confession?

The Christmas season is just around the corner. For most people, it is the time to give gifts to family and friends. Where I live, holiday shopping has already started a few months ago. If I remember it right, it started soon after the Labor Day. Our department stores and malls in the area are always jammed packed with holiday shoppers every weekend. It's hard to believe it is that time of the year already. Time sure does fly! Doesn't it? 
As a big shopper myself, I'm almost all set for this year's gift-giving season. I started online shopping and malling for stuff to give to loved ones since January of this year. Aside from this, I have another shopping confession to make, which I will be posting real soon at www.ShopAndConfess.com. eBillme is having a Shopping Confessions Contest where monthly winners get $1000 for a video entry and $500 for text entry and a Grand Prize of $15,000. You, too, can enter your shopping confession and have the chance to win the Grand prize for more holiday shopping. Simply go to http://www.shopandconfess.com/index.php/contest/member/register/ to sign up and participate. Please don't forget to use www.rogandjemi.com as your blog URL referral. See you there! 

For further details about the Shop and Confess contest, check out the video embedded below. 

Blessings

I signed up with Sponsored Reviews a few months ago, but never got assignments. After a while, I never even bothered to check my account nor placed bids. Well, yesterday, when I opened my account, there was an offer waiting for my acceptance which will expire today. Thankfully, I caught it before it expires. An advertiser directly hired me to do a review for their website/services for $25.00 and 50 words. Wow!!!! I was so shocked and very happy to see that! I accepted the offer right away and as soon as I submitted my post, another job opportunity came up. Such a blessing! I am hoping to get more assignments from them. From now on, I will be logging in to my account daily and start bidding again. Thanks SR and to the advertisers for considering my blog!

"If There's A Will, There's A Way"

 

In one of my older posts, I mentioned about my sister applying for a US visa. Well, she had her interview at the US embassy in Manila the 27th at 7 a.m. (Philippine time). Unfortunately, her application was denied for the reason of unstable income, which is pretty ridiculous knowing that all her expenses will be taken cared of by family in the US. Even though she mentioned this to the lady interviewer that her sister and husband (we) will shoulder all her travel expenses, that did not matter at all. I sure felt for her. She was disappointed and heartbroken. We were all excited about her coming to the US for a short visit. She was gonna come in the winter to experience the WI freezing temps and see snow. Now, that will be just a dream. But, I encouraged her not to give up hope.  When God closes a door, He opens a window. Somewhere down the road, my sister will understand why she was not granted a US visa. At the moment, it seemed so unfair knowing that she's got good intentions. Those over-staying Filipinos in the US makes it so hard and almost impossible to get a visa these days. Regardless, if God gives a go signal, then one will find favor with the interviewer . . . no matter what! So, I encouraged her to just give everything to the Lord and try again sometime next year. If there's a will, there's a way!

Advice For Gadget Users

Here's a great website for all you gadget and tech fans where you can get the straight-to-the-heart of the latest and best of the tech world without sorting through tons of clutter. Gadget Advisor ! Whether it's Hardware, Software, Gadgets or the latest Tech News, you'll find helpful, well-written and clutter-free articles and reviews that are crafted to bring you the best of the best. Forget all the rest !

For example, they have an excellent article about some of the best extensions for Firefox to increase the functionality of the Firefox browser. One, the Automatic Google Cache Checker Firefox extension , is a Gadget Advisor exclusive download. Looking to work with different media files ? Check out the Blaze Media Pro review, a software program for audio and video conversion that does it all. All the articles are extremely readable and clear. Additionally, there are a lot of great illustrations or screen captures to help give you further understanding. 

For a gadget girl like me, this is a great site. It's like having your own personal tech advisor on call 24/7. I love it !

24/7 Internet Connection

Finally, my parents got their Smart BRO Wireless Broadband Internet.  It's about P999.00 a month. Not too bad for a 24/7 connection with a speed of up to 384 kbps. That's seven times faster than dial-up. It allows them to get faster downloads, view streaming audio and video content, and see and hear chat mates. We chat almost everyday now with webcam and sometimes voice conversation. It is cheaper this way than calling them long distance via landline phone. Plus, they get to see the grandkids everyday.

Additionally, they also get Value-Added Services (VAS) and other offers exclusive to Plan 999 subscribers to compliment their fast internet connection.  So, they get more out of their subscription.

I could not believe how easy and quick everything was from the time they applied to the installation of the Smart BRO antenna at the house. The antenna is directed to the nearest Smart cellsite to get the strongest connection signal possible. Once the antenna was cabled to their computer, they were instantly connected.

So far, so good. They have not experienced any connection problem. They are pretty happy with the service. 

Losing Fat the Ephedra Way

In my blog hopping, I noticed that several bloggers talked about their battle to lose weight.  Some tried to lose weight by dieting, others by going to the gym. I have also read that some take diet pills to lose excess fat. Some were successful. Others were not.

Talking about diet pills, these are becoming very popular these days. There are literally thousands of diet pills out there. But, not every one of them, I'm sure, works as good as advertised. I have read though that ephedra diet pills is pretty effective in losing fat. 

According to some customer reviews that I have read, it does not only help them lose unwanted fat, but it also boosts their energy levels. If you have been looking for that best diet pills that really work, try ephedra. You can buy it online at FemNutrition.com. They have several types of ephedra diet pills to choose from at very affordable prices. Plus, they ship fast! Order yours now and be one of their over 35,000 satisfied customers.

Eleven Months and Talking

Time sure does fly! My baby girl will turn 11 months in a couple of weeks. It's hard to believe she is starting to talk now. She copycats us almost every time we say something. Some words are very clear, while others are gobblygook. She is a chatterbox alright. But, the sweetest at that! 

When it comes to walking, she doesn't seem to have interest at all, as far as I can see. She pulls herself up holding on to something. Yet, she doesn't show any interest in taking steps even if I hold her hands. Her big brother started walking at 11 months, but did not talk as early as her. I guess that's one of their individual differences. 

Thank God for giving us these very precious little ones. We love them verrrry much!!!! 

Owning A Coffee Franchise Is Made Easy With FoodFranchise.com

I had a brother-in-law who was quadriplegic due to a bicycle accident. He got a sizable amount of money from the settlement and appointed my husband, his brother, to be his trustee. One of the plans of investing his money that he was very excited about was to put up a coffee shop. He inquired about coffee franchises from different companies with the help of my husband. Unfortunately, he passed away before his dream of operating his own coffee shop came to reality. It just took them a while to shop around for the best coffee franchise. Had they known about FoodFranchise.com, it would have been a lot easier and quicker for them to decide which coffee franchise to purchase. They have the best listings of coffee franchise opportunities to choose from. A detailed information about each franchise is also provided. Moreover, there is a direct link to their individual website for potential customers' convenience. If, for some reason, you wanted more franchise information, simply fill-out and submit a "Request for Information" form and they will get back to you with the needed stuff. If you want to be a coffee franchise entrepreneur, Food Franchise is the best place to start from.

Heading For Interview

At this writing, my sister is flying from Cagayan de Oro City to Manila for her interview at the US embassy. My other sister is flying to Manila with her for company. They will be staying at the Bayview Park Hotel right across from the embassy. It is kind of pricey, but I wanted them to be as comfortable as can be. Besides, they haven't experienced staying at a nice hotel. At least, nothing that I am aware of. I am praying that God will give her favor with the interviewer. I would love for her to visit us and experience the Wisconsin winter and see snow. That would be an experience of a lifetime! 

Online Trading with First Trade

Because of the recent financial situation, both here in the US and around the world, now may be the best time to get into the stock market. First Trade can help you with this. You can do online trading with them safely and easily from the comfort of your own home. Stock trading can be risky. But, with First Trade, your account is protected with the highest level of coverage there is in the financial services industry. You are protected up to your total net equity.  

Firstrade has been doing online stock trading and offering options, like mutual funds, ETFs, bonds and more for over 23 years now. Doing business with a company that has been tested over time sure helps ease worries and fears. Open an account now at www.firstrade.com with no minimum deposit to start. Also make sure to check out their special offers for more great deals.

Missions Conference

October 19 - 22 was our church 22nd Annual World Missions Conference. The theme for this year was "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, Fresh Word." Our church faithfully supports 48 missionaries from around the world. This year, not all of them made it to the conference. But, even those who did not make it, still got some financial support from the congregation. Shell Lake Full Gospel is just a little town church, but we were able to raise a very large amount of money to meet the missionaries' needs. Despite all the financial hardship we are experiencing in this country, we still exceeded last year's total by the thousands. God indeed is a Great Provider!

A Baby Girl's Letter To Mommy

I got this email from a friend and thought of posting it. It is so touching. Please take time to read it!

Dear Mommy,

I am in Heaven now, sitting on Jesus' lap.

He loves me and cries with me; for my heart has been broken.

I so wanted to be your little girl. I don't quite understand what has happened.

I was so excited when I began realizing my existence.

I was in a dark, yet comfortable place. I saw I had fingers and toes.

I was pretty far along in my developing, yet not near ready to leave my surroundings.

I spent most of my time thinking or sleeping.

Even from my earliest days, I felt a special bonding between you and me.

Sometimes I heard you crying and I cried with you. Sometimes you would yell or scream, then cry.

I heard Daddy yelling back.

I was sad, and hoped you would be better soon.

I wondered why you cried so much. One day you cried almost all of the day.

I hurt for you. I couldn't imagine why you were so unhappy.

That same day, the most horrible thing happened.

A very mean monster came into that warm, comfortable place I was in.

I was so scared, I began screaming, but you never once tried to help me.

Maybe you never heard me.

The monster got closer and closer as I was screaming and screaming,

"Mommy, Mommy, help me please; Mommy, help me."

Complete terror is all I felt.

I screamed and screamed until I thought I couldn't anymore.

Then the monster started ripping my arms off.

It hurt so bad; the pain I can never explain.

It didn't stop. Oh, how I begged it to stop.

I screamed in horror as it ripped my leg off.

Though I was in such complete pain, I was dying.

I knew I would never see your face or hear you say how much you love me.

I wanted to make all your tears go away.

I had so many plans to make you happy.

Now I couldn't; all my dreams were shattered.

Though I was in utter pain and horror, I felt the pain of my heart breaking, above all.

I wanted more than anything to be your daughter.

No use now, for I was dying a painful death.

I could only imagine the terrible things that they had done to you.

I wanted to tell you that I love you before I was gone, but I didn't know the words you could understand.

And soon, I no longer had the breath to say them; I was dead.

I felt myself rising. I was being carried by a huge angel into a big beautiful place.

I was still crying, but the physical pain was gone.

The angel took me to Jesus and set me on His lap.

He said He loved me, and He was my Father. Then I was happy. I asked Him what the thing was that killed me. He answered, "Abortion.

I am sorry, my child; for I know how it feels."

I don't know what abortion is;

I guess that's the name of the monster.

I'm writing to say that I love you and to tell you how much I wanted to be your little girl.

I tried very hard to live.

I wanted to live. I had the will, but I couldn't; the monster was too powerful.

It sucked my arms and legs off and finally got all of me. It was impossible to live.

I just wanted you to know I tried to stay with you.

I didn't want to die.

Also, Mommy, please watch out for that abortion monster.

Mommy, I love you and I would hate for you to go through the kind of pain I did.

Please be careful.


Love,

Your Baby Girl

My Sister Is Applying For A US VIsa

I am so excited about my sister's plan to come to the US for a visit. She is scheduled for an interview at the US embassy the 27th of this month. Hopefully, she will be granted a US visa. We know how hard it is to get a US visa in the Philippines. That is because of so many Filipinos who are overstaying in the states. But, I firmly believe that if it is God's will for her to come here, then she would get that visa no matter what. We are just putting everything in God's hands. He knows what and when it is best for His children. 

Time To Kick Back

Finally, the re-certification of our AFH is over with. Now, I can breathe and kick back. I am so worn out due to lack of sleep and stress. The fact that we were not ready to present all the required paperwork bothered me a lot. DH said that we will just have to say "We don't have it"when asked about stuff we could not provide. That's just not me! I wanted to have everything ready and well-organized for the county rep to look at. So, this morning, I got up earlier than usual and started digging through the pile of stuff in the office. I would say, all my hard work paid off! I found everything we needed, plus the extras. DH did his share, as well. With our combined efforts, we got all the red tape done two hours before the meeting. It was an intern who came and as we already expected, she was by-the-book! But, I am proud to say that we did great considering our last minute preparation. I think she was pretty impressed with how we do things around here and what we presented to her. To hear her commenting about how organized we were, made me almost fell off my chair. Hubby actually could hardly believe what we accomplished in such a short period of time. But, boy, I tell you . . . what a stressor that was! Lesson learned? Don't procrastinate! By this time next year, it will be different. I will have everything ready a week or two before the re-certification day. Now, all we have to do is wait for the new certificate of our AFH operation in the mail. Thank God, it's over with!

 

Thank You

To Sugarbabes, Babette, Maricel, Bk, Joytoy, Rarejonrez, thank you for the uplifting messages you left in my previous post. I was touched by how much you cared. Though we have only met here, you showed what a good friend you are. I sure appreciated your encouragements, thoughts, and prayers. I was just so depressed that day and I felt like my world was caving in. Partly, it was my fault. Thank God that I/we came through it victoriously. It is so true that God never leaves us nor forsakes us, especially at the lowest and darkest times of our lives. I remember the song "Footprints in the Sand". When the man saw only one set of footprints, it was then that God carried him. What an assurance of God's unconditional and stubborn love!

Why?????

Today's been a rough day. I could not tell you why. All I can say is that I was on the verge of giving up. Right now, I just wanted to disappear and be gone forever. It is too much to handle!  

Filipinos in UK to Protest Against BBC

A friend in UK sent me an email regarding the protest they are going to launch against the Brtish government-owned Bristish Broadcasting Corp (BBC). BBC apparently aired a controversial skit portraying a Filipina domestic helper in a very humiliating and racist manner on its September 26 episode of Harry and Paul. Harry Enfield, the comedian, was telling a postman about his Filipino maid whom he ordered to mate with Paul, his friend. This supposed young Filipina was wearing a grey uniform and an apron and was shown "gyrating and dancing lasciviously." Enfield kept ordering the poor Pinay to gyrate and dance in front of his friend. To make matters worse, he ordered her to hump him. When Paul, being indifferent, stood up to go inside the house, Harry scolded the Filipina. He told her to get out and just go. This skit ended with the postman sidling up to the girl and whispered something to her as they walked off together.

This is just plain SICK! How could they, a government-owned BBC, do such a very racist and degrading show? They know better than that! I am so proud of our Filipino brothers and sisters in London for taking an action against BBC. The Philippine embassy representatives in UK are coordinating with the Filipino community there regarding the protest actions they are planning to do. There is going to be a silent protest and vigil right at the BBC. An email campaign condemning BBC and demanding from the British government an apology  is now being circulated among the community.

According to Akbayan reprsentative, Risa Hontiveros, the said humiliating portrayal of Filipina workers "promotes negative stereotypes that cultivate impunity among those who abuse Filipina workers abroad."

"By making a horrible scene of exploitation an object of ridicule, the show trivializes an act of abuse commonly experienced by Filipina workers abroad. It desensitizes its audience on human trafficking, an issue that merit global indignation," she said.

She added that making overseas Filipinas appear as submissive sex objects reinforces the notion that foreigners could easily hire small and sexy Filipina domestic helpers and turn them into sexual objects.

"By making it a joke, it encourages a consciousness that promotes human trafficking," Hontiveros said. - GMANewsTV

I totally agree with her, 120%! I sure hope that this will never happen again and that BBC will learn its lessons of respect and conscientious broadcasting.  I am a very proud Filipino and will not tolerate such act of humiliation and disrespect among my kababayans. If I were there, I would certainly, with no hesitations, join their protest against BBC. 

Right now, the Philippine Embassy has already sent letters of complaint to various UK government offices - including the UK regulatory industry, the mayor of London, and the BBC itself - while Philippine Ambassador to the UK Edgardo Espiritu is studying whether any legal action can be made. Go for it, mga Kababayan!  

Bella

When was the last time you and your husband watched a movie together? I am posing this question to couples with little kids out there. I know it can be challenging when you got little kids around. I could not even remember the last time my husband and I went to the theater. Once in a blue moon, when the kids are in bed, we'd snuggle up on the couch and watch a movie. Even then, I have no recollection of the last time we did that, excluding last Friday's. We sure needed a break here! 

Finally, we got the chance last Friday. Our son, Josiah, was at school and our clients were at work, we watched Bella. Many of you have probably seen this movie, since it came out in 2006. Well, that was my first time and I loved it! It sure was a tear-jerker though! Anyhow, it's about an international soccer player, who is on his way to sign a two-million dollar contract. But, his dream of a lifetime came to an abrupt end when an unexpected event took place. There is also a beautiful waitress who is trying to make both ends meet in the big city of New York. One day, she discovers something about herself that she is not ready for. Their lives are turned upside down. But, a simple act of kindness brings them both together. It somehow turned an ordinary day into an unforgettable experience. 

If you have not seen this movie, you have got to! It is one of the best movies I have seen in years. I found out that it's actually a true story and has garnered tons of awards, including some of the most prestigious ones. I didn't want to spoil the story, in case you have not seen it and would like to watch it someday. All I can say is that it made me more careful when I am behind the wheels and love my kids all the more. This is a movie that will truly stay with you!

Plantar Fasciitis

One of our AFH residents used to have Plantar Fasciitis. I had no clue what it was when I first heard about it. I knew she was having trouble walking, especially when she first gets up in the morning. Other than that, I was clueless as to what Plantar Fasciitis is and why she had that problem.  So, I did my homework and found out that it is a painful inflammatory condition of the foot caused by excessive wear to the plantar fascia that supports the arch. The pain is usually felt on the underside of the heel. It is most painful when the person first gets up in the morning and takes the first steps of the day. There are several conditions known to have caused Plantar Fasciitis, like obesity and weight gain, to mention a few. 

Her brother, who is a retired Physical therapist, gave her some kind of a foot splint to wear. She wears it during the day, when she goes to work.  It seemed to help relieve the pain and reduce the inflammation. But, once in a while it comes back. We might have to get her a new set. The old one is now showing some wear and tear. I found a site that carries these stuff. It's FootSmart.com. They have all types of products for lower body health. Check them out if you are one of those people suffering from foot pains.

 

Confused?

For those of you suffering from mild to severe acne problem, I know from experience how confusing it could be trying to figure out which acne treatment works and which doesn't.  I've been there, done that! It's not easy, especially with so many treatment options available these days. To add to your confusion, each of these acne treatment products claim to be the best in the market. But, you have to be really careful. The truth is, not all of them work as good as advertised. It could get so frustrating when you use a product that won't do any good at all. Plus, that means money down the drain. That's when Acne Cures Revealed comes in. They are dedicated to guiding patients the best acne treatments available. They use consumer reviews, published clinical studies, and have tapped experts in the industry in coming up with the five best acne treatments. They followed certain criteria in coming up with such rankings. One of the acne treatment products they reviewed is Triclear. Please visit their site at AcneCuresRevealed.net to get their full review of this product.

Influenza

Isn't it too early for flu? I thought flu season won't start until November or early December. Well, I just found out that my son's teacher's 9-month old baby girl has come down with the flu. It's really pitiful for a baby to go through all that terrible stuff that come with the flu.  Hopefully,  she will come out of it soon.  I just hope that the teacher would not carry the virus to school and spread it to the kids. That's the last thing that my son would need right now. 

I was debating whether or not my kids should get the flu shot when it becomes available. I've read that it has some negative effects to the body.  So, to ease my worries, I talked to our kids' pediatrician.  She said that it does not have any negative effects and that it is perfectly safe to give to kids, even to babies.  They have the kind that does not contain mercury, which many parents are concerned about. So, I guess it's a green light for us to get flu shots this year.

Protect Your Plasma or Flat Screen TV

How would you like a TV lift cabinet that would quietly raise your Plasma or Flat screen TV with a touch of a button? I have always wondered if there is such a thing that would hide our Plasma TV and keep it protected until we want to watch it. Now with two little ones, it is already a necessity to get something like that, to keep it safe from flying toys. These plasma TVs are not cheap. 

Well, I heard about ImportAdvantage. They manufacture and sell tv lifts furniture cabinets and console. With a simple touch of a button, your TV will go up or down which will protect it once not in use. Their cabinets are elegantly hand-crafted from top quality and finest woods by their dedicated craftsmen. Just choose the style that would best match your own home decor needs and pay half the price what you would pay in a retail store. They also sell Foot of the Bed TV Lifts and TV Lift Mechanisms. Right now, they have free shipping on everything on their store. See ya there!

Dynolicious

I was browsing the App Store in iTunes and found an application called Dynolicious by Bunsen Tech. I don't know much about vehicles, but I got really interested in this App.  It uses the iPod/iPhone's built-in hardware to measure the performance characteristics of your vehicle. It does not use any external wires or equipment to do its job. Now, that's a plus! All you have to do is simply put the iPod/iPhone in a cradle or your vehicle's cup holder when you are on the go and it will do its job. According to the App description, it can measure your vehicle's 0-60 acceleration, one-fourth mile elapsed time, lateral G's and horsepower. I am familiar with the horsepower, but I'm gonna have my husband explain to me what all these other stuff mean and do in my vehicle. It would not hurt to have some know-how about these things, since I also drive and use our vehicle. Dynolicious also lets you record changes made to your vehicle, and evaluate the resulting gains or losses in power and performance. It has been track-tested and it showed accuracy compared to some really expensive performance meters which cost hundreds of dollars. This one only costs $12.99. I am sure my husband would love this valuable tool. I read most of the reviews about this Application and it sounded like dynolicious works as great as what it claims to be. 

More Birthdays, More Gifts

Happy October 1st everyone!  And, Happy Birthday to me !

For those who have been following my blog for a while now, you might wonder how come I have two birthdays. I celebrated last June 25th and now it's my birthday again. Yup, I have two birthdays. In all my official documents, I am 40 years old today. In real life, I turned 40 in June. For some crazy reason, my birth certificate has Oct.1 as my birth date. Since my parents did not have the money to have it changed back then, so they left it that way. Now, it is too complicated to change. It would involve a lot of red tape and money, of course. So,  every time I fill out papers/documents, that's what I use. But, I don't really celebrate on this day. It's only for official purposes. Isn't that weird? Somehow, the day and the month got printed on my birth certificate wrongly by some inefficient government employees. Good thing my parents names were correctly entered. Won't that be wacky if Mrs. Imelda and the late Ferdinand Marcos appeared on my birth certificate as my parents? LOL !!!! 

One advantage of having two birthdays is you get gifts twice. hahaha ! I got an iPod touch this time. It is the new 32 GB . . . sooo cool !!!!  It stores up to 7,000 songs,  25,000 photos and up to 40 hours of video/movies.  iPod touch is the only iPod with 802.11b/g wireless access to the web. Whenever you’re connected via Wi-Fi, you can access your favorite websites to read news, check scores, pay bills, go shopping and many more. We were at Culvers Restaurant the other day and I went online with no problem. It was very quick and instantaneous. As you can see in the picture below, that is my blog on the screen. It loaded super fast. It is so amazing how a tiny gadget like this has so much to offer.  If you want to get a closer look at any web page, simply zoom in and out with a tap or a pinch of the Multi-Touch display. You can also view websites in portrait or landscape. Rotate iPod touch 90 degrees and the website rotates, as well. Boy, this just blows me away! There are websites that I check frequently, like my favorite newspaper (Philippine Daily Inquirer), friends' blogs, etc., what I did is I created a Home screen icon for each of those sites. I made Web Clips with Safari. Now, my favorite sites are always just a tap away. How cool is that? 

This IPod touch also synced my bookmarks from my Macbook, that way I can access my favorite sites quickly. To top it all, it has Google and Yahoo! search built in, so it’s easy to find what you’re looking for on the web. Since I got the latest edition ( 2nd edition ), it has volume controls/buttons that are built into the left side of iPod touch which gives me easy access to the most frequently used controls. Plus, the battery life is longer. It provides up to 36 hours of audio playback or 6 hours of video playback. There is also a built-in speaker that they added in the 2nd edition, which comes in handy when you want to hear the music, dialogue, and action without using headphones. It sure is perfect for casual listening!

One more thing that made me fell in-love with this gadget is the fact that I can listen to e-books. I have already started to download books that I have been wanting to read, but no time to do so. I am also an avid follower of Joyce Meyers' shows. She is a lady preacher, teacher, speaker, author, evangelist, etc. With this iPod, I can listen to her podcasts and not miss a single bit of her shows/programs. In fact, I have already purchased one of her books from itunes which I will continue downloading today.

It is so true that iPod touch games and applications are nothing short of amazing. You will find all these at the App Store. I am not into games, but I found some really good educational games which I downloaded for free for my son to enjoy and learn, especially when we're on the go. There are so many that I haven't looked at yet. So far, I've downloaded these :  ABC Words, Allis Jigsaw Puzzle, Flashgram, Hanoi, iDoodle2 Lite, Labyrinth Lite Edition, Matches Free, Math Quizzer level 1, PapiPole, Stories from hans Andersen, Sudoku, Tanzen, I also got free bible for reading and studying, dictionary and thesaurus, Trivial memory, wurdle, and many more. For myself, I got the bible, English dictionary and thesaurus, eReader, iQuote, Mantis Bible study, The neighbors, Stanza, Units, Wordbook, and many more.  For convenience, you can get them right from your iPod.

The world’s best developers are  definitely taking advantage of groundbreaking technology, including Multi-Touch, the accelerometer, real-time 3D graphics, and 3D positional sound, to create games and applications made especially for iPod touch. So, whether you’re a gamer or into something else — chatting, social networking, news, sports, finance — there’s bound to be something just for you at the App Store.

In my opinion, it is worth every penny spent on this gadget.