Product Review Blog or Product Blog

*image credit from career.com

    Do you know that blogging started as early as 1994? It was also known as an online diary wherein someone posted his daily activities, his thoughts, some photos with stories, etc. The first recorded blog, as most experts agree is from Justin Hall through his links.net. The word weblog was coined by Jorn Barger, then evolved to just simply blog by Peter Merholz.  But we are not going to discuss the history of blogging here and why vlogging now is quite popular than the previous. For some far south and east, the internet has just been starting for them with the sprouts of different social media sites. And believe me, other people are still alienated by different terms on the net as well, and mostly, it isn't their fault, but don't ask me why because it would be another issue.

    As my title hinted, it is to differentiate a Product Review blog from just a mere Product blog or vlog.

First, a blog is written content of anything in the form of an article in a conversational style, whereas, a vlog is in the form of a video. These two are done digitally through the help of the internet and some blogging sites.

    Product Blog or Vlog is usually done by the company, maybe its Sales and Promotion Department. Some companies hire endorsers or market influencers for their products or services. A Product Blog or Vlog is also a form of advertisement wherein the product features and benefits are highlighted to create awareness and interest in the product, resulting in an increase in sales. 

    Product Review Blog or Vlog usually aren't paid for and are usually done by consumer or customer who uses that product or service. The consumer or customer may either write a blog article or create a video to say or! show his/her satisfaction and/or dissatisfaction with the product or services. The blogger/vlogger enumerates the reason for satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the product. In some cases, the blogger or vlogger makes a stance on the benefits and features of the product against his/her experience with the product. It also helps to warn other consumers to try the product or services. However, there are cases that a certain company would initiate a review of their product by giving samples to a famous blogger/vlogger known for reviewing a specific type of product or service. It may or may not influence the outcome of the review, depending on the credibility of the blogger/vlogger.

    Product Blog/Vlog and Product Review Blog/Vlog both help create awareness about the product and promote it. Due to the emerging trends in social media and e-commerce, product vlogging is rather popular in promoting a product through product influencers who may or may not be using the product itself. There also goes the product affiliates wherein a vlogger, a celebrity, or a not-so-famous vlogger,  as long as they have followers from 1000 and above, they can endorse a product they may or may not be using. The main goal for blogging/vlogging a product and product affiliation is to earn. We will discuss later how a blogger/vlogger and an affiliate can earn money on our future blogs.

The Perfect Progressive Tenses of The Verb (series 1.C6)

       

          

          After discussing simple tenses of the verb, perfect tenses, and continuous tenses. Next are the Perfect Progressive or Perfect Continuous Tenses of the verb.
          Remember when we say, perfect, it means 'complete'(the action has been completed), and progressive means 'unfinished' (the action is not yet finished and continues in the present, and may continue in the future).

Present Perfect Progressive > also known as the perfect present continuous, an action that started in the past and is continuing at the present time. This is formed using

     has/have been + verb with -ing

Examples:
                  She has been reading the novel for two weeks now.
                  You have been playing that game since last year.
                   I have not been seeing Julie lately.
                   Susie has been playing piano since she was a child.

Past Perfect Progressive > also known as the past perfect continuous, an action that started in the past but continued up to another time in the past. This is formed using

      had been + verb with -ing

Examples:
                  I had been telling you to stop smoking since last year.
                  They had been creating unrest in the neighborhood for 3 years.
                  We had not been cleaning our home since last month.
                   Patrick and Liza had been dancing until Patrick died a year ago.       


Future Perfect Progressive > also known as the future perfect continuous, an action that begins sometimes in the past but is expected to continue up until a point in the future. This is formed using

       will have been + verb with -ing

Examples:
                  In January, I will have been teaching at my school for ten years.
                  He will have been waiting for two hours by the time his girlfriend arrives.
                  You will not have been working in the office for 3 months.
                  Even though the TV show will have been airing for another year, it will continue with its new time slot.


** Progressive tenses use action verbs only and not stative verbs. Stative verbs are state of being that does not show qualities of change. It includes emotions, possessions, and thoughts.

English 101: The Continous Tenses of the Verb (series 1.C5)

          *image credit www.tes.com

     Previously, I have written here the simple tenses of the verb then followed by the perfect tenses of the verb, now we will proceed to continuous tenses also known as progressive tenses of the verb.  Continuous tenses of the verb show an action that is in progress was in progress or will be in progress at a certain period. Continuous tenses are formed by the 'be'-verb + -ing form of the verb. 

Be-verbs: 

am,  is, are + -ing form of the verb = for present tense

was, were + -ing form of the verb = for past tense

will be + -ing form of the verb = for future tense

Past Continuous Tense > it indicates a continuing action that was happening at some period in the past.

Examples:
     1) I was playing mobile games when I heard the sad news.
     2) At the stroke of the clock, they were singing joyously in the place.
     3) She was laughing hard until she fell off the stage.
     4) You were sleeping when she arrived.


Present Continuous Tense > it indicates that an action is still happening now, always happening, and may continue to happen in the future.

Examples:

     1) Eejay is washing the dishes while he plays music from his mobile phone.
     2) I am thinking of what to prepare for today's lunch.
     3) The PlanetShakers are going to perform live at Araneta Coliseum.
     4) Are we taking this jacket on our way to Baguio City?


Future Continuous Tense > indicates an action that will happen in the future and will continue to happen at the expected length of time.

Examples:
     1) He will be sleeping the whole day after all his tasks.
     2) I will be talking at a conference this Friday.
     3) We will be taking Diane and Joan to the party.
     4) Susan and Peter will be joining us later this afternoon.

** Present and Future Continuous use action verbs only and not stative verbs. Stative verbs are state of being that does not show qualities of change. It includes emotions, possessions, and thoughts.

Philippines' DepEd K-12 and SHS Program

     It is actually read as K to 12, Kindergarten to Grade 12. The Philippines was among the three (3) countries and the only one in Asia that offered the 10-year education cycle before entering college. The Philippines before had six (6) years of primary (grade 1-3) and intermediate school level (grade 4-6); four (4) years of high school labeled as 1st-year high=freshman, 2nd-year high=sophomore, 3rd-year high=junior, and 4th year=senior. Kindergarten then is not compulsory, yet schools are offering three levels for Kindergarten, hence, nursery > kinder > preparatory, or nursery > kinder 1> kinder 2, depending on the school rules and policies. 

     Until 2012, Republic Act 10157, known as the Kindergarten Education Act ratified by Congress and signed by President Benigno C. Aquino Jr., compulsory education for five (5) years old before they enter formal schooling, as is considered the developmental years to ascertain their formal school readiness. Likewise, the Republic 10533 - Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 was signed and approved last May 2013, yet implemented a year before for those who have enrolled in grade 7.

     Questions and disagreement have been posed by some parents and students, however, the 1st batch of K-12 Grade 11, Senior High School is currently taking the different tracks the DepEd (Department of Education) is offering. This year's 1st batch is expected to complete the K-12 in 2018. 

image credit to DepEd website

The following information about K-12 and Senior High School (SHS) are enumerated below:

• K-12 is an educational mandatory for parents and school agencies to start education for the children at the age of five (5) through Kindergarten to ascertain the readiness of children for formal schooling. Primary education begins from grade 1 to 6, then four (4) years of Junior High School, and another two (2) years of Senior High School.
• A student who has finished K-10 but does not want to continue in Senior High School may do so but he/she will miss the opportunity of earning a high school diploma, thus, he/she will be called a Grade 10 Completer.
• It does not cost anything to enroll in Senior High School in Public/Government Schools. Tuition fees in private schools are also paid by DepEd thru its voucher program, however, they can top it up with some miscellaneous expenses which students will have to pay separately.
• All Grade 10 Completers from public/government schools get a Voucher for enrolling in a Private or Non-DepEd Senior High School. However, payment of tuition fees is coursed from Government to School Agencies.
• All Grade 10 Completers from private schools who are ESC (Education Service Contracting)* Grantees also get a Voucher for enrolling in a Private or Non-DepEd Senior High School.
• After finishing Senior High School, graduates can apply for employment, be an entrepreneur, pursue higher education (college) or middle skills development (short courses/TESDA)
• Senior High School offers four (4) Tracks from which Grade 10 Completers can choose depending on their interest:

1. Academic Track
2. Technical-Vocational & livelihood Track (TVL)
3. Arts & Design Tracks, and
4. Sports Track. 

• If students will have to choose Academic Track, they have four (4) strands to choose from [1] Accountancy, Business and Management Strand (ABM), [2] Humanities & Social Sciences Strand (HUMSS), [3] Science, Technology, Engineering,& Mathematics Strand (STEM), and [4] General Academic Strand (GAS).
• If students choose Technical-Vocational & Livelihood Track (TVL), they also have four (4) strands to choose from Agri-Fishery Arts Strand, Home Economics Strand, Industrial Arts Strand, and Information & Communication Technology Strand. Each strand has its specialization** depending on what the school agency has to offer.
• Arts and Design Track has six (6) strands: Music, Dance, Film/Media/IT, Visual Arts, Indigenous Arts, and Theater Arts.
• Sports Track includes subjects such as Safety & First Aid, Understanding Human Movement, General Coaching course, Sports Officiating, Fitness Leadership, Sports/Recreation/Fitness Management, Student-Athlete Enhancement & Formation, Fitness Testing * Exercise Prescription, and Recreation Leadership. However, there is a particular sports specialization and fitness to choose from depending on what a particular school has to offer.

* http://www.pnjkis.edu.ph/educational-service-contracting-esc-program

** http://www.deped.gov.ph/k-to-12/curriculum-guides/Technical-Vocational-Track

English 101: The Perfect Tenses of the Verb (series 1.C4)

     After detailing the Simple Tense of the verb, we now go to perfect tenses. Perfect Tense is another set of verb tenses. Perfect tenses are actions already completed. As the word implies, perfect means  "completely done" or "made complete". So what's the difference between simple and perfect tenses? The perfect tense is used when the time of an action is not specified, while the Simple tense is used when the details of the time or place of action are given. For perfect tenses, we have the Present Perfect Tense, Past Perfect Tense, and Future Perfect Tense.

It is important to know the regular and irregular verbs with their equivalent past participle in constructing a sentence with perfect tense.

Present Perfect Tense > this is an action completed concerning the present. It is used to express an action that has just or already happened, how often the action has happened, or to emphasize a past action's result or consequence.

Forms: he /she /it /singular subject noun = has + past participle of the verb ;
            I /you /we /they /plural subject noun = have + past participle of the verb

Examples:
          1) She has blown her hair already.
          2) It has happened twice.
          3) Pete has discussed a new lesson.
          4) I have just bought a new cellphone.
          5) We have gone here many times.
          6) The basketball players have shown their best in that game.


Past Perfect Tense > this is an action completed concerning the past. It is used to show an action that has happened before another action happened in the past.

Forms: subject(s) = had + past participle of the verb

Examples:
     1) They had won the game when he fell.
     2) He had studied the layout before he arrived at the meeting.
     3) The children were sad since she had left the convent.
     4) The men build this dam because the plants had been dying from drought.

* the italicized words are the actions in the past, while the underlined words are the actions completely done in the past before another action.
* conjunctions such as when, before, and since, because are also used to show action in the past perfect tense.


Future Perfect Tense > this is an action completed concerning the future. It is used to show that an action will have been completed at some time in the future.

Forms: subject(s) = will /shall + have + past participle of the verb

Examples:
     1) You shall have arrived by 5:00 in the morning.
     2) He will have been here for three weeks to finish the work.
     3) Joy and Kate will have known each other this coming week.
     4) Won't they have stayed here tomorrow night?

*won't = will not

What We Need To Know About El Niño & La Niña

With the ending phase of El Niño and the coming of La Niña, everyone seems to be bothered about what it would cause to the environment and the food supply in a certain country as well as its economy. El Niño is a Spanish word that means "The Little Boy" or "The Christ Child", and was used since the occurrence emerge of Christmas. Whereas, La Niña (also called"El Viejo") is the counterpart of El Niño meaning "The Little Girl", this is the ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) cold phase or event. El Niño occurs every 3 to 5 years and is almost always followed by La Niña.

      *oscillation > movement from one position to another.  

   

What is El Niño?

     El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), it is characterized by warm ocean temperatures that develop in the equatorial Pacific.

What causes the El Niño?

     It is caused by the warmer waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

Why the waters are warmer?

     As the trade winds lessen or reverse their direction, winds from the west push the warm surface of waters to the east in the direction of South America, such that there are lesser cold waters pulled up from below due to increase in warmer waters.

Watch this >> Animated Video on El Niño

What are the effects of El Niño?

Changes in weather patterns

• temperature changes
• precipitation changes
• storm track changes
• changes in currents and ocean temperature

These changes lead to other consequences such as:

fires, drought, flooding, economic changes, price of heating and food, a crash of fisheries, famines, plagues, insect population explosion, and crop failure.

However, there are also positive effects  brought by El Niño such as,

fewer hurricanes and other tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic, milder winters in southern Canada and the northern continental United States, replenishment of water supplies in the southwestern United States, and less disease in some areas due to drier weather like malaria in southeastern Africa.

======================

What is La Niña?

     La Niña is the cold phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), it is characterized by cold ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific.

What causes the La Niña?

     It is caused by the build-up of cooler-than-normal waters in the tropical Pacific, the west coast of South America.

Why the waters are cooler?

     The unusually easterly trade winds and ocean currents bring these cold waters to the surface, known as the process of upwelling.

Watch this >> Animated Video on La Niña

What are the effects of La Niña?

• drops in the ocean temperature
• cold currents rise up along the coast
• extended rains
• higher than average rainfall
• hurricanes and cyclones
• flooding

These effects can also have consequences on the agriculture and food supply of countries, as well as on private and insurance costs for crops.

There are also positive effects such as enhanced growth of fish populations and marine life due to the nutrients brought about by upwelling cold currents, thus fishermen get a good catch.

Click to watch more >> Observing El Niño

Presidential, Parliamentary, & Federal - What Are They?

     The Philippine National Election on May 9 has shown that people are becoming excited about who would win the election and the changes that might occur once the popular becomes the president. People are clamoring for changes and sensitivity that they wanted from someone in authority who would overturn the increasing crime, yet approachable that can be easily reached and mindful of the people's plight. Questions as to "would he stand by his promise, when is he going to do it, and how he would do it" are being asked by people. What could be his first task at hand?

     One declaration that elected President Rodrigo Duterte had stated during his campaign, is to change the present form of the Philippine government. There are as numerous as a public classroom students list varied forms of government in the different parts of the world. We mostly hear the anarchy, oligarchy, communist, socialist, Marxist, imperialist, parliamentary, and federal, to name a few. Actually, the different systems or forms of government are being taught as early as grade 4 or 5.

     At present, the Philippines is a republic with a Presidential form of government. Under the Presidential form, our country is divided into three (3) branches with equal powers but separate from each other, as illustrated below.

1) Legislative Division is responsible for making laws and altering or repealing them. The Senate and the House of Representatives or Congress are under this division. Elected by people.

2) Executive Division is responsible for executing and implementing the laws. The President and his Vice President, along with the mayoralty are under this division and elected by the people. The President, however, appoints his own cabinet members (department secretaries) as granted by the Constitution.

3) Judiciary Division is responsible for settling controversies that are legally demandable and enforceable. The Supreme Court and Lower Court are under this division. It has also the power as granted by the Constitution to declare a treaty, international or executive agreement, law, presidential decree, proclamation, order, instruction, ordinance, or unconstitutional regulation. Appointments are made by the President based on a list submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

Parliamentary on the other hand consists of two organizing bodies that are closely related and dependent upon each other. The two organizing body share their powers. See the illustration below:

1) Legislature may either be called an assembly, congress, or legislators. It is the law-making body of a government that has the power to amend and repeal public policy; observes and steers governing actions in a government system. Depending on certain countries or states, it may be in the form of unicameral or bicameral.
2) Executive consists of the head of state, it may be a President or Monarchy. As the case may be, they are the head of state but not the head of the government. The majority party that wins the election for Legislature is appointed Prime Minister, also called Premier or Chancellor. The Prime Minister possesses much greater power and status than the other ministers. The President or Monarchy appointed Cabinet Ministers with the advice of the Prime Minister. However, the Cabinet of Ministers is responsible to the legislature for all its activities and policies. The President is elected while a Monarchy is inherited.

A federal system of government is a division of power between a central national government and local governments that are connected by one another by the central national government. See the illustration below to have a clear grasp of how federalism works.

     There are powers designated to the Central/National government and powers reserved for the Regional/State government, but there is also the same shared power depending on what the constitution states. Each regional/state government elected a governor aside from its mayoralty. And just like in the presidential system, the central national government has Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary divisions with separate powers. The idea behind Federalism is to better suit the needs of each area in the country. The smaller branches of government from each region/state could deal with true things that need to be changed.

** images are created by Emily for April Brews, send a message for permission to use.

LINKS for more info:

http://www.bloomp.net/articles/benefits_federalism.htm

http://www.gov.ph/about/gov/

http://www.importantindia.com/12408/features-of-parliamentary-form-of-government/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalism_in_the_Philippines

The Gift of Giving

       I have come across a story that seems like a fairy tale but truly happened in the early 90s during the Bosnian war. It would remind you of an old fairy tale about a golden fish caught by a poor fisherman who begged to free him since he was actually a prince. When the wife of the poor fisherman was told of his experience, she asked her husband to return and make a wish to the golden fish for them to be free from poverty. Though a disaster happened later in the fairy tale, the true story I have read is in a way different since the blessings given to the family are intact.

      This true story began in the northwestern village of Jezero, before the outbreak of the Bosnian War. A father named Smajo Malkoc returned from a trip in Austria bringing with him a gift of an aquarium with two goldfish for his two teenage sons. Two years later, women and children fled but the men stayed back to resist the attack of Bosnian Serb forces. Smajo Malkoc was killed and his wife, Fehima, sneaked into the destroyed village, secretly buried his husband, and took whatever remains she could get off their belongings. Fehima took pity on the fish in the aquarium and she let them out in the nearby lake saying to herself, "This way, they might be more fortunate than us."

      Later in 1995, Fehima returned with his two sons to their home. Looking toward the lake, she glimpsed something strange on the lake and walked over to the shore to find out. She found out that the whole lake was full of shining golden fish. From then on, they started caring for and selling the goldfish, and 3 years after, the Malkoc house is one of the biggest in their village. The Malkoc family said they have enough money to quit worrying about the future. According to one of the sons, it was a special kind of gift from their father. 

       The father took the initiative of giving the gift of goldfish to his two sons, then the mother follows by giving the gift of freedom and life to the two goldfish by letting them to the lake during the war, thus, life underwater flourished and the gift of hope and new life had come to the Malkoc family after the war. Homes, stores, and coffee shops all over the region had their aquariums with goldfish from Jezero. This story is a good example of giving and receiving that the gift of love or an act of kindness, no matter how small or insignificant it may be, God blesses and uses it to accomplish and fulfill great things. "Give, and it will be given unto you" (Luke 6:38). We should not doubt that God can take whatever we offer Him and turn it into something magnificent. Amid chaos and trouble, God's grace is relentless, and his kingdom is flourishing even though life on the surface is full of trouble and strife. 

English 101: Simple Tenses of The Verb (series 1.C3)

     Verbs should be studied thoroughly along with subject nouns for they are the basic foundation in constructing a grammatically correct sentence. The time constraints involved in accomplishing the "action word" should be checked if it agrees with the time the action has or had been done. The verb should also agree with the subject noun in a sentence. Tenses tell us about the time when a certain action has been made or happened. The confusion of some students lies in identifying when to add 's' to a verb and what are the regular and irregular verbs. The best strategy for the latter is to memorize all of them, that's why I provided a link where to find this list of regular/irregular verbs. But first, let's start by identifying the Basic Tenses - Present, Past, and Future.

A) Present tense expresses the following actions or conditions:
          -action happening at the present moment
          -an action that happens habitually
          -a present condition
       
* we usually take the base form of a verb when we refer to the plural subject; if the subject is singular, we add "s" to the base form of the verb.
* the am, is, are linking verbs are used when referring to a present condition.

Examples:
     1) The alarms simultaneously ring every morning.
            (plural subject=alarms; verb=ring;
                    every morning=time referred to as habitual)
               
     2) The boys run towards the gate.

     3) We are the facilitator of the event. (are=stating present condition)

     4) Jenny goes home from Manila every summer. 
            (singular subject=Jenny; verb=goes;
                    every summer=time referred to as habitual)
   
     5) The smoke comes from the basement.

     6) She is the mother of the future king.

     7) I am the owner of this site.


B) Past tense expresses action or state-of-being that took place in the past.

* the past tense form of a verb (regular/irregular) is used (see the list)
* the past action uses the time to express past action, i.e.,
yesterday, last time, for, the actual date
* the was, were linking verbs are used to express the state-of-being in the past

Examples:
     1) The man waited for his lady for two hours.
             (take note of the verb-waited & the time-for two hours)

     2) She went to the grocery.

     3) Tom and Jerry played outside yesterday.

     4) Last night, I met my former classmate inside the mall.

     5) The President signed a peace treaty.


C) Future tense expresses an action that would take place sometime in the future. It also expresses a prediction or gives an order.

* the auxiliary verbs will or shall is added along with the base form of a verb
* actual future date or predictors can be used, i.e., soon, next, on

Examples:
    1) The Red Warriors will play against the Green Archers on Sunday.

    2) We shall have to abide by these camp rules.

    3) Will you please stop talking?

    4) The election will be on May 9.

    5) You shall not kill.

    6) Deniece and William will soon get married.

* shall is being used as a future predictor of the action in which the subject has an obligation or responsibility to do the stated action.

Also, check other topics under this category/label, just click the topic link:
Parts of Speech,  Kinds of Nouns,  Singular and Plural Nouns,  Uses of Nouns,  Kinds of Pronouns,  Kinds of Verbs, Characteristics of Verb.

#verb #verbtenses #simpletenses #presenttense #pasttense #futuretense #regular/irregularverb #English101 #grammar #sentenceconstruction

Depression During and After Pregnancy

   

    One special thing that could happen to a marriage is for a wife to bear a child. Being pregnant is a wonderful event in one's married life. However, pregnancy entails responsibility, proper care, and a ton of understanding from both the husband and the pregnant wife herself, and as much as possible from the people around and the community where the couple belongs. Nowadays, malls and public transportation provide designated areas and support signages for pregnant women. There are special provision or treatment given to pregnant women, yet, a lack or no knowledge of why is it being given still exist. 

      Yes ..physically, we all know what pregnant women feel but most people do not know the emotional and psychological aspects of being pregnant, why they feel, or why they act differently. And being misunderstood as one hormonal imbalanced woman during my pregnancy period, as well as after giving birth which is the more dangerous one than the latter, I have felt the urge to search and write about what I had been through. Depression occurs in this women's stages, aside from the pre-and post-menstrual period of a woman, pregnancy during and after enters into another stage of mood swings, also known as depression.
     During my pregnancy with my third child, though it was planned, there were days of crying, wanting my husband's attention then, worried about everything, and I slept late because I wanted to finish all the household chores-washing the clothes, mopping the floor, ironing the clothes, etc. I felt the same when I had my fourth pregnancy, I always felt tired then, and I lost interest in cleaning the house, which is the opposite of my third. The knowledge of having a baby with a congenital defect inside my womb added to my anxiety and the marital conflict I had with my husband. 

    After giving birth, I remember those times in my hospital bed when I cried and cried feeling alone, needing someone to talk to, and yet the one I am expecting to comfort me seems far away though near me. I don't know how long it lasted, I lose interest in everything, and I shut myself out from other people. But then I have to take my composure since I have a baby to care for who needs my special attention.

    Everything is history now and looking back still gives me some pain about whom to talk to and always being misunderstood. I do hope whoever reads, be patient with your pregnant neighbors or relatives, especially those who had just given birth, we may never know what they are going through. 

    And being a father-to-be for the first time, auntie or uncle, take note of these antepartum and postpartum blues, so you would know how to relate to or take care of them. For those who are pregnant feeling the same, do not be ashamed, it is not our fault and we can talk about it to our doctors and partners. Here is some information on the symptoms you might be experiencing.      

According to Mayo Clinic, some symptoms of antepartum (depression during pregnancy):

• persistent sadness
• unusual sleeping habits
• inability to concentrate
• loss of interest in the things/activities she usually enjoys
• feelings of guilt or worthlessness
• changes in eating habits
• anxiety/worry too much

These signs, however, are not exclusive or limited by themselves. A manifestation of 2 or more is an early sign of antepartum depression. 1 out of 4 pregnant women suffers from antepartum blues.

Depression after giving birth also affects 20% of women."Baby blues" is the early onset of depression after delivery which lasted up to two weeks, whereas postpartum depression lasted several weeks after giving birth. These two are commonly mistaken as the same, however, the latter is most intense and severe which requires medical intervention

Some symptoms of postpartum "baby blues" as stated by Mayo Clinic includes mood swings, anxiety, sadness, irritability, crying without apparent reasons, feeling overwhelmed, sleeping and appetite problem, and reduced concentration. Postpartum depression (PPD),  is also known as Prenatal Depression.

The PPD symptoms are as follows:

• depressed mood or severe mood swings
• severe anxiety and panic attacks
• excessive sadness
• intense irritability and anger
• excessive crying
• loss of appetite or eating more than usual
• inability to sleep or excessive sleeping
• loss of interest in things she usually enjoys
• overwhelming fatigue or loss of energy
• feeling of worthlessness and guilt
• inability to think clearly and concentrate
• difficulty bonding with her baby
• shutting out from family and friends
• thoughts of harming the baby
• fear of not being a good mother
• recurrent thoughts of death or suicide

You may click these other links for a more detailed discussion about antepartum and postpartum depression:

http://www.postpartumprogress.com/antenatal-depression-robbed-of-the-joy-of-pregnancy

http://www.postpartum.net/learn-more/depression-during-pregnancy-postpartum/
http://www.webmd.com/depression/postpartum-depression/

English 101: Characteristic of Verbs (series 1.C2)

Determining what transitive and intransitive verbs are is just one of the students' difficulties in studying English subjects. And this topic would easily enable them to understand another difficulty, identifying the active and passive voice of a verb. 

For previous topics in this series, click the link below:
Parts of Speech
A. Nouns/Kinds of Nouns
     1. Singular and Plural Nouns
B. Pronouns/Kinds of Pronouns
C. Verbs/Kinds of Verbs

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

image credit to teachers. onlineenglishexpert.com

A verb is transitive when a person or thing directs the action toward someone or something. The receiver of the action is the object of the verb.

Examples;

1) He composed an emotional song. (the action 'composed' is directed toward something which is 'song')
2) Mother bakes my birthday cake. (the action 'bakes' is directed toward something which is 'cake')
3) She helped the old man in crossing the street. (the action 'helped' is directed toward someone which is the old man)
4) The AFP send their military men to Basilan. (the action 'send' is directed toward someone which is the military men)

A verb is intransitive when the doer of the action does not direct the action toward someone or something.

Examples:

1) The sky darkened in the east.
2) Father already left from his office.
3) The glass broke.
4) Tinay fell.

CLICK HERE for Exercises

Active and Passive Voice

Voice tells whether the subject of the sentence is the doer or the receiver of the action.

The verb is in the active voice if the subject performs the action.

Examples:
1) Mother gave me a new dress. (the subject 'mother' performs the action 'gave')
2) He played the basketball game fair and square.

The verb is in the passive voice if the subject receives the action.

image credit to grammar.about.com

Examples:
1) I was given a new dress by Mother. (the action 'given' is received by the subject 'Mother')
2) The basketball game was played fair and square by the team. (the action 'played' is received by the subject 'team')
3) The messenger was sent to the office.

CLICK HERE for Exercises



            

Everyday Spices to Grow Indoors

     

     Lack of soil in the city, spices, and vegetables aren't getting any cheaper, the cravings for more spices and veggies push me to make research edible plants that we can grow indoors even if we don't have enough soil or none at all. I have been hearing about hydro phonics before and become interested in it. I need a thorough study on hydro phonics but then I stumbled upon some sites stating varieties of edible plants we can grow on a pot, sacks, hanging baskets, and bags.  I have made some research on the plants which we need every day in our kitchen - ginger, onion, garlic,  and. bell pepper.

In preparation, you will need these materials: a clean knife, cutting board, and starter pot with potting soil, a plastic bottle of soda or mineral water will do.

GINGER

1) Put a chunk of ginger in a container with soil. Make sure the freshest-looking buds are faced up.
2) Place the container in an area that receives indirect sunlight and wait for new growth to sprout out of the soil. Keep the soil consistently moist.
3) To harvest, pull the entire plan out of the soil.


ONIONS

1) Slice off the onion bottom with all the roots still intact, with the onion meat of 1.5 to2 inches. The more of a bottom you slice off the better.
2) Allow drying for a few hours or two days in a shaded and ventilated area, depending on how the cut portions are already dried.
3) Fill your container 10 inches in depth of the soil (for a 5-gallon bucket). Be sure the container has holes 3 inches apart. For the best result, use well-drained loamy soil with a neutral pH. Enrich the soil with compost before planting.
4) Dig in to create a cradle for each onion's bottoms to allow good contact with the soil. Depending on the diameter of the container, you can accommodate 3 to 4 onions in the container, however, 3 inches distance from each and the container's side is needed to grow them fully.
5) Cover with  1 to 2 inches of soil. Water as needed.
6) To have green onions, harvest the stalks before the bulb matures or it reaches 6-8 inches.
7) The bulb is ready to harvest when the tops begin to yellow and fall over. Bend the tops down. Once it turns brown, pull each bulb carefully.

* Onions need more water when grown in containers. Be aware that onions may look healthy even when they need water.


GARLIC

1) An 8-inches deep wider pot is needed to plant garlic. Mix soil with gardening sand with a 3 to 1 ratio of soil to sand.
2) Place garlic bulbs with the pointed end facing up, and the flat end to the soil. Push the bulb 4 to 6 inches deep into the soil. Do not cover with soil but the bulb should have (1) inch space from the top of the soil. Each bulb should be 4 inches apart from each and away from the container's side.
3) Direct sunlight for 8 hours is needed every day. Water the soil by sprinkling water evenly. The soil must be kept moist, but not very wet.
4) As the garlic begins to have left, wait for the flower to sprout. Cut the flower at its base so that the energy comes and makes the bulb bigger.
5) When the leaves begin to turn brown and fall out. Harvest the garlic by pulling them out. Hand to dry.


BELL PEPPER

1) Soak the seeds in warm water for up to 8 hours until they sink to the bottom.
2) Prepare a sterilized, loose-draining potting mix in a plastic cup. One seed for each plastic cup,
3) Poke a hole of 1/4 inch deep to bury the seed and loosely cover it with soil.
4) Place them in a warm sunny location. Keep the seeds moist by spraying water. Do not drench and allow it to dry out.
5) Once the seedlings sprouted 2 fully grown leaves, transfer to a larger pot with a loose, well-draining soil with high content of organic matter. Depending on the size of the pot you may combine multiple plants in a single pot.
6) Dig a small hole in the potting soil the same size as in the plastic cup. For multiple plants, it should be 2 inches apart.
7) Carefully cut the plastic cup on the side and place them in a hole. Pack the soil to become firm and stable.
8) Keep the plants warm and well-lit. Fluorescent light 3 inches from the top of the plant, 14 to 16 hours a day is much better.
9) Water the plants consistently. Soak them every few days and dry in between.
10) To increase yield, pollinate the plant when they flower, by using a cotton swab; rub the pollen from the anthers on a male flower and swab the pollen into a female flower called stigma.
11) Harvest them when they reach a usable size and appropriate colors by using shears leaving (1) inch stem to the plants.
* Bell pepper leaves can also be used in other dishes such as chicken and corn soup.

The Real "Hampaslupa"

     Hampaslupa is a word that we mostly hear from our television soap operas when someone who has been in Alta-Sociedad (high society) belittles another person who is not equally the same with their social status. Hampaslupa, Pega la Tierra, is a derogatory remark originating from Spaniards which means "hits the ground" probably arises during the agrarian division between the haciendas and the rural folks tilling the land. It can also be associated with another Filipino expression of  "isang kahig, isang tuka" (one scratch, one peck-as what a chicken does), for hitting the ground one would be able to feed himself or his family. Until today, it has been widely used for insulting someone and in Senorita memes for humor.

     Hampaslupa used to describe our Filipino farmers, as pitiful, doing dirty work, considered a poor man's job. In contrast to other countries, farming/farmers are highly regarded. In China, Confucian ideology considered farmers as next to scholars, in Thailand, they taught their young in school that farmers are the backbone of the nation, in the United States, farming/farmers are particularly valued and mostly successful, even France and Germany shared the same view that farmers are an important factor in maintaining the equilibrium in the society's structure.
     So it is not really demeaning to be a farmer, even in the United States, they have the 'No Farm, No Food Movement' giving importance to farming as their source of food and income. Hampaslupa is the farmers who feed us, they plant and put their harvest on our table. We are the consumers of their products, therefore we are participating in farming and affirming the value and role of farmers. We contribute to tilling the soil by the choice of food we eat. Collectively and individually, we are hampaslupa. For this, we are encouraging everyone to make a pledge of securing the food on our table, encouraging farmers as well. Read the pledges and  Challenge yourself.

Read more:
Importance of Agriculture

No Farms, No Food

Beware of Mosquito-Borne Virus

     Seven years ago, my son contracted a mosquito-borne viral infection, the dengue virus. Three days of high to low fever, had me suspected of dengue fever. On the fourth day, I have seen that he had bleeding gums, right then I decided to take him to a hospital since I know how fatal dengue is. It pays to be informed of every disease that could snatch out the ones we love. Though he survived that fatal disease, it leaves a traumatic experience for him due to intermittent blood extraction to check on his platelets. I have come to know through doctors that there are four (4) strains of dengue infection in which you cannot be immune if you have had the other one. My son had strain I (DEN-1) and strain IV (DEN-4), meaning he is still not immune to strain II and III.

     After five years, I contracted another mosquito-borne viral infection. Fever, headache, and massive joint pains which I suspected then as dengue. I am taking chances with my life then before seeking the doctor's help, if my gum bleeds that was it. Joint pains is unbearable for me then because I was not able to walk, so I consulted my doctor and was diagnosed having the chikungunya virus. Though this one is not fatal, the extreme pain of the symptoms as well as taking antibiotics was hard for me. 

     The onset of another mosquito-borne virus is in our news nowadays, the zika virus urges me to do some research on the four most known mosquito-borne viral infections aside from malaria, yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, and zika virus.

Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes. 

• Incubation is 3-6 days. 
• The 1st acute phase occurs with fever, muscle pain with prominent backache, headache, shivers, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. 
• The 2nd phase, the more toxic phase, high fever returns, and several body systems are affected.
• Jaundice, abdominal pains, vomiting, and bleeding can occur from the mouth, nose, eyes, and stomach.
• Blood also appears in the vomit and feces. Kidney function deteriorates. Patients who enter the toxic phase die within 10 - 14 days. 
• Vaccines are available. 
• No specific treatment but can be treated with antibiotics.

Dengue Virus is transmitted by a female mosquito of the species Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The former is usually widespread in tropical and subtropical countries in Asia while the latter is in cooler temperate regions of Europe. 

• Aedes aegypti is a day mosquito that bites early in the morning and before dusk in the evening. 
• Incubation is 4-10 days.
• A high fever of up to 40°C/104°F, headache, pain behind the eyes and muscle pains, nausea and vomiting, swollen glands, rashes, and bleeding gums are the symptoms but not necessarily all of them.
• Complications that can be deadly are plasma leaking, organ impairment, severe bleeding, respiratory diseases, or fluid accumulation which may occur 3-7 days after the 1st symptoms. 
• Infected persons are the carriers of the disease. 
• No specific treatment but maintenance of the patient's body fluid is critical for its treatment.
• Vaccine is now available 

Chikungunya Virus is also transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes, the most common are the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The name chikungunya is derived from the Kimakonde language in Africa, "to become contorted" since the patient appears stooped due to joint pains.

• The virus is transmitted from person to person by infected female mosquitoes. 
• Sudden onset of fever accompanied by joint pains are the primary symptoms.
• Onset of illness occurs in 4 to 8 days or 2 to 12 days.
• Headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, fatigue, and rash are the common symptoms.
• Joint pain can be debilitating and can last for weeks, months, or even years.
• Symptoms can be the same as in dengue and can be sometimes misdiagnosed in some regions.
• No specific treatment or cure but treatment is focused on relieving the symptoms.

Zika Virus is transmitted to a person through the bite of an infected mosquito, Aedes aegypti, the same mosquito that transmits dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever.

• incubation period is not clear
• symptoms include mild fever, rash, and conjunctivitis which lasts for 2 to 7 days.
• some symptoms are similar to other mosquito-borne diseases, including muscle, and joint pains, malaise, and headache.
• no specific treatment and vaccines available

** Zika Virus is reportedly associated with a birth defect of microcephaly due to an increase in several babies born with it in  Brazil. Regarding the matter, World Health Organization (WHO) just released a news statement associating neurological birth defects with the zika virus.

** As we have noticed, the same mosquitoes and symptoms can be observed in all of these diseases. They only differ in the kinds of virus and strain the mosquitoes are carrying and transmitting to humans.

Definition of Terms:

* incubation period - from the time of exposure to the onset of symptoms

* microcephaly - a type of birth or congenital defect wherein the infant's head is significantly smaller due to incomplete brain development.

* plasma leakage - leakage of blood plasma out of the capillaries.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

FOR MORE INFORMATION, LINKS ARE PROVIDED BELOW FOR DISSEMINATION:

*Question and Answers: Zika and Pregnancy

*WHO(World Health Organization) statement on the first meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations

*WHO Director-General Summarizes the Outcome of the Emergency Committee on Zika

#zikavirus #chikingunya #dengue #yellowfever #aedesaegypti #microcephaly

English 101: Pronouns (series 1.B1)

     Another part of the speech is PRONOUN, which is the second Part of the Speech we have to discuss after Noun. What are the importance of determining what a Pronoun is and its type? As we have said earlier it is a substitute for nouns, and in succeeding posts, the kind of pronoun to be used has something to do with the verb and correct sentence construction later on.
     A pronoun is used as a substitute for a noun. The noun that the pronoun replaces is called the antecedent. The kinds of Pronoun are as follows:

image credit from educatorlabs.com lesson plans

1) PERSONAL Pronouns.
    It is used to refer to one or more persons or things.
            ( look at columns 1 and 2 of the chart)

      * Column 1 is the subjective or nominative case of Personal Pronouns.
      * Column 2 is the objective case of  Personal Pronouns

     First Person > refers to the one speaking.

     Second Person > refers to the one being spoken to

     Third Person > refers to the one being spoken about.

    * POSSESSIVE Pronouns. 

        These are personal pronouns used to show possession or ownership.

                (look at columns 3 and 4 of the chart)

        * Column 3 and 4 is the possessive case of Personal Pronouns.

2) REFLEXIVE Pronouns. 

        It is used to indicate that the subject acts to, for, or upon itself. 

        It is formed by adding the suffixes -self  (singular) or -selves (plural)  

           to the personal pronouns. (see column 5)

    * INTENSIVE Pronouns. 

            They are used to draw special attention to a noun or pronoun in a sentence. 

               

        Examples: 

            I myself wrote this post.
           You yourself cannot hide the truth.
           Diana herself was amazed.                    

3) DEMONSTRATIVE Pronouns. It tells which one or which group is being referred to.
                                  

4) INTERROGATIVE Pronouns. It introduces questions.
                                                            

5) RELATIVE Pronouns.

                    It introduces adjective clauses which are word groups
                    that tell which, what kind, or how many.
                                      

                

        Examples:

             He is the boy who rang the bell. (subjective)
             The boy whom you met at the store. (objective)
             The boy whose mother had died. (possessive)

             This is the book which I read in Spain. (subjective)
             That is the book which you are going to buy. (objective)
             That is the book whose author I forgot. (possessive)

             He is the man that broke the glass. (subjective)
             He is the man that everyone hates. (objective)
             He is the man whose gun was confiscated. (possessive)

6) INDEFINITE Pronouns.
             It refers to persons, places, and things in general.
             It can be used without antecedents.
                     
             Singular
                 anybody       everyone       no one  
                 anyone         much             one
                 each             neither           somebody
                 either           nobody          someone
                 everybody   something     anything
     
             Plural
                 both             few                many
                 others          several
 
              The following can either be singular or plural, depending on how they are going to be used in a sentence.
                  all     any     most     none     some

I n t u i t i o n

     Intuition..gut feeling..or a hunch that we call. sixth sense? According to a psychic library, it is the awareness of a fact or reality that is not related by any usual reasoning power or logical assumption. Yes, the sixth sense, and everyone has it, though only a few are in tune with it. WebMD states that just like the brain, there are neurotransmitters in the gut that can respond to stimuli and emotions in the now.
     Some people set aside these feelings, and some people tend not to share what transpired after these feelings. I, for one rarely share this kind of feeling, unless I have detected that the one I'm talking to believes or has an open mind about this topic. Some people with a broader mind call it a gift of discernment. 

     The vivid memories of this intuitive ability or gift happened 18 years ago. This is very significant even though I have been experiencing the same many times. I had 2 kids then and teaching at a prestigious university that a need for a housemaid was very urgent and badly needed. Our grandmother referred a woman who had worked for them long before. Maybe because it was long ago, she forgot to mention the unlikely things the maid had done. As I was asking questions, her answers made me uneasy, but then I dismissed the thought. On our way to our parents, the owner-type jeep that we were driving lost its brake and we had to stop and slammed at the small truck in front of us, it seems something was stopping us to bring the maid to our house. We survived the accident with no injuries and arrived at our parents' home safely. Once again, I asked the maid some questions which I had asked her before though in a different form or style. Throughout all these, my intuition tells me something. I had once again... dismissed the thought, for I have been longing to have a maid.

image credit: Shutterstock 

     After taking our lunch, I went out to buy some goods and when I came back the maid was gone Our mother told us that the maid had asked permission to buy some personal things she needed. Hours went by, and the woman still hadn't come back until I checked my bag..there with sadness. I had been robbed The woman had taken my cash in the bag with her and scrambled through with her stuff, it only contains one shirt and one pair of pants. It brought us to the conclusion that she really was up to something. The good thing, maybe, she had not reached our home yet and it could be worse than this. From then on, I have learned to follow whatever my intuition would say, regardless of any situation or circumstances. 

     There are other remarkable encounters with that gift, if I may say..usually, with persons, I am dealing with in my daily life. Out of nowhere, it would just pop out of my mind what a particular person had done and find it true. There were instances when a person whom I have never met before made me uneasy because I discern something is wrong with his behavior or he is up for something or sometimes there is a need for me to be so concerned for that person. The last one I've learned to manage..pray for the person and talk to him. Some instances were delicate and complicated I cannot discuss them here for the privacy of some people.
     Intuition is also weighing the things or decisions you have to make. If you feel uncomfortable, not at ease in a certain place or person because you sense something (which some people call "aura"), it would be right to avoid them than suffer what negative happenings could have transpired. When we were in Dalaguete, Cebu with kids in a strange and far place away from our house and the city, I was not comfortable with the place. Beside the bay, though big and homey, can't sleep the whole night until it rained and a brownout took place (remember about the maid? when there are minor unpleasant incidents, it's a sign worse could happen). The generator from the resort was pulled on. At 5am, I texted the driver we had ridden from the airport to fetch us and check in to another hotel. I don't really know what would really happen that night but as for me, I cannot put my kids in danger or whatever what's in that place. I have traveled with kids many times and this was the only one in which I feel disturbed from the moment we stepped in until the night. Though we had reserved for 2 nights and 3 days, we only spent one night and find another place in Mactan. If you were in my shoe, would you do the same? Please comment below on what you think.

How Intuitive Are You Quiz <<< I got to level 4 (52)

#intuition #sixthsense #gut #hunches