Watching The Super Moon

     As we all have known, the Supermoon started at 2 am Sunday, March 20, 2011 (Manila time).  A supermoon is a full or new moon that coincides with a close approach by the Moon to the Earth. The Moon's distance varies each month between approximately 354,000 km (220,000 mi) and 410,000 km (254,000 mi) due to its elliptical orbit around Earth. Lunar Perigee is what we call it. Super moon was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979. It is being said that with the combined effect of the Sun and Moon on the Earth's oceans, the tide is greatest when the Moon is new or full. At lunar perigee, the tidal force is even stronger resulting in more extreme high and low tides, but even at its most powerful this force is still weak.
     At 2:45 am, looking up in the sky, I took pictures of how the moon is closer to the earth. I was worried then if I could take a shot of it since I only have my Sony Ericsson Cybershot 3.5mega pixel cellphone..but..wow... it's very clear, to think I'm not even on top of a roof. That night you could even see the clouds slowly moving underneath because of the shining moonlight affecting the sky. According to some reports, this same phenomenon occurs every 2 decades.

The Sunflower, My Fave

     It's always been my standard-bearer, from email add, chat, IDs, my house, and decorations. Aside from the fact that my fave color is yellow (maybe one reason why I love this flower), the sunflower is very cool to the eye, whose shape and image depict the sun. It's like saying sunrise is here again for new hope and a new beginning. Sunflower for me symbolizes summer and spring, a bright day ahead, and, rarely, you couldn't see it in almost all commercial flower shops nearby.
     The sunflower got its name from its huge fiery blooms forming like a sun. Sunflower or Helianthus annuus is an annual plant native to the Americas that possess a large flowering head.  Sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves,  and circular heads of flowers. The heads consist of 1,000-2,000 individual flowers joined together by a receptacle base. Sunflower leaves can be used as cattle food, while the stems contain a fiber that may be used in paper production. With sunflower, what is usually called the flower is actually a flower head also known as a composite flower of numerous florets, (small flowers) crowded together. The outer petal-bearing florets are the sterile ray florets and can be yellow, red, orange, or other colors. The florets inside the circular head are called disc florets, which mature into seeds.

Head displaying florets in spirals of 34 and 55 around the outside

     Despite the common belief, mature sunflowers do not track the sun. The mature flower heads typically face east; only young sunflowers exhibit heliotropism or sun turning: the leaves and buds of young sunflowers follow the sun so that their orientation changes from east to west during the day. The movements become a circadian response and when plants are rotated 180 degrees, the old response pattern is still followed for a few days, with leaf orientation changing from west to east instead. The leaf and flower head bud phototropism occurs while the leaf petioles and stems are still actively growing, but once mature, the movements stop. These movements involve the petioles bending or twisting during the day and then unbending or untwisting at night. Members of the sunflower family are popular with butterflies because the wide flower head makes a good landing platform and the numerous individual flowers make for a high probability of finding nectar. Monarch butterflies are commonly seen nectaring on sunflowers during their fall migration.

     It's amazing to know the characteristic of the sunflower, my favorite flower. It signifies coolness and new hope. A flower that can make you smile, rarely seen but delightful to look at and amazing to know...hope you have seen one..(",).

Mesmerized by Baguio..

     City of blooms! The summer capital of the Philippines! whatever you may call it..it's the place I've always wanted to come back to.. the mountains, its landscape, her flowers, the wind, its people. It's been a long time since my last visit to Baguio, 12 years ago..but still the memories, all that is in Baguio lingers. A happy family back then, it seems. I have 2 kids then and we went boating in the man-made lagoon in Burnham Park, took our walk up the 100 stairs, and took pictures with the Mines View Park behind us and The Mansion. Sweet memories..we even experienced a tremor at 2am.  Earthquake!   at first, I thought there was a monster opening the door since our room is connected to the other moving through a common bathroom.
Traveling 6 hours from Manila.. always excited to get there.. remember my first visit when I was in college for a leadership seminar sponsored by one of our student societies I was a member of. Six months after the July 16, 1990 earthquake when Baguio, one that was badly hit at that time.. though we could still see the ruins, its natural beauty can still be seen despite the tragedy. The warmth of the native people living there, and the rich culture, would also make you back and even wanted to live there. I think this is the place where I can really be one with nature, be what I am, be with other God's creation, It's a beautiful place..being tired of the suburbs' polluted air, the noise. it's one place that will bring you to your senses. Though I know there is a far better place than Baguio, still, her flowers leave their color in my eyes.
     One day, two days, or even three days are not enough to see the marvelous splendor of Baguio..and maybe after all these tedious days, I would go back and experience once again the different colors and blooms of Baguio.

TEACHER...TEACHER

      Being a teacher is indeed a noble profession, especially in public school settings. It's not the compensation nor the position that is important, it's the heart, the vision, the burden, and the fulfillment of teaching and guiding the students on how to learn, how to reach their goals, how to face and win the battle. We should help them to be the best person that they can be and be a great motivator to make them go on with life, a life that is worth living. Sad to say..it's not what I have been seeing with some of my colleagues. 

     Every day, my heart aches for these kids. They are not the typical students going to school with enough money in their pockets to spend during break time. They do not come from families who have much to spend on, parents who are good providers, a home with a father and a mother sharing responsibilities in taking care of them, a day without people barking and lashing out profane words, a table with food so it can sustain them throughout their class period. I have seen students running after some trucks or vans to hang out and make their back ride so they can go home, which is too dangerous for them. Some students even go to school without any food on their stomachs. What can a government do about it? and how about their parents not minding them off? And what about the teachers? Actually, some teachers spent more than what the government is giving them. 

     These kids are looking for someone who can give them the strength to carry on, many of them stop dreaming, never wanting to go into college but to get a job to sustain them. I should say, teachers could be their turning point. If nobody believes in them, teachers could be there to inspire and maybe extend some help for these kids that dreams are not impossible if they just focus and think that their dreams are just out there waiting to happen. I kept saying to my advisory class back then, never stop dreaming, dream dreams, go for it, never say I cannot; if they wanted it and if there's a will there is always a way,  there is always a reason for them to say they cannot. I have heard a colleague saying that we should promote these kids since they would never get into college anyway, and as if their life would stop from there. Teachers should inspire, and motivate them to go on, never be the one who will make them stick with what they have. Teachers should never put an end to what these kids can do. 

    However, many teachers are doing things beyond their teaching profession, though sorry for some students who had encountered teachers who took advantage of them in exchange for a diploma. Teachers asking for some "special projects" not even related to the subjects they are teaching. Whoa!,, I even heard one of my students that she was asked to buy something. Sad, but what should we do? Is it the system? Is it the people within the system? or is it the government? Yet, even the least profession being heard, this is the most tasking and beyond the nobility, one could serve. 

Get Paid To Podcast, Teach, or Publish a Newsletter Online

         Making money online is a matter of finding an audience whom you can either advertise or receive direct payment from. Either way, you need something interesting or informative with which to catch and hold your readers' attention. Your content is everything. 

     I'll show you how you can make money presenting and distributing content via podcast or a newsletter, and how you can connect directly with your audience as an online tutor.

Getting Paid To Podcast

     To create a podcast, you will need a microphone and some recording software. If you have a camera, you can also produce video podcasts. You can download a free recording program from audacity sourceforge.net, where you will also find tutorials on the technical side of podcasting. When you have the content and can produce good quality podcasts, you need listeners. You can find them by submitting your podcast to directories such as podcastalley.com, promoting it through a website or blog, or advertising in forums and newsletters. The bigger your market, the better. 

Don't be afraid of competitive markets, they're big for a reason--they pay and people are listening! You will then be able to make money by finding a sponsor who is willing to pay to reach your listeners. You could find your own advertisers, or join a podcasting network such as podtrac.com. If your content is desirable enough, you can charge for access to it, through services such as iTunes (apple.com/itunes) and Spotify (spotify.com). If you are selling your podcast, however, it is a good idea to create a free content version too to reach new listeners.

 How To Get Paid To Publish Online Newsletters

Even if you prefer the written word to audio podcasting, you will still need to take care of some technical details. The best way to distribute newsletters is through an autoresponder list service. These can be set up to automatically deliver pre-written emails to subscribers at set intervals. Each new subscriber will receive all of the emails in your predetermined sequence. That means you can load up a year's worth of content (or more), and it'll automatically publish straight to your subscribers' email boxes without you touching it again!

 A free autoresponder can be downloaded from wpbeginner.com while a more professional program can be bought from aweber.com. These programs will also help with managing your subscriber list, so you stay spam compliant.

 A successful newsletter will be attractive, easy to read, and compatible with different computers and internet browsers. You can create beautiful PDF documents using a free program such as openoffice.com. Also, you do not have to create all your own content. You can get free stock photos and articles from sites such as publicdomainimages.net and ezinearticles.com. You can also pay for pre-written content from sites like associatedcontent.com.

 Email newsletters are perfect for marketing your own products if you are running an online business. You can also make money by selling space to advertisers or even charging for subscriptions. By using the tools from services such as aweber.com, you can grow your online newsletter list to hundreds or even thousands of people.

 Get Paid To Teach People All Over the World

 If you have knowledge and experience to share then you can do so in a podcast or newsletter, or by writing content for a site such as demandstudios.com, which will pay for articles. Alternatively, you can become an online tutor and communicate directly with students through video chat and email. You could find your own students by advertising your services on craigslist.org or join a company that will pair you up with suitable learners.

 To get the best jobs, you may need some relevant qualifications, such as a degree, proven experience in a particular field, or a teaching certificate of some kind. Websites that recruit online teachers include universalclass.com and tutor.com. Another one wiziq.com has a teacher directory where you can describe yourself and potential students can find you.

Unwritten Letter

I have come across a profile from a certain site and found a letter written by one of my chats. I am fascinated by what he has written and find it romantic and subtle. An unwritten letter may be for his future partner. Here's the letter he wrote...

This is a letter I write for my love...even though we've never met:

I need to be told how you feel. I need to be shown. 

I need you to communicate with me. I will listen. 

Forgive me, but when you pull me close one moment and push me away from the next;

I can't understand. I can't know what to do. 

All I know is to show you how I feel and hope for honesty and respect in return. 

I want you to have time to yourself. Yes, I want you to have friends. 

I want to also be included from time to time...as I will include you. 

I do this because I want you to know I am proud to walk beside you and I want to feel the same. 

I do this because I want you to know I have nothing to hide from you. 

I want you to KNOW I am with you, only you. I want to trust you.

No, I don't want to know all your past mistakes. They are yours and you must own them. 

I am human and have my own. I hope we both have learned their lessons. 

I want to love your imperfections. I want to love the changing lines in your face year after year. 

I know we will not always agree, but we can try and understand. 

When I walk away from an argument understand I do so 

because I know that people often say things they don't mean. 

The last thing I want to do is hurt you or reinforce doubts you have about yourself. 

I want only to lift you up. When you're sick I want to take care of you. 

I want to tuck you into bed and keep you warm. 

I'll hold your hand in public and sit beside you when we dine alone. 

I'll put my arms around you at unexpected times and at others, 

you'll look in my eyes and know I am undressing you in my mind. 

I want to send you flowers for no reason. 

I want to leave you notes in places you wouldn't expect to find them. 

Cards will come in the mail on random days. 

I want to let you know throughout your day that I am thinking of you. 

And at night, while you're asleep, I'll whisper how much you mean to me 

and hope you'll remember me in your dreams. 

I want to love and to be loved.

Meanings on Flower Colors and Numbers

February is the "love month". As a symbol of love or adoration, people send flowers to their loved ones. But did you know that the type of flowers, their colors, and the quantity have different meanings? 

Flowers are a symbol of many things. Throughout history, people have given flowers as a sign of their love, devotion, admiration, appreciation, or sympathy to other people. Through the years, the language and meaning of flowers evolved into different meanings.

Rose, among all other flowers, is the best choice or the most popular among lovers during special holidays and occasions. The color of a rose has different meanings as well as the number a person would give to a certain person.

 Red: Love and Romance

Red is the symbol of love. To give red roses says "I love you still". One of the most universal of all symbols, the red rose represents true love. It has also appeared throughout history and across cultures as both a political and religious symbol.

Yellow: Friendship, Joy, Get Well

Throughout history, yellow has been closely associated with the sun, making these roses excellent for cheering people up. Yellow roses send a message of appreciation and platonic love. The color represents feelings of joy, delight, and friendship - yellow roses don't specifically show love. They can also represent starting over, or a new beginning. Yellow tipped with red shows friendship falling in love.

Pink: Love, Gratitude, Appreciation

Pink carries with it the connotation of grace and elegance, as well as sweetness and poetic romance. To give pink roses shows grace, joy, and gratitude.

Dark pink roses are symbolic of gratitude and appreciation and are a traditional way to say thanks.

Light pink roses are associated with gentleness and admiration, and can also be used as an expression of sympathy. Pale pink also has the meaning of fun attached to it.

White: Purity, Innocence, Sympathy, Spirituality

They also represent humility, youthfulness, and charm.

Early tradition used white roses as a symbol of true love, an association that would later become the hallmark of the red rose. Also known as the bridal rose, the white rose is a traditional wedding flower. In this sense, white represents unity, virtue, and the pureness of new love. White roses are also associated with honor and reverence, which makes them a fitting memorial for a departed loved one.

Orange: Desire, Enthusiasm, and Passion

A literal mixture of yellow and red, orange roses were seen as a bridge between friendship symbolized by yellow roses and love represented by red roses. They can be an expression of fascination or a gift to say 'I'm proud of you.  These would be a great choice to give to someone if you want the relationship to develop further. Lilac and Lavender roses also show these feelings.

Lavender: Enchantment, Majesty, Love at First Sight

The color purple has a traditional association with royalty. In this regard, shades of lavender roses suggest an air of regal majesty and splendor.

The following are the significant numbers associated with giving roses...

 1     - Love at first sight - you are "the one"

 2     - Mutual love and feelings

 3     - Also says "I Love You".

 7     - Together forever

 10   - Represents perfection. To give someone 10 roses shows you feel that way about them.

 12   - The standard for "be mine". Often given on Valentine's day, when for a married couple, actually 7 or 10  might be a better choice. (slightly cheaper as well! ;-)

 13   - A sign of enduring friendship

 15   - I'm sorry