Christmas Present(s)

You know you've reached Christmas maturity when it takes you roughly 3 hours before you open your presents. And when you finally do, you don't rip the wrapper apart like the Tasmanian Devil on heat. Instead, you put all your gifts in two piles: one for envelopes that may contain cash, a check, or a GC/s and another that obviously resemble packages. You start off by reaching out for the package pile, read the card, make mental note of who gave it, and slowly open the package. This goes on till the last package has been unveiled and set aside. Next are the envelopes which you carefully lift the sticker off the paper and take a peek into its monetary value and start thinking what book/clothing item you could probably use it on as soon as the mall opens, which could be later. Or tomorrow, depending where you prefer to exercise your new purchasing power. Then you get the items you wish to use already like, say those desk valet things, fill it up and set it on your bedside. You could also get that lavender pouch and stick it in your drawers (its always sock vs underwear. I went for the latter. TMI?), or with fragrant soap in hand, stash it in the drawer that will not smell like lavender. You return and sit in front of your pile and give a smile of contentment. "Ahh, these are seriously practical presents," you say to yourself. You grab your new piece of retail consultation, crawl into bed, blog about your gift giving experience, then when you're done, reach out for the book you've been telling yourself to finish by the end of the year and actually read it. You glance at the time and notice its *gasp* 3:31 am and realize that you must go to bed or else your skin will revolt at your staying up late. And you do as soon as you hit Publish Post. How did you Christmas go?

Air Travel

I’m traveling. And I’ve already learned a valuable lesson.

Traveling sucks ass.

After traveling a lot in my former “employed” life, I’ll share with you a few people everyone meets while traveling.

1. The Guy With The Disgusting Socks.

It’s not very often that you’re asked to remove your shoes in a public place, so it’s always exciting to judge the people you travel with based entirely on their socks.

Like this dude I saw with these gross-ass holes in his socks. Foot-fat bursting through fabric, unable to remain contained. A toenail greeting the open air. Hair, all over.

Who’s doing that guy?

I need to know.

2. The Only Chick Following Along During The Safety Procedures.

When the flight attendants play the CD that discuss all the safety procedures, they ask you to pull out your safety card and follow along.

Most people respond by zoning out into a coma.

But there’s one chick who actually follows along. I’ve always wanted her to get all outraged. At least that would be exciting.

Excuse me, but you just said in case of water landing, we’d have to exit through the side safety doors. I don’t see that in figure 2C. The doors illustrated in figure 2C look like front doors to me. I’m sorry. Did we all just wake up this morning to a world where front doors are suddenly renamed side doors?

Yeah. That’s right.

Correct yourself.

3. The One Guy Who Needs To Play With That Jet Fan Thing Next To The Courtesy Light.

What is that thing? A fan? How is that going to help you sir? How. There’s no amount of adjusting that will change the setting from “crap-air blowing in your face.”

4. That Dude Who Needs To Tell You What His Favorite Airports Are So He Can Show Off That He Travels.

This place is OK but it’s nothing like terminal D at DFW. That’s a well-designed terminal.

Really.

The best Starbucks I’ve ever been to is in Concourse H at O’Hare. Nothing beats it.

Oh no way.

Concourse A in Hartsfield has a great little pizza place. You should try it sometime.

You know this dude’s the only jerkoff at his work that will accept all travel assignments. Everyone else has a life, family, friends, anything. Not this guy.

He needs to affirm his self-worth to strangers by giving them his terminal rankings.

5. The Guy Who Thinks “Zone 4″ Means Something.

On most boarding passes, you’ll find a little stamp that tells you what “zone” you’re in. If it doesn’t say “First Class” it doesn’t mean shit. The zones are just ways they call people up to board the plane.

You always see one guy who will line up to board immediately.

Then be told he can’t board.

Then look at his boarding pass.

See his zone.

And never embrace the gripping reality of being poor.

You’re in Zone 4, bitch. Accept it like the rest of us.

6. The Dude Who’s Still Upset You Don’t Get Food On Your Flight.

He’s still talking about the days when you got a full meal and hot towels.

Why would you even want that shit, sir? It tastes like drywall.

7. That One Annoying-Ass Kid.

Every time you travel, there’s always one kid. Always one shithead kid you can’t believe can just run around screaming and yelling with his parents just sitting there doing absolutely nothing because you know they grew up as shitheads and probably raised by another bunch of shitheads and then finally the kid farts in my tea.

Yes.

Farts in my tea.

[From Tremendousnews]

Hey little Johnny from Jersey!

Go fuck yourself.

8. The One Guy Who Needs To Recline His Chair Immediately.

Oh, did that 1 inch recline help you, sir? Are you comfortable? Does it feel like you’re at home, kicking back watching the game?

Because you’re an idiot.

9. The Flight Attendant Who’s Really Nice To You On The Plane But Then You See Her In Baggage Claim And She Pretends That She Doesn’t Know You.

What are they, strippers?

10. The People Who Clap When The Plane Lands.

It’s not a Broadway production, dummies. He’s landing the plane. That’s what’s supposed to happen.

Spam-alot

Yes, curiosity does kill the cat. But in this case, it killed my Twitter account. I clicked on a link a friend had posted that said "Want More Followers?" and being the twitter whore that I am I did and got hundreds of people that I was suddenly following. It wasn't a pretty sight. I had to unfollow every single one and even had to block the persistent ones until I couldn't take it anymore and just killed my account. So now it's back, same ol' random shnazz. So if you need comedic relief or find useless information, well, useful (because you'll never know when you might need to tell someone that you know what the most unhealthy food ever are), search alexeivllaraza.

WTF

Pssstt

The fashion and music industries have "banded" together to continue the giving. "Hoy, hoy, Ondoy!" is a concert event organized by a couple of concerned civilians from the different industries of fashion, music, multi-media and real estate to continue relief efforts from the youth sector for the victims of typhoon Ondoy. "This event is for all the volunteers and the victims. We know these are trying times, that's why we should continue to inspire each other," says one of the organizers.

A minimum of donation 100PHP will serve as entrance fee for a full night's concert at the NBC Tent at the Fort, which will also serve as drop off point for donations and relief goods all day till midnight. Fashion designers have a corner where their clothes--from Rajo Laurel, Dennis Lustico, Patrice Ramos-Diaz, Charina Sarte and Rhett Eala--will be auctioned off to interested bidders. Thai Airways willl also auction off airline tickets all for charity. Embassy will serve bar. Artists have joined the cause, too. Team Manila will set up a booth with specially designed posters while Revo Naval will set up an art installation and give out limited edition "change for change" Peace, Love and Revolution stickers.

All proceeds from the ticket sales, auction and bar will go to the Philippine National Red Cross and other chosen charities.

The Final Roster for “Hoy, Hoy, Ondoy” - in order of appearance are Paraluman, Us-2 Evil-0, 6CycleMind, Mayonnaise, Dice & K9/ Mobbstarr, Zach and The Actionpact, Cueshe, Imago, Angulo, Kastigo, SinoSikat?, Southern Grass, Hilera, Blue Jean Junkies featuring Jaime Wilson, Session Road, The Philippine All Stars, Hale, Camerawalls, Miguel Escueta, The Blue Rats, Johnny Alegre, Noli Aurillo & Emee Fortuno, DRT, Joey Ayala, Kjwan, Pedicab, Peryodiko and Sandwich.

Guest celebrities and personalities will take turns hosting while others will talk about climate change and how all of us should act now. "We are doing this in the spirit of bayanihan. We should continue giving, continue living. Ituloy natin ang pagtulong, Pilipino!" Everyone is invited.

Star support

So that typhoon totally sucked. It not only foiled my plans last Saturday, it totally messed up everybody else's lives too. I was on my way somewhere when I was caught in the intersection of ayala-paseo. I spied a BMW M5 being pushed on the other side of the street across Stock Exchange so I decided not to even bother force my lil ol' B through the murky water. I tried to pass the other end of Paseo where McD's is but when I got there, a Camry was already being pushed by like, 5 men. Scared of being stalled, I reversed and parked in Greenbelt and spent a couple of hours aimlessly walking around the mall. Surprisingly, I didn't buy anything. Obviously, nobody was prepared to get wet and wild. Who knew that amount of rainfall can turn areas into Waterworld? And thanks to Twitter and Facebook, I knew what was happening out there while I was chugging glass after glass of Black Gulaman because that was the only thing I had loads of in the condo. Oh, and chili oil and god knows I won't touch that. The amount of concern is indeed overwhelming and it's great that everyone is doing their part in helping out - even celebrities! I heard Christine Reyes was saved by Richard Gutierrez who was on a speedboat (uh, ookkkaayy...), Jericho surfed to save (his arms must hurt from all that paddling), and Kim Chiu's ka-love team braved the flood and swam, pointed, stood on a wall, and swam some more. I wonder if all this compassion will continue even when everyone's high and dry.

Grub review: Johnny Rockets

There's something about diners that is very comforting. It could be because you get this friendly neighborhood feeling where you can ask the matronly waitress what the special is or ask for a cup of coffee. You won't find that in Johnny Rockets. We've been looking forward to it for months and after dining there, it was more of a raket than a blast. Burger patties were thin and half cooked. Bread tasted like it was a day old. Lights too bright. Music too loud. Service halts when certain songs are played because practically the entire staff burst into a song and dance routine. With price points that range from P250-P400 for the burgers, salads, shakes, and dessert, you're better off going to Stackers where they are more affordable. Houston, we have a problem. Johnny Rockets is located at Eastwood Mall.

Treinta

In about 48 hours, you'll be turning 30. I know you've been looking forward to it since you turned, uh, 29. You're probably not as excited as you thought you'd be, at least the turning a year older part. I know it's the roadtrip that's getting you all riled up. Why else would you still be wide awake at 12:27am when you know you have to be up at 5:30am to skip the city for what will be one of the best 4 day weekends everrrrrr?

No, really, why are you still up?

Are you contemplating about becoming older? What the weather will be like? Why does Ocean Adventure have to charge that much to swim with the dolphins and whales? What you have to pack?

Look, being 30 - although quite a nice and solid number - is an age you shouldn't be afraid of. Think of it as starting over. Or realizing that you really have to get your act together. There's no point in putting yourself down because really, in all the 29 years, you've learned more than the idiots who surround you.

You’ve learned that as you’ve gotten older, you've become more comfortable in your own skin. And when you aren't there's nothing a KI injection at Belo can't fix.

You’ve learned that doing the right thing, means doing the right thing by your standards, not someone else’s. Which also translates to: You.just.dont.care - and sometimes, that's a good thing.

You’ve learned that you don’t have to settle. Unless you're buying something you like and its only available in an okay-colour so you get that anyway for the sake of finally getting it.

You’ve learned that trust is one of the most significant aspects of any relationship. And to lose it, usually means losing the relationship.

You've learned to accept the fact that you are worthy of significant relationships and you don't have to click "self destruct" mode when things get intense.

You've learned how to compromise. Yeah, you learned that when you watched that flick with Nick Nolte and the really ugly brat. Didn't his love interest drive an SL500? Hhmm..

You’ve learned that you're capable of independence. And at the same time learned that its such an expensive thing, this independence mumbo jumbo.

You've learned that sometimes, one's past (blog, former self, etc) doesn't matter. You can always reset the timer.

You’ve learned that it's not the number of friends that you have but the kind of friends you keep that matters.

You've learned to be more practical. Unfortunately, it looks like it's going to be that way for a long time so you can kiss buying that LV Tadao goodbye. You've taught yourself to drive like Miss Daisy cause being a Speed Racer is so juvenile. Plus, it's an expensive experience when things get pot holed. At some point, the little things shouldn't really bother you and you actually don't let it. You've also realized that vitamins are good for you. You have a sudden liking for yoghurt when you never did before. So you see, the life you've lived so far ain't all that bad. If you didn't go through all that, then you would've been more different person. Besides, 30 is the new 20.

A star is born

There are millions of people trying to get noticed on the Web, with everything from blogs to podcasts to videos. So with the huge glut of material out there, how do amateurs get attention -- let alone become bona fide online stars? How, for instance, did an Arizona woman by the ID “Grammar Girl” giving grammar advice get to be one of the most popular podcasts on iTunes? And how do independent video series like "Ask a Ninja" or "LonelyGirl15" draw hundreds of thousands of online viewers for each episode? It turns out that success in the new-media world depends on a lot of the same things as in the old-media universe – talent, timing, good looks, and entertainment value.

Although lacking talent and good looks but oozing with entertainment value is the latest spectacle to hit the video circuit scene, Jessa Bell. An almost toothless singing sensation who was recently was put on the spotlight (with the help other gurlettes aka gay friends) when they recorded her singing songs like Umbrella (her version, Anim na Umbrella), Crazy For You, and Flo Rida's Low.

Que ora es?

I think clock design has always been overlooked so its refreshing to come across those that have interesting designs and features.

Last month, I spied a clock that projects the time on the wall. Available at Dwell in Eastwood, Oregon Scientific's Daylight Projection Clock displays the time and temperature on any flat surface in any lighting condition, automatically adjusting its built-in projector (which you can swivel) depending on how bright it is in a room.

In addition to precise atomic time and indoor and outdoor temperature, the clock sports an infrared motion sensor to snooze your alarm with only a wave of your hand. Class.

Aside from nifty clocks, Dwell also has luxe home furnishings, kitchen appliances, and lighting fixtures.

Dwell is located at the ground floor of Grand Palazzo Condominium, Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City. Tel. 6671226, 6671266

Wedding wow

I'm sure its going to be a marriage filled with laughter.

Watch me

I've always been a sucker for collaborations.

Pinoy Designers + Ayala Mall Eco bags. Snickers + Krispy Kreme. Y3 + Adidas. Alexander McQueen + Puma. (You + Me haha)

Now I want this Rolex from Colette, my favourite store on Earth.

Made by aftermarket modifier Bamford & Sons, this Submariner timepiece was applied with black PVD (whatever that is) and other colour enhancements. The seconds hand is in black while the hours are in white, obviously. If you want this, it's going to cost you 1,000 Euros. Not bad for a Rolex, I think.

Only available at Colette. Rue St. Honore, Paris.

Kia's got soul

It's got a sunroof! And the speakers light up! What more could you ask for?

Mall musical

It's sort of sad that the theater scene in Manila isn't as alive as that of Broadway and the West End.

If people don't watch plays, maybe they should take the plays to the people.

Repertory or Trumpets might want to do this when they promote their productions.

News flash: Beyonce booted

Heard Beyonce died.

I wonder if Sasha Fierce stabbed her with them heels.

Literary fun

Eat yourself to death

Too much of anything is bad. Although that doesn't necessarily apply to everything (white shirts, shoes, Jacob's 12-inch Salmon Shawarma, or Double Mints in all variants), everything we take should still be done in moderation. I came across an online article about how certain food can knock you out. Here are some of the grub we chow down on everyday:

Apple Seeds

Apple seeds (and cherry, peach, and apricot pits) contain amygdalin, a cyanide and sugar compound that turns into hydrogen cyanide when metabolized. If you swallow seeds whole, there's no need to worry: the tough outer shell keeps the poison contained within. To release the cyanide, the seeds need to be pulverized or chewed, but since there's such a small amount per seed, to approach a lethal dose you'd need piles and piles of them.

Water

Water intoxication is mostly seen in extreme athletes and occurs when they consume so much water that sodium levels drop to dangerous low, which then results in blood plasma levels rising and then...a bunch more medical mumbo-jumbo. In short, you drown on the inside. A recent death-by-water case involved a (desperate) woman who took part in a “Hold Your Wee for a Wii” water-drinking contest in 2007.

Milk

There haven't been many cases of milk-related deaths. Raw milk, of course, has its enemies. But in terms of straight-up milk consumption leading to death, The New York Times reported that in August 1st, 1890, Mary Goldsmith of Plainfield, New Jersey died of "a too free drinking of milk." She was "very fond of the fresh milk, and drank it warm as it came from the cows morning and evening." It was estimated that she drank around three or four gallons a day. It was later found that a fatty formation had formed around the heart, thereby impairing it from beating. So, can milk kill? Answer: Well, the fat in it sure can. Milk can sometimes not do the body good.

Coffee

In order to croak from drinking coffee you would have to drink 80 to 100 cups of coffee in quick succession. That's about six gallons of coffee, which equals around ten to thirteen grams of pure caffeine. So if you want to commit suicide but want to be really, really awake when you die...

Potatoes

A raw potato (if left to turn green) along with its stems and leaves, contain a poison: a glycoalkaloid toxin. If consumed in hefty quantities, the toxin will cause a person to feel weak and confused and then fall into a coma, proceeded with a nasty case of death. So, the way I see it, making french fries saves lives. Bon Apetit!

Oh no they didn't

There are many inevitable things in life - the sun setting at the end of the day, people complaining about a government official's overspending, Kris Aquino spilling the beans about somebody. Then there's those local (f)artists who translate popular songs and make it totally their own.

What If...

Jose Rizal had a Facebook account..

Buckling Up

When I was in high school, my friend said he liked wearing a seatbelt while driving because he thought it was "cute."

I thought he was just making pa-cute.

It may be one of the parts of a car that is taken for granted and may be a well-dressed/OC dresser's nightmare since it tends to leave crumples across the body but when you witness someone important get saved from a terrible crash thanks to the seatbelt (and airbag), you realize that you're better off sporting crumpled clothes than getting your face crumpled.

Today, we celebrate 50 years of passenger safety.

The three-point seatbelt was invented in 1959 by Volvo's first safety engineer Nils Bohlin - whose previous work had been in developing a catapult ejector seat for pilots. But the car-maker was so convinced of the seat-belt's safety potential that it made the patent available for other manufacturers, and motorists, to benefit from.

A spokesman for Volvo said: 'Although we may now take it for granted, modern technological developments, such as seat belt pre-tensioners, are designed to work in conjunction with the same basic design of the seatbelt, so it remains the single most important safety feature on all modern cars.'

Safety experts calculate that wearing a seat-belt can increase the chance of surviving a collision by 50 percent.

Buckle up, everyone!

Something to tote about

Captain Planet cant help but do reruns on my mind after watching this earth docu that talked about the harmful effects of Man's lifestyle on the planet.

I was starting to think that we ought to be conscious with how we treat our planetary abode even more when Al Gore had Fright levels sky rocketing all over the world when he gave the rundown of which city will sink under water and which city wont if we don’t start hauling our asses to save the environment.

Starting August 21st, Ayala Malls will start selling these designer totes (Support Filipino designers!) - all to save the environment.

I personally like the bag designed by Jun Escario. Because its green and has the most different design.

The bags will go for P400 a pop with P100 going to World Wide Fund and a percentage to the designer's pet environmental org. Ayala Malls will also sponsor a two week long Green sale of green clothing and accessories. Some tenants in GB5 will sell limited edition environment-friendly shnazzles.

Set your wallets for August 21st. The power is yours!

It's A Good Thing: Quotes

Whoever Richard Kemph is, he sure got it right when he said that "quotes are nothing but inspiration for the uninspired." Although I am not exactly uninspired this morning, some quotes I read today sort of helped in putting some things into perspective.

The September Issue

No, this isn't about that film that I'm sure everyone in publishing is waiting (and will probably dress up) for IF it gets released in cinemas. There's another thing to look forward to in September (well, aside from by 30th birthday). I attempted to read the book, which Paolo recommended, when I was in the mood to "return" to the classics but Oscar Wilde and I didn't mesh well. Casting that Prince Caspian guy seems like a good choice. I couldn't think of anyone else to play him. He has the hair for it and Colin Firth is always great in period films, or roles which allow him to play a stuck up Brit (no offense) with a stiff upper lip sort of way.

Learning experience

I don't know which program it's from but its true - you really do learn something everyday. Just today, I learned that there's a small ramen resto in Ortigas Home Depot that has big servings at small prices; some models do have brains (and sometimes fake boobs), can sing and paint ; and that it was a good decision to not buy that blue D&G dress shirt yesterday - even if it was on sale. Here are more shnazzles I've learned: 1) Blue M&Ms held mend spinal injury. No, its not a placebo effect but brainiacs have discovered that the colouring in the candy has medical benefits: "The compound, Brilliant Blue G, can block a chemical which makes injuries worse by causing inflammation and destroying cells. This 'secondary spinal cord damage' can often cause more problems than the original wound. Researchers found that treatment with Brilliant Blue G reduced the size of the lesion and also improved recovery.

But there was a dramatic side-effect on laboratory rats used in the experiment, whose skin temporarily turned bright blue. The dye also needed to be injected into a vein very quickly after a trauma to be effective - within 15 minutes. However, it was able to significantly reduce secondary injury, with injured rats being able to walk again, although with a limp. Rats that had not received the solution never regained the ability to walk. Researcher Dr Steven Goldman said: 'Our hope is that this work will lead to a practical, safe agent that can be given to patients to decrease the secondary damage that we have to otherwise expect."

2) Some people can Facebook to death

In a macabre new twist to hit the internet, various sites are offering users the chance to send email greetings to loved one from beyond the grave. Sadly the user will not be around to witness their site as it only goes live when the website is alerted to the subscriber's death. They are also able to obtain passwords for internet banking and other e-documents.

3) Milk really does the body good

Drinking milk could cut your chances of dying from heart disease and stroke, say scientists.

Contrary to reports that milk harms health, they claim consumption could reduce the risk of succumbing to chronic illness by as much as a fifth. They found milk protects against developing most diseases, apart from prostate cancer, and can cut deaths from illnesses by 15 to 20%.

4) There's a new job in town

Companies such as Pizza Hut are entrusting their brands with students on OJT by putting them in charge of their official Twitter accounts. 'Twinterns' are usually young graduates because they pretty much know the ins and outs of today's fast paced and ever changing tech world.

Alexa Robinson, 22, hit the headlines when she became Pizza Hut's first official 'Twintern' in June. 'Luv my new job!', she gleefully tweeted in her first message to the general public. Her role has been a success and boosted Twitter followers of Pizza Hut from 3,000 to 13,000 in a matter of weeks.

5) There are signs of being rich and it just ain't $, £, ¥, or € In today's extremely pretentious world, you can no longer tell if someone is rich or riche. But author James Palumbo can. In his book, Tomas, he pours the dirt about a world obsessed by reality TV and the "bloated bankers, Russian roubles, salacious socialites and filthy footballers" that rule over it. He also shares pointers on spotting those with real dough and those that just simply, eat dough. The Look: "For the boys it's diamante-encrusted t-shirts or white shirts with oversize collars, anchor sized watches and sunglasses worn at all times ... but especially at night. For the girls it's micro-cocktail dresses, giraffe stilettos and bazooka breasts. Underwear, however expensive, is frowned upon." The Laugh: "Rich people laugh a lot because it shows how successful and care free and fun to be around they are. A rich laugh is either a high-pitched, head-turning 'Ha! Ha! Ha!' or a hysterical, I'm-having-so-much-fun 'He! He! He!' or a satisfied, consciously inappropriate guffaw 'Ahhaha! Ahhaha! Ahhaha!'"

The Language: "The über-rich talk mainly about the two subjects that interest them most, themselves and money ... me etc ... more etc ... money etc ... my etc ... mwah! " The Life: "High-net-worth individuals are creatures of expensive habits, and a busy day is mostly made up of bars, cars and beaches, smoking, shopping and eating, and a lot of unnecessary shouting."

The Luxury: "There is no end to the exhaustively extravagant ways the rich have devised to publicly dispose of their cash. From magnums to Old Masters and jewels to jets, they have an unshakable dedication to the art of expense."

Of course, he could be wrong. Maybe he's just bitter.

6) One pill to rule them all

Who cares about being unplugged from the Matrix or continue being blinded by reality? As long as you can stay 10 years younger, go for it.

A miraculous 'elixir of youth' which could extend the human life span by more than a decade is being developed by scientists. The anti-ageing pill was created from a chemical found in the soil of Easter Island - one of the most remote and mysterious places on the planet. In tests on animals, the chemical increased life expectancy by a staggering 38%. The drug, rapamycin, is already used to suppress the immune systems of organ transplant patients.

7) Peter Piper picked the right pepper

Red peppers are ripened green peppers. As such, they contain more nutrients - a red pepper contains twice the Vitamin C of a green one, and ten times the Vitamin A. One cup of raw, chopped red pepper gives 100 to 150 per cent of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C and 80 per cent of Vitamin A.

They are also a rich source of plant chemicals lycopene, beta-carotene and zeaxanthin - pigments that give peppers their red and orange colours - and contain folic acid, potassium and iron.

So peppers can help tackle a range of diseases and conditions, including arthritis, cancer, fertility, cardio diseases, and blindness.

8) OJ is bad

Yeah, OJ Simpson is too but researchers warned that Orange Juice can be so acidic it can strip off your teeth of its enamel. Fruit beverages can cut enamel hardness by 84 per cent causing teeth to erode more than previously thought.

Dr Yan-Fang Ren, of the Eastman Institute for Oral Health, at the University of Rochester Medical Centre in New York, said the acid in orange juice 'is so strong that the tooth is literally washed away'. Dr Ren and his team made the discovery after studying the effects of over-the-counter teeth whitening products.

He found the effect of six per cent hydrogen peroxide, the common ingredient used for teeth whitening, was 'insignificant' compared with acidic fruit juices.

9) Lose weight, you should go kiddie

The Shortening teaches the Kiddie Cart diet - "Most supermarkets have those scaled down shopping carts; take one the next time you have to do the groceries. They'll fill up easily, it'll necessitate your focusing on quality food items, you'll bring home less grub. Simple, less spoilage, better for hand-to-mouth proportion. Being smaller, you'll need less, anyway."

10) Twitter is actually fun,Google Reader makes my morning blog ritual much easier, and Blogger refuses to follow my layout.

Wedding march

With both my sibling's wedding preparations under way (none of which I know nothing much about), I'm left wondering whether being left alone at home with my folks is a good thing or not. Rico shared this video in his Twitter (aka the new Facebook, according to me) of an interesting way on how the entourage should march down the aisle. If this happened in both weddings, my parents (and probably some of their guests) would probably flip. Or maybe not.

Powerless

My tube of superglue always disappears when I need it the most. I guess that means I can't stare at my Twitter tonight.