Sports and life by the sports kibitzer : this blog was created for the love of sports and life...and all that matters most! Photo from 2014 Fathers' Day dinner with family in Boracay...
Saturday, October 8, 2011
The many faces of the man with many ideas... the man who gave a new meaning to an apple !
This is the man who also reinvented the "apple" which ...
... changed the world!
Good bye, Steve Jobs!
Thank you!
BUSINESS MATTERS (BEYOND THE BOTTOM LINE) By Francis J. Kong
(The Philippine Star)
Updated October 08, 2011
Two words in the English American vocabulary never fail to stop me in my tracks. These two words are “breaking news”.
Tired from the conference, information overload and a little bit of
jetlag, I decided to spend Wednesday night alone in my apartment in New
York with a turkey sandwich I earlier bought from a diner. I sat
comfortably on the leather chair and surfed through some of the 700
cable TV channels before settling on a popular news program. I was just
in time to hear the newscaster announce, “And now we have some breaking
news: Steve Jobs has just died...”
I knew this day would come the moment I saw his frail figure making a
public presentation his very last of the Ipad2. Still, a sudden,
unexplainable surge of sadness permeated my entire being when I heard
the news. I’ve never met Steve Jobs, but I’d say I’m acquainted with
him. All of us in my household enjoy his Apple products.
A few minutes later all the major news networks were buzzing with the
same news, and famous personalities from Bill Gates to Mark Zuckerberg
to US president Barack Obama were paying tribute to the Apple founder.
Most of them declared, “We will miss you!”
Steve Jobs actually thought about his death a lot. He talked about it
in his commencement address in Stanford University June 12 of 2005. He
said,
“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like, ‘If you
live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be
right.’ It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33
years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, ‘If
today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about
to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in
a row, I know I need to change something.”
“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool
I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because
almost everything all external expectations, all pride, all fear of
embarrassment or failure these things just fall away in the face of
death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are
going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you
have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to
follow your heart...
“...No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven
don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all
share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because
Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s
change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now
the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually
become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is
quite true.
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone
else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma which is living with the results
of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions
drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to
follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you
truly want to become. Everything else is secondary...”
Death and dying do make a philosopher out of any person, no matter how eccentric, brilliant, wealthy, famous or powerful.
I texted my friend Louie in Manila when I heard the news about Jobs’s
death. His succinct reply was, “My friend, that’s where all of us would
go anyway!” That’s so true! Paul presents another perspective in the
New Testament: “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” That’s the
perspective people in the faith take on when faced with the
inevitability of death.
Death is a fearful thing, but the prospect of entering life with
Christ for eternity is such a great proposition it dispels the fear of
it.
Long before Jobs addressed his audience at Stanford, I had addressed
audiences of my public seminars with the same words (It used to be on a
Post It app note in my computer as well), with a little, personal twist
at the end. My message goes, “Live each day as if it were the last,
for one day you will be right, and ask the Lord to teach you to number
your days so that you may gain a heart of wisdom.”
We all should, shouldn’t we?
I will miss you Steve.
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October 8, 2011 — by David C. McCasland
Our Daily Bread Radio is hosted by Les Lamborn
Read: Daniel 6:1-10
He knelt down on his
knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God,
as was his custom since early days. —Daniel 6:10
Bible in a year:
Isaiah 30-31; Philippians 4
Isaiah 30-31; Philippians 4
When it was learned that the biggest football game of the 2011 season was scheduled to be played on Yom Kippur, the student government at the University of Texas petitioned school officials to change the date. They said it was unfair to make Jewish students choose between the classic football rivalry with Oklahoma and observing their most important and sacred holy day of the year. But the date was not changed.
Even in societies where people have religious freedom, difficult choices are still required of every person of faith.
Daniel demonstrated the courage to obey God no matter what the consequences. When his political rivals set a trap to eliminate him from their path to power (Dan. 6:1-9), he didn’t challenge the law or complain that he had been wronged. “When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days” (v.10).
Daniel didn’t know if God would save him from the lions’ den, but it didn’t matter. He chose to honor God in his life whatever the outcome. Like Daniel, we are free to choose to follow the Lord.
What freedom lies with all who choose
To live for God each day!
But chains of bondage shackle those
Who choose some other way. —D. De Haan
To live for God each day!
But chains of bondage shackle those
Who choose some other way. —D. De Haan
You can never go wrong when you choose to follow Christ.
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Reflections
October 8, 2011, 1:11am
Luke 11:27-28
While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said
to Him, “Blessed is the womb that carried You and the breasts at which
You nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of
God and observe it.”
Reflection:
Blessed! Hearing me laughing heartily, a friend commented that I must
have been so blessed to have a happy, loving mother. At first, I found
it strange that people, who in a way felt blessed by me, praised and
thanked my mother instead.
Then I realized that everything that is in me and about me is a shade
of my parents. My heart I got from my mother, my head from my father.
My compassion I learned from my mother, my relaxed way of relating
with people from my father. Blessed indeed are my parents.
I am proud of them. Living their spirit and growing as they wanted me
to be makes me so blessed. Trying to live God’s spirit and growing as
God wants us to be makes us richly blessed.
Discover God’s love for you and discover the blessedness in you and the blessing that you are!
Relax today, sit comfortably, and thank God, believing and feeling how blessed you are!
More blessed still are those who hear the word of God and keep it! Luke 11:27-28
More blessed still are those who hear the word of God and keep it! ---Luke 11:27-28
Reading 1, Jl 4:12-21
12 'Let the nations rouse themselves and march to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I shall sit in judgement on all the nations around.
13 Ply the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; come and
tread, for the winepress is full; the vats are overflowing, so great is
their wickedness!'
14 Multitude on multitude in the Valley of Decision! For the Day of Yahweh is near in the Valley of the Verdict!
15 Sun and moon grow dark, the stars lose their brilliance.
16 Yahweh roars from Zion, he thunders from Jerusalem; heaven and earth tremble. But Yahweh will be a shelter for his people, a stronghold for the Israelites.
17 'Then you will know that I am Yahweh your God residing on Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will then be a sanctuary, no foreigners will overrun it ever again.'
18 When that Day comes, the mountains will run with new wine and the hills will flow with milk, and all the stream-beds of Judah will run with water. A fountain will spring from Yahweh's Temple and water the Gorge of the Acacias.
19 Egypt will become a desolation, and Edom a desert waste on account of the violence done to the children of Judah whose innocent blood they shed in their country.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12
1 Yahweh is king! Let earth rejoice, the many isles be glad!
2 Cloud, black cloud enfolds him, saving justice and judgement the foundations of his throne.
5 The mountains melt like wax, before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his saving justice, all nations see his glory.
11 Light dawns for the upright, and joy for honest hearts.
12 Rejoice in Yahweh, you who are upright, praise his unforgettable holiness.
Gospel
More blessed still are those who hear the word of God and keep it!
Luke 11:27-28
27 It happened that as he was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, 'Blessed the womb that bore you and the breasts that fed you!'
28 But he replied, 'More blessed still are those who hear the word of God and keep it!'
Friday, October 7, 2011
Hope Solo : from goalkeeper to centerfold!
After this off the pitch experience, would you prefer to just focus as USA WFT Goalkeeper or would you rather have her continue her showbiz exploits?
After this off the pitch experience, would you prefer to just focus as USA WFT Goalkeeper or would you rather have her continue her showbiz exploits?
As for me, can't we just have her from the best of both worlds?
HOPE so!
Here's what bleacherreport.com wrote about Hope Solo on her ESPN shoot...bleacherreport.com
Hope Solo obviously has no shame in her body.
She bravely put herself out on the the cover of the magazine and this will certainly increase her star power.
She became a darling for America after leading the nation to the Women's World Cup final and is appearing on Dancing with the Stars.
Hopefully, Solo won't let her goalkeeping skills diminish because of all of this off-the-pitch activity.
Photo Credit: ESPN.com
5 Fishy Food Claims
Healthy Living
Questionable Nutrition Claims
When dietary science meets food marketing, the results can be scary
By Paul Scott, Photographs by Stephen Lewis,
August 30, 2011/Eat This, Not That
Look around your supermarket. A can of peaches boasts "50 percent less calories," while fresh peaches sit unadorned in a bin. New "spreads" shout that they'll lower your cholesterol, while perfectly healthy butter sits quietly on cool shelves. Pop-Tarts offer "20% DV fiber," while beans—the kings of dietary fiber—are called, simply, beans.
Why are we being bombarded with such sketchy claims? It's mostly marketing, but part of the blame also lies with science. Scientists isolate and identify nutrients, which sounds like a logical way to analyze food. But it isn't. "We eat foods; we don't eat nutrients," says Lisa Young, Ph.D., R.D., a dietitian at New York University.
This focus on individual nutrients can lead to misleading conclusions. Gyorgy Scrinis, Ph.D., a sociologist of science at the University of Melbourne, Australia, calls the mindset "nutritionism." "It's the tendency to celebrate or demonize particular nutrients," he says, "and to take nutrients out of the context of the foods in which they're embedded, and exaggerate their health effects." As a result, nutritionism can inadvertently steer consumers toward processed foods instead of away from them.
There was a time before nutritional science, of course. For centuries, humans followed cultural traditions, not dietary guidelines. The age of nutritionism took flight in the 1970s, when health officials, in an attempt to combat chronic diseases, launched campaigns that vilified natural components of food, such as fat.
The result has often been the opposite of what the food police intended. "In response to the low-fat campaign, the food industry has produced numerous commercial products labeled as 'low-fat' or 'fat-free,' but with high amounts of refined carbohydrates and sugar," writes Frank Hu, M.D., Ph.D., and his colleagues at Harvard school of public health in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. But as fat consumption has declined in the United States, they argue, rates of type 2 diabetes and obesity have risen dramatically. And while the benefits of a low-fat diet have been largely debunked, the assumptions of nutritionism continue to lead to the creation of unhealthy foods.
The solution: Ignore the nutrient hype and focus on actual ingredients and whole foods. As an editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association put it, with the exception of omega-3 fats, trans fat, and salt, "the greater the focus on nutrients, the less healthful [processed] foods have become."
Claim #1: Sugar is healthier than HFCS
Even the official USDA dietary guidelines are heavily influenced by
food companies, says Marion Nestle, Ph.D., M.P.H., a nutritionist at New
York University. In the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Nestle
and Stephen Woolf, M.D., M.P.H., of Virginia Commonwealth University,
write that "the food industry, ranchers, restaurateurs, and beverage
producers—along with their lobbyists—have famously exerted pressure to
eliminate or soften language in the guidelines that might harm
commercial interests." That's why the guidelines never recommend eating
less of a particular food, like steak, Nestle says. Instead, they vilify
individual nutrients, such as saturated fat (which doesn't deserve its
bad name; see Claim #4).Those demonized ingredients end up distracting us from a focus on whole foods. "There is a 'bad ingredient du jour' approach to nutrition policy," says Michele Simon, J.D., M.P.H., a public-health lawyer and the author of the book Appetite for Profit. "First it was saturated fat, then trans fat, and now it's high-fructose corn syrup.
"But when we focus on one ingredient, we end up with products like trans-fat-free Cheetos, or Pepsi Natural, which has sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. There's nothing natural about processed sugar. We need to take a holistic approach and realize it's the entirety of processed foods that is the problem and not just one ingredient."
Claim #2: We can improve on nature
A common trick of manufacturers is to inject so-called good nutrients
into all manner of foods. But any gain is more marketing than science.
Take fiber, for example. Beans and plants provide many benefits for the
body. Fermenting and holding water as they pass through your colon is
one of them.Because nutritionism singles out the fiber in plants for this benefit, food giants like Cargill extract a kind of fiber from chicory root. They sell this fiber, known as inulin, to companies like Kellogg's and General Mills, which then incorporate it into processed foods like cereal bars and Pop-Tarts. "It's unlikely this ingredient has the same benefits of real fiber in the body," Young says, "yet companies imply that it has the same impact as naturally occurring fiber."
In fact, studies suggest that inulin doesn't lower cholesterol the way the fiber in whole grains does. Worse, it's packaged into refined carbohydrates, which we know raise triglycerides and lower good cholesterol. This Dr. Frankenstein approach to nutrients extends to omega-3 fatty acids. You'd think that foods fortified with omega-3s, including some cereals, pasta, and frozen waffles, would reduce your risk of heart disease. But foods are usually fortified with a type of omega-3 called ALA, whose benefits pale in comparison with the DHA and EPA varieties that come from fish, says Young.
But adding "omega-3" to a label helps sales. As Michael Pollan explains in his book In Defense of Food, "the typical whole food has much more trouble competing under the rules of nutritionism" because you "can't put oat bran in a banana or omega-3s in a peach."
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Comedy Video
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Comedy Video
Interesting clip...what can the other States say 'bout this?
First, watch this!
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October 7, 2011 — by Anne Cetas
Our Daily Bread Radio is hosted by Les Lamborn
Read: John 13:31-35
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. —John 13:35
Bible in a year:
Isaiah 28-29; Philippians 3
Isaiah 28-29; Philippians 3
Usually we’re told to smile before someone takes our picture. But in some parts of the US, a no-smiling policy is enforced when getting your photo taken for a driver’s license. Because of identity theft, these motor vehicle departments carefully check new photos that are taken to be sure they don’t match photos already in the system. If someone gets a picture taken under a false name, an alarm is sent to the operator.
From 1999 to 2009, one state stopped 6,000 people from getting fraudulent licenses. But why no smiling? The technology recognizes a face more easily if the person has a neutral facial expression.
Jesus prescribed a good way to recognize a Christian. He told His disciples, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). The ways to show love to fellow believers are as endless as there are people with needs: a note of encouragement, a visit, a meal, a gentle rebuke, a prayer, a Bible verse, a listening ear, even just a friendly smile.
The apostle John wrote, “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren” (1 John 3:14). Can others recognize, by our care for fellow Christians, that we know and love the Lord?
For Christians to be recognized
As people who follow the Lord,
Their love for one another is
A virtue that can’t be ignored. —Sper
As people who follow the Lord,
Their love for one another is
A virtue that can’t be ignored. —Sper
One measure of our love for God
is how much we show love to His children.
is how much we show love to His children.
Anyone who is not with me is against me...'
'Anyone who is not with me is against me...'Luke 11:15-26
15 But some of them said, 'It is through Beelzebul, the prince of devils, that he drives devils out.'
16 Others asked him, as a test, for a sign from heaven;
17 but, knowing what they were thinking, he said to them,
'Any kingdom which is divided against itself is heading for ruin, and
house collapses against house.
18 So, too, with Satan: if he is divided against himself,
how can his kingdom last? - since you claim that it is through Beelzebul
that I drive devils out.
19 Now if it is through Beelzebul that I drive devils out,
through whom do your own sons drive them out? They shall be your
judges, then.
20 But if it is through the finger of God that I drive devils out, then the kingdom of God has indeed caught you unawares.
21 So long as a strong man fully armed guards his own home, his goods are undisturbed;
22 but when someone stronger than himself attacks and defeats him, the stronger man takes away all the weapons he relied on and shares out his spoil.
23 'Anyone who is not with me is against me; and anyone who does not gather in with me throws away.
24 'When an unclean spirit goes out of someone it wanders through waterless country looking for a place to rest, and not finding one it says, "I will go back to the home I came from."
25 But on arrival, finding it swept and tidied,
26 it then goes off and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and set up house there, and so that person ends up worse off than before.'
Thursday, October 6, 2011
[ Next >]
Want to learn the secret to a great first encounter? Five pros share their most effective moves.
By Anne-Marie O'Neill
|
The Book of the Dad
lifestyle/msn
12 smart things every father should teach his kids
1.TEACH A SOLID HANDSHAKE
Model
proper technique by putting 'er there: Press the web of flesh between
your thumb and index finger into his so he feels it; that ensures proper
placement. Then wrap your hand around his and squeeze gently for two or
three seconds. Key point: eye contact and a slight smile are essential.
The double pump, while conveying enthusiasm, isn't.
2.INSTILL A HEALTHY RESPECT FOR GUNS
Your
kid might become vice president one day. Demonstrate how to keep the
muzzle pointed in a safe direction at all times -- downrange, toward the
ground or up in the air -- while explaining that every gun should be
considered a loaded gun.
3.LEARN LEFT FROM RIGHT
Righty
tighty, lefty loosey. That's how to remember which way to turn a
screwdriver, wrench -- or the lid from a jar of pig's knuckles.
4.WHAT TO DO WHEN STOPPED BY A COP
• Keep your hands where police can see them.
• Never run, resist, complain or touch an officer.
•
Address the police officer as "sir" (or "ma'am") or "officer." If he's
wearing three stripes or a single silver bar, saying "yes sergeant" or
"no lieutenant," respectively, may score you some points.
5.PROPER CONDOM USE
When
you have your "talk" with your son (or daughter -- she needs to know
this stuff, too), cover all of these points about condom use (and when
you're done, present him with his very own box of rubbers).
• Check the expiration date. Condoms are good for 5 years but those with spermicide expire after 3 years.
• Never store them in your wallet or car glove box (pressure and high temperatures will render them ineffective).
• Always use one, even with oral sex.
• Break out a new one with every encore performance. Reusing one isn't worth the risks.
6.HOW TO CONSOLE SOMEONE
At some point or another while they're growing up, your children will need to console a relative or a friend who's just lost a family member. To make the encounter less clumsy for your kids, help them prepare a message that comes from the heart. (They should never say something like "I guess it's for the best that she's gone" when her friend's sickly Grandma Bertha dies.)
In the case of a grieving classmate or
friend, they should invite the other child over to play or hang out or
to go to the movies with your family. Even if the friend declines, the
effort your kids made will not go unappreciated and will strengthen
their relationship.
7.THE RIGHT WAY TO DRESS
While your son might be reluctant to hear it, give him this advice from Andy Gilchrist, author of The Encyclopedia of Men's Clothes.
•
Trousers are long enough if they have a light break in the front, and
they should fully cover socks to avoid a "where's-the-flood" look.
• Shirts should show a quarter- to half-inch reveal when wearing a suit or sport jacket.
• Ties should descend to the belt line. A properly executed tie will show a dimple under the knot.
• Socks should be long enough to completely cover the shins when legs are crossed.
• Belts should match the color of shoes and end just past the first loop on your pants.
8.CALCULATE A TIP
Encourage your kids to tip well for good service -- in our book that's at least 20 percent. (If they think that's too generous, lay this on them: "Some day you might find yourself working at Friday's.")
The simplest
way for your kids to calculate a 20 percent tip is to multiply the
pretax amount by 2 and move the decimal point over one position to the
left. For a $135 tab: 135 x 2 = 270. Slide the decimal between the 7 and
the 0, and you get a $27 tip. Feeling generous? Throw in a few more
bucks.
Does the server merit only 10 percent? Use the method above but instead multiply by 1.
Does the server merit only 10 percent? Use the method above but instead multiply by 1.
9.HOW TO DEFUSE AN ANGRY PERSON
The best way to handle an uncontrollably angry person is not to say "Calm down" or "Breathe" -- unless your aim is to fan the flames, says Rick Brinkman. Ph.D., who runs communication seminars for IBM and Boeing. Let the person vent for a moment while you compose yourself. Then calmly say, "I can see you're upset. I'll listen to what you have to say, if you're willing to listen to what I have to say. Okay?"
Follow
that up with a question that leads him out of the situation: "What do
you say we resolve it this way?" By asking a question, you give him the
illusion of being in control. If this approach fails, walk away.
10.MAKE YOUR TEEN A SAFE DRIVER
Have your kid log at least 100 hours of instruction at the wheel, says Phil Berardelli, author of Safe Young Drivers. "The 6 hours most states mandate is inadequate," he explains. "Take time to expose him to rain, snow, night, fog, highways."
Once
he has his license, limit carpooling. A study by Johns Hopkins
University's Center for Injury Research and Policy found that teen
drivers with two passengers are 86 percent more likely to die in a crash
than are teens driving alone. Also restrict night driving. The
Connecticut Transportation Institute says drivers ages 16 to 20 are 66
percent more likely to have an accident at night than they are during
the day.
11.HELP YOUR KID GET INTO COLLEGE
To
give your child the competitive edge, start planning in the ninth grade,
says Michele Hernandez, an Ivy League -- college consultant and author
of A Is for Admission. Here's a quick guide to making the most of ninth grade.
•
Freshman year is the time to perfect study skills and work on critical
reading and vocabulary. Your teen should try to read for at least an
hour per day, including areas outside of her interests.
• It's
important for her to show teachers that she really cares about her
classes by going above and beyond what the teachers ask for. Now's the
time for her to become an active participant in class by contributing to
discussions and showing initiative.
• Make sure she takes one or
two SAT II tests before the end of the year if she is taking advanced
science or math. Most top colleges require three of these tests along
with the SAT I, and you don't want to save all until junior year.
• Beef up her academic resume. Enroll her in college-level classes over the summer.
12.DISCIPLINE YOUR SON FOR DRINKING OR SMOKING POT
Don't
freak. "A vein-popping lecture will drive him away and shut down any
chance of a meaningful discussion," says Xenia G. Becher, coauthor of Ten Talks Parents Must Have With Their Children About Drugs.
After you've cooled down and talked about the issue with your wife,
meet in your son's room; he'll be more receptive on his own turf.
Explain
that you're concerned he's not making smart decisions. "Reinforce the
message that he needs to stay clear-minded and focused in life and that
drugs will knock him off those paths," says Becher. If he asks whether
you smoked pot or drank when you were his age (and he will), don't let
him steer the conversation away from himself. "Telling him what you did
or didn't do isn't important," says Becher. "This is not a 'true
confessions' moment. Disclose only if it helps."
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