LISTEN TO YOUR GUT

I read an interesting story recently about a newspaper carrier named Bruce Pitts. He delivers newspapers early in the morning and gets to know the customers on his route very well. One client in particular was an elderly couple that prayed for him regularly. He noticed, however, that their papers were beginning to stack up outside their door...as if they were on vacation or something. Mr. Pitts realized, though, that they were quite elderly and had not known them to leave for extended periods of time. His gut instinct told him that something was wrong.

One day, after his route, it bothered him so much that he and his wife went over to the couple's home and began knocking.....noticing the door unlocked, they cautiously entered. What they found was the elderly woman trapped beneath her husband. The husband had passed out after mowing the yard (he actually died) and his wife tried to catch him and they both ended up on the floor with him on top. Unable to get out from under the weight of her husband, they laid on the floor for 2 days until the paper carrier found them. The gut instinct of the newspaper carrier probably saved the woman's life.

How often do you have gut instincts....that gnawing feeling in the pit of your stomach that something is wrong? It's probably a good idea to pay close attention to that feeling.....it's great to watch who God chooses to do His work.........the President, a preacher and the newspaper delivery person.

FIND OUT WHO'S CALLING

National No Call Registry - this is a must for anyone with a telephone or a cell phone. Register your number and telemarketers are not allowed to call you...period. However, if you still need a way to track undesirable or unidentifiable calls, there is a service....a website...called Find Out Who's Calling where you can perform Reverse Phone Lookups. Check out their website and give their service a try - just type in the phone number and the results are given....it's that easy.

911..CAN YOU HOLD WHILE I SLEEP?

Recently a woman called 911. Someone was tapping on her windows and understandably she was frightened...by the way, earlier in the day she was robbed at gunpoint. This tripled her sense of tension and fear. She did the right thing by calling for help....which in the States is our 911 system. Works great, right? Not this time...........the 911 operator fell asleep on the phone while taking her emergency. Can you believe it? Want to hear the phone call? Here it is - 911 Phone Call - as well as the story!

GOLF COURSE LIVING

Jack Nicklaus is one of my all time favorite golfers. He is now more into golf course design than actual tournament playing and one of his more beautiful creations is Longview, one of his signature courses. Located in North Carolina, this course is ranked # 11 of all the golf courses in the state. In addition to the beautiful golf course, you will find weddington golf homes for sale, as well as weddington, nc luxury homes nearby. Golf living at its finest. If you visit their website, you will see information not only about the golf course and all the programs they offer, but on the local real estate including weddington golf homes for sale, located near Charlotte. It's worth checking out their website today!

KEEP YOUR BARBIES TO YOURSELF

"A top Iranian judiciary official warned Monday against the "destructive" cultural and social consequences of importing Barbie dolls and other Western toys."

I agree and disagree with the Iranians.

Why I agree - Barbie represents an idealistic figure in an anything but idealistic culture. She is the unattainable for the underage. Being like Barbie means you always smile, never need to lose weight and have the world at your feet. You can never really be like Barbie but girls always try.

Why I disagree - In a country filled with corrupt leaders and hurting citizens, Iran should focus more on it's economy and the welfare of it's people than on some pretend doll that little girls (and some little boys) like to play with. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (make the guttural sound in his last name REAL loud!) smiles rather sadistically as his country digs itself deeper and deeper in trouble not only with the US, but with many other countries tiring of his arrogant "in your face" antics. "If you import Barbies, our women won't wear veils over their faces anymore! We will have to treat them as equals!"

I can't believe I made a post about Barbie. Our Alexa ranking is sure to fall. What was I thinking?

INFINITY SHOES

Infinity Shoes is a great website for shoes. They have a large selection and a wide variety of styles and fashions to choose from. If you can't find it on this website, then you can't find it anywhere. Here is just a sampling of what they offer - tsubo shoes, seychelles shoes, minnetonka boots, Miz Mooz, Bronx, Birkenstock, Clarks, Dr. Martens, Frye, Indigo and many, many more. They have organized the website in a manner that makes it easy to navigate and find what brand names and styles you are looking for. Whether you are looking for something casual or something formal....or something in between, you are certain to find it here.

In addition to selling locally and throughout the United States, they offer international sales as well. If you check out their website, you will see you can locate a store or order online. The process is made simple with easy instruction on shipping procedures as well. So if you have a friend or loved one that has an upcoming birthday or celebration, why not check out this website for the wide variety of gift ideas on display. Infinity Shoes is an excellent website offering an excellent product at a very reasonable price. Give them a try today!

TA DA!! GLORIA SAVES THE DAY!!

Rice for everyone! Actually I'm learning more and more about the rice "situation" not only in the Philippines, but here in the States. I wanted to thank all of you who left comments and helped me understand better what was happening. I guess no one really can say for certain although there seems to be a consensus that the rice shortage is intermingled with corruption. Par for the course. I think the Philippines President made the most of the above photo opportunity by trying to give the impression she was saving the day. Do people actually believe this? Regardless, life goes on....with or without rice. I saw a survey recently which named Gloria Arroyo as the most corrupt President of the Philippines...ever! She even beat out Joseph. It's time, once again, for People Power!

THE PEARL OUTLET

You've heard the phrase, "Diamonds are a girl's best friend?" Not any more. Pearls are a girl's new best friend. The Pearl Outlet is a website that has an outstanding line of pearl jewelry. You will find many different kinds such as Akoya Pearls, Fresh Water Pearls, South Sea Pearls, and Tahitian Pearls. These pearls are fitted into jewelry such as earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings. Everything you can imagine, want or need you will find on their website. And every piece of jewelry comes with a guarantee. This guarantee includes that the pearl has passed the most vigorous of tests in terms of authenticity and purity and that it meets the highest quality standards in the industry. The Pearl Outlet guarantees not only the quality of the pearl but that it is being sold at the lowest possible price. And if for any reason you are not completely and 100% satisfied, you may return the jewelry within the first 60 days. In short, this company will sell you the finest quality pearl jewelry at the lowest possible prices all with a satisfaction guaranteed policy.

Since Mother's Day is just around the corner, or there may be a special birthday in the near future, or there may even be a wedding coming soon, now would be the time to check out their website and see all the great gift ideas they have displayed. A great product at a great price delivered with great customer service makes a great shopping and gift experience.

CLOSING EMERIL'S

I love the Food Network. Some of my favorites are Emeril, Bobby Flay and of course Iron Chef (Japan not America). The picture here shows one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta - Emeril's. But I read bad news recently that the restaurant is being shut down. Over the years Emeril's received some terrible food reviews from the local critics. I don't understand that myself but then again, I am NOT a picky eater and just thankful for food period! I thought the food there was great and the atmosphere was even greater!! I went there about 5 or 6 times and loved every moment of it but now the doors are closing for good. So long Emeril......guess we'll just have to settle for IHOP for now.

FREE BUSINESS CARDS

Free Business Cards - that gets my attention. There is a website called Unlimited Business Cards that is making this great offer. Business cards are a great way to grow your business whether it be a simple blog you want to advertise or something on a larger scale. They are an effective means of spreading the word about your product or service. If you are interested in getting your cards for free (and take advantage of free shipping) then visit their website and find out all the details today!

FILIPINO WWII VETS WILL GET PAID

This is tremendous news for Filipino Veterans of WWII. Finally, they will be paid benefits for serving alongside Americans during World War II. My Dad served in World War II and during his time, he served in the Philippines with these deserving Filipino soldiers. United States Senators sparred over which veterans were most deserving at this time in history and Filipino veterans were selected. They will be given a $300 per month pension which is in addition to what they already receive from their government. This is a testament to both Filipinos and Americans.

LA POLICE GEAR

LA Police Gear is a company founded by Los Angeles area police officers. They sell not only to police officers but to the military and general public as well. They offer BDU Pants, cold weather gear, GPS units, patrol gear, medical supplies, knives, jackets, radio accessories and much more. They have a huge selection of protective gear. Any order can be made over the Internet or by phone. LA Police Gear is an impressive website and I would encourage you to check them out today!

ON "BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT"....

FILIPINOS - ANOTHER REASON TO BE PROUD!!!!!!

OFF TO CANADA

Even though gas prices are rising and there is uncertainty with our economy, people are still flying whether that be flying for business, flying for vacation or just flying for fun. One place my wife and I would love to fly to is Canada. We have never been and would love to tour Toronto and the surrounding area. I would love to take my family golfing and there are tremendous camping sites as well near Toronto so we would enjoy an energetic yet revitalizing time there. To find Flights to Canada, there is a website called DialaFlight that can assist with all aspects of the vacation planning process. From the airlines tickets, to rental cars to hotel accommodations, they streamline the process making it convenient and easy for you. I would encourage you to visit their site and begin making your vacation plans today!

COMING SOON.....

Being in a Fil-Am relationship is great for me because of the constant learning that takes place in our relationship. I am learning more and more about the Filipino culture....I am learning more and more about the Filipino economy...I am learning more and more about the Filipino community....most of all I am learning more and more about my beautiful Filipino wife. And of course she is learning more and more about the US and what our culture and economy is here in the States....and of course her favorite part is learning more about her American husband....I think?!

Anyway, born out of a love for each other and a love for our two cultures and countries, my wife and I are starting an on-line magazine called Fil-Am Today. Here is the website - http://www.fil-am-today.com/ - will you help us? Please bookmark this page and we will keep you posted on the progress. We want your ideas, your suggestions and your help to launch this magazine in the near future.....we are about 1 month from the launch date. Do you like our logo shown above? A lot of hard work is going into this behind the scenes right now and we are excited to present this to Filipinos and the Fil-Am community very soon. Once again, please bookmark this site for now....there is just a temporary parking page there now....but very soon you will see our logo and a short tag line....then shortly after that...we will launch!! We want all of you to be a part of this. Your comments and suggestions are very much appreciated! Maraming Salamat!!!!!

BODY WRAPS

Body wraps are growing in popularity and for good reason. There are tremendous health benefits to a body wrap. Some of the benefits include body detox - since fat carries most toxins, using a body wrap will provide a detox process for your body which is critical for long and lasting health. I would encourage you to visit this website...World of Hair...as they offer a whole line of health and beauty products....the best of which are their body wraps. Give them a try today!

PINAY SPOTLIGHT

This is Mally Roncal. She is one of the most sought after makeup artist in Hollywood. Born to Filipino immigrants she was raised in New York and fell in love with makeup and art at an early age. She would practice applying makeup on her mother and quickly discovered this was her "thing." Although she was pre-med in college, she went after her dreams in the makeup industry and now boasts a lengthy client list such as Jennifer Lopez and Angelina Jolie topping that list. She also has her own makeup line now that she markets to women everywhere. Hats off to this successful Filipino......here is her website.

FREE LUXURY WATCH

The Watchery is a website that offers a huge selection of luxury watches. My favorite is the one pictured here. But there are many more to choose from. Here is just a sample of the watches available: Audemars Piguet, Bulova, Chanel, Chopard, Daniel Roth, Gerald Genta, Ebel, Gucci, Harry Winston, Longines, Maurice Lacroix, Omega, Piaget, TAG Heuer, Timberland and Ebel watches. How's that for a selection? But there are still more!!

The Watchery not only offers the largest selection of luxury watches but they also offer the lowest prices anywhere online. Each watch is guaranteed to be authentic and comes with an individual and unique serial number. Purchased in larger quantities, they are able to offer these luxury watches as greatly reduced prices....sometimes even up to 80% off! And another incredible aspect of this website is that with the purchase of specially marked luxury watches, they are giving away an additional watch. In effect, you are getting two luxury watches for the price of one. Nice deal!

The website I found to be well organized and easy to navigate. They make the online shopping experience very easy and pleasant and they accept all forms of payment. I would encourage you to check out their website and see for yourself all the different watches they have available.

GRIZZLY KILLS TRAINER

This is Rocky. He starred in the movie "Semi-Pro" with Will Ferrell and at one point in the movie they even wrestled! I never saw the movie so I don't know who won but Rocky got into a wrestling match recently with his trainer and he won. Actually, I shouldn't reduce it to a contest because he killed his trainer. Rocky bit his trainer, Stephan Miller, in the back of the neck and he bled to death. I even heard the 911 call made by a woman who was at the scene.

I wonder what Will Ferrell is thinking right now? Maybe he is thinking, "That could have been me!" Probably. It's a great time for him to pause, maybe a good time for all of us to pause, and count the moments we have here as precious. I have said before in other posts that I hate wasting time. This story makes me REALLY hate wasting time. I hope you feel the same. Here's the story.

THE CASIO WAVE CEPTOR

BlueDial has a website that features all kinds of watches. There are Seiko, Bulova, and Casio watches - and many more. One watch in particular in the Casio section is the Casio Wave Ceptor watch. It has many good features but is unique in that its time is in Atomic format. That means the time is automatically set daily by time calibration radio signals. In other words.....it's the most accurate timekeeping in the industry. Not only are these watches accurate, but they are attractive and stylish as well. I would recommend looking into their website and checking out their large selection of quality watches....especially the Casio Wave Ceptor like the one shown above.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND RICE

When I saw the headline, "Oil and Rice Prices Rise Again" it got my attention - mainly because I have never seen those two words together in a headline, let alone in a sentence. Oil and Rice. What's happening? I will tell you what I know and then I will tell you what I don't know.

What I Know About Rice

1. Rice is a staple in the Asian world (and other places as well)
2. Rice is eaten at virtually every meal.
3. There is a rice shortage.
4. The price of rice is rising.
5. Rice is the Philippines largest import.

What I Don't Know About Rice

1. Why is there a shortage in the Philippines? (I know it is the largest import and there are now shortages...but isn't rice also grown in the Philippines?)
2. Why isn't enough rice grown in the Philippines to supply the country?
3. Why does it need to be imported?
4. Why do the Japanese put ketchup on rice? (I prefer syrup!!)

I am joking around with number 4 but the other questions are serious. I confess my ignorance and please be patient in your explanations but I am very interested in understanding what is happening. So far, I have asked many people, Filipino and American, and no one has been able to explain to me the answers to questions 1-3 above. I look forward to your feedback.

PROTECTION...GUARANTEED

Identity theft is such a huge problem these days. There are horror stories of innocent victims who had their social security number or credit card number stolen and later had to deal with the consequences of thousands and thousands of dollars of goods they never bought....but were purchased by the thief using their identity. These kinds of situations can literally take years to untangle and straighten out. So taking extra measures to protect your identity is a tremendous investment you can make for yourself and your family. Lifelock is a company that can ensure your protection. You can protect yourself using lifelock by visiting their website and learning about everything they do to protect your social security number and your credit information....which are the two main things used to determine if creditors will extend you credit or not. When you visit the website you will see the CEO actually giving out his social security number for the whole world to see. This proves to me that he and his company are willing to put their money where their mouth is........giving a solid guarantee that you will be protected. It's smart to be protected using Lifelock.

TOP 10 ANNOYING SINGERS

I love lists....top 10 lists, David Letterman's countdown, etc... Lists are interesting because someone put some thought into "grading" a list of people or places or things, ranking the list in an order that makes sense to them. College sports teams are arranged weekly into lists, corporation are ranked on a list, cars are ranked on a list, and so on. But I don't think I have ever seen a list like this before. It is called "The 10 Most Annoying Singers." hmmm... How about the 10 most annoying list makers? Anyway, here it is.....

10. Celine Dion

9. John Mayer

8. Conor Oberst

7. Lily Allen

6. Devendra Banhart

5. James Blunt

4. Frankie Valli

3. Billy Corgan

2. Scott Stapp

1. Michael Bolton

Surprised? I am grateful I didn't make the list but I have to say in my opinion this list is a waste of time. All of these singers are successful in their own right and have made quite a handsome living from their music. It's just some guy's opinion - actually it was from a guy's blog. Actually if this list is a waste of time then I guess...this post is a waste of time as well? ouch..........here's the story.

THE TOP 20

I love reading through this list. It is The Fortune 500 - it has been published again and below is a listing of the top 20 corporations in the US. On this list you will find businesses that have lost tons of money recently, firms that have had the government bail them out of trouble recently, and others who have had their share of woes recently. That's why the list is deceiving.....if these are the largest companies in the US (and actually many of them the largest in the world) then everything within the business should be fine. Wrong assumption - just because you are the biggest doesn't mean you are the best. Just because you are the biggest doesn't mean you are swimming in money. Being the biggest does have it's advantages, but it never guarantees quality......quality in operations.....quality in customer service......and quality on your income statement and balance sheet. These days, it sometimes means you are just big. On the other hand, there are some companies on this list that are swimming in money and that do deliver first class products and services and that manage responsibly....and do care about the customer. Judge for yourself...........

1. Wal-Mart Stores

2. Exxon Mobil

3. Chevron

4. General Motors

5. ConocoPhillips

6. General Electric

7. Ford Motor

8. Citigroup

9. Bank of America

10. AT&T

11. Berkshire Hathaway

12. J.P. Morgan Chase

13. AIG

14. Hewlett-Packard

15. IBM

16. Valero Energy

17. Verizon

18. McKesson

19. Cardinal Health

20. Goldman Sachs

YOUR CREDIT AND YOUR CREDIT SCORE

Everyone realizes that credit score is very important in our financial lives. However, not everyone knows what credit score is and how it affects our chances to buy a car, home or open our own business.
Those people, who realize that it is rather advantageous to have good credit score, strive to build or maintain good credit score.
The fact is that there are many ways of keeping good credit score. First of all, you should always pay all your bills on time. Non-payments and late payments are reported to credit bureaus and reflected in your credit report. However, you can avoid this situation be making your payments on time each month to maintain good credit score.
Another key to maintaining good credit score is to limit a number of plastics you have. This can help you to use your cards reasonable and wisely. As a rule, having too many plastics is likely to damage your credit score.
One more way of maintaining good credit history is to limit the amount of overall credit that you use at all times. Try to pay down existing balances as quickly as possible and make it a habit to limit the number of credit card accounts you take out. This is good credit card advice.
You should check your credit report regularly. The fact is that you can find errors in it that can affect your credit score. If you find out such errors, contact credit bureaus and they will correct these mistakes.
So, maintaining good credit score is possible. However, it requires time and efforts.

HERE SHE IS

Edna Parker lives in Indiana. She is famous.....because today is her birthday and she turn 115 years old!! That makes her the oldest person in the world. She celebrated at the nursing home where she resides by releasing into the air 115 balloons.

Science has always been interested in why some people live past the 100 year old mark - and in particular the 110 year old mark. So.....researchers took a blood sample from Edna so they could study her DNA along with 75 other individuals who have lived past the 110 year old mark. Let me save the researchers some time and tell them that some people live longer than others because they take better care of themselves throughout their life. I could have saved Boston University a lot of money.

Congratulations and Happy Birthday to Edna Parker - many more years to come.

PAINT YOUR LIFE

I love artwork and I especially love artwork made from original pictures. There is something about the quality that makes it so real and life-like.

There is a website called Paint Your Life which can turn any photograph into a beautiful picture. Here is the process:

1. Upload your photo which you want the artist to paint.
2. The painting of the photo begins.
3. The painting is then inspected.
4. A photo of the painting is upload for you to view and critique.
5. Any changes or modifications are processed.
6. You, as the customer, approve the painting.
7. The paint is delivered.

It's that easy. These are extremely unique gifts that are sure to impress anyone since the quality is so lifelike. I have to say my favorite of the paintings is landscape. Like the picture above, I love paintings of water, golf courses and mountains and each of these can be found on their website.

Their website is laid out nicely and is very user-friendly. The process is laid out nicely, there are numerous examples of their work, the FAQ section will answer all your questions, a section on testimonials and there is even a tab that spells out their prices. I would very much recommend visiting their website and looking around...there is something for everyone who loves art...but even more so for someone who has a photo or photos and wants to turn them into paintings.

FILIPINA CLASS ACT

Actress Angel Locsin celebrated her 23rd birthday recently with 300 kids from the slums of Payatas in Quezon City. She treated the kids to a McDonald's party which I am sure is their first. Last year, Locsin spent her birthday with women victims of violence and abuse.

In an age where you read about actors and actresses who abuse their high position in society both in social and financial circles, this story is a breath of fresh air. What better way to spend your birthday, then giving others the privilege of celebrating with you! What impresses me most....this is not an actress who has been around a while and wants to "give back" for all her good fortune - this is a YOUNG actress getting some traction in show-biz already and recognizing the need to give...at such an early age. Well done!

VRO TO AVI CONVERSION SOFTWARE

I read an article recently about vro to avi format conversions. Now I confess I don't know much about it but the more I become interested in video, the more I knew this was information I needed to know. VRO format is the standard DVD format. But to get this onto your computer and out onto the internet (for example, on YouTube), you need to convert vro to avi format. Now there is a program that converts your DVD's from the vro format to the avi format. It is a free vro to avi converter that handles the following formats - VRO, MPG, VOB, AVI, MP4, WMV, MPEG, DVD, RM, 3GP, MOV, 3G2, QT, SWF, DV AVI, DivX, XviD, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, DAT, VCD, SVCD, RMVB, ASF, MJPEG, H.263, DVR-MS, H.264. Its free trial helps you get the "feel" for how easy it is to operate. I plan to incorporate more video into this blog and I know many of you feel the same. Please check out this website and see how easy it is to convert your DVDs into the proper format for the internet.

UNBELIEVABLE BUT TRUE

"A gust of wind blew a 2-year-old in a stroller into Lake Michigan, where the boy remained submerged for at least 15 minutes before being pulled out unconscious but alive." The sad part is that it was the boy's grandfather that had taken him for a walk in the stroller. The winds of Chicago are known to be gusty and fierce at times and it was that kind of wind that blew the stroller, baby strapped in securely, into the cold, frigid waters. The child remains in ICU under careful watch...and Grandpa also is in the hospital being treated for exposure as he jumped into the freezing waters to try to save the boy. It's unbelievable but the child was under water for about 15 minutes but managed to live. Another little one chosen and protected by our Lord. Here's the whole story...

NEW LIFESTYLE DIET

Dieting has been around forever.....losing weight has been the desire of so many for so long. The whole weight-loss industry is a multi-billion dollar a year business because of the need and desire of so many to lose weight. There are many traditional weight-loss programs that come and go year after year but there are some programs that are time tested and get better results than others. One of those is called the New Lifestyle Diet. It is the best liquid diet on the market and surpasses the Medifast and Optifast programs by far. With this diet you get just the right amount of proteins, carbohydrates and calories to not only effectively take off the weight, but keep off the weight as well. It is more than a diet, but an education as well in what to eat and how to eat. It's a new lifestyle diet. It you check out their website and do some comparing, you will see this is the best liquid diet on the market today.

RESPECT....

In my opinion - I am in awe of the Pope's visit to the US. He showed humility, he showed compassion and concern, he gave exhortations and he even met with victims of the widely known priest abuses. This takes a lot of courage and much of his time spent here was apologizing to not only Catholics, but everyone for the abuses of the church. He admitted the church did not handle the crisis very well and vowed to change church law which will make it easier to get rid of priests who abuse their sacred office. I really have grown in my respect for the Pope....although not everyone agrees. But for me, I really consider his trip to the US a very healing experience for many. It laid the groundwork for many Catholics to be rejuvenated and refreshed in their faith -- and that is always a good thing....in my opinion.

GPS TRACKING SYSTEMS

GTX Corp is a publicly traded company that manufactures miniature GPS tracking and cellular location-transmitting technology. They partner with a variety of vendors that produce the tracking devices for consumers.

First of all, this technology is becoming more and more important as time goes on. Tracking others, such as loved ones on a long trip, or even kids shopping in the mall, is crucial. In many instances it becomes an issue of safety and peace of mind. There are many different ways to implement the tracking technology....for example, on your shoes. The GTSC technology is embedded in your shoes and provides tracking possibilities as long as the shoes are worn. There is also a transport caddy that is about the size of a small stack of business cards and weighs very little that can be carried with you wherever you go. One more important feature is this technology can be tracked in real time on Google maps.

If you think about tracking technology closely, you can see there are multiple uses. If you have elderly parents, toddlers, if you hike or climb in the outdoors, even policemen and firemen would find this technology invaluable and important. Taking the necessary safety precautions in the above examples is very important and using GPS technology from GTX Corp is a smart way to protect not only yourself, but family members as well.

IT'S FRIDAY..AND THAT MEANS....

IT'S TIME TO LAUGH!!!!!!!!

It's easy to laugh when it happens to someone else!!!

SHANGRI LA IN TEXAS

Shangri La Gardens and Nature Center is located in Orange, Texas on a stretch of land equaling around 252 acres. It is a scene filled with beautiful flowers, nature and wildlife. The name Shangri La means a place of beauty, peace and enlightenment. The mission of the Center is to "Mentor Children of All Ages to Be Kind to Their World." The Center was originally start to enrich and improve the quality of life in Southeast Texas and to assist and encourage education. Visitors there not only enjoy the beauty of the place, but also are taught about the rich history and story of the wetlands of Eastern Texas.

The Shangri La Gardens and Nature Center is one of only 50 projects in the entire world to earn the U.S. Green Building Council's Platinum Certification for LEED®-NC. This designation means that the Center has upheld the highest 'green' building standards possible. It is a distinction that is not widely held so the honor is not only deserving, but should be respected and revered as well.

A trip to the Shangri La Gardens and Nature Center starts at the Orientation Center. Here visitors will learn about the rich history of the center....its humble beginnings to where it is today. The Orientation Center is very interactive so right from the beginning of your tour, you are engaged in something great. Next, you are off to the Botanical Gardens. This area features more than 300 species of plants. It's an amazing stop on the tour the ownership designed to inspire and amaze. Lastly, you are off the Nature Center. This is a hands-on exhibit dedicated to Shangri La’s wetland ecosystems. Here you will get an incredible experience but also an amazing education.

Shangri La Gardens and Nature Center is nothing short of a living paradise. They encourage visiting any time of year and it will prove to be an experience you will never forget. To get started, try visiting their website today!

DID YOU KNOW......

1. Birth control pills work on gorillas....


2. The energy of a discharge of an electric eel could start 50 cars....


3. A Boeing 747 airliner holds 57,285 gallons of fuel....


4. Dirty snow melts faster than clean...


5. The U.S. motto, 'In God We Trust', was not adopted as the national slogan until 1956....


6. Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour....


7. One cubic mile of seawater contains about 50 pounds of gold....


8. Spinach consumption in the U.S. rose 33% after the Popeye comic strip became a hit in 1931....


9. Chop-suey is not a native Chinese dish, it was created in California by Chinese immigrants....


10. Sweden has more telephones per capita than any country on earth....


11. Billy goats urinate on their own heads to smell more attractive to females....


12. The Japanese commonly put ketchup on their rice....


13. 23% of all photocopier faults worldwide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their butts....


14. Due to gravitational effects, you weigh slightly less when the moon is directly overhead....


15. Leonardo DiCaprio got his first ‘onscreen kiss’ from a man..

Did you know?

SPACIFY YOUR OFFICE

One room in our home that we really want to make ergonomically correct is our office. We spend a lot of time on our computer in our office working, blogging and even relaxing together so we for sure want to be comfortable. Of the course the mood of the room is set by the furniture and there is no better place for OFFICE FURNITURE than Spacify. Visit their website and you will see furniture that is conducive to a pleasant, functional, modern and ergonomically correct office space.

PHILIPPINE DOCTOR IN TROUBLE

Here's the scoop - A Filipino doctor performed a surgery on a man and invited others to watch. The surgery was to remove a foreign object from the man. The foreign object was an aerosol can. Keep reading.........it gets better. I will let you guess where the can was 'stuck.' He was able to remove it successfully. Once removed, he jokingly sprayed the aerosol at others in the room. Everyone seemed to be joking and laughing and having a grand old time. The video of this surgery actually made it to YouTube. It has since been pulled and police are looking for the culprit. In the meantime, medical authorities in the Philippines are looking into stripping the doctor of his medical license as well as others in the operating room at the time.

Guess how the incident came to the attention of the authorities? The patient saw the video on YouTube and turned them in. Can you imagine having surgery, being put under anesthesia and completely trusting the doctor to your care...only to find out the you were the object of the medical staff's joke?!?! I am sure we will hear more of this in the coming days......developing. I lost the website where I read this but I will find it and add it - sorry.