BREAK FREE…

In the wide world of dating, there are many options. Do you go for the flashy guy with the smooth smile, or the dude in the corner typing away on his laptop? The following are reasons why I think my fellow females should pay more attention to the quiet geeks and nerds, and less attention to the flashy boys.

1.) While geeks and nerds may be awkward, they’re well-meaning 9 out of 10 times. That smooth dude with the sly grin and the spider hands? Wonder what HIS intentions are… plus, I’ve never had a geek guy not call me when he said he would. Score major points THERE.

2.) They’re useful. In this tech-savvy world, it’s great to have a b/f who can make your laptop, desktop, and just about anything else that plugs into a wall behave itself.

3.) They’re more romantic than they’re given credit for. Ok true, their idea of romance might be to make up a spiffy web-page with all the reasons why they love you, with links to pics of you and sonnets and such… but hey. It lasts longer than flowers, plus you can show your friends.

4.) Due to their neglected status, there are plenty to choose from. You like ‘em tall and slender? There are plenty of geeks/nerds who are. You like ‘em smaller with more meat on their bones? Got that too.

5.) They’ve got brains. Come on now, how can intelligence be a bad thing?

6.) Most are quite good at remembering dates. Like birthdates and such, especially if they know it’ll make you happy. Due again to their neglected status, they’re more attentive than guys who “have more options”. Plus, with all that down time without a steady girlfriend, they’ll likely have mental lists of all the things they’d love to do once they GOT a girlfriend.

7.) Sex. Yep. Sex. I’m not really familiar with this myself, but I’ve friends who’ve been intimate with geek guys and it’s raves all around. They say a virgin wrote the Kama Sutra… all that time thinking about sex, imagining sex, dreaming about sex, (they are male after all) coupled with a desire to make you happy? Use your imagination.

8.) They’re relatively low-maintenance. Most can be fueled on pizza, Twinkies and Mt Dew. No complicated dinners needed here, so if you’re not the best cook, eh. Can you order a pizza?

9.) Most frequent bars as often as slugs frequent salt mines. You won’t have to worry much about your geek guy getting his “groove” on with club hotties because, frankly, he’ll be too busy rooting around under his computer wondering where that spare cable went. You won’t have to worry about him flirting with other women because, 9 out of 10 times, he’ll zip right by them in a perfect b-line towards the nearest electronics store. I’ve seen this happen.
Me: “Eww. Victoria Secret’s Models… They’re so skinny. How is that feminine? You can see her ribs!”
Geek Guy: “ooooooo…”
Me: “Hey!” *notices he is staring lustfully towards the computer store*
Geek Guy: “What?”
Me: “Never mind…”

10.) Although he may not want to go to every outing with you, you can arrange swaps, as in, you’ll go to his Gamer Con dressed as an elf princess if he’ll take you to the ballet. Plus, if he doesn’t want to go someplace with you, you won’t have to worry much about what he’s up to. You’ll probably come home to find him asleep on his keyboard in a sea of Mt. Dew cans with code blinking from the screen. It’s ok. He’s used to this. Just toss a blanket over him and turn out the light.

11.) His friends aren’t jerks. I can’t stress this enough. You’ll more likely get “Omg! A GIRL!! Can I see?!” than “Hey hot stuff back that ass up here and let me get some grub on…” They’re awkward geeks too and will, 9 times out of 10, treat you with the utmost respect and, more than likely, a note of awe. A cute girl picked one of their clan to date? It could happen to them! Hope! Drag some of your single girlfriends over, open up a pack of Mt. Dew, crack open the DnD set and get working. Nothing impresses geek guys more than a girl who can hack-n-slash (well ok maybe if she can code… a geek can dream).

12.) They’re rarely if ever possessive. They trust you, so you can be yourself around them. You like to walk around the house in a ratty t-shirt for comfort? He won’t care. He does too! They won’t get pissy if you don’t wear make-up or don’t want to bother primping your hair. If you gain a few pounds, they won’t try their best to make you feel like crap.

13.) They’re usually very well educated. Physics majors and the like. See #5. You won’t have to listen to him blathering on about his car (ok maybe a little), he’ll have loads of other interesting things to talk about. Politics, world events, how much the chicken burgers down at the local place rock, so long as you douse them in hot sauce…

14.) You’ll almost never have to hear, “Yaw dawg whazzap!!” plop out of their mouths. Unless it’s in jest. They spell properly, use correct punctuation, and are able to tell the difference between the toilet and the floor. They almost never get “wasted”, so you won’t have to worry about coming home to find him and his friends passed out on the floor amidst a pile of beer bottles. Mt. Dew cans, perhaps…

15.) And the final reason why geeks and nerds make great boyfriends: They actually give a damn about you. Not how you look (though that’s a plus), not how skinny you are, not how much make-up you primp yourself up with, but they like you for you. That kind of thing lasts longer than “DaMN baby you got a fine ass!!!” Believe me.

Don’t Send Your Duck to Eagle School

Dr John C. Maxwell

You Can't Send a Duck to Eagle School

The first rule of management is this: don’t send your ducks to eagle school. Why? Because it won’t work. Good people are found, not changed. They can change themselves, but you can’t change them. If you want good people, you have to find them. If you want motivated people, you have to find them, not motivate them.

I picked up a magazine not long ago in New York that had a full-page ad in it for a hotel chain. The first line at the ad read, “We do not teach our people to be nice.” Now that got my attention. The second line said, “We hire nice people.” I thought, “What a clever shortcut!”

Motivation is a mystery. Why are some people motivated and some are not? Why does one salesperson see his first prospect at seven in the morning while the other sees his first prospect at eleven in the morning? Why would one start at seven and the other start at eleven? I don’t know. Call it “mysteries of the mind.”

I give lectures to a thousand people at a time. One walks out and says, “I’m going to change my life.” Another walks out with a yawn and says, I’ve heard all this stuff before.” Why is that?

The wealthy man says to a thousand people, “I read this book, and it started me on the road to wealth.” Guess how many of the thousand go out and get the book? Answer: very few. Isn’t that incredible? Why wouldn’t everyone go get the book? Mysteries of the mind….

To one person, you have to say, “You’d better slow down. You can’t work that many hours, do that many things, go, go, go. You’re going to have a heart attack and die.” And to another person, you have to say, “When are you going to get off the couch?” What is the difference? Why wouldn’t everyone strive to be wealthy and happy?

Chalk it up to mysteries of the mind, and don’t waste your time try­ing to turn ducks into eagles. Hire people who already have the motiva­tion and drive to be eagles and then just let them soar.

http://tinyurl.com/bp4oq2

I had just read the papers this morning. In all honesty, I hope that the whole thing had been exaggerated and sensationalized by the papers, and that what had been reported was nothing close to the truth.

I make it a point never to write about politics, so this is my disclaimer here, that this note has got nothing to do with politics, or any reference to politics or any party whatsoever, and that any innuendos are merely coincidental and not intentional. This note is about public security and personal security. All opinions contained herein are solely my own views, and no offense was intended.

Okay… now that I’ve laid out my disclaimer, I can proceed to talk about public and personal security.

Personal security is becoming almost an unspoken obsession with the rising crime rate and the intensity of violence increasing daily. I thought that I was the only one who looks around constantly to see if anyone’s following me, or comes towards me at a faster than usual speed.

I hear of many friends being victims of snatch thefts, which are becoming more and more rampant, with some sustaining major injuries, and at least some bruises. That has increased our paranoia… to the point that we literally RUN home from our cars, in our desperate attempt to get behind locked doors before the approaching motorbike comes close (dun care whether potential criminal or just an innocent passer-by). Better to be safe than sorry! And now… I hear stories from my friends that the snatch theives are driving cars! They wind down the windows, slash the handbags with parangs (sometimes leaving the victims bleeding profusely), and make off with their loot.

In a recent incident, I had accidentally lost my way and drove into a little enclave with a narrow dead-end road. Children were playing on the streets oblivious to traffic. I tried to honk them as lightly as I could so that they could move out of the way for me to make a u-turn out.

To my horror, as I made a u-turn, and was going towards where I had come from… a group of men surrounded my car, shouting vulgarities and gesturing obscenities with their hands.

What did I do wrong? Were they offended by the little “honk”? Were they offended that I had gone into their territory and had the cheek to “honk” their children?

It was a most terrifying moment for me, as I was a lone woman in the car. I dared not wind down my window to hear what they were yelling, nor did I stop to find out why they were yelling. I was so terrified that they might smash the windscreen or my windows to attack me.

I just did a humble gesture of nodding my head, lowering my eyes, and gesturing “I’m sorry” with my hand.

I guess I know a little of how Karpal Singh felt when he was mobbed… only, he did not have the safety of a car to hide inside.

(Note: I am not saying that I agree or disagree with his statements and actions.)

But I do respect his firm stand on his personal beliefs and issues, and refuse to be intimidated by force, or threats. He knows his legal rights and his legal standings clearly. And he doesn’t change his stand according to popularity or by whims and fancy. We know clearly what he stands for, whether we agree or disagree.

Even the presence of uniformed officers have ceased to be a comfort, with the advent of so many impersonators! How can you tell, if that one is a cop… or NOT??? Or even a GOOD cop… or NOT???

Me… I’m just a scaredy cat.

Then again, cowards get to live another day.

Jump! Jump! This video is soooooo cuuute! This rap consists of a couple of kids with their fashion styling consisting of wearing their clothes backwards!

Okay, I gotta admit it… I’m addicted to jumping these days, thanks to the recent new class in my fitness club, known as “Power Jump”. It fits very nicely into women’s workout schedules, as it’s a fast-paced aerobic exercise on a trampoline which are easy on the joints and body. It easily burns fats up to 700-800 calories per hour, and tones up the body very well.

The classes are always packed! You have to arrive early and grab a trampoline, before it’s all taken up!

Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump… into a sexy body!

Here’s Jay Chou’s latest album, Capricorn - Mo Jie Zo, with the song Dao Xiang - Fragrant Rice.

I think that this is a very relevant and meaningful song, encouraging us to move on even when facing difficult circumstances. This is especially meaningful in today’s economic crisis, and the bell rings closer to home. A great reminder that fame and success isn’t the ultimate goal. We need to add bright colours to our life, paint LOVE in our favourite colour, cherish our loved ones, and be happy!

Just enjoy the simple things of life, and know that we are blessed. Enjoy the song!

Here’s the lyrics in English translation for those who don’t understand Chinese like me!

If you have too many grievances towards this world,
Having fallen, you dare not move forward
Why must people be so weak and fallen?
Please turn on the television now and see for yourself
So many people bravely fighting for a better life
Shouldn’t we be content,
Cherish all we have, even if we don’t possess them

I still remember you said home is your only castle
Following the paddy fragrance, the flowing stream, I continued running
Smile, I know the childhood dreams
Don’t cry, let the fireflies take you away, escaping
You will always find serenity in folk songs
Go home, go back to the happiness at the very start

Don’t give up so easily, just like what I said,
For dreams you can’t achieve, just switch it for another and it’ll be fine
Add bright colours to your life
Paint LOVE in your favourite colour
Smile… fame and success isn’t the goal
Let yourself be happy. That is the whole meaning.

(Just like how) I finally found my lost childhood innocence
What is happiness? It’s chasing dragonflies in the fields barefooted till we’re exhausted
Picking fruits without permission and getting scared from being stung by bees, who’s sniggering?
Leaning against the scarecrow, enjoying the wind, singing songs till I fall asleep
Oh~ Oh~ In the afternoon, the guitar chords sound more crisp amidst the cries of the insects
Oh~ Oh~ The sunlight shines on the road so there’s no need to fear a heartbreak
Cherish everything, even if we don’t possess them

I still remember you said home is your only castle
Following the paddy fragrance, the flowing stream, I continued running
Smile, I know the childhood dreams
Don’t cry, let the fireflies take you away, escaping
You will always find serenity in folk songs
Go home, go back to the happiness at the very start

Capricorn 2008 (CD) (Regular Edition) JAY CHOU (SONY & BMG)

Time flies by really fast… and suddenly, I find that it’s been two whole hazy months that I haven’t hit the gym! And… how do I know that?? Well, thanks to my trusty little Workout Log which I keep pasted on the fridge!

For those of you not into an exercise routine, you may wonder what’s a Workout Log. Well, it’s simply a chart that you tick off each time you go to the gym to keep track of your progress. Well, sorta like a silent personal trainer who keeps track of your going to the gym, a glaring reminder of how often (or less frequently) you go to the gym. Also, with so many things going on in my life, my brains are jam-packed with other important things that I need to remember, and I’d rather tick off on the Workout Log what exercise classes I’ve been going to, else I’d be gravitating towards those easier classes and neglecting the tougher ones.

(We always tend to avoid pain … and seek pleasure. - according to Mr. Anthony Robbins)

For those exercise buffs, each of us would already have a set of routines that we stick to. A workout log just tracks our progress, and makes sure that our exercises are balanced on the whole, and not just concentrated on one part of the body. (You don’t want one part of your body to be disproportionately bigger than the rest, regardless what part that is!)

I have friends, like Eleen, who swears by Body Pump classes to keep her body in shape. I have guy friends who love weights, and those bench presses, dumbbells and curls. A specific exercise routine targetted at specific muscle groups. (Ouch.)

Personally, I prefer group exercises, as I find it not so boring, especially if the instructor is hunky and charming! The class exercises can be divided into 2 main categories, one is to burn fat, and the other, to build muscle.

Fat burning exercises are the slower more fluid type of exercises, such as walking, dancing, etc. My fat burning arsenal is my latin and jazz dance classes. These classes are fun, sexy and not tiring. We burn fat as we swirl and twirl with the music, relaxing the mind as well as the body. Lovely!

Muscle building and toning exercises are the high impact type of exercises, my favourites being Body Combat and Power Jump. After just a couple of weeks of not missing classes (3 classes a week), I can see my body toned right back into shape. Body Combat targets mainly the upper body. With repetitive movements, the arms are firmed up, and the torso into a V-shaped 6-pack. Power Jump targets the lower body. It targets the lower abdomen, butt and thighs. Beautiful.

The best strategy is to combine both fat burning classes and muscle building classes into a workable plan.  The best is to alternate one fat burning exercise of your choice, with a muscle building exercise of your choice. That is where your Workout Log comes in handy. Plan out your most effective strategy and stick to it. And then stick your Workout Log somewhere you can see it prominently! It can be on the fridge, on the mirror, on your door, or even on your car dashboard. Let it be a silent reminder… to get off your butt and go workout!

You can DOWNLOAD A FREE PRINTABLE WORKOUT LOG HERE.

In this Free Printable Workout Log, I have given you 2 examples of how to define your exercise objectives. One Printable Workout Log for the upper body, and one Printable Workout Log for the lower body. And one BLANK Printable Workout Log for you to write in your own favourite exercises, which may defer from mine.

HAPPY EXERCISE!

Somehow, I can relate to some of my friends’ issues with their Capricorn boyfriends. After having an interesting relationship with a Capricorn man for close to a year, I have discovered the dos and don’ts on how to keep a Capricorn man.

Essentially, the Capricorn male is steady, faithful and dependable. He is very practical and down-to-earth. As such, when it comes to daily life, deal with him with your left brain. He likes strong women, who are dependable, intelligent, charming, elegant and responsible. Most importantly, a woman who is sincere and honest whom he can trust. Yeah, I know it sounds like a tall order, but if you want to keep your Capricorn man, you must win and keep his respect.

For me personally, I rather enjoy our stimulating intellectual discussions of books, politics and issues in life. In disagreements, try not to throw a temper tantrum. It would make him withdraw, and make the discussion of issues difficult.

The Capricorn manlikes it when we can discuss matters coolly and calmly with logical reasoning. He needs an understanding and reasonable woman.

He has very strict moral principles, and hopes to find these qualities in his mate. He looks forward to building a lasting, fulfilling relationship, that can stand the test of time, without becoming dull, or taking each other for granted. However, he is very cautious in his approach, taking his time and making sure that he is certain and does not to give any empty promises that he may not be able to fulfill.

If you want to keep your Capricorn man, you cannot expect him to sweep you off your feet with roses and romantic words of sweet nothings. This is a man that will be able to give you a shelter over your head and keep you warm in winter. But don’t expect all those fancy fluff of romance. If you need something, don’t just hint… don’t give him big hints, don’t even give him obvious hints! Just tell it to him. Spell it out, if you have to! He will be more than happy to meet your need.

There is however, a more tender side to this typically detached Capricorn man. He needs your affections badly. He needs reassurance of your love consistently. While he may be reserved and finds difficulty in showing his feelings, he needs your tenderness, and once his defences have fallen, he will show himself to be infinitely affectionate and attentive.

And…. if you manage to keep your shy sweet Capricorn, you will feel secure in his steadfast love. He would definitely not want to intentionally cause hurt in any way. This is a man worth keeping for the long term.

Massive frustration is key to success. - Anthony Robbins

Ironically, this quote is so true. This has been my self-encouragement mantra everytime I face difficulties in daily life.

Most of us think we want to change, to improve. Many of us mentally make that resolution, take that note. But then, like Tony Robbins puts it, “life happens”.

We get busy with our work, our daily responsibilities, things that demand our urgent attention. And we forget about that resolution… until the following new year, where we make a new resolution, to follow through and act on the old resolution.

The thing is, we’re comfortable where we are. It’s true that some of us may be uncomfortable, discontented with our lives, yet change is even more uncomfortable, daunting, even painful!

It is not until we face massive frustration, when our current situation brings so much unbearable pain, that we truly change!

It is only when we are faced with a situation, “do or die”, that we stick with our guns and fight it through. It is when we have no turning back, that we usually succeed.

So when you’re faced with frustration after frustration, take heart, and know, that your turning point is imminent. Change is inevitable.

Reference:
Unlimited Power : The New Science Of Personal Achievement - by Anthony Robbins