Your Friendly Neighbourhood Idealist

A Question of Rightfulness

2008-03-24T08:45:00.000+08:00

A family friend died recently. His was a life of turbulent relationships -- but he lay on the bed which he made. Quite proudly at that. In truth I know very little of him, of his struggles and choices; I don't even remember what he looked like, happy or angry or sad. And I will never really know.When word came that he was ill someone from their past asked my father to confirm if he truly was ill,

The business of truth telling

2008-03-17T11:05:00.000+08:00

COMMONNESS By Bong R. Osorio Monday, March 17, 2008 Integrity is often thought of as ethical practice, respectability in the work we do and moral resoluteness. It is doing what is right and making great decisions. But we should all realize that integrity is more than that. In fact, it is an anchor, a security blanket, a promise that

Open Letter to a Scammer

2008-03-10T19:23:00.000+08:00

Tips for you, the aspiring, soon-to-be-successful scammer:Next time you want to run a scam, research. Do the work! There is an overload of information nowadays, thanks to our friend the Internet. For example,Glastonbury, Somerset (BA6) is about 185 km / 115 miles from Lambeth (SW8) London. You hesitated to tell me which tube stop is closest -- because there is no tube. The Underground doesn't

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2008-03-04T15:57:00.000+08:00

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Leadership Skills

2008-02-21T11:14:00.000+08:00

from Exforsys.com 'There are leaders and there are followers', as the saying goes, and developing good leadership skills can create the distinction between the two. Many people believe a strong leader is born and not made. This is not necessarily the case. As with anything, educating yourself toencourage become a great leader or a person with superb leadership skills takes time, energy and

The Law of Behavioral Replication . . . and how top managers to use it

2008-02-17T18:27:00.000+08:00

Posted by Carmine Coyote This post is part of the “How to manage the boss” series 1. How to manage your boss 2. Influence and power: more on how to manage your boss 3. How to survive in a macho organization 4. The Law of Behavioral Replication . . . and how top managers to use it The key to understanding why so many good ideas are strangled at birth — and so many able people

Sexy

2008-02-14T06:57:00.000+08:00

FIRST PERSON By Alex Magno Thursday, February 14, 2008from philstar.com There are those who would want to inflate a scandal into a cataclysm. That is as much driven by narrow self-interest as the scandal itself. This whole mess about the aborted NBN deal can either take a destructive or constructive turn. That, I suppose, is the decision every citizen must

Juicy Writing: 5 Ways to Glue Readers to the Page

2008-02-11T19:12:00.000+08:00

by Mary Jaksch of the blog Goodlife Zen. Photo courtesy of papalars I love reading. But not just anything. Some writers arrest me on the spot and shackle me to their page. But others fail to keep my attention: I soon start playing with the cat or surf off to other sites. Our readers are exactly like that. Their attention is fickle and they will wander off if we don’t grab them with our

Please help Arayat UMC!

2008-02-11T15:58:00.000+08:00

I am calling all UMYF and UMYAF'ers and all local church officers to please help Arayat UMC. Hindi man natin kakayaning muling ipatayo ang gusaling nasunog noong Friday, makakatulong naman tayo sa pangangailangan nina Pastor Moises Sitchon at ng kanyang buong pamilya.Tanging suot na damit lamang po nila ang kanilang nai-salba habang nasusunog ang kanilang kapilya at casa pastoral.Noong Friday,

St Paul UMC, Manila: Our Story

2008-02-09T19:36:00.000+08:00

St Paul United Methodist Church is the first protestant church in Tondo. In stark contrast to other landmark Methodist churches in the Philippines, Central and Knox Memorial, it was established solely by Filipinos. The first church structure, a chapel of bamboo and lightweight materials, was dedicated by Presiding Elder Jesse McLaughlin on 5 Nov 1900. It was called Bancusay Methodist

How to say NO and have people respect you for it

2008-02-09T14:35:00.000+08:00

Saying yes is easy, saying no is a skill. And an important skill too, because saying yes too often can get you into trouble and saying nothing is troublesome altogether. So saying no is an important skill to use on a regular basis. Saying no to yourself and saying no to others. The skill of saying no Saying no is often associated with negative feelings, like disappointment, anger and loss. That’s

The Transformative Power of Gratitude

2008-02-07T17:57:00.000+08:00

Simple practices can reconnect us with the flow of life.By Kim Ridley My life was humming along last year when the universe delivered back-to-back wake-up calls. First, I lost my job when the magazine I edited went belly-up. A month later, my father landed in the intensive care unit. It felt as though life were peeling my layers, like a tree being stripped of bark. Not knowing what else

Have An Average Day - Enjoying the Ordinary is Extraordinary

2008-02-06T08:55:00.000+08:00

By Michael NeillSource: Catalyst Magazine I once was talking to my friend and mentor Steve Chandler when he said to me, "Have an average day!" Taken aback, I asked him what he meant. Isn't the idea to have great days, even exceptional ones? He told me a story about one of his mentors, Lyndon Duke, who studied the linguistics of suicide. After receiving

interesting

2008-01-30T14:24:00.000+08:00

The Movie Director’s Guide to Effective Teaching January 30th, 2008 by Victor Stachura How many “training sessions” have you sat through where you’re eyes started to roll into the back of your head and you couldn’t stay focused no matter how hard you tried? I’ve sat through to0 many sessions like this, and frankly, can’t stand it any

A simple way to save time: trust people

2008-01-30T06:50:00.000+08:00

Posted by Carmine Coyote under Managing time , Trust This post is part of the “Thoughts about time” seriesStop pushing the riverA simple way to save time: trust peopleWhy some people and organizations almost always have time for everythingThe secret ingredient in actions that get outstanding results Today’s driven, macho managers have lost the idea of how to use others properly Here’s a

How to Set Up Your Personal University

2008-01-25T11:34:00.000+08:00

January 24th, 2008 by Scott Young No, you don’t need to rent a campus, hire professors and start charging tuition. Setting up a personal university means taking your self-education as seriously as any schooling you manage pay for. While regular university is expensive and stops when you get a degree, your personal university continues indefinitely

Thank You for Everything

2008-01-24T16:27:00.000+08:00

by Alan Cohen The story is told about a woman Zen master named Sono who taught one very simple method of enlightenment. She advised everyone who came to her to adopt an affirmation to be said many times a day, under all conditions. The affirmation was, "Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever." Many people from all arenas of life

Ode to the Sound Byte?

2008-01-18T13:34:00.000+08:00

How to Sell Your Success Story in an Interview: The Subtle Art of Verbal Branding Let's face it: we're living in the era of the sound byte. Everyone from politicians to advertisers has come to appreciate the power of compact, unforgettable catchphrases to convey information and persuade audiences. In a perfect world, complexity might be king, but in this day and age, for better

first impressions last?

2008-01-10T17:53:00.000+08:00

Email for Job Seekers: Etiquette, Strategies, and Best Practices to Help You Succeed Recent labor statistics have indicated that more than half of all job searches originate or proceed entirely online and through email. For jobseekers and employers alike, the shift towards online recruitment has many advantages. The convenience, speed, and responsiveness of online communications can't be beat,

10 Habits of Highly Effective Brains

2008-01-08T10:00:00.000+08:00

If you are reading this, the good news is that you have a brain inside your head. And you have probably read about the emerging brain fitness movement: frequent articles in the media, an ongoing PBS special, more and more products and games. Newsweek's Sharon Begley recently wrote that "With the nation's 78 million baby

When did logic become a four-letter word?

2008-01-02T10:54:00.000+08:00

Posted by Carmine Coyote under Best of Slow , Corporate culture , Slow Leadership Facing up — logically — to the start of another year Do you ever ask yourself unanswerable questions, such as: “Why do so many people talk so much about change and do so little different in their lives?” or “What makes companies and managers believe that the same ways of operating that got them into some mess are

really, now

2008-01-01T15:39:00.000+08:00

Dragon's Yearly HoroscopeDragon Ratings75% (11 favorable and 1 neutral month)Hopefully the Pig showered blessings on you last year. If not, don't worry. This year promises to be even better with your good friend the Rat in charge. You could enjoy success but this is still not the best of years, as Earth does not favor your luck. This is a year for avoiding risk. As a Dragon, you could be

which one are you?

2007-12-31T15:51:00.000+08:00

Your Score: Modern, Cool Nerd 73 % Nerd, 56% Geek, 39% Dork For The Record:A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.You scored

Holiday Cookery

2007-12-27T08:35:00.000+08:00

Of which there was plenty, in my family, but not quite so this year. There're the traditional meals to prepare, and, of course, the sweets to put a smile on everyone's face.This year's noche buena had a very simple menu: Arroz Valenciana and fruits suspended in whipped cream. Hot cocoa on tap. Always. With Dwight (and his family) abroad, Winston (with his family) typically holidaying somewhere,

Advent 2007 Meditation, supplied by GBGM

2007-12-19T16:15:00.000+08:00

The Time of Fulfilment Has Come! Advent 2007 Meditation by Beth Ferrell Adoration of the Shepherds. Image by:Gerard van Honthorst, courtesy Wikipedia Scripture:

i like to go a-meandering

2007-12-14T15:38:00.000+08:00

What Do You REALLY Want? December 7th, 2007 by JohnThe statement, "You can do anything you put your mind to," leads us to believe that all you must do is imagine what you'd like to accomplish, set your mind to the task, and wait for success.To a certain degree this is true. Focused intention combined with action is a powerful force. But the statement is misleading because it fails to

let's go bipolar!

2007-11-22T20:14:00.000+08:00

The Proven Benefits of Thinking Fastby www.SixWise.com Manic behavior is typically thought of as a bad thing. It can include abnormally high excitement (usually because of tension), extreme busyness, impulsive behaviors, excessive physical activity and rapidly changing ideas.

The Beginnings of Urbanity

2007-11-21T06:52:00.000+08:00

Are we losing our understanding of trust? It's a mistake to underestimate the importance of trust to a civilized life If you google the word "trust," it can be a surprising experience. I was more than 20 pages into the results before meeting a single instance of trust in the sense of belief in something or someone. There were all types of financial trusts, businesses with "trust" in their

Why you should ALWAYS take business personally

2007-11-08T13:37:00.000+08:00

Posted by Carmine Coyote The basis of all ethics is concern and respect for other people In the movie You’ve Got Mail, whenever Tom Hanks’ character wants to avoid responsibility for some piece of aggressive or unpleasant business trickery, he says the same thing: “It isn’t personal, it’s business.” But surely business is personal. It’s all personal. Every choice you make is personal, because

Crispy Skins

2007-11-06T17:44:00.000+08:00

This was inspired by a Taiwanese speciality whose name I didn't quite catch. It's a skin made with pork and flour (seasoned, of course) pounded and rolled very fine. They say that it can be done only on dry days; ambient humidity will not let the sheets cure properly. Sadly, this speciality is a dying art.Since I most likely will never be able to achieve that, I adapted the lowly pinsec frito

Squash Flowers

2007-11-01T13:34:00.000+08:00

It’s been a while since I last posted anything under Kitchen Adventures; this should have gone in there as well, but I reckoned there was far too much talk than actual recipes on this topic. We’re very lucky to have itinerant fishmonger and greengrocer in our village. They knock on our gate almost every day, parking their carts just in front and displaying fresh produce and seafood for Mum to

Clueless

2007-10-30T14:46:00.000+08:00

Some women are; most men are just as – if not more so. It seems that more and more men out there are wanting to get hitched but don’t quite know how to get themselves so. Or worse, don’t quite understand why the womenfolk are running away screaming. Some tips: Keep your grubby paws to yourself! I assume you can deduce why, but let’s expound on it further anyway. Be a gentleman. Even

Living Award 2007 Recipient: Mary Johnston Hospital

2007-10-19T09:28:00.000+08:00

The first and only United Methodist hospital in the country takes pride in announcing its selection by the Methodist Healthcare Foundation to receive the Living Award for International Inspiration in Faith and Health for 2007. The award is given to organizations that positively impact the health and well-being of national or international communities in a humanitarian way. The

Listening Basics

2007-10-15T07:33:00.000+08:00

Despite the constant emphasis on communication, today’s levels of understanding are worse than ever Listening properly takes time and attention. It means that you have to concentrate on what the other person is saying, not on what is going on inside your head. Sadly, in our rushed, frantic world, with its obsession with quick gains, less and less real listening takes place. Yet to listen to

Underqualified? Overqualified?

2007-10-12T09:22:00.000+08:00

How to Sidestep and Rise Above Credential Problems in Your Job Search Every jobseeker dreads being told that they’re not a good fit for a particular position. In fact, according to Orville Pierson, career coach and author of The Unwritten Rules of the Highly Effective Job Search, many men and women in the market for a new job strictly limit the positions they apply for in

Hmm...

2007-10-08T07:12:00.000+08:00

Today’s myths of accountabilityPosted by Carmine Coyote under Management myths from our favourite site Slow Leadership Conventional wisdom too often turns managers into slave drivers To be accountable means to be liable to give an account of your actions and their results. It should not mean either accepting a duty to deliver those results, come what may; or always carrying the blame if

George Orwell’s 5 Rules for Effective Writing Style

2007-10-04T13:03:00.000+08:00

March 21st, 2007 by John Wesley In our society, the study of language and literature is the domain of poets, novelists, and literary critics. Language is considered a decorative art, fit for entertainment and culture, but practically useless in comparison to the concrete sciences. Just look at the value of a college degree in English versus one in computer science or accounting. But is this an

How to Improve Reading Comprehension with a Mental Framework

2007-10-04T12:59:00.000+08:00

September 26th, 2007 by John Wesley Reading is all about information. It’s not about the number of words you read, but the amount of value you extract from them. The key to improved reading comprehension isn’t moving your eyes across a page more quickly. It’s about creating a mental framework that helps you process words and ideas.With a bit of practice, anyone can read faster and more

The Law of Repulsion

2007-09-19T13:23:00.000+08:00

The more you focus on what you don't want, the more of it you'll keep finding to get rid of.What you give most attention to nearly always assumes a larger role in your life. This isn't some nutty "law of attraction" nonsense; it's a simple observation of the way that the human mind works. People who become obsessed with the amount of dog-poop thoughtless owners leave behind on the street see it

Achieve Goals Ecologically

2007-09-19T12:10:00.000+08:00

Last week, we started to explore some of the ways the words you use can massively affect the achievement of your goals & objectives. This week's tip follows on from last week, so start by reminding yourself of some goal or objective you'd like to achieve. In this article, I'll reveal some more powerful questions that can help you (and others) achieve goals.What would [getting what you want] do

Final Analysis

2007-08-09T10:36:00.000+08:00

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centred;Forgive them anyway.If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;Be kind anyway.If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;Succeed anyway.If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;Be honest and frank anyway.What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;

Sa Paggawa Nakikilala

2007-07-05T12:33:00.000+08:00

Kamakailan lang ay napabalita muli ang mungkahi ni ret. Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban na ilipat sa wikang Pilipino ang mga court proceedings. Isa sa mga dahilan ay ang kawalan ng comprehension o pang-unawa ng pangkaraniwang tao; mas madali daw kasi na intindihin ang kaganapan kung ito ay hindi nasasaliw sa wikang banyaga - o Ingles. Ayon din sa kanya, ang mga court stenographer ay

Purpose

2007-06-30T14:06:00.000+08:00

While driving around town one afternoon, I noticed the prevalence of gated communities, homes and establishments. It is common practice in this day to have a gate, whether a cute, white picket fence, or practical metal interlinks, or thick, high walls. Even building doors act as gates – if you don’t have your ID or electronic pass you can’t get through. Which led me to ask: Are gates meant

Just Like Us

2007-06-30T14:01:00.000+08:00

If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? Shylock, Act 3 Scene 1, Merchant of Venice The night blanketed the sky in silky darkness, and prompted the insects to sing their vesper song. Chinks of warm yellow light seeped through the slats in the walls of neighbouring homes, casting golden slivers against the dark ground. Children have since been herded in, and the

Forms and Dehumanisation

2007-06-30T13:50:00.000+08:00

A common practice nowadays is filling out a form for just about anything you can think of. Schools, banks, contests, potential employers – just about anything will require you to complete a form. Even in emergency rooms everywhere, if you are lucid and able you most definitely will be filling out a form before you can continue with your treatment. Understandably, you want to know more about the

Communication Skills

2007-06-30T13:36:00.000+08:00

In today’s workforce, Soft Skills and Communication Skills are but some of the aces that a worker must have on his hand. Many believe that these 2 qualities are one and the same, while others think that they are interchangeable. So before we begin, let’s define some terms. What it is and what it isn’t Soft Skills can be defined as the context-based balance of communication skills, some