Page Rank

I have been blogging for more than three years. This blog gained a maximum page rank of 4 at one point and decreased to page rank 3 for 2 years. I woke up this morning and randomly checked my page rank for my blogs only to find out that my It's My Party blog went down a notch.

The good news though, my other blog "Home is Where the Heart Is" has 0 page rank but now gained 1 point. I am just wondering what happened? Was there a major update in the system? Most of my blogger friends' no page rank blogs have gained a point too.

Anyway, what is a page rank if you might ask? Page rank is named after Larry Page, the man behind the link analysis algorithm used by Google internet search engine. Some take it as a gauge or give certain weight to the importance of a web page.

I am not that bothered anymore. I will continue to post articles I know will help other people, provide my personal insight on other matters and just write because this is my passion.

Investigator's Props

Have you ever wondered how private investigators or PIs get their information? It always fascinates me when I read stories about detective work and what equipment they use to gather information and solve the puzzles. They use various equipments like ncstar binoculars, spy gears, costumes, surveillance cameras and recorders. These equipment are very important to gather information and to keep their work undercover to solve crime, find a missing loved one or catch on philandering spouses.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

It's been 4 days since my daughter and I arrived in Manila but we haven't seen any sunlight yet. All we saw were rain and more rain! I could barely go out because it is pouring every day. I haven't seen some of my family and friends yet and I haven't done what I have planned to do.

I only have few days in my leave so rain, rain, please go away. Let me enjoy my stay!

Lunar Eclipse June 2011

I am very fascinated with celestial bodies and seeing the beautiful moon on its total eclipse is such a wonderful experience. The total lunar eclipse this time is viewable in South Africa, Middle East and Asian regions. I am very lucky to be able to witness such phenomenon. It started around 10:20 UAE time and lasted about an hour. I didn't wait for the clearing because it would take around 5 hours for the eclipse to run its course.

I captured the different phases of the eclipse with a normal digital camera on night setting using a tripod. Pardon my amateur snaps because I don't have a very good equipment. The settings of the camera kept changing to the default so you would notice some pics were taken nicely and the others were a bit fuzzy. However, it's very rare that we get to see a beautiful scene such as the lunar eclipse. The next one may be in December 2011.

Here are the snaps for those who missed to see it. Enjoy!

Help the Birds this Summer

It is unusually hot these days that even the small creatures cannot bear the heat. They just literally drop dead.  I saw several dead birds in our parking lot 2 days ago. They were not shot with a BB gun or anything nor they were road kill. I did not see any blood anywhere nor shot marks. There were also no food lying next to them so I rule out poisoning. I think they suffocated from the extreme heat.

So, it was very timely as well when I received this email from a friend on doing something to help our feathered friends. It's about putting water outside our balconies or gardens so the birds can refresh themselves. I give credit to the owner of the picture but unfortunately, I don't know who created this. Whoever you are, God bless you for reaching out to our small friends who don't have a voice to ask help.

My request is now for my family, friends and loyal readers to please forward this to as many people as you can to spread the word. A little help will go a long, long way to our feathered friends. The picture says it all.

Birthday Flowers for My Mom

I shouldn't have told my mom I was coming home for a 2-week long vacation because I wanted to surprise her for her birthday. She's turning 63 this 23rd of June. I only realized to surprise her recently. Too late! I already informed everyone in my family back home of my vacation.

I have asked my brother to order flowers for her so at least we can still have a little surprise. I want to see the look in her face because she loves receiving flowers. I'll scout around as soon as I settle there. I already bought her a gift here. It will be very nice to give her something she really adores.

Most Beautiful Lakes in the World

According to Yahoo Travel and as provided by Budget Travel, here are the most beautiful lakes in the world. And as a spoiler to my fellow Filipinos, our very own Taal Lake is listed. So nice!

Lake Malawi, Malawi - Africa's 3rd largest lake, measuring to 363 miles long and 50 miles wide. It is very rich in underwater stock and the water is crystal clear which is great for snorkeling.

Peyto Lake, Alberta, Canada - Lies in the midst of the Canadian Rockies. The waters of this Banff National Park lake are turquoise which is often associated with warm-weather waters of Bora Bora and Antigua.

Crater Lake, Oregon - This lake is a result of a massive volcanic eruption in the Cascade Range thousands of years ago. The water is a deep sapphire-blue hue and the lake is surrounded by towering evergreens and high cliffs.

Taal Lake, Philippines - Known for it's dangerous beauty because it is home to the small but very active Taal Volcano. It is also the deepest lake in the Philippines with a depth of 564 feet.

Lake Atitlan, Guatemala - This lake rests at the foot of 3 conical volcanoes. The lake is home to a small Mayan village which line up its shores.

Loch Lomond, Scotland - The picturesque beauty of this lake is like a seeing a movie about the Victorian era with rolling hills and monastery and castle at the background. This lake is 24 miles in length and is dotted with small islands. Some islands are so small that they become submerge during high tide.

Lake Matheson, New Zealand -This lake is known as the mirror lake because of the reflection cast by the lake of Mount Tasman and Mount Cook.

Plitvice Lakes, Croatia - The 16 lakes with blue-green waters are connected by waterfalls and hidden by lush vegetation. The area will be ideal for a Jurassic movie sequel.

Lake Nakuru, Kenya - The blue water of this lake is photo-perfect when pink flamingos rest in the shallow waters.

Vacation Count Down

We're Manila bound this coming Friday - 17 June and I cannot contain my excitement any longer. I don't feel like going to work anymore as the days near. I just want to board the first flight to Manila the soonest possible time. 

I guess this is brought about by my desire to see my mom who is suffering from mild memory lapses. It's not very critical but I don't want it to lead there. She started having this memory lapse after her stroke last year. I just hope her memory improves.

Anyway, I just want to pull the days so it will be Friday already. I am already in my vacation mode! So, I won't be posting too often for the next 2 weeks as I enjoy my very much needed rest and relaxation. I may check in once in a while if I get assignments. I'll be blog hopping again as soon as I am back in Dubai. 

Vacation time! Tuh-tah for now.

Moving Around

One of the perks of having extra money as windfall is that you can easily move to another location due to lower costs and affordable living conditions. People who managed to get through the worst part of the modern day great depression are trying their luck to move somewhere they can get more value for their money.

The costs involved in relocating are being noted. One important task to achieve a smooth and hassle free move is to compare rental truck prices in the market. As soon as you have done your cost analysis and your finances in check, you are good to confirm your relocation.

There are plenty of moving companies offering their moving trucks for rent. Some are even providing extra helpers to aid homeowners with packing and unpacking. Other moving companies throw in some free boxes for usage and bubble wrapping for delicate and fragile matters. With all these extra benefit on a reasonable price, the homeowners will compare moving trucks and the extra services they can provide to get their money's worth.

Moving around is not an easy task. However, if you have done your assignment well in advance and have considered the cost that will involve relocating your precious property and also have chosen the best moving company then you are in good hands.

Karate Mama

I posted few weeks ago about my daughter's desire to learn karate. Well, as it turned out, she wanted to take guitar lessons rather than karate. So, I did the unimaginable. I took her place in karate class. Tomorrow will be my first day in karate. I will be learning the basics and will be doing kick-boxing too as part of the mixer class.

I met my very young karatekas last Thursday when I collected my gi. They were whispering to each other when they learned I was already a mom and quite old to be in their class. So what? Karate is not limited to the youngsters. I am doing this for myself and well-being. I need this to help me focus on my weight loss and learn something new as well.

I tried the gi as soon as I got home. My daughter laughed because I looked like a "female sumo wrestler." Arggh! That does it! The karate mama is ready for some action! Bring it on!!! Hai!