I read from GMANews.TV that Janina San Miguel, the infamous girl from Binibining Pilipinas 2008 for her not-so-intelligent answer for the finals.

Her reason for quitting is that she has just lost her grandfather. She should have used her grief towards working hard to nail the crown instead. But I guess she’s still young to realize this.

In any case, I wish her luck in her future endeavors.

Here is something I got from an email.

It’s very interesting to know that Banana, which is one of my favorite fruits along with Mango and Pineapple, does not only give you energy, but can also elevate your mood whenever you’re in the dumps!

Photo from cellphones.techfresh.net

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!

This is interesting.

After reading this, you’ll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide
enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes.

But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit.
It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the
body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to
make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost
their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The
banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in
the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most
obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten
without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking & Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates
your body’s water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in “The New England Journal of Medicine, ‘eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, “A banana a day keeps the doctor away!”

PS: I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe. Polish with dry cloth.

Maybe that’s also the reason why monkeys seem to be happy like all the time.

While I was on Plurk this afternoon, Marcelle Plurked “Oh, Japan. NEVER change.”

Curious me who is somewhat interested in Japan, thought that it was just some bizarre invention or something, that’s why I clicked away. But no!

And then I read the title:　

73-year-old porn star bedazzles Japan’s aged

Oh. Okay.

While I was reading it, I was like, OH NOES! I was imagining my dad still doing IT. Gross.

But the ever logical me tried putting myself into these old men’s shoes. Here in the Philippines, we are told that, “Ano ba yan, tanda na ang hilig pa!” (What the heck, he’s too old to have sexual cravings!) I mean, they’re also humans, they still crave for sex.

Or are they just too, uh, 変態 (hentai, pervert)?

Japan. It never fails to amuse me. In a weird sort of way.

It’s been six (6) years since I started blogging. I used to whine, cry, laugh, and pour my heart out on my blog - just to vent my emotions.

Blogging has helped me to evaluate what’s happening back then by writing entries.

Even though it has been theraputic for me, I believe that I wasted time NOT monetizing my blog.

I never realized how blogging can make you earn money. Until recently.

I’ve been meaning to buy a cooking stove at the dorm because I’m getting sick and tired of eating at the town center very near my place, but until now, I still couldn’t bring myself to buy it. That’s because I know how lazy I can get cooking for myself.

But recently, I’ve been hanging out with my friends’ unit very near the dorm. They, too, don’t have fridge (well, in the meantime), so it’s interesting to know that they’ve been cooking recipes without even needing the fridge.

The secret?

Go to the market three times a week.

It’s such a pain, right?

But there’s no other way.

Also, cooking adobo works like a charm! What they do is they cook adobo on Sunday night, and that’s their food for the next few days. They just put the food at the company fridge, and get what they need for dinner when they get home.

So that’s what I’m gonna do as soon as I wake up. I will cook white adobo, take a bath, drive to Alabang, and eat the adobo for lunch until I consume it all. I’ll just buy fruits and vegetables for me to eat, and take multivitamins too so that I won’t be THAT deprived of the vitamins and minerals that I need.

I also discovered that this system is much cheaper compared to dining out. 100 pesos worth of ingredients is enough for two days, from breakfast to dinner. Wow!

Anyway, I think I must purchase a stove of my own already and experiment with food and cooking.