Parents and soon to be parents nowadays are very particular and concerned about pregnancies and the health of their soon to be born child. It is not to say that parents before were less concerned but because of technology and the accessibility of information, soon to be parents become more inquiring and more vigilant when the wife is pregnant. Today, there are many tests and procedures to ensure the baby’s health while still in the stomach. Before a fetal doppler is only for use of health professionals. Now, it is becoming popular for personal use. Moreover, it seems that 3-D ultrasounds are fast becoming passé with the advent of 4-D ultrasounds. Soon to be parents, especially the first timers, don’t mind spending additional money just to see a more detailed picture of their baby while still inside the womb. I guess for good parents, when it comes to ensuring your child’s health, nothing is too expensive.
Nowadays, people are getting degree conscious. In the past, getting a high school diploma is enough to get a good job or earn a good living. However, today, the market is getting more competitive that it is an advantage to at least have a college degree. But what about those already in the workforce who want a college degree but could not stop working in order to earn a degree? The answer is getting online college degrees. You can learn at your own time and pace. Students only need their computers and internet connections in order to connect to their class. There is no need for a solid infrastructure like classrooms and whiteboards in order to learn. What is important is that you want to learn and you have the discipline to work on your own with minimum supervision from teachers.
Youtube is a golden mine of records where every kind of video can be found, from original music videos, television dramas uploaded by fans, to homemade skits and instructional spiels. Careers have been made and broken because of videos uploaded to Youtube. Companies are now even shooting commercials specifically for these kinds of social media because it is now the fastest way to reach the most number of people. Billions view youtube videos everyday and among those, so just imagine how many download youtube videos everyday. It could reach millions in almost all corners of the world. The world is really getting smaller because of technology.
It is a little more than two weeks before Valentine’s Day. Husbands, boyfriends, and significant others would be racking their brains once again to come up with gift ideas or how to make their Valentine date special. This is most frustrating for students because they have to stretch their already very thin allowance to buy something special for their girlfriends. I am sure they would be love to get suggestions on girlfriend gifts under 100. Gifts during Valentine’s Day need not be expensive but they have to be special. Girls just want to know that the guys remembered and made an effort.
I was attending mass earlier. There were many children who accompanied their parents. A boy seated at the other side, a few rows ahead of me, was playing with his yoyo. I just marveled at the fact that toys like yoyos, jackstones, and pickup sticks never seem to run out fad for kids even though high tech gadgets for kids seem to be the name of the game. I am glad that kids today still get to enjoy these toys that I enjoyed when I was a kid.
I love listening to music. When I was young I can remember listening to the radio and trying to record my favorite songs in a cassette tape. I asked for a walkman or something similar from my aunt and uncle through different periods while growing up. During birthdays, I request cassette tapes or CDs of my favorite artists of moment from my friends and family. From having a walkman, I graduated to a portable CD player then to an Ipod classic. When I’m working I use earphones so that I can still listen to my favorite songs without disturbing others. Through all the listening I have done, I realized that having great earphones or headphones can really make a difference in your listening pleasure. That is why people buy beats by dre pro because they know that it’s not just about listening to the music but feeling and going into the music.
A couple of weeks ago I was walking out of our compound on my way to the office. Along the way I came across two brothers and their companion. They were on their way to school. I overheard the older brother tell the younger one “Makulit ka kasi (Because you’re irritating).” Then the younger brother responded, “Kung di ako makulit, boring ako (If I’m not irritating then I’ll be boring).” I found it funny that a boy of around six or seven had that notion already. When I was a child, I cannot remember caring whether I’m boring or not. I guess it’s really different now. You have to be always interesting or your passe. What a burden.
Gloves are very useful hand protection. They come in different sizes, texture, shape, and purpose. There are gloves for the cold, for gardening, washing, playing golf, or rock climbing. There are gloves like alpinestars gloves for driving motorcycles or cars. Gloves are also very important in some jobs. Welders and machinists need gloves to protect their hands. Surgeons use gloves to protect not just themselves but their patients as well. Just imagine what would happen if surgeons do not wear gloves during operation? How unhygienic that would be. All these prove that the invention of gloves is at par with the invention of slice bread.
With the way people are abusing their ears with loud music and frequent use of earphones, Audiologist Jobs would never run out. Before, people who were deaf were usually the elderly and those who were really hearing-impaired. However, nowadays, relatively young people have a hard time hearing. In my previous office, we were accused of being very noisy and talking out loud. We never really thought about it but, we could not really hear very well. I admit I sometimes have difficulty in catching some words when somebody speaks in a normal tone. We just pass it off and joke about our hearing conditions but maybe we are really slowly becoming deaf because of too much noise pollution and we’re not even aware of it.
Yoga has been gaining popularity in recent years. I tried it before because one of my friends teaches yoga. I enjoyed it but stopped when she transferred to a new place and I never managed to go back to it. I am familiar only with the yoga mat, but it seems that there are other useful accessories like zafu and zabuton. Maybe once things have settled down I could go back and try yoga once more.
