Empty Streets Special: Year of the OX

Hi Guys,



It is a Sunday again and as many are relaxing and lazily lounging around. I have to say I too feel the same way as I finally have a little time to Breathe too. Next week I will be loaded with a lot of deliverables and be as busy as a bee again but don't worry I have all the articles covered at the same time. Will be launching a contest sometime soon too but I just have to get the mechanics right first.



Today I would like to talk about the year of the OX. Most especially since this is a topic that has been raised quite a lot here. But at the same time I would like to Introduce you to the person responsible for the spark in me to write about it :) - Mize - a very industrious and talented Portuguese mom that frequently visits me here in Empty Streets 1027. She can write, cook and tweak things around her blogs making her a techtastic Mom. :) If you don't believe me simply visit her sites here and be dazzled by her personality and feel right at home in her kitchen, as you converse and exchange thoughts and Ideas with her.



Here are her Blogs:

NetFreeSource
My Country Home
Portuguese Menu
Night Clicks

Now back to the topic of the year of the OX. There are many Predictions that have been made by a lot of Chinese astrologers for this year and with my experience with Chinese astrology, one should cross reference his/her birthyear with that of the current year and many more complications which is why Mize asked where it was the best to get the predictions. Fortunate enough I found the place and guess what - it is right here with a lot of thanks to Pinoybusiness.org for being the Fortune Teller for us this year ;)

Year of the Ox 2009 Predictions:

• Born in the Year of the Goat - 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003
• Born in the Year of the Monkey - 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004
• Born in the Year of the Pig - 1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995
• Born in the Year of the Rat - 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996
• Born in the Year of the Snake - 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001
• Born in the Year of the Dragon - 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000
• Born in the Year of the Horse - 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990
• Born in the Year of the Rabbit - 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1999
• Born in the Year of the Rooster - 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005
• Born in the Year of the Tiger - 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998
• Born in the Year of the Dog - 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006
• Born in the Year of the Ox - 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 2009

On a lighter note I have something cool that I want you guys to try out just to tickle your minds a bit and it is a quick quiz that takes only less than a minute of your time to do and the result is quite fun to see as it shows your percentage in terms of addiction with blogging :) I also again have to thank Mize for this one - see she is a very talented Mom that is just all over the place ;)

72%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

To sum things up for this article on the Year of the Ox here is a master to help you out further with this year:


12 Horoscopes Forecast for 2009 (Ox) by Fengshui Grand Master Tan Khoon Yong - The most amazing bloopers are here

Call Center Life: Excel Tutorial - Gantt Chart

Gantt Charts are one of the hardest things to do in excel if you don't have someone around to help you out at it. Good thing there are a lot of amazing tutorials that can help you out and I have been able to compile a playlist just for yah to enjoy. But before watching the videos I would like to talk a little more about the Gantt Chart and what it is for.

The Gantt chart is an effective tool for planning and scheduling operations involving a minimum of dependencies and interrelationships among the activities. The technique is best applied to activities for which time durations are not difficult to estimate, since there is no provision for treatment of uncertainty. On the other hand, the charts are easy to construct and understand, even though they may contain a great amount of information. In general, the charts are easily maintained provided the task requirements are somewhat static.

And now the Video Tutorials to help you out in making a simple Gantt Chart to the more complicated ones.

Sports Saturdays on Empty Streets: Featuring The Australian Open

The Australian Open has been well on it's way for the start of this year 2009 and it has already caused a lot of ripples in the Tennis Scene with many of the hard hitting Tennis Players from across the world compete in this prestigious event.



For your convenience I have set up this Article to be a live resource of the latest scores and video's from ESPN Sports to help you keep upto date with what is going on over at the courts down under.



ESPN SPORTS



Enjoy the game ;)

Call Center Life: The Art Of Selling

Noone can deny that in the call center industry selling is definitely the biggest thing not to mention what brings in most of the benefits and revenue. I have gotten a lot of feedback from people during my training sessions that they aren't the kind of people that is really into selling. It is because of this that I was compelled to write about the art of selling to show you that selling is something that isn't something you just do because you want to sell a product that someone has to use or a commodity that is being introduced to the market - it is because you have to be aware that you are selling something everyday including yourself.

Yes, it can be quite shocking to some but when you think about it, everytime you interact with someone to get what you want, you literally have to sell something - it is not limited to just a thing, it can be a service, a talent, a skill, and idea. Considering these options alone can give one a migraine however serves the purpose of showing you where you really stand. The only time you wont sell is if you probably live on your own in a deserted island and all you have is a big coconut tree to talk to.

Here is a video further elaborating the point as it teaches you the art of selling - this is video playlist whose series has been appropriately entitled "The New Art of Selling"

Marketing 411: Web Marketing by TJ Harris

I like exploring the internet and scouring for data that I found useful and effective in marketing my sites and so far when it comes to teaching the principles of Web Marketing and explaining them in easy to understand terms as well as ensuring that we are well supported with the knowledge required to accomplish the tasks - TJ Harris has in a way enabled that to happen.

So without further delay here is TJ Harris to further discuss more about Web Marketing 2.0

*Free* (Web Marketing) Training With TJ Harris - Watch today’s top amazing videos here
As you are watching this video I am sure that you would like to also pay a visit to the websites that TJ Harris has recommended to visit so for your convenience I have arranged them for you below:
TubeMogul
Facebook
MySpace
Orkut
Delicious
Digg
Propeller
reddit
Stumbleupon
Factory2Freedom

Food Fridays on Empty Streets: Pesto Sandwich

I Just had my favorite Pesto sandwich from Le Cour De France the other day and decided to share with you how this delicious sandwich can also be made at home and of course a lot cheaper.



Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons prepared basil pesto sauce
• 2 slices sourdough bread, lightly toasted
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 slice provolone cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded smoked mozzarella cheese
• 1 lettuce leaf
• 2 slices tomato

Procedure:

Spread a thin layer of pesto sauce onto one side of one piece of bread. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise onto one side of the other piece of bread. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the pesto and mayonnaise. Layer the provolone and mozzarella cheese onto one slice, top with lettuce and tomato, and the other slice of bread.



Now I know that for a lot of us Pesto can be a bit pricey to obtain fresh and personally I use the one from McCormick but for those of our that would prefer to try to make the pesto on their own here is a video tutorial on how to make your own delicious Pesto:


Pesto - Awesome video clips here

Travel Thursday on Empty Streets: Sonya's Garden Tagaytay

Through my experience as a wedding coordinator I have been blessed to have been given the opportunity to travel around the Philippines and discover pretty cool and amazing places. One example is Sonya's Garden (look for red arrow below) located in Tagaytay City. Tagaytay City itself is already beautiful and visit however, Sonya's Garden has further enhanced the natural essence of the already pristine surroundings.

In Sonya's Garden one can and is sure to experience a very intimate relationship with nature and if there was a word to describe it in totality it would be Serene or Calming. Although when weddings are conducted in Sonya's Garden the environment takes on a more distinct and magical atmosphere that can only be felt by those involved.
Sonya's Garden has a lot of history and was built with a lot of love. It has grown to a place that now caters to those that seek a resting place (Bed and Breakfast), a place of rejuvenation (Sonya's Sensuous Spa), and a place of feast (serving fresh meals everyday). It also offers a lot of souvenirs for those that want to take home a piece of the magic as a remembrance of one's stay in Sonya's Garden.

Now I know that pictures are known to speak a thousand words so you can imagine what a video can do to tease your senses and that is exactly what I have found for you. Hopefully you find the time to come over and visit Tita Sonya and her place of rejuvenation and inspiration. It is definitely worth the trip.

Marketing 411: Keyword Density

Keywords have a lot to play when it comes to SEO marketing. The density of the keywords including that of the meta tags and meta descriptions have its weight in bringing a persons site to the top of the search list. Defining one's niche is of course a necessary factor before you go and get yourself massing up on your chosen keywords. I personally use websitegrader.com to help me out with this aspect and coolest thing about it is that it is absolutely free.



My personal experience with using keyword density on my main site Empty Streets 1027 is that the more I use the my chosen keywords which is Empty Streets several times in my posts and the layout including the side bars and meta tags and descriptions has helped my site move up in rankings and is what helped my site reach the top link for the keywords -Empty-Streets-1027. though admittedly my new pagerank of 4 has a lot of weight too but prior to the new page rank Empty Streets has already started it's climb due to the overuse of the words Empty Streets :)



Aside from that you can also use the Website Grader site above to check on your competitors performance in terms of keyword density against your own site. The general rule is if your competitor has a greater density than yours you have to work on surpassing your competitors numbers in terms of density - even more so if the competitor site has a higher page rank than yours.



So far that is what I have been using but as always I like hearing and learning from others and so I found this useful video that is quite as informative and very helpful in further explaining this SEO marketing principle.



With that video and my own experience with Keyword density I do hope this gets to shed some light to your questions about the use of keywords on your websites and how this can help you get recognized overall. Till the next time. xoxo

Call Center Life: Useful Website - Self Study Grammar Tests for ESL

I have been teaching a lot of students (aspiring call center agents) english for quite some time now and nothing helps them learn english faster and more effectively than through application. The best type of application is a quiz review that progresses from basic english to the more advanced. Fortunate for us there are a lot of website that is available at our disposal to help us do just that. One of these website is the Self Study Grammar Quizzes for ESL that I was very fortunate to find as I constantly searched the internet for comprehensive types of lessons to teach my kids.

The Self Study Grammar Quizzes is a site that focuses on practice quizzes that ranges from easy to difficult and covers various topics such as grammar, vocabulary and idoms, plus a whole lot more. The answer key is readily available as a drop down and to run the website doesnt require much from one's computer system. The instructions are clearly set and easy to understand. And it is a very good website to visit and work with as a supporting lesson add on when you find yourself teaching english.

I strongly recommend that you visit the site and try it out yourself - Self Study Grammar Quizzes

Wellness Wednesday: Benefits of Yogurt

I have been working on my weight and am really working on bringing back my abs as the modeling audition season is coming up pretty soon. So there are a lot of things that I had to consider in terms of what to eat and their many health benefits. What attracts me more about a particular food is how much calories it contains, how long will it keep me full and of course will it help me loose weight along the way. Amazingly enough I have discovered several nutritious goodies that does just that and is also tasty at the same time. I'll try to post as much of them as I can for this series of Wellness Wednesday. So for today I would like to introduce you to a very healthy and quite accessible if not affordable snack that has proven to be a potent healthy source of protein and much more.

Here are the many benefits of Yogurt:

- Contains probiotics. This is a "good" bacteria that improves immune functioning and digestion. If yogurt says live and active bacteria on the label, it contains probiotics.

- Yogurt is great for both building muscle and losing weight because of its low fat and high protein content. For a weight loss diet go for low or non-fat yogurt with a low sugar content.

- Contains nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and vitamin B-2 and B-12.

- Having a yogurt a day helps maintain bone mass and reduces the risks of osteoporosis.

- Yogurt reduces the risk of high blood pressure.

- Probiotics helps to treat and prevent conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer, lactose intolerance, diarrhea and constipation.

- Probiotics helps to discourage yeast infections

- Yogurt is a great weight loss snack because it helps you feel fuller for longer. You will actually end up eating less calories during your next meal if you snack on yogurt.

I have to say too that this little snack can be bought off the shelf and mixed with your favorite fruits and can even be used as a dip for vegetables in its frozen form. Its versatility is endless and yes it is not for women only ;)

Here's a cool video with Jamie Lee Curtis and Yogurt (Activia):

Technology Tuesdays on Empty Streets: Rocketdock

I have just discovered a pretty cool computer application that gives you the widgets that is similar to that found in a Mac OS and is just as effective. Best of all it doesn't give your system a hick-up. I would like to introduce you to the application called RocketDock.



Here are the features of Rocketdock:

• Minimize windows to the dock
• Real-time window previews in Vista
• Running application indicators
• Simple drag-n-drop interface
• Multi-monitor support
• Supports alpha-blended PNG and ICO icons
• Icons zoom and transition smoothly
• Auto-hide and Popup on mouse over
• Positioning and layering options
• Fully customizable
• Completely Portable
• ObjectDock Docklet support
• Compatible with MobyDock, ObjectDock, RK Launcher, and Y'z Dock skins
• Runs great on slower computers
• Unicode compliant
• Supports many languages and can easily be translated
• A friendly user base :)
• And best of all... its FREE!!!

To download rocketdock simply point your browsers here: Rocketdock Download Page



Once you have downloaded the application and installed it here is a tutorial to get you started.

PS. Currently it is unavailable for 64bit XP or Vista versions

Music Monday on Empty Streets: Featuring Britney Spears

I just recovered from a very bad eye problem caused by my contacts - mostly my fault i think :) but now that things are starting to clear up literally am back and back with a very curious topic for Music Mondays - I was researching about who is the internet's most searched for artist and guess what it is Britney Spears herself. We have to admit that Britney from the start of her career has been powered by the mass media medium known as the world wide web and is continuing to be the reason why this diva has and is apparently staying around for all to see and sometimes wonder.



Now just because she is the most searched singer artist she is now on Guiness' world record for the most searched person on the web and thus I opted to feature her here and recognize her for this seemingly amazing feat :)



And to commemorate her success with being the hottest item off the web here is a song number from the Web Diva herself:

With The amount Media that has been hounding her around here is her response with Piece of Me

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

Sports Saturdays on Empty Streets: Featuring Cristiano Ronaldo

It is time to feature another sports star and this one is rather special as he was requested for by a special friend Monica of Turn U Off. But before I start talking about her favorite football star I would like to introduce you to this wonderful friend of mine who is a very talented blogger that you should definitely check out. She has talked about a lot of her personal experiences that are just so engaging which is just as well since her personality too is quite entertaining and is very accommodating to those that starts a conversation with her. The photos she takes are just so lively and full of fun and excitement. You simply have to go to her site to experience it yourself and be mesmerized by her charm.



Now let's move on to the requested article - Monica this is for you :)

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro - born 5 February 1985 is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger for English Premier League club Manchester United F.C. and the Portuguese national team.

Ronaldo began his career as a youth player at C.D. Nacional and his successes with the team led to a move to Sporting two seasons afterwards. Ronaldo's precocious talent caught the attention of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and he signed the 18-year-old for £12.24 million in 2003. The following season, Ronaldo won his first club honour, the FA Cup, and reached the UEFA Euro 2004 final with Portugal, in which he scored his first international goal.

In 2008, Ronaldo won his first UEFA Champions League title, and was named the final's Man of the Match. He was named the FIFPro World Player of the Year and the FIFA World Player of the Year, in addition to becoming Manchester United's first Ballon d'Or winner in 40 years.

Hope you all enjoyed this sports special feature. Till the next time. xoxo

Food Fridays on Empty Streets: Cheesy Tuna Mushroom and Herbs Sandwich

I felt like a good sandwich today for dinner rather than the usual stir fry and rice meals we've been having. I also felt that I needed a break from the complicated kind of cooking routine today so this kinda felt good to do for a change.

Here are the ingredients:

• 1. McCormick Herb and Garlic Mix1 Loaf of Gardenia Whole Wheat Bread (you can use any whole wheat brand of your choice)
• 1 can of button mushrooms (chopped to bits)
• 1 Finely chopped onion
• 1 Finely grounded garlic
• 1 can of Century Tuna in Brine
• 1 pack of cheddar cheese cut into strips

Procedure:

1. Prepare the frying pan setting it to medium-high heat and pour cooking into the pan ensuring that the oil is spread evenly in the pan.
2. Saute Garlic in the pan till golden brown, then add the onions until it is clear or caramelized.
3. Add in the finely chopped Mushrooms and saute till lightly browned and add in the tuna.
4. Let it stir and heat up for about 5 more minutes then set aside.
5. Prepare the Oven toaster and Preheat the oven at 250 degrees.
6. While the oven is being preheated prepare the bread on a plate and place the stir fry mixture on top and spread evenly.
7. On top of the evenly spread mixture place two slices of cheddar cheese on each slice.
8. Once oven is heated place the bread with the mixture and cheese on the grill and heat according to taste (Some like the bread lightly brown to dark brown) A good indicator would be when you see the cheese melt evenly into the mixture of mushrooms and tuna.
9. Serve Hot on a plate and enjoy the cheesy tuna mushroom mixture.

Hope you enjoyed this one - rather simple but I can guarantee that it is so tasty it will fill yah right up :) Till the next time. xoxo

Travel Thursday on Empty Streets: Boracay

Beautiful Boracay - this is my favorite Island getaway for many people here in the Philippines and this is not just for the Filipinos but even visitors from across the globe all come to visit the beautiful white sands and clear waters of one of the world's best beaches.

This beach has so much to offer it's visitors from it's beaches to the beautiful people that give everyone a warm and welcoming smile. Just to get things started below is a map of the island.





From Island 1 to Island three and in between you are guaranteed to experience a lot of Adventures from island hopping to island shopping. The food to is just as great and there are several places to choose from once you get there and getting there is from Manila is a breeze. Here are some of the best airlines to go to get the best deals:

Choose Your Boracay Flight: SEAIR PHILIPPINES - Fastest Flights to Boracay Island via Caticlan Airport on Panay Island, from Manila in just 35 Minutes in the SEAIR Dornier 328 German Built Turbo-Prop, currently the most advanced aircraft flying to Boracay. Learn More --> Caticlan Airport ASIAN SPIRIT AIRLINES - Travel to Boracay by Jet, from Manila to Caticlan Airport on Panay Island, Aklan Philippines. With the most Flights to Boracay Beach Philippines, now by Jet Aircraft. Learn More --> Caticlan Airport CEBU PACIFIC AIRLINES - With the Cheapest Flights to Boracay, weekdays and weekends. Flights to Boracay from Manila or Cebu to Kalibo Airport on Panay Island. Flight times range from 45 minutes to 1 hour, with an additional 1 hour bus travel to Caticlan. Learn More --> Kalibo Airport PHILIPPINES AIRLINES - Flights to Boracay from Manila Domestic Airport to Kalibo, flight time is just 40 Minutes, additional land travel by van or bus to Caticlan is 1 Hour. Enjoy the comfort of a larger Jet, the only commercial jet of the Philippines. Learn More --> Kalibo Airport

Aside from that there are also several places that you can choose from to stay in once you arrive in Boracay and what is even cooler is that the choices are so diverse that you may end up staying in more than one hotel all throughout or even better stay longer than you would expect or wish you had more time to spare to stay :)





Here are the list of places you can choose from but like I mentioned earlier there is definitely a lot more once you get there.

Station 1:
Artista Boracay Alta Vista de Boracay Resort Balinghai Beach Resort Boracay Beach Club Resort Blue Lilly Resort Boracay Plaza Boracay Gold Crowne Boracay Grand Vista Resort & Spa Boracay Ocean Club Beach Resort Boracay Resort Frendz	Cocomangas Boracay Crystal Sand Resort Discovery Shores Boracay Resort Escondido Boracay Fairways and Bluewater Friday's Boracay Jony's Boracay Resort Le Soleil De Boracay Mandala Spa Boracay Nami Boracay One Crescent Place Paradise Bay Resort Pearl of the Pacific	Punta Rosa Boracay Resort Royal Park Boracay Sea Wind Boracay Sitio Waling Waling Boracay Hotel Sur Bocay Resort The Strand Boracay Resort True Home Boracay Two Seasons Boracay Resort Waling-Waling Boracay Willy's Boracay

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Station 2:
Boracay Beach Resort Boracay Regency Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel De Paris Resort Fat Jimmy's Grand Boracay Resort	Hey Jude Boracay Microtel Boracay Beach Resort Lorenzo Main Boracay Patio Pacific Boracay Palm Breeze Boracay	Red Coconut Sand Castles Boracay Sands Boracay Beach Resort Seraph Boracay Hotel Tides Boracay Hotel Resort

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Station 3:
357 Boracay Resort Alyssa Boracay Resort Bamboo Beach Resort Blue Lagoon Boracay Beach Resort Blue Mango Boracay Hills Resort	Boracay Tropics Island Hotel Resort Club Panoly Boracay Beach Resort Dave's Straw Hat Inn Paradise Garden Boracay	Lorenzo Grand Villas Resort Lorenzo South Boracay Pinjalo Resort Villas Orchids Boracay Resort Sun Village Resort

And just to make sure you really come over and stay I have a cool video for you to enjoy that highlights all of Boracay's good points and much more :)



Hope you enjoyed this article and found it useful. See you there :) xoxo

Wellness Wednesday: Benefits of Ginger

Today am featuring a root crop that I love to put on fish and seafood meals to take out the rather fishy taste. I am featuring Ginger today because of the many health benefits it provides those that use it and hopefully that by the next time you consume ginger in your cooking you will be a little more appreciative of this wonderful root crop. :)

Here are the many added health benefits that one can get from Ginger:

	Danish researchers found that ginger can block the effects of prostaglandin - a substance that cause inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain and can lead to migraines.
	Ginger was found to be effective for relieving the severity of nausea even in cases of pregnancy.
	Many women claim that ginger tea helps rid them of menstrual cramps.
	It has anti-inflammatory properties that can lessen the pain of rheumatoid arthritis.
	Respiratory infections - it is well known for its warming action on the upper respiratory tract, so it has been used to treat colds and flu.
	It has been found to be effective in cramps caused by stomach gas. Ginger also stimulates digestion.
	It has a wholesome effect on the circulatory system as it makes the platelets less sticky and is of great benefit in case of circulatory disorders.
	As a mood enhancer, ginger's cineole content may help contribute to stress relief.
	It is a great mouth freshener and ginger tea has vastly refreshing properties.

Aside from a list of benefits I also found a great video from a notable health resource to also further elaborate on what else this little wonder crop Ginger can bring to you and your family :)