| Lyndon Speaks

Being Social Through Social Media

Social Media, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, are forms of electronic communication (as websites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (as videos). It was first used in 2004 when the age of the world wide web was starting to grow.

Social Media is a community. And just like any other normal communities, there are ways on how we could make the social media experience a blast. Here are some of my thoughts on how one can socialize better in social media.

Know what to post

There are a lot of different social media sites and these sites have different purposes. Posting the right stuffs on the right social media site will boost traffic to your profile and/or your site. Let us take LinkedIn as an example. LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site. Its primary purpose is for professional networking. You should not even dare to post how you were so heartbroken on your last break-up with your boyfriend. Got what I mean?

Know your audience

Knowing who you are interacting with is very important. If you are on a social media site for music, then it is logical that the people in there are music lovers (you can throw me on a bridge if this isn't true). If this is the case, then post anything related to music: news, new music, what your favorite artists are doing - these kind of stuffs. Don't try and post anything related to food or you might just get a disconnect from the community.

Know when to post

Knowing when most of your readers is online is as important as knowing who your audience is. When most of your readers are awake in the morning, then try to post mid-morning or early afternoon. Try doing the opposite and let us see how social you can become.

Be mindful of what you post

If you do not want others to see you on a sex video, then for heaven's sake, don't post it on YouTube! Clear?!

Click with caution

In every community, there will always be someone to disturb the peace and quiet. In social media, spammers will break your day and most especially your friends'. So before opening on any link, use your rusting common sense and verify if that would take you and your audience somewhere in Maldives or in hell.

Share

If you see anything that interests you, it would not even take a second to click on that Share button. Who knows?! You might even make someone else's day.

Respect

Communication is the key to a better social media experience. If you find something that you do not agree with, then nothing is stopping you from airing your thoughts and opinions. This could even lead to fruitful conversations and learnings. Just remember to disagree agreeably.

Follow-through

The internet is not the road's end for the relationships that you made in social media. It is better to take it to a whole new level. Nothing is more fun than sharing your thoughts face-to-face with the one you are talking with, right? But please, be very diligent, and again - use that coconut of yours to distinguish the good from the evil doers. It is hard but a must.

I believe that you can think of more ways, do's and dont's in social media. What's important is you are having fun with what you are doing. Although social media is the easiest way to make more friends, I suggest that you do the most conventional way - go out, have fun, make friends, enjoy life!

If you have time, connect with me on the social media sites below and do not forget to follow Lyndon Speaks on Facebook and Twitter and RSS to Lyndon Speaks. Until next time!

Socialize on!

~Lyndon Jason

Have you ever felt that you are living each day doing the same thing over and over again? Get out of bed at 6 or 7 in the morning, grab breakfast, drive yourself to work, stress yourself with work, stress yourself yet again with the burden of deciding where to grab lunch, attend to meetings in which some you have no idea what went on, drive yourself back home, lie down on your bed and sleep. Those are just during weekdays. Sometimes even your weekends are kind of mechanical. Ever felt that, somehow, all the fun in life were drained from you?

Well, I guess that if your answer is yes, you need some things that would bring back the spice in your life. I guess you need variety. You need to experience new things in order to live life in a whole new level.

Why not try to save your hard-earned money, apply for a US visa and travel to the United States to see the president, or maybe at least get to see where he lives? Experience snow, gamble, live the life A-list celebrities are living! Why not rub elbows with the famous mouse that walked the planet? Climb the grandest of canyons with your loved ones!

Or you can do things with your special someone like trying to get a tan on a white sand beach under the scorching heat of the sun while having some fresh coconut juice served on a coconut shell. You can both even try saying hello face-to-face with the deadliest sea creatures, eat some clam chowder on bread or even drown in some good 'ol soba. You can even experience archery with your partner in crime, fail numerous times in getting on a hammock, or even play a life-sized game of chess.

You can even spice up normal things like watching a really great movie on a really great cinema. Or experiencing 4DX movie with friends. You can also put some fun in overnight work and not dwelling on the fact that it is an overnight work. Have coffee with friends and do people-watching or talk about some things or someone you are fond of talking about.

All I am trying to say is that there are a lot of things worth doing to spice up your life. I bet you can add some more from the list that I made. Go out! Make friends! Experience life as how you should experience it! Learn from experiences! Cherish them! Make every moment count! Live life to the fullest! Try as many different things as you can and make your life interesting! Variety is the spice of life!

Thanks for sharing a little part of your time with me. And yes, I AM BACK! Lyndon Speaks is back!

'til next time!

Spice on!

~Lyndon Jason

The EDSA Bus Segregation Scheme

Are you brave enough to take EDSA with the new Bus Segregation Scheme in effect?

Welcome back to Lyndon Speaks.

Yesterday, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) implemented the EDSA Bus Segregation Scheme. The scheme aims to address the heavy traffic caused by the buses who loads and unloads passengers along the bus stops in one of the busiest streets in the metro – the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA).

Before yesterday, city buses are allowed to take in and drop off passengers in any bus stop along EDSA. Buses are sometimes waiting for a long time along the bus stops for passengers and with the amount of city buses that use EDSA everyday, a long queue results on these bus stops thus causing the hellish traffic most especially during rush hours.

To address this situation, the MMDA strictly implemented the EDSA Bus Segregation Scheme yesterday. In this scheme, buses are given letter codes – A, B, C – and they are only allowed to stop on bus stops with the same letter codes as their buses – Bus A on Stop A, Bus B on Stop B. However, there are limited buses which can use both Stops A and B. These special buses are coded as Bus C. However, passengers riding Bus C will have more travel time since the bus is required to stop on all bus stops along EDSA.

I think that it is too early to tell if it is helpful or not. I also believe that information wasn't disseminated thoroughly since some passengers are still confused and rode the incorrect bus.

To help you in your journey along EDSA, here are the bus stops for each bus code. To reiterate, there is also a Bus C, and these buses are allowed to stop in both Bus Stops A and B.

I just hope that this will be strictly implemented because based from the track record of our government offices, this scheme might just live for up until mid-January next year. In the Philippines, we call that – ningas kugon. Nevertheless, congratulations are in order for MMDA. Thank you for always thinking the welfare of the Filipino citizens in the metro.

Until next time. I hope that Lyndon Speaks has helped you with your EDSA travel.

Bus on!

~Lyndon Jason

Christmas: More Fun In The Philippines

Christmas - it is more fun in the Philippines!

Time for another round of Lyndon Speaks.

Exactly one more week before the much-awaited celebration of the year - Christmas! As Filipinos, we put so much effort into each celebration that we have, most especially Christmas. Christmas comes only once a year but Filipinos do not forget the traditions that we observe during this season.

Why not look into these traditions and share these with our friends from different countries and let them decide if Christmas is really more fun in the Philippines.

The longest Christmas season eveeeeeeeeer!

Philippines may have the longest Christmas season in the world. It starts when the calendar displays the first month that ends with BER - September and ends not on Christmas day, not even on the last day of December. The Filipino Christmas ends on the Feast of the Three Kings which is in January of the following year. During this more than 4 months of celebration, the Christmas air is felt all around the country.

Misa de Gallo

The Simbang Gabi (Night Mass) is a Filipino tradition that was passed down by the Spaniards. This starts on the 16th of December and runs for 9 days (or nights) up until Christmas Eve. Filipinos try to attend and complete these because it was believed that your wishes will come true.

Bibingka and Puto Bumbong

After the Simbang Gabi, Filipino families (and couples) go directly to the sidewalk vendors outside of the churches to buy their favorite Christmas foods: the Bibingka and Puto Bumbong. Both translated as Rice Cake - correct me if I'm wrong -, these Filipino Christmas best-sellers are to die for.

Caroling

Every Filipino kid comes to an age where they collect softdrink bottle caps, put them together, go out of the streets, and sing Christmas Carols at each house. In turn, those serenaded give these kids some loose change or candies. But beware, if you will not give anything to them, they have a song just for you: "Thank you, thank you. Ang babarat ninyo! Thank you!" (translated to: You are so stingy!)

Tree, Lights, Star

Each house during the Christmas season is being decorated to please the eyes of the people who will pass by. The Christmas Tree is usually placed inside the house where gifts are placed before they are opened on Christmas day. The outside of the houses are decorated (and sometimes literally being filled) with Christmas Lights and the Parol (Christmas Star).

Party! Party!

From school and company parties to family reunions - good food, lots of stories to share, and the time to be with loved ones - these what make Filipino Christmas more fun! It is also the time of the year where Filipino kids ask for aginaldo (money as gifts) from their godfathers and godmothers. Exchanging of gifts is also a must on Filipino Christmas parties most especially at schools and companies. This is also the place where every one comes in their new clothes bought just for Christmas.

There are still loads and loads of Filipino Christmas traditions. But I guess that the most important one of all is that Christmas is the time when Filipinos remember that a very special child is born - Jesus Christ! And I do hope that this one is still within each Filipinos heart.

That's it for now. May you all have a wonderful Christmas next week!

Celebrate on!

~Lyndon Jason

My Grown-Up Christmas List

No more lives torn apart

That wars would never start

And time would heal all hearts

And everyone would have a friend

And right would always win

And love would never end

Welcome back to Lyndon Speaks!

8 more days to go before the one of the happiest day in the year arrives - Christmas! Have you guys been good this year? Have you already visited your favorite shops at the malls and your favorite e-commerce internet websites? Have you prepared your Christmas lists?

When I was younger, I never failed to prepare my Christmas list. I wrote down everything that I wanted to receive for Christmas - from money, new clothes, new books, and most especially new toys! Making the list and checking it twice was quite fun. The excitement is overwhelming to the point that I was hoping that each day was Christmas.

Now, I seldom do my Christmas list. Maybe that is part of growing up. But a lot has happened this year, especially these past few days that I am now thinking of doing a Christmas list. This time, the list would not be for myself, but for the people who needed much more this Christmas. Here is my grown-up Christmas list.

Strength for the loved ones of those who were victims of the horrendous Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting

May the families have strength to at least celebrate this Christmas and more so to carry on with their lives.

Remember the shooting victims and the heroic acts of the teachers

I hope that the memories of the children and the teachers would never be forgotten. May the heroic acts of those teachers serve an inspiration to all of us and a reminder that these second parents that we have will always do everything to protect us.

New tomorrow for the people in the Southern Philippines devastated by the super typhoon

May they find hope for a better tomorrow amidst the catastrophe that just transpired.

World peace

It may be a long shot, but I still believe that this can be achieved.

I know that there are still a lot of things that can be added on my list. Things that may seem unimportant to us but undeniably very important to those who need them.

I am not asking you to scratch your Christmas lists, but at least add them to your list and remember that there are people who expects none of these material things rather all the support and love that they can get.

As one people, let us stand together and hand-in-hand let us give succour to those who needed them most.

Let us all spread happiness, peace and love this Yuletide season and hopefully as long as we live.

Until next time!

List on!

~Lyndon Jason

Change

There is nothing more constant in this world than change...

It all began on August 2, 2008, a Saturday, the day Lyndon Speaks was born out of boredom. During those days, Lyndon Speaks was just a mere pastime. It was just a place where I can record the experiences that I had. It was just a website created from a crappy Windows XP desktop computer and contained only three elements - the header, the blog post, and the archive of posts - all written in simple HTML. Lyndon Speaks was like a road on a remote Philippine province where traffic is an unknown word to people. Back then, Lyndon Speaks only had a hand-full of readers - and that already included my parents. Hahaha!

But times have past, Lyndon Speaks has slowly evolved from its humble beginnings as a blog that only talked about my personal experiences to one that has also shared what I have learned from them; from selfish all-about-me stuffs to helpful how-can-I-inspire others stuffs. Lyndon Speaks has shared things that would help people go on their everyday lives - of course, all based from what had transpired to me, to my friends, to other people, or to the world. From the crappy desktop computer, Lyndon Speaks is now being created from a MacBook capable of producing much more creative designs; from a simple HTML code, to a more complex XML design. The once almost-nothing internet traffic has grown to thousands of page views per day - coming from all around the globe - and I am sure that my relatives would not count close to these numbers of page views. =)

Change is the most inevitable thing in this world. No one can escape from it. Change may do us good or may take as to the opposite side of the road. Yes, sometimes it may be difficult to know in an instant whether change will do us and the people around us good. But we all need to take the risk of changing because only when we change will we grow. If change did not bring you to the road that you wished to take, you can always steer the wheel to a different direction and change for the better.

Having said all of that, let me (and I am dying to say this) welcome all of you back to a changed Lyndon Speaks! The long wait is finally over. February this year when I started on updating Lyndon Speaks, but because of the many changes that transpired, I never had found the energy and the time to continue on the updates. But just like what I had said earlier, we can always take the wheel to a different direction. And that is what I did early this morning. And here it is: the new Lyndon Speaks - louder and bolder! So, what's new? Here they are:

Cool design.

A new template created by Urangkurai and customized by yours truly to further enhance the design and add more rich functionalities to take your reading experience at its finest. I have added several new XML, CSS and HTML codes to make your stay as pleasing as possible. Several new changing banners were introduced together with the upper links to Lyndon Speaks pages for easy access.

Share, share and share.

The new Lyndon Speaks is now capable of letting you share my blog posts via email, a reblog in Blogger, and via the two most popular social networks of this generation: Twitter and Facebook. You can find the social icons in both the summary of posts in the home page and at the end of every post. You can visit old posts using the Blog Archive at the side of the website.

Lyndon Speaks on the go.

You can now use your smartphones to scan the Lyndon Speaks code and save it on your devices for easy access in the future. You could still bookmark Lyndon Speaks on your iDevices by following the previous blog post here. Now, we'll be even closer than before.

Join in on the fun.

View twelve of my latest Instagram pictures on the Instagram widget just above the footer of the website. Feel free to comment and find me @lyndonjason. You could also join in on the conversation at Twitter - just look for @lyndonspeaks and for my personal account @lyndonjason.

Follow and enjoy.

You can still follow Lyndon Speaks on Facebook and Twitter, and receive updates via the RSS feed. If you are having troubles with the site, have comments and suggestions, or you just want to say hi, email Lyndon Speaks using your preferred web mail. I'll get back to all your concerns as soon as possible (but I prefer Facebook and Twitter conversations).

Enjoy more.

To get the most of Lyndon Speaks, use the latest version of the best web browsers in town - Firefox, Chrome, Safari. The least version compatibility can be found at the sidebar. As much as I want to support the Internet Explorer, but honestly, I am having a hard time in dealing with the stubborn browser. Hahaha!

So that's it! I hope you enjoyed all the latest updates that Lyndon Speaks has to offer.

And for the remaining days of 2012, let me assure you that I will be with you all the way as we prepare to welcome the changes that 2013 has for us.

For those of you who have been with Lyndon Speaks for the past four years: Wow! Four long years! And we are still in this together. I cannot think of how to thank you guys, but let me do it through the posts that I ahve to share in the coming days. And for those who are new: welcome and I really hope that you will enjoy your stay here in my humble cyber-abode.

Change is always just around the corner. Grab it, and with that change, together let us make a difference!

Until my next post. See yah!

Change on!
~Lyndon Jason

Hiatus

Yes, it has been ages...

But guess what?!

The hiatus will soon be over...

'til then...

Wait on!
~Lyndon Jason

Image courtesy of: http://en.rutamariana.com/uploads/images/website_under_construction.gif

Test Your Skills: Slogans

Hear ye, hear ye! And by the way, a lucky Friday the 13^th to all of you!

Welcome back to Lyndon Speaks!

Slogan - a catch phrase or small group of words that are combined in a special way to identify a product or company

Now let me test your skills in identifying the companies/products that popularized the slogans below. Below are famous old and new slogans of companies/products – local and foreign. Test your knowledge.

Do not peek! Answers follow below the list of slogans!

Game on!

1.     Simply Amazing
2.     Abot mo ang mundo
3.     We’re changing lives
4.     So clean. So good.
5.     We find ways.
6.     You’re in good hands with ______.
7.     Bida ang sarap.
8.     Love ko ‘to!
9.     Tikman ang tagumpay
10. Sarap to the bones
11. Hahanap-hanapin mo
12. Pasalubong ng bayan!
13. Hari ng padala
14. The quality you can trust
15. Asia’s first
16. It’s time every Juan flies
17. Excellence in flight
18. Asia’s most refreshing airline
19. No other mall comes close
20. We got it all for you
21. LovEmAll
22. Where dreams come true
23. Connecting people
24. We’ll take you farther
25. The world’s local bank
26. High performance. Delivered.
27. Just do it
28. Let’s DOH it
29. May liwanag ang buhay
30. WOW ___________
31. _________ Truly Asia
32. Uniquely ____________
33. _______ Live it. Love it.
34. Amazing ____________
35. Experience ____________
36. Impossible is nothing
37. World without strangers
38. Have it your way
39. In the service of the Filipinos worldwide
40. The best place for cartoons
41. Nakasisigurong gamot ay laging bago
42. The nation’s national bookstore
43. Sarap ng filling mo
44. Your potential. Our passion.
45. _______ inside
46. Think
47. It’s not just coffee, it’s ______ coffee.
48. Taste matters
49. Is it in you?
50. Ito ang tama
51. Samahang walang katulad
52. Great value for your money
53. There’s an APP for everything
54. Invent
55. How thoughtful, how _________
56. Finger lickin’ good
57. Quality is our recipe
58. America’s favorite pizza
59. Your new experience of motoring
60. The power of dreams
61. Don’t be evil
62. Laging handa
63. Like no other
64. Everyone’s invited
65. Life’s good
66. Sakay na!
67. Wala pa ring tatalo sa ______
68. Hindi lang pampamilya, pang-isports pa
69. Number 1 recommended by dentists
70. Louder. Bolder.

Answers:

1. Smart Telecoms
2.     Globe Telecoms
3.     PLDT
4.     Sogo Hotel
5.     BDO
6.     Metrobank
7.     Jollibee
8.     McDonalds
9.     Chowking
10. Max’s
11. Mang Inasal
12. Dunkin Donuts
13. LBC
14. Boysen
15. PAL
16. Cebu Pacific
17. Korean Air
18. Zest Air
19. Mall of Asia
20. SM Malls
21. Ayala Malls
22. Disneyland
23. Nokia
24. BPI
25. HSBC
26. Accenture
27. Nike
28. Department of Health
29. Meralco
30. Philippines
31. Malaysia
32. Singapore
33. Hong Kong
34. Thailand
35. Macau
36. Adidas
37. Giordano
38. Burger King
39. ABS-CBN
40. Cartoon Network
41. Mercury Drugstore
42. National Bookstore
43. Rebisco
44. Microsoft
45. Intel
46. IBM
47. Starbucks
48. The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
49. Gatorade
50. Red Horse
51. San Miguel Beer
52. Robinsons Malls
53. iPhone/iPad
54. HP
55. Goldilocks
56. KFC
57. Wendy’s
58. Pizza Hut
59. Toyota
60. Honda
61. Google
62. Boy Scouts
63. Sony
64. Samsung
65. LG
66. Super Ferry
67. Alaska
68. Family Rubbing Alcohol
69. Colgate
70. Lyndon Speaks

How many did you get?!

Hope you enjoyed!

Market on!

~Lyndon Jason

Happy Hours At Starbucks

'tis the season to be jolly!

Welcome back to Lyndon Speaks!

Started last Monday, 2nd of May 2011, and will end this Sunday, 8th of May 2011, Starbucks Philippines is offering their world-famous frappuccino at 50% less their original prices. It is like a BOGO for Starbucks' Frappuccino.

From 12:00 high noon until 2:00 in the afternoon for one whole week, frappuccino enthusiasts can enjoy their favorite Starbucks drinks at half a price. And to better service all Starbucks' patrons, the store is limiting an order of 2 cups per person.

Of course, Filipinos grabbed the chance to enjoy their favorite drinks at a lower price. That is why several Starbucks shops in the country are jam-packed with frappe-cravers. To help you fully enjoy your drinks, here are some tips from Lyndon Speaks.

Excitement helps. Go early.

Go to the store before 12:00 noon to avoid the long queues. You may enjoy your favorite drink with your food for lunch. Being early on the store will ensure you the first spot on the line and will guarantee you with the drink that you want to order. Take it from me who did not get my first choice of drink. =)

The more hidden it is, the better.

Look for a Starbucks store hidden from most of the people. These stores may be hard to find but, hey, Starbucks is everywhere and you would find one which is not visible and accessible to most people. Try the Starbucks store located at the lower ground floor of Greenbelt 5 in Makati. You'll probably get your frappuccino in 20 minutes or less (unlike in a crowded store where you'll spend an hour to have a sip on your drink).

Try a fancy name.

If your name is Jason, James, Kristina, or Maria, try not to use it. If you have Paul for a name, try not to use it as it would be very confusing if the barista will call it out and 5 more people with the same order as yours are coming at the counter. Try to use fancy names like: Tinkerbelle, Tiburcia, Tiburcio, Agapito, Thumbellina, Aladdin, Snow White. If you have your friends with you, why not try to give the names of Snow White's seven dwarves. "One grande Moccha Frappuccino for Tinkerbelle" - now that would be good to hear! =)

Clean your ears.

If you have picked a store along a busy road, make sure you had your ears cleaned because you need to have a good hearing after you have ordered. Make sure that you are able to pick a spot where you can hear the baristas calling out your name and your order. Most people stay in front of the pick-up counter. You may not stay there with them as long as you can hear the baristas calling out your name clearly.

Bring your own patience.

Long queues on both the counter and the pick-up station may discourage you. Don't be and never be! Bring loads and loads of patience when you want to get your drink at half the original price. The rewards that you'll reap will surely suffice the patience that you'll give for just one hour. Hahahaha. =)

Know what you want.

Try not to be the person in line that everyone hates. Do not think of your order when you are already in front of the counter. You'll have plenty of time to decide while you are standing on the long queue. It would be much better if you are ready to order even before you reach your turn.

Those are just some few tips. And I hope that these will help you enjoy your half-priced Starbucks Frappuccino.

'til next time! Enjoy!

Sip on!
~Lyndon Jason

Fast and Furious: Fast 5: Rio Heist

Cars, vault, bald-muscled men, humor, and more cars!

Welcome back to Lyndon Speaks!

As usual, I would not go into the details of this movie. All I'm gonna do is invite all of you to watch it on the big screen.

The latest installment of the Fast and the Furious series is now playing on movie houses in the Philippines nationwide. Set on Brazil, Fast Five brings back our favorite duo - Dom and Brian. If you loved the first FF movies, then you'll love this even more as this is as thrilling as the rest of its brethren in the series. Fast Five centers on the value of family. Also, keep your butts glued on your seats even when the credits are rolling. =)

Fast Five stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris to name a few. Fast Five is directed by Justin Lin.

Fast Five is really worth watching on the big screen. I did enjoy watching it!

What are you waiting for?! Grab your tickets now! Make sure to reserve your tickets early as movie houses are jam-packed with Fast and Furious fans!

'til next time!

Fast on!

~Lyndon Jason

Fight The Heat

The heat is on!

Welcome back to Lyndon Speaks!

It is summer time in the Philippines! And due to global warming, summer in the country has gotten hotter to the point that the capital city has reached an all-time high temperature of 35.5°C yesterday. The Department of Health has warned Filipinos and tourists of the threat heat stroke may bring.

Heat stroke is a condition where the body suffers from severe high temperature. With this heat that we are experiencing, it is possible to acquire this condition. Symptoms of heat stroke are severe headache, confusion, increase in breathing, and a high body temperature of 40°C or greater. Heat stroke may cause death.

Because of this, it is just right for everyone to combat the heat. Here are some tips:

Drink plenty of water.

We are taught to drink 8 glasses of water everyday. But with this heat, we should drink as much water as we need. Do not wait until you become thirsty. Always make sure that you are hydrated. Always bring with you a bottle of water where ever you go. Even if you are indoors, make sure to gulp as much water as you could. Every after an activity that you perform, make it a habit to drink. Water will surely keep you alive from this scorching heat.

Ice helps.

Besides from water, ice is your good friend during the summer. You could put an ice on your forehead when ever you feel that you are in heat. You can also put ice under your armpits to cool off your body temperature. If you do not have ice with you, you could always do a cold compress. You could also use your imagination and use what ever you have as cold compress. For instance, you could use a bottle, fill it with very cold water, and put it in your forehead or damp your whole body with it. Anything to cool off your body.

Always take a bath.

Taking a bath 2-3 times a day really helps in cooling down your body temperature. Take a bath like there is no tomorrow. Make sure to shower thoroughly. Bathe your entire body until you feel refreshed. You should also make it a practice to take a bath before going to sleep. This will help you relax from the day's stress and also will help your body cool off for the night. Of course, take a bath before going outside (to avoid heat stroke and for other sanitary purposes.. :p).

Wear what is in.

Put all your dark-colored and thick clothes in your closet. You would not be needing those in this heat. Wear something comfortable. Wear thin clothes. Light colors work. During summer time, less is in. You could walk at the runway wearing the least amount of clothing, it is summer! This is the time to flaunt your abs and show your curves. Flip flops are in. Make sure to wear clothes that can let your body breathe.

Short is HOT.

Want to be as hot as the summer? Maybe it is time to change your hairstyle. This is the best time to cut your hair short. Try something that will show your face during the heat of this summer. Besides from having a low maintenance hairstyle, you'll also feel cool in this summer time. An added bonus is that you'll turn on the heat on others' eyes in a good way.

Stay indoors.

If you have no where important to go to, just stay indoors. Relax. Have a cold drink. Read a book. Turn on the air conditioning or the electric fan. Switch off other heat-causing appliances. It will also be helpful if you would unplug them. You could also try opening the windows where the air will blow in to your house.

Window shop.

I'll not be telling you to spend your money on malls. Rather, you can spend some time window shopping or having a cool fruit juice on your favorite mall. Have your friends with you and spend some quality cool time with them.

Always bring you weapons.

Umbrella, sunglasses, sunscreen, cap, mini-fan: these are your trustworthy weapons in this time of extreme heat. Make sure that you equip yourself with the best weapons and do not forget to have them as minute as possible.

I know that there are a lot more things that you can do to avoid having heat stroke. Whatever they may be, make sure to follow them and take care of yourselves. Summer may be shiny and gay but it may also be deadly.

Enjoy the heat everyone!

Heat on!
~Lyndon Jason

Signs To Help You Fish Out The Unwanted Boss

It is the status quo that employees are being evaluated of their performance when entering on a company or during performance reviews. Let us now turn the tables and let me help you fish out the unwanted boss.

Welcome back to Lyndon Speaks!

Below are the signs that will show you how incompetent a leader is. These signs are taken from BadBossology.com. Full article is also found by following the link.

Incompetent leaders...

Delegate work rather than balance work load

This allows all attention to be diverted from them in case of failure.

Lyndon Speaks: A bad boss does not know how to allocate resources efficiently. This causes work to duplicate or sometimes this causes unnecessary efforts to be exerted.

Reduce all answers to Yes or No rather than explaining their reasoning

A yes/no manager finds it a waste of time to find the real answer through intellectual thought.

Lyndon Speaks: Leaders should be able to give reasonings to their answers in an instant. Incompetent bosses do not know how to think ahead of time.

Not separate personal life from professional life.

They will bring their personal problem to work.

Lyndon Speaks: Leaders who cannot put away their personal lives from their professional ones greatly affect the output of the team. You should keep away from this type of bosses because they may stress you in ways you'll never expect.

Manage crisis.

If you are a company that has crisis managers, then you can say goodbye to innovation and progression.

Lyndon Speaks: Leaders, and those great ones, know how to be proactive and does not only manage crisis. They just do not rely on what others think and say but they find their ways to speak out what they say. If something is wrong, great leaders speak out for the welfare of their team.

Create an environment where mistakes are unacceptable

Being held accountable for wrong decisions is a fear for them.

Lyndon Speaks: It is just normal to make mistakes. A bad leader always points out ones mistakes. A good leader turns mistakes into learnings and help the team realize the good within a failure.

Humiliate or reprimand an employee within a group

A good leader takes employee problems away from a group setting to a more private setting.

Lyndon Speaks: Never, and I say N-E-V-E-R, reprimand an employee directly within a group. You may have other intentions of doing so, but it is just common sense not to do it in front of others.

Not stand behind subordinates when they fail

Never leave your people to hang out to dry.

Lyndon Speaks: A good leader should not only stand behind his team's back but should also know how to defend them well. An act of defending a team member is not in anyway good if not supported by a well-grounded reason.

Encourage hard workers not smart workers

Poor leaders miss this connection.

Lyndon Speaks: It is not about the quantity or the time one gives for his work, it is all about the quality of the output. Follow my previous post regarding this: Work Smarter

Judge people on hours not on performance

Bad managers will promote the employees that work the most hours and not look at the smart ones who work less……….meaning have better time management.

Lyndon Speaks: This is similar with the previous one. A performance is not based on the number of hours you render work, not by the number of over times you have, not by the number of extended hours you exert, but by the quality of work you have done.

Act differently in front of their leaders

This is an indication of low self-confidence.

Lyndon Speaks: Bad and incompetent leaders do not know how to act in front of their leaders when in doubt. Good leaders should handle themselves well when in great amount of pressure from their bosses.

These signs sure helped me in fishing out the rotten apples from the bunch of leaders and bosses that I have. And I am very proud to say that I am very lucky to have met great leaders like my Test Director and Test Lead from way back.

I hope these also helped you find out the best among the rest.

'til next time.

Fish on!
~Lyndon Jason

Filipino Superstitious Beliefs on Holy Week

Welcome back to Lyndon Speaks.

This is the time of the year when every Catholic is in a prayer mood, when each member of the Catholic Church reflects on the sacrifice that the Lord Jesus made to save us. And as a country whose majority of its people are Catholic, the Philippines is ready to celebrate the life and death of Jesus Christ. This week is the Holy Week.

As Filipinos, it is part of our culture, since the time of our ancestors, to believe in superstitions. We have those for New Year, birthdays, weddings, and so much more. And of course, we also have some superstitious beliefs regarding the Holy Week. I know most of you can relate and most probably still believe in these superstitions. Here are some:

Decorating doors with palms (palaspas in Filipino)

Yesterday we have celebrated Palm Sunday. After the Holy Mass, where the palaspas are being blessed, Catholics go home and decorate their doors with the palaspas. I remember when mom was still here in the Philippines, right after the Palm Sunday Mass she always put the palaspas on our door, replacing the already brown one from last year. It is believed that once a palaspas is hung on your door it will ward off evil. It will protect your home and will not let evil to enter your house. How about that for an instant and low-cost anti-evil charm?!

Never take a bath on 3:00pm of Good Friday

"Jason, maligo ka na. Bawal nang maligo ng 3:00pm!" [Jason, take a bath. It is not allowed to do it once the clock strikes 3] - this is my mom reminding me every Good Friday to take a bath before 3:00pm. This is one of the most famous superstitions we Filipinos believe. They say that if you take a bath on Good Friday, evil will befall on you. I really do not know the real rationale behind this. Maybe this is the way of parents to have their children take their bath. Well, what ever the reason is, this has been Filipinos' practice during Good Friday.

Do not make unnecessary noises

One way to keep the Holy in Holy Week is the constant reminders of parent to their children to keep quiet during Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Black Saturday. Old people believe that noises will wake up monsters and take you. Hahaha! I know little children fall into this belief. But I guess oldies use this excuse to have their children behave and respect the Holy Week.

Monsters (aswang) are most powerful during Good Friday

One of the most believed superstitions during Holy Week are about the aswang (monsters). People believe that since Jesus died during Good Friday, all aswang will bring havoc to the world. They will have a lot of powers during Good Friday. So beware! LOL!

Wounds heal longer when acquired during Holy Week

One way of parents to keep their children from trouble during the Holy Week is by telling them that once you injure yourself during the week, the wounds will heal slower than usual. Have you fell into this?! Hahaha

Amulets (anting-anting) and charms are best empowered and renewed during Good Friday

For those believers of the powers of the amulets and charms, it is believed that the best day to empower and renew these magical items are during Good Friday. It is also luck if you find one on a cave during Good Friday. It is also believed that faith healers (albularyo) have so much power during Good Friday.Whoa! There's so much powere during that one day! =)

Traveling during Holy Week will bring you accidents

Beware travelers! It is believed that you will be into an accident once you travel during the Holy Week. Just stay home if you cherish your dear lives. Hahaha. Maybe this is just one of the reasons our families tell us so that we'll just stay at home and spend the days off together as one.

I know that there are many more superstitious beliefs out there regarding Holy Week. These are just some of the most popular.

But whatever beliefs we have, I hope that one thing still remains in our hearts and minds - that Holy Week is the time to remember what Jesus did for us. This is the time for reflection, a time for prayers!

May you all have a blessed one! 'til next time!

Believe on!
~Lyndon Jason