The Aspacio's: May 2008

Monday, May 26, 2008

My Emotional Quotient

Your EQ is 127

You usually have it going on emotionally, but roadblocks tend to land you on your butt.

On an average day, you're quite happy, together, and content. You live your life well.

Your emotions aren't always stable, but you can go along with the ups and downs pretty well.

You tend to be motivated, energetic, focused, and level headed.

You see the world pretty rationally, and you don't tend to over dramatize things. When things are bad, you know they eventually have to get better.

What's Your EQ (Emotional Intelligence Quotient)?

This is How I Pray

I have heard this praying tip from either the hubby in one of his preachings or from another preacher. It gives us management in how we pray and not forget people that are represented in each finger. This helps me a great deal in how I pray for the people around me, I hope this will benefit you as well.

1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty."

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.

3 The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger - the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Inconsiderate Neighbors

Our neighbor has been busy painting one of their cars and have been causing all these bad fumes for almost a week now. We could not have cared less if they would wash their cars and remodel or fix their cars all day and night. But paint fumes is just another story I cannot tolerate. For Pete's sake, we have the right to air without those toxic fumes. We are in a residential place and we have this right. They don't even half consider that there are kids all over the neighborhood and even an adult such as myself can feel the tightness of my chest brought about by such irresponsible actions! If they are the rich people they are projecting that they are, then they should go rent a place where they can do all the painting they want without harming other people. The nerve of such people!

Whether through employment, home remodeling, or huffing fumes to get high, a large majority of the population has been exposed to hazardous paint fumes throughout their lifetime. Both short and long term exposure to these fumes can and will most likely affect you in a variety of ways, which are more serious than often expected. This is not just a headache or a little nausea. Some studies have suggested that excessive exposure to paint fumes may increase the rate of miscarriage, as well as increasing the risk of childhood asthma. Those who get high huffing would do well to know that the American Academy of Pediatrics says that huffing can lead to instant cardiac arrhythmia or sudden sniffing death syndrome.
So why is it that paint fumes are so bad for you? As you can probably guess, it is all related to what is in the paint itself. Paint contains a large number of VOC’s or volatile organic compounds, which are the chemicals that we as humans are allergic to. The amount of VOC’s in paint rise as the paint gets more vibrant in color. There are also more VOC’s in oil-based paint than there is in latex or water based paint. Lead based paint, which was popular in the 1950’s, has the most VOC’s of any paint.

The VOC’s in paint can affect you in a number of ways. Immediately after inhaling them, an individual may experience headaches, breathing problems, nausea, dizziness, and a burning of the eyes. Direct contact with them, especially in paint thinner may cause burning and cracking of the skin. If you start to have these symptoms and you are around paint or paint thinner, get out into the fresh air, wash up and try to avoid the area until a bit drier and safer, as VOC’s do dissipate as they dry.
The long-term effects of exposure to and inhalation of harmful paint fumes can be extremely severe. You may experience permanent brain damage, including loss of memory, confusion, seizures, and a general decrease in general mental faculties. Chronic exposure to paint, especially when huffing or through prolonged and most likely direct contact with the VOC’s in paint and paint thinner can lead to sever kidney and liver damage. These are the main organs responsible foe detoxification and elimination of toxic chemicals from the body. You may also experience major respiratory problems, as the chemicals can damage the fragile lining of the lungs.
This does not mean that you can never paint another room again; it simply means that you should take the proper precautions when painting. As previously mentioned, the VOC’s in paint lessen as paint dries because they evaporate, so make sure that you paint in a well ventilated area. If you are in an area where this is not possible, use a respirator. Remember to always store paint away from your living space in a well-sealed container. Whenever possible, use water soluble paint so you can avoid using paint thinner, which has a higher amount of VOC’s than just paint. And of course, never huff.

http://www.essortment.com/lifestyle/paintfumesdang_scse.htm

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

A Boo-boo and A Baked Chicken

I got so clumsy last night as I rummaged through our file cabinet for something and I got so impatient that I couldn't care less what I was digging through. I scraped the side of my pinky finger and it bled non-stop. One thing for sure, that file cabinet needs to get sorted. The scrape was so bad I have wet a whole lot of tissue, plus the blood trace on the floor and the wall (I had to turn on the light). I was shocked that my hand was already bleeding. Don't worry I will get to the baked chicken part, promise. The skin on the side of my left pinky is now in its crooked state. I'm changing the dressing in a while. The hubby and I dressed it and and have it soak around propolis ointment from Ilogmaria last night. It works wonders for wounds.

Anyway, that just about gave me the reason to bake these pieces of chicken. Baked chicken requires a lot less time and effort. Just throw in all the ingredients and Voila! All in its succulent, yummy glory! It was yummy. I haven't done baked chicken in a while. It's just sad that it had to take my pinky finger to get badly bruised for me to get back to baking chicken.