He said that they could really feel the effect of it that’s why he and other Filipinos there work double time and hard to save money. They really feel for the people who lost their jobs and homes because of the current situation. Nurses like him are not yet very affected but they were preparing for it because there are tendencies that they will lose their jobs also when the hospitals close. According to him, there are some hospitals that recently closed because of deficits.

Same answer about my aunt who also works as nurse in the California. She also works doubly hard this time because she has two houses to maintain. She bought another house for investment during early 2000 hoping she could sell it at a better price someday. But because of the housing problem going on and house value depreciation she could not sell her other house.

My friend seems disgusted about what our present government is making us especially on the Philippines not about to suffer about the present world economic recessions. It appears that Congress has been working on investigation, inquiry and impeachment related To Do’s but not on the possible preparation if the recession will be experienced in the country.

They have waited almost three years for Bollante about the billion pesos fertilizer scam and yet when Bollante is already here they could not even prove all those things.

Filipinos who worked overseas contributed a lot in our economy so how could we not be affected by the recession? Most of the Filipinos working there are experiencing it there is a possibility that thousands of Filipino’s working abroad will lose their jobs if the recession persists. Are we prepared for this?

Imagine this: 22 of China’s dairy companies have been found mixing melamine in infant formula and other milk products. This is to try to cut cost and to add more protein content in the milk because maybe milk from this companies do not pass the required nutrient for milks.

According to Philippine Daily Inquirer, in an advisory, BFAD Director Leticia Gutierrez directed all importers and distributors of “registered milk products from China to immediately stop temporarily from further importing, distributing, selling and offering for sale the aforesaid products.”

The ban stays “until it is assured that (these) are safe for human consumption,” Virginia Francia Laboy, BFAD Policy, Planning and Advocacy Division officer in charge, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

It just seems to be quite late for the government or any department of the government will issue this advisory when in the first place, these products are already circulating in the market long time ago and others are illegally smuggled in the country. So what will happen to those children who already consumed this milk or any other China made products? Who will be held liable to this where in the first place, it is the government’s responsibility to test all products for safety for human consumption before companies will be given permit to be distributed in the market.

Second, it is the government’s responsibility to check all of those products circulating in the market if this is BFAD approved or if companies have all the complete permits and documents before it could be permitted to be out in the market. Why is that there are still products in the market that don’t even have brand names?

Third, if the government cannot issue a list of those products that are not tested, its is their duty to issue the list of those products that they already checked and found out to be safe for consumption not rather than to rely on those seal that said BFAD approved to products packages because for all we know, it could be a fake or just a manufactured seal.

I am sure government agencies concerned will just say that they don’t have enough budget and personnel to attend to those hundreds of thousand of products in the market. But have they checked and saw the daily activity reports of their inspectors? If they conducted inspections, have they been doing this on a regular basis in all of the companies and product to be inspected?

Fourth, it is the government duty to check all of those products coming in the country. Have they penalized all smugglers and recommended additional sentences to those government employees who are corrupt and those who engage in smuggling?

Fifth, any government head or personnel of agencies concerned who have been found out neglecting his or her duties must be liable in court not just civil but criminally in court.

I can proudly say that I am one of the million Filipinos who love Eraserheads music. The band is dubbed the Beatle’s of the Philippines thus, most people can identify with their music. I was in first year college when the band had their name known in the music industry and got sold more than  a hundred of thousands copies of their album. Happy to tell you I am one of those who bought six of their albums but its still on a cassette tape at that time and my only CD formats were “The Fruitcake” and “Sticker Happy”. I have cassette tapes of their first ever album that was recorded and distributed under BMG because their POP U album was only limited and recorded during their time at University of the Philippines. The UltraElectroMagneticPop! (1993) with the songs “Toyang”,Tindahan ni Aling Nena”, “Pare Ko” and among others, Circus (1994) With the title“with a smile” and “Magazine” was the famous song of the album, Cutterpillow (1995) One of the biggest albums in the history of Philippine music. With the song “Ang Huling El Bimbo” Fruitcake EP (1996) Fruitcake (1996). And my last album collection with them is that  of their Sticker Happy (1997), I don’t have their Aloha Milkyway, Natin99 and their last album together and as Ely Buendia as vocal the Carbon StereOxide album.

Back to the concert. Even though the unexpected happened and the concert was cut short, people were still happy about the outcome of the event. This is the long overdue and once in a lifetime concert and I missed one half of my life with out seeing it. But hopefully there is still one more in the future so I can make up for my non-attendance. Hopefully it is not their “Huling El Bimbo” again.

Latest Update:

ABS:Ely Buendia is now in Stable Condition!!

GMA: Ely in Stable cONDITION

Marketing Survivors : Part 1

When I was still the Managing Editor of Launch Asia Magazine, I got the chance to interface with Professor Kotler in one of his Asian Tour seminars held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Manila entitled “New Marketing in the New Millennium.” If Professor Kotler is to be heard, marketing, the engine that drives growth, is in desperate need of an overhaul. “The only companies that will win will be those who make their customers into winners,” declares the marketing guru before hundreds of senior executives, brand managers and CEOs during the seminar.

Professor Kotler further cascades on the ways marketing is changing, and the role technology and the Internet play in that process. Having cited what the initiatives are in the new millennium, we pay attention on the pitfalls specifically within product-centered companies as Kotler insists that marketing should be dynamic, ever changing as the changing consumer behavior and the emergence of competition. “Marketing departments tend to develop a set budget and allocation pattern that persists year after year. Each manager wants at least the same amount of money he spent last year plus some. No one raises the question about radically shifting around the budget toward more productive uses of the money. Yet it is vitally important to make strong adjustments in budgets to reflect strong changes in the economy, consumer behavior and competition. Product-centered companies are doomed because their planning is inside-out, rather than outside-in. Companies must take their signals from the market and from customers.”

Professor Kotler also postulates that today’s companies can leverage the proliferating and expanding marketing communication and promotion channels (e.g. shelf space, direct mail, telemarketing, faxes, email, print media, web pages and web advertising), yet the difference lies in how to effectively use these into their benefit. “Advertising agencies can no longer rely on just creating ads and choosing media,” he says. “ There are so many new ways to communicate today. Smart ad agencies will turn into full service communication consulting agencies. They will work with their clients to choose the best messages and vehicles, whether ads, PR releases, events, sales promotions, sponsorships, and so on.”

A question was raised to Professor Kotler: “What is the formula for competing better in the new environment?”

“The art of marketing is the art of brand building. If you are not a brand, you are a commodity.” Companies all over ensure budget tools in order to understand their brand management better.

Instead of acquiring a lot of customers, for instance, he suggests that efforts must be made on of developing loyal and more frequent users among a company’s present base of customers.

“Traditional marketing managers have a good understanding of marketing research, buyer behavior, product featuring and positioning, pricing, advertising, sales promotion, and managing distribution. But competition is so intense that today’s marketing managers need to think more creatively outside of the box. The marketer must continuously find new ways to create new value for customers. Today’s marketers need additional skills brought about by the new technology:

· Database marketing and data-mining

· Telemarketing

· Public relations marketing (including event and sponsorship marketing)

· Profitability analysis applied to customers, market segments, channels, and order sizes

· Customer Relationship Management

· Partner Relationship Management

· Customer Solutions marketing

“Price is everything,” dares Professor Kotler, “and the low-cost producer is the only winner!”

“ A company should always try to make its products different and better. If this is not possible, the company must invest in making its services different and better. Many of today’s leading companies are winning on superior service since their products are not much different from competitors. Smart companies are moving toward Customer Relationship Management. This involves acquiring data on each valued customer and customizing the company’s offerings and services to each customer. These companies are developing a rich customer database and have the skills of analyzing and “mining” the customer database to detect new segments and new trends. “

Back to the basics, the first place to begin according to Kotler is for a company to have a thorough look at itself and where it stands at the moment for competing better in the new environment.

Kotler cues that companies operating in an industry can be classified as either a Generalist or a Specialist. Generalists consist of usually three (3) players. In terms of market shares, they are the No. 1, 2 and 3 companies. The Generalist focus on a full line of products and high volume and heavy promotion.

On the other hand, the Specialist focus on a target market, high margins, high service. For medium-sized companies, Kotler’s advice is for them to join the roster of the Specialists “or they will fall into an unprofitable Ditch.”

Following his observations,

· If the market suffers a downturn, the fight between #1 and #2 can send #3 into the ditch.

· The dogfight between #1 and #2 tends not to hurt the specialists.

· Generalists who try to operate specialist businesses generally fail.

· Global leaders must be strong in at least two of the triad markets.

· Foreign competition is most likely to hurt the #3 generalist.

· Enter the foreign market preferably with a better product at a lower price rather than a better product at a premium price.

In a tough marketing environment, the customer is king. Where competitive strategies are formulated across today’s market players, traditional marketing no longer works but must rather be as dynamic and able to cope within the ever-changing market trends and demands. Companies spend millions on research, hire topnotch brand managers just to make sure their core competencies are guarded and that their business is heading the right direction. Over the years, we see a great deal of cut-backs on budget spending even among multinational companies and especially true in the Philippine markets. Truly, nobody wants to risk a huge buck on the wrong move. Otherwise, the tendency is to allocate a figure in a pattern mode that persists year after year. Yet how could it be stabilized when the market is dynamic?

The need for a timely and responsive strategy has been precisely why marketing experts resort to Philip Kotler, often referred to as father of modern marketing.

Award winning author, lecturer and global consultant, Professor Kotler ranks to the world’s best known marketing authorities due to his pioneering in theory and application of connection between e-business and company marketing models and its value for customers. He has written over a hundred articles for numerous remarkable publications including the Harvard Business Review. He is also a distinguished Professor at the S.C. Johnson and Son International Marketing at the J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

Traveling extensively throughout Europe, Asia and South America, Professor Kotler has advised such companies as IBM, General Electric, AT&T, Honeywell, Bank of America, Merck, SAS Airlains, Michelin, Motorola and Ford among others in the areas of marketing strategy and planning, marketing organization and international marketing and on how to apply sound economic and marketing science principles in enhancing their competitiveness. Governments have also sought his advise on how to develop and position skill sets and resources of their companies for global competition.

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I think that all working moms will agree that as the 2-month or 3-month maternity leave draws to an end, you are swept with an overwhelming feeling of sadness, wishing that you will have a longer time to take care of your baby full time. But if you are breastfeeding and wishes to continue giving her breastmilk even when you are already working, I guess the challenge and the pressure doubles. Your baby is used to drinking her milk from you so you still have teach her how to drink it from a bottle at least 2-weeks before your leave ends. You also need to learn the art (and science!) of pumping and storing milk, train your caregiver how to handle stored breastmilk, and make a workable plan in terms of collecting milk in the office and transporting them back home in good condition. All these while you are trying to get fully recovered and psychologically prepared to be part of the labor force again.

Believe me, you have to exercise the same level of energy, passion and strategic thinking to deal with this major project . But you know what? Juggling work and giving breastmilk to your baby is possible and very doable. Thanks to the growing advocacy on breastfeeding, we already have very good breastpumps, efficient coolers and yes, companies are usually considerate to lactating moms when it comes to providing you a conducive place to pump and giving you a special space in the office freezer.

Looking back during those transition times, however, I wished there were more informative articles written on how working moms can still continue giving breastmilk to their babies. I wished I was spared of the stress and agitation that goes with wanting to give your baby breastmilk but groping as to how this can be possible when you’re already back to work. After almost six months of being a “milking professional”, I realized that those feelings of anxiety were unnecessary (talk about wishing you knew then what you knew now!). What working mothers need are straightforward information about what gadgets to prepare and tips on how to deal with possible obstacles along the way. So here are some things that I want to share with breastfeeding moms out there who are wondering, “can I still give my baby breastmilk after I report back to work? If yes, how?”

First things first: Stay hydrated & watch what you eat, mommies!

Working alone requires energy… how much more if you are working and lactating at the same time? While you have to be keen about eating the right food during pregnancy, you have to be extra careful when you are breastfeeding because you are feeding a bigger baby. In one of the parenting seminars I attended, it was discussed that you will need an extra 1,000 calories to physically accommodate breastfeeding. You will need lots of fluids, calcium and vitamins that should come from good sources like drinking milk and juices, and eating eggs, meat, beans and as many malunggay or other green leafy vegetables as possible. Supplement your healthy diet with multivitamins, calcium and malunggay tablets. Personally, I notice that I’d pump more milk after eating a dish of mongo with lots of malunggay and tomatoes, chicken tinola or boiled lapu-lapu with ginger & malunggay. My supply lessens when I cheat on colas and teas.

Sadly, the temptation to indulge in coffee or other caffeinated drinks excalates in the workplace since most of your officemates thrive on these things (along with those salty, msg-laden chips and noodles). Its easy to fall into the trap of filling ourselves with empty calories and we may not observe the required amount of water and juices needed to lactate well. Breastfeeding moms must remember that caffeine is diuretic— they dry you up and will make pumping milk more laborious. You may opt for a cup (and only a cup!) of decaffeinated coffee if you really can’t control the craving for coffee. You may take a few sips of cola once in awhile just so you wont feel deprived. But be willing to deal with a crankier baby when you drink colas, coffee or tea because those caffeine in your drink will surely have a kick on your milk.

Exercise self-control mommy, always have bottles of water in your desk and watch what you eat to keep those luscious breastmilk going!

Invest on a good pump (or pumps, I should say!)

One of biggest factors why working women discontinue giving breastmilk to their babies is

faulty breastpumps. This is one of those things that you have to be very, very concerned about. Some of my friends have horrible pumping experiences to share. One said her nipple bled so she never pumped again. One claimed that it was so painful and nothing was coming out of the pump. “I can barely collect an ounce or two after an arduous pumping session, and I just don’t see myself going through the same struggle again and again.” It is sad to see women ending their lactation because of a breastpump that doesn’t work. The good news is, there are already a lot of options when it comes to choosing a breastpump. The most important thing is to choose one that works for you. Do not compromise with an inexpensive, yet inefficient type. If you want to collect breastmilk for a good period of time, go for quality and comfort. Talk to as many moms who went through pumping milk and take advantage of the latest breastpump models that promote faster milk let-down and comfortable pumping.

Should I go for manual or electric breastpumps? There are some who can swear by the efficiency of electric pumps because they allow you to gather more milk quickly and easily. Some, on the other hand, encourage the use of quality manual pumps as they are more convenient, affordable and comfortable to use. I chose a top-of-line manual breastpump that comes with a silicone breastshield and a video CD showing an actual demonstration on what should happen before, during and after pumping milk. This pump is just moderately expensive but not as expensive as the electric ones. You will need “willing and able hands” for this, though, as you will provide the action several times during the day (and night!). The good thing about manual breastpumps, as I experienced it, is flexibility: I can practically pump anytime, anywhere discreetly— in the office, in restaurants and in powder rooms of hotels or department stores even without electric sockets around.

Once you found the right pump that works for you, get at least two. You will likely pump every after 3 hours or twice within a working day so its good to have a spare. Likely, you won’t have the time to wash and sterilize your pumps in the office so go for at least two pumps. So, mommies, in case someone close to you asks what gift you’d like, ask for another breastpump (asking for a new dress or shoes can come later).

Learning the art of pumping breastmilk

When should I start pumping? How is it done? How long can I store milk? These are among my many questions as I begin my journey as a “milking professional”. It turns out that pumping breastmilk is not as simple as turning a faucet on and voila! Here comes milk! There are certain things that you have to know:

First, stabilize your lactation before pumping. While I heard of some working women who started pumping their milk in as early as 3 days, I read that it is safer to wait until 3 to 6 weeks before you start collecting milk for storage. Your baby has to breastfeed on you full time during this period to stabilize your lactation and for your baby to reap the full benefits of breastfeeding during the first month of her life (yes, there is an additional protection to your baby when she drinks milk directly from you. According to Lactation Consultant and author Janet Tamaro, in addition to transferring your immunities, your body will make antibodies to combat whatever germs she’s been exposed to. Nature’s wonder huh?)

Second, give yourself time to make friends with your breastpump. Expect to feel awkward and tensed at first. In my case, I was so nervous I hardly collected any milk. Good thing I have friends who told me not to be so hard on myself and just try to experiment with my breastpump in a playful manner. Make friends with the pump, so to speak. I learned that a woman needs to be relaxed while pumping milk. To facilitate milk production, we also need to warm and massage our breasts before pumping. The brain also needs to get a signal that your body needs to produce milk so several quick pumps are necessary before the milk will flow— sparsely at first, then heavier as you pump along. Stay calm by playing soothing music and meditating.

Third, be aware of storing periods. Breastmilk can last up to 6 hours in an airconditioned room, 24 hours in the refrigerator and 3 weeks in the freezer. Make sure that your bottled breastmilk are well-sealed and placed inside a container that secures it away from other things in the fridge like meat or fish.

Finally, don’t worry you will get the hang of it. Just like many women who collected milk for their babies before, I did get the hang of it. In fact, after a while, I sort of mastered the art of breastpumping that I was able to pump while giving instructions to our helpers. In the office, I can now study statistical graphs, munch my sandwich and take sips of water while collecting milk for my baby.

Preparing your baby

Now, this is one of things that you have to be emotionally prepared about. After breastfeeding your baby for several weeks, you will feel a bit low when you start introducing your baby to a silicone or rubber nipple. So take it slow. Introduce the breastmilk in a bottle once a day for about 5 days, then twice a day for another 5 days and so on. By the time you have to report back to work, your baby will be quite used to drinking breastmilk from a bottle during the day. During this adjustment period, it is advisable for your husband or caregiver to feed her with the bottle. The baby should still associate you with breastfeeding and your caregiver with the breastmilk in a bottle. Also, take advantage of those silicone nipples designed for breastfed babies. These nipples require almost the same sucking action during breastfeeding so your baby will likely adjust better.

As much as possible, keep on breastfeeding your baby at night. It will help stimulate milk production and your baby gets additional protection and benefits.

Preparing your caregiver

Whether you will be leaving your baby to a relative or a nanny when go back to work, it is important to orient and train her on how stored breastmilk is handled. Initially, it will require a bit of a skill and patience because she has to learn how to defrost and heat frozen breastmilk properly. Ideally, the milk should be as warm as when you just pump it out (lukewarm is how I describe it). Your caretaker must therefore be aware of the temperature of a freshly-pumped milk. While electric bottle warmers are said to be helpful, hot water in a big mug or bowl will also do the trick. At night, transfer the bottles of milk that will be consumed by your baby for the day from the freezer to the refrigerator area. The milk will thaw overnight and in the morning, the milk is already in cold, liquid form. By so doing, your caregiver will only need a minute or two to warm them up. Thawing frozen milk when the baby is already crying is the last thing you want your caregiver to endure. In addition, you need to orient her that whatever is left by the baby after a feeding session must be discarded. If you feel devastated when you see 2 ounces of your precious milk going down the drain because your baby didn’t finish them, it’s pretty normal.

Applying your corporate skills & values

Remember those important corporate concepts like strategic planning, persuasive skills and hardwork? You will definitely need to exercise those as a breastfeeding working mom. “Where can I pump and where can I store milk?” will be one of your major concerns once you go back to work. While some working moms are blessed with a conducive work area where they can pump privately during breaktimes, some may need to use their persuasive skills to secure a private corner in the office during their “milking” sessions. Unless your ladies room comes with a nice receiving area like those in hotels, the thought of pumping milk in the comfort room does not seem pleasant or hygienic. In terms of storing milk, take advantage of the freezer in your office so you don’t need to carry heavy ice bags in your cooler to and fro the workplace. If you don’t have such facility (like in my case), ask around your neighboring offices if they have one. Good thing that I was friendly to the other working women in my floor– always smiling & greeting them in the hallway and in the ladies room. Turns out that one of them was an administrative head in the office beside us and she readily offered the freezer in their pantry for my use. Talk about working moms supporting each other.

Meanwhile, your strategic planning skills must be at their best when you have to go out on field to attend conferences or trainings. Days before attending or facilitating seminars in hotels, I would already talk to their kitchen heads if I can store milk in their fridge. Of course, these bottles of milk are “strategically” placed in steel coffee mugs for that nice, corporate look. These mugs can act as insulators to keep your milk frozen or cool on the way home. Also, they sort of camouflage your milk in case there are some who are not comfortable seeing human milk in the fridge.

Now lets talk about hardwork. In the workplace, worthwhile achievements require hardwork and persistence, right? Its best to condition yourself that you will be working hard to achieve this worthy goal of providing breastmilk to your baby even while you’re away and working. You’ll probably miss those leisurely lunch hour where you can rest after eating, or have lunch out with friends. Coffee break is no longer synonymous to sipping freshly-brewed coffee while reading, chatting or relaxing. Now, you need to spend those breaks producing milk and cramming whatever time is left for eating and freshening up. At 5pm, while the rest of your officemates will likely drop by the mall for some window shopping before heading home, you literally rush out, praying that you wont get caught by heavy traffic. You’re expecting to be engorged in an hour and must pump again. And now for the most challenging part… So sorry to be the one to warn you this mommies, but you need to wake up at around 2 or 3 a.m. to pump milk. Yes, 2 or 3 a.m., in the middle of a dream or kasarapan ng tulog. You get up half-asleep, reach for that pump beside you and produce your baby’s breakfast while the world is spinning around you. So forget late night T.V. viewing or internet surfing. For now, you try to get as much rest as possible to accommodate the demands of breastfeeding. My baby is usually asleep by 7pm so I need to cool down by 8pm and sleep by 9pm. Waking up at 2 or 3 a.m. will not be so bad then since you were able to get some sleep already.

You shouldn’t be alone on this…

Organizations usually employ teamwork to get something important done. You should, too! Providing breastmilk for your tiny treasure should be a goal of your entire household, not just you. So get as much support as you can, mommies! Delegate, coordinate and tap resources. Your husband may do his share by encouraging and affirming you, as well as doing the shopping, paying the bills and giving you that much-needed hand and back massage at the end of the day. You need an efficient helper who does the washing and sterilizing of bottles and breastpumps, as well as preparing healthy breakfast, dinner and baon for you. You should also delegate those chores that may drag you in the morning like fixing your bed and heating your water for bath. Arrange for home service massage, foot spa and manicure so you save time and effort in going to the parlor. You also need a supportive pediatrician who advocates breastfeeding. My pediatrician breastfed her kids while taking her specialization and it opened my eyes to the fact that it is possible to work and give breastmilk to your baby at the same time.

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Christabel G. Garcia-Chao, M.A. works as a Psychologist & Technical Director at the Philippine Psychological Corporation (PhilPsyCor).. For any comment about her article, write to her email christabel_g@yahoo.com

Sadly, we heard about the Members of The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI)’s 2nd Philippine International Motor Show on August 21 to 24 at the World Trade Center only tonight as we watched the news. It probably lacked publicity or it’s because we were out of town that we missed it.

According to news report, the motor show featured concept cars for the future. These include General Motor’s Malibu and Tahoe hybrids. Exactly 15 global auto brands represented at the motor show at the World Trade Center in Manila.

There was also be scale model exhibits, seminars on karting and drifting events, car and fashion photography plus actual test drives of the latest models to make the PIMS an “experiential” motor show.

Hope my friend Don Bagsit who supplied me great photos taken from Transport Show had another photos taken from this car show.

Photos by: Don Bagsit (Manila International Auto Show 2008}

According to an observer of men’s behavior especially in sports Mark Wong: author of “Football 1, Women 0”:

“Men are spending hours on end trailing the progression of their favorite teams to the quarter finals, not only viewing the actual game but also match highlights, half-time reports, repeat telecasts and exclusive sports news coverage from the host country… women all over the world are naturally feeling slightly left out.”

While women can only be glad that the Boxing & World Cup games are over, the UAAP is fast approaching and even as of this writing, the Beijing Olympics is on-going since August 8, 2008.

What women can do

First, be thankful than threatened. The good news for women hooked on men who are hooked on sports is that men who participate in sports are less likely to turn to crime and substance abuse, as Gurian’s studies suggest. With about six or seven surges of testosterone beginning from the man’s adolescence stage, a massive amount of self-discipline is required in order to direct their energies in a good way. And how is self-discipline developed:

“Sports, like for example martial arts is a good way. What the male brain and testosterone need is a tribe. Unless you have a tribe, especially of elders to guide the boys, and have peers test them, the testosterone is going to get out of hand. They learn how to contain their energy so that it can develop and then explode in healthy appropriate ways.”

Whether engaging in sports or being involved in it by watching, men seem to find a good avenue to release this energy that is quite distinct in them..

If women understood this, then men’s devotion to football, basketball or tennis need not be an intervening factor in a relationship.

Second, remember that sports can become an intervening factor only when neither party refuses to relent or respect the other. The next time you catch him into the sports again, don’t get mad or jealous. If you didn’t have the chance to what its like to be the wife of Joe Montana, Micheal Jordan or Efren “Bata” Reyes, read Stephen Covey’s book on time management and patience. Be more informed to extend more respect and tolerance.

Third, turn to other hobbies that take about as much of his time in sports. His being “away” for some hours may do you more good than harm. Make your next toastmaster’s speech during those hours of neglect! When you really need to talk to him,maybe you can record the show he loves to watch and tell him he can always go back to it later

Fourth, if your man is actively involved in a sport, you may also consider joining or beating him in his sport. It could be a sure way to get his attention, isnt it? A good way to get back into shape too.If you cant beat them, join em right?

Finally, be more curious and try to be enthusiastic the next time you see him glued on the screen. Some games can be pretty exciting and if sports do not really appeal to you, take a closer look at the sportsmen. Believe me, icons like Oscar de la Joya, Ronaldo de lima (Jersey no. 9), David “Becks” Beckman, and those athletic college basketball players are quite a site to behold, so I know you’ll also enjoy yourself.

On Men and Sports II- Oh Men, They’re really into Sports

According to behavior researcher Micheal Gurian, who is also the author of book “The Wonder of Boys,” how sports are more rampant among men could be more of a biological reason than anything else. “Sports are physical– testosterone driven. They involve physical aggression. The way men are trained for is mostly for competition. It should be noted that the working of male’s brain system is more spatial in nature. Most of these sports, like football, involve a moving object —a ball-though space. The male brain system is going to emphasize spatial relationships and moving objects through space. Also, everyone’s working together to move that ball. They work together as a team, and they’re being tribally nurtured.”

Of course, there’s also the “Hunter” archetype factor in men or the primeval inclination, and unconscious need for men to chase, pursue & conquer. Through active or vicarious means, sports allow them to get that satisfaction even in this modern setting. No wonder they looked so high, all flushed and sweating hard from the playing of just watching games with a lot of chasing, hunting & conquering.

From the boardroom of the corporate arena to the courts or the greens, and even hunting and war zones, men appear to be highly driven by the competition and adventure that keep their adrenaline pumping.

To be continued

They would make bets, cancel their appointments, refuse to talk with anybody, become deaf to phone calls and texts, would curse the television screen unless their favorite players show their precision and anticipated best shots. I’m talking about men who are so glued on the googlebox, we ended up answering the telephone and make sure they don’t drink too much. In the morning of a boxing match, we, women are quite content knowing that Paquiao won but our male counterparts would discuss each round in great detail that you’d be awed by their memory recall.

Actively or vicariously, sports seem to take away all the men who, for the time being became slaves to the playground in the television screen. There are some battles worth fighting for but it seems to me that sometimes, women are having a hard time winning over three: men’s love for their jobs, their cars and yes, their love for sports. Show me a man who is not loco over a sport or two and I’ll show you a rare breed.

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