cavinti diaspora

 Reuters

Office nappers now have the perfect excuse. New research shows that a little midday snooze seems to reduce the risk of fatal heart problems, especially among men.

 In the largest study to date on the health effects of napping, researchers tracked 23,681 healthy Greek adults for an average of about six years. Those who napped for about half an hour at least three time a week had a 37% lower risk of dying from heart attacks or other heart problems than those who did not nap.

 Most participants were in their 50’s and the strongest evidence was in working men, according to the study which appeared in Archives of Internal Medicine. The researchers said naps might benefit the heart by reducing stress, and jobs are a common source of stress.

 It is likely that women reap similar benefits from napping, but not enough of them died during the study to be sure, said Dr. Dimitrios Trichopoulos, the study’s senior author and a researcher at Harvard University and the University of Athens Medical School. Heart problems killed 48 women who were studied, six of them working women, compared with 85 men, including 28 working men.

 A daytime siesta has long been part of many cultures, especially those in warmer climates. Healthy eating habits featuring fruits, vegetables, beans and olive oil have been credited with contributing to relatively low rates of heart disease in those countries, but the researchers wanted to see if napping also played a role.

 The researchers in their latest study found napping a great help.

The Beijing Olympics ended on Saturday, August 23, 2008. Ninety-one thousand spectators, more or less, poured into the National Stadium to witness the gala. The countdown to the closing ceremony started from 29, indicating the 29th Olympic Games. All the audience joined the countdown from ten, and correspondingly, displaying the numbers by firework explosions in the sky.
The celebration began with a flash of fireworks that formed a huge circle in the sky that symbolized the success of the games. The Beijing Games displayed China’s strength and vigor at her command and astonished the world with sporting distinction of the Chinese athletes.
The 16-day spectacular display of sporting talents failed to put an end to criticism of China’s human rights although the International Olympic Committee gave the organizers the thumb-up sign and said the games will leave a legacy for future generations. Likewise, IOC President Jacques Rogge who officially closed the Games at the ceremony, praised China for a flawless operation that had set the bar very high for 2012 host, London.
A grand party was held to say good-bye to Beijing
With reports from Olympic News Service & China Daily

Dauphin Rocamora and his daughter Joan Fay

We know that all parents want the best for their children. They guide them to make smart choices and wise decisions so they can avoid pitfalls in their growing up years and in the not very distant future.

Being a good parent is about being a role model and showing up every day so the children can learn valuable behavior that they will use in their daily living. Sitting down with the family for dinner is an admirable practice to enhance pleasant communication among every body. It is also during these instances and in some other intimate family gatherings that children’s personal dreams and goals are set up. Every one is given a chance to speak for his/her choice. Then and there, they map out ways and means to achieve their goals and establish some measures to make their success happen.

But not all parents set goals for their children. You must have witnessed some parents who failed in their desires for their children. But the family of Mr. Dauphin Rocamora has attained what they dreamt of for Joanne Faye, the only daughter.

Joanne Faye earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. Since she was already a US green card holder during her four-year pursuit of pharmacy education, she has to come to the United States every two years so that her reentry permit will not expire. She belongs to the second generation of the Cavinti Diaspora. After passing the Licensure Examination for Pharmacists in the Philippines, she flew to California to join her parents.

Knowing that she has to take steps to be a US registered pharmacist, she strived to complete the necessary requirements to enable her to take the California State Board of Pharmacy. With Lady Luck by her side, today she is a US registered pharmacist.

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Ryan Jaranilla has gone to Beijing to serve as senior executive chef for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. He will serve some 12,000 best athletes from all over the world and the 5,000 members of the press who will cover the event.

Chef Ryan, the way he wants everybody to call him, is second in command. He reports to the director every day. He makes it a point that the daily menus are different and tailored to the varying types of athletes. He believes that a weightlifter would need a heavier meal than a gymnast. Besides, he takes into consideration their cultural food preferences.

Chef Ryan is a regional manager and executive chef for the Aramark  Corporation, a food services company  and the food company for the Olympic Games for the last 40 years. In an interview process undertaken for the Olympic post that went on for several months, he was one of 11 manager-level applicants chosen over 250 others. It was in February that he learned he was going to Beijing.

With reports from ABS-CBN News Online

Nastia Liukin won the women’s all-around at the National Museum in Beijing last Friday morning, August 15, 2008. She edged her teammate and friend Shawn Johnson for the gold medal. She danced lightly and gracefully across the floor as if she were in a ballet. She showed a perfect performance and made a perfect landing on her doormat.

She finished with 63.325 points and Johnson got 62.725 points. Yang Yilin of China won the bronze medal.

Nastia Liukin is now among the three American gymnasts who have won the Olympic all-around gold medal.

With reports from Beijing Games Complete Coverage