Best Sex on the Beach

If you like cocktails. You surely will love my version of Sex on the Beach cocktail. It all started 6 years ago. It was my niece's birthday. She, her husband and I went to this famous Jazz club called Vibrato Grill in Bel Air Los Angeles near Century City for her 26t birthday. After we entered the club waiting for our reserved seats we hanged out at the bar. When it was my turn to order my drink, I thought to myself since this is a fantastic place and a special night I want really something awesome!

I asked the Bartender, what would you recommend? His reply was not something I was expecting. After all he was this supposedly great bartender. He said, "whatever you want." Well, he wasn't pretty to ask him for a date. Seriously, so that is when I asked myself, what would really be a fabulous cocktail?

And that is when I thought about this drink. Spur of the moment. My version of Sex on the Beach. After I instructed the bartender how to put it together, I knew after my first sip it was Fantabulous! He tried it and he loved it. He even asked me that I should name that drink. Next thing you know our seats were ready and were escorted like royalty to our table. Enjoyed the food, the music and the evening.

Oh yeah, I will give everyone a review on Vibrato Grill this week. It was a wonderful experience.

Without further due, here's the recipe.

Note: You can play around with quantity of the Mango, Orange & Strawberry depending on your taste. Even so with the Vodka and the Rum.

1 Grey Goose Vodka
1/2 Mango Rum
1/2 Peach Schnapps
1/2 Orange Juice
1 /2 Mango
1 Strawberry

There you go. Cheers :)

And always remember to drink moderately. DO NOT drink & drive. Enjoy*...........................

Preventive Measures & Dangers of a Stroke & Heart Attack

My dad died of heart trouble back in 1997. His diabetes actually sealed his fate and died at the age of 70. My mom had a stroke 18 months ago but survived and is doing good. Last year it was my brother in law had a heart attack. He also survived and is now doing well. Then last Monday, my brother too had a stroke. He too is recovering and is doing good. Thank God for the second chances they got. Because my dad didn't.

This motivated me to be more conscious about my own lifestyle & share about the dangers and preventive measures of a heart attack and a stroke. Either way, they are both deadly. Mini, mild or whatever. It is what it is.

Here's a great article that hopefully may help all of us in preventing or delaying these diseases. They say that knowledge is power. But action is more powerful.

Overview:

If plaque builds up in the body's arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis (ATH-er-o-skler-O-sis). Over time, plaque hardens and narrows the arteries. This may limit the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your organs and other parts of your body.

Atherosclerosis can affect any artery in the body. For example, if plaque builds up in the coronary (heart) arteries, a heart attack can occur. If plaque builds up in the carotid arteries, a stroke can occur.

A stroke also can occur if blood clots form in the carotid arteries. This can happen if the plaque in an artery cracks or ruptures. Blood cell fragments called platelets (PLATE-lets) stick to the site of the injury and may clump together to form blood clots. Blood clots can partly or fully block a carotid artery.

A piece of plaque or a blood clot also can break away from the wall of the carotid artery. The plaque or clot can travel through the bloodstream and get stuck in one of the brain's smaller arteries. This can block blood flow in the artery and cause a stroke.

Here's the article:

What Causes Carotid Artery Disease?
Carotid artery disease seems to start when damage occurs to the inner layers of the carotid arteries. Major factors that contribute to damage include:

Smoking
High levels of certain fats and cholesterol in the blood
High blood pressure
High levels of sugar in the blood due to insulin resistance or diabetes
When damage occurs, your body starts a healing process. The healing may cause plaque to build up where the arteries are damaged.

When damage occurs, your body starts a healing process. The healing may cause plaque to build up where the arteries are damaged.

The plaque in an artery can crack or rupture. If this happens, blood cell fragments called platelets will stick to the site of the injury and may clump together to form blood clots.

The buildup of plaque or blood clots can severely narrow or block the carotid arteries. This limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your brain, which can cause a stroke.

Who Is at Risk for Carotid Artery Disease?

Certain traits, conditions, or habits may raise your risk for carotid artery disease. These conditions are known as risk factors. The more risk factors you have, the more likely you are to get the disease. Some risk factors you can control, but others you can't.

The major risk factors for carotid artery disease, listed below, also are the major risk factors for coronary heart disease (also called coronary artery disease) and peripheral arterial disease.

Unhealthy blood cholesterol levels. This includes high LDL cholesterol (sometimes called “bad” cholesterol) and low HDL cholesterol (sometimes called “good” cholesterol).
High blood pressure. Blood pressure is considered high if it stays at or above 140/90 mmHg over time. If you have diabetes or chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure is defined as 130/80 mmHg or higher. (The mmHg is millimeters of mercury—the units used to measure blood pressure.)
Smoking. Smoking can damage and tighten blood vessels, lead to unhealthy cholesterol levels, and raise blood pressure. Smoking also can limit how much oxygen reaches the body's tissues.
Insulin resistance. This condition occurs if the body can't use its own insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone that helps move blood sugar into cells where it's used as an energy source. Insulin resistance may lead to diabetes.
Diabetes. With this disease, the body's blood sugar level is too high because the body doesn't make enough insulin or doesn't use its insulin properly. People who have diabetes are four times more likely to have carotid artery disease than people who don't have diabetes.
Overweight or obesity. The terms "overweight" and "obesity" refer to body weight that's greater than what is considered healthy for a certain height.
Metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of risk factors that raise your risk for stroke and other health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease. The five metabolic risk factors are a large waistline (abdominal obesity), a high triglyceride (tri-GLIS-er-ide) level (a type of fat found in the blood), a low HDL cholesterol level, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed if you have at least three of these metabolic risk factors.
Lack of physical activity. Lack of physical activity can worsen some other risk factors for carotid artery disease, such as unhealthy blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, diabetes, and overweight or obesity.
Unhealthy diet. An unhealthy diet can raise your risk for carotid artery disease. Foods that are high in saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, sodium (salt), and sugar can worsen other carotid artery disease risk factors.
Older age. As you get older, your risk for carotid artery disease increases. Genetic or lifestyle factors cause plaque to build up in your arteries as you age. Before age 75, the risk is greater in men than women. However, after age 75, the risk is greater in women.
Family history of atherosclerosis.


Transient Ischemic Attack (Mini-Stroke)

For some people, having a TIA, or “mini-stroke,” is the first sign of carotid artery disease. During a mini-stroke, you may have some or all of the symptoms of a stroke. However, the symptoms usually go away on their own within 24 hours.

The symptoms may include:

Sudden weakness or numbness in the face or limbs, often on just one side of the body
The inability to move one or more of your limbs
Trouble speaking or understanding speech
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Dizziness or loss of balance
A sudden, severe headache with no known cause
Even if the symptoms stop quickly, you should see a doctor right away. Call 9–1–1 for help. Do not drive yourself to the hospital. It's important to get checked and to get treatment started as soon as possible.

A mini-stroke is a warning sign that you're at high risk of having a stroke. You shouldn't ignore these symptoms. About one-third of people who have mini-strokes will later have strokes. Getting medical care can help find possible causes of a mini-stroke and help you manage risk factors. These actions might prevent a future stroke.

Although a mini-stroke may warn of a stroke, it doesn't predict when a stroke will happen. A stroke may occur days, weeks, or even months after a mini-stroke. In about half of the cases of strokes that follow TIAs, the strokes occur within 1 year.

Stroke

The symptoms of a stroke are the same as those of a mini-stroke, but the results are not. A stroke can cause lasting brain damage; long-term disability, such as vision or speech problems or paralysis (an inability to move); or death. Most people who have strokes have not previously had warning mini-strokes.

Getting treatment for a stroke right away is very important. You have the best chance for full recovery if treatment to open a blocked artery is given within 4 hours of symptom onset. The sooner treatment occurs, the better your chances of recovery.

Call 9–1–1 for help as soon as symptoms occur. Do not drive yourself to the hospital. It's very important to get checked and to get treatment started as soon as possible.

Make those close to you aware of stroke symptoms and the need for urgent action. Learning the signs and symptoms of a stroke will allow you to help yourself or someone close to you lower the risk of brain damage or death due to a stroke.

Preventions:

Lifestyle Changes

Making lifestyle changes can help prevent carotid artery disease or keep it from getting worse. For some people, these changes may be the only treatment needed:

Follow a healthy diet to prevent or lower high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol and to maintain a healthy weight.
Be physically active. Check with your doctor first to find out how much and what kinds of activity are safe for you.
If you're overweight or obese, lose weight.
If you smoke, quit. Also, try to avoid secondhand smoke.
Follow a Healthy Diet
A healthy diet is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Following a healthy diet can prevent or reduce high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol and help you maintain a healthy weight.

For information about healthy eating, go to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI's) Aim for a Healthy Weight Web site. This site provides practical tips on healthy eating, physical activity, and controlling your weight.

Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC). Your doctor may recommend a three-part program called TLC if you have high blood cholesterol. TLC includes a healthy diet, physical activity, and weight management.

With the TLC diet, less than 7 percent of your daily calories should come from saturated fat. This kind of fat is found mainly in meat, poultry, and dairy products. No more than 25 to 35 percent of your daily calories should come from all fats, including saturated, trans, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats.

You also should have less than 200 mg a day of cholesterol. The amounts of cholesterol and the different kinds of fat in prepared foods can be found on the foods' Nutrition Facts labels.

Foods high in soluble fiber also are part of a healthy diet. They help block the digestive tract from absorbing cholesterol. These foods include:

Whole-grain cereals such as oatmeal and oat bran
Fruits such as apples, bananas, oranges, pears, and prunes
Legumes such as kidney beans, lentils, chick peas, black-eyed peas, and lima beans

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can increase important cholesterol-lowering compounds in your diet. These compounds, called plant stanols or sterols, work like soluble fiber.

Fish are an important part of a healthy diet. They're a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which help lower blood cholesterol levels. Try to have about two fish meals every week. Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids are salmon, tuna (canned or fresh), and mackerel.

You also should try to limit the amount of sodium (salt) that you eat. Too much sodium can raise your risk of high blood pressure. Choose low-sodium and "no added salt" foods and seasonings at the table or when cooking. The Nutrition Facts label on food packaging shows the amount of sodium in an item.

Try to limit drinks with alcohol. Too much alcohol will raise your blood pressure and triglyceride level. (Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the blood.) Alcohol also adds extra calories, which will cause weight gain.

Men should have no more than two drinks containing alcohol a day. Women should have no more than one drink containing alcohol a day. One drink is a glass of wine, beer, or a small amount of hard liquor.

For more information about TLC, go to the NHLBI's “Your Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol With TLC.”

For the full article go to: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/catd/treatment.html

Let's all have a Happy Hearty Living :)

A Yummy Baked Mussels Recipe

A great Baked Mussels recipe from Chef Osteria Panevino from a restaurant in San Diego.

Mussels are readily available along the most of California's shoreline, and have been prized as table fare by coastal residents for centuries. They are delectable with pesto sauce and pasta, are absolutely mandatory when making Spanish paella and are a gourmet delicacy when simply steamed and dipped in garlic butter. Here, Chef Alberto Morreale offers a great, Sicilian-style recipe for baked mussels that offers a touch of Medeterranean elegance to offset the delicate flavor of the popular Mollusk.

Cook Tip: Enjoy this dish with a fresh, green salad and a cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.

Ingredients
2 lb. large black mussels
1/4 C. olive oil
1/3 C. water
(to taste) salt and pepper
2 C. bread crumbs
4 Tbsp. grated Pecorino Romano cheese
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 Tbsp. Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tsp. crushed red chili
12 fresh pear tomatoes, chopped

Directions:

Scrub the mussels with a brush, and pull off beards if necessary. Prepare a fry pan with a tight fitting lid that is large enough to hold all the mussels. Add 3-4 Tbsp. olive oil, water, salt, and pepper. Cover pan; let mussels steam over medium heat to open.
Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, parsley, and chili. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Remove mussels from pan to cool and reserve cooking liquid. Discard any unopened mussels. Open shells of remaining mussles and pull mussels from shell. Do not break shells apart.

Lay shells flat across a rimmed baking sheet and place one mussel in each shell. Cover mussel with 1 Tbsp. stuffing mixture and 1 Tbsp. chopped tomatoes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Drizzle with olive oil and remaining liquid from steam process to moisten breadcrumbs. Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Serve hot.

Bon Appetit!

World's Most Exciting & Expensive Cars

If you like cars you will absolutely love this article I got from Automotorportal.com with pictures as well. Here you will find the top 10 most expensive and exciting cars in the world.

Enjoy.

World's Most Expensive Cars

What is the most expensive car in the world? The 1931 Bugatti Royale Kellner Coupe was sold for $8,700,000 in 1987. However, that car and many alike will not be included in this list because it is not available on the market today. It is hard to imagine someone would actually spend 8 million dollars on a car instead of using it for something more productive. However, if you had the money and opportunity, you would probably spend a small fraction of it on a collection of supercars for your private garage.

Here are the 10 most expensive production cars on the market; we will not include concept cars.

1. Bugatti Veyron Super Sports $2,400,000. This is by far the most expensive street legal car available on the market today (the base Veyron costs $1,700,000). It is the fastest accelerating car reaching 0-60 in 2.5 seconds. It is also the fastest street legal car when tested again on July 10, 2010 with the 2010 Super Sport Version reaching a top speed of 267 mph. When competing against the Bugatti Veyron, you better be prepared!

Pagani Zonda Clinque Roadster $1,850,000. One of the most exotic cars out there is one of the most expensive. It can go from 0-60 in 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 217 mph.

We have a tie for 3rd place.

3. Lamborghini Reventon $1,600,000. The most powerful and the most expensive Lamborghini ever built is the third on the list. It takes 3.3 seconds to reach 60 mph and it has a top speed of 211 mph. Its rarity (limited to 20) and slick design are the reasons why it is so expensive and costly to own.

3. Koenigsegg Agera R $1,600,000. The Agera R can burn 0-60 in 2.8 seconds, reaching a maximum speed of 260 mph. It has the parts to reach 270 mph, but the supercar is electronically capped at 235 mph. With the completion of certain paperwork, the company will unlock the speed limit for one occasion.

4. McLaren F1 $970,000. In 1994, the McLaren F1 was the fastest and most expensive car. Even though it was built 15 years ago, it has an unbelievable top speed of 240 mph and reaching 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. Even today, the McLaren F1 is still top on the list and outperforms many other supercars.

For the full article here's the link which also has full details for each vehicle:
http://www.thesupercars.org/bugatti/bugatti-veyron/

10 Useless Resume Words - 10 Eye Catching Ones

What everyone should know on some words to avoid on your resume and other words you should consider.

A great article from Career Builder.

10 useless résumé words – and 10 eye-catching ones
By Beth Braccio Hering, Special to CareerBuilder

"Generic hyperbole belongs on cereal boxes, not on résumés," says Duncan Mathison, a career consultant and co-author of "Unlock the Hidden Job Market: 6 Steps to a Successful Job Search When Times Are Tough." "If it does not pass the 'So what, anybody can make that claim' test, leave it off."

Instead of being another candidate professing to be a "hard worker," revitalize your application with a little seek-and-replace exercise. Scan your résumé for empty, overused words such as the following:

1. Outstanding

2. Effective

3. Strong

4. Exceptional

5. Good

6. Excellent

7. Driven

8. Motivated

9. Seasoned

10. Energetic

"Watch out for words that are unsupported claims of greatness," Mathison says. Adds David Couper, a career coach and author of "Outsiders on the Inside: How to Create a Winning Career ... Even When You Don't Fit In," "If you call yourself an 'excellent manager,' how do we know?"

The nouns following those subjective adjectives can be equally meaningless. Anyone who has ever had a co-worker can claim to be a "team player."

A better route to take is describing accomplishments and letting the hirer make his own judgment. Give specific, and preferably quantifiable, accounts of what you've done that makes you an "outstanding salesperson." Likewise, peruse your performance reviews for quotable material from supervisors that demonstrates why they consider you a "strong leader." Listing awards or other forms of recognition also can be used as support.

Some words should be avoided because they convey traits that employers consider standard for anybody who wants to be hired. "You're motivated? Hope so. A good worker? So happy to hear that; I didn't want to hire a bad worker," Couper says. Don't take up precious résumé space with unnecessary items.

Also on the "don't" side: words that seek to overcome what you might think are your shortcomings. "Using 'seasoned' for 'over 50' or 'energetic' for 'inexperienced' looks like spin and smells like spin," Mathison says. Keep the focus on what makes you right for the job.

On the flip side, certain words can make hiring managers do a double take. Light up their eyes with these 10 words and phrases:

1. Created

2. Increased

3. Reduced

4. Improved

5. Developed

6. Researched

7. Accomplished

8. Won

9. on time

10. Under budget

"We suggest that résumé writers include action words to describe their jobs," says Susan Ach, a career counselor at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. Verbs project the image of someone who has the background and initiative to get things done. Employers can clearly comprehend what you've accomplished and can use that as a basis for envisioning future success with their company. Think about it: If you were hiring, would you rather take on someone who calls himself a "productive manager" or somebody who states that at his last job he "increased company profit by 3 percent," "reduced employee turnover in his department to the best level in five years" and "improved brand awareness by implementing a new social media strategy"?

Lastly, it can be beneficial to use verbs and nouns that are common to your specific industry. This shows your familiarity with the language of your field and optimizes the chances of getting past an automatic scan for keywords. But remember, too, that all companies tend to speak a universal language: money.

"Terms such as 'on time' and 'under budget' are often good. Hiring managers want to know you can get things done with minimum fuss," Mathison says. Tell them what makes you the most profitable choice for the job and employers will tell you the best word of all: "hired."

Beth Braccio Hering researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder. Follow @Careerbuilder on Twitter.
Copyright 2011 CareerBuilder.com. All rights reserved. The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without prior written authority.

Starting Your Day Right

Yes!!! Let's start our Mondays right or any day for that matter with a great, positive and happy attitude! It's a new day. A new week. Yesterday is gone and past. You can never take back, what you said or done. But you can certainly as easily get back on track and remind yourself what goals you have set for yourself and the people you love.

Whether it's your career, your business, your relationships or about yourself, it's never too late to enhance, improve, progress, change course, to be flexible, have a positive dialogue...

Get into the habit of filtering what you allow your mind to dwell upon most of the time. If you allow a lot of garbage, then, you will have a lot of garbage in your life.

Like I always say, "Life does not play favorites." It only gives back... back to us what we put in. Not the other way around.

Don't go to a Pit Stop every time a pebble or a rock is thrown your way or you will miss golden opportunities. You will never finish the race. And you will never become the person you were meant or called to be.

Soar and fly like an eagle.... rest if you must at times. We all need them after all.

But keep on looking on what's before you and not behind you. Keep on looking more of what's good in people and your life...


"The more beauty you see in you life, the more your life becomes beautiful."

Thoughts on Success

You heard it before haven't you? "Rome wasn't built in a day."

So is success. And everything else worthwhile.

If you read the biographies of the most successful people that ever lived, they will tell you that it was when their chips were down they discovered their personal breakthroughs.




They say, to experience real success you must experience failure first. It's the place we learn the steps, the curves and the concept of success and how to put it altogether in a consistent basis. And that only begins when we have the right attitude towards adversities, failures and disappointments.

It reveals to us who we really are, what we are made of.

When your chips are down - don't loose heart, get discouraged or worse - give up! And "don't play the BLAME game."

How we react, respond to adversities and how we bounce back is a major key component.




We have to be mentally fit and strong in order to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves and our future. They say in sports that "it's 80% mental and 20% physical." So it is in the "game of life."

Sow a thought, and you reap an act; Sow an act, and you reap a habit; Sow a habit, and you reap a character; Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.- Charles Reade

If we allow petty stuff, distractions, frustrations, personal dramas and setbacks no matter how small they are affect us, our journey becomes more challenging. Those "pebbles" on the road becomes huge boulders in our life even though in reality they are just that... "pebbles." We won't go nowhere with our careers, relationships and dreams...

So make a habit of deciding every day not to sweat on the small stuff. Because in reality, they are just that... "small stuff."

And if it so happens that you are having a major crisis, "hang in there." Keep in mind, that all events that happens to us, are there for a good reason. We might not understand them right away, see the value or fairness of what's going on. But know this - It's there to make us better, smarter, wiser.

Remember you are AWESOME! Don't short change yourself.

We are all here created equal. Uniquely gifted and blessed to make a positive impact to the people around us. Reaffirm your birth right because you are special. Created for a purpose by the Master Designer Himself. Focus on your strengths, your talents, your gifts and your goals.

Every day is beautiful... an opportunity....

Refuse to allow negativity in your life....

I understand that there will be times of mourning, of tears, sorrow and pain and loss... That's okay! It's normal to feel those emotions. That's just part of being human. Just don't stay there and dwell too long! It doesn't help. It never does.

The best way to bounce back when you fall from a horse is to pick yourself up and dust yourself off as the song goes... And QUICKLY ride on that horse again.

It's time to move on... Move forward! To harvest, cultivate, to explore new things, ideas and places... New relationships or rekindle some....

And today....

Is your time... to shine....

Focus on what's positive, empowering, energizing...
...not on the limitations , but the possibilities.

If you want better results, have a better attitude....