Now that the polls is just a week away, do you know who to vote? I’m going a bit off-topic today from the usual men’s fashion posts and will share my own guidelines in choosing the best people to put in our ballots. Remember that most of us guys are interested in power so choosing the next leaders to put in power is very important for our country because even if we are just one person, we are still ONE person and we can do something just by casting our votes. You may not agree with everything that I will say but this will serve as a guide for you in case you are still undecided just as I was that is why I made this up.

In my opinion here are some characteristics of a good president or an ideal leader (this also applies in choosing your vice president, senators and maybe even your local officials). Feel free to add to the list.

1. Has proven track record of accomplishments
When regular people like us apply for a job, employers will look at our curriculum vitae and see if we have relevant working experience or background to find out if we are even worth to be called for a job interview.

Same is true with the people we are voting for. Remember that being a president or leader is also a job. But this time it is us who will act as employers and we need to find out if the person we are voting for is fit to become president or leader of our nation. Does he have enough experience? What has he done so far? We should be diligent enough to find out the personal background of each candidate.

2. Is honest
I am tired of hearing of vote-buying and all those cheating. We need honest leaders.

3. Is not corrupt
Need I say more? This time, we need to spare our beloved country from the humiliation that we are facing globally regarding corrupt leaders.

4. Can represent our country to the world
For me, I think it is very important that a president or leader can represent our nation to other world leaders. We need a leader who knows how to converse intelligently and can close deals with foreign investors. We need a leader who can carry himself well and can stand up like he is implicitly saying “I am Filipino and proud” when facing the likes of Barack Obama and Ban-Ki-Moon (Secretary General of the United Nations). We need someone who can uplift the Filipino image to other countries.

5. Cannot be manipulated
No matter how honest a president or leader is, it will all go to waste when he can easily be manipulated and influenced by people close to him. Vote for someone who can stand up for his own decisions.

6. Has a high sense of morality
Imagine if our country allows abortion and polygamy. Our society will definitely be chaotic.

7. Believes in the Divine
Related to #6, if a leader believes in the Divine, morality will follow. A president should learn to acknowledge that his powers are God-given through the power of the ballot. He needs to be aware that he is not invincible and that there is a greater power up there.

8. Has genuine passion to serve
The president, vice-president, senators, mayors and all other officials are there to serve – not in words, but in action. Leaders are there to uplift the condition of the people and to do what is best for their fellow countrymen. Choose a leader who has been serving already before he has even begun his political career.

9. A strong leader with a well-defined platform of government
Ever heard of the Banana Republic? Not the clothing brand since I’m not talking about fashion now. Banana Republic is a term used to describe a politically unstable country. And I’m sure you do not want Philippines to be coined as a Banana Republic where leaders are weaklings who cannot bring peace to the country.

For me, I want a strong leader who can bring everlasting peace to our nation especially to our brothers in Mindanao. I want a leader who can unite our country as one. I want a leader who has a well-defined platform of government that can sail our country smoothly through his 6 years of leadership. I want a leader who, in 2016, will make the people rally behind him saying “Re-elect Mr. President” even if it is already the end of his term because people really love him and he has proven to be one of the best presidents the Philippines has ever had.

10. Has a strong desire to make the Philippines a better nation
It’s true that many nations have already surpassed the Philippines. Many Asian nations have already prospered and left us behind but I’m not losing hope that the Philippines can catch up.

I want a leader who has a strong desire to improve our nation especially in terms of education, infrastructure, poverty, employment, military, tourism, business, economy, science, technology, health care and even sports (heck, I would love to see Philippines to get a gold in the next Olympics and even join the FIFA World Cup).

. . . . . . .

After saying all that I’m looking for in a leader, I know what you must have in mind. Who will I vote for? Well I haven’t completed my list yet, but for president, I am going for Manny Villar. And no, this is not a political ad of his but this is my honest choice. I know that some have negative things to say about him (some maybe true, some maybe not) and as a matter of fact, he wasn’t even my choice last year when the election season was just about to start. But as May 10 comes closer each day, it becomes clearer to me that Manny Villar is the best choice among all the candidates for president that we have right now.

Let’s face it – nobody is perfect. I know that he doesn’t have all the 10 characteristics of a good president or leader that I listed above. But compared to the others, he has most of them.

But what if my candidate of choice doesn’t win? Well, it is okay for me. I need to respect who the majority of my fellow countrymen voted for. After all, Vox Populi, Vox Dei (A Latin maxim associated with democracy which means  “The voice of the people is the voice of God”). I will support whoever wins for president, after all, he is the elected president and we need to support his efforts for our country to move forward. That is what democracy is after all.

Want to discuss more about the elections? Join the discussions at the PGG Forums.

*Image credit: amonthestreets

Image credit: whatmbthinks | Creative Commons License

Resistance Workout
This one is obvious but the question is why? When the muscles are put under constant working stress like a heavier weight, the cells will try to adapt by growing bigger (unlike other cells which multiply instead of growing bigger). However this adaptation occurs slowly and doesn’t happen immediately after a workout.

What makes the muscle look bigger during resistance workouts is the contraction of the muscles due to stimulation and acute cell expansion from injury. Usually, a lot of people mistake this as the actual growth but this goes away after a while.

There is emphasis on resistance workout because cardio does not help in building muscle. Cardio exercises help burn fat by using oxygen but it does not put much effect on hormones of the muscle. Sprinting however is different because it uses more of the non-cardio (fast-twitch) muscles and becomes more of resistance workout. That’s why High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) exercises were made to spare muscles to be used as energy.

Food and nutrients
Food intake promotes anabolic or bodybuilding metabolism. The body requires protein to build up the cell mass and carbohydrates to spare the muscles to be used for energy. Fats and some cholesterol are also needed because of long-term energy and formation of hormones. You need some vitamins like Vitamin A, B complex, and magnesium to increase metabolic processes.

If you eat less, the body will lack macronutrients to rebuild itself. This would make the body resort to using your muscles as energy that would lead to a reduction in muscle size.

A lot of people say that their metabolism is too high that they’re not gaining fat no matter how much they eat. This can be a false belief because metabolism is involved with both catabolism (destruction) and anabolism (building). This might just be a case of a lack of nutrients. If this happens, you have to eat.

On the other hand, overfeeding yourself with protein (like whey protein shakes) doesn’t actually benefit in extra muscle growth. Extra protein is converted to glucose and urea that will be excreted by the kidneys.

Rest
This is probably one of the most important but often neglected. People need sleep to give time for the body to repair from the damage and stress of the workout and the whole day. During sleep, the body releases growth hormone that basically rebuilds most of the damaged cells like muscles after a workout.

If you lack sleep, you’re giving less time for growth and more time for the body to release Cortisol, the stress hormone, which basically converts your muscle into energy. This means your muscles will be getting smaller.

Hormones
These are chemical messengers in the body, which drive the cells to grow or act a certain way. Two important hormones drive the muscles to grow, the growth hormone and testosterone. These two promote cell growth and muscle formation and are excreted mainly in rest or eating.

The body usually tightly controls these hormones. Abuse of these hormones like sports enhancement drugs would result in undesirable effects like man boobs, smaller testicles, and baldness.

However, you also might just have a hormone disease. Now if you suspect that you’re not growing as much as you expect with increased food intake and exercise, there might be an imbalance in your body. You might want to see a doctor for these diseases.

Kilo is a former sales associate and is currently pursuing a career in the medical field. He has a great interest in topics such as technology, health issues, economics and business. You can catch up with him at the PGG Forums.

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The 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible

The 1966 Mercedes Benz W113

The 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle Super sport

The 1966 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray

So would I drive a classic car? Well to own one – maybe not (If I had the money I’d rather spend on the latest car models). But to try to drive one, why not? I would personally love to take the 1966 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray for a test drive! How about you?

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11. Tell if someone is lying.
- Everyone has his technique in catching a liar. Not all of them work. My favorites: Liars change the subject almost instantaneously. Liars look up and to their right when they speak. Liars will sometimes stare dead straight into your eyes and employ a dead face. Pick one, test it.

12. Not monopolize the conversation.
- Leave the excessive talking to women. Less talk, less trouble.

13. Swim.
- Doggy paddle won’t cut it. Learn two more strokes man, geesh.

Image credit: Coda | License

14. Throw a punch.
- We here at PGG are advocates of peace in our own right. But knowing how to throw a good punch when the situation calls for it wouldn’t blemish your reputation. Rule of thumb: Swing with your shoulders, not your arm. Forget about a roundhouse punch or a haymaker – you’re not Manny Pacquiao. If you can strike hard using the heel of your palm, go with it. It serves the same purpose.

15. Play chess with an old guy.
- Old men are designed to crush you. They’ll bore you in meaningless chit-chats, tell stories about how life was when he was a kid and how he survived the Japanese colonization etcetera. Just keep focused and beat him to earn his respect. Don’t worry, they can handle it.

16. Drive a car.
- Learn how to drive (safely, with no drama). You don’t want to end up being driven to a restaurant by your date and letting the whole world see how much she owns you. It’s a skill that can save you a lot of headaches in the future. So go out and borrow your uncle’s ride and practice.

17. Talk to a kid.
- See the child as a person of his own. Don’t even start the conversation by pretending to know a lot about Power Rangers or Ben 10 Alien Force. Use his first name and never use baby talk.

18. Cradle a baby.
- Newborns should always be held tightly against the chest. Wrap them up tightly (they like tight spaces, read: womb) and rythmic movements. Sway your hips in a 2-way/left and right motion. Rinse and repeat.

19. Know how to make a lay-up in basketball (even if its not really your sport).
- The ugliest image in the world is a guy who has an ugly form when taking a lay-up. It doesnt matter if you make it or not – what’s important is how you execute it. Don’t be a clown. You live in a country where basketball reigns supreme. Learn it, live with it.

20. Iron a shirt.
- My personal technique: Start rough, end gently.

Jessie is a full-time employee in Makati as a Technical and Billing Support Supervisor and also works as a Freelance Event Organizer. He has a strong passion in sports and urban lifestyle. In his spare time, he reads books and magazines, surfs the Internet and plays video games.

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A Pinoy Guy should be able to…

Men’s Salon | Image credit: Pricey – License

He has been cutting my hair for the past 8 months and the style was basically the same throughout. I trusted him a lot because all that time I was always satisfied with my hair and I would always give him a tip each time I visit amounting to around 60-80% of the cost of my haircut until today.

So what happened?

About a month ago, I asked him what would be a good hairstyle for men this coming summer. He told me barber’s cut, semikal or anything short will do. But at that time I didn’t want to cut my hair short because I wasn’t really in the mood for the summer – not yet.

Fast forward to today, I told him what I wanted as mentioned above and I was a little surprised that he was quite uncomfortable, even fidgety about the idea. But since I trusted him, I ignored that.

A bit later he seems to have trouble searching where he placed the electric hairclipper but luckily, he was able to find it. When he was already starting to cut my hair on the sides, he asked me: “So why do you want this haircut?”. I just replied: “It’s summer and I wanted to try something new.” But at the back of my mind I was wondering why he even asked me that question where he was in fact the one who was suggesting it just a month ago.

Throughout that haircutting session, I was bothered by his question. I was thinking that maybe he knows that it will not look good on me or probably he’s not good in doing it. I was getting really uncomfortable on my seat thinking that I may not like the outcome of my new haircut so I just expected the worst. But guess what? It came out to be exactly how I wanted it to be! I just realized that probably the reason why he was uneasy with the haircut is because it is not his expertise. It really took him more than 40 minutes to get my hair done while in the past 8 months (with my old hairstyle) he could complete my haircut in 20 minutes or less.

I think the next time that I will try to get this kind of haircut, I will go to a different place. Yeah, he did get it right but I wouldn’t want to risk it again the next time.

How about you? Do you stick to just one barber/hairstylist? Any bad haircut stories?

Discuss the latest men’s hairstyle by joining the PGG Forums

But first things first. How were the winners selected?

As specified in the contest rules, members who are most active in contributing very useful and relevant posts/topics will be chosen as winners. This means that it is not just based on the quantity of posts but also on the quality and relevance of the posts as well. So without further ado, here are the winners:

1st Prize: Type D Rare Bracelet for Men as seen in the PGG Store

Winner: angelo

Angelo is truly the most active member of the PGG Forums. Thanks for contributing so many useful topics and posts which have been very helpful to other PGG readers. Congratulations!

2nd Prize: New Gillette Mach 3 Turbo Triumph Shaver

There should only be one winner for this but I figured out that there should be two since they both deserve it.

Winners: Prince Pao and jon

-Prince Pao has been giving advices to PGG forum members in his posts. Not only that, I’ve noticed that he is very active in the blog itself. He has given a lot of tips on skin for fellow males. Congratulations too.

-As for jon, I have seen that he is online at the forums 24ever! Almost everytime I log-in to the forums I see him there. Moreover, he is the very first member to alert me whenever there is forum spam and I really thank him for that.

3rd Prize: 100 Pesos free cellphone load

Similar to the 2nd prize, there should be only one winner but again, two deserve it.

Winners: marfz and Viktor Von Ulf

-If there is a night shifter in the forums, it will most likely be marfz. This is because he is active at the forums when most of us are already asleep. He posts not on a daily basis but on a nightly basis (say around 12 midnight and onwards). Congrats marfz.

-Viktor Von Ulf is a new member who quickly became a super poster. He just joined the forums last week, March 7, and now he has reached more than a 100 posts. Also note that all his posts and the topics that he starts are very interesting and thought-provoking. Better check his posts to see for yourself.


How to claim your prize:
Please email me at pinoyguyguide<at>gmail<dot>com with the following information:

Fullname:
Date of birth:
Full address:
Cellphone Number:   (to the winners of the cellphone load, the cellphone number you will be providing is where I’ll send your load)

Note that prizes not claimed by April 30, 2009 will be forfeited.

Again, congratulations to all the winners and keep posting at the forums.

Special thanks

Special thanks to Bunsoi, Boris, Cataclysmic, Vir_Antonio and the others for the discussions in the comments section of Pinoy Guy Guide. Thanks also to Jessie for contributing to the blog.

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In celebration of Pinoy Guy Guide’s 2nd year anniversary, I’m giving a few prizes for loyal PGG readers. Read on to find out how you could win.

Joining is easy. Just follow these three steps and you are good to go:

1. Go to the Pinoy Guy Guide Forums by clicking this link and register for an account. (Note that there is no need to register a new account if you are already a member of the forums)

2. Make sure that your email address in your forum account when you register is valid and active since I’ll use this to contact you if you win.

3. Participate in the forums by making more than 10 posts/topics.

….And you’re done!

The most active members contributing useful topics and posts will be chosen as winners. There will be three winners and here are the prizes at stake:

1st Prize: Type D Rare Bracelet for Men as seen in the PGG Store
(Courier fees will be shouldered by PGG and will be delivered right at your doorstep)

2nd Prize: New Gillette Mach 3 Turbo Triumph Shaver.
(Courier fees will be shouldered by PGG and will be delivered right at your doorstep)

3rd Prize: 100 Pesos free cellphone load

Winners will be announced on March 15, 2009. So go ahead and participate now at the PGG Forums! And one more thing, thanks to you for being a loyal reader of Pinoy Guy Guide!

Today we explore the Top 4 Pinoy Vices with PGG writer Jessie. See if you have one of these vices and let us know how you got that vice.

VICE/VICES – noun -
an immoral or evil habit or practice
immoral conduct; depraved or degrading behavior: a life of vice.
sexual immorality, esp. prostitution.
a particular form of depravity.
a fault, defect, or shortcoming: a minor vice in his literary style.
a physical defect, flaw, or infirmity: a constitutional vice.

Smoking
- Ice cold fact about the cigarette that you just smoked a while ago: Nicotine is far worst than Heroine in terms of addiction level. Pinoys just don’t think it affects them because, in reality, the effects of smoking related illnesses only manifests when you’re already at your worst condition (read: dying). I’m not here to preach on why you should lessen the sticks that you puff everyday. I am a smoker myself. I call it ‘express therapy’. I use it to pass time and earn extra patience when I’m having a rough day. But if you smoke two packs (or more) a day with your conscience intact – then you better make sure you have enough money in your bank account to keep you alive for at least 72 hours once you hit rock bottom.

Alcoholic Beverage
- Men are blinded by alcoholic beverages. It can either make or break a man. If you go out with the gang and drink your guts out – you’re in. You’re part of the circle. But if you reject an invitation or two – expect a lot rumors involving your sexuality spreading around the next day. Pressure is the element that turns a lot of Pinoys into beer drinking zombies. Drinking is a way of life. I drink. I’m sure you, Mr.Reader, downed a bottle or two at least in your lifetime. But like the saying goes; anything done excessively is wrong. If you drink at least twice or thrice a month. You’re OK. Congratulations. You will get to see your grandson play basketball in your backyard. But if you’re the guy who’s been part of every single drinking sessions of your peers, you have a very serious problem coming your way.

Online Games
- Aaaah, online gaming. One of the best inventions man has ever come up with. Back in the day, I used to be an ‘arcade’ guy. I used to be that alpha male who buys only one token, challenge a guy wearing that stupid NY Yankees cap, beats his ass in Super Street Fighter II using Guile, and beating the game itself in one seating. While a dozen of token-less guys gather around to watch. But all that magic happens AFTER school. Online gaming has taken the addiction of ‘killing’ someone, somewhere out there, to a whole new level.

Nowadays, students would often miss class to play DOTA, CS, Ragnarok, Diablo and all the games available in internet cafe’s around schools. Try going to the nearest school zone in your area and you will most likely encounter an internet and gaming cafe filled with teenagers in school uniform, screaming and yelling as they scour for more power ups and annihilate some guy’s home base with brute force. Its fun, affordable and the moxy you get when your the last man standing and yet your team still won because of your heroics is irreplaceable. But please – learn something in school. Something. Anything. Before you blow people’s head off with your sniper.

Workout
- There’s nothing wrong with working out. It takes a lot of discipline and hard work to be in good shape and it pays off in the long run. But there are guys out there who just can’t get enough of being with plates and exercise equipments. Guys who would go straight to the gym right after class or shift, ignoring everything that also matters in this life. Overexercising can lead to insomnia, depression, fatigue, and anxiety. When you’re sole motivation to work out is to have that Christian Bale physique to impress the ladies (and those fake scouts looking for new ‘talents’), then you are definitely hooked to the bones in all the wrong ways.

* other notable pinoy guy vices includes: women, shoes and Poker

How about you? What are your vices? Are you doing any efforts to stop them for the better?

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Image credit: Smarlo | License

Image credit: Celesterc | Creative Commons

Two weeks ago, I heard the old but still nice song “Boys Don’t Cry” over the radio. Ever since, I was so intrigued by the title to the point that I’ve conducted a poll here on PGG to find out what readers think about that phrase.

Surprisingly 90% of PGG readers agree that boys DO cry and it’s OK for boys to cry. I actually believe the same thing. You see, men are still human beings…

So to those who voted in the poll, tell your opinions by posting a comment below on why or why you don’t think that boys should cry.

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