Hush, Hush vs. Twilight

Perhaps the biggest phenomenon right now, in terms of novels (and movies) for young ones (and the young at heart) is the Twilight series. If you've read the novel or watched the movie, you'll know what I'm talking about.

I'm not going into the details on why I think this series is so popular. I mean who can resist a mysterious immortal falling in love with a damsel in distress (who happens to be a mortal)?

But there's another novel right now that's being talked about, and that is Hush, Hush. It's like Twilight in the sense that the male character is also an immortal (although he is a fallen angel, not a vampire) and the female character is a mortal who happens to be in danger all the time (much like Bella). But then again, there's more to Hush, Hush than being another Twilight copycat.

This hub provides a rundown of the similarities and differences between these two novels. Suffice it to say that it cannot be denied that the two are similar in certain cases. However, they also have their differences and these differences, without a doubt, make each one of them special in their own way. Hope you enjoy reading this hub as I enjoyed reading the two books. Thanks!

Thong Sandals for This Summer

It's summer time once again (well, at least for some parts of the world). Time to hit the beach, the poolside and generally, have fun.

What better way to have fun this summer than to ensure that you wear the most comfortable footwear there is. Yep, I'm talking about thong sandals. And not just any thong sandals - thong sandals that are in the bestselling list of Amazon.

I wrote the first hub, Amazon's Bestselling Women's Thong Sandals, a few days ago. I couldn't help but feel that I just want to add everything on My Cart and buy all of them. Those are some great choices, great designs, cute colors and they all look comfortable and easy to wear too.

Not content with the hub about women's thong sandals, I published the Amazon's Bestselling Men's Sandals barely 24 hours ago. I know I'm not a man nor do I have big feet to fit on one of those men's sandals. But I do know that they look just as interesting as the women's thong sandals. I'm hard pressed to hide these wonderful products from my husband just in case he gets it into his head to buy one of those sandals.

So, whether it is men's sandals or women's thong sandals, I really hope you will find what's best for you. Have a happy summer!

Franchises: Advantages, Disadvantages and Things to Consider

Franchises are the 'in' thing nowadays in the business world. In fact, in my country, there's never a better year (or decade) than this one to go into franchise. Notwithstanding the financial crisis, franchised business are springing up left and right.

So, are you one of those who are interested in getting a franchise for your business? Are you ready to become a franchisee? In this hub, I wrote about the things that one needs to consider before getting a franchise.  They're actually more on questions that you need to ask yourself before even pursuing any franchised business.

Before going for a franchise, you may want to know about the advantages and disadvantages of franchising. Forewarned is forearmed and franchising is no exception. You may have the guts, you may have the money, you may have the brains but still, if franchising is not meant for you and you don't have the passion for it, then nothing can make you successful in it.

So good luck. I hope you find the right franchise for you.

For the 2010 Philippine Elections

Two months from now, we'll be choosing a new set of government officials, from the President, to the Vice - President, the Senators, the Congressmen, mayors down to the city councilors. I tell you it's no easy feat to choose the right candidate. Here are just some of the statistics - 9 presidential candidates, 7 vice presidential candidates, more than 60 candidates for senators. And those are just in the national level, what more in the local levels?

In recognition of these all - important elections, I have written two hubs to introduce and provide some information about the presidential and vice - presidential candidates. My hub on Meet the Philippines 2010 Presidential Candidates lists the nine presidential candidates. Nearly all of the candidates have political background. One is a son of a former president, another one is actually a former president (!), four are incumbent senators, one is a former cabinet secretary, one is a councilor (the youngest at the age of 40) while another one is from the private sector. Two of these candidates are running as independents and have no vice - presidential or senatorial candidates. Only one among these nine candidates is female.

My second hub on Meet the Philippines 2010 Vice - Presidential Candidates lists seven candidates, only one of whom is female. One is a current mayor of the business district of the country, two are senators, two served as heads of several government agencies, one is from the private sector and one comes from the entertainment industry.

This is a crucial time for our country as a lot of people are hankering for real changes that can make an impact in our lives. Choosing the right candidate will go a long way towards ensuring these real changes. So vote wisely and may the best candidate wins!

My Business Hubs

Two weeks ago, we had a HubMob topic in Hubpages about small businesses. Boy, was I excited. I mean, I'm no businessman (or woman), I certainly don't have my own. But if there's one profession that is so inter related with business, it's mine - accounting. We do the books, know the accounting, the taxes, etc. We're the go - to guy whenever the business owner needs an advice about the business and the balances. So yes, you might say we're the hired help, but we're the hired help who knows a business.

So, getting back to this HubMob topic, I was really kind of busy during that week but as the topic was right in my alley, I really have to put my two cents in. It turned out I managed to write two hubs and here's a brief rundown of them:

The first tells about the Advantages and Disadvantages of Franchising. Franchising is a hot (and I  mean HOT!) topic right now in my country. In fact, even with the current financial crisis, franchising is still a thriving business. A lot of companies managed to expand (despite the odds) through franchising. But, let's face it, franchising is not for everybody, much like starting a business is not really for everybody. In this hub, I wrote the various advantages and disadvantages of franchising. But don't take my word for it, bottomline is, if you have the stomach (and the guts) to take the risk and go into business (whether it is a franchise or not), go for it! And if you've decided to go into a franchise business (or any business for that matter), why not read my next hub?

My next hub is all about managing cash flows and why is it so important to do this. I've seen a lot of good business ideas take off only to slow down or even to go out of sight because of one thing - the business owner did not know, and was not able to, manage the cash flows well. You might get tired of hearing (or reading) this but I have to say it again - cash is the king in a business. Not profit (although I think this is the queen), not your assets, but cash. Having enough supply of cash spells the difference between a successful and failed business and a liquid and bankrupt company. And if you can't handle the cash of your business well, then you're better of closing it down and becoming an employee, where you'll receive a sure amount of money every month. And that's all I have to say.

'Tis the Season for Love, Happy Valentine's Day!

I know, I know, it's just after Christmas and New Year and we're still feeling the after-effects of that season. But we're nearing the month of February and we all know what that means - Valentine's Day a.k.a. the 'love' season is here.

So, to celebrate this season of love, I have written several 'love' hubs.

There's my hub about how we, Filipinos, celebrate Valentine's Day. It features, among others, our famous Dangwa Market, where one can buy various kinds of flowers at cheaper prices during Valentine's Day. It also includes our favorite Valentine's gift, the famous 'Harana' (serenade) and the candlelight dinner for two in, of all places, a fast food restaurant.

Another hub tell about how to spend Valentine's Day when you're single and unattached. A lot of single people complain that they don't have anybody to spend Valentine's Day with. Well, worry no more. Who says you can't have fun on Valentine's Day even if you don't have a special someone? You can definitely have fun and more. Just some of the ways you can have fun (as featured in this hub) - go to a party, go to a spa, buy something for yourself or for other people, go home and rest and, best of all, relax and love yourself this Valentine's Day.

Of course, being a day filled with gifts, one can't avoid writing hubs that are geared buying or receiving gifts on Valentine's Day. There's my hub on my wish list this Valentine's Day. Some of the things I would love to receive this Valentine's Day? Perfume, chocolates (of course), roses and jewelries.  If you can't find anything you like here, then head on over to my next hub - the bestselling romantic gifts from Amazon. I'm pretty sure you'll find something in there.

Have a happy Valentine's Day!