Health Benefits of Sex

Partners in Health e-newsletter - May 2012 - general_health:


'via Blog this'


So I get up on Mother's Day and in my inbox, I see this email from Kaiser. In the subject line it says "How sex is good for your health." Now naturally, it peaked my curiosity, so I click and take a look.


According to the article, the benefits of sex include three things:

1. Stress relief
2. Burns calories
3. Strengthens your pelvic muscles

Now the first two I can see it benefiting both men and women, but the third, well, I'm not so sure the Kegel-like exercises will help, but then again I'm a guy...what do I know.


So ladies, go find your significant other, or for those that don't have one, pull out B.O.B. and have a go at it. Go reap those benefits.

To the special woman in my life: Happy Mother's Day

Dear mamma,

Thank you for always being there for me. Sacrificing so much for your sons, I know growing up it couldn't have been easy. I can't even imagine getting married as such a young age, have 3 kids, moving to another country where you know no one, don't speak the language, or have anyone to turn to. Having to raise us alone with all the drama from our youth, but through it all you where there. 

Working long hours to put food on the table, clothes on our backs, and joy and happiness in our hearts. You've always been there for us, through it all you have never given up on us. Sure you were disappointed in us from time to time, but we could always count on you when it counted. This past year has been hard on me, and I just wanted to say thank you so the whole world will know that you are amazing.

Of course we have our differences, but what family doesn't? However, it's the bond that we all have that keeps us together. I love you dearly, with all my heart, and no matter what happens I always will. I know we are far apart and don't get to see each other all the time, but that doesn't matter.

So mamma, Happy Mother's Day!

Love Always, Your Son.

PS, Happy Mother's Day to all the other mothers out there. Without you all, none of us would be here. I hope that you are treated special, not just this day, but everyday.

Alone on the trail

After a wonderful Friday evening, the plan was to get up for an early hike with a friend and sine of his students that he mentors. Unfortunately, he had car issues, so that plan got postponed. I didn't mine to much, as this past week has been tough, not getting enough sleep and all.


I did take a nap, and after waking up decided to go on a hike myself. So I packed up my stuff and drove of to do a trail that I haven't visited in awhile.


Getting to the top of Echo Mountain can be a trek. Two and a half miles of almost constant climbing. In the afternoon, little shade, and countless switchbacks.


I started my hike at four o'clock. The way up to the top is well marked and easy to follow. During the trip up, you're given several opportunities to see the San Gabriel valley down below. On this particular day, the smog is thick, but you can still make out DTLA.


I make it to the top in just over an hour and 15 minutes. When I get up there, there's only a few people at the top, and they're heading back down. This gives me an opportunity to spend some time at the top alone and by myself.



A take the time to meditate and reflect. Listening to the wind blow, the distant humming of cars far off. Birds chirping as they fly around in the beautiful late afternoon sky. As I spend the short time by myself at the top, others begin to trickle up. As I wait for the sun to set, more and more people come up. They begin to set up for what looks to be a potluck. People trekked up pizza, wine, chips and dips, jello shots, and so much more. People young and old, males and females, health and well the not so healthy. All meeting up at the top for some good eats and company. It was really nice to see.


As the sun began to set, I started taking my pictures. I got some amazing photos that I'll share. As I packed up to head down, one of the hikers asked if I was going to stay to get shots of the moon. Unfortunately I wasn't, but I kind of wished I had. Biggest and brightest Moon of the year...it would have been some great shots.


So making my way down, something confused me. Why would people go hiking and not be prepared for the hike. As soon as the Sun went down, it began getting dark and cold very quickly. As I made my way down, people I saw didn't have extra warm clothes or lights. One guy was even coming down on the dark trail using his smart phone as his light source. Needless to say I slowed down so he could follow me.


All in all I had a great time. I got to be alone to think and reflect. I might need to do more late night hikes when the Moon is out and full, but for now, I'll just enjoy the photos that I took.

One less thing for Women to worry about.

This is a great video for all the ladies out there.

Watch "Republicans, Get In My Vagina! (Funny Stuff)" on YouTube

Finally putting them up

Since moving in to my newish place, I really haven't taken all the to truly make the place mine. Yeah, I have a few photos up, mostly of things from the past. I had many frames that contained old photos that I took with me, which needed to be filled with new memories.

Well, that has now been accomplished...well sort of. Several of my larger frames are now up, and I'm working on filling a couple more. A friend of mine is moving far way, to a place where she doesn't really know that many people. As I told them tonight, we all need to move on. Remember that every beginning has an end, and every end a new beginning. So remember and cherish the good times, and learn from the ones that weren't so enjoyable.

I, myself, am beginning a new chapter in my life. I look forward to all of its joys and challenges.

Birthday to me!

So it's my birthday, and I can cry if I want to! But no, I'm not crying. There isn't anything to cry about. I had the day off from work, so I don't have to deal with his incompetence. Though I have been called in for Jury Duty. I know, many of you think that its a waste of time, but hey I see it as doing my civic duty! Was released early, so I got tip run a few errands. Got the title changed on my car, car registration done, and even took some time for me to relax.

I was taken out to dinner by a new friend that night, discovering a new place that has great food, live music, dancing (not that I dance), and no cover (read my yelp review).

The day after was good, woke up after not getting enough sleep from the night before. Worked out, went to a send of party for a friend/ex-girlfriend. Then to my own dinner party with some friends I don't see as often. Best laugh of the evening was from the wife of the married couple.

We started taking about the old days when we all played D&D. Yes, I played don't judge. We were taking about dice rolling and how my friend the DM (dungeon master) would always roll poorly, giving us the players a great advantage. So he changed the way he did things to make it more challenged for us to succeed. Then another friend talked about how his 20-sided die that had two 20's on it would never roll a 20. Then I brought up how the ex-wife would always roll 20's, staying even I suspected her of cheating. This is were the comment came in. In true fashion, she simply states, "but she was cheating." Everyone begins to laugh loudly. People begin to look at us from different tables, but we didn't care. We ended the evening early so I can take a hike the following day.

This birthday is definitely turning out better than last. Thanks to all my friends new and old, for taking the time to spend out with me.

I Don't Have to Tell You.

"I don't have to tell you."

That's what I was told today. What context, you may ask? Well there's a bit of a back story to this, so let me begin from three weeks ago. At the school I work at, we have intersession classes for students that failed the first semester of math and/or English. In years pass, I have never volunteered nor have I been asked to do intersession, but this year I figured why not give it a try.

I signed up to do math, as I feel I'm pretty good at it, and it's 7th grade math...I'm good enough at the subject to do 7th grade math, so in to the lion's den I went. The week leading up to our first session, I went and talked to the math teacher, trying to figure out what theses students needed. I went to the other teacher that was going to doing the same grade and subject as I was so we could coordinate our efforts. I bought materials, created a wiki, slide presentations, worksheets, pacing plan, the whole nine yards as we could say, all in preparation for the class.

I asked the math teacher what the students need help with...what concepts did they need to learn, answer, I'll get back to you. I asked what I should be doing...answer, math. So the other teacher and myself began getting things together to teach these kids. I asked, what I should be doing...answer, "Go over, reteach things that students were suppose to have learned in the first semester. So again, working with the other intersession teacher, we created something from nothing. No guidance, no input from our principal. So for intersession, I asked what I was suppose to do. Students were to be taught first semester material. OK, I can do that.

My principal came to observe me, and then made comments that I was doing things that were too easy. This was the second class with the students, and we were going over basic operations, adding, subtracting, multiplication, division. Things that they were struggling on. I setup the pacing plan to cover everything they did in the first semester, starting with basic operations. Well, he came to my class again recently, and this time put a letter in my mailbox. The letter said, and I'm paraphrasing here, thank you for taking the time to teacher 7th grade math intersession. Unfortunately your class is being closed, sorry for any inconvenience."

No explanation, no reason, just 3 sentences. So two things popped into my head at that moment, first, "does this mean my students have to keep their F's from first semester. Second, what, if anything, did I do wrong?

I found out the answer to the first question real quick...my students were going to still have intersession, which is good, they all need it. The second however, was a bit more elusive. I went to talk to the principal, and he could not give me a straight answer as to why I was removed. At first, he told me that he didn't need to tell me why. Then he said that he didn't feel that I was preparing them for the CST (California Standards Test). So I asked what the purpose of intersession was, remediation or test prep.? No straight answer.

So in the end, I'm not going intersession anymore. I don't know what the official reason is, but I've been told by my birdies that it's because I wasn't doing test prep, and was actually doing my job of re-mediating my students.