English Cebuano Dictionary

"English Cebuano Dictionary" is a no-frills mobile reference suite for Android-driven handsets, one which hosts more than 45,000 English-to-Cebuano word translations.

Developed by Apps Universe, the app is designed to work offline (though it requires online access during its installation phase), making it an ideal electronic dictionary for non-Cebuano and Cebuano-speaking smart device owners.

Compatible with smartphones running on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) or higher, the app is also a practical learning and reference tool for those who wish to truly master the Cebuano language.

Best Things About Growing Old

Here's a list of 10 great aspects of aging - from the serious, personal insights that come with decades of experience to the financial perks that come with turning 65:

1. A Happier Outlook

It may surprise some, but studies show that seniors are among the happiest groups of people, and that they are significantly happier than their middle-aged counterparts.

The author of a recent study on the subject, Dr. Saverio Stranges, says, "This could be due to better coping abilities. Older people tend to have internal mechanisms to deal better with hardship or negative circumstances than those who are younger." Another reason seniors may also be happier is because age means that they are "more comfortable being themselves."

2. Grandchildren

American writer and thinker Gore Vidal once joked, "Never have children, only grandchildren." Grandparents often get to experience the joys of little children but without the sleepless nights and diaper changes. Grandparents love their grandchildren, and this love lightens their own heart while simultaneously benefiting the grandchildren who receive this love.

Dr. Karl Pillemer who studies aging and inter-generational relationships, is a firm believer in the importance of the relationship between children and their grandparents. He notes that, "Research shows children need four to six involved, caring adults in their lives to fully develop emotionally and socially" and that "the grandparent-grandchild relationship is second in emotional importance only to the parent-child relationship."

3. More Time for Loved Ones

Retirement isn't inherently relaxing or joyful - it's how that time is used that makes it special.

One of the best parts of retirement is spending more time with family, friends and other loved ones, like grandchildren.

4. Opportunity to Pursue Your Dreams

Victorian novelist George Elliot wrote, "It's never too late to be what you might have become." The time gained during retirement is an excellent opportunity to pursue dreams and passions that you might have put on hold.

For instance, you can take that trip you've always dreamed of, write the novel in your head that's been waiting to get out, or learn a new language.

5. Participation in Civics and Volunteering

Growing old provides a sense of new and broader perspective, and it often makes people inclined to focus much of their efforts and energy towards making society better and creating a better world for future generations.

In addition to spending time with loved ones and pursuing personal dreams and passions, retired seniors have more time to be civically and politically involved, and they do just that.

For example, people over aged 65 vote at a higher rate than any other age group according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. They also volunteer at a high rate. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, one in four U.S. seniors 65-plus are eager to volunteer.

6. Wisdom

A recent Smithsonian Magazine article described a number of recent studies demonstrating the emotional and intellectual benefits of aging. One study described in the article showed that seniors have better control over their emotions than other age groups. Researchers had participants of all ages play a gambling game "designed to induce regret" and found "unlike 20-somethings, those in their 60s didn't agonize over losing, and they were less likely to try to redeem their loss by later taking big risks."

7. More Empathy and Better Social Skills

Another study described in the afore-mentioned article asked participants to give advice to hypothetical authors of "Dear Abby" letters. The findings indicated that seniors have superior social and empathetic abilities. The study said: "Subjects in their 60s were better than younger ones at imagining different points of view, thinking of multiple resolutions and suggesting compromises."

8. Medicare, Guaranteed Minimum Income and other Financial Benefits

Before the 20th century, seniors without the means to support themselves  were forced to move into what were referred to as "work houses" or "poor houses." This was the lot of seniors who were not independently wealthy or who did not have family members who could take care of them.

While poverty is still a big problem among seniors, safety-net programs such as SSS and GSIS mean that seniors have a guaranteed minimum income and health insurance even if they aren't wealthy and don't have children who can support them.

Speaking in 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt described the importance of Social Security and similar safety-net programs that he helped to enact, "We can never insure 100 percent of the population against 100 percent of the hazards and vicissitudes of life. But we have tried to frame a law which will give some measure of protection to the average citizen and to his family against the loss of a job and against poverty-ridden old age."

9. Senior-Citizen Discounts

As trivial as senior discounts may seem, there must have been a time you envied them. The discounts offered to seniors can help people save money in a period when income tends to be fixed and limited. These discounts also provide a great incentive for seniors to make the most of their retirement, for the discounts are often for the exact types of services that help seniors stay engaged and active, such as entertainment, dining, and transportation.

10. Sense of Accomplishment

Older people often have a healthy sense of pride that comes from their accomplishments. These accomplishments needn't be great feats.

John Lennon's lyric, "A working class hero is something to be," puts it well. Seemingly ordinary achievements like raising a healthy and happy child, being happily married, serving in defense of the nation, or retiring from a job in good-standing after years of dedicated service, can be the foundation of a pleasant contentment in old age.

The late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who helped defeat Hitler and save the Free World said, "My biggest achievement was persuading my wife to marry me." (www.aplaceformom.com)