The Benefits of Oregano

Oregano (Scientific name: Origanum vulgare) is also known as Wild Marjoram, Mountain Mint, Origanum, Wintersweet and Winter Marjoram.

Hand of Hope: Samuel Alexander Armas

A picture began circulating in November. It should be "The Picture of the Year," or perhaps, "Picture of the Decade." It won't be. In fact, unless you obtained a copy of the paper, you probably will never see it.

Tracey Connelley, Baby P's Evil Mom, Shows NO Remorse

I have never been affected by any story as much as Baby P's story has affected me. Yesterday evening, I found myself sobbing twice! I just can't get over the sheer horror of the story.

Baby P's Murderers -- Why Are They Being Protected?

In my country, it has never happened before that the media and the people have been forbidden to actually reveal the names and faces of TC and SB, the murderers of Baby P.

That Winter The Wind Blows Finale: Did Oh Soo Die?

Over the holy week break, I spent the entire four days just watching the 15 episodes of this Korean show. Yes, I am a self-confessed Korean drama addict. I already have my favorite actors and actresses; albeit, I don’t know their names.

Jan 31, 2008

Veronica Decides to Die


I adore Paulo Coelho.


My friend Sussette introduced him to me. She has all his books.

Once upon a time, Coelho became a rage here. I guess everyone was reading his books although half of these people do not understand the depths of his writings. I have to admit I am an idiot myself. His writings were so lyrical, so poignant, so deep that I don't think I was able to scratch the surface of the depthness.

Sometimes, I wonder if Coelho meant his books to be simple. That his meaning were not so divine like I thought.

I became a fan of Coelho with Veronica Decides to Die. It was a worthwhile experience. It was like jumping into Veronica's skin and see things as she saw them -- see sanity or insanity as Coelho saw them. For the hours I read the book, I was insane and I loved it.

This statement may be blasphemous for people who are suffering from any form of mental illness or even depression as Veronica (in the book) was. It is not easy. It is horrible. I know because I have been a witnessed to it. I suffered it as much as my husband did.

Insanity though comes with freedom. You can go naked and run through the streets and you wouldn't care.
You are not bound by the rules that "sane" people have to live by.
In your mind, you are free.
My friend Sussette once said that she would rather become insane than commit suicide.
The truth, however, is that it is oftentimes insanity that drove people to death.
It is a battle that the "insane" has to wage.

Jan 30, 2008



I love Naga City.

I cannot imagine living somewhere else. Of course, I would love to live a week or two in London or Dublin, but I do not want to settle anywhere else.
The ironic thing about loving this city though is hating it.
They have all left.
And all I have are memories of them.


Here are some Naga City street shots taken by Rael
















































































And here are some shots of my University especially during summer. It is only in summer that the UNC skies look like this. Again, these are shots taken by
Rael



Jan 28, 2008

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Smorty for Bloggers

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Smorty is an automated system which connects bloggers with advertisers. All you would have to do is register with Smorty, provide them with your PayPal details, get your blog approved and you’re all set. You would be given a list of topics to choose from and a corresponding deadline will be set for the topic you accept. Don’t waste your time on just mere blogging if you could blog for money.

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Barry's Answer to Kathryn

It is not too often that someone impresses me with the brilliance of their reasoning or their mind. Mr. Barry Young's response to my post impresses the hell out of me.

After reading my post -- this was his response --

Tinggay, when somebody tells you something, especially on the Internet, that may shake the foundation of your beliefs, you should always ask them to provide credible references for their claims. The problem with the Internet is that anyone can say anything.

And the problem with Kathryn's claims is that they are about 80% incorrect. There is way too much for me to respond to so I will just deal with the simplest, the claim that all of these Mythical deities were born on December 25th.

* * *
Here are the problems with this:

1) "December" is a month in the Gregorian and Julian calendars. There is no such month in the Egyptian, Jewish, ancient Hindu or any other calendar. Thus, 4 of the 5 gods cited could NOT have been "born" on December 25th because there was no such date!

2) The 5th god cited (Mithras) did have his birth celebrated on Dec 25th in ancient Rome from the 1st through 4th centuries AD. Thus Christians could not have copied Christ's birth story from Mithras because Christ's birth preceded it.

3) The date that the naysayers are actually alluding to is the Winter Solstice. And as you might imagine almost every Sun god and goddess of agriculture or fertility both "died" and was re-"born" on the Winter Solstice.

4) So why was Jesus born on the same day? Simple, he wasn't. Nor has any Church ever claimed that he was. The fact is that we don't know when Christ was born, though the Bible does indicate that it was in the spring, NOT the winter. Dec 25th is just when we *Celebrate* Christ's birth. It is likely that this date was chosen intentionally to supplant the festivals of those mythical gods.
* * *

And I promise you that all of those other claims have just as many problems with them.

And you can confirm the facts I have cited at Wikipedia or in any good Encyclopedia.

You don't have to defend your Faith. That is why it is called "Faith". It is not Science or Law or Philosophy. Those are all good things that correctly require assertions to be defended. But Faith can NOT be proven and if it could be, it wouldn't be "Faith".

Likewise, it cannot be Disproven either. And you should therefore require that those who attack your faith must support and defend their claims with credible (authoritative) evidence. In argumentation (as in Law) there is something called "Presumption", which is the side of an argument that is presumed to be correct unless it can be disproven. This means that the other side has the "Burden" of making their case first. If the side with the Burden cannot make a convincing case first, then the side with the Presumption does NOT have to even defend itself.

The Law always defines where the Presumption and the Burden lies in a legal case, but in the matter of your own Faith you decide this yourself and of course you should always give yourself the Presumption. Therefore whenever anyone attacks your Faith, you should always require that they defend their claims first. Require that they provide evidence of the proofs that they claim. And if they try to make you do the same, simply reply "My Faith does not have to have proof sufficient for YOU, it only has to satisfy ME, and it does."

Now, what would Kathryn say about that?

Jan 26, 2008

Shut Up!

The gossipmongers strike again.

This is the update on my last entry.

Another neighbor came over today. She rushed over, quiet upset. She was all over my mother with sympathy.

"I heard that the barangay captain went here and inspected your house? I'm really sorry about that."

Geeze.

Look how mama's comment blew totally out of freaking proportion.

Gossipmongers


Beware of what you speak.

The other day, a neighbor came over and told my mother that one of my "workers" were stealing stuffs from me. That she saw a plastic of our product in the worker's room. You see, we took in our neighbors as employees.

We live in one of the poorest areas here in the city and sometimes, my mother goes overboard with her zealousness. She's like all for saving her neighbors from poverty and ignorance.

Anyway, my mother was really pissed off when she learned about it. I decided to fire the employee who at that time was on leave because her "girlfriend's" grandmother died.

What happened next was hilarious --

First Scene:
Mama to Auntie Violy: "That Marissa! Don't she dare even think of reporting me to the barangay council for my pigs. She'll rot in jail!"

(Mama and her pigs are being constantly subjected to complaints of the neighbors suffering from the stench)

Second Scene:
Auntie Violy to Me: "Did you know your mother that someone told her that Marissa is going to file a complain to the barangay council because of the pigs"
Me: "Marissa?! She did?! That low-lying no good for nothing thief!"

Third Scene:
Me to Marissa: "You see, Marissa -- we can forgive you for the juice (that you stole) but why did you say that you're going to report my mother to the barangay council?
Marissa: (After a series of blasphemies) "I did not say that! Who said I said that? I bet it's Manay Virginia again!"
Me to Marissa: "What happened to the juice?"
Marissa: "Michael used them as chaser (for drinking)"
As it so happened, Michael is another employee.

Fourth Scene:
Marissa's house is next to ours. She started wailing so loudly that I bet the shutters of their little shanty broke. I could actually hear her stomping on the floor! Screaming so loudly that even her father and mother could not pacify her. She was crying so loud that my mother felt really sorry for her. She was also at the top of her voice cursing at Manay Virginia -- the innocent bystander.

Fifth Scene:
Manay Virginia and Marissa came rushing into our house to confront me.
Manay Virginia to ME: "Tere, did I say anything to you about Marissa saying that she's supposedly going to report your mother to the barangay?"
The two began arguing in front of me. Until finally, Mama put an end to it all. We decided to take her back.

Sixth Scene:
Me to Mama: "Ma, who told you that Marissa wanted to report you to the barangay?"
Mama was laughing and laughing because all she said was -- "That Marissa! Don't she dare even think of reporting me to the barangay council for my pigs. She'll rot in jail!"

The CULPRIT: Auntie Violy.

Jan 25, 2008

A walk with Paige



My little girl is teaching me the word APPRECIATION.

Earlier this evening, I went for a walk with Paige. The houses across the street were demolished and so there left a wide space of green grass. The bridge across our house going to the mall was finished so with the wide space of grass, a bridge and a setting sun -- a walk is always appropriate.

Paige is amazed with everything.
We always take some time to look at the sky, the setting sun, the birds, the water...
And what used to be common or ordinary to me
suddenly became different.
I began to see things in the eyes of a one year old.

Birds suddenly became amazing.
The sky suddenly became so high.
The sun -- the setting sun became even more breathtakingly beautiful.

I realized that having a child is like touching that part of you which remains to be a child.
My little girl is teaching me appreciation of all the things that are wonderful.

Jan 20, 2008

Pepper Burn Remedy



It hurts.
It burns.






I chopped a lot of pepper today. Unfortunately, I did not wear gloves. Yes, my hands started to burn and it is still burning.
I've tried everything!
water.
water with ice.
vegetable oil.
rubbing alcohol.
lotion.
milk.
lemon juice.
bleaching powder.
baby oil.

Still, it hurts so goddamn much!
The pain is so freaking terrible. My hands are on fire.
Advice to Self: Next time, wear gloves moron!

Jan 18, 2008

Fairy Godmother Sells the Squids



















Today marks the first day of our new business. It went well.
It never occurred to me though that I'd go into squid business because I hate squids.

You see, back when I was in High School, my father got into this squid phase where all he wanted to eat was squid. Squid, squid and squid. We practically ate squid 3x a day! You could say that at some point in my life it was our staple food. So, my sister and I hated squids.

There was this one time when my father even got into this Fish phase. Cats fight over me. I had scales! Geeze. But let's not go to that.

Anyway, I digress.

So, I grew up hating squids. So, I don't really understand why people love it.
Ironically, it's now our business.

My husband is a mess worrying about sales and every little thing.
But I am not at all worried.
Why?
I beat all my competitors in Fairy Godmother Tycoon. :)
I also finished the Lemonade Tycoon Game.
Seriously!
I mean, the concept was the same -- pricing, customer response, advertising and marketing, stocks, weather and proper location.
If your customer thinks that your price is way too high. Drop the price. But just enough so you'd have a little profit. Remember that a little profit is better than no profit at all.
Proper presentation and marketing matter. Period.
Weather and location determine sales. Adjust your price and stocks accordingly.
Get just enough stocks.
Same concepts, right?
This is what got me through the Tycoon Games.
:)
Now, Beaman, you'd probably think I'm a Nincompoop again. :)

Jan 15, 2008

If I sell my Dead BODY
















$5,575.00?!

That's pretty cheap.
Who's selling it?
My eyes alone are worth a couple of a thousand bucks.
And don't let me go to my brain's worth.
Considering how healthy this freaking body is, I should have gotten a couple of millions at least!

Jan 14, 2008

Life: Deal or No Deal?

Sometimes, life is really surprising.
Amazing things can happen to us; and sometimes, we are left with no choice but to DEAL.

Like this story of a little girl who began to experience PMS at the age of three, got body odor at the age of 5, started to get her periods at the age of 8 and started to wear cup C bras at the age of 12.




















We have to deal with life's surprises, gifts and tragedies. Deal. Deal. Deal. These things measure our strength, tests our beliefs, and ultimately reminds us that we are human. Mere humans -- pawns to life's little jokes.

If you were asked --

What would you do if you were carrying twins and the other twin died, so you thought you were left with just one twin to carry through term, just to find out later that you were carrying another fetus that was fertilized in a latter time?

What would you say?

You basically end up with two babies, both your own, fertilized on different times, with one fetus older than the other by three weeks. Amazing story, huh?

















This woman had to DEAL. She was blessed. One was taken and another one was given.

Or if you were again asked --

What would you do if your little boy is dying of cancer, seemingly without any hope of getting cured? Would you continue with treatment and operations or would you just wait for him to pass away if he has mere 18 months to live?

What would your answer be?




















This woman chose to wait for her son's death. It was not easy. It didn't mean that she did not love him; but that she let go of herself and her desires for her little boy.

The question is -- do you think she gave up on him?


Interesting Blogs

Every now and then I come across really interesting blogs. And when I say interesting, I mean REALLY, REALLY INTERESTING.

Check out Kathryn's blog. This is a remarkably interesting story about a man with a wife who was able to live his dream of being a woman in a span of two years. Kathryn was never attracted to men though. She was just raised to feel and think like a woman. She learned to equate self-fulfillment, completion and happiness with being a woman. This need was insatiable which led to this amazing journey.

Another blog I find really interesting is this blog knowing how many people out there are agnostics or atheists, or some just plain assholes -- this blog speaks so much of the author behind it. To actually stand and write about your faith and what you believe in regardless of the amount of ridicule you'd get -- Remarkable. The interesting thing about this blog is this -- it IS Jesus' blog. It is Jesus writing the posts. It is Jesus answering the comments -- or at least the author presented the blog the way he thinks Jesus would.

Interesting, huh? Enjoy!



Is Jesus Christ a Fairy Tale?
















I am a Roman Catholic. I have been a Roman Catholic before I could even say, "Dumb-ass".
I was baptized three months after I was born; so you could definitely say I had no choice on the matter.

I studied in a Roman Catholic School for 12 years.
By the time, I got out of that school, I was definitely a hard-core Roman Catholic.
And if that 12 years weren't enough, my parents made sure that I see all other religion as false and Roman Catholic doctrine as the absolute truth.

I am still a Catholic but I do not just accept teachings like a 3-year-old would. I do not jump hoops because the Pope said so. I question.
Unfortunately, with those questions came answers that I would have preferred to have not known.
As a form of compromise, I just go with the "So, who made all these things if there was no God?" theory.
It still works for me.
And you could say I really believe God exists. I do not have to ask proof to believe. I know he does. In times when my life was most silent or tumultuous, He was there.

Along with God comes my belief in Jesus Christ. After reading this forum though, my beliefs were slightly shaken.

Especially after reading Kathryn's post.
"Actually, no. There is NO historical proof that Jesus existed. The authors of The Bible (No. God did not write it!) were among the world’s first plagiarists, borrowing from myths older than themselves to create the mythical figure they called Jesus Christ.

Almost all the events of the supposed life of Jesus appear in the lives of other mythical figures of far more ancient origin. Nearly all such 'signs' had been ascribed to other gods, centuries before any Jewish holy man strolled about. Christ’s supposed utterances and wise statements are equally commonplace, being variously stolen from Jewish scripture, neo-Platonic philosophy or commentaries made by Stoic and Cynic sages.


Here are five fictional gods who served as the basis for the mythical Jesus Christ:


Three thousand years before the Alleged Christ, there was the mythical Egyptian savior known as Horus. He was born of a virgin on December 25 in a manger with his birth being announced by a star in the East and attended by three wise men. At 12, he was a child teacher in the Temple, and at 30, he was baptized in the river Jordan by "John the Baptist". He had 12 disciples, two of whom were his "witnesses.” He performed miracles. Horus walked on water. He delivered a "Sermon on the Mount". He was crucified between two thieves, buried for three days in a tomb, and resurrected. - He was also described at the time as the "Way, the Truth, the Light," "Messiah," "God's Anointed Son," "the "Son of Man," the "Good Shepherd," the "Lamb of God," the "Word made flesh," the "Word of Truth," etc. - He was "the Fisherman" and was associated with the Fish. - Horus was called "the KRST," or "Anointed One." - Like Jesus, "Horus was supposed to reign one thousand years."


Next, just twelve hundred years before the alleged Christ, there was the mythical Greek god named Attis. Attis was born on December 25 of the Virgin Nana. He was considered the savior who was slain for the salvation of mankind. His body as bread was eaten by his worshippers. His priests were "eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven." He was both the Divine Son and the Father. On "Black Friday," he was crucified on a tree, from which his holy blood ran down to redeem the earth. He descended into the underworld. After three days, Attis was resurrected on March 25 (the same day later claimed for Jesus) and called the "Most High God."

Also twelve hundred years before the alleged Christ, there was the mythical Persian god, Mithra.
Mithra was born of a virgin on December 25 in a cave, and his birth was attended by shepherds bearing gifts. He had 12 companions or disciples. He performed miracles. Mithra sacrificed himself for world peace. He was buried in a tomb and after three days rose again. His resurrection was celebrated every year. His sacred day was Sunday, the "Lord's Day," hundreds of years before the appearance of Christ. His religion had a Eucharist or "Lord's Supper," at which Mithra said, "He who shall not eat of my body nor drink of my blood so that he may be one with me and I with him, shall not be saved."

Then, just nine hundred years before the alleged Christ, there was Krishna in India.
Krishna was born of the Virgin Devaki ("Divine One") on December 25. His earthly father was a carpenter. He died around the age of 30 on a tree, crucified between two thieves. He rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. He was deemed the "Son of God" and "our Lord and Savior," who came to earth to die for man's salvation. One more. Just five centuries before the alleged Christ, there was Dionysus, a Greek god. Dionysus was born of a virgin on December 25 and, as the Holy Child, was placed in a manger. He was a traveling teacher who performed miracles. He was the God of the Vine, and turned water into wine. Dionysus rose from the dead on March 25. He was considered the "Only Begotten Son," Savior," “Redeemer," "Sin Bearer," Anointed One."

And, of course, we all know the story of Jesus Christ because we just read it FIVE times.
The earliest defenders of an earthly flesh and blood historical Jesus came along in the 2nd century, and even at that time none of them was able to provide proof for the existence of Jesus, instead they relied on theological reasoning and scriptures to support their claims, eventually winning out through political force, not the validity of their claims."
I didn't know all these. It would really make you wonder if the foundation of the Catholic Faith is entirely questionable. This is like Da Vinci Code for me all OVER again.




Mimi's Open Tag Meme

ImageChef.com - Custom comment codes for MySpace, Hi5, Friendster and more

I am now officially a fan of Mimi! I just so love her memes.

Here is one she open tagged; so, I'm grabbing it.

1. In two words, explain what ended your last relationship.
Ass Hole. Two words, right?

2. When was the last time you shaved your legs?
Huh?! Am I supposed to shave them? :)

3. What were you doing this morning at 8am?
snoring. Haven't received assignments for my homebased work since after Christmas. I'm pretty broke.

4. What were you doing 15 minutes ago?
Doing the dirty. Quickie. Really, really quick. :)

5. Are you any good at math?
I failed my CPA Board Exam and I blame it to the fact that I haven't memorized the multiplication table. I have the 2s and 5s down but I still do the finger counting thing when I have to multiply any other digit. I'm so bad with the 7s and 9s.

6. Your prom night?
My school was run by priests and nuns. What do you think?

7. Do you have any famous relatives?
Yeah. I think I am a relative to Hitler three generations removed. He was Filipino, you know. Didn't you hear? He's the product of Jose Rizal's loins. I am also a distant cousin of Ron Hubbard, the GREAT founder of Scientology. Now, you know why I keep all these facts under wraps. :)

8. Have you ever taken out a loan to pay for school?
Yeah. I borrowed a couple of hundreds from my bestfriend after I spent my tuition money on coke. And yeah, that was after I discovered Mars.

9. Do you know the words to your MySpace song?
I would if I had one. I'd probably upload "Hit Me Baby, One More Time".

10. Last thing u received in the mail?
A couple of bloody arms and legs and a note that said, "Pay Your Phone Bills, Asshole! OR ELSE..."

11. How many different beverages have you drank today?
Three. A bottle of Martini, a bottle of Scotch and a bottle of Brandy. I guess this is pretty obvious from my answers. And if this is true, I'm the Queen of England. I'm pretty boring so I guess two -- my daughter's leftover mango juice and tap water. Boring. I prefer the three bottles.

13. Who did you lose your virginity to?
Bubba, the truck driver who loves shrimps. That's Dawson's Creek and Forrest Gump's Bubba.

14. Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach?
Yeah. I'm narcissistic. I also write The GREAT after my name. Just so everyone on the beach knows.

15. What's the most painful dental procedure you've had?
A root canal. It was so painful I murdered the dentists afterwards.

16. What is out your back door? Lots of these.
Let me see, Two Pregnant Pigs and 7 piglets, 15 ducks and a garden of Oregano. Trust me. I'm telling the truth this time.

18. Do you like the ocean?
Seriously, one of God's masterpieces. I like it FROM A DISTANCE. I'm a pathetic swimmer.

19. Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different kinds of popcorn for Christmas?
What kind of dumb asshole would give popcorn for Christmas? I would be greatly tempted to shove it up their well -- behind. :) Of course, after I said Thank You. It wouldn't be nice if I didn't, right?

20. Have you ever been to a planetarium?
Planet-what? Nah. I would love to if there is one here in the BackWoods.

22. Something you are excited about?
tap.tap.tap. I'm sitting here for a minute now and I can't think of any. Apparently, I don't get excited about anything. Now, that's sad. This depresses me now. Well, I could go for Hilary Duff's movies. Now, that's really pathetic!

23. What is your favorite flavor of jello?
Hate Jellos. Abhor. Detest. Despise. Vomits. Do I have to go on?

24. Are any of your great-grandparents still alive?
Yes. All four of them. Their sex lives are better than mine. Of course, they're not! Are your great grandparents still breathing?! They must be positively ancient by now! How many change of Popes have they witnessed?

25. Describe your keychain?
Don't have any. Surprise? I just don't have any doors that I have to lock or keep keys for.

26. Where do you keep your change?
My jewelry box. It's just convenient to drop everything in your pocket and your jewelry in your jewelry box at the end of the day.

27. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group?
Scientology Assembly this morning! We were planning a really good scheme for eliminating all traces of psychiatry. We finished with ways to terminate all psychiatrists. Now, you really think I'm a Scientologist. Unfortunately or fortunately, I'm not. I just can't afford that religion. Seriously, January 2007. English Class. I was the teacher.

28. What kind of winter coat do you have?
No winters here. I wish there was though. I'd wear a coat that's made out of some dead animal fur. I'd love some bear or tiger or Panda Coat. You can shoot me now or start calling me names like the "Fugly Relative of the Trollsen Twin" or something. :)

29. What do you think of the person you copied this from?
Brilliant. She might read this, you know. So, yes -- Brilliant.

30. Do you sleep with the door to your room open or closed?
Closed. Definitely closed; else the cat starts to labor and delivers her smelling, mewling kittens under the bed. Trust me, mother cats can be very testy after giving birth.


















Jan 13, 2008

I came across Twisted Sister's blog and decided to try out the meme "she stole" :)))

I couldn't resist because it seems to be a lot of fun.
You basically will create your own band album cover and here's mine --

















Please don't ask me why I have that picture and that name.
It's pretty cool although I got a disgusting worm for a picture and a biochemical lab for a band name. And geeze, check out carrier song -- Husband about 30 pounds. WTF?

I had fun though.
Go try it out yourself -- Here are the directions:

(Taken from Twisted Sister's blog
verbatim)

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
(The first article title on the page is the name of your band.)


2. http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
(The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.)


3. http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/
(The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.)


4. Use your graphics program of choice to throw them together, and post the result as a comment in this post. Also, pass it along in your own journal because it’s more amusing that way.

Have lots of fun!

Jan 12, 2008

Understanding Adultery

















I fell in-love with a married man.

Not!

Definitely have not.
Never have been.
And I am fervently wishing and hoping that I will never be.

A friend of mine once fell in love with a married man. I think to a certain degree I played a role in her taking the leap and falling deep into one big fuck up mess.

(My sister once accused me of encouraging people to do things because I cannot do them. Like when I made her get a really short haircut which she absolutely hated.) Anyway, I digress.

I once worked in an office where married people are hooking up, and where getting involved with your married officemate was pretty much acceptable. It was not morally correct but it served as a nice topic for lunch breaks. It's no wonder the HR Department implemented an every Wednesday Mass program.

But why do people enter into adulterous relationships?

People find themselves in these relationships because of various reasons -- loneliness, revenge, need, love. Let's take a look at some of the people I know who jumped into the world of illicit liaisons.

Case 1. Beautiful, intelligent, 24-year-old woman who never had any relationship fell prey to the sweet tongue of a married man. Can you forgive her?

Case 2. Loving woman (whose husband cheated on her) fell in love with another man. Is this an acceptable reason?

Case 3. 25-year-old beautiful woman (who got pregnant when she was 18 and who never had any other boyfriend except her husband who got two other women pregnant) fell in love with an 18-year-old. Can you excuse her?

I guess, if you really think about it -- you can actually excuse them or at least understand where these people are coming from.
However, if we would excuse or understand everything that is morally corrupt or wrong in this world, where does that leave us?

Payday Loan Debt Settlement


It gets really frustrating, doesn’t it? Paying off your payday loans. You almost wish you didn’t take the loan in the first place. Are you trapped in that vicious pay-loan cycle where you keep securing a loan just so you could pay off an existing one?

You took that loan and I bet you said to yourself, “I am going to pay this off next payday.” But now, you’re stuck with loans and you’re paying off one loan with another loan. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who find themselves in this situation. So, what do you do?


Things You Can Do

If it’s too overwhelming, perhaps you can get some assistance in paying off your loans. I’m pretty sure if you’re reading this that you need help to pay off your payday loans. Look for government representatives that would help you devise a way to pay off your loans. Also, look into your state laws. Perhaps, the state can help you payoff your loans. There are laws that would allow you to devise a payment scheme which you would be more comfortable with.

Pay Your Loan ASAP

If you take a payday loan, remember to pay that loan as soon as you possibly can. Avoid the “I’ll pay the next time” attitude. This only gets you into more trouble with your loans. Pretty soon, you’d find yourself taking out more loans so you could pay the previous loans.

Consider Other Options

If your finances are pretty stiff, consider other money-earning activities that you can do in order to help you pay off your loan. If you have no choice but to get a loan, borrow from friends or relatives – at least you could avoid the overwhelming interest you’d have to pay if you get another loan from banks or lending companies.

Jan 11, 2008

The Absence of Limbo

Now, there's no Limbo.
And I grew up believing that there was one.
I sometimes wonder how convenient it is for the Vatican to just easily declare the absence of something that we believed in for years.
This raises some question as to the veracity of the claims of the Church.
Are we just pawns on the games they play?

Happy Birthday Ba!

Jumping on the Wagon


I shouldn't be actually concerned about Obama or Clinton but I find myself seriously considering who I want to win.

Okay, I'm stuck in this freaking third world country but my day's work comes in US Dollars. Lately, the poor performance of the US Dollars in the world market has severely affected my own resources. No, it's not Gloria Arroyo's great economic machinations that has improved the peso. It is a fact that the US dollar has not been faring well. Ask any economic-conscious American.

Well, yeah -- the world does not revolve around me; and yes, the American people will not vote for their president just so I'd get a higher salary. Sue me then; but in my little world, that's my concern.

IF the next American President will haul the American economy from the dumpsters; perhaps, my salary will rise again. Miracle! (background music of angels coming from heaven playing)

But who do I want to win?

I have to admit that I liked Barack Obama when I saw him with his family in Oprah. That Oprah! She always gets to me! You'd actually hear me say sometimes, "Oprah said." As if it's the Bible truth if Oprah said it.

My choice has nothing to do with Obama's platform of government or plan.
I just like him because --
a. He's cute. You gotta admit he is.
b. I always have dreamt of a Black American President.
c. Gloria Arroyo has turned me off Women Politicians. You would have thought that being a woman (Arroyo), she would have a heart. Women politicians scare me. You just don't know what they're capable of.

I know. These are pathetic reasons; not befitting a law graduate.

Jan 10, 2008

Blog Surfing

I was blog surfing -- the thing I do when I have time, which right now I have a lot of since my bosses haven't send me an assignment for a couple of weeks now. I must have been laid off without me knowing.

Anyways, here are some sites you should check out --

  • Blog Comics
    -- for daily dose of comic jokes. I particularly like this one -- A Blogger’s Christmas Wish
  • Sick of Chicken
    -- for quick giggles. I especially like this entry
  • Pitik
    -- for great pinoy shots. Unfortunately, the photographer has not really uploaded much. His Multiply Account though has really great pics.

All about Tin Alano

Her name is Maria Salvacion Alano.
She hates it.
I once reminded her that she could have been named Prunificacion. So, she has to be grateful for Salvacion. I mean, she could have been nicknamed, Prunes! Actually, I called her Prunes for a couple of weeks and every now and then to remind her of the little luck she got with Salvacion.

Anyway, she came home for New Zealand for Christmas.
And so we were able to hangout a little bit.

She has changed.
Well, yes -- she is still the weird, quirky, childish girl/woman she has always been but she has changed.
For the first time after more than a decade of being friends, I actually felt like she is a grown up.
She is my bestfriend but in a way, I have always felt that I took care of her when we were in College. Geeze. After someone pissed her off, she always came running to me. I end up fighting her battles.

Now -- Although, she would still avoid fights, she can hold her ground.
She would still avoid fights though. Not because she's afraid but because she doesn't want to offend people.
She has always been that way.
Beautiful inside and out.

I often wondered why I never felt that she was far away.
I realized that it's because things have always been the same. Our friendship is the same.
She doesn't have the "airs" that Balikbayans tend to have.
You know -- that "I came from Abroad, you idiots!" air?
She doesn't have that.
She is as she has always been. Weird, quirky and beautiful.

I guess, I am just so proud of her.
And I think that she deserves the best if she finally chooses to settle down with someone.
By the way, she's single.
So, anybody interested???
:)

Jan 9, 2008

Sticking it out with Blogger

There! New layout for new year!
I finally went with the New Blogger. Why the hell didn't I think of doing so before -- I don't know.
Oh my God! I love blogger!!!
And I thought of transferring my blog to wordpress?
What the hell was I thinking???!

Jan 6, 2008

Daily Blessings

What's so great about my mornings?
Waking up with my daughter kissing me -- trying to wake me up.
And when I open my eyes -- I'd be waking up to one beautiful toothless smile.

What's so great about my nights?
Waking up to my daughter pulling my arm to wrap it around her.

Jan 5, 2008

Moon River


I was reading through my past entries and I came up with this one. An entry where I wrote down all the things I wanted when I was 24 years old.

"that i would be able to dance in my wedding with my baby (my husband now) with the song moonriver playing.."



You know what?
A year later, I did.
It was also the same song that was playing when I walked down the aisle. :)

Jan 4, 2008

Characters Reflecting My Personality

I was in a rut for days now and I couldn't think of any single topic that I could write about. I can do the New Year's Resolution bit but that topic has been used and abused for so long. It's like a third-class hooker.

So, I decided to once again check out EwriteLife.com to get an idea.

I came up with this topic -- Write about a character who reflects your personality.

Now, that's a good topic, right? Too bad I can't think of any single character who reflects my personality. After some serious consideration, I came up with them --



THE GRINCH.
Trust me. I am the Grinch.










MOTHER TERESA.










TWEETY BIRD.











LISA, the character of Angelina Jolie from GIRL INTERRUPTED.





They represent my personality --
Why?
a. Because I hate Christmas and happy people.
b. Because I can be kind and helpful. And I have GREAT faith.
c. Because I can be sweet. Yes, damn it!
d. Because I had a tendency to be a sociopath.

Jan 2, 2008

And she looks like ... ME!

The Life of an Oregano Addict