It's Now Or...

It's now or...





NOW!




Did I give myself enough choices? No, because I don't want to.

This is my plan. And there's no room for reroute this time (remember, I took a detour in the second quarter). Although some best laid plans don't turn out as such, I want this simple plan to take its course. I have to put a halt to working. I have to end my 8th job (freelance excluded). Yes, this is my 8th job and I'm looking forward to being a free-spiritted bum once again. (wink)

Mind you, this is an easy decision to make. This is my first formal resignation and I feel that I won't regret this even a bit. No biggie.

Mumbai Mayhem

(photo courtesy of Economist)

MSNBC reports:

MUMBAI, India - They showed up, as they do every night: businessmen for meetings in the elegant restaurant that overlooks the harbor, politicians for cocktails in a bar with velvet seats and wood and marble floors, friends for a steak dinner by the pool.

But then the shooting started.

Explosions followed in and around the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower — a Mumbai landmark with sweeping staircases, onyx columns and high alabaster ceilings, known as the playground of the city's elite since it opened in 1903.

At least 119 people were killed when the teams of gunmen stormed the Taj and another hotel, a popular restaurant, hospitals, a Jewish center, a crowded train station and at least five other sites. A group of suspected Muslim militants claimed responsibility.

At the Taj, anyone who could ran for cover.

While reading the news, I recalled the September 11 attack. They have common denominator - pointing to terrorists as perpetrators.

At first, I thought the Twin Tower bombing was just a scene in an action flick. It was fabulous. It appeared very real. But the moment I started to recognize the anchor's voice, I realized it was really real. Part of the globe was experiencing bloodshed. Innocent lives were at stake.

A greater fraction of the world was astonished. Who could envision a fierce attack on the most powerful nation?

Here comes Mumbai mayhem - multitude was killed. And terrorists are once again under close scrutiny. The coordinated attacks in Mumbai have so far left 119 people dead. And it's all because of their principle. Reasonable or not, fair or foul, you decide.

The Holy Scripture says "Thou shalt not kill." But why are they killing to achieve their so-called biblical end? Go figure.

SHELDONism

Sheldonism.

What's with the coinage?

Sheldonism is a strong belief that Sidney Sheldon novels are riveting, captivating and a must-read. (*wink)

Sheldon was an Academy Award-winning Broadway playwright, Hollywood TV and movie screenwriter, and a best-selling novelist. At age 89, he died from complications arising from pneumonia.

He's really good. And I'm happy to know that Sheldonism is everywhere. My best buddy, some of my classmates back in high school and college, as well as my colleagues share the same fetish too.

I've kept some Sheldonism mementos but I don't have them now. Blame it to a friend suffering from selective amnesia. You know, always forgetting what it is to be returned.

Good thing a Sheldonist is nice enough to send me pdf files. Thanks Raymond.

What makes a good prolific novelist?

Sheldon confessed:

"I try to write my books so the reader can't put them down. I try to construct them so when the reader gets to the end of a chapter, he or she has to read just one more chapter. It's the technique of the old Saturday afternoon serial: leave the guy hanging on the edge of the cliff at the end of the chapter."

His best-selling novels include:

Of the 18 bestsellers, Ive read the 16. Oh yeah, I'm not a Sheldon fanatic. Not much.

Right now, I'm dying to read The Naked Face, his first novel which make him grab an Edgar Allan Poe Award. That's his only novel with a man as the lead character (I've been looking for a copy but I can't find one).

Hail the master storyteller. A toast to Sheldon. A toast to women empowering writing. He's one helluva writer - really!

Right now, I'm completing my novel collection authored by Sandra Brown, Danielle Steel and John Grisham. But I love Sheldon's work best. I'm also thankful to Lala bear for giving me a copy of Agatha Christie's "Hercule Poirot's Christmas." I love the twist.

I Am Pro Life

Silent Cry.

T'was the title of a documentary about abortion. It was shown to us when we were in high school. The purpose: To instill in our mind that abortion is no less than killing. Worse, killing an innocent life.

Life begins at fecundation (the meeting of sperm and egg cell). Once there's fertilization, there's life. More often than not, even before the mother knew she's pregnant, there's already life inside her womb.

The documentary showed the abortion process - uncut. It was horrible. It was gross. Using ultrasonography, I saw how the fetus slowly struggled to stay away from the huge forcep which bit by bit mutilated him. The movements were apparent. The fetus was actually avoiding the fatal intrusion... But to no avail. He was weak and still dependent on her mother. His legs were pulled. Then his hands. The forcep twisted his head. Then the midbody. Finally, the fragments were collected using a hose (which appears more like a vacuum or a device that uses suction). It was brutal.

I pity the babies. Their silent cry were left unheeded even by the very person expected to care for them the most.

T'was in 1997. Today's abortion procedure is far easier. But still butchery.

What pushed me to write this entry

A conversation with a friend.

She's 19. She's pregnant. But she told me she doesn't want to have a baby just yet so she's planning to have an abortion. She asked me about the medicine, the process. But I just can't spill the beans. To do so is to impliedly allow her to kill the baby.

I told her not to abort the baby because he/she has no bearing whatsoever on her personal problems. The baby has no fault. Just the result of her sexual activities. Activities she consented and enjoyed. Thus, she must be responsible enough to face the consequences of her actions. And never undermine respect for life.

What had happened

That conversation wasn't my first about abortion. There were several cases before that. But the most striking was with a new found friend...

Friendship came effortlessly. We shared each other's stories. We shared each other's lives. And we eventually became associated with each other.

In one of our serious talks, she divulged her abortion. She said it was very frightening, excruciating. She bled right out. And her boyfriend was trying to staunch the bleeding all night. There were just the two of them performing the procedure. She was copiously perspiring. Cold sweat dropped. She was shaking. And hemorrhaging continued. She thought she was dying.

Though she survived the abortion process, she is constantly bothered by the plight. She said that was her greatest mistake, greatest crime. Up to now, she feels the pangs of guilt wounding her conscience. She felt she has not forgiven herself for doing such disgraceful act to cover her shame. She felt God has not fogiven her yet. She's still restless...

Hottest Vixen

Clear the runway and make way for the world's sexiest woman...

Just when you thought it was Scarlett Johansson, you're wrong. It's Karolina Kurkova. The sultry lingerie model has been voted the world's sexiest woman by E! entertainment television. She's hhhoottt. Why don't you wipe any iota of doubt, she's worth the title anyway.

But she's not the only vixen flaunting shapely figure capable of tempting every Adam. Think Malena. Think Monica Belluci. In her prime, Monica's absolutely voluptuous! I heard stories about her. On- and off-screen. But the best story was Malena. And I won't tell you it was Jerjer who narrated it to me. No I won't.

And oh, before I forget, have you seen the Transformers? No, not Bumble Bee. She's flamboyant. But not sexy. I'm sure your eyes were rather glued to Megan Fox. Judge her. She's one palatable chick!

Slurp.

Pygmy Tarsier Spotted In Sulawesi Island

At a distance, you'll probably think it's a rare monkey. But take a much closer look...Having a tail like a rodent and reddish brown eyes like those of an overdosed owl, there's no mistaking it, the furry creature is a tarsier. Not the ones we see in Bohol. Make them smaller and you'll get a pygmy tarsier. So tiny it can freely slither into your clasped hands. Yes, it's a pygmy tarsier - a species which is said to be extinct. But you see, it was recently spotted in Sulawesi Island, Indonesia!

I'm not so into having grotesque primates beside me but I am pleased to know they're still around for the world to see. And it would be much pleasing if my grandchildren's children would get to see them too, in the flesh, not in the old pages of history books.

[source: sciam.com]

Inside the Mind of a Psychopath

Inside My Mind

Alone in that nook is me.
See the tear fallin' down my eye,
It's a lie.
Tryin' to deceive you,
Tryin' to suck you in.
I'm numb. I can't feel.
I don't feel pain. I don't feel you.
Stare at me.
I'm destroying my life, suffocating my soul,
And making your life miserable.
Or perhaps ending it.
Do you love what you see?

~\\-cOn-//~

The free verse could be the thoughts inside the mind of a psychopath.

Or maybe different.

What molds the father's tendency or aberrant sexual behavior to rape his own child? What drives psychopaths to do bestial or deleterious acts?

Slashing throats, mutilating bodies, cutting testicles, burning cadavers, multiple rape, multiple murder...What made them cold-blooded psychopaths? Quite intrigued by how they think and feel, I want to sneak a glimpse into their mind.

"Actus reus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea." A Latin maxim which means that an act does not make a person guilty of his crime unless his mind be also guilty.

When asked what made them do such repulsive acts, they would often say "I hear inner voices telling me to." So it all starts in the mind. And their mind could either be their saving grace or their worst waterloo. Whether it's the cause or the effect, thing is, what's inside their mind matters.

What's inside your mind?

The Big Deal About Philandering

Philandering may seem ordinary to some. But mind you, philandering is a serious issue. Call me an unbending traditionalist. I don't care. But philandering is big deal for me.

Today, I've penned a termination notice for a philandering instructor. The notice reads:

A teacher serves as a role model for his students. He must not bring the teaching profession into public disrespect by having sexual relations with his student. Knowing for a fact that he is already married and is a teacher to the offended party, he should have not pursued his student to result in sexual congress. For his failure to live up to the exacting moral standards demanded by his profession, we have decided to give this second notice to formally end his employment today.

As the notice was read to him, I don't know what to feel . Is it triumph for serving justice? Is it rage for the disgrace he has given his students? Or is it pity for making him lose his only source of income? Not only did he lose his job, he might also lose his family's trust. What I know is I have to give a deep sigh to release the heavy feeling inside my chest. Justice must prevail, nonetheless. The verdict has to be served.

These past few months I'm going out with my friend who happen to have philandering bosses (in their early 40's). They're nice. They're generous. They're married. And philandering...(whew!)

"What's wrong with loving?," they asked in one of our jamming nights where we eat, go places, play billiards, and experiment on drinks.

"There's none," I replied.

So they continued: "Therefore, there's nothing wrong with loving and having relationship with lots of women," they quipped.

"Know what, there's nothing wrong with loving. It becomes wrong when we do overt acts that are wrong," I retorted. "Love is a feeling. And we can't control it. But we can control the acts that go with it. We have a strong sense of what's right and what's not so why would we go for the wrong acts? Sometimes we mistake love for infatuation or even lust."

"But we are just loving," one insisted.

"Do you think that's love?," I asked back. "You are putting the other person to shame and open to cruel whipping of the law. She might be charged with adultery. For all you know, you are making her life miserable. And you are calling it love?"

"Do you want your kids to experience that love you're talking about?," I continued. "Sure you don't because you love them. Now, that's real love. You think first of their good before you think of selfish greed. Because love is never selfish. The love that you know is selfish. It's not even love. They are oxymoron."

I added: "You think if your wife philander you would be happy to say hey, my wife is philandering. So cool, dude!"

They were silent for some time. And the moment they regained their sense of expression they said, "We wish that you'd fall for a married man."

Well, that's something to look forward to. (laughs)

In the future, if I found out that my husband is philandering, I don't know what I'm capable of doing. I think it will scare the hell out of me. It will unravel the wrath he never had a chance to know. (laughs)

It is worth reiterating that there is no dichotomy of morality.

Get it mr. chauvinist pig? lolz.

Lying Fool

Lying Fool

Nothing you say is true,
You made it all up yourself.
You treasure falsehood more than truth,
You destroy people with your words.

Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor,
You etch deep wounds at my back.
Your words are glazed with poison,
You spread dreaded, deadly lies.

Your cowardly slander will soon end,
False accusations will come to a bend.
Enough of your persecution,
I will listen no more.

Your lies will hunt you down,
Your words will fail.
I try to believe you,
But not this time.

~\\-cOn-//~

LOVE: The Truth Behind The Lies

vs.

People lie, a lot. White lies or not, little or big - still fibbing, right? I lie. And you lie too. But what matters is the gravity of every lie. What's the truth behind the lies?

Studies say...

True lie #1: The most serious lies are told by (and to) the people we care about most

True lie #2:When it comes to little lies, though, our romantic partners see more of our true selves

True lie #3: The more attractive you are, the more people will lie to you

True lie #4: Romantic partners are worse than strangers at detecting each other’s fibs

True lie #5: When asked to ’fess up to their most serious lie, affairs are by far the most common

True lie #6: If you admit to a lie, it might not save a relationship
Ever heard someone say “If only he/she had told me the truth, I could have forgiven him/her”? Not so.

True lie #7: Think liars don’t care about other people? Often, just the opposite is the case

True lie #8: “I did it for you” —that’s what people claim when they tell lies to their romantic partners

True lie #9: Even after lying to their romantic partners, liars claim that they are not bad people

I do lie. But not that grave. Faced with a situation of uttering a lie or not, I just change the topic or hush. Either way, it do me a lot of good.

As much as possible I try to avoid lying. I value relationships the same way I value honesty. Lying is lying. Fibs are fibs. And as we know, telling lies spoils trust big time.

[excerpt from MSN]

Let's Make Love

Don't get me wrong. No, not that thing in your mind. And I dare stress my point - I'm not horny.

Okay, okay, just a bit.

Just kidding.

This is about a captivating song with same title as this post. Melody's fantastic, lyrics superb. Add in a riveting video. What could be lacking? NONE.

Let's Make Love by Faith Hill & Tim McGraw

Monochromatic theme flaunting a romantic setting, adorable couple with stares full of love, with hands full of smooth caress, and a perfect song to make it just the way I want it. So sweet. So loveful.

Amazing.

Given the fact that I've listened to the song several times already, it still sounds great. This song never fails to take me. Its never waning charm never fails to lure me.

Just listen. And fall...

My Heart Says...

The heart. Sheesh. Among other body parts, the heart is the most difficult to understand. So here I am trying to figure out what it says. Thanks to Tickle and my "so into personality test" mood.

Heart or head.What dominates? My personality test says I'm a Heart-Strong Idealist.

And the right man for me is the Renaissance Man. Who is he?

What turns me on? His Romantic Gesture.

And my strongest suit is Expression.

*click image to make it larger

I took those quizzes two years ago and they still hold water up to now. Pretty consistent huh.

PhotoFunia

When you pretend there's nothing else to be done...




LOAF.

lolz.









Spell narcism. Spell vanity. No, this is hedonism. (laughs)

*courtesy of PhotoFunia

What Personality Do I Own?

Ms. Karin sat next to me today and she asked me some sites that offer personality tests (she's a psychology teacher by the way). The first website that came to my mind was Tickle. When I opened the site, I saw the tests I've taken two years ago. A couple of years back, I was so engrossed in knowing my self a little deeper...

Here are some of the results:

My color is Black. What does it mean?

My identity is Extraversion Medium. Balanced lifestyle - that's my forte you know. (Chos!)

I am also a Word Warrior. All words. Just words. (giggles)

Right or Left? I'm a right-brained gal. What does that supposed to mean?

My buried secret? My Career. I did not see it coming. But yes, my test result said it's my career.

* click image to make it larger

Do I need a personality makeover? How about reinventing myself?

Did I hear you say TOTAL OVERHAUL? Duh! lolz.

[via: Tickle.com]