Iko's Place

MANIC DEPRESSION AND ADMITTING IT

2010-06-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

The problem with having Manic Disorder is that it is seldom diagnosed. Especially in the Philippines that is considered to be very optimistic populated nation. People would consider forgetting about it or ignoring it as a solution, because it carries a sense of shame and embarrassment. Trying to get to the roots of the problem is difficult as people will not claim to have ‘bad blood’ in the family, and denies any one in the family could have potentially had such disorder.

A lot of famous people though are actually affected by the disorder. Namely: Kurt Cobain, Patty Duke, Vincent Van Gogh, Mel Gibson, Graham Greene, Linda Hamilton, Vivien Leigh, Ozzy Osborne, Sinead O’Connor, Axl Rose, Sydney Sheldon, Jean Claude Van-Damme, Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf. (If you want a longer list go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_affected_by_bipolar_disorder)

One of the things that people should understand about Manic Depressive people is that the intentions and objectives are always pure. Impatience and temperament causes such reactions which results for them to seem like going ballistic about simple things. Bipolar disorder seems to have given Manic Depression a more intense meaning. Manic Depression seems milder. Manic depressive people need to be busy and to make sure to have something always to look forward to.

I know of a friend who is a mother and wife, her child is with the father and both are in Bicol while she stays in Manila to work. She always makes stars while waiting for calls to keep her busy. When I asked her if it was difficult to have her child and husband in Bicol far from her, she says it actually helps, though she misses her child very much, she always have something to look forward to at the end of every payday to go home to. Her tendency to kill herself diminished with the knowledge that she has a child waiting for her. What keeps her going is the love of her child and the love and understanding of her husband.

Suicides are predominant among Manic Depressives, as they believe that if they kill themselves and die it will end all their problems and their death will give the people around them the peace of mind they deserve. Most of the time they feel as if they are the talk of the town, or people or ganging up on them (this a more intense type of MD).

It is a very dark journey and a very difficult one at that. People though will never know the journey of how difficult it is to live in a life that seems to be not yours. How dark the room was, or how lonely and miserable the nights are even if you are surrounded by people. All you ever wanted was a sense of purpose to continue to live, and to be convinced that it was never your fault. It is just is. Manic Depressive people suffer to free themselves, what makes it worst is that nobody listens and if they do listen, they do not understand or refused to understand. Making a MD more depressed and anxious, and even to feel embarrass instead of being free and be understood.

I guess what really could describe a Manic Depressive person was the song written by Don McLean for Van Gogh, entitled ‘Vincent.’ Here it is:

Starry
starry night
paint your palette blue and grey

look out on a summer's day
with eyes that know the
darkness in my soul.
Shadows on the hills
sketch the trees and the daffodils

catch the breeze and the winter chills

in colors on the snowy linen land.
And now I understand what you tried to say to me

how you suffered for your sanity
how you tried to set them free.
They would not listen
they did not know how

perhaps they'll listen now.

Starry
starry night
flaming flo'rs that brightly blaze

swirling clouds in violet haze reflect in
Vincent's eyes of China blue.
Colors changing hue
morning fields of amber grain

weathered faces lined in pain
are soothed beneath the artist's
loving hand.
And now I understand what you tried to say to me

how you suffered for your sanity
how you tried to set them free.
perhaps they'll listen now.

For they could not love you
but still your love was true

and when no hope was left in sight on that starry
starry night.
You took your life
as lovers often do;
But I could have told you
Vincent
this world was never
meant for one
as beautiful as you.

Starry
starry night
portraits hung in empty halls

frameless heads on nameless walls
with eyes
that watch the world and can't forget.
Like the stranger that you've met

the ragged men in ragged clothes

the silver thorn of bloody rose
lie crushed and broken
on the virgin snow.
And now I think I know what you tried to say to me

how you suffered for your sanity

how you tried to set them free.
They would not listen
they're not
list'ning still
perhaps they never will.

ON MANIC DEPRESSION BY IKO's MOM

2010-06-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

Have you ever met someone who is either totally happy or totally sad, and one who seems you will never understand? It is possible you met someone who has manic depression. Do you know what manic depression is?

Manic depression or now called Bipolar Disorder is a brain disorder that causes unusual changes in the person’s mood, energy, and ability to function. Manic depressive refers to mood swings from overly “high” (manic) to overly “low” (depressed).

Manic-depressive illness or bipolar disorder affects both men and women. Although it can start at any age, it usually begins in late adolescence. Bipolar disorder is found among people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, and social classes. It appears to have a genetic link and tends to run in families. But nothing has been proven yet. It is possible that certain incidences in one’s life can cause such condition. When a certain nerve snaps and causes mood swings.

WHAT ARE MANIC DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS?

Manic depression symptoms (as found in manic-depressive disorder or bipolar disorder) involve symptom sets that are the opposite of each other. One involves a “high” set and the other a “low” set. These symptoms are found in a continuous range, mild-moderate-severe, in both the manic and depressive aspects.

The National Institute of Mental Health lists many of the following Manic Depression symptoms. Manic disorder that characterize the high or ‘manic’ aspect of manic disorder are called episode includes the following:
MANIC EPISODE
Mania is the signature characteristic of bipolar disorder, and depending on it's severity, is how the disorder is classified. Mania is generally characterized by a distinct period of an elevated, expansive, or irritable mood state. People commonly experience an increase in energy and a decreased need for sleep. A person's speech may be pressured, with thoughts experienced as racing. Attention span is low and a person in a manic state may be easily distracted. Judgment may become impaired; sufferers may go on spending sprees or engage in behavior that is quite abnormal for them. They may indulge in substance abuse, particularly alcohol or other depressants, cocaine or other stimulants, or sleeping pills. Their behavior may become aggressive, intolerant or intrusive. People may feel out of control or unstoppable. People may feel they have been "chosen," are "on a special mission," or other grandiose or delusional ideas. Sexual drive may increase. At more extreme phases of bipolar I, a person in a manic state can begin to experience psychosis, or a break with reality, where thinking is affected along with mood. Many people in a manic state experience severe anxiety and are very irritable (to the point of rage), while others are euphoric and grandiose.
Increased energy, activity, and restlessness
Excessively ‘high,’ overly good, euphoric mood
Distractibility, can’t concentrate well
Racing thoughts and talking very fast
Jumping from one idea to another
Little sleep needed
Increased sexual drive
Spending sprees
Poor judgment
Unrealistic beliefs in one’s abilities and powers
Extreme irritability
Provocative, intrusive, or aggressive behavior
Abuse of drugs, particularly cocaine, alcohol, and sleeping medications
Denial that anything is wrong
Lasting period of behavior that is different from usual
DEPRESSIVE EPISODE
Signs and symptoms of the depressive phase of bipolar disorder include persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, guilt, anger, isolation, or hopelessness; disturbances in sleep and appetite; fatigue and loss of interest in usually enjoyable activities; problems concentrating; loneliness, self-loathing, apathy or indifference; depersonalization; loss of interest in sexual activity; shyness or social anxiety; irritability, chronic pain (with or without a known cause); lack of motivation; and morbid suicidal ideation. In severe cases, the individual may become psychotic, a condition also known as severe bipolar depression with psychotic features.
Symptoms of manic disorder that characterize the low or ‘depressive’ aspect of manic-depressive disorder are the following:
Lasting sad, anxious, or empty mood
Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed, including sex
Decreased energy, a feeling of fatigue or of being “slowed down”
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
Restlessness or irritability
Sleeping too much, or can’t sleep
Change in appetite and / or unintended weight loss or gain
Chronic pain or persistent bodily symptoms not caused by illness or injury
Thoughts of death or suicide / suicide attempts
HYPOMANIA
Hypomania is generally a mild to moderate level of mania, characterized by optimism, pressure of speech and activity, and decreased need for sleep. Generally, hypomania does not inhibit functioning like mania. Many people with hypomania are actually in fact more productive than usual. Some people have increased creativity while others demonstrate poor judgment and irritability. Many people experience signature hypersexuality. These persons generally have increased energy and tend to become more active than usual. They do not, however, have delusions or hallucinations. Hypomania can be difficult to diagnose because it may masquerade as mere happiness, though it carries the same risks as mania.
Hypomania may feel good to the person who experiences it. Thus, even when family and friends learn to recognize the mood swings, the individual often will deny that anything is wrong.[10] What might be called a "hypomanic event", if it not accompanied by complementary depressive episodes ("downs", etcetera), is not typically deemed as problematic whatsoever: the "problem" arises when mood changes are uncontrollable and, more importantly, volatile or "mercurial". If unaccompanied by depressive counterpart episodes or otherwise general irritability, this behavior is typically called hyperthymia, or happiness, which is of course perfectly normal. Indeed, the most elementary definition of bipolar disorder is an often "violent" or "jarring" state of essentially uncontrollable oscillation between hyperthymia and dysthymia.
MIXED MANIC DEPRESSION

In the mixed manic-depressive state, symptoms of mania and depression occur together. The person may exhibit these symptoms:
Agitation
Trouble sleeping
Significant change in appetite
Psychosis
Suicidal thinking
Having a very sad, hopeless mood while at the same time feeling extremely energized
In the context of bipolar disorder, a mixed state is a condition during which symptoms of mania and clinical depression occur simultaneously (for example, agitation, anxiety, aggressiveness or belligerence, confusion, fatigue, impulsiveness, insomnia, irritability, morbid and/or suicidal ideation, panic, paranoia, persecutory delusions, pressured speech, racing thoughts, restlessness, and rage).[11]
MANIC DEPRESSIVE-WHAT ARE THE TREATMENT OPTIONS?

1. Know your personal triggers: Manic-depressive illness has a recurrent pattern, and continuous treatment is necessary. An adequate amount of sleep and regular sleep times are of primary importance in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Knowing personal triggers such as sleep patterns and life events help in the proper treatment of the disease.

2. Medication: Psychiatrists generally prescribe medications known as “mood stabilizers” e.g., lithium or valproate. If needed, antidepressants are used to balance the highs and lows of the disease.

3. Monitor your thyroid function: People with bipolar disorder often have abnormal thyroid function. Thyroid levels need to be monitored carefully because they affect mood and energy levels.

4. Learn to spot relapses: For a person with manic-depressive illness, understanding the illness and learning to spot relapses is vital to successful treatment. This applies to the person who has the illness as well as family members who often seek treatment.

EARN A LIVING WITH HOME MADE CANDIES

2010-06-05T22:37:00.000-07:00

I will be posting recipes of home made candies so anyone can start their business. if you know more please feel free to add your post! THESE RECIPES CAME FROM OTHER WEBSITES WHICH I COMPILED!

Pastillas de Leche

Ingredients

• 2 cups powdered milk
• 1 can condensed milk (300 ml)
• white sugar for rolling

Instructions

1. Gradually sift powdered milk in condensed milk. Mix and blend evenly, using spoon, then, knead with hand.
2. Set aside for 5-10 minutes before shaping into small balls. Roll on sugar. Wrap in cellophane.
3. VARIATIONS:
4. Pastillas de Nangka:
5. Add to basic recipe ? cup fresh, finely chopped nangka.
6. Mocca Pastillas:
7. Dissolve 1 tbsp. Instant coffee and 2 tbsp. Unsweetened cocoa, in ? cup boiling water. To the basic recipe, increase powdered milk by ? cup.
8. Pinipig Pastillas:
9. Using the basic recipe, roll the pastilles balls on toasted pinipig (coat well), pressing a little to the ball. Then, roll on sugar.

POLVORON

Ingredients:
• 4 cups of all purpose flour
• 2 cups powdered milk
• 1 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 cups sugar

You will also need the following:
• Japanese paper or cellophane
• Polvoron Moulder

Instructions

1. Toast flour in a moderate heat.
2. Stir constantly to avoid burning
3. Remove the pan and transfer the mixture on a big bowl. -Add the powdered milk, toss for another 3-4 minutes. -Add sugar and melted butter. Mix well.

What to Do:

1. On a pan, toast flour in a moderate heat for about 15 minutes, or until light brown, stir constantly to avoid burning.
2. Remove the pan and transfer the mixture on a big bowl.
3. Add the powdered milk, toss for another 3-4 minutes.
4. Add sugar and melted butter. Mix well.
5. Fill the mould with the mixture, press it hard by using a spoon, then release it, if it is still too loose, add more butter or olive oil. Make sure that you could pick up the polvoron without it crumbling straight away.
6. Place the polvoron in a airtight container, chill in the fridge until firm.
7. Carefully wrap the polvoron individually in japanese paper or cellophane.

Keep refrigerated until you want to eat them. You can store them on the fridge for about a week, or you can freeze them.

NEVER GIVE UP!

2010-04-22T21:56:00.000-07:00

i SUGGEST YOU VISIT THIS WEBSITE!

http://attitudeisaltitude.com/

WEBSITES FOR GOOD READING

2010-03-31T22:36:00.001-07:00

if you want to read online stories these are the websites you can go to.

www.classicreader.com
www.austen.com

Please post if you know more.

WHEN WILL YOU STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES? (to Dave Bedaña)

2010-03-31T22:35:00.000-07:00

By Iko's Mom
(This was published in an account paper last October 14, 2009)

I was with my friend Dave a few days back and we were talking about goals and actions. He is but 25 and yet he has proven himself worthy to be a leader at a very young age. He is quite restless though, it seems that he belongs to a family of over-achievers hence at a very young age he also wants to prove himself to his parents, who do expect a lot from him. The pressure is all but consuming.

That night I thought of my son who is just turning 2 years and I became worried, hence I am now writing him a letter as early as now to remind him of things that matter.

Dear Ulrich,

Before I say anything else I would like to say “I LOVE YOU, with all my heart, my soul , my life.”

I am writing just to explain some things that I would like you to consider as you go through your life’s journey.

My dear baby, life is like riding a bus on your way to a certain place. You have your backpack ready, your allowance, your skills and your wit. As you travel there are times when the bus will stay on their designated stops. As you travel anak, I would like you to stare at the window and marvel on the beautiful things that you will see. The smell of grass, the raindrop on the window pane, the colors of the places and even the beautiful smile on the faces of the people you meet. I would like you to make stops.

Please do not hurry on my account. I would like you to set your goals in life but not set your life on your goals.

I would like you to stop on bus stops, and see what every stop has to offer that will enrich your life, your heart, and your being. I don’t want you posed in pictures but not knowing the story of each one. If you need to stay a little longer, you may take a walk and just get another bus ride (they say opportunity only knocks once, it’s not true son, opportunity only knocks once on your door if you do not deserve it, that is why most of them grab it as soon as it knocks and never let go).

You on the other hand I would like to have choices. I would like you to be happy in simple things. I would like you to see the beauty of life . Take it slowly, you will only live once, that is why I want to make sure that you will not ride a bus and never stop.

Stop on bus stops and do take a walk, slow down. Breathe deeply and smell the grass, shake hands with people, share stories with them, smile with them, . Take a walk through the rain, you have enough clothes in your backpack.

The next day after a good rest, watch the sunrise in all its glory and taste how delicious your coffee is. You need not be rushing your way to your goal when you have good friends with you and good health. You should learn when to stop. Anak, there is no sense in reaching your goal if you have not live your life at all.

So when you find yourself in a bus, breaking speed to reach your goal. Please do remember me asking this question: “WHEN WILL YOU STOP TO SMELL THE ROSES?” They might fade you know, and when you realize you want to, they already wilted to nothingness and all but lost in your past.

Love you always,
MOMMY

Worst Predictions - Famously Wrong

2010-03-22T02:53:00.000-07:00

Theoretically, television may be feasible, but I consider it an impossibility--a development which we should waste little time dreaming about.
- TOLD TO Lee de Forest , 1926, inventor of the cathode ray tube

I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.
- TOLD TO Thomas J. Watson, 1943, Chairman of the Board of IBM

It doesn't matter what he does, he will never amount to anything.
- TOLD TO Albert Einstein's teacher to his father, 1895

It will be years - not in my time - before a woman will become Prime Minister.
- TOLD TO Margaret Thatcher, 1974

This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.
- Western Union internal memo, 1876

We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.
- Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962

Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?
- H. M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927

640K ought to be enough for anybody.
- Bill Gates, 1981

Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction.
- Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse , 1872

Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.
- Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949

We don't need you. You haven't got through college yet.
- Hewlett-Packard's rejection of Steve Jobs, who went on to found Apple Computers

King George II said in 1773 that the American colonies had little stomach for revolution.

An official of the White Star Line, speaking of the firm's newly built flagship, the Titanic, launched in 1912, declared that the ship was unsinkable.

In 1939 The New York Times said the problem of TV was that people had to glue their eyes to a screen, and that the average American wouldn't have time for it.

An English astronomy professor said in the early 19th century that air travel at high speed would be impossible because passengers would suffocate.

Airplanes are interesting toys, but they have no military value.
- Marshal Ferdinand Foch in 1911

With over 50 foreign cars already on sale here, the Japanese auto industry isn't likely to carve out a big slice of the U.S. market.
- Business Week, 1958

Whatever happens, the U.S. Navy is not going to be caught napping.
- Frank Knox , U.S. Secretary of the Navy, on December 4, 1941

Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau.
- Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University , October 16, 1929.

Weird Animals But True Facts

2010-03-22T02:50:00.000-07:00

Blue whale babies weigh up to 7 tonnes at birth.

A female cod can lay up to 9 million eggs.

Snakes can see through their eyelids.

Elephants spend 23 hours a day eating.

Vultures sometimes eat so much they can't take off again.

The Amazon 'Jesus Christ lizard' can run across water.

The biggest Antartic inland animal is a wingless fly measuring about 60 mm long.

Fleas can jump up to 30 cm, twenty times their own body length.

Bluebottle flies can smell meat from distances 7 km away.

Many birds migrate, but the Arctic tern travels furthest. It flies from the Arctic to the Antarctic, and back again, a trip of 32,000 kilometers.

Some animals can regrow parts of their bodies if damaged. Starfish can grow new 'arms.' Slow-worms can regrow broken-off tails. Lizards can grow new tails.

One golden poison-dart frog could kill up to 1500 people with its poison.

The giant squid has the largest eyes of any animal. They can be 39 cm across, which is 16 times wider than a human eye.

The peregrine falcon can spot its prey from more than 8 km away.

The sleepiest mammals are armadillos, sloths and opossums. They spend 80 per cent of their lives sleeping or dozing.

A mayfly only lives one day, but a tortoise can expect to live 100 years.

Stegosaurus was one of the most famous of the dinosaurs and was an impressive 9 metres long. But its brain was the size of a walnut.

CELEBRITIES' REAL NAMES

2010-03-22T02:49:00.000-07:00

They weren't the names they were born with.

A
Alan Alda = Alphonso D'Abruzzo
Woody Allen = Allen Konigsberg
Muhammad Ali = Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.
Julie Andrews = Julia Elizabeth Wells
Fred Astaire = Frederick Austerlitz
Chet Atkins = Chester B. Atkins
Frankie Avalon = Francis Thomas Avalonne

B
Lauren Bacall = Betty Joan Perske
Anne Bancroft = Anna Maria Italiano
Brigitte Bardot = Camille Javal
Pat Benatar = Patricia Andrejewski
Tony Bennett = Anthony Benedetto
Jack Benny = Benjamin Kubelsky
Tom Berenger = Thomas Michael Moore
Chuck Berry = Charles Edward Anderson Berry
Billy The Kid = William H. Bonney
Robert Blake = Michael Gubitosi
Jon Bon Jovi = John Francis Bongiovi
Bono (U2) = Paul Hewson
Sonny Bono = Salvatore Phillip Bono
David Bowie = David Robert Jones
Boy George = George Alan O'Dowd
Charles Bronson = Charles Buchinski
Albert Brooks = Albert Einstein
Mel Brooks = Melvin Kaminsky
George Burns = Nathan Birnbaum
Ellen Burstyn = Edna Gilhooley
Richard Burton = Richard Jenkins

C
Nicholas Cage = Nicholas Coppola
Michael Cain = Maurice Micklewhite
Maria Callas = Maria Kalogeropoulos
Eric Carr (Kiss) - Paul Charles Caravello
Vikki Carr = Florencia Casillas
Ray Charles = Ray Charles Robinson
Chubby Checker = Ernest Evans
Cher = Cherilyn Sarkisian
Eric Clapton - Eric Patrick Clapp
Patsy Cline = Virginia Patterson Hensley
Claudette Colbert = Lily Chauchoin
Nat King Cole = Nathaniel Adams Coles
Chuck Connors = Kevin Joseph Connors
Robert Conrad = Conrad Robert Falk
Alice Cooper = Vincent Furnier
Gary Cooper = Frank James Cooper
David Copperfield = David Kotkin
Howard Cosell = Howard Cohen
Elvis Costello = Declan Patrick McManus
Lou Costello = Louis Cristillo
Joan Crawford = Lucille Le Sueur
Michael Crawford = Michael Dumble-Smith
Bing Crosby = Harry Lillis Crosby
Tom Cruise = Thomas Cruise Mapother IV
Tony Curtis = Bernard Schwartz

D
Rodney Dangerfield = Jacob Cohen
Bobby Darin = Walden Waldo Robert Cassotto
John Denver = John Henry Deutschendorf
Donovan = Donovan Phillip Leitch
Doris Day = Doris von Kappelhoff
James Dean = James Byron
John Denver = Henry John Deutschendorf Jr.
Bo Derek = Mary Cathleen Collins
Danny DeVito = Daniel Michaeli
Angie Dickinson = Angeline Brown
Bo Diddley = Otha Elias Bates McDaniel
Vin Diesel = Mark Vincent
Phyllis Diller = Phyllis Driver
Fats Domino = Antoine Domino
Kirk Douglas = Issur Danielovitch
Bob Dylan = Robert Zimmerman

E
Sheena Easton = Sheena Shirley Orr
The Edge (U2) = David Howell Evans
Elvira = Cassandra Paterson
Eminem - Marshall Bruce Mathers III
Enya = Eithne Ni Bhraonain
David Essex = David Albert Cook

F
Morgan Fairchild = Patsy McClenny
Adam Faith = Terence Nelhams
Fatboy Slim = Quentin Cook (aka Norman Cook)
Sally Field = Sally Mahoney
W.C. Fields = William Claude Dukenfield
Jodie Foster = Alicia Christian Foster
Michael J. Fox = Michael Andrew Fox
Connie Francis = Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero
Billy Fury = Ronald Wycherley

G
Greta Garbo = Greta Gustafsson
Judy Garland = Frances Gumm
James Garner = James Bumgarner
Crystal Gayle = Brenda Gayle Webb
Bobbie Gentry = Roberta Streeter
Kathie Lee Gifford = Kathie Epstein
Whoopie Goldberg = Caryn Johnson
Cary Grant = Archibald Leach

H
Hammer = Stanley Kirk Burrell
Laurence Harvey = Laruschka Skikne
Rita Hayworth = Margarita Cansino
Jimi Hendrix = Johnny Allen Hendrix
Pee-Wee Herman = Paul Reubenfeld
Barbara Hershey = Barbara Herzstine
Hulk Hogan = Terry Gene Bollea
Billie Holliday = Eleanora Fagan
Buddy Holly = Charles Hardin Holley
Bob Hope = Leslie Townes Hope
Harry Houdini = Ehrich Weiss
Rock Hudson = Roy Scherer Jr.
Engelbert Humperdinck = Arnold George Dorsey

I
Janis Ian = Janis Eddy Fink
Ice Cube = Oshea Jackson
Ice-T = Tracy Morrow
Billy Idol = William Broad
Iggy Pop = James Jewell Osterberg, Jr.
Burl Ives = Burle Icle Ivanhoe

J
David Janssen = David Meyer
Elton John = Reginald Dwight
Don Johnson = Donald Wayne
Al Jolson = Asa Yoelson
Brian Jones (Rolling Stones) = Lewis Brian Hopkins-Jones
Jenny Jones = Janina Stranski
Tom Jones = Thomas Woodward
Wynonna Judd = Christina Ciminella

K
Boris Karloff = William Henry Pratt
Danny Kaye = David Kaminsky
Diane Keaton = Diane Hall
Michael Keaton = Michael Douglas
Chaka Khan = Carole Yvette Marie Stevens
Carole King = Carole Klein
Larry King = Larry Zeigler
Ben Kingsley = Krishna Banji
Nastassja Kinski = Nastassja Naksyznyski
Billy J Kramer (The Dakotas ) = William H Ashton
Kris Kristofferson = Kris Carson

L
Cheryl Ladd = Cheryl Stoppelmoor
Veronica Lake = Constance Ockleman
Dorothy Lamour = Mary Kaumeyer
Michael Landon = Eugene Orowitz
Mario Lanza = Alfredo Arnold Cocozza
Queen Latifah = Dana Owens
Stan Laurel = Arthur Jefferson
Steve Lawrence = Sidney Leibowitz
Brenda Lee = Brenda Mae Tarpley
Bruce Lee = Lee Yuen Kam
Spike Lee = Shelton Jackson Lee
Jay Leno = James Douglas Muir Leno
Huey Lewis = Hugh Cregg
Jerry Lewis = Joseph Levitch
Liberace = Wladziu Lee Valentino
Jack Lord = John Joseph Ryan
Sophia Loren = Sophia Scicoloni
Peter Lorre = Laszio Lowenstein
Courtney Love = Michelle Harrison
Bela Lugosi = Bela Ferenc Blasko
Lulu = Marie Lawrie

M
Shirley MacLaine = Shirley Beaty
Elle MacPherson = Eleanor Gow
Madonna = Madonna Louise Ciccone
Lee Majors = Harvey Lee Yeary II
Karl Malden = Mladen Sekulovich
Mama Cass Elliot (Mamas & Papas) = Ellen Naomi Cohen
Manfred Mann = Manfred Lubowitz
Barry Manilow = Barry Alan Pincus
Jayne Mansfield = Vera Jane Palmer
Marilyn Manson = Brian Warner
Walter Matthau = Walter Matuschanskayasky
Dean Martin = Dino Crocetti
Groucho Marx = Julius Henry Marx
Meat Loaf = Marvin Lee Aday
Freddie Mercury (Queen) = Frederick Farookh Bulsara
Ethel Merman = Ethel Zimmerman
George Michael = Georgios Panayiotou
Joni Mitchell = Roberta Joan Anderson
Moby = Richard Melville Hall
Marilyn Monroe = Norma Jean Mortenson (later Baker)
Demi Moore = Demetria Guynes
Rita Moreno = Rosita Alverio
Harry Morgan = Harry Bratsburg

N
Chuck Norris = Carlos Ray
Andre Norton = Mary Alice Norton
Notorious B.I.G. = Christopher Wallace

O
Ozzy Osbourne = John Michael Osbourne

P
Jack Palance = Walter Palanuik
Bernadette Peters = Bernadette Lazzaro
Edith Piaf = Edith Giovanna Gassion
Slim Pickens = Louis Lindley
Mary Pickford = Gladys Smith
Stephanie Powers = Stefania Federkiewicz
Prince = Prince Rogers Nelson

R
Tony Randall = Leonard Rosenberg
Johnnie Ray = John Alvin
Donna Reed = Donna Belle Mullenger
Della Reese = Delloreese Patricia Early
Cliff Richard = Harry Rodger Webb
Joan Rivers = Joan Sandra Molinsky
Edward G. Robinson = Emmanuel Goldenberg
Sugar Ray Robinson = Walker Smith, Jr.
Ginger Rogers = Virginia McMath
Mickey Rooney = Joe Yule Jr.
Axl Rose (Guns N Roses) = William Bruce Rose
Johnny Rotten (Sex Pistols) = John Lydon
Winona Ryder = Winona Horowitz

S
Susan Sarandon = Susan Tomaling
Telly Savalas = Aristotle Savalas
Jane Seymour = Joyce Frankenberg
Del Shannon = Charles Weedon Westover
Omar Sharif = Michael Shalhoub
Charlie Sheen = Carlos Irwin Estevez
Martin Sheen = Ramon Estevez
Talia Shire = Talia Coppola
Sinbad = David Atkins
Eric Singer (Kiss) = Eric Mensinger
Slash = Saul Hudson
Slim Dusty = David Gordon Kirkpatrick
Dusty Springfield = Mary Isobel Catherine O'Brien
Suzanne Somers = Suzanne Mahoney
Robert Stack = Robert Modini
Barbara Stanwyck = Ruby Stevens
Sylvester Stallone = Michael Sylvester Enzio Stallone
Ringo Starr = Richard Starkey
Cat Stevens = Yusef Islam
Connie Stevens = Concetta Ingolia
Sting = Gordon Sumner
Donna Summer = La Donna Gaines

T
Mr. T = Lawrence Tero
Robert Taylor = Spangler Arlington Brugh
Danny Thomas = Muzyad Yakhoob
Tiny Tim = Herbert Khaury
Rip Torn = Elmore Rual Torn Jr.
Randy Travis = Randy Traywick
Sophie Tucker = Sophia Kalish
Tina Turner = Annie Mae Bullock
Mark Twain = Samuel Langhorne Clemens
Twiggy = Leslie Hornby

U
The Undertaker = Mark Calloway

V
Rudolph Valentino = Rudolpho D'Antonguolla
Frankie Valli (Four Seasons) = Frank Castelluccio
Sid Vicious = John Simon Ritchie

W
John Wayne = Marion Morrison
Sigourney Weaver = Susan Alexandra Weaver
Raquel Welch = Raquel Tejada
Gene Wilder = Jerome Silberman
Shelley Winters = Shirley Schrift
Stevie Wonder = Stevland Morris
Natalie Wood = Natasha Gurdin
Bill Wyman (Rolling Stones) = William Perks
Tammy Wynette = Wynette Pugh

QUOTES ON LOVE

2010-03-19T19:49:00.001-07:00

“If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. Buildings burn, people die, but real love is forever.”
- - The Crow

“That old saying, how you always hurt the one you love, well, it works both ways”
-- Fight Club

“Look, I guarantee there'll be tough times. I guarantee that at some time, one or both of us is gonna want to get out of this thing. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life, because I know, in my heart, you're the only one for me.” - - Runaway Bride

“Don't forget. I'm just a girl standing in front of a boy...asking him to love her."
- -Notting Hill

“He was like an angel, you know? I never knew life could be like that. He was the one thing I followed through in my life, the one thing I didn't give up on. I was good at loving him.” - -- The Untamed Heart

“I hate the way you talk to me, and the way you cut your hair.
I hate the way you drive my car. I hate it when you stare.
I hate your big dumb combat boots, and the way you read my mind.
I hate you so much it makes me sick; it even makes me rhyme.
I hate it, I hate the way you're always right. I hate it when you lie.
I hate it when you make me laugh, even worse when you make me cry.
I hate it that you're not around, and the fact that you didn't call.
But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you.
Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.”
--Ten Things I Hate About You"

"Take love, multiply it by infinity and take it to the depths of forever.. and you still have only a glimpse of how I feel for you."
- Meet Joe Black

"Do you ever put your arms out and just spin and spin and spin? Well, that's what love is like. Everything inside of you tells you to stop before you fall, but you just keep going."

- Practical Magic

“That's why they call them crushes. If they were easy, they'd call them something else.”

-Sixteen Candles

“Remember my sentimental friend, you will be judged not by how much you love, but by how much you are loved.”

-Wizard of Oz

“You are what you love, not what loves you. That's what I decided a long time ago.”
-- Adaptation

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
-- Annie

“This kind of certainty comes but once in a lifetime.”
-- Bridges of Madison County

“...someday my wish is for him to hold me in his arms, in a sea of deep blue, together at last, together as two.”
-- Can't Buy Me Love

“I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss from her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it.”
-- City of Angels
“Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are.

Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two.”
-- Captain Corelli's Mandolin

“Kiss me. Kiss me as if it were the last time.”
-- Casablanca

“If I tell you I love you, can I keep you forever?”
-- Casper

“Life is messy. Love is messier.”
-- Catch and Release

“A dream is a wish your heart makes.”
-- Cinderella

“My husband and I fell in love at first sight... maybe I should have taken a second look.”
-- Crimes and Misdemeanors

“Love is not a feeling, it's an ability.”
-- Dan in Real Life

“There are only four questions of value in life.
What is sacred?
Of what is the spirit made of?
What is worth living for?
What is worth dying for?
The answer to each is the same. Only love.”
-- Don Juan Demarco

“You're a romantic. You have a lyrical soul. You can love under the best and worst conditions.”
-- Drew Barymore, "Fever Pitch"

“When you love someone,
And you love them with your heart,
It never disappears,
When you're apart.
And when you love someone
And you've done all you can do,
You set them free,
And if that love was true...
When you love someone
It will all come back to you.”
-- Forget Paris

“A heart can be broken; but it keeps beating just the same.”
-- Fried Green Tomatoes

“It doesn't matter if the guy is perfect or the girl is perfect, as long as they are perfect for each other.”
-- Good Will Hunting

“You're not perfect sport, and let me save you the suspense, this girl you met, she isn't perfect either. But the question is whether or not you're perfect for each other.”
-- Good Will Hunting

“Love actually is all around us.”
-- Hugh Grant, Love Actually

“You make me want to be a better man.”
-- Jack Nicholson, "As Good As It Gets"

“To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering, one must not love; but then one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer, not to love is to suffer, to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love; to be happy then is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy; therefore to be unhappy one must love or love to suffer or suffer from too much happiness. I hope you're getting this down.”
-- Love and Death

“When a divorce lawyer gets married it's the triumph of hope over experience.”
-- Love is a Four Letter Word

“The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.”
-- Moulin Rouge

“Sometimes in life there really are bonds formed that can never be broken. Sometimes you really can find that one person who will stand by you no matter what. Maybe you'll find it in a spouse and celebrate it with your dream wedding, but there's also the chance that the one person you can count on for a lifetime, the one person who knows you sometimes better than you know yourself is the same person who's been standing beside you all along.”
-- Marion St. Claire, Bride Wars

“Love is passion, obsession, someone you can't live without. If you don't start with that, what are you going to end up with? Fall head over heels. I say find someone you can love like crazy and who'll love you the same way back. And how do you find him? Forget your head and listen to your heart. I'm not hearing any heart. Run the risk, if you get hurt, you'll come back. Because, the truth is there is no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love - well, you haven't lived a life at all. You have to try. Because if you haven't tried, you haven't lived.” - -- Meet Joe Black

“Love is a many splendid thing; Love lifts us up where we belong; all you need is love.” - -- Moulin Rouge

“Your eyes are the sweetest stars I've ever seen.”
-- Moulin Rouge

“Storm clouds may gather and stars may collide, but I love you, until the end of time.” - -- Moulin Rouge

“We should be lovers, and that's a fact.” - -- Moulin Rouge

“Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place,
suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace,
suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste,
it all revolves around you.”
-- Moulin Rouge

“There's an Italian painter, named Carlotti, and he defined beauty...He said it was the summation of the parts, working together in such a way that nothing needed to be added, taken away, or altered, and thats you, you're beautiful.”
-- Nicolas Cage, Next

“I am someone else when I'm with you, someone more like myself.”
-- Original Sin

“I gave her my heart and she gave me a pen.”
-- Say Anything

“Nobody thinks it will work, do they? No. You just described every great success story.” - -- Say Anything, Lloyd Dobler and Diane Court

“In these dreams I've loved you so, that by now I think I know what it's like to be loved by you. I will love being loved by you.” - -- The King and I

“Summer romances begin for all kinds of reasons, but when all is said and done, they have one thing in common. They're shooting stars, a spectacular moment of light in the heavens, fleeting glimpse of eternity, and in a flash they're gone.”
-- The Notebook

“Love is friendship on fire.” - --- The Perfect Man

“Hearts will be practical only when they are made unbreakable.”
-- The Wizard of Oz

“Promise me you'll survive. That you won't give up, no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless.” -- Titanic

“When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” - -- When Harry Met Sally

“I love that you get cold when it is 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle in your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” - -- When Harry Met Sally

“Without a heart I can never really know what it would be like to love someone.”
-- Wizard of Oz

“School is still the same.. there's still that one guy that you get up and go to school for in the morning. The one with the mysterious confidence that every girl falls for. Those years of school wouldn't have been the same without him. I wouldn't have been the same without him”
- Never Been kissed

“You are what I never knew I always wanted.”

- Fools Rush In

“When they ask me what I liked best, I'll tell them it was you."

- City Of Angels

“I wonder how many people never get the one they want, but end up with the one they're supposed to have.” -Fried Green Tomatoes

“If you love someone you say it, you say it right then, out loud. Otherwise the moment just...
passes you by...” - - My Best friend's Wedding

“Don't say we aren't right for each other, the way i see it is.. we aren't right for anyone else.”

-- The cutting edge

“Sometimes I wish I had never met you. Because then I could go to sleep at night not knowing there was someone like you out there.” - -Good Will Hunting

“There Are Millions Of People In This World, But In The end It All Comes Down To One.”
- - Crazy/Beautiful

“You spend all your time looking for love yet you feel nothing even when its staring you in the face. I will love again but You will spend all your life knowing you turned your back on love and that makes you a hypocrite.”
-Cruel Intentions

“I always thought that there was this one perfect person for everybody in the world, you know, and when you found that person the rest of the world kind of magically faded away, and, you know, the two of you would just be inside this kind of protective bubble, but there is no bubble, I mean if there is you have to make it, I just think life is more than a series of moments, you know, we can make choices, and we can choose to protect the people we love, and that's what makes us who we are and those are the real memories.”
- - Forces of Nature

ON MOVING ON...

2010-03-19T00:25:00.000-07:00

These are everyone who has gone through a lot and yet survived. let us lend a hand to all women out there... who need us... I hope you be inspired that in life there are things that you just have to let go to move on...

=====================================

"DON'T LOOK BACK"

As you travel through life there are always those times
When decisions just have to be made,
When the choices are hard, and solutions seem scarce,
And the rain seems to soak your parade.

There are some situations where all you can do
Is simply let go and move on,
Gather your courage and choose a direction
That carries you toward a new dawn.

So pack up your troubles and take a step forward -
The process of change can be tough,
But think about all the excitement ahead
If you can be stalwart enough!

There might be adventures you never imagined
Just waiting around the next bend,
And wishes and dreams just about to come true
In ways you can't yet comprehend!

Perhaps you'll find friendships that spring from new things
As you challenge your status quo,
And learn there are so many options in life,
And so many ways you can grow!

Perhaps you'll go places you never expected
And see things that you've never seen,
Or travel to fabulous, faraway worlds
And wonderful spots in between!

Perhaps you'll find warmth and affection and caring
And somebody special who's there
To help you stay centered and listen with interest
To stories and feelings you share.

Perhaps you'll find comfort in knowing your friends
Are supportive of all that you do,
And believe that whatever decisions you make,
They'll be the right choices for you.

So keep putting one foot in front of the other,
And taking your life day by day...
There's a brighter tomorrow that's just down the road -
Don't look back! You're not going that way!

==========================================

"ARE YOU READY TO LOVE AGAIN"

Our love lives can be a series of ups and downs, a romantic roller coaster of anticipated thrills and unexpected drops, some leaving our little hearts squashed all over the pavement below. After any particularly turbulent and emotional ride, as we attempt to quickly
distance ourselves from the machinery of so much pain and uncertainty, many can be heard to swear off of romance altogether.

Time heals all wounds

We all need time to recover from any unsuccessful romantic relationship. Acknowledging our feelings, understanding our behavior and accepting the unhappy outcome are all necessary steps for letting go and moving on. The pace at which we move through these steps is unique to each of us.

While one week may be enough time for some people and in some situations, one year may prove too short for others. And there is no one time of absolute readiness, as there is no guarantee that memories of past loves won't occasionally seat themselves behind us. While it is in our nature
to persevere, in spite of our fears about the ensuing ride, when reentering the dating world, timing is everything.

Signs you aren't ready:

If you aren't sure you're ready to date again, you aren't alone. It's often harder to pin down an exact point of readiness than it is to observe a lack of readiness.

You probably aren't ready to date again if:

You have maintained any sexual relationship with your ex.
You still live with your ex, even platonically.
You are still wearing a ring, carrying a photo, or defining yourself as part of a couple.
You are stalking, following, harassing or frequently thinking about your ex.
You continue to harbor overwhelming negative feelings about your ex.
You continue to cry or be angry about the circumstances of your last relationship.
You still remember exactly how long you have been with your ex and how long it has been since you have been apart from him.

What are your motivations?

To assess your romantic readiness, consider your motives for wanting to date again.

A love affair is not a panacea for all that ails you. Before you can find, form and maintain a happy and healthy relationship, you must first heal yourself.

If you feel poisoned and victimized by circumstances and life choices, you must learn to make changes and live better.

These generally aren't the right reasons to date:

Everyone else at work is married and you want to fit in.
A wife/husband would greatly improve your financial situation.
You're unhappy with your life, feel empty, and want someone to fill you up.
Finally, your emotional stamina may come into question when getting back into the dating game, since even casual dating can come with its ups and downs.

Before you venture out among other eligible and interested singles, you may want to prepare yourself for the romantic realities awaiting you.

Seize the day!

You're probably ready to date if you feel capable of facing any of the following:

Being rejected when asking for a dance, phone number or date.
Answering questions about your last relationship.
Navigating misunderstandings and disagreements.
Working through the various issues that are bound to come up.
Rejecting someone honestly and kindly.
Identifying, accepting and admitting strong feelings for someone new.
Allowing yourself to be open and vulnerable, and to one day love and be loved.

Whether you decide you're ready to date again or not, go at your own pace.

The roller coasters continue to run and there a plenty of us waiting to board.

Be patient; someone is saving a seat for you right now.

======================================

Installing LOVE (THE "IT" WAY)

Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready to install it now. What do I do first?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your HEART. Have you located your HEART, ma'am?

Customer: Yes, I have, but there are several other programs running right now. Is it okay to install while they are running?

Tech Support: What programs are running, ma'am?

Customer: Let's see... I have PAST-HURT.EXE, LOW-ESTEEM.EXE, GRUDGE.EXE, and RESENTMENT.COM running now.

Tech Support: No problem. LOVE will gradually erase PAST-HURT.EXE from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer disrupt other programs. LOVE will ventually overwrite LOW-ESTEEM.EXE with a module of its own called HIGH-ESTEEM.EXE. However, you have to completely turn off GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM. Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly installed. Can you turn those off, ma'am?
Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

Tech Support: My pleasure. Go to your Start menu and invoke FORGIVENESS.EXE. Do this as many times as necessary until it's erased the programs you don't want.
Customer: Okay, now LOVE has started installing itself automatically. Is that normal?

Tech Support: Yes. You should receive a message that says it will reinstall for the life of your HEART. Do you see that message?

Customer: Yes, I do. Is it completely installed?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other HEARTs in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops. I have an error message already. What should I do?

Tech Support: What does the message say?

Customer: It says "ERROR 412-PROGRAM NOT RUN ON INTERNAL COMPONENTS." What does that mean?

Tech Support: Don't worry, ma'am, that's a common problem. It means that the LOVE program is set up to run on external HEARTs but has not yet been run on your HEART. It is one of those complicated programming things, but in non-technical terms it means you have to "LOVE" your own machine before it can "LOVE" others.

Customer: So what should I do?

Tech Support: Can you pull down the directory called "SELF-ACCEPTANCE"?

Customer: Yes, I have it.

Tech Support: Excellent. You're getting good at this. Now, click on the following files and then copy them to the "MYHEART" directory:
FORGIVE-SELF.DOC, REALIZE-WORTH.TXT, and ACKNOWLEDGE-LIMITATIONS.DOC. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching any faulty programming. Also, you need to delete SELF-CRITIC.EXE from all directories, and then empty your recycle bin afterwards to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My HEART is filling up with new files. SMILE.MPG is playing on my monitor right now and it shows that PEACE.EXE, and CONTENTMENT.COM are copying themselves all over my HEART. Is this normal?

Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes a while, but eventually everything gets downloaded at the proper time. So, LOVE is installed and
running. You should be able to handle it from here. Ah, one more thing.

Customer: Yes?

Tech Support: LOVE is freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everybody you meet. They will in turn share it with other people and they will return some similarly cool modules back to you.

Customer: I will! Thanks for your help!

Remember, LOVE is Freeware

INSPIRATIONAL STORIES, ARTICLES, POEMS, AND SAYINGS, UNIQUE IDEAS

2010-03-19T00:03:00.000-07:00

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD MORE INSPIRATIONAL STORIES, IDEAS, ARTICLES, BY SHARING YOUR STORIES WE CAN TOUCH LIVES

=======================================

"LOVE/HATE LETTER.................."

Read this "HATE letter". It is so funny and creative. This is a loveletter from a boy to a girl.... However, the girl's father does not like him and wants them stop their relationship......and so.. the boy wrote this letter to the girl..he knows that the girl's
father will definitely read this letter.

1 "The great love that I have for you
2 is gone, and I find my dislike for you
3 grows every day. When I see you,
4 I do not even like your face;
5 the one thing that I want to do is to
6 look at other girls. I never wanted to
7 marry you. Our last conversation
8 was very boring and has not
9 made me look forward to seeing you again.
10 You think only of yourself.
11 If we were married, I know that I would find
12 life very difficult, and I would have no
13 pleasure in living with you. I have a heart
14 to give, but it is not something that
15 I want to give to you. No one is more
16 foolish and selfish than you, and you are not
17 able to care for me and help me.
18 I sincerely want you to understand that
19 I speak the truth. You will do me a favor
20 if you think this is the end. Do not try
21 to answer this. Your letters are full of
22 things that do not interest me. You have no
23 true love for me. Good-bye! Believe me,
24 I do not care for you. Please do not think that
25 I am still your boyfriend."

===================================
"ARE YOU RICH OR POOR?"

One day, a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "It was great, Dad." "Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.

"Oh yeah," said the son.

"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered:

"I saw that we have one dog and they had four.

We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.

We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.

Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.

We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.

We buy our food, but they grow theirs.

We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."

The boy's father was speechless. Then his son added,

"Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are."

ON SINGLENESS AND BEING COMPLETE

2010-03-18T23:53:00.000-07:00

THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO ALL THE WOMEN I KNOW WHO ARE COMPLETELY SINGLE, AND HAPPILY COMPLETE! (Please feel free to post more of what you can share with us all women.)

Single

All your life, you had specific dreams about what your family life would be like when you finally married.

You were so intent on what you wanted; you even made a list of qualities and characteristics you were looking for in a spouse, in a home, in your job, in your children.

But time passed, and that person you were so intent on didn't come along.

All of your friends married, had children, and had beautiful homes. And still you ARE SINGLE.

You prayed and prayed for that person to come along, but nothing happened.

You had a good job. You served in your church. You spent daily time with the Lord in prayer and studying the Word.

You dedicated your life to serving God in every way possible, but still nothing.

So you decided to take matters into your own hands, and you began an active search for a mate. And within a short period, you met someone who almost fit the bill. Almost. Sure, there were a few things Missing, a few rusty spots in that person's character. But, after all, no one is perfect.

Of course, your friends and your pastor tried to council you that you were making a poor choice and that you should wait for the Lord to send the right person. But that couldn't be right. You had waited for a long time.

Maybe your goals were too high. Maybe you'd been asking for the impossible. Maybe this was the person God wanted for you so your character could grow through dealing with his or her failings.

So you married. And your life went downhill from there......

Even though it often seems that God is slow to answer prayers, no matter whether it's about a mate, or a job, or our children, or our finances, or anything else, we have to remember that God doesn't wear a watch. Nor does He look at our human calendars. He sees with eternal eyes. He
operates on an eternal timetable, according to His plan and His schedule. If God seems to be running late, don't get impatient and run ahead of Him.

Wait for the Lord's timing in everything. To the single folks out there, this is for you.

Single means you have the time to grow and be the person you want to be.

Single gives you space to grow. Sometimes, it is harder to grow when you are too close to someone. Trees are planted far apart so they can spread their branches and become strong as they mature.

Single means learning to live by yourself. However, that is no more difficult than learning to live with somebody else.

Single means freedom. You are free to spend a week's vacation on the beach, to take computer courses, to work late on an interesting project, to spend the day in bed with a good book or simply with a person who has read one.

Single means learning not to need a man/woman to make your life meaningful but learning to live with a man/woman because you want to be with him/her.

Single means that sometimes you will wonder why you will bite your lip and feel wistful and wonder if marriage is better.

Ironically, yet quite happily, single is feeling good about being in control of your life. It is liking and respecting who you are and why you are.

Single is realizing that being married is not necessarily better, it is merely different.

Single means that there could be something wonderful around the corner and you can take advantage of it.

Single means you are free to love again.

There are times when we are afraid of telling the person, whom we love or like, what we feel deep inside because we might just lose them. That's a big risk...I know. But hey....everything is. The way I see it is why keep something inside and then end up regretting it in the near future?

But as I've said....everything is a big risk. SO whatever you decide to do with your feelings.... whether you tell it to that person or not...you have to be ready with the consequences that come after it and accept it.

Whatever decisions that you have made in your life is part of your growing experience...part of life. Whatever decisions that you have to make will influence or affect your future. So think hard before deciding on certain things and PRAY TO GOD and He will show you the way.

=======================================

COMPLETE

Just because no one has been fortunate enough to realize what a gold mine you are,
doesn't mean you shine any less.

Just because no one has been smart enough to figure out that you can't be topped,
doesn't stop you from being the best.

Just because no one has come along to share your life, doesn't mean that day isn't coming.

Just because no one has made this race worthwhile, doesn't give you permission to stop running.

Just because no one has realized how much of a man/woman you are, doesn't mean they can effect your masculinity/femininity.

Just because no one has come to take the loneliness away, doesn't mean you have to settle for a lower quality.

Just because no one has shown up who can love you on your level, doesn't mean you have to sink to theirs.

Just because you deserve the very best there is, doesn't mean that life is always fair.

Just because God is still preparing your king/queen, doesn't mean that you're not already a
queen/king.

Just because your situation doesn't seem to be progressing right now, doesn't mean you need to change a thing.

Keep shining,
Keep running,
Keep hoping,
Keep praying,

Keep being exactly what you are already,

COMPLETE.

Wedding Template in Filipino

2010-03-18T02:22:00.000-07:00

By Iko's Mom

This is the wedding template for the Filipino Invitation I created. feel free to make use of it if you want to.

This is the First page.

Kayo po ay malugod na inaanyayahan nila
(Pangalan ng Magulang ng lalaki)
at
(Pangalan ng Magulang ng babae)
Sa pag-iisang dibdib ng kanilang mga anak na sina

(Pangalan ng Lalaki) - groom's name
at
(Pangalan ng babae) - bride's name

Sa darating na (Petsa at Araw ng kasal) - wedding date
(Oras)- Time
(Simbahan) - Chursh

Isang Salu-sal0 ang gaganapin sa (Pagdarausan ng salu-salo) -reception venue

Entourage:

Tagapagdiwang ng kasal (Celebrant)
Rev. __________________________

Pangunahing patnubay sa aming buhay
(Name of primary Sponsors)

Mga piling patnubay sa aming pag-iisang dibdib
(Names of secondary sponsors)

Binibining Pandangal

(Name of Maid of Honor)

Natatanging Ginoo

(Name of Best Man)

Magbibigay tanglaw sa aming landas

(Candle Sponsors)

Magbibigay sukob sa aming pagmamahalan

(Veil sponsors)

Magbibigkis ng tali ng katiwasayan

(Cord sponsors)

Tagapag-ingat ng sagisag ng pagmamahalan

(Ring bearer and partner)

Tagapag-ingat ng sagisag ng kasaganahan

(Coin bearer and partner)

Tagapag-alaga ng sagisag ng pananampalataya
(Bible bearer and partner)

Mga Tagapaghatid at tagapag-alay ng mga bulaklak

(Names of additional escorts and flower girls)

For promises: please contact and I will provide you some vows I wrote.

MAKING OF A WEDDING INVITATION By IKO's MOM

2010-03-18T00:13:00.000-07:00

I am no artist but being poor can bring out the best in people.

My husband's nephew Jerald is getting married on March 27, 2010. Life is never easy and sometimes we need to be practical about things.

Jerald asked me if I could help him out with the invitations as he is on a tight budget, that probably if I could go to Recto (the printing mill of the Philippines) I could get it cheaper. So I scouted for wedding invitations and found out that the cheapest I could get an invitation for is PHP 45.00 each.

Considering they need 50 pieces (only 50 pieces) that will amount to more than PHP2000. And like I said we want to be practical about it so I decided instead to create his wedding invitations. Good thing that Jerald trust me more than I trust myself. So I proceeded with making his wedding invitations.

Here are the steps.

1st STEP: Decide what you want and stick with it.

Jerald and Malen chose green as the color. Anything green. This is a good thing that they did not choose apple green, light green, dark green. I really don't get it why they should choose a specific green anyway; it is not as if we are in preparatory school right? So anything green is good, because it will give more room for creativity.

They also decided to make it Filipino to make it different, anyway the reception will be held at their Farm. So it is very thematic.

2nd STEP: Look for the designs

I am no computer whiz kid, but I do know 2 things, I know how to browse through the internet and use Microsoft Word.

So I browsed for the designs and found one I like. I copied a border from Microsoft Office Online and use the MS Word picture formatting to change the color. I then type the contents of the invitation. I liked a lot of elegant designs I have seen on the net but considering the tight budget, elegance is not cheap so I need to make it simple but pretty.

As regards the content and template, I browse through the internet and made the necessary changes, specifically with the vows.

3rd STEP: Buying materials.

Most people would opt to go to Divisoria Manila to buy materials, but considering that you will only buy a few of the materials and that the fare and travel is consuming I decided instead to go to the nearest Market Center we have.

You can buy materials from bookstores. Although you can buy a lot from National Bookstore I really do not recommend it. It is very expensive there. Usually the prices are 50% to 100% higher than the price you can get it from other stores. You can try going to Merriam-Webster, they are not that popular anymore, so their prices are lower compared to NB. I remember buying a pair of scissors from Benita's Store in Novaliches for PHP 25.00 when I checked it in NB it is PHP50.00. I guess it is the ambience that I am paying.

Anyway I bought scissors with different edges, ribbons, parchment papers, envelopes (for the invitations), lots of green ribbons of different kinds, and a one-hole-puncher (PHP25 only) and green scented cardboard-papers.

4th STEP: MAKING IT REAL

I printed the invitation. Usually for colored printing you get to pay around PHP8 per page. This is what may cost a lot. But if you have a friend who owns a printer you can have it printed by him and just pay him PHP3.00 per page, anyway you are friends and I'm sure his ink is refillable.

After printing it, I cut the papers and sort them out. It came out with 4 pages.

I then punch holes on the top and put ribbons in it. The cardboard I also cut to be proportioned with the papers.

I just cut the edges of the cardboard with different designs. It is a very simple one. In total I only spent around PHP800.00 for 52 pieces of this invitation.

I then placed them in envelopes and had the groom and bride deliver them.

It is a very simple design but it was worth it. It is personalized and it is in Filipino, even the vows.

This is of course given you only have a week to prepare. So if you plan a wedding give the invitation at least 2 weeks and if you want it to look really elegant, well be prepared to spend more than PHP800 for 50 pieces. But if you have a friend who owns a printing press, well that is whole different story.

Till next time. Best wishes!

ENGLISH ON LINE TUTORIALS

2010-03-17T22:41:00.000-07:00

Hi,

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