written thoughts

pissed

2007-12-05T12:37:00.000+08:00

how hard is it to give someone what is due him ?

after giving all that you could give, giving them what they wanted, it still isn't enough - can't please everybody or so they say. it still pisses me off though, damn !

this is a very bad day =(

martin's first hair cut

2006-10-11T08:29:00.000+08:00

martin had his first hair cut ( yes mga mare after 1 and a half years ! ) yesterday at kid's salon in sm fairview - it was sooo cool ( how come we never had a kid's salon during the 70's and 80's ?! ) !

being a mom really changes everything, as in everything ! i would normally think twice about having a haircut for P250 since jen and i go to david's and it only costs us P150 each - but for my superboy, it was worth it. thing is, he enjoyed the toy car-cum-chair while watching dora the explorer on tv and looking at goofy spongebob stickers on the mirror ( thank god there was spongebob who saved the day ! ).

he was reluctant at first and was near tears while the barber snipped away his first hair cut ( stashed away by this excited mom of course - ohh, i haven't kept it in the treasure box yet .. hmm.. i do plan to have my own scrapbook.. wish ko lang i have that much time to do it ... ), but gradually he relaxed and enjoyed it. now my baby boy looks so muy-gwapo in his new 'do.. !

honda choir

2006-09-23T09:57:00.000+08:00

you've got too see this guys, this is so cool ! ( ben forwarded this to my eail thanks )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQlfVjx4YCE

men are from mars, women from venus

2006-04-06T22:33:00.001+08:00

for women who need a break - have a good laugh at this one girl !
( courtesy of tweethumbsup! )

WIFE versus HUSBAND

A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position.

As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?" "Yep," the wife replied, "In-laws."

WORDS

Husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day... 30,000 to a man's 15,000. The wife replied, "The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men...

The husband then turned to his wife and asked, "What?"

CREATION

A man said to his wife one day, "I don't know how you can be so stupid and so beautiful all at the same time. " The wife responded, "Allow me to explain.

God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me; God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you!

WHO DOES WHAT

A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning.

The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee."

The husband said, "You are in charge of cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee." Wife replies, "No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee."

Husband replies, "I can't believe that, show me."

So, she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says.......... "HEBREWS"

THE SILENT TREATMENT

A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00AM for an early morning business flight.

Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, "Please wake me at 5:00 AM."

He left it where he knew she would find it.

The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed.

The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."

mom stole my party hat !

2006-03-31T23:14:00.000+08:00

yebba smile !

our superman turned one !

2006-03-31T23:07:00.000+08:00

martin rafael's first birthday !

december na !

2005-12-01T22:45:00.000+08:00

ho ho ho !

academic politics

2005-12-01T21:54:00.000+08:00

having laboured for weeks only to be rejected.

sleepless nights sifting through the pages of books you would never read if you weren't a damned mba student, all gone to waste.

subjectivity. is it selfishness ? self- interest ?
politics. in the academe ? yeah right.

oh boy.

birthdays

2005-11-13T23:04:00.000+08:00

happy birthday to us, happy birthday to us, happy birthday, happy birthday ... happy birthday to us !

hehe =)

salamt sa lahat ng bumati sa amin ni jen =)

Love Is...

2005-11-05T22:53:00.000+08:00

I thought this was worth sharing as I recently read this from my friend jd's blog at friendster. truly, a child's innocence belie the chaos in our world as they teach us with their candidness what love is.

Touching words from the mouth of babes.

What does Love mean?

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?"

The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:
________________________________
"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.
So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
Rebecca- age 8
________________________________

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
Billy - age 4
________________________________

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."
Karl - age 5
________________________________
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy - age 6
________________________________
"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
Terri - age 4
________________________________
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
Danny - age 7
________________________________
"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss"
Emily - age 8
________________________________
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)
________________________________
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,"
Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)
________________________________
"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
Noelle - age 7
________________________________
"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."
Tommy - age 6
________________________________
"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."
Cindy - age 8
________________________________
"My mommy loves me more than anybody . You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."
Clare - age 6
________________________________
"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."
Elaine-age 5
________________________________
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."
Chris - age 7
________________________________
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."
Mary Ann - age 4
__________________________
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."
Lauren - age 4
________________________________
"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." (what an image)
Karen - age 7
________________________________
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it gross."
Mark - age 6
________________________________
"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
Jessica - age 8
________________________________
And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked
about a contest he was asked to judge.The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's
yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,"Nothing, I just helped him cry"
________________________________

When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need.

all i ask of you

2005-11-04T22:20:00.000+08:00

nothing to do on a lazy weekend, my husband and i decided to rent some cds at video city. going through the racks of movie selections, i found one of my favorites - phantom of the opera. incidentally, one of its more popular songs, all i ask of you, is a long-time favorite of mine.

as always, love is a universal topic everyone can relate to, this movie accutely depicts what some of us actually go through ( i couldn't agree more for warner brothers casting gerard butler as the phantom) or at one point in our lives, went through - loving a person who does not love you back. as christine and raoul sing this song, the phantom listens and lurks in the dark, envious and jealous of the love he could never have.

i'd say i count myself lucky. isn't it nice when you've finally found someone who can sing this song to you - and mean it ?

i hope you find your prince charming as well.

All I Ask Of You

RAOUL
No more talk of darkness,
Forget these wide-eyed fears.
I'm here,nothing can harm you -
my words will warm and calm you.

Let me be your freedom,
let daylight dry -your tears.
I'm here, with you, beside you,
to guard you and to guide you

CHRISTINE
Say you love me every waking moment,
turn my head with talk of summertime
Say you need me with you, now and always
promise me that all you say is true -
that's all I ask of you

RAOUL
Let me be your shelter,
let me be your light.
You're safe: No-one will find you
your fears are far behind you

CHRISTINE
All I want is freedom,
a world with no more night
and you always beside me
to hold me and to hide me

RAOUL
Then say you'll share with me
one love, one lifetime
Let me lead you from your solitude
Say you need me with you here, beside you
anywhere you go,let me go too -
Christine, that's all I ask of you

CHRISTINE
Say you'll share with me one
love, one lifetime
say the word and I will follow you

BOTH
Share each day with me, each
night, each morning

CHRISTINE
Say you love me

RAOUL
You know I do

BOTH
Love me - that's all I ask of you . . .
(They kiss)
Anywhere you go let me go too
Love me - that's all I ask of you

iska

2005-10-27T13:46:00.000+08:00

i got this from pauline orendain's blog, which i think she also got from sepik mom. mga iskolar ng bayan =)

UP Naming Mahal...

.:. ANO’NG STUDENT NUMBER MO?
93-ish, basta sa up baguio ako nagtake ng UPCAT tabi ng crush ko kaya ako pasado hehe =)

.:. NAKAPASA KA BA OR WAITLISTED?
Pasado - BS Biology ( hah ! quota course )

.:. PAANO MO NALAMAN ANG ENTRANCE EXAM RESULT?
Natanggap ko makapal na sulat, sabi pag napinis di pasado.

.:. FIRST CHOICE MO BA ANG UP?
Yep, La Salle sana Biochemistry - ayaw ng tatay ko.

.:. ALAM MO BA ANG UPG SCORE MO?
May kopya ako nun, kumuha ako sa may Vinzon's ( forget the office ).

.:. ANO ANG FIRST CHOICE MO NA COURSE?
BS Biology

.:. SECOND CHOICE?
BA Political Science ( layo eh ! )

.:. ANO NAGING COURSE MO?
BS Biology, nagsawa sa pusa lumipat sa Public Ad. Ayaw sana pirmahan shifting form ng college sec ( mwehhee ), sabi ko utos tatay ko.

.:. NAGPLANO KA BANG MAG-SHIFT?
Nakapg-shift na ko nung sinabi ko sa tatay ko ( at sa AFP PTF na nagbibigay ng P2k allowance per month - sayang din yun ! )

.:. NAKAPAG-DORM KA NA BA?
Kalayaan baby, Ilang girl ( nagsawa sa food ), certified Yakalite

.:. NAKA UNO KA NA BA?
Oo naman.

.:.Ulit NAGKA-3?
Oo, Math 53.

.:. HIGHEST GRADE:
1.0

.:. LOWEST:
3.0

.:. WORST EXPERIENCE SA UP:
Marami, pila tuwing enrollment kakaiba talaga !

.:. LAGI KA BANG PUMAPASOK SA KLASE?
Oo naman, tambayan ng org ko sa may Palma Hall, tabi ng Alphans saka Chinese

.:. ANO’NG ORG MO?
UP Namnama
UP STPA

.:. MAY SCHOLARSHIP KA BA?
Meron - STFAP ( bracket 6 - 7 - 8 )

.:. PINANGARAP MO BANG MAG-CUM LAUDE?
Oo naman, kung wala sanang math baka magna cum laude pa ( naks ! )

.:. KELAN KA NAGTAPOS?
1997

.:. FAVE PROF (s):
Prof Palafox, Dr. Maayo ( SOLAIR ), Prof Bailen ( Sex and Culture ), Prof Cabras ( NCPAG ), my first Math teacher ( di ko na maalala pero sobrang bait, kaya ako pasado sa Math 17 )

.:. WORST TEACHER (s):
Sakili ( Humanities II - ayayay ! )

.:. FAVE SUBJECT (s):
Public Fiscal Policy

.:. WORST SUBJECT (s):
Math 53 ( Differential Calculus ) - pero gwapo teacher ( hi Sir Vince ! )

.:. FAVE LANDMARK:
Oble, Sunken, CASAA

.:. BUILDING:
Palma Hall

.:. PABORITONG KAINAN:
Beach House, CASAA, Chocolate Kiss, Shopping Center ( Rodics )

.:. NOONG ESTUDYANTE KA PA MAGKANO BA ANG BINABAYAD MO SA JEEP?
P1.25, naging 1.50, bago me graduate 1.75 na ata

.:. LAGI KA BA SA LIB?
Sa Beach House ( ehhe )

.:. NAGPUNTA KA BA SA CLINIC NUNG MINSANG NAGKASAKIT KA?
Oo naman, na confine pa ko asthma. Kakaiba dun.

.:. MAY CRUSH KA BA SA CAMPUS?
Secret =)

.:. BF/GF?
Meron

.:. MAY BALAK KA BA MAG-MASTERS O MAG-PHD?
Diploma in IR, baka tuloy PhD pag may time ulit.

.:. ANU-ANO ANG MGA NAGING PE MO?
Bowling, Stretching, Volleyball, Badminton ( summer UP Baguio )

.:. KAMUSTA NAMAN ANG BLOCK NYO?
Saling pusa block kami halong Geo and Bio, mga duktor na sila lahat !

.:. NAKAPANOOD KA NA BA NG GRADUATION SA UP?
Yung sa amin, college grad, di na ako attend ng University grad.

.:. MEMORIZE MO BA ANG ALMA MATER SONG?
Yep.

.:. MEMBER KA BA NG UP VARSITY TEAM?
Chess team, sana. Hehe =)

.:. NAKA-PERFECT KA NA BA NG EXAM?
Accounting ( oh ha ! )

.:. ANO’NG AYAW MO SA FINALS WEEK?
Deadline lahat ng requirements sa lahat ng subject.

.:. DITO KA BA NATUTONG UMINOM NG BEER?
Oo naman.

.:. ANO’NG GUSTO MO SA UP?
Lahat - holistic formation ng tao. UP taught me independence and academic freedom. UPians kasi think out of the box =)

.:. ANO’NG AYAW MO?
Frat wars.

.:. MAGANDA BA ID PIC MO?
Oo naman, with matching braces. May hayop lang kasi na nagnakaw ng wallet ko eh, ID ko yun mula 1st year.

.:. MAY GINAWA KA NA BANG ILLEGAL SA LOOB NG CAMPUS?
Hah !??

Letting Go !

2005-10-27T09:21:00.000+08:00

This was forwarded to my email a few months back, funny how things like this talk about real-life parallellisms. Letting go is indeed hard to do, but for one to move on and grow up, acknowledging that letting go of things, persons, and even loved ones is essential. Truly, everything has its purpose, all divulged in God's perfect timing.

Let It Go
By T. D. Jakes

There are people who can walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this!
When people can walk away from you: let them walk.
I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you.
I mean hang up the phone.
When people can walk away from you let them walk.
Your destiny is never tied to anybody.
The bible said that, " ... they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us... " [1 John 2:19]
People leave you because they are not joined to you.And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay.Let them go.
And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead.
You've got to know when it's dead.
You've got to know when it's over.

Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of good-bye.
It's the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye.
It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it.

Stop begging people to stay. Let them go!
If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to ...LET IT GO!
If you are holding on to past hurts and pains ...LET IT GO!
If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth ...LET IT GO!
If someone has angered you ...LET IT GO!
If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge ...LET IT GO!
If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction ...LET IT GO!
If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents ...LET IT GO!
If you have a bad attitude ...LET IT GO!
If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better ...LET IT GO!
If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him ...LET IT GO!
If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship ...LET IT GO!
If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves ...LET IT GO!
If you're feeling depressed and stressed ...LET IT GO!
If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying "take your hands off of it," then you need to ...LET IT GO!
Let the past be the past. Forget the former things.GOD is doing a new thing for you ...LET IT GO!
Get Right or Get Left.. think about it, and then ....LET IT GO!
"The Battle is the Lord's!"

Blue Ribbon Against Child Abuse

2005-10-25T18:40:00.000+08:00

One of my advocacies, ever since I was still a student at UP, is to lessen, if not completely eradicate, child abuse in Philippine society. My Diploma in Industrial Relations also focuses on child labor and its ill effects on society. In this context, this poem, passed on by a former classmate at the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance ( NCPAG ), has hit home base. May we all realize that child abuse, in any form, should not be tolerated in our society. It is an evil that lurks inside households and refuses to depart from companies led by greedy businessmen whose only interest lies on how much profit they earn.

Read on, I hope it will touch your hearts as it did mine.

Sarah

My name is Sarah
I am but three,
My eyes are swollen
I cannot see,

I must be stupid,
I must be bad,
What else could have made
My daddy so mad?

I wish I were better,
I wish I weren't ugly,
Then maybe my Mommy
Would still want to hug me.

I can't speak at all,
I can't do a wrong
Or else I'm locked up
All the day long.

When I awake I'm all alone
The house is dark
My folks aren't home.

When my Mommy does come
I'll try and be nice,
So maybe I'll get just
One whipping tonight.

Don't make a sound!
I just heard a car
My daddy is back
From Charlie's Bar.

I hear him curse
My name he calls
I press myself
Against the wall.

I try and hide
From his evil eyes
I'm so afraid now
I'm starting to cry.

He finds me weeping
He shouts ugly words,
He says its my fault
That he suffers at work.

He slaps me and hits me
And yells at me more,
I finally get free
And I run for the door.
He's already locked it
And I start to bawl,
He takes me and throws me
Against the hard wall.

I fall to the floor
With my bones nearly broken,
And my daddy continues
With more bad words spoken.

"I'm sorry!", I scream
But its now much too late
His face has been twisted
Into unimaginable hate.

The hurt and the pain
Again and again
Oh please God, have mercy!
Oh please let it end!

And he finally stops
And heads for the door,
While I lay there motionless
Sprawled on the floor.

My name is Sarah
And I am but three,
Tonight my daddy
Murdered me.

One Click At A Time

2005-10-24T17:49:00.000+08:00

please take time to click on the links at the bottom of this page to help the causes they represent. thanks =)

gransat and gransip

2005-10-24T09:31:00.000+08:00

my parents came last weekend to visit darling baby and attend decker's 50th anniversary. gran satur and gran sipin were so excited to see martin they virtually had him during their entire stay, cuddling and cooing their apo =)

thanks La Perfumeria of ebay for teaching me HTML basics !

US and Asian relations - from a Pakistani's perspective

2005-10-20T18:01:00.000+08:00

this is an interesting article sent to me by a colleague at the international young professionals foundation ( iypf ) about the US and its relations with asia. read on, it says much about how the US forges ties.

A Story of Leaders, Partners, and Clients

By Zia Mian | Editor: John Gershman, IRC
Foreign Policy In Focus www.fpif.org

The past few months have seen important developments in relations
between the United States and India. Much of the commentary has
focused resolutely and rightly on the wisdom and possible
consequences of the new agreements on military and nuclear policy and
programs. But these recent agreements need also to be seen in the
light of the more than 50 years of U.S. efforts to have India become
a part of American political, strategic, and economic plans for Asia.
What becomes clear is how difficult this proved to be over the years.
It begs the question why Indian leaders have finally started to fall
in step so easily in the past few years.

Cold War Era

The first efforts by the United States to co-opt India into its
strategic ambitions came soon after independence. The U.S. goal was
to have India join the U.S. side in the Cold War against the Soviet
Union and, in time China. The pattern was set during Jawaharlal
Nehru’s visit to the United States in 1949, which followed on the
heels of the first nuclear test by the Soviet Union and the success
of the Chinese communists in seizing power. Robert J. McMahon, a
historian of U.S. diplomacy toward South Asia records in his book The
Cold War on the Periphery: The United States, India, and Pakistan,
that before Nehru’s visit, the CIA and the State Department argued
that India was the only potential regional power that could “compete
with Communist China for establishing itself as the dominant
influence in Southeastern Asia.”

Nehru was feted during his trip. But the notion that India could
serve as a lever for U.S. policy toward China, and more broadly in
Asia, came to naught. Speaking to the United States, Nehru was
clear—India needed help, but not at any cost—he said: “We shall …
gladly welcome such aid and cooperation on terms that are of mutual
benefit. We believe that this may well help in the solution of the
larger problems that confront the world. But we do not seek any
material advantage in exchange for any part of our hard-won freedom.”
He explained his refusal to cooperate on his return home, saying that
“they expected something more than gratitude and goodwill and that
more I could not supply them.”

For its part, after Nehru left, the U.S. National Security Council
noted “the current reluctance of the area to align itself overtly
with any power bloc” and determined that “it would be unwise for us
to regard South Asia, more particularly India, as the sole bulwark
against the extension of Communist control in Asia.”

Pakistan, on the other hand, was happy to accept a role in U.S. plans
for South Asia. It built an enduring relationship with the United
States, starting in 1954. The United States provided economic and
military aid, and Pakistan provided military bases, prepared to be
the frontline in a possible war with the Soviet Union, and supported
the United States in international fora.

The U.S. tried again, during the early 1960s, under President
Kennedy. Even before becoming president, he had argued that the
United States and its western allies put together a package of aid
and support “designed to enable India to overtake the challenge of
Communist China.” As president, he sought to put together such a
package. But U.S. efforts to enlist India in support of U.S. policies
and in particular, the effort to counter China, were frustrated. When
Kennedy and Nehru met in 1961, they apparently clashed over Vietnam
and nuclear disarmament among other things, and it is suggested that
“particularly frustrating to U.S. officials was Nehru’s refusal to
accept the mantle of leadership in Southeast Asia.”

Recently declassified reports from May 1963 reveal that President
Kennedy and his aides considered whether and how the United States
might support India in case there was another China-India war. The
defense secretary Robert McNamara argued that “Before any substantial
commitment to defend India against China is given, we should
recognize that in order to carry out that commitment against any
substantial Chinese attack, we would have to use nuclear weapons.”
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Maxwell Taylor,
worried about the long-term and “the overall problem of how to cope
with Red China politically and militarily in the next decade.”
Kennedy took the position that “We should defend India, and therefore
we will defend India.”

Nuclear Policy

Nuclear weapons figured prominently in other ways. In 1964, amid
American concerns about China’s first nuclear weapons test, George
Perkovich has documented how senior officials in the State Department
and the Pentagon went so far as to consider offering “the
possibilities of providing nuclear weapons under U.S. custody” to
India. Perkovich reveals that the plan envisaged helping India modify
aircraft to drop nuclear weapons, training crews, providing dummy
weapons for practice runs, and information on the effects of nuclear
weapons for use in deciding targets. At the same time, the U.S.
Atomic Energy Commission was considering helping India with “peaceful
nuclear explosions,” which would involve the use of U.S. nuclear
devices under U.S. control being exploded in India.

It was not just the Americans who thought this way. Homi Bhabha, the
founder and head of the Department of Atomic Energy, in 1965 urged
the United States to give India a nuclear device or just the
blueprints for one to help it catch up with China’s nuclear
development. But his plans came to naught.

Increasingly bogged down in Vietnam and worried that its future wars
in the Third World would be even more difficult if nuclear weapons
continued to spread, the United States decided that it preferred
instead to stem the spread of nuclear weapons. It joined with the
Soviet Union, which had similar worries, in crafting a nuclear non-
proliferation treaty. The treaty was negotiated in 1968 and came into
force in 1970. At the same time, the United States began to improve
its relations with China. India’s 1974 nuclear test further eroded
hopes of a U.S.-India nuclear relationship as a new regime of non-
proliferation restrictions took shape.

Post-Cold War Era

As the Cold War ended, the United States determined that no other
power would be allowed to emerge as a potential rival. The now
infamous 1992 draft Defense Planning Guidance prepared by Paul
Wolfowitz, the under-secretary of defense for policy for Defense
Secretary Dick Cheney, that was leaked to the press declared “Our
first objective is to prevent the re-emergence of a new rival. This
is a dominant consideration underlying the new regional defense
strategy and requires that we endeavor to prevent any hostile power
from dominating a region whose resources would, under consolidated
control, be sufficient to generate global power.” In particular, it
noted “we must maintain the mechanisms for deterring potential
competitors from even aspiring to a larger regional or global role.”
In other words, the geopolitical order must be stabilized and the
United States maintain its relative superiority not just globally,
but even in the different regions of the world.

China again became the focus of attention as it increasingly became a
major economic and political force in international affairs. This
time story was to be different. India had new leaders. Vajpayee and
the BJP have long believed that Nehru was mistaken to pursue non-
alignment in the Cold War and have argued that India should have made
common cause with the United States against Communism and against
China. This was particularly clear in the May 1998 letter Vajpayee
wrote to President Clinton justifying India’s nuclear tests, with the
first point being China—the “overt nuclear weapon state on our
borders, a state which committed armed aggression against India” and
claiming that “an atmosphere of distrust persists.” This was despite
important breakthroughs such as Chinese president Jiang Zemin’s visit
to India in 1996 and the signing of an agreement on confidence-
building measures along the so-called “line of actual control” in the
border areas. This built on an earlier 1993 agreement on “Maintenance
of Peace and Tranquility” in the disputed border areas.

The new direction in U.S.-India relations became clear in March 2000,
when President Clinton visited India. The joint statement that he
issued with Prime Minister Vajpayee noted that “There have been times
in the past when our relationship drifted without a steady course. As
we now look toward the future, we are convinced that it is time to
chart a new and purposeful direction in our relationship.”

This new direction for the U.S.-India relationship was described as
one in which: “In the new century, India and the United States will
be partners in peace, with a common interest in and complementary
responsibility for ensuring regional and international security. We
will engage in regular consultations on, and work together for,
strategic stability in Asia and beyond.” The shared goal of
“strategic stability in Asia” can be read as India finally accepting
U.S. ideas about what should be the relative balance of power in
Asia, and in particular, U.S. concerns that a rising China could in
time constrain the exercise of U.S. power.

New Direction

The “new direction” identified in Clinton’s March 2000 visit was
taken up concretely in the “Next Steps in Strategic Partnership”
agreement of January 2004. This announced that the United States and
India would “expand cooperation” in civilian nuclear activities,
civilian space programs, and high-technology trade, as well as on
missile defense. It is worth pointing out the obvious, namely, that
cooperation in this context is a euphemism for the United States
providing India access to aid, information, and technology in these
areas.

The U.S. officials have made clear the purpose of this agreement. A
senior official announced that “Its goal is to help India become a
major world power in the 21st century … We understand fully the
implications, including military implications, of that statement.”
The deputy State Department spokesman explained further that the
United States was ready to “help India” with command and control,
early warning and missile defense, and noted that “Some of these
items may not be as glamorous as combat aircraft, but I think for
those of you who follow defense issues you’ll appreciate the
significance.”

Former senior U.S. officials and countless strategic commentators
have pointed out the inference that is to be drawn from the new U.S.
effort to “help India.” Robert Blackwill, who served in the Bush
administration as U.S. ambassador to India and then as a deputy
national security adviser for strategic planning, has wondered, for
instance, “Why should the United States want to check India’s missile
capability in ways that could lead to China’s permanent nuclear
dominance over democratic India?”

It is against this background that one should read the joint
statement by President Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of July
18, 2005. The statement has the two leaders “declare their resolve to
transform the relationship between their countries and establish a
global partnership” and explains that this partnership will “promote
stability, democracy, prosperity, and peace throughout the world.”
The agreement aims, it says, to “enhance our ability to work together
to provide global leadership.” It is clear who will lead and who will
follow.

Zia Mian is a Pakistani physicist with the Program on Science and
Global Security at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and
International Affairs at Princeton University and a frequent
contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus (online at www.fpif.org). This
report is a slightly revised version of an article published in
Economic and Political Weekly on September 10, 2005.

Photobucket

2005-10-19T16:22:00.000+08:00

This is a test post from Photobucket.com

biting dust while holding hands =)

2005-10-16T22:41:00.000+08:00

whose dust are you biting ? or is it yours they're after ? whichever way it is, nobody is to be blamed but you. and some others. but mostly you.

another offer came, informing me of a meeting on monday. and then another offer yet again, probably good-bad-good news as was said. oh well, i leave it all to God, He knows better. that's what i told Him this morning on my quiet time, i guess He heard me, loud and clear.

went shopping with my baby boy, isn't it nice to just spend the day with the person you love and just hold hands while ogling ( hehe ) at other people while munching on bk's whooper jr. ?! the security of knowing there is this one person who will remain with you and love you no matter what is beyond me, but looking at my babe, it isn't now =)

darling baby has colds, had to nebulize him when we got home. good thing he's quite okay now. =)

introspection

2005-10-13T23:40:00.000+08:00

having more time for myself now, i realize this is exactly what i needed. buzzling through life in all of my nearly 29 years on earth, it is only now that i have come to terms with a great deal of things.

our latest adventure and bump, or so they say, has accorded me the introspect to look at how i want my life lived, planning, and meticulously going through every detail in the next five years or so - as i usually do every five years or so. this time however, my haiatus has led me to the depths of oblivion - questioning morals; compromising principles; weighing decisions; making enemies out of friends, making friends out of enemies; having people yack about things they think they know, with much restraint not to shot back because you know you know better; having others think the worse of you, after giving everything you have got. in the end however, when all the smoke has cleared and you're left all alone to contemplate, one realizes that the mayhem is actually part of it all. it is where you prove your worth, ending victorious because no matter what others think, you can look straight into their eyes, knowing you have made peace with yourself, your conscience, and your God.

humbled by this, i now realize what He has been saying all along - " Be still and know that I am God. " and then i kept still. and listened.

and realization hit me. hard.

this is His way of telling me to stop running my life the way i see fit, and let Him instead. so i did.

as if on cue, offers from others came in, two even coming from international organizations. looking at endless possibilities, i do not fear because i know my credentials speak for itself, i know who i am and what i am capable of. i am secured in the thought that our needs are provided for and i do not have to want nor beg for anything. for whatever it is worth and however it turns out, i know it is not my loss.

indeed, when God closes the door, He opens a window. and it leads to a better view.

pula ang aking kulay

2005-09-13T23:49:00.000+08:00

Your Power Color Is Red-Orange

At Your Highest:

You are warm, sensitive, and focused on your personal growth.

At Your Lowest:

You become defensive and critical if you feel attacked.

In Love:

You are loyal - but you demand the respect you deserve.

How You're Attractive:

You are very affectionate and inspire trust.

Your Eternal Question:

"Am I Respected?"

What's Your Power Color?

17th of march - our darling baby's birthday =)

2005-09-13T23:43:00.000+08:00

our martin rafael is an entrepreneur in the making ala henry sy and donald trump ! combination of good genes from mom and dad anak hehe =)

Your Birthdate: March 17

Your birth on the 17th day of the month suggests that you are very lucky financially, because this date indicates a solid business sense.
Although you are probably very honest and ethical, this birthday enables you to be shrewd and successful in the world of business and commercial enterprise.
You have excellent organizational, managerial, and administrative capabilities enabling you to handle large projects and significant amounts of money with relative ease.

You are ambitious and highly goal-oriented, although you may be better at starting projects than you are at finishing them.
A sensitivity in your nature, often repressed below the surface of awareness, makes it hard to give or receive affection.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

13th of november - my babe's birthday =)

2005-09-13T23:39:00.000+08:00

my husband's birthdate - hah! this is so true baby =)

Your Birthdate: November 13

Being born on the 13th day of the month should help make you a better manager and organizer, but it may also give you a tendency to dominate people a bit.
You may be more responsible and self-disciplined than you realize.
Sincere and honest, you are a serious, hard working individual.

Your feeling are likely to seem somewhat repressed at times.
You are apt to be much more practical, rational, and conscious of details.
Your intolerance and insistence on complete accuracy can be irritating to some.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

12th of november

2005-09-13T23:35:00.000+08:00

of course this is true ! the best people to attest the veracity of this statement are my husband and friends, let see what they have to say - harhar ! =)

Your Birthdate: November 12

Being born on the 12th day of the month (3 energy) is likely to add a good bit of vitality to your life.
The energy of 3 allows you bounce back rapidly from setbacks, physical or mental.
There is a restlessness in your nature, but you seem to be able to portray an easygoing, sometimes "couldn't care less" attitude.

You have a natural ability to express yourself in public, and you always make a very good impression.
Good with words, you excel in writing, speaking, and possibly singing.
You are energetic and always a good conversationalist.

You have a keen imagination, but you tend to scatter your energies and become involved with too may superficial matters.
Your mind is practical and rational despite this tendency to jump about.
You are affectionate and loving - but very sensitive.
You are subject to rapid ups and downs.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

brainiac =)

2005-09-13T23:31:00.000+08:00

Your Brain's Pattern

Your mind is a firestorm - full of intensity and drama.
Your thoughts may seem scattered to you most of the time...
But they often seem strong and passionate to those around you.
You are a natural influencer. The thoughts you share are very powerful and persuading.

What Pattern Is Your Brain?