EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN

Bizarre Opinion that Counts: Upcoming May 2010 Elections

2010-03-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

Vetallano Acosta of KBL

Out in the wild, he’s one of those trying their luck without doing anything. As expected the Liberal Party wants his name out of the ballots. Or else, Aquino won’t have a hand over undecided voters. Nobody denies that whoever is first in the ballot list might have a chance of being voted upon randomly. E.g. I have some classmates in Accountancy who chose Accountancy out of the mere reason that it’s the first line in list. The latest thing about him is that he is declared a nuisance candidate by COMELEC. Who knows if that declaration might be reversed by some illegal means, anyway, there’s nothing static in our bureaucracy.

Benigno Aquino of Liberal Party

Cory Magic did it all, people say. Very true indeed, as I don’t think this man has convinced me that he was prepared to face the challenges in the wild. He sure got a lot of sure supporters. Old friends and colleagues of his late parents, actresses and actors, people who sympathize… Well, is he worth their efforts? Maybe so. Perhaps, another coup d’état is waiting if he becomes the president. But one thing I’m sure is that, with him as president, our economy will just be stagnant. He, per se, has not much of the conviction a president of a country must have. He’s a weak person, by nature. Can’t be blamed because he’s the only male among Cory’s children… Further, his platforms are not very realistic. Especially when he said that he’s not going to escalate the taxes. Though his pronouncements are not realistic, I think his persona is considered to be better than his counterparts. Obviously, many of us believe that he’s much more of that innocent type. And, I’m one of them.

John Carlos de los Reyes of Ang Kapatiran

Councillor aspiring to be a president, not a bad dream! On top of that, he’s not that known in the political arena. I don’t think this person will win. In my point of view, he’s just seeking publicity. It would be a lot better if he just pursued a dream in senatorial race rather than in the presidential race. Well, that’s just my opinion; maybe the rain will have a red tint next time around.

Joseph Estrada of PMP

Unlike South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun, this man is not of the same stint. After his infamous downfall, he’s now back to political arena as if nothing happened before. As if he was not convicted of a crime. He claims that he was running because he wants to rescue the poor. Tut…tut…there are many ways to help the poor. One of the ways is building a business through his amassed wealth. A business can rescue the poor people by giving away jobs. Donations and giveaways are not beneficial in the long run. Well, forgive me for my bias; I don’t think actors can make up an effective bureaucracy. Inasmuch, as he had held many different stairway positions before, I still don’t believe this man can manoeuvre our country during global recession.

Richard Gordon of Bagumbayan

Well, this man seems like an innocent type, no doubt. Some people tend to credit him on account of the boom of both WOW Philippines and Subic Bay. But I don’t think he must take credit for the both. Philippines has too much tourist attractions, enough for the foreigners to flock. Further, I think he has a lot of easier ways to scoop up indecent funds. Moreover, I don’t think the positions he had held previously are enough to make him a viable presidential candidate.

Jamby Madrigal, an independent candidate

Roses among the thorns, haha. I think she’s better for a senatoriable but not a presidentiable. But one thing I’m sure is that, she is not a pro-poor. For me, she’s just the known consistent opposition for Villar.

Nicanor Perlas, also an independent candidate

I do not know much about this candidate, maybe because he’s not that popular. Maybe he has got a lot of money to spend. I think he’s just another candidate for publicity only. But who knows? Of course, I don’t want to spoil their hopes.

Gilbert Teodoro of LAKAS-KAMPI

This candidate convinces me most. I believe in lawyers, although they have an ability to circumvent laws. Aside from his good looks, I think the positions he held previously are viable enough for him to become a president. Also, among the candidates he has the cleanest record if you are going to investigate the websites, broadsheets, magazines and tabloids. Untainted credibility is an important factor for choosing a president.

Eduardo Villanueva of Bangon

Separation of Church and State could not possibly be fulfilled, if this person becomes the president. Mainly because this person owes majority of his support from the church constituents. Naturally, he would return those voting and supporting favors. But aside from such, I don’t see too much constraint to his being a presidential candidate. Further, if this candidate wins, then he would be the first in the Philippine history to be a pastor-president. I think his morals are not to be questioned because of his association with the Church.

Manuel Villar of Nacionalista Party

Rags to riches story of Villar seems plausible for me, but not without illegality involved, I believe. This candidate is a shrewd businessman, and by that he could also be a shrewd official. Who knows what methods he is going to employ? Perhaps, it’s would be a never-before-seen tactic. As we all know, it’s difficult for a person to serve two masters. In running for the presidential elections, he’s preparing to serve two masters, his stockholders and his countrymen. Who do you think would he serve better? Would there be conflict of interest? Perhaps. We’ll see.

How about you? What’s your opinion? Blog it. J

Another Chopped Post: Abstract

2010-03-30T02:03:00.000-07:00

Thesis title: The Correlation of Introversion and Extroversion to the First Quiz in Accounting 6 of Third Year Students in the BS Accountancy Program of UST-AMV COA in the First Semester School Year 2009-2010.

Through gathering the test scores of third year students in the first quiz of Accounting 6, the researchers hope to find out if it has a significant correlation with the personality type of the respondents by comparing it with the respective MBTI test results. This research employs descriptive method of design and purposive method of sampling in the process. Manual as well as electronic tools were used as statistical tools. In gathering the data, researchers distributed forms asking for respondent’s Managerial Accounting first quiz score and their consent to disclose their MBTI results. The forms where forwarded to guidance office to fill up the introversion-extroversion scores, and the researchers will collect it the following day. Among the 400 students, only 196 responded, which constituted the sample. 58.67% of the sample was introverts and 41.33% of the sample was extroverts. And in all the range of grades, introverts outnumbered the extroverts. The Chi-square value was 4.946, which was less than the critical value of 5.991, results to accepting hypothesis. Having a correlation coefficient (r) of -0.09945 and a determination coefficient (r2) of 0.00989 was where the correlation between two variables was deemed insignificant. Meanwhile, p-value [-1.386] was compared to z tabular value [±1.96], so null hypothesis is accepted. Further, the computed value in the t-test was 0.96, which was neither below -1.96 nor above +1.96, hence accepting null hypothesis. Finally, conclusions are as follows: introvert respondents outnumbered extrovert respondents, level of extroversion (personality type) had no effect in the quiz result, no significant correlation is observed between personality type & academic performance, and the mean score of introverts & extroverts was equal.

UNREVISED

Just a chopped post: Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation

2010-03-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

With the third year UST-AMV College of Accountancy’ students as respondents, the researchers aimed to find out if there is significant relationship between personality type (Introversion and Extroversion) and academic performance. In line with that, the researchers explored the following queries. First, what is the profile of introverts and extroverts respectively in relation to quiz scores? Second, does the level of extroversion affect the quiz result of a student? Third, to what extent is personality type related to academic performance? Fourth, the student of what personality type excels more in Managerial Accounting? The study included two variables; personality type and academic performance, both of which were obtained through surveys and standardized with MBTI test results & Managerial Accounting first quiz scores. Due to the non-extensive and volatile variables of this study, it must not be relied upon for specific causations and explanations. Also, the research included third year students from 3A1 to 3A9, gathered MBTI test results from the past semester’s data, and excluded respondents who did not give their consent. Among the 400 students, only 196 responded, which constituted the sample. 58.67% of the sample was introverts and 41.33% of the sample was extroverts. And in all the range of grades, introverts outnumbered the extroverts. The Chi-square value was 4.946, which was less than the critical value of 5.991. Having a correlation coefficient (r) of -0.09945 and a determination coefficient (r2) of 0.00989 was where the correlation between two variables was deemed insignificant. Meanwhile, p-value [-1.386] was compared to z tabular value [±1.96]. Further, the computed value in the t-test was 0.96, which was neither below -1.96 nor above +1.96.

In the final analysis, conclusions are as follows: introvert respondents outnumbered extrovert respondents, level of extroversion (personality type) had no effect in the quiz result, no significant correlation is observed between personality type & academic performance, and the mean score of introverts & extroverts was equal. For the first conclusion, it is observed that there are more introvert respondents than extrovert respondents. Even in the range of grades, the introverts got higher percentages. This implies that there is no trend in determining whether one is an introvert or an extrovert by merely looking at the range of grade they belong. While the second conclusion was deducted from the fact that Chi-square value is lesser than the critical value, this explains the acceptance of the null hypothesis. The fact that Chi-square test’s general rule is to reject the null hypotheses only if chi-square value is greater than critical value. In the third conclusion, both correlation coefficient (r) and determination coefficient (r2) fall on the range, wherein correlation between two variables involved is deemed insignificant. This also explains that no linear trend exists between extroversion level and quiz scores. Thereby, the decision is simply to accept the null hypothesis, which means that no significant correlation is observed in the two said variables. Further, p-value as compared to z tabular value results to an acceptance of null hypothesis. In so doing, it gives more preponderance to observing no significant correlation between personality type & academic performance. Lastly, in the fourth conclusion, we utilized the t-test for differences of mean. Since the computed value in t-test was not in the boundaries of tabular value, the result was to accept the null hypothesis.

After a thorough analysis of data, the researchers recommend this study to future scholars, who have plenty of resources in order to lead more meaningful discoveries. Maybe an additional variable (i.e. time) must be added and the limits must be decreased, in order that more realistic results can be obtained. Also, the researchers would like to utilize this study to enlighten the respondents about the correlation between introversion & extroversion and a Managerial Accounting quiz. In the light of this research, we have found no relation between the said factors. So, it is suggested that we cannot hold responsible our being introvert or being extrovert when we get unsatisfactory grades in Managerial Accounting, specifically the first quiz. Even the general public can be enlightened by the previous statement. In addition, if this research is potent enough then guidance counsellors’ giving of personality tests might become unnecessary for assessing our capabilities in BSA.

UNREVISED

Soylent Green Walkthrough: Reflection from the 1973 ‘Soylent Green’ movie

2010-03-12T07:54:00.000-08:00

Year 2022, a frightful projection of future, is what the most of us could reflect from it. Nobody denies that this film is all about warning humankind against pollution, overpopulation, climate change above many other things humans intentionally overlook. But as all films have its downsides, this film has too. Instead of being realistic, this film is overly disgusting. To the point that most people who can appreciate them, appreciate them only for the horror it creates, not the essence. Nevertheless, I could not discredit the fact that it was created as a sci-fi movie not a realistic movie. I think the movie would have been more effective to warn humans against the frightening year 2022 if it was set on more realistic scenes. While I was watching the movie, I could not help but to avoid some scenes. Maybe I was being childish, but cannibalism really squeezes all my nerves. For me, widespread acceptance of cannibalism is near to impossible. It might have been possible in the primitive period but not now that we have religions for worship. More importantly, I don’t think people in 2022 don’t have sense of taste, that they could not taste meat instead of plankton the company claims as the ingredient of soylent green. And if they tasted meat, won’t they be curious on where the meat came from. Of course, yes. So I don’t think it takes a massive investigation to find that out. Further, with the advent of equality now, when year 2022 comes I wonder who’d be the real ‘furniture’, it might be men too. We all know the fact that women are now competing fiercely against men for all the world positions, titles and everything. This movie shows bias when it portrayed a woman as part of ‘furniture’. Moreover, manufacturing plants like that of the soylent, can attract many curious eyes, it would not wait for the investigator to come. And of course, manufacturing plants have workers; do you think we can entirely shut-off their mouths? They’re not robots. Furthermore, I bet there would be a lot of people who would disagree to having facilities for assisted suicides. How dare a government do that openly? Also, imagine the great big contrast of having a super luxurious assisted suicide facility, as compared to sandwich rotten building tenements. Will the people of New York County complain of such irony? Obviously, yes. More so, with such impoverished population, do you think a government can still exist? Without taxes, government can’t exist. Well, the pro of this movie is that it attempts to warn humankind against the impending destruction because of the faults we are continuously committing. I think the issue about overpopulation is just a question of discipline we have in life. Americans in general, accept divorce as a norm, with the exception of Americans living in the south perhaps. Well, divorce at par seems feminist. But in reality, it is destructive to the society because family is a basic building block of a society. Neither single mothers nor single fathers can really produce responsible children. More often than not, divorce also sparks overpopulation. E.g. Barbie married Colin and has two children. After divorce, Colin has another two children with Sam, while Barbie married Daryl and has another two children. This situation calls for a total of 6 children instead of 2 children, if the divorce had materialized. I think to solve problems; people should solve first the roots before the fruits. The same applies to operations strategy. Not only must the goal be focused upon but also the things to be done to reach the goal.

What to Consider in Shopping for Cookies in Supermarkets

2010-02-15T02:12:00.000-08:00

Packaging

Packaging is evidence that a company exerts its best effort in delivering quality to the consumers. So that when we see reckless packaging, it is difficult to assume the quality of such product. Moreso, responsible packaging ensures the freshness of food products. It is also important to note that packaging builds our first impression upon the product itself. We can see this effect in Gardenia breads, which had its breads packed neatly and sealed properly. Take note too that some companies use packaging to make the contents of their product seem more than what it really is inside. Most Oishi products are employed with such strategy. More often than not, cookies have the same criteria for judging as breads.

Brand name

Although brand name is not a definite measurement of quality, most of us consider it as a great factor. By the fact that good brand names had successfully passed the test of time. For example, the product lines of the company Rebisco that had strong sales up until now. Unlike the Sunflower Crackers which was indicted in the case of melamine contamination. Meanwhile, in support to the statement, that brand name is not a definite measurement of quality. An example would be breads made from local bakeshops, of which we would prefer out of many different factors. (i.e. low priced, freshly baked, utmost trust) These arguments could apply to cookies too.

Ingredients

Most of us consider this a hurdle factor for companies making food products. With the sugar-free trend nowadays, most companies are into labelling their products with “no fat”, “no carbohydrates”, “no preservatives” and many other marketing gimmicks. But sophisticated buyers are not fooled by the said strategy, because they often look at the ingredients of food products. An instance would be the “guilt free” label in Oishi’s product “Marty’s Crackling”, of which when you look at its ingredients, it’s not guilt free at all, but instead a lot of free fats for the fat chaps. In cookies, the same arguments apply according to conditions. Further, cookies that have long shelf life must have many preservatives too. Many preservatives give way to many avoidable quasi-harmful ingredients for our health when we are habitual eaters of such cookies.

Manufacturing and expiration date

Many companies of food products tend to have long gaps between manufacturing and expiration date. We all know that such is used to preserve the interests of the companies of food products. Longer expiration calls for longer selling time. To serve our doubts about the real motive of the companies, some of us would avoid buying such food products. Even worse, some food products do not have expiration dates printed clearly. These statements apply to cookies as well, because cookies are food products too. But of course, every circumstance can change the possibilities.

Precautions/Warnings in the label of the product

“No approved therapeutic claims”, these are one of the few warnings labelled in some food products. Products with such labels must not be bought on the ground that their claims are not concretely supported. Companies put up such labels because of many reasons. One reason would be not passing the requirements of quality-setting standards, bureaus and organizations concerning food products. At times, health authorities did not ensure the safety and viability of such product. Or as the case maybe, the company is not willing to take responsibility for their products. In addition, products that has sarcastic labelling must not be believed upon. An example would be the “Splenda” glutinous rice cake (in vernacular, tikoy), which claims to be safe for people with diabetes. When in fact, it’s not applicable to all people with diabetes, because diabetes has varying degrees and stages. Moreover, glutinous rice cake is really a sweet product, putting up such label, would mean a sarcasm. Again, some cookies could be in these situations too, depending on various circumstances.

Unverified Problem-Solution Pattern for Technical English

2010-02-08T22:58:00.000-08:00

Whenever we see brown-skinned people, having considerable white patches in their skin, what comes to our mind? Why does that happen to the said people? Is it inherited through genes or not? Are there treatments available? As we all know, even the late Michael Jackson had gone through several transformations primarily because of the chronic disorder, vitiligo, which was characterized by the aforementioned first-hand descriptions. By far, the said disorder is too complex and not yet fully understood in the words of Dr. Gary Rothfield, a known New York dermatologist.

At times, we’d think that these people has been burnt or that they had some allergies. However, when we would look closely and investigate, we’d found out that 1 out of 1000 people, happen to have vitiligo. Well, both dermatologists and pathologists have long proposed and consecutively theorized that such disorder is due to genetic and environmental etiological factors. Therefore, in that case, it is hard to say if we can really control the existence of such chronic disease. Treatments depend on the degree of which the vitiligo integrates. In mild cases, it might be masked by cosmetic camouflage solutions. While in regular cases, the traditional treatment given by most dermatologist is corticosteroid cream. And as the case requires, a dermatologist might suggest the use of radioactive ions for treating vitiligo patients. In dosing, we’d like to encourage people to create awareness groups for vitiligo-infected people, in the hope that their conditions improve, even only in an emotional aspect.

Technical English - Review of Related Literature (a part)

2010-02-06T03:13:00.000-08:00

Feist, J., & Feist, G. (2006). Theories of Personality. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies Incorporated.

Before arriving at anything, we need to differentiate introversion and extroversion first. The aforementioned book differentiates the differences of introversion and extraversion. So here it goes.

Introverts perceive external world in a subjective way. Due to that fact, they are generally passive, reserved, thoughtful, and peaceful. In contrast, extraverts perceive external world in an objective way. Because of that, they often are lively, quick-witted, optimistic, and outgoing. (Feist & Feist, 2006) With these in mind, we can deduce that introverts tend to be contemplative in their actions while extroverts tend to be the opposite. As evidenced by philosophers in the history, contemplation empowers the facets of mind.

Furnham, A. (2008). Personality and Intelligence at Work (6th Edition ed.). New York, United States: Routledge - Taylor and Francis Group.

Taking a managerial accounting quiz requires a corresponding kind of intelligence. In this case, we need to explore the relationship of the kinds of intelligence and types of personality. So here it goes.

Theorist Cattell classified intelligence into two general kinds: fluid and crystallized. Fluid intelligence involves the power of interpreting and processing information. While crystallized intelligence deals with obtained skills and specific knowledge in a person’s experience. Introverts who enjoy learning, usually get better quiz results when such exam needs crystallized intelligence. (Furnham, 2008) The first quiz in managerial accounting dwells on the basic accepted principles of managerial accounting, so it needs more of crystallized intelligence. The fact that basic accepted principles of managerial accounting are specific proven facts justifies the need for crystallized knowledge. In this matter, we can deduce that the quiz is favorable to the introverts who are fond of learning.

Hilton, R. (2009). Managerial Accounting: Creating Value in a Dynamic Business Environment (8th Edition ed.). New York, United States: McGraw-Hill Companies Incorporated.

Because our research is focusing on an exam in managerial accounting, we need to discuss the generally needed skills for tackling the exam. Further, the abovementioned resource is the prescribed book of the subject managerial accounting, so most respondents must be using it for study. So here it goes.

The exam was a four-chapter exam. First chapter requires the skills of defining terms, explaining differences, and understanding concepts. Second chapter involves the skills of explaining terms, understanding examples, and preparing schedules. Third chapter entails the skills of explaining relationships, defining terms, performing analysis, and interpreting results. Fourth chapter requires the skills of computing factors, preparing graphs, understanding implications, and explaining roles. (Hilton, 2009)

Mischel, W., Shoda, Y., & Ayduk, O. (2008). Introduction to Personality: Toward an Integrative Science of the Person (8th Edition ed.). New Jersey, United States: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.

In lieu of discussing exam taking, we cannot disregard the state of our brain’s neurons in the act of taking the exams. Prior to taking exams, a person’s personality trait conditions his/her brain’s neurons. So here it goes.

There are two neurological systems in the brain: Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) and Behavioral Activation Systems (BAS). BIS is a withdrawal-avoidance system, which permits one to pause and then contemplate options before making an action. It is associated to conscientiousness or behavioral inhibition. Greater reactivity in BIS of introverts results to their inclination to be more passive and avoidant. As a result, they reflect greater physiological sensitivity and alertness to all the possible things that could go wrong and produce trouble. On the other hand, BAS is an energizing system, which triggers and aids swift action. It is associated to dominance or sensation seeking and impulsivity. Greater reactivity in BAS of extroverts explains their focus on rewards, especially immediate rewards. In effect, they eagerly look for situations and opportunities from which they could reap rewards. To sum it up, people who have BIS as the more active system in the brain are more tuned to negative outcomes. While, for people who have BAS as the more active system in the brain are more tuned to positive outcomes. (Mischel, Shoda, & Ayduk, 2008) With these facts in mind, it can be said that more introverts has an unfavorable result set on their mind before and during taking the exams. While more extroverts has a favorable result set on their mind before and during taking the exam.

DO NOT COPY

Experiences and Realistic Lessons from the Plant Tours

2010-02-01T01:47:00.000-08:00

Plants visited: Tanduay Distillers, Inc. and Gardenia Bakeries Philippines, Inc. (both in Laguna)

Despite not feeling well on the day of the plant visit, I decided to go notwithstanding. Primarily, I want to see how Gardenia has improved itself through time. As I had already visited it back in my high school days. Our first destination was that of Tanduay, which gave us a warm welcome. Upon entering, we were ushered to a mini AVP presentation. Then off we go, we started in their stored barrels and tanks, which was divided according to their length of preservation period. In here, we learned that the factors of neatness, orderliness and coordination were also very significant in any sort of production process. I had observed that even their delivery personnel wear neat clothes unlike the one I sometimes see in some regressive factories. So here, it is observed that the importance of operations strategy could not be diminished. Next, we were ushered to their processing process, wherein hundreds of wine bottles were processed. I have observed that a part of their operations strategy is automated mass production, that they had very small ratio of labor. Although, the company did not show exactly its mixing process, one could guess that the process, per se, was a patented secret of the company. After that we were given a brochure of their products. Upon going back to the bus, I have observed that the company has a lot of idle capacity, maybe because it was just a newly opened production facility. I think the company should have opened a mini-store beside their production process. In doing so, aside from using the idle capacity, it might have few extra profits in opening the store. As some people have the mentality of believing that the store nearest to the factory is where the one they could possibly buy the freshest and the newest. On the other hand, some people love to enjoy factory sale discounts. Our next destination was to Gardenia, which offers a lot of plant tours. In compared their past looks and present looks, I found out that there were minimal improvements. As they still operate with the same tanks and the same machines. One of their improvements is their visitors’ observation wing. Compared to the past, the observation wing was now air-conditioned. Now, let’s talk about its operations’ strategy. Just like Tanduay, it had an automated mass production plant, minimal laborers and coordinated systems. Their employees wear white polo, which might be a part of their propaganda that their breads are released from all kinds of dirt. And also, the breads as we could see are processed untouched by human hands. But, as the time passes, their pans became thick with rust. In here, we could see that their operations strategy was getting a little bit neglected. Further, as in the past they had opened a store, it was still operating as productive as before. This proves that my earlier recommendation for a factory sale store in Tanduay is more likely feasible. As the sun was soon to vanish for the day, we boarded the bus again back to where we set-off. In the bus, I was reading the brochure of Tanduay, which says it also had a plant in Quiapo. Hate being cheated, but that seems the case here. But well, we must think positive, so the better conclusion is that the organizer had a constraint in resources. At the end of the day, I think I learned a lot from the two sets production processes and operation strategies. Ever since entering college, it was my dream to have a manufacturing company of my own. Up until now, my hopes can’t help but to persist.

Remarkable Quotes from Paulo Coelho's The Winner Stands Alone

2009-12-18T09:45:00.000-08:00

***They make a secret pact with themselves never to think about the future.

***How can we be so arrogant? The planet is, was, and always will be stronger than us. We can't destroy it; if we overstep the mark, the planet will simply erase us from its surface and carry on existing. Why don't they start talking about not letting the planet destroy us?

***And with the passing years, what had once seemed like a miracle or the luckiest of chances and which he had always promised himself he would never become enslaved by, has gradually become his sole reason to go on living.

***Normal is:

1. Anything that makes us forget who we are and what we want; that way we can work in order to produce, reproduce, and earn money.

2. Setting out rules for waging war (the Geneva Convention).

3. Spending years studying at university only to find out at the end of it all that you're unemployable.

4. Working from nine till five every day at something that gives you no pleasure just so that, after thirty years, you can retire.

5. Retiring and discovering that you no longer have enough energy to enjoy life and dying a few years out of sheer boredom.

6. Using Botox.

7. Believing that power is much more important than money and that money is much more important than happiness.

8. Making fun of anyone who seeks happiness rather than money and accusing them of "lacking ambition."

9. Comparing objects like cars, houses, clothes, and defining life according to those comparisons, instead of trying to discover the real reason for being alive.

10. Never talking to strangers. Saying nasty things about the neighbors.

11. Believing that your parents are always right.

12. Getting married, having children, and staying together long after all love has died, saying that it's for the good of the children (who are, apparently, deaf to the constant rows).

13. Criticizing anyone who tries to be different.

14. Waking up each morning to a hysterical alarm clock on the bedside table.

15. Believing absolutely everything that appears in print.

16. Wearing a scrap of colored cloth around your neck, even though it serves no useful purpose, but which answers to the name of "tie."

17. Never asking a direct question, even though the other person can guess what it is you want to know.

18. Keeping a smile on your lips even when you're on the verge of tears. Feeling sorry for those who show their feelings.

19. Believing that art is either worth a fortune or worth nothing at all.

20. Despising anything that was easy to achieve because if no sacrifice was involved, it obviously isn't worth having.

21. Following fashion trends, however ridiculous or uncomfortable.

22. Believing that all famous people have tons of money saved up.

23. Investing a lot of time and money in external beauty and caring little about internal beauty.

24. Using every means possible to show that, although you're just an ordinary human being, you're far above other mortals.

25. Never looking anyone in the eye when you're traveling on public transport, in case it's interpreted as a sign that you're trying to get off with them.

26. Standing facing the door in an elevator and pretending you're the only person there, no matter how crowded it is.

27. Never laughing too loudly in a restaurant no matter how good the joke.

28. In the northern hemisphere, always dressing according to the season: bare arms in spring (however cold it is) and woolen jacket in winter (however hot it is).

29. In the southern hemisphere, covering the Christmas tree with fake snow even though winter has nothing to do with the birth of Christ.

30. Assuming, as you grow older, that you're the guardian of the world's wisdom, even if you haven't necessarily lived enough to know what's right and wrong.

31. Going to a charity tea party and thinking that you've done your bit toward putting an end to social inequity in the world.

32. Eating three times a day even if you're not hungry.

33. Believing that other people are always better than you--better-looking, more capable, richer, more intelligent--and that it's very dangerous to step outside your own limits, so it's best to do nothing.

34. Using your car as a weapon and impenetrable armor.

35. Swearing when in heavy traffic.

36. Believing everything your child does wrong is entirely down to the company he or she keeps.

37. Marrying the first person who offers you a decent position in society. Love can wait.

38. Always saying, "I tried" when you didn't really try at all.

39. Postponing doing the really interesting things in life for later, when you don't have the energy.

40. Avoiding depression with large daily doses of television.

41. Believing that you can be sure of everything you've achieved.

42. Assuming that women don't like football and that men aren't intersted in home decorating and cooking.

43. Blaming the government for all the bad things that happen.

44. Thinking that being a good, decent, respectable person will mean that others will see you as weak, vulnerable, and easy to manipulate.

45. Being equally convinced that aggression and rudeness are synonymous with having a "powerful personality."

46. Being afraid of having an endoscopy (if you're a man) and giving birth (if you're a woman).

9 Signs that Proves Your Friend Toxic

2009-09-19T22:16:00.000-07:00

This article is sourced verbatim from THE STAFF of Wowowow.com.

The colloquial term "frenemy" was coined to describe a complicated relationship wherein a person causes a friend such pain and anguish that there is a blur between this person being your "friend" or "enemy." Why is it so hard to tell the difference between the two opposite words that society had to create a fuzzy word to describe a shade of gray? For one, our parents didn’t raise us with built-in "bad friend sensors" because our girlfriends are different to us than they were to our mothers or grandmothers, explains Susan Shapiro Barash, a nationally regarded gender expert and author of Toxic Friends: The Antidote for Women Stuck in Complicated Friendships , an upcoming tome on dealing with female relationships.

With advances in communication technologies, such as Skype and Facebook , women have been able to move farther away from their mothers and siblings in pursuit of their careers and families. And during the process, women sought the comfort of nearby friends on whom to depend, as though they shared the same DNA.
"My grandmother didn’t need a book like this,” Shapiro tells us. "Her family didn’t live three thousand miles away. Today, what women look for in female friendships is what they would look for in a relationship with their mother or sister."
Additionally, our grandmothers weren’t going to restaurants to meet with girlfriends to talk about their sex lives, careers and health. According to Barash, it appears that these types of gatherings grew from women who sought the deep connections seen on popular television series, such as "Sex & The City" and "Friends." Shows that highlighted female kinships that are just as strong — if not tighter — than family ties have become a model for real-life social circles and in turn women have grown to trust friends with very private matters. It’s also natural for women to turn to the comfort of friends when they grow older and lose their mothers, sisters and significant others.
Hence, friends have become a fabric of our lives — which also explains why it hurts us so when a friendship is fraught with confusion, heartache and tears. Let’s face it: A mean friend is just as scarring as a bad mother or husband. This is similar to the conclusion made by Barash, which compelled her to explore the key components of damaging relationships and also provide women advice on how to detect such harmful friendships. Here we asked Barash to share with us the signs of a toxic friendship — and how to disengage.

The 9 Signs You’re in a Toxic Friendship
1) Your friend is jealous of you. Jealousy is different than envy and the first can be very toxic for the relationship. Jealousy is: "I want what you have and I want you dead or disappeared." Envy is just: "I want what you have." A jealous friend will want to cut you out of her life because she really wants what you have and can’t stand to be around you anymore. An envious friend will want what you have, but will look to you as her inspiration or role model, and compete with you to get in the lead.
2) Your friend is a "doormat": It’s tiring to always be with someone who is so malleable.
3) Your friend wasn’t there for you. It’s sometimes hard to see if a friend is really a true pal until there is a life-changing moment in your life that requires the person’s support. This eye-opening event is called The Inciting Incident, which is when everything is going along fine, until wham! someone gets sick, or loses their job, or gets married or loses a loved one, and you find that the friend you thought would be by your side isn’t there for you at all. She doesn’t celebrate your good news nor does she help you in times of need. For some women it takes an "inciting incident" to finally notice that a friend is toxic.
4) Your friend is draining you: You feel you’re psychologically and emotionally giving all your energy to her and receiving nothing in return.
5) You don’t share the same values or the same world view: It’s a red flag that this isn’t the right friend for you if you don’t respect her for who she is. I interviewed a woman who wished her friend’s husband ill. It made the married woman realize that her friend’s behavior is nothing like her own.
6) You are using one another: This type of toxic relationship develops among socialites. You want to be friends with your neighbor because your children attend the same private school and you can coordinate a carpool. Will the friendship last? Maybe. Is there really a friendship between the mothers or is it just using? Is it worth turning this friendship into anything more than an agreement?
7) The relationship offers no return on investment: This is similar to a friend who is draining you – but this isn’t just an emotional give and take. If you are the one calling your friend to make plans and going out of your way to be with her, but she makes no attempt to go out of her way for you, then she’s not meeting you halfway.
8) Your friend is harming someone else or doing something illicit. Do you want to be associated with someone who is morally unjust? That’s a judgment call on your part.
9) Your friend burdens you with a secret: Your friend trusts you by sharing the details of her affair, but keeping the secret has weighed on you emotionally. You might want to keep your distance. If you’re too close to this woman and the secret is really impacting your life for the worse, it’s time to disengage yourself.
How to Disengage: If any of these signs describes one of your friendships, it’s likely to be a toxic relationship that’s burdensome to not just your sanity but hers as well. You could deliberately distance yourself and let the relationship fizzle into oblivion. If you would like to renegotiate the relationship and improve the friendship, have an honest conversation to reveal how you feel. You’ll risk losing this person, but the reward could be improving the quality of the friendship. Honesty is the best policy. Say: "I’m really upset you didn’t do this and this. And I needed you there to do this and this."

Tell us: Is there a 10th sign of a toxic friend? Have you been in a toxic relationship? If so, how did you break it off?

Business Insider's Ten Bubbles in the Making

2009-09-14T06:52:00.000-07:00

One year after America's brush with economic catastrophe, there's plenty of looking back at the bubbles that caused financial chaos.
But what's next?
There are surely dangerous economic bubbles forming as we speak. As Alan Greenspan warned this week, "They [financial crises] are all different, but they have one fundamental source," he said. "That is the unquenchable capability of human beings when confronted with long periods of prosperity to presume that it will continue."
The trick, of course, is spotting them. By definition, most people don't spot a bubble before they form and burst.
Here's 10 for which you should be on alert:
1. China bubble: Despite the weak global economy, the Chinese stock market has soared like crazy this year. But many believe the rally has been driven purely by government-supplied liquidity, rather than fundamentals. The fear is that companies are flush with cash, but have little "real" to do with the cash, so they're parking it in the stock market casino. The Chinese real estate market appears to be on a similar trajectory.
2. Green bubble: Green has been everywhere. With observers saying the "Age of Cleantech and Biotech" will be the next major economic revolution, and Washington pouring billions of dollars into alternative energy projects, you'd think a bubble would have already formed. But, as we noted this spring, it did not, at least from an investment perspective.
Still, as the economic recovery takes shape, alternative energy could see excess investment on hopes of big future returns. There's plenty of hype left, and if investors regain the cash to get in the game, could green become the next internet or housing bubble?

3. Gold bubble: Gold prices just keep going up. They've risen for seven straight years, recently breaking $1,000 per ounce.
Is it a bubble? Right now, it doesn't look too bad. Gold is good in both inflationary and deflationary periods, as it holds wealth tangibly. And, as the Telegraph notes, there's real demand, especially from China.
But with some predicting a doubling of prices to $2,000 an ounce, too many people could jump in and spike the real value of the precious metal. The "rise forever" mentality usually means trouble.
4. Federal Reserve bubble: Is the Fed saving the financial system or creating another dangerous credit bubble by snapping up mortgage-backed securities?
At first glance, the Fed's effort to clean up mortgage-backed securities is a winner. But, as Heidi Moore wrote for Slate's The Big Money, the Fed is actually creating a bubble similar to the one it's trying to do damage control on. By eagerly trying to save banks and stabilize the housing market, Washington is taking on too much: $1.25 trillion of mortgaged-backed securities, including both the original toxic assets and products of foreclosures to come. So who would bail the Fed out? You.
5. Trash stock bubble: There's a rush to trash going on. Stocks like Fannie Mae (FNM), Freddie Mac (FRE), AIG (AIG) and even GM made big runs in August -- trading in trash financials made up nearly one-third of NYSE's August volume.
So why are people buying junk? Charlie Gasparino says shares of junk financials -- companies like Fannie, Freddie, AIG, Citi and Bank of America -- are being pushed up by a short squeeze. The Wall Street Journal suspects its high frequency traders. And others say its retail speculation and day traders getting their way while Wall Street went on vacation.
6. Education bubble: More people are going back to college and taking on huge debt to do it, despite questions about what the degree is really worth.
Last year, the amount borrowed by students and received by schools grew some 25% over the previous year, to $75.1 billion. That's a huge amount, especially with weak, low-paying job prospects for graduates in this economy.
As we've noted, all this student loan debt is crazy. Despite the desire to see more subsidization of college, we suspect there will be a collapse in student loan debt availability and desire to take on new debt.
Short of telling kids not to go to college, something's going to give.
The pop may be starting already. As Bloomberg reports, as many as one-third of all private colleges surveyed said they expected enrollment to drop in the next academic year. And almost 40 percent of those colleges said some of their students dropped out due to personal economic reasons and a quarter said full-time attendees switched to part time. Half said families had to cut back their expected contributions as the value of college savings plans dropped 21 percent last year.
7. Subprime bubble, 2.0: What are banks doing with all those subprime mortgages? They're repackaging with a higher rating -- "re-securitization of real estate mortgage investment conduits" -- and selling them.
As we've noted, it's a plan nearly identical to the complicated investment packages of the financial crisis a year ago. That being said, the problem was not strictly securitization, but the underlying housing bubble. So the return of complicated products isn't necessarily the end of the world.
8. Life insurance securitization bubble: In its search for new profits, Wall Street is planning on securitizing “life settlements" -- policies that the sick and elderly can sell for cash while they're alive -- much like it did subprime mortgages. The New York Times warns that we could be looking at subprime all over again.
Maybe. As we've noted, it wasn't securitization that caused the financial meltdown. It was the bursting of the housing bubble. Yes, there was a feedback loop, whereby securitization allowed more money to flow towards housing, but it seems unlikely that "life settlements" would get big enough to infect all portions of the financial world.
9. Commercial real estate bubble: This bubble is already hissing, if not popping outright.
While the economy is improving and some home sales are slowly coming back, the commercial real estate market could get far worse.
As The New York Times reports, "Even though industry lobbyists were able to persuade Congress to extend a loan program aimed at prodding the stalled securitization market back to life, several analysts said it was unlikely to head off a spate of defaults, foreclosures and bankruptcies that could surpass the devastating real estate crash of the early 1990s."
As UPI notes, commercial mortgage defaults could reach 4.1 percent by the end of the year, up from 2.25 percent in the first quarter, and Real Capital Analytics estimates commercial property loans worth $83 billion have been involved in default, foreclosure or bankruptcy in 2009.
Badly hit will likely be malls. "The next financial tsunami to hit will be the widespread failure of shopping center mortgages," says Peter Monroe, co-chair of REOMAC, a not for profit trade association to CNBC. "Half a trillion dollars of commercial loans financed on historically low rates, are due for refinancing in the next three years," says Monroe. "The negative impact of these shopping center mortgages is enormous."
10. Emerging market bubble: It's not just China. Risk-tolerant investors are bidding up emerging market shares to valuations not seen in 9 years. With an average PE of 20x, they're not in bubble territory just yet, but watch for things to get out of hand.

I don't think all of these bubbles do have a reliable stand. What do you think, folks?

Breth Blumenthal's 8 Toxic Personalities to Avoid

2009-09-13T23:38:00.000-07:00

Although we like to think that the people in our lives are well-adjusted, happy, healthy minded individuals, we sometimes realize that it just isn't so. Personally, I've had moments where I'll be skipping through my day, happy as can be, thinking life is grand and BAM, I'll be blindsided by someone who manages to knock the happy wind out of my sails. Sometimes it is easy to write it off and other times, not so much.
Maybe you are a positive person, but when you are around a certain individual, you feel negative. Or, maybe you have an idealistic view of the world and when you are with certain people, you are made to feel silly, unrealistic or delusional. Or, maybe you pride yourself in being completely independent and in control of your life, but when you are around a certain family member, you regress into a state of childhood.
Some of these situations, and yes, these people, can have a tremendously negative impact on our lives. And, although we are all human and have our 'issues,' some 'issues' are quite frankly, toxic. They are toxic to our happiness. They are toxic to our mental outlook. They are toxic to our self-esteem. And they are toxic to our lives. They can suck the life out of us and even shorten our lifespan.

Here are the worst of the toxic personalities out there and how to spot them:
1. Manipulative Mary: These individuals are experts at manipulation tactics. Is a matter of fact, you may not even realize you have been manipulated until it is too late. These individuals figure out what your 'buttons' are, and push them to get what they want.
Why they are toxic: These people have a way of eating away at your belief system and self-esteem. They find ways to make you do things that you don't necessarily want to do and before you know it, you lose your sense of identity, your personal priorities and your ability to see the reality of the situation. The world all of a sudden becomes centered around their needs and their priorities.
2. Narcissistic Nancy: These people have an extreme sense of self-importance and believe that the world revolves around them. They are often not as sly as the Manipulative Marys of the world, but instead, tend to be a bit overt about getting their needs met. You often want to say to them "It isn't always about you."
Why they are toxic: They are solely focused on their needs, leaving your needs in the dust. You are left disappointed and unfulfilled. Further, they zap your energy by getting you to focus so much on them, that you have nothing left for yourself.
3. Debbie Downers: These people can't appreciate the positive in life. If you tell them that it is a beautiful day, they will tell you about the impending dreary forecast. If you tell them you aced a mid-term, they'll tell you about how difficult the final is going to be.
Why they are toxic: They take the joy out of everything. Your rosy outlook on life continues to get squashed with negativity. Before you know it, their negativity consumes you and you start looking at things with gray colored glasses yourself.
4. Judgmental Jims: When you see things as cute and quirky, they see things as strange and unattractive. If you find people's unique perspectives refreshing, they find them 'wrong'. If you like someone's eclectic taste, they find it 'disturbing' or 'bad'.
Why they are toxic: Judgmental people are much like Debbie Downers. In a world where freedom rings, judgment is sooo over. If the world was a homogeneous place, life would be pretty boring. Spending a lot of time with these types can inadvertently convert you into a judgmental person as well.
5. Dream Killing Keiths: Every time you have an idea, these people tell you why you can't do it. As you achieve, they try to pull you down. As you dream, they are the first to tell you it is impossible.
Why they are toxic: These people are stuck in what is instead of what could be. Further, these individuals eat away at your self-esteem and your belief in yourself. Progress and change can only occur from doing new things and innovating, dreaming the impossible and reaching for the stars.
6. Insincere Illissas: You never quite feel that these people are being sincere. You tell a funny story, they give you a polite laugh. You feel depressed and sad and they give you a 'there, there' type response. You tell them you are excited about something and you get a very ho-hum response.
Why they are toxic: People who aren't sincere or genuine build relationships on superficial criteria. This breeds shallow, meaningless relationships. When you are really in need of a friend, they won't be there. When you really need constructive criticism, they would rather tell you that you are great the way you are. When you need support, they would rather see you fail or make a fool of yourself.
7. Disrespectful Dannys: These people will say or do things at the most inappropriate times and in the most inappropriate ways. In essence, they are more subtle, grown up bullies. Maybe this person is a friend who you confided in and uses your secret against you. Maybe it is a family member who puts their busy-body nose into your affairs when it is none of their business. Or maybe, it is a colleague who says demeaning things to you.
Why they are toxic: These people have no sense of boundaries and don't respect your feelings or, for that matter, your privacy. These people will cause you to feel frustrated and disrespected.
8. Never Enough Nellies: You can never give enough to these people to make them happy. They take you for granted and have unrealistic expectations of you. They find ways to continually fault you and never take responsibility for anything themselves.
Why they are toxic: You will spend so much time trying to please them, that you will end up losing yourself in the process. They will require all of your time and energy, leaving you worn out and your own needs sacrificed.

All of these personalities have several things in common. 1) the more these people get away with their behavior, the more they will continue. 2) Unfortunately, most of these people don't see that what they do is wrong and as a result, talking to them about it will fall on deaf ears, leaving you wondering if you are the crazy one. 3) Most of these people get worse with age, making their impact on you stronger with time.
Frankly, life is too short to spend your time dealing with toxicity. If you can, avoid spending mucho time with people who are indicative of these behaviors and you'll feel a lot happier. Have you encountered these personalities? What have you done? Any personalities you would add?

10 Promotional Stunts That Horribly Backfired

2009-08-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

This article is sourced verbatim from Minyanville.com

Cartoon Network Bomb Scare
To promote the Aqua Teen Hunger Force animated film, Cartoon Network hired ad reps Sean Stevens and Peter Berdovsky. The 2 men decided to hang electronic LED displays in several cities, each boasting a "Lite-Brite" depiction of one of the film's characters. Citizens of Boston mistook the devices as explosives which caused the city to shut down major roads and bridges. Matters weren't helped any when — during a post-arrest press conference — the 2 men opted to discuss wacky 70s haircuts instead of the controversy.

McDonald's Tainted MP3 Players
In Japan — where even virtual pets have their own MP3 players — McDonald's ran a contest in which customers were eligible to win their very own MP3 device. After roughly 10,000 gadgets were handed out, customers discovered that each came bundled with 10 free songs and its very own QQPass trojan malware, capable of communicating user logins and passwords. A software patch was dispersed and a recall was instituted — thereby ending McDonald's worst campaign since the Arch Deluxe.
SanDisk Attempts to Be Hipper Than Apple
With the release of its iPod line, Apple performed a rare feat in the corporate world: The company became hip. In May 2006 — facing Apple's overwhelmingly dominant market presence — SanDisk launched the "iDont" campaign, which portrayed iPod users as mindless sheep, donkeys, and chimps. Besides the fact that the ads nowhere referenced the company's own Sansa MP3 line, SanDisk failed to realize that customers are rarely won over by insults. Though it continues to live in the iPod's shadow, it still outsells Microsoft's Zune. Naturally.

Icy Response to Snapple
With the Snapple Lady on permanent hiatus, Snapple strove for the quirky gold medal once again with an attempt to overtake the Guinness World Record for the largest ice pop — made with the company's tasty kiwi-strawberry drink. The problem: The stunt took place mid-June. Immediately upon unloading, the melted juice poured from the truck, creating a syrupy tidal wave down Union Square and a massive headache for cleanup crews. The worst part — aside from the few minor injuries: The 25-foot-tall ice pop needed to be free-standing to be declared a record.
LifeLock CEO Tempts Fate
The personal fraud protection company LifeLock guarantees the security of your identity under their employ. So much so that, in a nationwide ad, CEO Todd Davis posts his personal social security number on the side of a van — daring identity thieves to give it a shot. Turns out, they did. No fewer than 25 motivated thieves stole Davis' social security number — with one successfully receiving a $500 loan. LifeLock maintains its diligence, claiming that for a nationwide ad, only one case of stolen identity isn't too bad. It doesn't advise posting your mom's maiden name on your car, however.
Sony's Sacrifice to God
When a company is said to emerge from a scandal "red-faced," rarely is it due to the errant splatter from a goat's decapitated head. Celebrating the PlayStation 2 release of the game God of War II, Sony threw a gala event in Athens, Greece. In honor of the barbaric revelry found in the game, a goat carcass was brought in and attendees were invited to feast on fake entrails. Those who weren't privy to the unusual event were treated to a graphic photo of the centerpiece in the official Sony magazine. The company recalled the issues but garnered some pretty bad press in return.
General Motors Inspires Amateur Filmmaking
Three years before declaring Chapter 11, General Motors influenced a new wave of modern film auteurs. Tapping into that YouTube craze the young kids had been talking about, GM launched a website allowing users to create their own commercial about the Chevy Tahoe SUV and upload it for public view. Apparently, GM hadn't realized that it bore an already unfavorable connotation, and the contest gave way to short films about global warming, the war in Iraq, or negative attacks against the auto's quality. Worse yet, almost a month went by before GM caught on.
KFC and Pepsi Underestimate Fan Frenzy
The allure of the free giveaway is usually proportional to the popularity of the product. So who wasn't expecting a slew of people clamoring for free KFC or Pepsi-sponsored Yankees tickets? Surprisingly, KFC and Pepsi. After Oprah announced a KFC giveaway on her much-watched program, the food chain couldn't keep up with the lines of customers — which led to sit-ins and riots. And when Pepsi didn't deliver the full amount of promised tickets to Yankee fans, crowds quietly understood and politely left. Just kidding. A riot ensured and Pepsi was poured into the streets in protest.
Thwarted Zombie Invasion Credited to Dr. Pepper
It's hard to dislike a treasure hunt, unless the X lies somewhere atop a historical landmark. An international campaign from Dr. Pepper's then-owner Cadbury Schweppes hid coins within 23 American cities to promote the soft drink's "23 flavors." But the agency in charge of Boston's location selected the Granary Burying Ground — current home to John Hancock, Paul Revere and Samuel Adams. Before a flood of shovels swept through the cherished site, Cadbury Schweppes ended the contest, but the contest forced owners to shutter the graveyard to prevent a zombie outbreak.
Dos Equis Angers Interesting Men
This giant corporate goodwill effort was the latest extension of the beer company's "Most Interesting Man" ad campaign featuring DJ Z-Trip. Attendees, who were promised a shuttle service that made the 100-mile round trip to and from Waterloo Park, were expecting a veritable cornucopia of rocking activities, such as "karate black belt demonstrations, participatory drum circles, an exotic reptile collection, sleight of hand tricks, international mohawk coiffeurists, bungee lessons, aqua slides, culinary entomologists, medieval weaponry, and a world-class car collection." Most of the Dos Equis faithful ended up thoroughly screwed, however, since too many tickets were given out for too few spots, shuttles never turned up, and many were forced to loiter in the parking lot outside. At the end of the evening, the 800 lucky people who got in had a rollicking time — but they were largely drowned out by the seething gang of thousands who were turned away.

Katrina Halili’s Tomfoolery Deserves Zero Attention

2009-05-26T04:15:00.000-07:00

Sexually,we are all competing for the same seat on the bus and the thing that holds it together is the tightly held conceit that we are all sexual gods. How can I believe in my own uniqueness when there's a cat out there exactly the same as me? - Jeff Melvoin (Northern Exposure, Altered Egos, 1993)
Honesty is probably the sexiest thing a man can give to a woman. -Debra Messing

What is a woman having the man of another woman? What is a woman posing in voyeur magazines like FHM? What is a woman sleeping with many men? What do we call her? Do we call her innocent? April Fool’s Day had already passed, yet people like Katrina Halili tends to bamboozle our minds. After some research, I have concluded that Halili deserves neither sympathy nor justice. She is just a tandem of her own foolish obsessions. We cannot fully blame her though, because that’s a sexy actress’ life. Actresses like them tend to act like how they act in movies, even in their private lives. And yet Halili publicized her how-do-you-know-it’s-true grievances about her known sex videos with Hayden Kho that spread in the internet. Even Britney Spears has sex videos all over the internet, there’s no big deal. Not to mention, Halili has offered more to voyeur finders in magazines. Further, even if she filed a case against Kho, I don’t think she will really win without bias. It seems to me that she is Old Nicole’s pal. Nicole filed the Subic rape case against an American militia, few years ago. The said militia was first convicted by a regional court then later acquitted by the Supreme Court. To say, lower courts are sometimes dysfunctional, as they only appeal to people’s senses. Moreover, many people testified that Halili had done the sex video willingly and cooperatively. With the technology today, videos taken even by phones cannot be foreseen to act as something private. Promises are made to be broken, after all. More often than not, issues such as this must be viewed by as a publicist and absolutely not as feminist. The action by women’s party lists doesn’t surprise me, since they are established for publicists’ purpose. Most importantly, I think Halili has forgotten that she is already not a part of the virgin’s world. To end this up, I would want to leave the rest for your own judgment.

Tarzan Rules the Cartoons Industry for Children

2009-04-18T09:58:00.001-07:00

After a weeklong sojourn with cartoons, I concluded that Tarzan is the best among them. Savage as he was, but Tarzan ultimately caught my attention. Such a lovable character deserves more fame than Cinderella, Snow White, Batman and others. There are many things we ought to learn from Tarzan. Remarkable lessons a child can learn nowhere in the field of cartoons. I wrote this recommendation in an effort to encourage children to watch cartoons wisely. To watch wisely means to watch what is the proximal reality and not the proximal impossibility. According to recent studies, movies leave the most profound impressions to children, especially in pre-teen ages. Our yearning for the betterment of our future generation must also be spurred in choosing movies. By the reason that most families go to movie houses to spend their leisure time, it should be. See you to it! Create the Optimal Trademark for Future! (Just a Blog Campaign that wishes the society well.)

View the script of Tarzan (Disney Version)

Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. In the first stage of life the mind is frivolous and easily distracted, it misses progress by failing in consecutiveness and persistence. This is the condition of children and barbarians, in which instinct has learned nothing from experience. - George Santayana ("The Life of Reason I; Volume 1")

Seconds from the Ultimate Destruction of my Tangible Entity

2009-04-18T05:30:00.000-07:00

"Destiny is but a phrase of the weak human heart; the dark apology for every error. The strong and virtuous admit no destiny. On earth conscience guides; in heaven God watches. And destiny is but the phantom we invoke to silence the one and dethrone the other." - Edward Bulwer Lytton
"The man who in view of gain thinks of righteousness; who in the view of danger is prepared to give up his life; and who does not forget an old agreement however far back it extends; such a man may be reckoned a complete man." - Confucius

For people like me, who seems to have wholly mastered the course of Capital Vices. As anticipated, a candidate for a place in the Purgatory Mountain of Alighieri’s Divine Comedy! It is little expected to have been saved from a very probable accident and eventual paralysis. Last night, the jeepney I was riding went into an uncontrollable frenzy. When I boarded the jeepney, it seems fine up until the near end of the jeepney route. It suddenly went into super high speed, that it glided a bulky truck while losing the left side mirror. I was groped with fear because I was sitting on the left bench. Next, it had a sidecar tumbled upside down and stacks of soft drinks toppled down. I dunno what could possibly stop the speed frenzy; my co-passengers were starting to panic. For the first time in my life, I have never been so scared. Finally, it came into a stop with a sudden lurch, apparently because the driver had at last gained control of himself. I guess that jeepney driver got himself drunk. He is apparently guilty of reckless imprudence as I see it. The best thing is that God has saved me, no bruises, no bloodsheds, but just the trauma. Also, I am thankful that no one was hurt, that only few properties and inventories were damaged or lost. Imagine, if it had not stopped in time, and it incidentally met an electric post, I doubt my existence now. Frankly, I don’t have the strength disabled persons have. I think I cannot live without even a hand, a leg or a spine. At most, I’d rather be six feet under the ground than losing my brain. I wouldn’t want to be a useless crap. My parents has invested in all my needs, I wouldn’t want to make them carry something heavier, without even the chance to repay them. The terrible fright I had encountered makes me think of Euthanasia and so to be safe I declared what must be done in the worst case scenario. Base on my deduction, the frenzy lasted about 2 minutes. Thanks to God, I was saved.

Just Another Interesting Essay for my UST-CWTS Project

2009-02-16T00:18:00.000-08:00

As a result of this “Valentine Card-Giving” activity, narrate what you do on a regular basis to show concern for the poor and less fortunate, as well as to other people around you. Are you committed to praying and working for social justice and peace?
"You must be the change you want to see in the world. You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty." - Mahatma Gandhi

In the midst of difficulties each and every one of us faces in our own daily affairs, we must admit that we cannot become committed to both praying and working for social justice and peace. We may be working for it, but not “truly for it”. Some people work for it, just to obtain political approval or even social recognition. I, for one, truly admit that I’m just working for the said selfsame yearning “if I have time”. Social justice and peace is never a result of sole effort, it’s always a result of world’s collaboration. How can there be justice if there is prejudice? How can there be peace if there is discord? And as the adage goes, “Collaboration starts in simple nice things a person initiates.” Also, we cannot help but take care of our own concerns first before others. Societal forces had indirectly imposed on us the edict of self-pity. These are the basics of human nature, of which we cannot blatantly deny. But well, an effort is an effort, I had done something for the society, and therefore I had the right to be proud of it, even if it’s minimal. Primarily, I show concern to the poor and less fortunate by contributing to activities which could possibly benefit them. Like blogging for a cause, joining our local Red Cross Youth Council and giving free services to the unfortunate. Truly, I indirectly sympathise the poor not because of their vulnerabilities but because of their inopportune. We cannot truly blame anyone for inopportune, I must say. They may have lacked what others have to achieve, like quality education. But as the well-known saying goes, “If there is a will, there is a way”, that’s why, there are whom we call “Iskolar ng Bayan” (Scholars of the Country). Further, I show concern to people around me by helping them whenever they would need me. Just that, I dunno why some people perceive me as someone they are afraid of. Some need help, but they hesitate to ask me, and I cannot read their minds as to when they need help. Sincerely, I’m well aware that the Divine Providence has given me many blessings that I know I could not repay. I could simply thank by helping others because actions speak louder than words. Though I also believe that only the person itself can help himself, I’m pretty convinced that there are times that we need someone to give us a boost. More often than not, force does not come from within, like motivation. It is seldom a case that a person can successfully motivate himself. But as always, no one can assure a one-hundred percent help, there are times that an issue is beyond our jurisdiction or knowledge. Without true knowledge about an issue, we might possibly give the wrong help. Some activist groups believe that by merely rioting, demonstrating or rallying is a solution to companies giving lower than minimum wage rates. In the contrary, they are very wrong to place those kinds of dilemmas to the companies, because from then on, there might be no jobs available. Companies might opt to phase out their operations in our country, and have their operations in China, India or someplace which could possibly result to lower production costs. When this happens, unemployment problem surges and people will blame the government. Our deteriorating economy can afford no more People Power’s. As to the question of commitment to social justice and peace, I suppose that by merely supporting a cause, we give commitment. Also, I firmly believe in the latest Scouts’ Campaign, “One World, One Promise.” By unification of all men, we can attain what we subsequently cannot. Moreover, with the prevalence of poverty, the absence of social justice and peace is inevitable. Based on my careful deductions, we must first work to solve poverty, before working for social justice and peace. If there is an unequal distribution of wealth, social unrest is not a faraway concern. With social unrest, there is simultaneously no peace and no justice.

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My Profile According to Paul Goldin's Colorgenics

2009-01-31T05:53:00.000-08:00

Like everyone in this world, I doubt that anyone can read one's personality well. They say, that's what friends are for, to help you know yourself more. But as recent statistics show, there are very few who ever succeeded to realize the said commonplace expectation. And as my curiosity entangles me into these kinds of tests, I found them irresistible. In the past, I already took several personality tests. Resulting to the following deductions: Temperament Test - "Choleric-Melancholic", Myers-Briggs Test - "INTJ-Mastermind" and Enneagram Test - "Type Three-Achiever". Though I don't believe on these entirely, I think these are doors for knowing myself more.

You are seeking an affectionate relationship, offering fulfilment and happiness. You are capable of powerful emotional enthusiasm. Deep down, you are a kind loving person, always helpful and willing to adapt yourself if necessary to realise the bond of affection that you desire. But you need the same consideration and understanding from others and it is this need that will sometimes hold you back... so let go, trust and you may pleasantly surprised at what happens.
You don't really give in. You follow your beliefs and ideals to the bitter end. You are the personification of stubbornness and whatever may transpire, right or wrong, you refuse to compromise or make concessions.
The situation at this time is one of considerable distress. You feel trapped and you are looking for some way out. You can find solace in the arms of someone who cares so long as there is no long-term emotional involvement.
You are on tenterhooks and appear to be extremely nervous and upset. You are bored and you feel that life has far more to offer than this present day mundane existence. The way that you feel indicates that you have the need for a responsive and understanding relationship. You are prepared to follow up any opportunity which may present itself. However you are very choosy and you refuse to be swept off your feet unless integrity can proved to be 100% genuine. Therefore you are holding back, keeping your emotions in check because before you let down your guard you have to be sure. You are too trusting and you have no desire to be hurt again. You are responsive to conditions around you - but forever under control.
You have so many ideas that you would like to revitalise but you need to realise a stable and peaceful condition to do so. Once you can free yourself from all the aggravation and tension around you, you will make strides that may amaze you. You will not be prevented from achieving all the things you so desire.

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A Poem Supposedly Regarding Childhood to Present

2009-01-07T06:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday versus Today

Like how stars vanish in daylight
It never took my memory, even slight
To think the past that hinders my sight
Repressing emotions lighten such plight

Rather leave past alone and unsaid
Those childhood memoirs was long dead
Not only because I have wanted
But as Amnesia had them overpowered

To thrive on something great
The past we must perpetually forget
Chiefly the past that make us fret
Leave it or we’ll lose the bet

Today can change yesterday
But yesterday cannot change today
So don’t look back if you want to stay
The past can leave you in fray

These principles hold me in place
To plan for my future place in the race
Live or Die, Survive or Vanish, Win or Lose
Everyone except God, I can face

Anton Ego's Monologue Revolutionizes the Art of Criticism

2008-12-28T10:09:00.001-08:00

“In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talents, new creations. The new needs friends. Last night, I experienced something new; an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking, is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto, ‘Anyone can cook’. But I realize - only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau's, who is, in this critic's opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France.” – Anton Ego, “Ratatouille”

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A Reflection Paper about UST-CWTS Gift-Giving Activity

2008-12-23T12:45:00.000-08:00

“The great art of giving consists in this: the gift should cost very little and yet be greatly coveted, so that it may be the more highly appreciated.” – Baltasar Gracian

Sentimental gift-giving is fast becoming extinct in today’ society, as was the apparent status quo, we do not anymore value gifts as much as we had previously. Nowadays, gifts are being like proxies, as they are not attaining their essence, but only their purpose. It is a sad fact that we continuously propagate it through what we call “Wishlist”. By the mere definition of a “Wishlist”, it means as simple as a wish per se. Yet, as we all know, it would ignite displeasure from the receiver, having been disappointed/frustrated from not obtaining what he/she had wrote earlier as a “wish” in the “Wishlist”. Obviously, the receiver will not express his/her displeasure. The aforementioned statements apply often if not always to the upper and middle class of the society. In the case of the underprivileged niche of the society, it is a different case.

As opportunity calls for me to have a visit in an underprivileged community of Barangay Lambakin in Marilao, Bulacan for our CWTS (Civic Welfare Training Service) gift-giving activity, I agreed and I eventually gained a lot from the said trip. Aside from the free bus ride and new acquaintances, I was able to view gift-giving in different angles, especially of the disadvantaged. People often utilized the “closing minute poverty and opening minute hope”; as it unconsciously induces a poor vision for our underprivileged fellowmen, in exchange for publicity, activity and the like. Just as politicians do, we fail to give the villagers something for the long run, something that is not “as always”. We only achieve our purpose, not theirs. But because it’s Christmas, it is obviously justified that we had only done such. We could not blame whosoever, because it’s nobody’s fault, it’s a norm. So going back, the gift-giving was conducted using raffle draws for the sake of equal distribution among the families of the community. With these in mind, I would affirm what Baltasar Gracian had said in the consequent paragraph.

In the process of the gift-giving activity, we were told to act as a barricade between the onlookers and the beneficiaries of the said raffle draw. All of the lucky beneficiaries have the same singular feeling of happiness, difference lies on the extent of the said feeling. I heard one of them exclaimed “Sa wakas, nakatikim na ako ng kotse!” (“At last, I was able to taste the feeling of having a car!”); when in fact they knew that they would just be given one Noche Buena Package worth Php 350. It’s no big deal for us, but for them, they craved for it. The fact that they craved for it, can surely let them appreciate them highly. Also, it is easy to see that they appreciated it as they had with them their frank-smiling faces upon knowing that they are one of the beneficiaries of the raffle draw. Further, as it happens, I was assigned in someplace with a distance from the announcer of the raffle draw. The onlookers near me wasn’t able to hear the numbers being called, they got angry and were saying that, “Maawa naman kayo sa aming mahihirap, hihingi na lang ng kaunting grasya, pahihirapan pa!”(“Pity on us, the poor, we are only begging for your petty gifts, and you snag at us!) Although the facilitators were trying the best that they could in order that the announcements would reach that far, it proved futile, because of the noise from the chatter of the onlookers themselves. Most importantly, these statements prove that Baltasar Gracian is right in quoting about the art of giving. That the more a gift is bought at a cheaper price and yet highly yearned, it becomes more appreciated. Same is true in our case, most if not all, would rather have a letter wrote by a special person than a pearl given by a millionaire friend. Because a letter may be something that is exerted effort upon, it has no price though. While a pearl may be something that the millionaire has deliberately bought, it may mean nothing to the said millionaire. This Christmas vacation, we can observe within ourselves that Gracian’s quote is subjectively and objectively precise. Happy Holidays!

Links: Generosity's Lasting Gift: the Art of Giving

In lieu to an Issue; a Synthesis of my Point of View

2008-12-05T07:03:00.000-08:00

I correlate the circulating issue with this imagery, analyze certain points...

I do not wish to establish any outrage here, but still I would want to deliver my point, so allow me. First and foremost, that matter is under the issue of coincidence, it's not the fault of the source person as it's an unexpected circumstance. Second, that cannot be a case for leakage, because the mere definition of leakage contradicts the reality of the issue. Leakage is a disclosure of confidential information. The mere fact that the source person didn't say that it will be same test questions, implies that there was no occurrence of confidential disclosure. Third, in support to my second argument, the students of the “chosen classes” did not even garner high median scores, just that there were few exceptional students. In that case, if it’s really leakage then what is the reason for those chosen classes not to garner high scores? The reality is that some of the “high end students“are particularly envious of other “ordinary students”, they want that they are always on top, that’s why this would be the issue. Imagine, if all those “high end students” garnered 100, do you think this issue would be elaborated and talked upon? Besides, can we always think that life is fair? There are always unfair grounds that we live on, and it’s better not to fuss about it. The more we fuss about it; we’ll be mislabeled and ridiculed by other accountancy schools in that issue, sooner or later. More so, some companies would begin to doubt the credibility of our school in producing honest and quality professionals. At this point of time, I’m sure that even if the source person didn’t give out any, there would still be resource materials coming from the higher batch (though, not always the case). How sure are we that all the questionnaires had all undergone the paper shredder process? Can the paper shredder speak up if there were escaped questionnaires? Are all the proctors very careful in counting the number of questionnaires? Moreover, the real issue here is all about ourselves, by how much do we exercise our prudence? our diligence? our persistence? Allow me to ask, how often do you study accounting? Is it daily or not? How deep is your love for accounting? Being an owl a day or two before the exam is not a good study solution, as we all know. As we need our full concentration in the process of solving the accounting problems. Why not study accounting, instead of going to movie houses in order to watch “Twilight”? Yes, it’s wrong to forget about what we really want in life, but that’s the way it must be. In my opinion, we must emulate Harvard students; we must be as conscientious as they are. If we can be like them, I doubt, with or without fairness, we cannot outdo others. Further, students staying in dorms must surely have befriended their mates, possibly from higher batch. Do you think there is no possible unfair circumstance? The difference in this instance is that only a person knew it, and no one else. It lies on how we manage everything. Most importantly, I would want to point out, that there are cases in which some of the test questions are similar to the questions in accounting books that can be bought at Recto (for cheaper and pirated books of course). That’s all for now, I would want to repeat that I don’t have the intention to offend anybody.

Humanities Subculture Project: An Interview with a Prostitute

2008-11-28T05:14:00.000-08:00

“When I was 12, my parents told me I will never suffer poverty again, true….”

Night by night, you can spot this girl along Avenida; let’s keep her in the name of Fe. She was one of the girls sold by their parents out of poverty. And here she is now, never hungry but never happy. It has been six years since she had last seen her parents, who have left for province. Despite the bitter resentment she had, she told me she plans to work in Japan, even if it would mean to work in the same lowly profession. Her colleagues had found old mates there, she told me. Yet, she is not sure whether she can even have an old mate there. And when I asked her about societal views, she said she accepted the fact that people look down on them. What choice does she have? She does not care, inasmuch as society would never bother about them, but only worry that AIDS might spread. AIDS is making lesser clients for the “red hour”, she said. Further, she added that society is trying to eradicate them even if it means disregarding their plight. In the first two years, she recounted that she had been giving her services in Ermita. But the city government there had swiped them out, living them without livelihood, without shelter. It was a luck that they were able to apply in the new haven of Avenida. Obviously, they had lesser clients there because the place was not as well known as in Ermita. Even so, she envies girls who were able to keep their virginity. “Life must go on, how bitter it is”, she last said.

Timely Arguments - Theology 4 Assignment#1

2008-11-24T05:32:00.000-08:00

“The Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia. But it is poorer than the other non-Catholic Asian neighbors. Is there anything wrong with the Faith of the Filipino Catholics that makes their country poor?”

“JDV finally spills beans”, a commonplace type of headline which comes as expected in daily broadsheets and tabloids, let us question the roots and the fruits of such. As the previous statement correlates with the question, why are we poor? We are poor not because we lack faith, not because we lack resources, but because we instigate wrongs. Going back to my first statement, I would like to point out that politicians are elected by us. We are quasi-responsible in that instance, and they are definitely responsible. Responsibility follows discipline. In any case, a person who lacks whichever sort of discipline has obviously gone for broke. Take the case of the Japanese people, why does the entire world look up unto them? It is because they have discipline, even in matters of informality. So to say, we are obscure perpetuators with little tolerance to the crimes committed. Cheating in exams is one of the most obvious, because it is where we could develop a wrong worldview. And this wrong worldview would give way to affirming the wrong. The apparent administration of our country speaks the depth of infiltration with regards to political corruption. Development of such is fast, as it now takes many forms (bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, patronage, graft, embezzlement and etc.). Further, our forefathers in the pyres of the dead had left us the strain of wrong mentality. Recounting from the history, the datus, the rajahs, and the like aligned themselves with Spaniards, so that they could enrich themselves with more riches Spaniards compromised. In like fashion, that’s how the Zobels, the Ayalas, and the like do now, they continue to suck up all the possible riches, so that they could empower themselves more. Although there are cases that they contribute to the society, they eventually benefitted too. If they go for livelihood projects, they have astounding banners with their names on it. If they contribute to build schools, they would want the buildings with their names on it. These instances point to economic power resulting to political power, which should not be the case. Also, in our setting, colonial mentality is an undeniable substance in us. What do we have for shoes? Certainly, not the one made in Marikina but the one that is labelled with foreign insignia! Nobody denies that aside from the aforementioned statements, there are many other factors that contribute to poverty of our compatriots. But I am very sure that laziness is not a factor as many would say, because it is only a result of people’s hasty generalization over the issue. Perhaps, if we are going to thrive on the factors of poverty, it would take a term paper to discuss the whole lot of them. Moreover, my primary concern here is to prove that there is nothing wrong with the faith of Filipino Catholics and it does not make our country poor. Faith is based on our sole belief of the transcendent truth. Obviously, the belief we hold is uniquely internal to each of us. Since it is internal for us, then it does not hold direct correlation with poverty, especially of the country. What’s the relation of us hearing mass on Sundays and having a poverty-stricken country? No direct relation, right? The problem comes in only when people misinterpret the message of the Catholic truth. Like when preachers say that your faith in Christ can save you, they do not mean that you just trust God and do little efforts. An example of this is the wrong perception that leads to the wrong mentality of “Bahala Na”. Further, it depends on the context as to where the application of perception is in. Like when we hold the teachings of the Catholic Church to have solidarity. A way of solidarity is “pakikisama”, which can be utilized in both positive and negative context. In positive context, we have “bayanihan”, vis-à-vis, we have “corruption”. Do you think that “corruption” can be completed, without unity of people involved? Evidently, they are unified for one single goal of “corruption”. Another instance would be the “utang na loob”. In the positive context, we would repay the person we owe something with, up against the example of former president Estrada. Estrada owed many for his campaign, popularity and votes. Consequently, he eventually, paid off his dues by means of giving opportunities harmful to society. In summing up, I would want to reiterate that our faith as Filipino Catholics, per se, is nothing wrong, except when it is infiltrated by wrong interpretations and contexts.

More Insightful and Reliable Ideas:

From a theologian: Nothing is wrong with the Faith of the Filipino Catholics relevant to their Social and Economic status. Economic condition never defines faith. Faith has to be integral, it's what we believe (Doctrine), what we do (Morals) and what we trust (Worship)! There are other poor countries in Asia but these are not predominantly Catholics. What makes a country poor is caused by a greedy leadership, and it's insulting to blame on Religion for its financial condition.
From a website: Given the Filipino predicament and in the absence of other significant factors/forces for fundamental changes, the primary goal now of religion, i.e. most especially of the Catholic Church, being predominant, should be to make a greater effort and time to promote and put into action its social teachings: seeking justice for the weak and poor [Pope Leo XIII -1891]; for creating greater awareness and pursuit of the common good of society [Pope John XXIII -1963]; and participating in social and political reform for their liberation from the structural roots of injustice [Pope Paul VI –1971], etc.

Issue as given: “Marriage is not a choice but a gift given by God”

2008-10-29T12:21:00.000-07:00

"He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD” - Proverbs 18:22
"Everyone has his own gift from God, suited to his vocation” –Pope John Paul II
"Such is the common process of marriage. A youth and maiden exchange meeting by chance, or brought together by artifice, exchange glances, reciprocate civilities, go home, and dream of one another. Having little to divert attention, or diversify thought, they find themselves uneasy when they are apart, and therefore conclude that they shall be happy together. They marry, and discover what nothing but voluntary blindness had before concealed; they wear out life in altercations, and charge nature with cruelty.”-Samuel Johnson, “Rasselas”
"There is no observation more frequently made by such as employ themselves in surveying the conduct of mankind, than that marriage, though the dictate of nature, and the institution of Providence, is yet very often the cause of misery, and that those who enter into that state can seldom forbear to express their repentance, and their envy of those whom either chance or caution hath withheld from it.” -Samuel Johnson, “Rambler #18”
"Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance” – Jane Austen

Made-for-cliché catchphrases for a man to be “tall, dark and handsome” seem to be a preferred choice among women who hold the said opinion. Balanced against the commonplace notions for a woman to be “petite, skinny and sexy” seem to be the concept of an ideal woman to men who hold such belief. Opinions and beliefs, as we all know, may be generated by external influences like Hollywood, theatrics, politics and the like. In this way, opinions cannot fully constitute the best choice, of which God will eventually administer. Apparently surprising in most surveys is that the marriage of the ideal and flawed is gaining stand throughout time. Is it that the Law of Attraction is perennially followed? Positive (ideal) and negative (flawed) attracts? And otherwise repels? Unquestionably, the Law of Attraction correlates with the natural law, per se. And God is the author of natural law, of which he eternally defines from the day He created the universe. Thenceforth, He had His best interests in His mind, though He selects the right timing for everything. In the Catholic or Christian perspective, we are all considered as children of God. So that entails how a parent would nurture, care and protect a child. Up against the said perspective, Atheist or Agnostic people believe that God is just man-made by the reason of psychological and rational need. In any extent, the preceding statements prove that marriage is not a choice but it is God’s gift. Though God doesn’t immediately lead us into the right marriage, He might give us signs. Because if He is to lead us immediately to the right marriage, we would come to believe that all actions or events are subject to fate/destiny, which is more known as Fatalism. Further, it is important to note that marriage is the oldest institution known to man as implied in the Bible. It dates back from the creation of first man (Adam), when God himself performed the first marriage ceremony, in which He also gave away the first bride. Without a doubt, marriage is a permanent union between two human entities of opposite sex. By its mere definition, marriage is implied as God’s gift to humankind, just as single-blessedness is. Most importantly, marriage reveals God’s love for humankind through giving humankind a family for love and intimacy. Thereon, we are expected to improve our loving relationship with God, as God has given us an eternal gift, His blessing as first given to Adam and Eve. In lieu of divorces, annulments, separations and the like; the reason might lie behind human acts. Unless the human act injures/harms the other human entity, the aforementioned marital disjunctions might root from human’s dissatisfaction of God’s gift. Obviously, God is against such marital disjunctions and since we are not created to become like robots, He can only give us guidance for the betterment of our marital lives. The rest, I think, we must put up our own efforts.

for a reliable resource about the said issue, click here