that type of emotion

Garfield
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summer state

If not for the pc and an Internet connection, this would be the most boring summer of my existence.

[click comic to enlarge]

life wasted

SONETO SA ISANG TAON NG PAGKAWALA

NI JONAS BURGOS , AKTIBISTA

ABRIL 28, 2008

ni Gregorio V. Bituin Jr.

http://matangapoy.blogspot.com

http://parokyanigorio.multiply.com

 

 

Parang kailan lang ay naririyan ka

Laging kaulayaw ng mga kasama

Ngunit halakhak mo'y di na narinig pa

Simula nang ikaw ay pilit kinuha.

 

Isang taon na ang nakalilipas

Nang inagaw nila pati iyong bukas.

Ano ang sala mo't ikaw ay dinahas

Ng mga pilatong sa bayan ay hudas?

 

Sa nangyaring yao'y tanong ko ay bakit

Ikaw ay dinukot nilang malulupit?

Dahil ba prinsipyo'y tangan nang mahigpit?

Kasama ba ito sa pagpakasakit?

 

Nawa ang totoo'y malaman ng bayan

At hustisya nawa'y iyo nang makamtan.

 

 

DESAPARECIDOS

tula ni Gregorio V. Bituin Jr.

(Decaparecidos – ang kahuluga’y “involuntary disappearances” . Sila ang mga sapilitang nawala na hanggang ngayo’y pinaghahanap pa rin ng kanilang mga pamilya at di pa nakikita, kahit katawan nila, hanggang ngayon.)

 

Desaparecidos, nasaan kang dako

Nawala ka’t sukat at biglang naglaho

Tila ka tinangay ng kung sinong dyablo

Ang pagkawala mo ay isang misteryo.

 

Mga kaibiga’y pinaghahanap ka

Mga magulang mo ay nag-aalala

Nagmamahal sa ‘yo’y pumatak ang luha

At mga anak mo’y biglang naulila.

 

Marami na kayo na nawalang pilit

Di kilalang tao kayo’y ipinuslit

Baka katawan nyo’y tadtad ng hagupit

Di na rin narinig kahit inyong impit.

 

Di ba’t pagtatanggol sa’ting karapatan

Ay banal na gawa ng bawat nilalang

At bakit ba kayo ay nilapastangan

Kayo ay dinukot nilang mapanlinlang.

 

Ah… maraming anak ngayo’y malaki na

At mga kapatid ngayo’y matanda na

Napakarami na ng mga ulila

Ngayon, ating mahal ay nawawala pa.

 

Hoy, mga berdugo, itong ginawa nyo’y

Masakit, dapat ngang parusahan kayo

Ah, hindi ko alam kung magharap tayo’y

Gibain kong bigla iyang dibdib ninyo!

 

O aking kasama, mahal kong kapatid

Pagkawala ninyo’y sumabog sa dibdib

Hanap na hustisya’y aming igigiit

Di kami titigil kahit may balakid.

 

Dapat nang matigil itong pagkawala

Dapat nang puksain kriminal na gala

Sa mga ginawa’y parusahan sila

Himasin na nila ang rehas na hawla.

 

Di pa tapos itong aming paghahanap

Dito sa hustisyang sadya ngang mailap

Ang hiling lang namin ito’y mahagilap

Nang kapayapaan sa puso’y malasap.

Wasted

Into the cycle of a flu and back

Day 1. Sneezing -- a symptom consisting of the involuntary expulsion of air from the nose

Is my room already this dirty and I am sneezing again? Time for some cleaning up.

Sneezing, however did not stop after cleaning my room.  I fear another flu coming up.

And began the runny and congested nose.

Day 2. Body aches -- dull persistent (usually moderately intense) body pains

How I badly need a massage! My body is aching, how I wish I could just sleep this off.

To top this situation off, my nose is now heavily congested

Day 3.  Fever -- a rise in the temperature of the body in response to the spread of the flu virus in the body

My skin is killing me! Its too sensitive, that even the breeze coming from the aircon is painful.

What type of fever is this. Thank goodness, I did not slipped into convulsions

Day 4. Headache -- pain in the head caused by muscle spasms

Got a splitting headache that I slept again.  I usually do not take any medications anymore since based on my experience, they do not have any effect at all.

Day 5.  Nasal congestion -- excessive accumulation of mucus in the nose

At least my runny and congested nose had eased up, though blood is mixed with the mucus, probably due to bursted capillaries as a result of heavy sneezing earlier in the week.

---

Hopefully, I will be alright again.

Among the cyclical sicknesses afflicting me, I always want to avoid having the flu, since I always becomes bedridden.  The gravest flu attack had me slipping into convulsions and tremors, which I do not want to experience again.

Throughout this, the only thing that I did was drank several glasses of water and juice and a combination of medicine and vitamin c.  had I known a brand of zinc, I would most likely drank a tablet or two, since the mineral is also a known immune system booster and synergizes the effect of vitamin c.

Reflection when I was down? nah, but my addiction to the web was at least reduced; made some mental notes of things that I will do once I get better, which I have a tendency to procrastinate for sure, but at least, life where I live, again goes on, with or without me.

hardcore

Things had been getting boring lately that whoever call/s or text/s me, I am more than willing to go somewhere else.

What a life doing nothing this summer.

Events last Saturday:
- ate with a friend and a newer friend at Gerry's Grill in TriNoma;

- watched Forbidden Kingdom;

- had a drinking session lasting the next morning;

- followed by coffee and cinnamon at Gloria Jeans.

Again, the drinking session turned out to be another emo and rant session, focused mostly on relationships.  

Why are we in this type of situation? Are we not capable of holding on to somebody without running away? The irony of all these things is that at a personal level, I can always give the better advice to persons that need them; and they are always enlightened and thankful about the advice.  

Talk about the ultimate I don't practice what I preach type of guy, when it comes to relations.

Inspirational Quotes for Teachers and Learners

Inspirational Quotes for Teachers and Learners

For Teachers
"Awaken people's curiosity. It is enough to open minds, do not overload them. Put there just a spark." - Anatole France

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." - Henry Brooks Adams

"A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary." - Thomas Carruthers

" A teacher who is attempting to teach, without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn, is hammering on a cold iron." - Horace Mann (1796-1859)

"Education costs money, but then so does ignorance." - Sir Claus Moser

"Education...is a painful, continual and difficult work to be done in kindness, by watching, by warning,... by praise, but above all -- by example." - John Ruskin

"Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one." - Malcolm Forbes

"Education should turn out the pupil with something he knows well and something he can do well." - Alfred North Whitehead

"Getting things done is not always what is most important. There is value in allowing others to learn, even if the task is not accomplished as quickly, efficiently or effectively." - R.D. Clyde

"Give me a fish and I eat for a day. Teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime." - Chinese Proverb

"Good teachers are those who know how little they know. Bad teachers are those who think they know more than they don't know." - R. Verdi

"Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers." - Josef Albers

"I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think." - Socrates

"If the child is not learning the way you are teaching, then you must teach in the way the child learns" - Rita Dunn

"If what you're doing isn't working, try something else!" - NLP adage

"I may have said the same thing before... but my explanation, I am sure, will always be different." - Oscar Wilde

"I put the relation of a fine teacher to a student just below the relation of a mother to a son."
- Thomas Wolfe

"It is important that students bring a certain ragamuffin, barefoot, irreverence to their studies; they are not here to worship what is known, but to question it."
- J. Bronowski, The Ascent of Man

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge."
- Albert Einstein

"Learning is finding out what you already know. Doing is demonstrating that you know it. Teaching is reminding others that they know it just as well as you. You are all learners, doers, teachers" - Richard Bach

"Men learn while they teach." - Lucius A. Seneca

"No matter how good teaching may be, each student must take the responsibility for his own education." - John Carolus S. J.

"People's behavior makes sense if you think about it in terms of their goals, needs, and motives." - Thomas Mann

"Praise, like gold and diamonds, owes its values only to its scarcity." - Samuel Johnson

"Spoonfeeding in the long run teaches us nothing but the shape of the spoon" - E. M. Forster

"Teachers should guide without dictating, and participate without dominating." - C.B. Neblette

"Teach your children by what you are, not just by what you say" - Jane Revell & Susan Norman

"The authority of those who teach is often an obstacle to those who want to learn." - Cicero

"The basic idea behind teaching is to teach people what they need to know." - Carl Rogers

"The best teacher is the one who suggests rather than dogmatizes, and inspires his listener with the wish to teach himself." - Edward Bulwer-Lytton

"The job of an educator is to teach students to see the vitality in themselves." - Joseph Campbell
"The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited." - Plutarch

"There are no difficult students - just students who don't want to do it your way" - Jane Revell & Susan Norman

" The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind." - Kahlil Gibran

"To define is to destroy, to suggest is to create." - Stephane Mallarme

"To me the sole hope of human salvation lies in teaching." - George Bernard Shaw

"To teach is to learn twice." - Joseph Joubert

"Try to present at least three options. One is no choice at all. Two creates a dilemma. With three you begin to have real choice and flexibility" - Jane Revell & Susan Norman

"We think too much about effective methods of teaching and not enough about effective methods of learning." - John Carolus S. J.

"What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child." - George Bernard Shaw

"Who dares to teach must never cease to learn." - John Cotton Dana

"You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself." - Galielo Galilei

"You can't direct the wind but you can adjust the sails." - Anonymous

For Learners

" Always do what you are afraid to do." - Ralph Waldo

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young." - Henry Ford

"A turtle makes progress when it sticks its neck out" - Anon

" Believe in yourself, be strong, never give up no matter what the circumstances are. You are a champion and will overcome the dreaded obstacles. Champions take failure as a learning opportunity, so take in all you can, and run with it. Be your best and don't ever ever give up."
- Brad Gerrard

"Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements" - Napoleon Hill

"Did you know that the Chinese symbol for 'crisis' includes a symbol which means 'opportunity'? - Jane Revell & Susan Norman

"Don’t learn to do, but learn in doing. Let your falls not be on a prepared ground, but let them be bona fide falls in the rough and tumble of the world" - Samuel Butler (1835–1902)

"Every artist was at first an amateur." - Ralph W. Emerson

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." - Chinese Proverb

"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got"
- NLP adage

"If you find yourself saying 'But I can't speak English...', try adding the word '...yet'
- Jane Revell & Susan Norman

"If what you're doing isn't working, try something else!" - NLP adage

"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." - Derek Bok

"If you know what you want, you are more likely to get it" - NLP adage

"It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and made things happen." - Elinor Smith

"It's not just about looking and copying, it's about feeling too" - Paul Cezanne

"It's ok to try things out, to ask questions, to feel unsure, to let your mind wander, to daydream, to ask for help, to experiment, to take time out, not to know, to practise, to ask for help again - and again, to make mistakes, to check your understanding" - Jane Revell & Susan Norman

"Learning is never done without errors and defeat." - Vladimir Lenin

"Nothing we ever imagined is beyond our powers, only beyond our present self-knowledge"
- Theodore Roszak

"One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he could not do." - Henry Ford

"One must have strategies to execute dreams." - Azim Premji, CEO Wipro Ind

"One must learn by doing the thing; for though you think you know it, you have no certainty, until you try." - Sophocles

"People learn more quickly by doing something or seeing something done." - Gilbert Highet

"Success comes in cans, failure in can'ts." - Unknown

"The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle." - Pierre de Coubertin

"Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself." - Chinese Proverb

"Too much credit is given to the end result. The true lesson is in the struggle that takes place between the dream and reality. That struggle is a thing called life!" - Garth Brooks

"The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work." - Aristotle

" The only dreams impossible to reach are the ones you never pursue." - Michael Deckman

" There two types of people; the can do and the can't. Which are you?" - George R. Cabrera

"Whenever you feel like saying 'Yes, but....`, try saying instead 'Yes, and...."
- Jane Revell & Susan Norman

"Whether you think you can, or think you can't...you're right!" - Henry Ford

"Worry is misuse of the imagination" - Mary Crowley

"You haven't failed, until you stop trying" - Unknown

"You've got to ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch onto the affirmative, don't mess with Mr In-between" - Popular song

In times of doubt....

From the book, The Kite Runner: 

The narrator in the book, Amir, tells about the time when he was a boy, the mullahs in Afghanistan said drinking alcohol is a terrible sin. He relayed the lesson to his father, Baba, who drinks.

The father made him sit on his lap for serious talk: "No matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft. "

The father continued: "When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness."

all about coffee

Though i once posted some rants about coffee in the past (here and here), the article below strengthens my belief that everyone should be coffee drinkers.

----

The Caffeine Advantage

Everything you need to know to think faster, exercise harder, and live longer

By Lauren Russell Griffin, Men's Health

By now you'd think scientists could close the book on caffeine and move on to other mysteries, like why anyone would ever order a chai latte. After all, coffee and related beverages have been revving people up since, oh, the 15th century. And in the past 60 years, researchers have conducted more than 21,000 studies on our favorite stimulant. That's an average of one new study a day through all of those decades. (Those nutrition scientists may have gotten into their own stash.)

If we don't know caffeine by now, you may well ask, when will we know it? And do I have time for a fix while I'm waiting? Make it a venti, and sit down.

We'll explain a few things. First off, caffeine is a complex compound. And it's made even more so by America's preferred delivery method, coffee. For instance, caffeine raises blood pressure, but habitual coffee drinkers are half as likely to die of heart failure as those who don't fill their mug daily. And while caffeine spikes blood sugar, a java habit may help you dodge diabetes.

Confused? Then use this primer to learn how to consume caffeine to your advantage—at work, in the gym, and for overall health.

The Biology

To understand how a double espresso can take you from dead tired to completely wired, you first need an introduction to the compound adenosine. Right now, adenosine is coursing through your veins, and its job is to put the brakes on your central nervous system. You might call it nature's chill pill. That's because as your day progresses, adenosine builds up naturally in your bloodstream, causing you to slow down and become sleepier—a convenient way to let you know it's time to turn off Conan and recharge your batteries.

Adenosine accomplishes this total-body shutdown by plugging into adenosine receptors—like electrical cords into outlets. "These connections inhibit the release of neurotransmitters, which are chemical messengers that control both brain and muscle function," says William Lovallo, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Oklahoma. "As a result, both your mind and your body slow down."

But as it turns out, caffeine is an excellent adenosine impersonator. In fact, when the two rivals jockey for the same parking space, caffeine wins. "If caffeine is plugged into the adenosine receptors, adenosine can't do its job," says Lovallo. "And this causes your central nervous system to run at a faster rate." Thus you experience the classic and often sought-after caffeine jolt. Here's how to make it work for just about every part of your body.

Your Brain

The Science: Soon after your first sip, caffeine begins to work its magic by causing the release of dopamine. Dopamine is a brain chemical that stimulates the area of your gray matter responsible for alertness, problem solving, and pleasure. "You have that feeling of being activated, sharper, and on the ball," says Lovallo. "And you can also experience a mild mood-elevating effect." All of which goes a long way in explaining why there are around 9,000 Starbucks outlets in the United States, and more opening every day around the globe.

Be smarter instantly: Down a cup of joe just before your next meeting—it'll boost your mind power for about 45 minutes, according to a recent Austrian study that directly measured the impact of 100 milligrams (mg) of caffeine on brain activity.

Be smarter for life: Refill your cup three times a day. Harvard researchers have determined that men who drink 4 cups of caffeinated coffee a day are half as likely to develop Parkinson's disease as those who skip the java—presumably because caffeine keeps dopamine molecules active. What's more, blocking adenosine may slow the buildup of amyloid-beta, a toxic brain plaque that's associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Your Heart

The Science: Adenosine helps blood vessels relax. But once caffeine infiltrates the receptors that line vessel walls, your arteries constrict, causing your blood pressure to rise. In fact, research has shown that blood pressure may increase by as much as 10 points in nonhabitual drinkers. Yet when Harvard researchers tracked the coffee intake of more than 128,000 people, they determined that drinking more than six cups of coffee a day didn't boost the chance of developing heart disease. And last year, scientists at Brooklyn College found that men who drank 4 cups of caffeinated coffee daily had a 53 percent lower risk of dying of heart disease than those who never took a sip.

"If you don't have hypertension to begin with, the temporary blood-pressure increase from a cup of coffee isn't a problem," says Matthew Sorrentino, M.D., a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of Chicago. "Plus, the impact on blood pressure tends to be smaller in habitual caffeine drinkers because their bodies become somewhat tolerant to its effects."

Take your health history into account: If caffeine makes your heart race or skip beats, you're probably genetically sensitive to the stimulant. "Although this may sound serious, symptoms such as palpitations are actually considered innocuous, unless you've had a recent heart attack," says John Kassotis, M.D., a cardiac electrophysiologist at SUNY Downstate, in Brooklyn. Still, Dr. Kassotis suggests playing it safe. His rule of thumb: If you think you're caffeine-sensitive, consult your physician to determine if you should limit your intake.

Stick with antioxidant-rich java: Scientists aren't sure whether it's the caffeine or the antioxidants in coffee—or a combination of the two—that provide the aforementioned cardiovascular benefits. But unless you're caffeine-sensitive, go with the leaded variety. Research shows that antioxidant levels are decreased by about 15 percent in decaf.

Your Muscle

The Science: Because caffeine revs up your central nervous system, it slightly increases your heart rate and breathing rate, both of which help prepare your body for peak performance. Caffeine may also have a direct effect on your muscles. Here's how: Calcium must be released within a muscle fiber in order for that fiber to contract, and caffeine may block the adenosine receptors attached to muscle fibers, triggering electrical activity that prompts bigger bursts of calcium. "The result is a stronger muscle contraction," says Terry Graham, Ph.D., a professor of human health and nutritional sciences at the University of Guelph, in Ontario.

Jumpstart your workout: Studies show that consuming 140 to 400 mg of caffeine 30 to 60 minutes prior to exercise can improve both speed and endurance and make your workout seem easier. But to achieve those effects, researchers have used either caffeine pills or caffeinated soda. The reason: "Many other chemical compounds in coffee appear to counteract caffeine's ability to impact your exercise session," Graham says. Now you know why energy drinks were created. Looking for a boost? Try Celsius, which is sugar-free and contains about 200 mg of caffeine per 12-ounce can. To determine if it's enhancing your performance, be sure to monitor how it impacts your exercise session both mentally ("My workout seemed easier" or "I felt like I was dragging") and physically ("I completed more repetitions" or "I didn't improve").

Use caution: If you have heart problems or a family history of heart disease, avoid high-caffeine energy drinks for 4 hours before exercising. A 2006 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology determined that 200 mg of caffeine decreases bloodflow to the heart by up to 39 percent during exercise because it constricts coronary arteries.

Your Liver

The Science: When your central nervous system is activated, so is your body's fight-or-flight response. This causes the release of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. These in turn signal your liver to pump sugar into your bloodstream. After all, had you been in a truly stressful situation—say, face-to-face with a cranky barista—your body would need that sugar for quick energy. But in everyday life (read: sitting at your desk), extra blood sugar is the last thing you need, because it signals your body to store fat and increases your risk of diabetes.

Keep your blood sugar in check: Forgo the sugar in your coffee and you'll actually reduce your risk of developing diabetes, according to multiple studies. For example, in 2005, Harvard University researchers determined that drinking 5 cups of coffee a day cuts in half the risk of developing diabetes. Scientists aren't sure why coffee may have a protective effect against diabetes, but credit its high level of disease-fighting antioxidants. While visiting Starbucks, we recommend a Caffè Americano, which is coffee at its finest: strong and flavorful, but sugar-free.

Too hot to handle

[click comic to enlarge]

Related news.

Sunday's 36.3 degrees Celsius metro's hottest so far this yr

April 07, 2008 
Updated 23:00:52 (Mla time) 
Jocelyn Uy 

Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines--If your laundry dried real fast and your ice cream quickly melted on Sunday, that's because it was by far the hottest day of the year in Metro Manila.

The mercury rose to a sizzling 36.3 degrees Celsius at the Science Garden in Quezon City--one of four monitoring stations in the metropolis, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

But it went down to a tolerable 34.4 degrees later in the afternoon, Pagasa said.

"The sweltering weather in the capital was due to the cloudless skies over Luzon and, thus, the longer time of exposure to sunlight," explained weather specialist Nonoy About in a phone interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

"We are approaching the summer solstice so we have longer days ahead, which means longer exposure to the heat of the sun," he said.

About added that the high-pressure area moving across Luzon, which is bringing with it fair weather, would continue to make summer months in the area fiery.

Sunday records showed that Metro Manila's heat was tolerable compared to the temperature in Tuguegarao City, which peaked at 37.8 degrees. This came down a little to 37.2 degrees Monday.

About warned the public to expect more of Sunday's torrid weather in the next days.

When temperatures rise to a blistering 34 to 38 degrees, expect to get sweaty and easily tired, he said. "One should exercise extreme caution because such weather could cause sun stroke, heat cramps and exhaustion."

The intense temperature two days ago did not break Metro Manila's record of May 17, 1915, when the temperature spiked to 38.6 degrees. Last year, the hottest temperature in the metropolis was a flat 37 degrees.

About, however, said Pagasa's satellite monitoring over the country's area of responsibility suggested the temperatures in the capital this year might be chart-busters.

"Satellite images show that the area is clear, meaning that cloud formations are minimal," he said.

The hottest day ever recorded at Science Garden was on May 14, 1987, when the mercury peaked at 38.5 degrees.

Tuguegarao literally became a hot spot on May 11, 1969, when the temperature rose to 42.2 degrees.

Behaving for its sake

[click comic to enlarge]

Frazz

Vote of Confidence

Powered By Personal Massagers


The good thing about Stumble is that it lets you provide and give websites according to the preferences that you have set based on your interests. there are times that I am too nauseated with work that i just go online and click this toolbar embedded in my browser. I would then be redirected to mostly interesting and of course sometimes funny webaddresses that a few are aware of.

One of the "discovery" is the gigolo-meter above. It basically rates a person how good he or she is in bed and from that, assess whether the person is escort material.

I am not an escort. But, for those having doubts about their marketability to the opposite sex, this is a good way of venting out whatever angsts one has regarding "attractiveness".

Superficial as it may seem, at least I am relieved that at this age, I am still worth 1,025 dollars PER hour in bed. woohooo!

hmmm, this pays much better than my current work.
I may have to rethink my career options and opportunities ;-)

Selfish

Selfish:
Concerned chiefly or only with yourself and your advantage to the exclusion of others.

Kind of struck a chord lately. What I am being selfish about? Been thinking about it when I coincidentally saw some website and at the same time, the subject of a confrontational conversation. I don't want to explain myself to others but is this really one of the reasons that I can't move on?
_______
found an article by Michael J. Hurd "justifying" why such behavior is human nature.

What's So Bad About Being Selfish?
by Michael J. Hurd (September 23, 1999)

Most of us assume that selfishness is both wrong and unhealthy. But is this true?

Selfishness means acting in one's rational self-interest. Contrary to popular opinion, all healthy individuals are selfish. Choosing to pursue the career of your choice is selfish. Choosing to have children--or not to have children--is selfish. Insisting on freedom and individual rights, rather than living under a dictatorship, is selfish. Indeed, even ordinary behaviors such as breathing, eating and avoiding an oncoming car when crossing the street are selfish acts. Without selfishness, none o f us would survive the day--much less a lifetime.

Selfishness does not mean self-destructive behavior. In other words, a car thief is not selfish. He has to run from the law constantly, something most car owners never have to do. Even if he escapes the law, he will not experience as much pleasure from possessing the car as would an honest person.

Lying to your spouse, or any loved one, is not selfish. The psychological stress of trying to "live the lie" of an extramarital affair--or any major secret--is enormous. A selfish person understands that honesty is the best policy and the least painful, in the long run.

The opposite of selfishness is self-sacrifice. Self-sacrifice means giving up a greater value for a lesser value. Consider the example of a battered wife, who is married to an alcoholic husband who refuses to seek help. She stays with him for reasons o f "security" and "family stability." Yet in the process she sacrifices her self-esteem and physical safety (greater values) to the irrational whims of her husband (lesser values).

Consider the example of the hard-working student who allows a friend to copy his answers on an examination. The student is sacrificing both his integrity and his efforts (greater values) to the laziness and low self-esteem of his "friend" (le sser values).

Or, consider the envious individual who tries to get you to feel guilty for your hard-earned success. "You are lucky to have done so well," the envious person says. "Now you have a duty to share some of your success with others." Ce rtainly, a selfish person wants to share his success with those he genuinely cares about--his family, friends, or children (greater values). But why should he make sacrifices to individuals he does not know or care about (lesser values)?

Selfish individuals give to charity--if and when they choose. A selfish person is not "stingy." He simply values the use of his own judgment in making decisions about how to spend his money, and when to give it away.

Most of us assume that some selfishness is healthy, but "too much" selfishness will lead to loneliness and despair. This idea rests on an incorrect definition of selfishness. Selfishness means acting in one's rational self-interest. By " rational" I mean that one can logically prove that an action is in one's self-interest--in the long run as well as the short run.

For instance, Mr. Jones might think that it is in his self-interest to cheat on his wife, in the short run. But if he considers the long-term, he will understand that he loses her either way by lying to her. If he really loves his wife, he will feel te rrible if he lies to her. If he no longer loves his wife, it is senseless to continue living with her and conducting an affair in secret. A selfish individual does not like to lie, because he sees that it does not bring him long-term happiness.

Most of us assume that we cannot be both selfish and kind to others. This is simply not true. If a mother loves her son, it makes her happy to give up some of her money to buy him a bicycle. It is not a sacrifice--it is a supremely selfish act. Both mother and son benefit.

Similarly, the owner of a popular restaurant is not dutifully "serving the public." He provides good food and a nice atmosphere so that he can make a profit and beat the competition. Both owner and diners benefit.

A physician does not provide quality treatment for altruistic reasons. He provides it because he is financially and emotionally rewarded for being competent and caring. Otherwise, he quite appropriately loses his patients. Both patient and doctor benef it from selfishness.

In a rational society, selfishness is encouraged. A rational society is one where individuals are left free to pursue their self-interest. In the process, everyone benefits. Rational selfishness means acting in your self-interest--and accepting responsibility for determining what truly serves your long-term interest. It is a nice alternative to a life filled with duty, drudgery and disillusionment.

We live in a world which does not even recognize the option of rational selfishness. We are taught, from childhood, that we must be either self-sacrificing or thoughtlessly "selfish."

I maintain that this is a false alternative. Rational selfishness, if practiced consistently, is the means of living both a moral and psychologically healthy life. If you choose to recognize this alternative, such a life can be yours.

---------
But I don't want to justify my actions.

It just disappoints me that individuals close and closer to me perceive/s me as such.
The reality is, its a seamless relationship of being altruistic and at the same time, pursuing stuff that are integral to the identity of one as an individual.

And not everybody can be pleased.
Not everyone have the same way of thinking.
Not all can agree.

This I realized the hard way.

Emo mode about what had become

Reflecting stuff while resting from working,
came upon this sms which somehow rings true for most of us....

I somehow knew that
life on earth is short.

So never miss the fun
of cracking a joke at
the most inappropriate time.

Never miss the mess
of your hair when waking up.

Never miss laughing
when you read a hilarious text.

Never miss to enjoy
the rain when you had
your nail polished.

Never miss to blush
when you sang out loud
but having the highest score of all.

Never miss to look
wierd when your with
another wierd soul.

Never miss to ponder
when was your last view of the moon.

Not all are given
wonderful chances.

Feel every beat
of your heart.

Live life while there is.

Choose to be happy.

Think before you close your eyes,
'Coz every minute its closed,
you lose 60 seconds of light.

-----

And talking and conversing with a friend and her friends over beer and nuts, we've pondered, what had become of us.

Throughout the night and up until the wee hours of the morning, reminiscing past love/s and regrets seemed to be the theme of our session. Laughing and crying and becoming silent to ponder were very much the emotions felt by my friend and the rest of us.

How the innocence of childhood is sorely missed.

Being technologically savvy

What has technology done to an individual?

Students, instead of taking notes and assignments written on the board will just pick up their camera phones and take a picture of the writings on the walls;

Students, instead of browsing over books, journals and newspapers for information, will just head over the Internet and look for the materials, the most brazen, plagiarizing someone else's work

Students, instead of being resourceful, have become lazy.

Spoon-feeding is not for babies anymore.

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Adam @ home


Momma

Badly in need

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UP Centennial and missing 1/2 of one's life

To think that I was the one inviting friends and alumni to attend the centennial kickoff of UP last January 08.  But in the afternoon of that day, I suffered a severe form of vertigo. Talk about Murphy's Law kicking in.

I came across this video sent in the email.  I really regret that I failed to attend this once every one-hundred years, hair-raising, spine-tingling (as said by a friend who was there) and lucidly memory-creating event.  Hoping there would be another one this February or by year's end? I wish.

Discontended contentment

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Frazz


a text from a friend sent me this:

Contentment is not always
the fulfillment of what you want...

Its the realization of how
blessed you are
for what you already have

The importance of data back-ups

indeed, data are precious

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A play of words

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Frazz

32 Decrees for 2008

Given that resolutions goes in an out, always renewed but never fulfilled, i resolved to personally create decrees, which, may or may not be filfilled.  This is not in order of priority

 1. reduce procrastination

 2. become more environment-friendly

 3. become more proactive

 4. minimize tactlessness

 5. save, save, save

 7. engage in a new hobby

 8. write more

 9. beat the deadline more often

10. engage in a new sport

11. organize things

12. listen more, talk less

13. reduce moodiness

14. become more friendly

15. research more

16. watch more movies

17. reduce angst

18. blog more often

19. become less impulsive

20. minimize stubbornness

21. teach more

22. be more open to new things

23. innovate more

24. be more humble

25. pursue other forms of learning

26. reestablish/pursue an old flame

27. move on

29. find a new apartment

30. pay off debts

31. attempt owning a car

32. stay with the family a little longer during vacation

Happy New Year ☼ ۞