2014 ... H.O.P.E.

Well, well, well, it has been three years since I took this therapeutic road of the Blog world. Not unlike most people I have met across the universe (copyright Lennon-McCartney) that took to writing, writing helps.

The few that have decided to keep on would have found out by now that given enough time, a working computer, a functional internet, a more intelligent approach rather than taking snapshots of food that you will eat or the shoes you will wear; the Blog world is a community of people who took to writing for widely diverse reasons. There are a lot of real talents with equal amount of honest to goodness crap. And I have come across all types. Not that I am complaining. It's rather amusing and I prefer to learn from both. Oh and did I mention that I have had the privilege of meeting real writers (as in book authors, fiction and non-fiction) from the Blog-verse and sheer geniuses in comedy writing? I am awed.

Since we have clocked in to a new year, there are a few things that I realized are compelling enough reasons to move me to post, again.

First off, if you are not stricken with a terminal illness and your Doctor has not given you a few weeks to rule the world, then you are not dying. BUT, the world is. It's cruel to have to choose which comes first. However, the odds are freaking me out.

Niagara Ice Falls

From what I have gathered, the options are rather few. You can choose to die of hypothermia (like right now, the cliche' hell freezes over has come true); get drowned, even swallowed by a storm surge # Haiyan; have a picnic and then caught in an overwhelming forest fire; have a fun time with friends trekking the mountains, then suddenly the world decides to shake and tremble under your feet you get buried alive at the earth's core wrapped ironically with your safety gear.

Second, because we are generations post-Roman civilization, we completely embraced the concept of law and order. We have a government. Or do we? Don't get me started on this. One word: useless.

DAFUQ

Okay, so nature does not get you and you are smart enough to evade (or delude yourself) the idiocy of government leaders, but guess what? Look around you, no, not in the far distance, look nearby. A neighbour, a friend, a blood-kin, a stranger or all of the above, can just snap and lose it. What would you do if you are taken hostage by a completely deranged or even drug-induced individual who can't take Scenario 1 and 2 anymore? Depressed and hallucinating, he or she takes you to represent the sum of all his greatest fears and frustrations.

And because life can really be tough, you can get shot at whilst trying to get an education or watching a movie; or you can choose to hang yourself in your flat because the world is not cruel but people are; or because you are worry-stricken of what may cause your death, you die of ischemic heart disease.

You could have just been on your way home from work, or buying bread from your nearby Deli, or sipping coffee in that corner Cafe' reading over a good book. You could have been doing anything but you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but all that is irrelevant if shit happens, right?

What to do?

Don't get me wrong. I am not a proponent of paranoia. It does not help to think that all these scenarios are stupid if you have the luck of sliding in your shower and breaking your neck. that's beside the point. It just is, reality. It is almost downright comical that nothing seems to work: not nature, the world, government or the people around you.

And that my dear padawans, lead me to my thesis. Hold On, Pain Ends. H.O.P.E. There will always be better days. Not everyday but as frequently as you choose them to be. Live a day at a time and be thankful you survived 24 hours, unscathed, well possibly battle-scarred, but still alive. It does not take much to breathe in 86,400 seconds a day, if you are not counting. 

There's not much we can do about stopping nature from fighting back, guess why they called her MOTHER? Yeah, payback is a bitch. But we can take steps to try to prevent her from overdrive menopause if we are really serious and have the political will to sustain it. 

Government. We have the luxury of choosing our leaders. When I say WE, I meant all. Morons included. News flash: how many morons do you need to elect idiots to government? If there's a Bill on establishing an I.Q. and E.Q. prior to the right to vote, I will be on the lobby by dawn.

As a function of my anal military breeding, I have been taught to "scan" or in my Dad's jargon, "reconnoiter" (whatever that shit is) but it basically means, passively observe surroundings, people and possible threats. You may ask, threats to what? To anything. To my simple mind, it only means being a little cautious and perceptive. It's the 21st century, nothing should surprise you. Nothing. Or do we have to debate on this?

At the end of the day, it's simple. Nobody gets out of this life alive. Whilst you're at it, might as well have a great, safe and hopeful time. 

"When the sun goes down, the stars come out."

Like I said before, and I say it time and again, the darkest hour comes just right before dawn. Have a wonderful 2014 peeps!

Psst! Thanks to Agnes and Despicable Me.

When Life Gives You Lemons

It has been awhile since my last post. The last one on this Blog was aptly a ranting.
I have been rather busy fire-fighting in real life. Like the old adage goes, "When life gives you a basket of lemons ... it's called a Lemon Rampage."

I don't recall who originally said this quote, maybe you do. I know I heard it before from my Grandma, my Mom, a couple of friends, and it gets quoted time and again, probably until you get to experience it for real. I reckon when you begin to feel like a sourpuss, then the lemon must have hit you for real.


I find it rather amusing to watch how life's twists and turns happen to people. There will always be elements of either delight or pleasant surprise, or frustration and disgust. Except when life happens to me personally, and I don't get what I expected and planned for, in a series of unfortunate circumstances, the humour escapes me.


So here I am, a couple of weeks before my birthday, trying to mull my life's "Corona with a Lemon Twist." (I used to call it "birthday blues" as back when I was kid, I had the most annoying ritual of getting a little sick before my birth day actually happens.) In a moment of weakness I told myself maybe I should stop "hoping" and dreaming, as my frustrations seem to get a life if its own acquiring strength and power along the way. Then I remembered these very words, "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade."


And in a rarer moment of lucidity, I decided to actually use my head to seriously think about how I am coping with my life's frustrations. Not that I don't use my head to think, but my head is mostly filled with trivia and songs that to utilize higher brain functions such as evaluate and discern, gives me serious migraine headaches.


I started by bringing out my favourite Tequila, salt and a couple of lemon slices. to make my own version of Lemonade. And with all the wisdom and intellect I could muster, I asked myself some process questions that will help me better understand what I am dealing with and how I am coping with it:

• Am I overrating a small problem and making it too big to have a solution? Or do I already have a solution except that I haven't acquired the patience to wait for the solution to happen?
• I doubt I am the only one in the entire universe of mankind who has to deal with their fair share of challenges and there are a lot more in worse situations than I am. Then why do I react like the world is against me and my life is completely ruined? As a matter of fact, my life is not ruined at all. I like to think I am suffering because the attention I get feeds my ego.
• Should I not be looking at what I have learned and how much I have gained since I am  totally getting stretched and not many people have the same challenging opportunities than what I am facing? I have grown in leaps and bounds in the past months than in all of my lifetime and I have lived to Blog about it. I am not sick, my faculties are intact, and I can still sing and dance if I want to.
• And perhaps the best thing I can take away from all of these is that certainly in life, we do not always get what we want. Sometimes, even what we love and need get taken away from us yet it does not mean we should stop breathing.

There is no substitute to acceptance borne from clarity enabled by a shot of Tequila.

Yeah, life can be very hard and depressing. 

People can be so disappointing. Sometimes, friends let you down instead of lift you up. Sometimes the very people you have helped in the past will turn their backs on you when you need them or worst, will take you down. A lot more people can really be heartless and mean, I choose not to be like anyone of that breed.

However, it is during these times that I find it important to own up to what I am feeling at the moment, not to dwell on it but to know that it is happening and that I am hurting. It is equally important too to embrace the reality that there are certain issues out of my control but in time, they will all pass.

Whatever it is that seems to be unresolved going on in our lives will soon have their own resolutions, in time. 

Nothing is permanent. Everything is temporary.

Today, more than ever, I recognize the transitory nature of every matter and every circumstance in the universe and I find the whole concept absolutely redeeming.

The truth is, I really prefer lime to lemonade with my tequila. Salut!

The Trouble With Hello Is Goodbye

It has been almost a full year, roughly, by the end of this month, when by forces of nature or fate or whatever you prefer to call it, that I chanced upon Google forum's THE COFFEE SHOP. The experience has so much influenced me that it was the first post I ever wrote on this Blog: The Day I Joined The Coffee Shop

January 2011 was a critical turning point in my life. My mother had an accident that required a total hip replacement surgery. As a consequence of worry and anxiety, this period started my many days, weeks, of sleeplessness, coming face to face with insomnia and my long-term love affair with the Internet-verse, Blogging and loving it. 

Perhaps most of you who read my Blog are part of this extended community in the Google-hood. And if you're not, damn shame, because whilst The Coffee Shop is still on its last stretch, how I wish you would catch it.  This is where in this virtual landscape, that I met the most incredible, diverse, interesting, wonderful, obnoxious, intolerable and lovable people that ever banged upon a keyboard! 


And then there's the Saturday Night Cafe' cum Bar cum Solace Nook. Where "souls" meet and sing and drink and dance or just pass through. Each soul carrying his own life stories; from the past, from the present and well into the future. A corner, practically a small dot in the Internet, where you get the chance to read about one's soul's search for meaning, relentless pursuit of true love, the start of a journey or the end of one, or simply, where one's soul speaks and another soul just listens.

Ay, there's the rub. You say goodbye, I say Hello. The thing about all good things and all bad things, they all come to pass. Pretty soon, if not right at this moment, the landscape will be changed. How things will turn out in the new landscape of virtual interaction is anybody's intelligent guess. Endings are commonplace, it's a given whenever there is a beginning. Some people would say it is the quality of the journey that counts not how it ended. Some people would say it is how you started your quest and why.


I prefer to keep whatever I have learned and built in the entire journey with me as I move on to the next, for very selfish reasons. I have met great friends and they will all be part of my life's treasures. And no one can take that away from me.


Someone did say something smart, sometime to somebody, "In the end we are all separate: our stories, no matter how similar, come to a fork and diverge. We are drawn to each other because of our similarities, but it is our differences that we must learn to respect." And this sums up my insightful experience in The Coffee Shop. 


American film director Orson Welles has a most logical quote about story endings: 

"If you want a happy ending, that depends of course, on where you stop your story."

HATE ON THE NET

The age of technology has paved the way to fingertip access to information; e-buying and e-trading; e-reading; bridging distance via web-based communication; facilitating simulated and vicarious learning; among all the other attendant consequences of the Internet Universe. As I write this post, someone would have likely invented a gadget more powerful than what either of us are using now to read this.


It is however unfortunate that for every breakthrough humanity is given, we almost always naturally destroy its inspiration as we ascribe power to ourselves to use these advancements as an edge to further improve our skills on hating, bullying, segregation, bigotry and worst of all, increase our cowardice as we hide behind the comfort of an electronic tool to commit these acts of inhumanity by judging and ridiculing other people, trusting that we are protected by some distant, geographical servers.


Do you really matter at all? Or what you think? Or what you say? I mean, seriously. Do you believe all that is possible just because ...?


In real life terms, there are very few people in this world who really matter to any one other person. In the same way, for anyone to matter a great deal to someone, all the time, is rare and far between. 


The downside of the Internet community and the social networks has unfortunately increased man's capacity to delude himself by completely fracturing his mindset to think AND believe that the total number of Friends that like you on Facebook or Follow You on Twitter or play games with you, are in any way a good substitute or equivalent to warm-blooded, tactile, present and real-life friends and loved ones, living right outside of the dark closet of your laptop or PC.


It's sad, no, I correct myself, it is tragic. People have grown accustomed to the "home-ness" of the little black (or white or alien) box, and the relative ease in using one of the most abused 3-letter word on the keyboard ...DEL. Delete, my dear friends, is not considered homicide.

The sky is blue, the clouds are white, and the air we breathe (as the last time I checked) is still tax-free.  The world to date has 7 frickin' billion people. There are around 100 billion galaxies and approximately 30 sextillion stars in the observable universe. And here is something I hope everyone who would chance upon this post would appreciate and feel humbled - an entire galaxy is seen as a small bright dot, a speck.


If you happen to love and be loved by one other real-life person in this magnanimous galaxy, consider yourself lucky.  Otherwise, you don't matter. Nor do I. Or anybody else. 


I can't, for the life of me, explain all the hating and judging, whether in cyberspace or in real-life.
I can't simply rationalize why one person can feel so superior over another.
How can one race be more intelligent?
How can one creed be more righteous?
How can one gender be considered more fortunate?
If your preferences differ, how can you think your preferences are better than anyone else's?
Wealthy and affluent? Who the hell cares? You're still smaller than a dot.


Now, (getting off my soap box), I am fortunate enough to have found a handful (emphasis on the handful), of online gems and another handful of loved ones and significant others who make my little speck in the universe glow with spectacular brilliance.

"It is better to be hated for who you are, than to be loved for someone you are not."

SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE …

… the more they stay the same.

I was told this is an old French saying but I find it rather apt to declare it quite a universal tenet. Besides DEATH and TAXES, there are certainly a lot more things around us which I reckon would never change. These things may have been with mankind since the Beginning and will probably remain with humanity till the dawn of the Zombie Apocalypse.

For instance:

1.       RACISM

You can argue with me relentlessly about this, but I believe that for as long as our vocabulary and intellect can define discrimination, segregation, bigotry; amongst a few I can think of, there will always be class differentiation as a function of diverse beliefs, lifestyle preferences, religions, colour that naturally breed hatred, intolerance and the conception of superiority of one over the other.

Painful truth but nonetheless if we have learned anything at all, we should know that whilst we can hope for changes, racism will always be here, or there, or everywhere.

2.       WAR AND CONFLICT

Go ahead, pretend to be as wishful (or perhaps tritely, as beautiful) as any of the beauty pageant candidates and dream of World Peace. I hate to burst your bubble, but seriously? The fact is, once there are opposing beliefs, between states and nations, protection or preservation of rights and territory; aggressive competition and downright hostility, (even between two individuals or parties); then we will always be in an open season for war and conflict. We have gone to war for the most stupid reasons, and yet we are. There will never be any winners in a state of war either, albeit human nature loves to win.  At war, there will always be casualties and collateral damages, nobody wins. Period.

Autonomy, freedom, independence and survival – we go to war for reasons that are noble, and we justify our losses for the nobility of the cause, not the insanity of the process.

3.       GEOGRAPHY

I did not invent nor discover it.  I grew up leaning that there will always be the quadrants that divide the earth into polarities. These days I could talk to a friend in France and chat with someone in a Casino in Vegas virtually; share a joke with a friend in Sydney and debate the concept of BPD with a colleague in London. Our globe has shrunk into a small gadget, through fingertip access enabling interaction and communication via the advancement of technology; however, there is no arguing that we will never be able to really close the gap in the “physical distance” sense.

I can’t imagine how to work around the fact that if I wanted to have a more direct, face-to-face and physical interaction with my friends from the different parts of the internet universe, I still have to buy myself an airline ticket to get where they are.  Whilst geography remains a constant, it makes a lot of sense why war and conflict and racism will likewise remain constants.

4.       THE MOST ICONIC 4-LETTER WORD IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

(Note: for the extra-sensitive readers, if you haven't guessed at this point, this is my Editorial Post.  So if you tend to squirm about certain words, I suggest you stop reading from this point.  Thank you.)

Undefined, debatable and used loosely across scenarios and boundaries of time and space: F-U-C-K.  This word can be used as a noun, a verb, a word intensifier, a descriptive expression, an adverb, an adjective, you name it. We have various reasons for using the word but I fearlessly predict, “fuck” will stay in our vocabulary till kingdom come. 

I have yet to come across another 4-letter word (besides LOVE of course) that has been used in so many different ways and stands alone in a class for its unique versatility. This word has grown tremendously over the last two centuries I don’t believe there is any stopping its momentum.

• We have used it in one whole sentence whose meaning liberates itself from definition: Fuck those fucking fuckers.

• As a descriptive word for a contemptible person: That guy is a total fuck.

• As an expression of disbelief and surprise:  Good grief that is so fucked!

• As a verb to initiate action: Just fuck off! or Go fuck yourself!

• As a word alternative: I don’t give a fuck.

• Or just plain and simple, not profanely but the literal meaning of the word:  “copulation” – They fucked in the car.

Somehow, the vulgar nature of the word has lost its eminence as it is broadly used as part of several iconic songs of this generation and in various musical genres, not limited to gangsta rap and rock. (Trust me, this word is totally overrated but will live on and on.)

5.       CHANGE ITSELF AND THE FEAR OF CHANGE

Humanity’s greatest test, the capacity to change, runs parallel with the attendant nature of mankind - fear of preserving the status quo given the unknown outcomes; risks aversion; and the terrifying threat to one’s current well-being. I quote from the one of the world's most brilliant minds, (the fact that he was a jerk is not the issue here) -

Winston Churchill quotes

Life can either be accepted or changed. If it is not accepted, it must be changed. If it cannot be changed, then it must be accepted.

My Personal Thanks to Bambi!

When my Father died, it wasn't very easy to explain to my little girl why there were so many people weeping and why my mother seemed to be catatonic and inconsolable. I didn't exactly understand how some people can have an endless wave of tears when they have a loss, not until then. When your soul grieves, like mine did, the wave of pain came in succession, albeit intermittently, but each with increasing to eventually decreasing intensity.


Why am I talking about this? I have realized that one of the most difficult things to explain and illustrate to a young child is the meaning of death. Well amongst other things. The beginning of life and where they come from is another challenge altogether. 


I have not taken to the habit of underestimating a child's capacity to understand nor do I discount children's intelligence. I have met a lot of kids with far greater intelligence than their parents. I bet you have to agree with me on that one.


However when it comes to your own children, explaining "death" does not come easy. And this is where I attribute my appreciation to Disney's BAMBI.

Bambi with Thumper and Flower

Well if you will recall the plot of this film, it is not unlike the usual staid formula of any Disney movie. The meaning of friendship, love, ever after and all that jazz. But unlike other Disney movie I have come across myself as a child, Bambi's plot struck me with a certain amount of sadness and melancholy. Growing up, I was unable to discern exactly why. As a grown up, I realized the power of the message the old buck said to the young deer, "your mother can't be with you anymore".


So when my little girl asked me what was going on as she watched me sink lower into depths of grief and agony, I did not have enough strength nor coherence to explain the "loss" I felt, and the thin line that connected my logic to my brain told me to rummage through the old DVDs and watch the movie BAMBI with her. 


Just as my own experience taught me, her tears welled up exactly on the scene where Bambi desperately sought her mother who had already been killed by MAN. And just as conclusively, one of the most unforgettable lines in my entire Disney movie watching history, the father explained the mother's absence to the young fawn.


Right in the middle of our tears as we watched BAMBI, I told my child, my father can't be with us anymore, for he has passed.


Sometimes we ran out of words to express how deeply and intensely we feel about certain situations in our life, I personally feel I owe a lot to this old and simple movie having helped me explain my life's greatest pain.


On this day, El Dia de los Muertos, I write this post in memory of my life's first love and whose love for me have always made me feel like a Princess. I miss you Papa, not a day goes by that I am not missing you.

I Would Like To Say That I Am Good At It ...

 .. but hell, I'm not.  Just being honest here, I suck at "waiting."

If you've ever had to wait, you know what I mean.  Waiting ain't easy, damn, it's hard!

There are a thousand different reasons why we all have to wait.  Some of us wait for seasons.  Some of us wait for things that are pegged on schedules. Whilst some of us probably wait for significant occasions and events. A few may be waiting for answers, solutions, the "right" one, decisions and one of the toughest would likely be, waiting for "what's next?"

Life has its endings and beginnings. But that's the easy part. The trying stage is everything that happens in between endings and beginnings. Arguably you would say, it's not "why" we have to wait that matters, it is "how" we choose to wait. Yeah right, like I said, I suck at it. My rational mind tells me there is a reason for every 'pause' in a man's life but not knowing what is next can be both frustrating and discouraging. 

Perhaps there are some of you that find meaning in the wait; the romanticized wrestling with hope and uncertainty; the element of wonder in your heart that keeps it beating in the anticipation of what happens next; the enigma of trying to grasp at something beyond your reach ... bullocks! I wish I could feel the same sentiments. The waiting without knowing test is something I have consistently failed at. I keep asking myself why I keep getting an opportunity for a re-test! Isn't it always easier for the impatient like I am to say, "Let's get this show on the road and get it done and over with!" Somehow, I have more comfort in languishing with questions like, "why am I still here?; why don't I have it?; why is it taking so long?'; why hasn't this changed?; why isn't this fixed, yet?"

But then again, there are far more challenging and tough reasons for "waiting" and I think about families and loved ones who have been told, possibly the most dreadful set of words in the English language: "We have done everything humanly possible and now all we need to do is WAIT." I just know how that stabs the spirit. When I heard that from the cardio-thoracic surgeon of my Dad, my soul wailed. I reckon our souls know about endings than beginnings.

Look I know. I am not the only human in the "wait" because we all are, for different reasons in varying circumstances. I also know it is never about why we have to wait but rather at how we wing it whist we wait. And it is during these times when my rational mind has run out of meaningful arguments with myself that I throw my hands up in the air and rely on my life's dictum: FAITH IS BEING SURE OF WHAT WE HOPE FOR AND CERTAIN OF WHAT WE DO NOT SEE. 

You see it is not about why we have to wait but it is about believing that what will be, will be. Albeit I am still completely a douche in the waiting game, I "keep my FORK" and I wait.

And now a Story that needs to be shared: 

Keep your fork!

There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things "in order", she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. The woman also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible. Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.


"There's one more thing," she said excitedly.


"What's that?" came the pastor's reply.


"This is very important," the woman continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."


The pastor stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say. "That surprises you, doesn't it?" the woman asked. "Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the pastor. 


The woman explained. "In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork'.


It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance! So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?'. Then I want you to tell them: "Keep your fork....the best is yet to come".


The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman goodbye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She KNEW that something better as coming.


At the funeral people were walking by the woman's casket and they saw the pretty dress she was wearing and her favorite Bible and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the pastor heard the question "What's with the fork?" And over and over he smiled. 


During his message, the pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. The pastor told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right.


So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it remind you that the best is yet to come… keep your fork!

Introducing: INTERNET PERSONALITY DISORDERS

I reckon it's about time we hold the bull by the horns.  Given the power and influence of technology, the Internet has become a whole new dimension of humanity's reality. 
Having said that, it was only a matter of time that this "environment" and landscape predisposed Personality Disorders that require careful study and understanding.
I have decided to blaze the trail in this field and my own virtual experiences has given me a fairly good grasp of disorders only known to the Internet mankind. 


Now let us take a careful look at a few that I have encountered and painstakingly analysed:


NUMBER 1: THE INTERNET NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER


Causes:

• Too much Internet time, so little friends; no "real"friends 
• Too much angst, lack of or absence of "real life"; 
• The 3 C's (Constantly, Consistently Constipated)
• Who actually cares?

Symptoms:

• Too much Blog whoring
• Reacts to criticism with rage, shame and humiliation (all emotional rants said in one sentence; for some others, a whole Blog Post)
• Excessive feelings of importance (manages multiple Blogs via multiple hosts; one of which is likely a Blog about him/herself with huge photos of self and About Me videos,; multiple accounts in Facebook, Twitter, tumblr, flickr, the whole nine yards)
• Needs constant attention and admiration (begs for Comments and Followers, or just "begs")
• Believes empathy is a matter of speech deflection or a "regional accent"
• Argues with self; loses argument with self, denies losing the argument

NUMBER 2: THE INTERNET SOCIOPATH PERSONALITY DISORDER


Causes:

• Possibly genetic
• Possibly too much caffeine or alcohol or nicotine or all of the above
• Likely had an abused and unhappy childhood (grew up on Elm Street with Freddy K.)
• Lost a pet in early life, became a proponent of animal cruelty to cope
• Most likely a Taxidermist in real life
• Watched Drew Barrymore's "Firestarter" re-runs more than a dozen times

Symptoms:

• Witty, charming, articulate and exceptional at virtual flattery
• An outstanding "Manipulator"
• Lies about self; Steals others ideas and language even; Fights with anyone who may suspect they are guilty of the first two, often, if not always
• May frequently be angry and arrogant over nothing, including the choice of the best Jelly Beans in the world

NUMBER 3: THE INTERNET HISTRIONIC PERSONALITY DISORDER

Causes:

• Likely to occur more frequently with women users of the Internet albeit the men are no exception
• Can be attributed to early childhood trauma; i.e., constant rejection in the School's Speech and Drama Club
• Sexual frustration

Symptoms:

• Sounds perfectly normal and naturally sensual virtually (could likely be butt ugly in real life)
• Often too dramatic and emotional (ordinarily ends sentences with multiple exclamation points!!!!)
• Is a regular blame-putter; blames everything if anything goes wrong, including the Google server
• May appear pretty shallow, but in reality, IS actually very shallow
• Constantly asks for approval, love and acceptance in any form, any language, and in any way
• AKA the Internet Drama Queen or King or Elvis

NUMBER 4: THE INTERNET SCHIZOTYPAL PERSONALITY DISORDER

Causes:

• Unknown

Symptoms:

• Odd beliefs, odd behavior, odd "speak", just plain, ODD
• Completely preoccupied with CONSPIRACY THEORIES
• Collects all Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas' Alien and Sci-Fi movies and/or books
• Feels genuinely upset they are unable to form and sustain Internet-personal relationships
• May likely have been "abducted" by "them" from out "there"

So far, these are the types I have evaluated.  I would post more as I am still deep into researching and "probing" the few others I have seen.

Just remember, it could be you I am talking about. Mwahahahahaha (evil sinister laughter)

IS IT DAMN HARD TO SHOW GRATITUDE?

Is it just me over-reacting or has it become a 21st century trend that there are more and more people that have become completely incapable of showing gratitude?  I just see so many people around, that no matter how much you do for them, how much you help them, they will still be unhappy and believe that they deserve and are entitled to more. 
I have had my fair share of these people, probably more than the average, but I reckon these beings would lose a limb if they stop to say "Thank You."

Well, colour me stubborn, but I refuse to believe that the entire humanity has bred ungrateful clones.  I am sure that somewhere out there, there is one soul who is thankful enough he or she still lives.  
These days, I can only see that we have all become too busy bitching, being envious, getting jealous, or trying our best to accomplish what others can only dream of, we have often, if not always, forgotten to be grateful for the small favours we get.  Why?  Gee, I don't know, maybe because it's "un-cool" to be mushy.  Or perhaps because we believe we worked hard to be where we are.  Yeah, sure, right.  I mean, are you the only author of your life?  Did you come from a nut that fell off a tree?  Really? I don't think so.  Sue me.
Listen, look around you.  Think hard.  You will not be where you are now if not for people that have touched your life and have helped you in small or big ways to get there. It could have been anyone, not just your parents.  Someone.  Somebody.  A person you may have long forgotten as you now bask in your wealth and success.  Get a grip. Why don't you just stop for a short moment and think about who you owe some gratitude?  It is not going to kill you.  It may even be life-changing.


And for all those unsung heroes, those people who "habitually" extend themselves to lend a helping hand, I hope you continually keep doing good and expect nothing in return, for it hurts not to be appreciated and recognized.  I hope you don't get tired because sooner than later, the law of life pays you back a thousand-fold.  


And for everyone who has helped me become Who I Am, thank you. I am still a work in progress but I am getting there.


I found this in an old file and I truly think this human being has lived a life of Selflessness, worthy of emulation and at the very least, respect.  

Mother Teresa aptly titled her poem, "DO IT ANYWAY".

"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, People may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, at it may never be enough; Give your best anyway.

You see, in the final analysis it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway"

TOP 7 KICK ASS Tips To Live By

Have you had days when you wake up and you tell yourself, "Fine, that's just about enough that I have had with being pushed around, feeling like a sorry loser in this cruel and unfair world.  Starting right this minute, I am going to start kicking asses!"?
Well just in case you have had enough and you want to manage your life and start steering back your ship in its proper course, I collected a couple of helpful quotes and tips to acquire that much needed "kick ass" attitude!

• First, "When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight." - Kahlil Gibran.

Think about this: the more painful the experience, the stronger you get when you rise above it.  The sorrow actually enriches our life.  
When I look back at those past agonizing days, months; today, I am filled with inspiration when I realise that I no longer am in that sorry place any more. There's this complete feeling of renewal, an overwhelming feeling of triumph that sweeps through my soul.  Yes, I have moved on, and the more painful it was, the sweeter the joy I feel!  

• Second,  "When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of this old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened." - Winston Churchill

Have you come to terms with the fact that most of the things we fear that will happen never really happen?  At most times, the monsters we have created are mainly creatures we concocted in our minds?  I used to think that being a "worrier" made me a better person in terms of ensuring perfection, until I have allowed this irrational compulsion to bog me down with panic and nervous attacks. Hell, I am NOT perfect! Why should I be? The more relaxed I was, the more productive and functional I became. I made myself a victim of my own " worry monsters"!  So I slew them all!

• Third, "Life is really simple, but we insist in making it complicated." - Confucius Quote on the Simplicity of Life

Tell me, when was the last time you wasted precious moments "sweating the small stuff"? The insignificant few that have grown fangs because we allowed these trivial things to affect us. Our minds, great or small, love to think. It loves to make the rather plain and simple, oddly more and more complex we end up totally immobilized.  If we can cut up that huge baloney sandwich into bite size pieces, then we can eat it easier. Why should you even attempt to choke yourself by believing that the "devil is in the details"? Sure, but if they say, 'Mind Is Over Matter', if I don't mind, then, it doesn't really matter.  Logical? I would much rather focus on what is important and discard all that is totally useless and meaningless.

• Fourth, "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." - Anais Nin

This is one of my biggest victories.  I managed to unravel the mystery that the world can be viewed through many different perspectives and frames. I realised that I have initially misconstrued that my view of the world is how the world really is.  And if in the beginning I believed that I was right, I have learned that in someone else's viewpoint, I can be wrong. And with this insight, I have acquired the ability to reflect on what I could have missed, what other's might be seeing, thinking and feeling; and I have chosen to take the path of optimism, openness and flexibility. I have decided to embrace the world and life in all possible diversities, and I steadfastly believe that eventually, there is some point of convergence that can be built on. After all, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. 

• Fifth, "Ever tried.  Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett

I honestly believe that a healthy attitude to embracing the possibility of failure pulls out all the drama and wasted energies dwelling on it. I don't think that the measure of a person's success is gauged by the number of times he never failed, but rather in the number of times he rose above the murk and tried again.

A list of Abraham Lincoln’s Failures:

• Lost job, 1832
• Defeated for legislature, 1832
• Failed in business, 1833
• Elected to legislature, 1834
• Sweetheart (Ann Rutledge) died, 1835
• Had nervous breakdown, 1836
• Defeated for Speaker, 1838
• Defeated for nomination for Congress, 1843
• Elected to Congress, 1846
• Lost renomination, 1848
• Rejected for Land Officer, 1849
• Defeated for Senate, 1854
• Defeated for nomination for Vice-President, 1856
• Again defeated for Senate, 1858
• Elected President, 1860

• Sixth, "Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon." - Winnie the Pooh on Appreciating the Little Things

If you still think that life's greatest moments are defined by your biggest and grand accomplishments, then you are completely missing life.  "Sometimes the smallest things, take up the most room in your heart" as ascribed by Winnie the Pooh, and I am a believer in counting my life's simple blessings. I am sure you can have two minutes in a day to think about the little things you have that you may have completely taken for granted because, they are just there. For instance, food, family, friends, the weather, a home, a pet, clothes, a book, your health, a computer, a Blog.  Little things that are possibly staple in your daily life that you are blessed with. Somewhere, some people would kill to have a just a bit. Be grateful for all these things and take a few minutes to bask in appreciation for your blessings.

• Seventh, "Twenty years from now you will be disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the things you did do.  So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

Follow your heart. 'Nuff said.