Zeitgeist 8

I chanced upon this the other night from a blog I don't remember anymore.

Whatever your political opinion is, or even if you don't have one, watch this video. It's worth knowing the truth, if in case it really IS the truth. And if it's not, at least you know that things could be worse.

A Penny For This Thought

It's been weeks since a good friend, Steve, first heard of me being broke. It's nothing new to me, really --- being broke. I've always been reckless with my finances. And I'd have sporadic moments of guilt here and there but it never really bothered me. But on Saturday night, when everybody was out and having fun, I was at home, being punished for overspending AGAIN. that night, I knew I just had to admit: My recklessness is getting way out of control!

So this good friend once mentioned that he was willing to be my financial planner. But we were drinking that time and we were humoring my spending habits so I didn't think he was serious. And I would guess he didn't think I was serious about my problem either. I talk about it all the time that it has probably lost its "value". Almost short of saying, it's already become a joke.

To cut the long story short, Steve offered again tonight. And he seems to be serious about it. He seems to already know which of my expenses are unnecessary and how much I REALLY am capable of saving. I am impressed, really. It almost seems to me like he's reviewed my financial profile all those nights we were out getting hammered and trying to get a decent lay.

Immediately before I started writing this blog, we were chatting online about this. It got me quite excited and here's why---

He doesn't ask for anything unreasonable in return. Nothing unreasonable --- not even sexual favors from me or any of my friends *winks at Steve*. He knows his Math. He will educate me on Excel. He promised he will never ask to be the sgnatory of my bank account. He doesn't intimidate me with all those sickening financial jargon. He talks sense. And an observation based on friendship, he is rational. (Too rational in fact, that he overanalyzes even matters of the heart)

But come to think of it, all the basic principles that he's mentioned from the first time ever that we talked about money, I've already heard and read about. His offer is just more difficult to resist because of his scientific approach. Hello! Microsoft Excel! Well, that and the fact that I've come to a point that I know that I really have to start doing something about my finances.

Then he said it. What I knew was the ultimate solution but wished he'd be more scrupulous in telling me --- I'll have to be ready. More than anything, it's a complete change in lifestyle. That means cutting down on shopping, abstaining from too many night-outs, and less rendezvous with Collins. It's quite daunting, I must admit. But it's necessary.

The thing is, my willpower, valid reasoning and sound judgement don't always triumph over my impulsiveness. They rarely do, actually. Even with their powers combined. There's only one way that could possibly defeat my being a spendthrift. From the words of Dan, Julius and Chris, I have to be addicted to saving up.

How can I do that?

FREE BURMA

Take part in this action for a Free Burma!

1. Publish a posting (Bulletin Board, Forum, Blog, Social Network, Static Website…) on the 4th of October with the header: “Free Burma!”

2. Tag it if you can with “Free Burma”

3. Choose a grafic from our Grafics page and

4. Link to www.free-burma.org there your readers will find some informations about the campaign and Burma and a participant list which you can join. Even if you're a webmaster of a bulletin board or social network you will find a special Group List to join.

5. Add our Petition Widget to your blog/website.

6. Feel free to write any additional text you want.

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[Philippines] About the Desperate Housewives Debacle

This post originally appeared on The Geeky Guide to Nearly Everything.

Just when we had a positive citation of Filipinos in the international media scene, this nasty issue popped up:


#20 - Teri Hatcher insults Filipinos

So now of course the country is up in arms and an online petition has been started against both ABC and the producers of Desperate Housewives for the racial slur. The local blogosphere is pretty miffed about it as well - just check out some of the Filipino blogs you might already read and you can expect this to be mentioned within the week.

Why do we always get into these things? Before it was about being a country known for our maids - now they're claiming we have hack doctors too? Geez.

rOckY, Philippines

The Disintegrating Filipino Society

The Filipino society have never been so divided as before. Left, Right, Muslims, Anti and Pros factions, rich and the poor, having their own agendas and interests are hindering the country's development and the creation of the long missing national identity.

Way back before the colonial times, the Philippines have never been under a single flag. Different islands, valleys or plateaus have their own groups and governments. When the Spaniards came, they used these divisions to rule us for 3 centuries. Even now, you could see those divisions. Ilocanos, Kapampangans, Tagalogs, Bicolanos, Muslims, Bisaya... From past til the present people are more identified with their ethnic groups more than their identity as Filipinos. Only when we move out of our country could we identify ourselves.

This divisiveness, caused mainly by the geographic feature of our country, causes problems to our society today. We can't move forward because somehow we don't trust each other. Only in few historical events seemed that Filipinos could unite, and after these moments, we disintengrate again.

I'm not sure if we could correct this, for these divisions run very deep. With the current political and economic situation, these rifts grow more --- further dividing our already divided society.
As compared to our ASEAN neighbors, most of them have attained prosperity after unification or at least minimizing divisions. That's what this country lacks, the sense of unity under a single identity as Filipinos.

Sure, we could blame corruption, graft and endless wars as the problem. But if we as a people stood up against these, will these problems prevail? No one can challenge the will of a united 80 million Filipinos.

Think about it. If a person's hands, feet, mouth, and eyes have their own will and cannot act as one, can he do something?
The same is what happening to our society ever since.

__________________
*** thanks for adding me at United SEA. more power to you guys.

JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL...

The world doesn't need whiners...
There's no point in letting the whole world know what's going in my own lil world. Im losing my sense of privacy.

I got a card from a friend from way back says there " You are a beautiful person, come out of your shell. Let your love be felt by everybody."

See I used to be a private person, I don't talk much about what I feel. I goof up, play around but I don't talk about "me". My friends can attest to that.

But 2006 was a year of revelation, a year of maturity in many ways.

I've done so many stupid things. I lost and I gained.

I lost control of my emotions, I lost a friend and so on and so forth.

All along I thought that I'm 22 so I must, should, could, release my inhibitions, live my life to the fullest.

No regrets. It made me who I am today gained me anew set of friends.

But now that I'm 23 there are some things that I must change and things that I need to bring back to my life.

One of them is privacy. I realized that it really helps to talk about what you feel, what's going on with your life.

But it's not healthy to talk about it 24/7.

I apologize to those ears I have busted... Appreciate it guys.

The past few months has been very challenging for me. I went through a series of contemplation, soul searching. 'Guess its what they called the phase of "trying twenties".

I have been trying to understand myself, what I feel and what's going on with my life. Why can't my life be the way I wanted it to be or the way I planned it.

Why can't I have the people I want to be in my life? Why cant I do the things I've been dying to do?.. and etc.

It was mind boggling, heart crushing and my only outlet was to talk about it with my friends.. I talk about every little thing and it felt good. Talking about "me" is really something new.

I enjoyed the feeling of being free to speak up, letting everybody know what I have in mind, what my plans are in the future.

But today I realized there's still something missing, I was so busy talking about "me" that I forgot about "me". That might be confusing to some but to me it's crystal clear.

Im always searching, whining, wishing. Frustrated and desperate to find the answer I look inside myself what is it that I really want to do with my life?

and why cant fate agree with me...And the answer is simple Heavenly Father wants me to listen.

Simply listen to what he has to say. I now finally admit that I can't handle all these trials by myself so now I'm saying "JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL"

- and what's that exactly got to do with me bringing back privacy.

My friends won't hear me whining, or talk about my "bandido-soulmate', my future plans will be between me and God.

I've talked to my friends, my family but nothing beats pouring your heart out to your Father in Heaven.


Cheers to me getting in control with my life again. Looking forward to a better "me".

join my journey visit http://sugarkurls.blogspot.com

The Wish

An elderly man was sitting alone on a dark path. He wasn't certain of which direction to go, and he'd forgotten both where he was traveling to and who he was. He'd sat down a moment to rest his weary legs, and suddenly looked up to see an elderly woman before him. She grinned toothlessly and with a cackle, spoke:

"Now for your *third* wish, what will it be?"

"Third wish?" The man was baffled

"How can it be a third wish if I haven't had a first and second wish?"

"You've had two wishes already," the hag said

"but your second wish was for me to return everything to the way it was before you had made your first wish. That's why you remember nothing; because everything is the way it was before you made any wishes."
She cackled at the poor man, "so it is that you have one with left."

"All right," said the man

" I don't believe this; but there's no harm in wishing. I wish to know who I am"

"Funny," said the old woman as she granted his wish and disapeared forever,

"That was your first wish."

- Planescape Torment