para sa malusong na pilipino

nakakatuwa naman talaga sa pilipinas. tama ba namang mutaktakin ni gloria ang mrt stations ng posters about health na may malaking mukha niya sa tagiliran? at ang pinaka-malupit pa ay, "kumain araw-araw ng mga pagkaing niluto sa mantika o edible oil"

ate, salamat sa cholesterol!


well, ito talaga yung Sampung panuntunan sa wastong nutrisyon, proposed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) last july:

Upang matugunan ang malaking kakulangan sa enerhiya ng dyetang Pilipino, bumuo ang National Nutrition Council, sa pakikipagtulungan sa 10 pampublikong opisina at tatlong mula sa pribadong sektor, ng panuntunan sa wastong nutrisyon. Kailangan lang na ating “… Alamin, Gawin at Palaganapin.” Eto ay ang mga sumusunod:

1. Kumain ng iba’t-ibang pagkain araw-araw. (kahit ano, basta pagkain. kahit nasa basurahan na, pagkain pa rin 'yon. basta iba-iba. 'pag hindi iba, wag na lang kumain.)

2. Pasusuhin ang mga sanggol mula pagkapanganak hanggang anim na buwan at saka pakainin ng naaayon habang pinasususo. (huwag tatanggalin sa suso ng ina ang nguso ng bata, baka ikamatay niya iyon. mula pagkapanganak daw eh. kung kaya na niyang ngumuya ng kanin, isabay pa rin sa pagsuso. wag makulit. sabi "habang pinapasuso" daw.)

3. Panatiliin ang normal na paglaki ng bata sa pamamamagitan ng tamang pagkain at pagtatala ng kanilang paglaki. (kung hindi lumalaki ang bata, wag nang itala.)

4. Kumain ng isda, karne, manok o butong gulay. (huwag pakakainin ng iba)

5. Kumain ng maraming gulay, prutas at halamang ugat. (marami, hanggang lumobo ang tiyan.)

6. Kumain ng pagkaing niluto sa langis. (kahit langis sa sasakyan, ok lang, basta langis.)

7. Uminom ng gatas at kumain ng tulad na produkto, at mga pagkaing mayaman sa kalsyum. (sori na lang sa mga lactose-intolerant)

8. Gumamit ng asing sinangkapan ng iodine subali’t iwasan ang sobrang maaalat na pagkain. (ano ba talaga?!)

9. Kumain ng malinis at ligtas na pagkain. (may pagkaing hindi ligtas. ingat ka, baka madisgrasya ka.)

10. Para sa isang malusog na pangangatawan at wastong nutrisyon, mag-ehersisyo, huwag manigarilyo, at uminom ng alak. (kuya, mali ang placement ng comma. o sige, inuman na lang!)


source: DOST

bali-balita

i'm definitely not for straight, verrry verrry hard news, and it's not for me either, but as of the moment, i have to live with it and work my ass off.

i just think heaven and hell conspired in throwing me into a beat which is really far from my inclination. mind you, i am assigned in the congress, the very politically-charged congress, which i thought would spell early suicide. in our first meeting, i told my trainer, mr. delon porcalla, that i have to run a long mile in order for me to get used with writing hard news, but now i think i'm getting the hang of it, even if it takes me eons to finish my articles everyday.

the congress finally resumed last monday, so there are no more dead minutes of waiting for press releases inside the halls of the media center. i was able to attend two press conferences that afternoon - things that are very new to me because that was my first time i mingled with other journalists from different media companies- print, radio, and television alike.

i was a bit nervous the moment i set foot at the conference hall because of politicians who looked like steroid-addicts with their faces all blown-up, they should have hired a good make-up artist to fix the problems with their faces! well, i didn't know why i felt so intimidated. most of them are leftists, so there should be no awkward feeling.

again, i saw anthony taverna, who's making his usual live over-the-phone radio announcement inside the press office. it was a bit funny. his accent and the way he speaks really fit radio broadcasts. well, i see him everyday, therefore we have the same beat. the very pretty pia arcangel was also there and just yesterday was niko baua.

the first press con i attended was that of reps. liza maza, satur ocampo, teddy casino, and rafael mariano, on the arroyo administration's desperate attempt to file trumped-up murder charges against them. the speakers went straight to the point. they said it was very timely, since they were pushing for important house bills, which would give no good for the fake president. arroyo was obviously trying to silence her critics.

the second was with house speaker nograles, abraham mitra, and the chairman of agriculture committee. yey! i met noggie! last sem i was just writing an article about his drama of conflicts with duterte, and now i was able to see him face-to-face! although i'm not so into political issues, i enjoyed it a lot.

i was very happy and excited at the same time that i managed to finish my articles quickly. now i can find reasons to stay in my assigned beat because just last week, i was planning to request for transfer, since Batasan is really far and i'm having a hard time traveling from home-OJT-and work. i just realized that being in this beat is also a blessing-in-disguise because so many things dramatically slash philippine history right inside the halls of congress-- busy beat. i couldn't ask for more!

tula-la

sana ay may maisulat akong tula
nang sa pagtitig ko nang buong araw
at paglagutok sa tiklada, masabi man lamang
na may mabuti akong matatanaw

ni hindi ko inaasahang maging kasing ganda
ng mga nababasang anak ng palad
ng mga mahuhusay na makata
at panulat ng manunulang huwad

tatlong lipon ng mapagpalayang wika
sapat na upang makadama ng ligaya;
dalawang minutong pagkindat
mula sa isang masugid na mambabasa

Consecration/Purification in Spells

Consecration is defined by the dictionary as to “dedicate formally to a religious or divine purpose.” Consecration must be practiced before any tool can be used in the practice of witchcraft. Consecration is a form of purification, and is done with salt, water and incense, which all stand for the five elements of nature – water, earth, fire, air and spirit. It is important that consecration to be used for witchcraft be done in a positive state of mind, as this incorporates the “spirit” part of the elements. Consecration is used in witchcraft to gain the approval of the God and Goddess for what they are about to practice.

Spell for Cleansing the body of Negative Energy
The following tools will be needed:
1 White Candle – this is representative of positive energy
1 Black Candle – this is representative of negative energy
1 Green Candle – this is representative of healing

Clear your mind and light the white candle. Say the following incantation:
“Mother Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Spirit,
I ask thee to cleanse my body of all negative energies”

Light the black candle and say the same thing. After this light the green candle and say the following incantation:
“Mother Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Spirit,
I ask thee to free and heal my body from all negative forces.
Blessed be!”
Sit back, and keep your mind clear for fifteen minutes. After this you should feel renewed and fresh.

source: Witchcraft - World of Wicca

Man of the Year

Tom Dobbs: [quoting Benjamin Franklin] "Politicians are a lot like diapers. They should be changed frequently, and for the same reason."

(Watch "Man of the Year" Movie)

**********
Tom Dobbs: People say Intelligent Design, we must teach Intelligent Design. Look at the human body, is that intelligent? You have a waste processing plant next to a recreation area.

**********

Hemmings: Will you be disappointed to be going back to television after this ride? Eddie Langston: Oh, no. I have a glorious love-hate relationship with TV.
Hemmings: How so?
Eddie Langston:TV scares me. It makes everything seem credible.
Hemmings: Why is that so bad?
Eddie Langston: If everything seems credible then nothing seems credible. You know, TV puts everybody in those boxes, side-by-side. On one side, there's this certifiable lunatic who says the Holocaust never happened. And next to him is this noted, honored historian who knows all about the Holocaust. And now, there they sit, side-by-side, they look like equals! Everything they say seems to be credible. And so, as it goes on, nothing seems credible anymore! We just stopped listening!

lugaw shortage

however Gloria Arroyo says that the country would not suffer rice shortage, still, the expected increase in its prices is enough for us to feel the crisis.

i woke up early this morning and found myself in dire need of congee (lugaw), an addiction i rediscovered these past few days. to alleviate my stomach's pain, i reeled off to the nearest Chowking food chain. it has been my habit to walk briskly to the market, especially when i need to cash-out on ATMs. i'd rather spend my precious coins for three sticks of... you know... than ride a jeepney. it's a good exercise, too. (yes, life works in irony. :p) so i did the same thing this time and it was after a 30-minute walk that, with my legs trembling, i finally reached the counter, waited for the person who came before me to finish, and gave nothing but a bitter nod when the lady told me, "Sorry, ma'am. Hindi po available ang congee ngayon." wow! what a grace!

it isn't even the 28th of the month. why am i in disgrace?! (for those who do not know, 28 is an unfortunate day for me)

i never stopped slipping through the holes of Kalentong market, asking if any eatery served a warm bowl of congee but as expected, NADA!

while walking back home, i was thinking of anything to ease my anger and to feel less unfortunate. why is there a shortage of "lugaw"? probabaly because the owners of Pinoy food corners, and also Chowking, would not gamble their capital for a casserole of this rice porridge when hot food are not in demand. remember, it's summer! they would rather have them for their tapsi and tocilog. again, how much does a kilo of rice cost?

anyway, i did not come home crying. the good heavens still has a room for my wishes. i found one... just a block away from us. ok, what a great walk!

tristan and isolde

The Good-Morrow

John Donne (1572-1631)

I wonder by my troth, what thou and I
Did, till we lov'd? Were we not wean'd till then
But suck'd on country pleasures, childishly
Or snorted we in the seven sleeper's den
'Twas so; but this, all pleasures fancies be
If ever any beauty I did see
Which I desir'd, and got, 'twas but a dream of thee

And now good morrow to our waking souls,
Which watch not one another out of fear
For love, all love of other sights controls
And makes one little room, an everywhere
Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone
Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown
Let us possess one world, each hath one, and is one

My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears, And true plain hearts do in the faces rest; Where can we find two better hemispheres, Without sharp north, without declining west? Whatever dies, was not mix'd equally; If our two loves be one, or, thou and I Love so alike, that none do slacken, none can die.

************

Isolde: If things were different, if we lived in a place without duty, would you be with me?
Tristan: That place does not exist.
Isolde: [sobs] I'll pretend it's you.

************

Isolde: Why?
Tristan: There are other things to live for: duty, honor.
Isolde: But they are not life Tristan. They are the shells of life, and empty ones if in the end all they hold are days and days without love. Love is made by God. Ignore it and you suffer as you cannot imagine.
Tristan: Then I will no longer live without it.

************

Tristan: Isolde, we can't.
Isolde: It's like asking me to stop breathing.

************

Tristan: I don't know if life is greater than death, but love was greater than either.

Perth on Dead Poets Society

found this on Dead Poets Society's page on watch-moves.net:

Perth: "Back when you are young, you never really stopped to think what in the world you were doing with your life. You simply lived for the day, hoped your grades would be enough to pass, and that's it. Long term thinking involved maybe flirting with someone you fancy, nothing more.

What this film showed me was that we have the responsibility and the joy of being alive in this planet. That we only have precious little time to make a difference. That we have a moral obligation to "seize the day, and make our lives extraordinary". That the world, basically is ours. That the only limitations are within ourselves, and that we owe it to us to fight, to rebel against conformity, to change what we hate and keep what we love. That living in this world is a beautiful responsibility, and that only cowards dare not to change it for the better."

when the call gets pranked

after two long weeks of paid leave (woohoo, it's paid! - one of the major benefits of being a loyal employee), i finally went to work last night. i had this call with "mr.gatekeeper" which really turned me gaga, i almost tumbled down from my seat. hell, it was a hard "RFLMAO" (rolling on the floor, laughing my ass off) joyride!


mr.gatekeeper: ELO.

me: Yeah. Hi. I'm try'n'a reach "mr.label person"

mr.gatekeeper: SHE IN the RESTING room. YOU CALL later, ok?



yes, i know. holy guacamole! that's a lang bang! you know, language barrier: spanish no-pik-eeenglish peolple (most prominent) - they are the HINOJOSAs, the CECERESes, and the CABALLEROs; vietnamese: the NGUYENs - call them NGUYEN and they'll scold you like hell. guys, it's ngyen.; the TRANs, SINGHs, NGs, and PATELs.

most of them usually do not speak nor understand english. or if they do, then it's a "sorrri, pik-little eeenglish" case.

we call them lang bang. well, i do not have any personal grudge towards these people. it's just that in a call center, whenever you have mentioned the name of your company, client, or the product itself (or even your own name!) then you should end that freakin' call with a tiring TCPA (telephone consumer protection act) close, "thank you for your time. if you have any questions about this call, please dial 1-800-blah blah blah blah.... have a nice day!"

at the beginning of the call, these people would just say, "uhuh. me. me." so there's no reason for us to drop the call. we would get into the middle of the spiel until they give up, "ohh sorrri... no-pik-eeenglish." darn it!


ok, so what's with language?
1. we call restroom a restroom and not a resting room
2. neither can we call comfort room a comforting room
3. we call powder room a powder room and not a powdering room
4. why is no-smoking area not no-smoke area? can an area smoke?
5. why is sleeping quarters called as such? are there really sleeping quarters?
6. is there an english-speaking school?

well, the answers are falling flat on our faces. it's just than when you're into the call center industry, you'll get used to hearing hard-hitting errors. i swear! it's mortifyin'!

you'll get calls with label persons as mr.langis, mr.biological nutrition, mr.tule, mr.dude... now who would not laugh, especially when people around you are just as crazy as the label persons' names? it's a phone call away from that house in mandaluyong.

flash fiction: "balisong"

Takot na takot siya sa balitang nasagap niya nung gabing iyon. Gusto na sana niyang maniwala na ang Pilipinas ay isang bansang isinumpa sa dami ng mga halang ang kaluluwang umaaligid-aligid at ang pinagtitripan ay ang mga kapwa nila mahihirap.

Ang sabi sa balita, may serial killer daw na gumagala malapit lang sa bahay nila at kinukuha ang laman loob ng mga kabataang napapatay nito. Pakana daw ito ng ilang mga mayayaman na walang mapagkunan ng organs para sa mga kapamilya nilang kailangang magpa-transplant. Marami rin namang nagsasabing gawa-gawa lang daw ang issue para sumunod ang mga tao sa curfew. Napakalawak ng deskripsyon sa killer. Basta ang palatandaan lang daw ay lagi itong naka-puruntong, may dalang camouflage na buddy bag, at nag-aabang-abang sa mga kanto kapag kaunti na lang ang mga tao sa gabi. Naku, hilig pa naman niyang umuwi ng madaling araw galing sa inuman. Napapadalas ito nang napapadalas simula nang matanggal siya sa trabaho. Hindi man sila umiinom, tumitira naman sila ng bato. Naisip niya, mas madali siyang mabibiktima ng serial killer dahil laging siyang lupaypay kapag umuuwi at siguradong walang laban.

Nasabi na lang niya sa sarili, “Ah, mabuti na lang at mayroon akong balisong dito. Kahit atakihin niya ako ngayong gabi, siguradong hindi ako mapupuruhan. Kahit papaano’y may panlaban ako.”

Alam niyang malakas siya kapag nakaka-tira ng bato, pero hindi rin siya sigurado dahil bago sila gumamit, nagpapakalango muna siya sa alak hanggang sa halos hindi na magising.

“Bahala na,” nasabi na lang niya sa sarili matapos maligo. Ayaw niyang maka-miss ng kahit isang session. Panlibang niya ito sa sarili at panlaban sa sunud-sunod na kamalasan sa buhay.

Dali-dali siyang nagbihis at kumuha ng tatlong alak sa aparador pang-ambag sa session nila. Ngayon lang siya makakapag-ambag dahil ngayon lang siya nagka-pera. Gin-bulag pare. Hassle bitbitin. Dali-dali niyang isinilid ang mga ito sa kung anong nadampot na bag at isinama na rin ang balisong na inaasahan niyang makakapagligtas ng buhay niya sakaling maispatan siya ng killer, sabay sibat.

Mabilis natapos ang session nila. Nakasulit siya ng alak at bato. Oras na para umiwi. Wala na siyang takot. Nilakad niya ang daan patungo sa madilim na kanto, malapit lang sa kanyang bahay at nakakita ng anino isang ng animo’y demonyo sa di kalayuan. Agad siyang naglabas ng balisong at...

“Huli ka!” sabay sunggab sa demonyo.

Pinagsasaksak niya ito at hiniwa ang tiyan, hinalukay ang buong kalamnan, ibinato sa kung saan. Kinuha niya ang atay nito, isinilid sa plastik at ipinasok sa camouflage na bag. Wasak na wasak ang pobreng estudyante at iniwang nakahandusay sa isang gilid, habang siya ay mabilis na tumatakbo papunta sa isang malaking bahay. May katagpo. May bibili.

reflections

lethargy got the better of me. i'd rather post it this way. i don't think there would be a better way of expression than real conversations... (what an excuse! ) this one was with my cousin, tj-- one of the few people i'd spend my entire strength with talking about the greatness of life...


tina: we are left w/ no choice but join the cult of education and labor when in fact, the best things in life are for free

tj: yeah but lyk that they say, "u aim high, u pay high." "u want a gud job, gud life, beter hav a gud education."

tina: kaya i don't like math eh

tj: me 22222222222222

tina: it makes life complicated: math=technology

tj: i knoe

tina: pero san ba mas masaya ang tao? diba sa arts pa rin? ano yung nakakapag-nurture ng soul? don't tell me it's numbers! hindi naman sa against ako sa changes, pero kasi ngaun hindi na praktikal eh. sobra na yung innovation na sa sobrang bilis e ang daming naiiwan. the world becomes exclusive para sa mga may pera. so tau, nagiging followers na rin ni kuya "money"

tj: i'll give u a quote. one of my favorites. dont forget this

"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be? "

tj: that's robin williams as john keating in the movie Dead Poets Society

tina: wow........ ganda!

tj: yup. one of d most beautiful quotes ive heard

ako: ganda... wat wil your verse be?- panalo


so there. life is a continuous statement. at the end of the day, how you spent your life within the entire day is what counts. it feels good to go on and tell the world what your own statement is. the world is ours. you are a part of it. make it a part of you... :)

Is it their search for truth or the other way around?

Over the years, the government and media are slowly losing their reputation and credibility. The politics of survival has long been affecting the very nature of profession that interests were trimmed down to that of the personal and profitable; and now that the country is facing serious issues of corruption and left-and-right double deals, it is a bit ironic that the institutions known for candy-coating salient issues are now at the forefront of the country’s search for truth.

In Richard Linklater’s animated movie, Waking Life, offered was a keen observation on how powerful the media has become—that it has changed the way people looked at things: “Sure, the media tries to put a sad face on these things, painting them up as great human tragedies. But we all know the function of the media has never been to eliminate the evils of the world. No. Their job is to persuade us to accept those evils and get used to living with them.”

Who’s to blame? If media allowed their honest opinions to appear in the newspapers, before twenty-four hours, their occupation would be gone. The government, on the other side, is playing hero in the country’s search for elusive truth. But who really conceals it?

We are always in search of truth when the answers are already falling off our faces. The truth is in us. In fact, it was probably in search of us for God-knows-how-long. A Jun Lozada is not enough nor credible enough to claim it. Just look at the way he defends his sudden declaration of his “truth” and probably you’ll doubt. What does he want? He is now swimming in the pool of fame. I still could not believe the stardom he got from the Ateneo people when he visited there for his “in-search-of-truth campaign.”

People grew tired of believing. The quest for truth is always open-ended and most of the time left unanswered. The responsibility should not only be claimed by the government and the media. They alone are not enough to call for truth. They, too, have their own delineations. If at this time, people cannot absolutely entrust their affairs with the two powerful clusters, then the change must start within themselves. In either way, people just have to learn how to let the truth speak for itself.

rebound

at ano naman ang akala nyo sa amin? hingahan ng sama ng loob? kwentuhan ng lablayp?

hindi kami diary na binibisita gabi-gabi para lang mag-digest ng kung anu-anong nangyari sa inyo sa araw-araw na lang na ginawa ng Diyos. napupuyat at nagsasawa rin kami sa mga kwento nyo! wala kaming balak gumawa ng thesis ng buhay nyo.

we're not always fond of your stories, your so-called philisophies, angst, dreams and whatever else you can think of. yes, we can be so tolerant to share the same laughter but it doesn't mean that we're so damn into your routines.

we also have our own nights. we have our own stories. if you could just try to listen, maybe our puzzles are much more difficult than yours. we are also capable of making silly stuffs, or just fool around to cut the cold moonless nights. we are women; we are human. we can feel... and probably it's deeper than you do...

so if you think you're earning another mean-time girl, better think again. we may lose ourselves to someone for some time, but a heart runs fast as a bullet. it kills, then it's emptied...

on my own

 

And now Im all alone again
no where to turn no one to go to
Without a home without a friend without a face to say hello to
And now the night is near
now I can make believe hes here

Sometimes I walk alone at night when everybody
else is sleeping
I think of him and then I'm happy with
the company I'm keeping
The city goes to bed
And I can live inside my head

On my own,
Pretending he's beside me,
All alone, I walk with him till morning.
Without him, I feel his arms around me,
And when I lose my way, I close my eyes,
And he has found me...

In the rain,
The pavement shines like silver,
All the lights are misty in the river,
In the darkness the trees are full of starlight,
And all I see is him and me,
Forever and forever...

And I know it's only in my mind,
That I'm talking to myself and not to him,
And although I know that he is blind,
Still I say, there's a way for us...

I love him,
But when the night is over,
He is gone, the river's just a river
Without him the world around me changes,
The trees are bare and everywhere the streets are full of strangers.

I love him,
But everyday I'm learning,
All my life,
I've only been pretending,
Without me,
His world will go on turning,
A world that's full of happiness,
That I have never known...

I love him... I love him...
I love him... But only on my own...

just a thought

"if horses could draw, they would draw their gods like horses." - xenophanes of colophon

CRUELtural differences

- found this in my mail
- sent by my cousin, adey
- even pictures alone tell a story - something we don't see... or maybe something we just care not to see...
- try not to be too pious.

i need to repost this: type my mood in lowercase

BUT I REALLY CAN'T!!! I'M NOT LIKING WHAT I'M FORCED TO DO! (IMAGINE ME DOING AN SMS - ALL CAPS FROM AN IRATE TEXTER!) EVERY NIGHT FEELS LIKE I'M BEING DRAGGED OUT OF BED, AND SHOWERS MAKE ME WONDER IF I'M REALLY SCRUBBING MY BODY WITH HARD,POINTED STONES THE EARTH COULD EVER IMAGINE BEARING! IF ONLY CAP ONE WERE NOT MOVED TO MARIKINA, AND NOW, HSBC'S TURN, THEN NO NEED FOR ME TO ASK FOR TRANSFER, EXCEPT FOR SOME UNEXPECTED SHIT OF COURSE, THE QA, TO NAME ONE...

lahat na yata ng santo natawag ko na. lahat na rin ata ng mura naisigaw ko na. kung may ilang beses na rin akong nagplanong magpasagasa sa loan mower, hindi ko na alam. nabibwisit ako! namumuhi ako sa ginagawa ko ngayon, pero hindi ko kayang talikuran. maraming bagay na tumutulak sa akin para umalis at siya ring humihila pabalik. tuwing papasok ako sa gabi, hindi ko mapigilang mag-senti mode dahil nakakaburyo talaga. hindi ko maialiwanag. para kong unti-unting nauupos. yung feeling na hopeless, yun yung kinaaasaran ko. wala akong magawa. wala akong magawa. pwde bang magmura dito? haaaaaaay! PI!

be infectious. smile. :)

-i don't do new year's resolutions. they don't resolve anyway, but i'd go on trying to make something a habit from now on: SMILING.

-smile! happy new year everyone!

-this is one of my cousin's silly messages that really made me smile today:

WHY MEN WEAR CLOTHES

 

-i believe this is my first time to put tags. haha!

The Top Baby Names of 2007

By the BabyCenter editorial staff

What happened in baby names in 2007? The results are in: Emma has finally been knocked off its number one perch for the first time since it landed there in 2004! Sophia has been making steady progress since 2002, cracked the top 10 in 2005, and jumped six slots to be the new number one baby name for 2007.

Addison jumped a whopping 20 spots this year to land in the top 10 — no doubt thanks to flame-haired actress Kate Walsh's portrayal of Dr. Addison Montgomery-Shepherd on the hot TV series "Grey's Anatomy" and its spin-off, "Private Practice."
In boys' baby names, Aiden still rules, as it has since 2005. But Jayden, Caden, and Jackson have jumped quickly into the top 10 this year and are the new rising stars.

And here they are, in order: The BabyCenter® Top Baby Names of 2007

Top 10 Girl Names:
Sophia
Isabella
Emma
Madison
Ava
Addison
Hailey
Emily
Kaitlyn
Olivia

Top 10 Boy Names:
Aiden
Ethan
Jacob
Jayden
Caleb
Noah
Jackson
Jack
Logan
Matthew

(Oh, i knew it!)

thanks to: MSN LIFESTYLE

on living and leaving (part2)

kurt kobain. freddie mercury. marilyn monroe. princess diana. yes, they were all famous... and dead for years now. what ties them all is that they all died at the height of their careers, when they were the masters of the center stage, when they owned the lime light, when everybody loved them, and when they had all what it takes to feel human.

i want to die on a christmas season. i may sound too selfish and pathetic but i can not think of any other moment better that this. i know nature has taught man that one could not really choose his death day, unless he commits suicide, of course. so spare me from stones as i let myself state my own ideal dying season.

it is mostly during the cold december that people feel loved and special. gifts flushing into your house, greetings clogging in airwaves, and friends, those you've known ever since you said your first hello to the earth, coming into sight, and making you feel important, remembered, cherished - is there anything more you can ask for? you feel great, you feel loved, you feel more than what the great dead people felt. what happens after life, you know no more, but what matters is that you keep those memories with you and preserve them like a jar of fragrant kisses which, while the grownups fooled us, multiply into thousand sweet little memories.

i can't think of spending another year with those love messages diminishing like decaying trees and being thrown into a state where they were totally lost and out of my grasp. i love the philosophy of freud but i reserve my regards to jung as his philosophy conforms with my claim. the swiss psychologist once uttered, "ultimately, the self is fully realised in death..." and i can't help but agree.

death it is the last enemy i have to conquer, and a friend when it defeats me.

they died long before their names get dragged by nonsensical controversies and before they themselves ruin them with frantic acts. it took them years to build their reputation and death stopped the people from staining them. now who will say they ever died?