Just As It Is

Yay! I'm finally going to go back to high school to help out with netball training. I've been waiting for netball season since last year and now it's finally here. Anyway, tomorrow evening I will be in the school field enjoying myself and once again doing one of the things I do best.

I'm at work now and I was just flipping through some of the papers I'm dealing with. Shucks! I didn't know that soccer is such a big industry. I mean, I knew it was big, but I didn't know it was this BIG. Did you know that the 2001 revenue of the international broadcasting rights alone for the FA Premier League comes to a grand total of USD 257 million. No wonder it's the world's largest leisure industry and Zidane cost his club almost USD 64 million in transfer fees. Yikes...expensive people!

This is really random. I haven't done research on this, but based my own observation, I think that there are at least two ways ink works on paper. A ballpoint pen makes markings on the surface of the peper. A fountain or inky pen, on the other hand, actually puts the ink into the paper - basically it soaks in. I don't know why I'm thinking about this, but it's something I realized. Pencils have the same effect on paper as ballpoint pens - writing appears on the surface and not is not sunken in the paper.

I think I am deprived of human interaction. Not deprived to a dangerous level, but to a level below what is normal for someone like me. I say this because I spend a lot of time by myself since I have started working. It's just been me and the computer. The fact that I don't have any collegues doesn't help either. It's been such a big change since college where I was around people my entire day. Anyway, my explanation is that I lack human interaction. Perhaps this would explain my sudden interest on how ink works on paper.

In the meantime, I have started composing a list of what I intend to take with me to the U.S. There are things that I still need to buy and a few things that I need to plan on doing before I go over. I kind of look forward to going, but at the same time I'm flooded with mixed feelings about the whole thing. It's gonna be a big step and I'm not too sure if I'm ready for it yet. Plus, I'm gonna miss everyone here so much. At this point, taking a big step into the another part of the world, all by myself, with no one holding my hand, sounds extremely frightening. I am quite scared.

Two Ways to Live

Today’s sermon in church was very convicting. There was much truth in it. I will try to summarize. I have to warn you though that this might not be half as pleasant to read as my other blogs. It’s a lot more serious and a lot more important.

Reference: Matthew 7:13-29

Before that, a short flashback. Let’s look back at Matthew 5:1-2.
“His (Jesus) disciples came to him and he began to teach them.”

Jesus’ teaching begins here in Chapter 5 and goes straight through till the end of Chapter 7. From Chapter 5, we know that he was addressing the disciples (followers or believers).

Now, in Chapter 7:13-29, two ways of life are addressed in three different ways:

Instance 1: Verse 13
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Instance 2: Verse 15-23
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Instance 3: Verse 24-27
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

All this time, Jesus was addressing the disciples and he pointed out two ways of life to his followers - the comfortable ‘Christian’ life versus the difficult Christian life which is according to God’s Word. Do we stay in out comfort zone and hear only what we want to hear? “By their fruit you will recognize them”.

Then in Hebrews 10:26,
“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”

Yet, hope still remains, for Romans 7:19-25 says this:
“For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”

At the end, we are in no place to judge. That’s God’s job. This sermon hit me with something new and that’s why I’ve decided to share it. It gave me something to think about. On Judgment day, what will God say to me?

Should I get a Tag Board?

Some faithful readers of my blog have suggested that I get a message board on my site. I've been thinking about it, but remain divided. Any opinions?

Starbucks

I never imagined that the environment around me matters so much.

I was working on this essay for one of my scholarship applications and it really wasn't going too well. I hadn't put much time into it simply because I really didn't feel like doing it in the first place. After two unsuccessful drafts, I was prepared to give up. I reached a point where I really didn't care whether I got the scholarship or not.

Suddenly the phone rang and the friend I was talking to suggested that I try working on the essay in a new environment - somewhere outside my room...somewhere more relaxed. It sure sounded like a brilliant idea to me.

The next day, I was in Starbucks with my chocolate frappuccino. Yummy! As usual, the relaxing jazzy music was playing in the background. I sat down with a fresh notepad and two hours later, I walked out with a great feeling of satisfaction. My essay was done well and I had actually enjoyed working on it. Apparently, pampering myself works...

Just Think!

The book I'm reading is causing me to think. I want to share a bit of it with you cuz it's a good thing to use your head sometimes.


"...that raises a very big question. If a good God made the world why has it gone wrong? And for many years I simply refused to listen to the Christian asnwers to this question, because I kept on feeling 'whatever you say, and however clever your arguments are, isn't it much simpler and easier to say that the world was not made by any intelligent power? (the author was an atheist) Aren't all your arguments a simply complicated attempt to avoid the obvious?' But then that threw me back into another difficulty.

My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of 'just' and 'unjust'? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? If the whole show was bad and senseless from A to Z, so the speak, why did I, who was supposed to be part of the show, find myself in such violent reaction against it? A man feels wet when he falls into water because man is not a water animal: a fish would not feel wet. Of course I could have given up my idea of justice by saying it was nothing but a private idea of my own. But if I did that, then my argument against God collapsed too - for the argument depended on saying that the world was really unjust, not simply that it did not happen to please my fancies. Thus in the very act of trying to prove that God did not exist - in other words, that the whole reality was senseless - I found I was forced to assume that one part of reality - namely my idea of justice - was full of sense. Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. 'Dark' would be a word without meaning."

C.S.Lewis, Mere Christianity


I really like how C.S.Lewis breaks everything down to it's very origin and then analyzes it from there. It makes so much more sense. I suppose all he did was...Think!

Testify to Love

I'm stuck at work, working on this framework paper that I'm gonna be presenting. Anyway, I really really like this song and it's been playing over and over in my mind.

All the colors of the rainbow
All the voices of the wind
Every dream that reaches out
That reaches out to find where love begins
Every word of every story
Every star in every sky
Every corner of creation lives to testify

For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love
I'll be a witness in the silences
when words are not enough
With every breath I take
I will give thanks to God above
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love

From the mountains to the valleys
From the rivers to the sea
Every hand that reaches out
Every hand that reaches out to offer peace
Every simple act of mercy
Every step to kingdom come
All the hope in every heart will speak
what love has done

For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love
I'll be a witness in the silences
when words are not enough
With every breath I take
I will give thanks to God above
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love


Note:
I am currently reading this book by Clive Staples Lewis titled 'Mere Christianity'. In this book, Lewis seeks to help us see religion with fresh eyes, as a radical faith whose adherents might be likened to an underground group gathering in a war zone, a place where evil seems to have the upper hand, to hear messages of hope from the other side.

Rejecting the boundaries that divide Christianity's many denominations, C.S.Lewis provides an unequaled opportunity for believers and nonbelievers alike to hear a powerful, rational case for the Christian faith. It is a collection of scintillating brilliance that remains strikingly fresh for the moders reader and at the same time confirms C.S.Lewis's reputation as one of the leading writers and thinkers of our age. So far, it's a really good read and challenges you to use your grey matter beyond it's daily use.

Thank You

The last few days have been quite rough for me since my best friend has left. But today, I just recieved an email from a friend who wrote a song for me. This song has just brightened up my day so much that I want to share it with you. It called 'Our Friendship' and it goes like this:

Verse 1:

Hey gal,
I just want to thank you,
For giving me a place in you’re heart

Well you’re my friend
You’re always there when I need you the most
And I'll treasure you...forever

I would travel a million miles
Just to see the gal that made me smile
I was down, blind and all alone
But you stood by me
And helped me pull through...
the most difficult moment of my life

Bridge:

And I want to thank you for always being there
And I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart because

Chorus:

It’s our friendship
That helps me get through life
I can’t imagine life without you by my side
It’s our friendship
That puts a smile on my face
And gal I want to thank you
From the bottom of my heart!

Verse 2:

Hey gal,
When the world was against me
You were not influenced by their judgement
But choose to find out for yourself

And without you...
I would have never made it through my darkest hour
I would have been lost and cold
I would have been drowning in sorrow!

You gave me the strength to carry on
And now I can climb the highest mountain and
Touch the sky


Bridge:

And I want to thank you for being there
And I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart because

Chorus:

It’s our friendship
That helps me get through life
I can’t imagine life without you by my side
It’s our friendship
That puts a smile on my face
And GAL I CAN’T THANK YOU ENOUGHHHHHH!!!!!!
for being my friend...


Thank you! You really did make my day. May our friendship continue to blossom.

Mysterious Fandango

On the desk in front of me was a rose. A single red rose with a card attached. But the person would only be identified as the Mysterious Fandango.

That was three years ago. I still have the rose from that Valentines Day in 2002 and I will keep this dried, yet fragrant rose until I find out who my Mysterious Fandango is.

The Road Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

(The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost)


Life is all about comings and goings. These last few days have been really tough for me as it has been a time of goodbyes to some very dear friends of mine. Quite a few of my friends have left to Australia to continue their studies and it’s been hard parting ways, not knowing when we will meet again.

Just yesterday, my best friend left. All this while I had been gradually accepting the fact that she would be leaving. Although I knew this, I didn’t fully realize the impact her absence would have on my life. I am only beginning to understand.

Fortunately though, I have some really close friends who have been taking care of me and to you guys, I am grateful beyond words. Thanks for all the words and messages of advice and comfort. It has all helped.

On a better note, I got my acceptance letter from one of the universities I applied to. Yay! Now I just have to wait for replies from the other two.

You know, there’s something about Frost’s poem that I’ve never really liked. This was one of the poems we studied for English Literature in high school and since then, I’ve never really liked the name of the poem even though I think that the poem itself is a work of art. I would prefer if it were titled ‘The Road Taken’. For some reason, this phrase seems to provide more hope.

Mei,
here's our song...

I don't have to say
A word to you
You seem to know
Whatever mood
I'm going through
Feels as though
I've known you forever

You
Can look into my eyes and see
The way I feel
And how
The world is treating me
Maybe I have known you forever

*Chorus
Amigos para siempre
Means you'll always be my friend
Amics per sempre
Means a love that cannot end
Friends for life
Not just a summer or a spring
Amigos para siempre

I feel you near me
Even when we are apart
Just knowing you are in this world
Can warm my heart
Friends for life
Not just a summer or a spring
Amigos para siempre

We share memories
I won't forget
And we'll share more,
My friend,
We haven't started yet
Something happens
When we're together

When
I look at you
I wonder why
There has to come
A time when we must say goodbye
I'm alive when we are together

*Chorus

When
I look at you
I wonder why
There has to come
A time when we must say goodbye
I'm alive when we are together

*Chorus

Amigos para siempre
Means you'll always be my friend
Amics per sempre
Means a love that cannot end
Friends for life
Not just a summer or a spring
Amigos para siempre
Amigos para siempre

(Amigos Para Siempre by Sarah Brightman and Jose Carreras)

Lacrimation

Tears are the watery secretion of the lacrimal gland, which is located at the outer corner of the eye socket immediately above the eyeball. Tearing, or lacrimation, is a continuous and largely involuntary process stimulated by the autonomic nervous system.

Tiny glands, located in the surface tissue on the white of the eye and lining the eyelids, constantly produce a baseline level of tears to keep our eyes comfortable and lubricated. The lacrimal gland, a large gland located beneath the outside brow responds to emotion or eye irritation by producing larger quantities of tears. Typically, the fluid either evaporates or is drained off through tiny canals at the inner corner of the eye.

In some people, tearing becomes a problem. Excess tears well up in the eye because too many tears are produced or, because the tears are not draining properly. Excess tears give the eye a moist appearance, and can collect along the border of the lower lid and overflow onto the cheek.

The tears of each eye drain into a tiny opening in each lid called a punctum. They then flow through a small canal into the lacrimal sac and down the nasolacrimal duct into the nose. This is why our noses run when we cry, since excess tears reach the nose through the normal tear drainage system.

Excessive tearing can result from injuries, birth defects and infections, especially those of the lacrimal sac. These processes can block tear drainage at the punctum, lacrimal sac or nasolacrimal duct and cause overflow tearing. Abnormal lid positions, an in turned eyelash, wind exposure, yawning, glaucoma, certain drugs, or eyestrain can also cause excessive tearing.

However, excessive tearing does not always mean an excess of tears or blockage of the drainage system. Patients with a dry eye often complain of tearing. When the amount of lubricating tears secreted is too low to maintain necessary moisture for the eye, the large lacrimal gland often reacts by flooding the eye with additional tears, causing episodes of overflow tearing even though the underlying problem is dry eyes.

There are so many of these small processes going on in our body...so much so that we barely notice even their existance. Tearing is just one of these processes...one that would be very hard to do without. There are so many songs about tears. Here's just one of them:

*Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would you feel the same
If I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on
’cause I know I don’t belong here in heaven...

Would you hold my hand
If I saw you in heaven?
Would you help me stand
If I saw you in heaven?
I’ll find my way through night and day
’cause I know I just can’t stay here in heaven...

Time can bring you down, time can bend your knees
Time can break your heart, have you begging please...begging please

Beyond the door there’s peace I’m sure
And I know there’ll be no more tears in heaven...

Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would you feel the same
If I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on
’cause I know I don’t belong here in heaven...*

(Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton)

How many Christians to change a lightbulb?

How many Christians does it take to change a lightbulb?

Charismatic: Only one--Hands are already in the air!

Pentecostal: Ten--One to change the bulb, and nine to pray against the spirit of darkness.

Presbyterian: None--Lights will go on and off at predestined times.

Roman Catholic: None--Candles only.

Baptist: At least fifteen--One to change the bulb and three committees to approve the change and decide who brings the potato salad.

Episcopalian (Anglican): Three--One to call the electrician, one to mix the drinks and one to talk about how much better the old one was.

Nazarene: Six--One woman to replace the bulb while five men review church lighting policy.

Unitarians: We choose not to make a statement either in favour of or against the need for a lightbulb. However, if in your own journey you have found that lightbulbs work for you, that is fine. You are invited to write a poem or compose a modern dance about your lightbulb for the next Sunday service, in which we will explore a number of lightbulb traditions including incandescent, fluorenscent, three way, long-life and tinted, all of which are equally valid paths to luminescence.

Methodists: Undetermined--Whether your light is bright, dull or completely out, you are loved. You can be a light bulb, tunipbulb or tulip bulb. Church-wide lighting service is planned for Sunday. Bring bulb of your choice and a covered dish.

Lutherans: All of them--Lutherans never change light bulb or denomination, even in burnouts.Faith alone carries them through the period of darkness until they, including bulb, are turned on again by love and all, not only bulb, shall be changed.

Kingdom of God: Christ Himself--Ever since God said "Let there be light", there was light, with or without bulbs. In case of darkness change of anything doesn’t help unless Christ Himself comes to supply darkness with hands to grasp the light.


Disclaimer: I got this off a website and it is purely for laughs.

True Valentines

True Valentines. Some of these are really funny...

http://cagle.com/news/TrueValentines/?GT1=6082

The Lightbulb

HOW MANY STUDENTS DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE A LIGHT BULB AT . . .

Vanderbilt: Two--one to call the electrician and one to call daddy to pay the bill.
Princeton: Two--one to mix the martinis and one to call the electrician.
Brown: Eleven--one to change the light bulb and ten to share the experience.
Dartmouth: None--Hanover doesn't have electricity.
Cornell: Two--One to change the light bulb and one to crack under the pressure.
Brandeis: The whole school. It would be the most exciting event to happen in years.
Penn: Only one, but he gets six credits for it.
Columbia: Seventy-six--one to change the light bulb, fifty to protest the light bulb's right to not change, and twenty-five to hold a counter protest.
Yale: None--New Haven looks better in the dark.
Harvard: One--he holds the bulb and the world revolves around him.
MIT: Five--one to design a nuclear powered one that never needs changing, one to figure out how to power the rest of Boston using that nuked light bulb two to install it, and one to write the computer program that controls the wall switch.
Vassar: Eleven--one to screw it and ten to support its sexual orientation.
Middlebury: Five--One to change the light bulb and four to find the perfect J. Crew outfit to wear for the occasion.
Stanford: One, dude.
Oberlin: Three--one to change it and two to figure out how to get high off the old one.
Georgetown: Four--one to change it, one to call Congress about their progress, and two to throw the old bulb at the American U. students.
Duke: A whole frat--but only one of them is sober enough to get the bulb out of the socket.
Williams: The whole student body--when you're snowed in, there's nothing else to do.
Tufts: Two--one to change the bulb and the other to say loudly how he did it as well as an Ivy League student.
Sarah Lawrence: Five--one to change the bulb and four to do an interpretive dance about it.
Swarthmore: Eight--it's not that one isn't smart enough to do it, it's just that they're all violently twitching from too much stress.
Bryn Mawr: One--because it would be a violation of the Honor Code if any more did.
Boston University: Four--one to change the bulb and two to check his math homework.
Wesleyan:Wesleyan's boycotting GE... you know, military-industrial complex and all that.
Connecticut College: Two--one to change the bulb and one to complain about how if they were at a better school the light bulb wouldn't go out .
Virginia: Thirteen--Ten to form student committee to vote on whether changing light bulbs is a violation of the Honor Code, one to change the bulb, one to hold the keg the he's standing on, and another to attribute electricity to Mr. Jefferson.
Bowdoin: Three--one to ski down to the general store and buy the bulb, one to take the chairlift back to school, and one to screw it in.
Boston College: Seven--one to change the light bulb and six to throw a party because he didn't screw it in upside down this time.
Santa Clara University: One--but you would never know about it because only Cal and Stanford gets press for changing their light bulbs.


Hilarious huh?

Our Special Friendship

To Mei even as you will be leaving:

You are the special one
With whom I needn't pretend
You're always there when I need you
Just like a proper friend

I didn't think I'd trust anyone
The way that i trust you
But you have this way about you
And know how to get through

I've told you things I've only thought about
Of silent dreams I couldn't let out
Of life, emotions and trivial things
Such things of which happiness brings

I tell you if I am sad, or simply just confused
You're always there to listen, but never to be used
You tell me your secrets and what you're going through
You're always there for me as I am for you

Your friendship is a special gift
A lifetime it will last
Look to the future now and never to the past
New people you will meet, and many things you will do
But never forget me, becuase I'll never ever forget you.

Happy Chinese New Year

Just a shout out of Happy Chinese New Year to all those who will be celebrating. I hope you and your family have a wonderful one this year!!!

Greek Mythology

Greek gods have always been a source of fascination to me.

View this link for the Ancient Gods family tree: http://www.hol.gr/greece/godsft.htm

The Titans
The Titans, also known as the elder gods, ruled the earth before the Olympians overthrew them. The ruler of the Titans was Cronus who was de-throned by his son Zeus. Most of the Titans fought with Cronus against Zeus and were punished by being banished to Tartarus. During their rule the Titans were associated with the various planets.

Gaea is the Earth goddess. She mated with her son Uranus to produce the remaining Titans. Gaea seems to have started as a Neolithic earth-mother worshipped before the Indo-European invasion that eventually lead to the Hellenistic civilization.

Uranus is the sky god and first ruler. He is the son of Gaea, who created him without help. He then became the husband of Gaea and together they had many offspring, including twelve of the Titans. His rule ended when Cronus, encouraged by Gaea, castrated him. He either died from the wound or withdrew from earth.

Cronus was the ruling Titan who came to power by castrating his Father Uranus. His wife was Rhea. There offspring were the first of the Olympians. To insure his safety Cronus ate each of the children as they were born. This worked until Rhea, unhappy at the loss of her children, tricked Cronus into swallowing a rock, instead of Zeus. When he grew up Zeus would revolt against Cronus and the other Titans, defeat them, and banish them to Tartarus in the underworld. Cronus managed to escape to Italy, where he ruled as Saturn. The period of his rule was said to be a golden age on earth, honored by the Saturnalia feast.

Rhea was the wife of Cronus. Cronus made it a practice to swallow their children. To avoid this, Rhea tricked Cronus into swallowing a rock, saving her son Zeus.

Oceanus is the unending stream of water encircling the world. Together with his wife Tethys produced the rivers and the three thousand ocean nymphs.

Tethys is the wife of Oceanus. Together they produced the rivers and the three thousand ocean nymphs.

Hyperion is the Titan of light, an early sun god. He is the son of Gaea and Uranus. He married his sister Theia. Their children Helius (the sun), Selene (the moon), and Eos (the dawn).

Mnemosyne was the Titan of memory and the mother of Muses.

Themis was the Titan of justice and order. She was the mother of the Fates and the Seasons.

Iapetus was the father of Prometheus, Epimetheus, Menoetius, and Atlas by Clymene.

Coeus is the Titan of Intelligence. Father of Leto

Phoebe is the Titan of the Moon. Mother of Leto.

Prometheus was the wisest Titan. His name means "forethought" and he was able to foretell the future. He was the son of Iapetus. When Zeus revolted against Cronus Prometheus deserted the other Titans and fought on Zeus side. By some accounts he and his brother Epimetheus were delegated by Zeus to create man. In all accounts, Prometheus is known as the protector and benefactor of man. He gave mankind a number of gifts including fire. He also tricked Zeus into allowing man to keep the best part of the animals sacrificed to the gods and to give the gods the worst parts. For this Zeus punished Prometheus by having him chained to a rock with an eagle tearing at his liver. He was to be left there for all eternity or until he agreed to disclose to Zeus which of Zeus children would try to replace him. He was eventually rescued by Heracles without giving in to Zeus.

Epimetheus was a stupid Titan, whose name means "afterthought". He was the son of Iapetus. In some accounts he is delegated, along with his brother Prometheus by Zeus to create mankind. He also accepted the gift of Pandora from Zeus, which lead to the introduction of evil into the world.

Atlas was the son of Iapetus. Unlike his brothers Prometheus and Epimetheus, Atlas fought with the other Titans supporting Cronus against Zeus. Due to Cronus's advance age Atlas lead the Titan's in battle. As a result he was singled out by Zeus for a special punishment and made to hold up the world on his back.

Metis was the Titaness of the forth day and the planet Mercury. She presided over all wisdom and knowledge. She was seduced by Zeus and became pregnant with Athena. Zeus became concerned over prophecies that her second child would replace Zeus. To avoid this Zeus ate her. It is said that she is the source for Zeus wisdom and that she still advises Zeus from his belly. It may seem odd for Metis to have been pregnant with Athena but never mentioned as her mother. This is because the classic Greeks believed that children were generated solely from the fathers’ sperm. The woman was thought to be nothing more than a vessel for the fetus to grow in. Since Metis was killed well before Athena's birth her role doesn't count.

Dione is, according to Homer in the Iliad, the mother of Aphrodite


The Olympians
The Olympians are a group of 12 gods who ruled after the overthrow of the Titans. All the Olympians are related in some way. They are named after their dwelling place, Mount Olympus.

Zeus overthrew his Father Cronus. He then drew lots with his brothers Poseidon and Hades. Zeus won the draw and became the supreme ruler of the gods. He is lord of the sky, the rain god. His weapon is a thunderbolt, which he hurls at those who displease him. He is married to Hera but is famous for his many affairs. He is also known to punish those that lie or break oaths

Poseidon is the brother of Zeus. After the overthrow of their Father Cronus he drew lots with Zeus and Hades, another brother, for shares of the world. His prize was to become lord of the sea. He was widely worshiped by seamen. He married Amphitrite, a granddaughter of the Titan Oceanus. At one point he desired Demeter. To put him off Demeter asked him to make the most beautiful animal that the world had ever seen. So to impress her Poseidon created the first horse. In some accounts his first attempts were unsuccessful and created a variety of other animals in his quest. By the time the horse was created his passion for Demeter had cooled. His weapon is a trident, which can shake the earth, and shatter any object. He is second only to Zeus in power amongst the gods. He has a difficult quarrelsome personality. He was greedy. He had a series of disputes with other gods when he tried to take over their cities.

Hades is the brother of Zeus. After the overthrow of their Father Cronus he drew lots with Zeus and Poseidon, another brother, for shares of the world. He had the worst draw and was made lord of the underworld, ruling over the dead. He is a greedy god who is greatly concerned with increasing his subjects. Those whose calling increases the number of dead are seen favorably. The Erinyes are welcomed guests. He is exceedingly disinclined to allow any of his subjects leave. He is also the god of wealth, due to the precious metals mined from the earth. He has a helmet that makes him invisible. He rarely leaves the underworld. He is unpitying and terrible, but not capricious. His wife is Persephone whom Hades abducted. He is the King of the dead but, death itself is another god, Thanatos.

Hestia is Zeus sister. She is a virgin goddess. She does not have a distinct personality. She plays no part in myths. She is the Goddess of the Hearth, the symbol of the house around which a newborn child is carried before it is received into the family. Each city had a public hearth sacred to Hestia, where the fire was never allowed to go out.

Hera is Zeus wife and sister. She was raised by the Titans Ocean and Tethys. She is the protector of marriage and takes special care of married women. Hera's marriage was founded in strife with Zeus and continued in strife. Zeus courted her unsuccessfully. He then turned to trickery, changing himself into disheveled cuckoo. Hera feeling sorry for the bird held it to her breast to warm it. Zues then resumed his normal form and taking advantage of the surprise he gained, raped her. She then married him to cover her shame. Once when Zeus was being particularly overbearing to the other gods, Hera convinced them to join in a revolt. Her part in the revolt was to drug Zeus, and in this she was successful. The gods then bound the sleeping Zeus to a couch taking care to tie many knots. This done they began to quarrel over the next step. Briareus overheard the arguments. Still full of gratitude to Zeus, Briareus slipped in and was able to quickly untie the many knots. Zeus sprang from the couch and grabbed up his thunderbolt. The gods fell to their knees begging and pleading for mercy. He seized Hera and hung her from the sky with gold chains. She wept in pain all night but, none of the others dared to interfere. Her weeping kept Zeus up and the next morning he agreed to release her if she would swear never to rebel again. She had little choice but, to agree. While she never again rebelled, she often intrigued against Zeus's plans and she was often able to outwit him. Most stories concerning Hera have to do with her jealous revenge for Zeus's infidelities. Her sacred animals are the cow and the peacock. Her favorite city is Argos.

Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera. He was disliked by both parents. He is the god of war. He is considered murderous and bloodstained but, also a coward. When caught in an act of adultery with Aphrodite her husband Hephaestus is able publicly ridicule him. His bird is the vulture. His animal is the dog.

Athena is the daughter of Zeus. She sprang full-grown in armor from his forehead, thus has no mother. She is fierce and brave in battle but only fights to protect the state and home from outside enemies. She is the goddess of the city, handicrafts, and agriculture. She invented the bridle, which permitted man to tame horses, the trumpet, the flute, the pot, the rake, the plow, the yoke, the ship, and the chariot. She is the embodiment of wisdom, reason, and purity. She was Zeus's favorite child and was allowed to use his weapons including his thunderbolt. Her favorite city is Athens. Her tree is the olive. The owl is her bird. She is a virgin goddess

Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto. His twin sister is Artemis. He is the god of music, playing a golden lyre. The Archer, far shooting with a silver bow. The god of healing who taught man medicine. The god of light. The god of truth, who cannot speak a lie. One of Apollo's more important daily tasks is to harness his chariot with four horses and drive the Sun across the sky. He is famous for his oracle at Delphi. People traveled to it from all over the Greek world to divine the future. His tree was the laurel. The crow his bird. The dolphin his animal.

Aphrodite is the goddess of love, desire and beauty. In addition to her natural gifts she has a magical girdle that compels anyone she wishes to desire her. There are two accounts of her birth. One says she is the daughter of Zeus and Dione. The other goes back to when Cronus castrated Uranus and tossed his severed genitals into the sea. Aphrodite then arose from the sea foam on a giant scallop and walked to shore in Cyprus. She is the wife of Hephaestus. The myrtle is her tree. The dove, the swan, and the sparrow her birds

Hermes is the son of Zeus and Maia. He is Zeus messenger. He is the fastest of the gods. He wears winged sandals, a winged hat, and carries a magic wand. He is the god of thieves and god of commerce. He is the guide for the dead to go to the underworld. He invented the lyre, the pipes, the musical scale, astronomy, weights and measures, boxing, gymnastics, and the care of olive trees.

Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Leto. Her twin brother is Apollo. She is the lady of the wild things. She is the huntsman of the gods. She is the protector of the young. Like Apollo she hunts with silver arrows. She became associated with the moon. She is a virgin goddess, and the goddess of chastity. She also presides over childbirth, which may seem odd for a virgin, but goes back to causing Leto no pain when she was born. She became associated with Hecate. The cypress is her tree. All wild animals are scared to her, especially the deer.

Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera. Sometimes it is said that Hera alone produced him and that he has no father. He is the only god to be physically ugly. He is also lame. Accounts as to how he became lame vary. Some say that Hera, upset by having an ugly child, flung him from Mount Olympus into the sea, breaking his legs. Others that he took Hera's side in an argument with Zeus and Zeus flung him off Mount Olympus. He is the god of fire and the forge. He is the smith and armorer of the gods. He uses a volcano as his forge. He is the patron god of both smiths and weavers. He is kind and peace loving. His wife is Aphrodite. Sometimes his wife is identified as Aglaia.

Source: http://www.hol.gr/greece/ancgods.htm


Just for fun, check out which greek god you are similar to: quizilla.com/users/truly-dippy/quizzes/ %3F%3F%20Which%20Of%20The%20Greek%20Gods%20Are%20You%20%3F%3F/

Results for mine:

Aphrodite/Eros
You are like the greek god or goddess of love. You firmly believe in soulmates, in caring for each other – and ultimately staying true to your life partner. You’ve either found, or are looking for “The One” for you. Romantic, kind, generous and always loving – you have a beauty that is inexplicable both inside and out.

Common Sense

"To say that the commons is a check upon the kind, presupposes two things.

First: That the kind is not to be trusted without being looked after, or in other words, that a thirst for absolute power is the natural disease of monarchy.
Secondly: That the commons, by being appointed for that purpose, are either wiser or more worthy of confidence than the crown.

But as the same constitution which gives the commons a power to check the king by withholding the supplies, gives afterwards the king a power to check the commons, by empowering him to reject their other bills; it again supposes that the king is wiser than those whom it has already supposed to be wiser than him. A mere absurdity!

There is something exceedingly ridiculous in the composition of monarchy; it first excludes a man from the means of information, yet empowers him to act in cases where the highest judgment is required. The state of a king shuts him from the world, yet the business of a king requires him to know it thoroughly; wherefore the different parts, unnaturally opposing and destroying each other, prove the whole character to be absurd and useless."

Source: Common Sense by Thomas Paine


This is just a short part out of a book that I am currently reading. This is the book that created the modern United States, Paine's incendiary call for Americans to revolt against British rule converted millions to the cause of independance and set out a vision of a just society - free from corruption and cronyism - which remains inspiring today.

Just a thought: If a book is named 'Common Sense', the content of the book can't be too common, can it?

Project Rebirth

Project Rebirth is an online chronicle of the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site. Six months after the fall of the World Trade Center Towers, a documentary filmmaker began filming time-lapse movies of the site from 35-millimeter cameras placed atop buildings around the site. There are now six of them, each shooting one frame every five minutes. When they have been filming for ten years, the length of the project, the resulting images will be compiled into a 20-minute film.As immediate and compelling as a physical visit, this project gives people the opportunity to observe and share in the progress of the reconstruction.

The project is called Project Rebirth, and the documentary filmmaker behind it is Jim Whitaker, who is also the president of Imagine Entertainment, the film production company started by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard. In September, Project Rebirth launched a web site, www.projectrebirth.org, which is its own project in several ways. In addition to information about the film, the site provides an interactive timeline, interviews with important figures in the rebuilding process, and information about the architecture, urban planning, and engineering that is going into the rebuilding.


The responsibility for the redevelopment has become divided in the aftermath of Libeskind’s selection, and he is currently working with a team of architects, planners, and developers, including Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM), the Port Authority, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, and Larry Silverstein, the site’s leaseholder.

Its main components include:
-The Freedom Tower, located at the northwest corner of the site, slated to be completed in 2009;
-The Memorial , occupying 4.7 acres in the southwest quadrant, on the footprint of the fomer towers;
-The Transit Hub, at the northeast corner with its entrance at the intersection of Church and Vesey Streets, to replace the temporary PATH station by 2020;
-7 World Trade Center, now rising to 52 stories on the north side of Vesey Street and scheduled to be the first completed building, opening in 2005; and
-Three additional office towers on the east side of the site, separated from the Memorial and Freedom Tower by Fulton and Greenwich Streets.

Link for a view of the selected design for ground zero:
http://www.renewnyc.com/plan_des_dev/wtc_site/

The Wig

I was at the mamak stalls, having a drink with some friends the other day and we happened to come across this topic as one of my friends is studying law. "Why are wigs worn by lawyers?" Well, this is some stuff i came across:


Although English legal dress has a long history, it has for the most part evolved in the same way as common law, without written regulation. Before the 17th century lawyers did not wear wigs, but professional discipline required that their hair and beards should be moderately short.

Nevertheless, the introduction of wigs into polite society in the reign of Charles II (1660-85) was an innovation which could not be resisted! After a period of disapproval, wigs were generally assumed by lawyers in the 1680s.Early wigs are difficult to identify in portraits of the period because they were of a natural colour and were sometimes combined with a lock of growing hair at the forehead. However, wigs soon became larger and increasingly stylised.
By the middle of the 17th century wigs of powdered white or grey hair were the universal custom, but during George III’s reign (1760-1820) wigs went rapidly out of general use.Although bishops were given royal permission to abandon their wigs in the 1830s, this was not necessarily true of other officials. There is a story that Lord Eldon, the Lord Chancellor of the day, was refused permission to leave off his wig at court!

In the 1860s the counsel were permitted to remove their wigs during a heatwave - this attracted some comment in the press and it was suggested that wigs were abandoned altogether by the legal profession. However, the proposal met with little support, though it has been a common occurrence ever since for judges to allow wigs to be left off in very hot weather, and sometimes turbans are allowed to be worn instead of wigs on religious grounds.


Well, that's a brief history of wigs that lawyers wear and why they wear them. If you have any additional information as to how and why this whole tradition came about, do share it with me.