The Taker by J.M Steele

Personally, I really did enjoy the book. It reflected the life of a teenage girl who is about to face a new realm of reality. Obstacles face her and her future, when her SATs fail and “doom” shadows her future. But all hope is not lost, especially when The Taker comes to her aid. With the help of all those around her also, she is able to ‘undo’ the wrong choices, and learn from them making better ones along the way. If you think that this “info” is not enough…or is wrong…Then what the heck. Buy the book ( or if you’re not that rich and extravagant like me, borrow it) and start pouring over the pages!

The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot

This book, I enjoyed too. It shows that deceit is not proper and…it hurts. But if IT is true love or true care for the person, then we’d learn to forgive. It shows also that one way or another, love hurts and depresses us but then, we’d see that love is patient, love is kind…er… true love, that is. The story also was presented in a creative way, which adds to the drama and…that stuff. I deeply recommend for you to read and ‘feel’. If after reading the book, and you thought of it as…ugly and unpleasant (I doubt! hahaha) then sorry you don’t have a wicked, sentimental sense of humor!

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

As this year’s cyberfair competition draws to a finale, the researchers now bid farewell to all the fresh memories and the tedious researches. But the friendship plus the ideals that have just blossomed would not be blown away that easily. New faces were seen, and new bonds were created—all because of this project. It really was tedious, and they all had to shed sweat, blood and tears. Their hands were already even calloused because of all the work. They were anxious to get it on time for the submission and nervous because they were not confident that it would meet their Very-Competitive teacher’s approval and their Very-Assertive school’s admiration. Though that was the case, they learned lots of things. Some of these are enumerated. A.) The researchers all learned how to tolerate each other’s assets and liabilities. B.) The researchers all learned to swab each other’s ‘sweat, blood, and tears’ so that everyone would be comfortable. C.) The researchers also learned the value of cooperation, teamwork, camaraderie and support. D.) The researchers learned the importance of time management, and scheduling [through the ‘hard way’]. And lastly, E.) The researchers learned the value of every little and simple help and support that anyone—any being—could offer and give just for the completion of a project worth a thousand aspirations. In conclusion, the researchers today, thank every single individual who has made the project not-a-total failure. The researchers go on with their studies bearing in mind new motivations and inspirations, techniques and methods, and finally, various morals and values. And the researchers continue to go through every single day of the remaining days in high school, remembering the VERY pressurizing and stressful yet VERY productive and rewarding project that has made VERY memorable upshots—which is now blooming into VERY beautiful ‘harvests’.
P.S. How do I know all of this? Well, I am one of them—the researchers ^_^V


Link to Sir Tabor or his blog.

****

Note to reader:



Dearest... =]



(I'm not trying to hit anyone there, a'yt? I 'm
just expressing my point of view...)



****

Cancer-Crisis

    
With all the crisis and going-ons that are happening
IN our beloved nation, why then are those incharge
so speechless? Why aren't they moving, and taking some
precautionary measures for the next blow of the enemy,
or furthermore, why aren't they doing something to
solve these offenses?

    
This is not just some small-time wound that would heal
after time, or some scab that would go away if we just
leave it alone. This issue is a really Great issue that has
to be given attention, otherwise, what would happen
to our much-loved homeland--specifically speaking,
OUR economy?

    
I am most especially pondering on the issue of the
"Car-napping cases". Now, that the public is starting
to get alarmed due to increased rates of this crime
in the country, why isn't the government giving
any assuring words? Or even so, are they even
DOING any assuring measures that would ensure the
people's...most especially those car-dealers'...safety?

    
To the head of the country, is he so much busy exerting
some sweat, and gaining some six-pack abs to simply
take a look at the faces of the people he HAS to take
care of? Isn't it this kind of crisis, in this exact kind of
moment that he has to ensure the public their safety,
and guarantee that justice would be served
to those who have been and those who are affected
by this, let us say, 'crisis'?

    
Let us keep in mind the fact that if this crime (in reality,
this fact is applicable to ALL crimes) is left unsolved and
untreated, it would act like a cancer. It would eventually
spread and spread and spread, until the disease would
infect the whole system. Not just would crimes like this
one would be rampant. The rates of ALL kinds of Crimes
would increase. See, if we, the public
(most especially, the justice system) would just ignore it,
then the temptation for criminals would really rise. They
would think that "if THEY can get away with it, then we
sure can too...so, why not do it right?"

    
Now...after seeing the logic, do we--the general
population-- really want this situation to happen?
Imagine this setting:

"A number of masked men with sizes of
all sorts, barge into your house.
They point a gun at your head and give you a sly smile.
They take your television, your couch, your china.
They take your jewelry, your clock, your charms.
They take your cash, your wife, your daughter.
They leave with contented smiles, and with merry rhymes.
A number of masked men, strip you of everything that
life has to offer."

    
Our native soil to be thriving with criminals of
all sorts, where they just go inside your house and take
your belongings. All your belongings......But they'd get
away with everything.

    
What-a-world!! I say.

Link to Mr. Vincent Tabor or his blog.

Activities in Half a year’s cycle [in the
Philippines]…another one to look forward to!

New Year

is the time of the year
when we celebrate new beginnings. It is the
time when we place new ideas, new possibilities,
and new inspirations on our mind that we are
determined to achieve at the end of the
new year.

Valentines Day

is the day of the
hearts. It doesn’t matter even if we don’t
have any boyfriend/girlfriend on that day
because the day’s concept is about loving—
it is not specifically about loving only our spouses
or sweethearts. It is about showing our deep love
and feeling to those we care about (i.e. our
families, friends…)

Commencement Exercises

are the times
we receive honor awards for performing well in
school and in our academics. These are the times
when our parents run to the stage to place our
ribbons or medals saying: “This is my child! I’m so
proud!” These are the moments when we say we
can really be a someone in the future if we stay
true and focus on our potentials.

Summer Break

is a really fun thing…
if you don’t die of boredom. But hey,
who does? There are lots of things to do
during these times. These moments should be
allotted with our families, because it is the only
time we can really bond with them. After a month,
school starts and we have to focus on academics
again.

Mother’s Day

is a special day in the month
of May that is celebrated for Mothers around
the world, thanking them for being there and
giving everything we need. This is the time we
show how thankful we are for them being here,
and this is the time when we apologize for not
cleaning our rooms or not folding our beddings
during the morning.

Back to School

is the time when…
well, literally, we DO go back to school.
It is the time of year when we run back to
our old friends and ask them how they’ve been.
It is when we see more familiar faces, and familiar
rooms that has been our house for more than half
a year every year. It is when we get to see our
‘crushes’ once again and try to impress them…
again. It is the time when we carry once again
our loads and continue the journey to our future
through “gaining knowledge and finishing our
education”.

Link to Mr. Vincent Tabor or his blog.

'Inspirational' Songs for those with some freakin' love-lives!
 [In my point of view...]

"There's not a thing that I would change 'coz
you're amazing just the way you are..."

  ~Bruno Mars [Just the Way you Are]

This is a song that really hits those lovebirds out there.
It show how much he loves his girl. He says that
he wouldn't ever think about letting her change who she
,and he loves her as she is.

"If its love, we decide that its forever, no one else
could do it better..."

  ~Train [If its Love]

This song says, that if its true love and
they find out that they really
love each other, then together,
they'd decide on the next step.

"If I wake up tomorrow, will you still be here..."

  ~Mike Posner [Please Don't Go]

In this piece, it's as if he's unsure wether or not
his girl would still be there, or if the 'love' they shared was
only a temporary thing. It hits those partners who are
involved in a relationship that only is for exchange of
goods or a kind of relationship where there is a
"what's-in-it-for-me" status.

"So this is me swallowing my pride...sayin' I'm sorry for
that night..."

  ~Taylor Swift [Back to December]

This piece is a really meaningful song for me. It paints
for the listeners a scenario where the character has realized
her mistake of leaving him. She came to the conclusion, after
leaving him, that she does love him. And so, she is asking him to
forgive her for hurting him and...that. Other than those things,
she also adds that if he doesn't forgive her, it's alright; it was
understandable, after all that she had done to hurt him.

"She's a beautiful girl, and she's in to me, but I'm
too busy still looking back..."

  ~David Archuleta[She's not You]

This piece, also is very expressive for me. It narrates
the sentiments of someone who can't get over a past
relationship or...connection with someone. He say's
she's irreplaceable. And no matter what he does
to try to forget her, and move on, she's still the
one who haunts his mind each and every moment.

Link to Mr. Vincent Tabor or his blog.

Hunger Games Trilogy

A book by Suzanne Collins, this would surely be a hit.

Some people even say that it could be the next "Twilight saga".
Personally, I enjoyed the trilogy composing the following books:
Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. The "Hunger Games"
introduces the reader to the world of Katniss Everdeen before
all the chaos and trouble that would involve her started. In "Catching Fire", they
now focus on her 'love story' with Peeta Mellark and her 'romance'
with Gale Hawthorne. Furthermore, in "Mockingjay" they emphasized
already, on the political measures and the rebellion that rotate
in Katniss' environment.

16 Reasons Why My Life Sucks

This book is by Sara Walker, which reflects alot about teenage life.

In my opinion, this story really echoes the unspoken thoughts
of most youngsters undergoing one of the most influential years of
their life. Furthermore, it mirrors to the readers the feelings and perspectives
of those affected by sibling rivalry. Surely, it has to be one of the
most well-written, factual novels that I, myself, have read [which is, I may add
quite a lot].

Hush, Hush

This book by Becca Fitzpatrick, is also very moving.

It mentions about fallen angels, and nephilims. Not just that,
though, is what it reveals. It also expresses how we give up
what we want and what we desire, for the sake of those we love
and care for. Other than those, it also exhibits the weight of
trust in different relationships--such as friendship.

The Boy Next Door

This book by Meg Cabot is a really touching piece .

Aside from it being written in a very creative way, it
shows also a really artistic meaning of camaraderie and love.
It gives you an idea about how love and its puzzling ways
work. It displays, as well, the evocative events of early adulthood.

Link to Mr. Vincent Tabor or his blog.

Anger that boils

Like a distant grumble of the nearing storm,
a warning is heard. But sometimes, no one would listen.
They just keep on hitting her, with no limit. She just
tolerated it, though, and endured it. Until she realize
that she was some beat-up punching bag already.
They keep on striking. And drumming. And beating.
And she just closed her eyes, then counted to ten.

But there came a time when it already hurt so much.
She couldn't take it anymore.
She didn't want to be their little puppet anymore.
She wanted revenge.

It was the anger that boiled deep inside her, that
pushed her.
But she closed her eyes.
And she ran away in isolation. She nursed her own
wounds. And tended to her pain. She felt better,
and returned. She had to face the world again.
But she promised herself that she wouldn't allow herself
to become as helpless as before.

She had her head held up high, and she walked
across the room with nothing to fear. Curiousity got
the better of her, and she looked at the people staring
at her. No. No one was staring. No one was looking.
They didn't mind her. They ignored her. They were busy
going about their own business. It was like she was a
ghost. She smiled, contented.

Then, she walked around, as if she wasn't existing.
She roamed around, without garnering any attention.
But something caught her eye.

She moved toward it, and they were laughing.
There was a girl at the middle of the circle. The girl
was bowing her head, and her shoulders were
hunched. Tears were dripping down the side
of her face. They were
making fun of her, and mocking her.
"You are senseless."
"You mean nothing, and you are someone we can not
understand."
"You are much too different to be here, and yet you
stay here."
She walked back slowly. But felt an old wound reopen.

She found herself staring at another setting.
There was a couple, and another girl. The man
was holding his partner in a tight embrace with one
hand. And the other arm was reaching out toward
the other far-out girl. The far-out girl was tightly grasping
the man's hand, and was holding it too closely near her.

Once again, she felt a throbbing pain. And she knew,
that another wound was revived from its passiveness.

She took a step back, and then again, she turned around.

There was another setting. And another. And another.
She could not face it anymore. Everywhere and everything
renewed and refreshed all her wounds and gashes from before..

Fresh tears spilled down her restored image--cuts and
abrasions filled her features.

"No. No. It hurts." The soreness, the ache, the twinge,
everything was back. Blood was coating her full body.

Then, all the girls who were slouched and bowed down all
faced her.
"No. No. It can't be. It couldn't be." She was wailing already.

Those familiar faces were far too common to her.
No. Not familiar faces. The familiar face. It belonged
to one person. It belonged to the girl who always
stared back at her when she looked at the mirror every
morning.

"What was this?What is this?! What-the--..."She was shaking her head from left to right.
And everything was blurry. She was about to fall and hit her head, but she stopped.

She stopped turning her head. Color returned to her vision.
But it was no longer the scenes, and the girl with the beat-up face
that filled her perspective.
No. It no longer was.

It was something far different.
Yes. She was coated in blood. Yes. She had cuts and abrasions.
Yes. The pain was still there. But no. It was not her blood.
It was no longer the her face that was painted with pain and
sorrow. It wasn't she who was hurt, and bleeding.
No. It wasn't.

It was Their corpse that was painted
with lasting pain and sorrow. And it was Their cadavers
that was filled with large hacks. It was Their blood
that stained her shaking hands...

...and it was the faces of the ghosts she had created
that were staring sadly at her.

Link to Mr. Vincent Tabor or his blog.

Filipino Pride

Last year, the world was surprised, and the
overjoyed shouts of Filipinos hung still in the air.
Another Filipino pride was set. The Philippine Azkals
has brought the nation dignity. Though not really
qualifying for the finals, the match was pretty tight.

The game was really exciting, and it was something
I wish I could have watched! :]

Azkals team Manager

Team Manager Dan Palami is confident that German coach Hans Michael Weiss would give a boost to the team.
Palami says his trip to Germany was success, since he asked
assistance for Philippine football. Currently, Germany is
helping out China and Japan--the two countries which
are considered as economic giants. That is so, Germany can
certainly alot some aid for the Philippines.

“For us, we are allowed to go to Germany
for training camps and they’ll arrange
all those things.” Palami says. “They’ll also send
specialized coaches to come over. It will also
benefit our grassroots development, giving us
equipment, [and so forth]. A technical director
will come over to assess what the Philippines
would need to move forward. They may set
up a national league. They would be in a better
position to see where they can come in.”

The team manager is evidently happy about
this relationship with Germany.

Other than that reason, Palami is also happy
because there are alot of countries who are inviting
the Azkals for some matches. The countries who
were inviting them, even said they'd pay
for everything including airfare.
Coach McMenemy, the Azkal's coach who was to be
replaced by the German coach even commended him
of being "the type of coach that can rise up
to the challenge."

Palami clarified that the issue with McMenemy
and him finding out from the social networks that
he was being replaced first is just a case of bad
timing and leaked information. “Simon felt
disrespected, and reacted, and everyone
just thought it’s what happened. I wrote Simon
to apologize. Unfortunately, twitter was faster than
my plane,” he said.

To view the original article visit this site.

Link to Mr. Vincent Tabor or his blog.

"What's your sign?"

Due to the changes in the Earth's alignment,
the dates of many zodiac signs have changed
;
according to an astronomer from The Minnesota
Planetarium Society. The star doctors say Earth is
currently in a different spot in relation to the Sun,
and those signs where we were born into are different
today, because the Earth's wobble on its axis
has created a one-month bump in the
alignment of the stars, adding a 13th
zodiac sign which is the Ophiuchus.

This new change in the signs has earned many mixed
reactions. And the public has posted them and
expressed them in some social networking sites
such as Facebook and Twitter. Most were really
upset, and others were "pissed off about
their tattoos being wrong"; says Jeffrey Beseda.

Then again, their is some good news for these folks.

Your zodiac sign may not be changed afterall...
see, it depends on which brand of astrology you
follow--either Eastern or Western.

"The constellations don't affect the western astrology
because they're not measured by the constellations
are, but instead, are measured by the seasons."
Josh Siegel, numerologist, says. Even the horoscopes
in the newspapers are not affected since they're
dependent on the seasons.

That is why, most people prefer to have
their original zodiac signs...

Here is the new Zodiac Sign Chart
Capricorn	January 20- to February 16
Aquarius	February 16 to March 11
Pisces	March 11 to April 18
Aries	April 18 to May 13
Taurus	May 13 to June 21
Gemini	June 21 to July 20
Cancer	July 20 to August 10
Leo	August 10 to September 16
Virgo	September 16 to October 30
Libra	October 30 to November 23
Scorpio	November 23 to November 29
Ophiuchus	November 29 to December 17
Sagittarius	December 17 to January 20

Link to Mr. Vincent Tabor or his blog.
Or visit main article source.

Blue Sky

You take a nap, and wake up in an unknown world.

The afternoon sun warms your body.
The azure sky paints the background.
The fresh scent of serenity fills your nose.
The infinite lines of the ocean border the
endless horizon.
And all you can hear is the rustle of the palm trees
and the soft hush of the waves.
"...hmmm...Paradise on Earth"
You stand up and feel the warm granules of the
sand going through your toes.
Then the 'wush' of albatross' wings' also catch your
ear. You start walking on the seashore. "Ahhh..."
All the worries are far behind you.
You don't care where your feet would take you,
because this cloud nine is as vast as any ocean.

"If only oceans are boundless..."

You look back at your footsteps, but they're no longer
there. Nothing is there. It is no paradise.

The realities of the harsh world stare at you straight in
your face.

The bright rays of the sun, is no longer seen. It is only
vague lines that is visible out of the heavily roofed
ambiance that is the dark sky. And the deadly,
pungeant odor of smog and decay pinches your nose.
There is no horizon here, it is just endless dark thunder
clouds. The sound of heavy machinery,
consistent grumbles of the industrial workshops,
and the stagnant hum emmited by the generators
are the only reverberations. You fully turn your body
towards this new setting. Taking a step, you find it
hard and painful to move. You look down, and
see that your bare foot is leaning on a dark black
liquid. It is painful to walk, but you are determined
to find a way out. You see mountains...
then you realize, they are not.
Those are shameless hills of
wastes and discarded remains!
Rain starts falling, and you don't
mind, until you feel pangs of pain on your skin. The
left overs of the buildings start to melt. You run
to find a shelter, and tears drift down your cheeks.
You spot an old, destroyed structure that still
has a roof; so you stay there.

"Who has done so much menace to this serene world?"
You complain.
"There is no more 'brighter tomorrow'. There is no
more blue skies, no more vivid rays of the sun, no more
endless horizons, no more mountains. No more life ."

The rain stops and you decide to look around.
You pick at the remains, and find out they're familiar.
Recognition dawns on your mind.
"That is the piece of paper i had not bothered
to pick up."
"That is the leaking faucet that I had not bother to
repair."
"That is the small tree I had not bothered to look after
since it was planted."
"Those are the empty bottles of water that I had stacked."
"Those are the broken glasses i had not bothered to
set aside."
"Those are the unused stocks of clothings that
I had not bothered to give away."
"Those are..."
"That is..."

You point at these things, and realize...everything was yours.
Everything had a connection with you. Everything
was bound to you. Everything was wasted by you.
Everything was your fault.

You shed tears...but it is for nothing. It is worth nothing,
but lamentation. Because you know...everything
is no more, and everything has passed. And everything,
is something you can no longer fix.

"Please God, please everyone. Please. Please. If only
everything would be taken back. If only I could start again.
Please give me a chance. Please give me another chance.
Please. Please. Please." You try to bang your head.
But you cover your eyes instead."Please. Please." you still murmur.

You open your eyes, then. And you're back at your
couch. You look around. The piece of paper
is still sitting there. The soft clunks of the water droplets
from the leaking faucet is still heard. The growing branch
of the malnourished tree outside your window is still there.
The tower of empty bottles is still standing there, about to fall.
The shattered glasses from all sorts of objects is also still
present. The overflowing bag where all the unused
clothes are is still there. And everything, and all things,
were still there. Everything is.

You whimper and shout for joy, because you knew,
you were given your second chance.

Link to Mr. Vincent Tabor or his blog.

Fear

Every day, every hour, every second, we are faced with decisions that pose to us a potential fear. But others, do not get paralyzed or impaired by this potential fear.They fight it, not avoid it. And then they are able to conquer it and stand up. Then they would face it. They would be able to go to the next step without worrying if they'll ever come across that "ghost" they are afraid of again. Because, whatever happens, they're no longer afraid.

John Maxwell, the author of very inspiring Leadership books, has written a blog about fear. It is in here that we would learn valuable points of emphasis on overcoming them. These are the steps.

---

Discover the Foundation of Fear

In this step, John Maxwell explains, we should acknowledge the fact that a majority of fear is unfounded. The fact is that most fear is not based on fact. Much of what we fear is based on a feeling. He reminds us then, of what Businessman Allen Neuharth said: “I quit being afraid when my first venture failed and the sky didn’t fall down.” Neuharth explains that he saw his worst fears coming true, only to realize that they weren’t as big as he’d imagined.

Admit you Fears

Says Mr. Maxwell, our biggest misconceptions is that courage is equal to lack of fear. But in actuality, the opposite is true. Because by admitting our fears, we can then challenge their accuracy. Mark Twain enlightens us by saying “courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear.”

Accept the Frailty and Brevity of Life

In this chapter, we need to accept the reality of our greatest fears. By doing so, we can focus on the things that we actually can control. This is what John Maxwell explains here. He also reminds us of what Gertrude Stein wrote: “Considering how dangerous everything is, nothing is really frightening.”

Accept Fear as the Price of Progress

To do anything of value, we have to take risks. With risk, comes fear. If we accept fear as the price of progress, then we can take appropriate risks that yield great reward. This is what Mr. Maxwell explains in this part. He quotes Susan Jeffers in her statement: “As long as I continue to push out into the world, as long as I continue to stretch my capabilities, as long as I continue to take risks in making my dreams come true, I am going to experience fear.”

Develop a Burning desire that overcomes Fear

John Maxwell explains to us here, that sometimes the best way to fight fear is to focus on our reason for confronting it. We need to ask ourselves “Is the reason we’re doing this bigger than fear? Is the reward at the end greater than the fear we are to confront in the process of achieving that particular reward?”

Focus on what you can control

In this section, we need to accept the fact that we cannot control many of the circumstances that we face. This then, allows us to focus on what we CAN control. A very inspiring saying that John Maxwell mentions is by an American basketball coach John Wooden: “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”

Focus on today

Fear tries to make us look at all of our problems at once. TO be courageous, you have to focus only on today. By focusing only on what’s right in front of us, we can manage tremendous risk because we know we’ll only have to deal with it one wave at a time. This is what Mr. Maxwell explains. He also adds this statement that a wise man once said: If an ocean liner could think and feel, it would never leave its dock; it would be afraid of the thousands of huge waves it would encounter.

Put some wins under your belt

We should keep in mind that the more we face our fears, the more capable we begin to feel and the more fears we are willing to face. Just like fear tends to breed more fear, courage leads to more courage. John Maxwell says.

Do it now

Mr. Maxwell explains that often, all it takes to conquer fear is to change our focus and try the other suggestions. As we realize what’s true and focus on what we can control, the fear naturally fades and weakens. But there are other times when no amount of thinking can overcome the fear we feel. In fact, the more we think in those situations, the more fearful we become. Then, the only solution is action. He then quotes W. Clement Stone with what he says: “When thinking won’t cure fear, action will.”Fear is a very real part of life. It must be faced and overcome with courage. By taking action in the face of fear, he or she achieves results and becomes more courageous.

Mr. John Maxwell presents to us a simple yet very meaningful interpretation of a factor which prevents us from being the best we can be—Fear. If we take in mind his words, we may overcome these fears, and become more courageous afterwards. On the way, we are becoming better persons.