chorale n. a hymn sung to traditional melody

sonorous adj. full or loud in sound

monolith n. a massive structure

calamity n. disaster caused by great loss

vandalized v. willful or malicious destruction or defacement of public/private property

catastrophe n. a disaster

Snowstorms are cool.

That’s one of the reasons I emigrated to Canada and I was reminded of that Friday, as I went to work and the white powder was just beginning to come down.

The view from my desk at the Sun newsroom was the white-out condition on Deerfoot Trail and the noise background was police and emergency crews scanner calling out where it was extremely treacherous to drive and what roads had been blocked.

I will never hear, see, taste, smell and feel snow had I now moved to the Great White North.

Yes, you can hear snow falls if you listen attentively.

I probably already told you this that back in 1997, I had the chance of moving to Honolulu or Kamloops. 

Yup, you might say something is lose in my brain or that my perception of what’s nice is totally warped.

If you’ve lived all your life in a tropical storm zone, near the volcanic and earthquake belt, an area the gets devastating vicissitudes by mother nature, you’d be wanting a different kind of experience.

What’s the worst tropical storm I ever had when I was still living in the Philippines?

It was 1995 and I got buried in a mud up to my chest while I was helping prevent a landslide that could potentially damage the bishop’s residence.

I was lucky I was able to hang on to a rope tied to a tree, that’s how I extracted myself.

Worst snowstorm I ever experienced in Canada?

It was in Vernon in 1999, when my car, a 1988 Dodge Aries got actually buried in snow.

Snowstorm is much nicer than tropical storm, although they both bring misery and calamitous results.

However, I must say that I really miss bathing in a warm tropical rain.

Dec. 4, 2009

Photo Courtesy:http://www.flickr.com/photos/youngrobv/3181843577/in/set-72157614375208108/

GUEST ARTICLE Courtesy: zawjatshuayb (seeking.jannah@yahoo.com)

Ibn Al-Qayim described the consequences of disobedience.

Learning these consequences will help us resist committing sins in shaa Allah. Print them out and hang them in your room, next to your computer screen, and in any place you frequently disobey Allah.

These are the consequences of disobedience:

1- The prevention of Knowledge. Knowledge is a light, which Allah throws into the heart, and disobedience extinguishes this light. Imam Al-Shaafi’e said,

“I complained to Wakee’ about the weakness of my memory, so he ordered me to abandon disobedience. And informed me that the knowledge is light. And that the light of Allah is not given to the disobedient.”

photo Courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brucemckay/3457788086/

2- The prevention of Sustenance. Just as Taqwa brings about sustenance, the abandonment of Taqwa causes poverty. There is nothing that can bring about sustenance like the abandonment of disobedience.

3- The prevention of obedience (to Allah). If there were no other punishment for sins other than that it prevents one from obeying Allah then this would be sufficient.

4- Disobedience weakens the heart and the body. Disobedience does not stop weakening the heart until its life ceases completely, rendering the body dead.

5- Disobedience reduces the lifespan and destroys any blessings. Just as righteousness increases the lifespan, sinning reduces it.

6- Disobedience sows its own seeds and gives birth by itself until separating from it and coming out of it becomes difficult for the servant.

7- Sins weaken the heart’s will and resolve so that the desire for disobedience becomes strong and the desire to repent becomes weak bit by bit until the desire to repent is removed from the heart completely.

8- Every type of disobedience is a legacy of a nation from among the nations which Allah (swt) destroyed. Sodomy is a legacy of the People of Lut, taking more than one’s due right and giving what is less is a legacy of the People of Shu’ayb, seeking greatness in the land and causing corruption is a legacy of the People of Pharaoh and pride/arrogance and tyranny is a legacy of the People of Hud. So the disobedient one is wearing the gown of some of these nations who were the enemies of Allah.

9- Disobedience is a cause of the servant being held in contempt by his Lord. Al-Hasan al-Basree said, “They became contemptible in (His sight) so they disobeyed Him. If they were honorable (in His sight) He would have protected them. Allah the Exalted said, “And whomsoever Allah lowers (humiliates) there is none to give honor.” (22:18).”

10- The servant continues to commit sins until they become very easy for him and seem insignificant in his heart and this is a sign of destruction. Every time a sin becomes insignificant in the sight of the servant it becomes great in the sight of Allah. Ibn Mas’ood (rAa) said, “Indeed, the believer sees his sins as if he was standing at the foot of a mountain fearing that it will fall upon him and the sinner sees his sins like a fly which passes by his nose so he tries to remove it by waving his hand around.”

11- Disobedience inherits humiliation and lowliness. Honor, all of it, lies in the obedience of Allah. Abdullah ibn Al-Mubarak said, “I have seen sins kill the hearts. And humiliation is inherited by their continuity. The abandonment of sins gives life to the hearts. And the prevention of your soul is better for it.”

12- Disobedience corrupts the intellect. The intellect has light and disobedience extinguishes this light. When the light of the intellect is extinguished it becomes weak and deficient.

13- When disobedience increases, the servant’s heart becomes sealed so that he becomes of those who are heedless. The Exalted said, “But no! A stain has been left on their hearts on account of what they used to earn (i.e. their actions).” (83:14).

14- Sins cause the various types of corruption to occur in the land like corruption of the waters, the air, the plants, the fruits and the dwelling places. The Exalted said, “Mischief has appeared on the land and the sea on account of what the hands of men have earned; that He may give them a taste of some of (the actions) they have done, in order that they may return.” (30:41).

15- The disappearance of modesty which is the essence of the life of the heart and is the basis of every good. Its disappearance is the disappearance of all that is good. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “Modesty is goodness, all of it.” A Poet said, “And by Allah, there is no good in life or in the world when modesty goes.”

16- Sins weaken and reduce the magnification of Allah, the Mighty, in the heart of the servant.

17- Sins are the cause of Allah forgetting His servant, abandoning him and leaving him to fend for himself with his soul and his Shaytan and in this is the destruction from which no deliverance can be hoped for.

18- Sins remove the servant from the realm of Ihsaan (doing good) and he is prevented from (obtaining) the reward of those who do good. When Ihsaan fills the heart it prevents it from disobedience.

19- Disobedience causes the favors (of Allah) to cease and make His revenge lawful. No blessing ceases to reach a servant except due to a sin and no retribution is made lawful upon him except due to a sin. Allah the Exalted said, “Whatever misfortune afflicts you then it is due to what your hands have earned and (yet) He pardons many.” (42:30). And the Exalted also said, “That is because never will Allah change the favor He has bestowed on a people until they change what is with themselves.” (8:53).

End

A note from the guest author:

Imam Ali (rAa) said: “No calamity has descended except by disobedience, and no calamity is repelled except by repentance.”

The woman that was killed two days ago in Baghdad was because of the sins of her sister on the other side of the globe. The man that was killed yesterday in Jerusalem was a result of his Muslim brother’s sin in the country next to his. The whole status of our Muslim Ummah is the result of accumulating sins for the past 100 years. It has to stop because if the disobedience goes on at this rate we will never rise up again. It’s a Divine Law and there is no way around it.

Nature’s Rage

“Abuse God, He’ll always forgive,
But abuse nature, it will never forgive”.
 

It’s the most abhorrent first time in the country’s history of calamity, a tropical storm brought a devastating and enormous flood dipping many places like Metro Manila, Pampanga, Cainta, et al. The nation succumbed on the flash flood happened last September 26, 2009, Saturaday. Just 9 hours of nonstop downpour was enough to equate a month-long rain (410 mm rain gauge range, which was even higher than the normal rain gauge range). Due to the incident, it must be cursed by many for the ruin it brought, tremendously.

Undeniably, tropical storm Ondoy and the flash flood it brought seem as a sample of the perfect “Destroyers and Assassins”. They are envoys of destruction and death – destroying voluminous properties, taking 300 lives, and leaving numerous individuals homeless. What must be the message of these calamities?

Although we grieve from such tragedy, it’s not an excuse for us to ignore the lessons behind it. Really, experiencing such is detestable and once again, proved that experience is a harsh teacher…it gives the test first before the lesson. I’m sure, we learned a lot from Ondoy.

Why the killer flood happened is an indication of mankind’s negligence. An end justifies the means an action employed; therefore, anything we do has its connection to the outcome. It’s safe to say that we are the cause of the killer flood. Man made the massive pollution causing the world’s threatening “global warming” which contributes to the climate change and the deterioration of the ozone layer.

Mother Earth perhaps is calling for us. Let’s get hand in hand saving the Earth from destruction. Let’s go back to the basic – plant more trees, dispose garbage properly and let’s eliminate burning too much fossil fuel that contributes to the pollution of our land, water/marine and air biodiversity.

We can’t resist from the changing climate as well the uprising calamities, but we can resist wasting lives and properties by ensuring preparedness and safety. Let’s adopt the Boy Scout’s motto: “Be Prepared”. Preparedness won’t make us futile and cry over a spilled milk. The positive side of the tragedy is that it brought us lessons that we must not be too reluctant and numb of what our surrounding needs…it’s an eye-opener for us to perform our duties towards the nature with dedication. And due to the rage, it surfaced many heroic Filipinos who helped willingly their fellows who’re in dire need to save their lives. Some heroic fellows even paid life just so save the rest…flagging the sacred sacrifice, giving their life in exchange other’s safety. The spirit of sharing, concern, help, love and care flourished… awakening everyone the virtue of “Bayanihan”.

A calamity unexpected brings a grotesque disaster but a calamity being prepared brings less ruin and grief. So, when nature’s rage strikes, behold to its possible lessons it may bring which will serve as the mirror to check out what’s lacking in our part. Wait not for another disaster, life is too short to waste on insignificant things…your belongings; your loved ones and your life can be lost in a blink of an eye when you’re hit by nature’s rage.

In 1995 I co-authored a paper [1] about “Change Proofing” – the ability of a commercial organization to manage change stimulated by largely unanticipated, hard-to-predict events and shocks. Examples up to that time included trauma due to third world debt in the 1970s, the energy industry in the 1980s, and commercial real estate and corporate buy-outs in the 1990s.

History shows that the consequences of failing to recognize and interpret harbingers of change can be devastating. It is said that the ancient Peruvian Indians were unable to “see” the sails of the invading Spanish fleet, and dismissed them as mirages. More recent historical (hysterical?) examples of myopia include US automobile manufacturers who were blinkered to Pacific-Rim competitors, and even IBM, which was long unprepared for opportunities presented by the explosive growth of personal computing.

Clearly-identified business trends, such as globalization, technology, demographics and new social orders, had often been cited up to 1995 as drivers of change. However, little attention had been given to management of change stimulated by largely unanticipated, hard-to-predict events and shocks, such as rapid oil price changes or the sudden collapse of centrally-planned economies. Few models of such change, or techniques to plan or cope with it had been presented in the literature in 1995 or since for that matter, although even in 1993 according to such an authority as Ed Schein [2]: “…the problem is not management of change but the management of surprise”.

Change Proofing was not intended as a means to resist or avoid change, but rather a process for becoming more flexible and responsive in order to cope with it. The Change Proofing paper proposed that environmental shocks and surprises could best be managed by increasing the ability of the organization itself to anticipate, recognize and respond to them – surprise surprise – before hand! The paper set out theoretical reasoning, but more importantly it detailed a straightforward practical Change Audit that would help organizations of all types and sizes frame and address critical factors for Change Proofing; form more realistic and objective views of radical environmental change; and develop better means of coping with surprise. The paper also recommended that the Change Audit should cover organizational learning processes and their impact on strategic focus, motivation and core capabilities.

So what can one say about current events? Too bad so many of today’s organizations haven’t read the paper or didn’t heed its message?! Well, it’s not too late to plan for next time – and there will be a next time – so I invite you to have a look at the paper now …

[1] Drew, S.A.W. & Smith, P., The Learning Organization: Change Proofing and Strategy, The Learning Organization, Vol. 2, No. 1, 1995

[2] Schein, E.H., How can organizations learn faster? The challenge of the green room, Sloan Management Review, Winter, 1992; pp. 85 – 92

Temple hewn into the rock: Courtesy:http://www.flickr.com/photos/marceloruiz/2492794354/in/photostream/

A summary from the Tafseer from Dr. Farhat Hashmi

In the valley of the rocks approximately two thousand years before Christ, dwelled a most advanced nation.

The material advancement of this nation made these people content with who and where they were. Their sense of self-satisfaction lulled them into a state where they failed to examine their business practices. They were dishonest in their dealings in business. One in particular was in weights and measures.

When warned by their Prophet, a Warner from Allah Subhanawataala to stop the Dhulm (taking more than what is due to them) they laughed at him.

When his warnings started to take effect in some of the populace, the nations leaders became alarmed primarily because if the Prophets warnings took effect on the populace, the most serious consequence on the nation and its leaders would be that they would lose their current lifestyle.

Thus they tried to malign the message as well as the messenger i.e. the Prophet himself. When that failed in this strategy, they made fun of him and eventually demonized him. When all of this failed they threatened him with death and destruction of his followers.

End summary

This is where I must pause and reflect on my surroundings, and myself and the world brought to me on the wings of cyberspace.

What is happening all over the world? Muslims are being harassed, terrorized, invaded, tortured, evicted from their homes, muslim girls raped, and burned, and their homes are being bulldozed…………..listening to this and looking at the pictures and videos one loses heart.

It seems to me that when this surah was revealed in Mecca times were similar to current day, and the oppression and torture of Muslims by the powerful Quraish seemed insurmountable. Prophet Muhammad pbuh who was a gentle soul could feel the anguish of the handful of people who had accepted Islam and were being tortured for it. Allah Subhanawataala in this Surah is reassuring him by showing him vignettes of the past and sharing the outcome of disobedient nations.

Summary continues

It is in this milieu, (The situation in Mecca) that Allah Subhanawataala, rewinds time for him (pbuh) and shows him the outcome of some of the most powerful and most affluent nations when they obstinately remain disobedient.

They are eventually destroyed, and join the ranks of “the perished nations” as an example of” those who did not heed the Warner sent by Allah Subhanawataala”

End summary

My Take:

1. Being a Muslim in name does not bring the protection of Allah upon us, it is only when we are obedient to his commandments as brought by Prophet Muhammad pbuh confirming the message brought by the past Prophets, that we can be sincere in  invoking His protection and mercy.
2. When an ideology recommends a change in lifestyle, the self-satisfaction of the individual especially if he or she is materially well off is threatened. Such an individual or nations resist change, any change that will change their comfort level, even if currently entails usurping the rights of the less fortunate or the innocent.
3. Sometimes a nation (like the nation in the valley of the rocks) gets drunk with power and challenges Allah Subhanawataala’s Might and Magnanimity by removing all vestiges of mention of His name or even sometimes ban His worship.
4. Elsewhere in the Quran Allah Subhanawataala says that he will replace the nation of disobedient people with those who are obedient and fearful of Him. In this Surah he gives a vivid history lesson to Prophet Muhammad pbuh and us of how that can happen.
5. This surah also alludes to the disobedient nations that perished due to a variety of reasons which included the misuse of their sexuality, misuse of their business practices and the deliberate and overt negation of what is right in the eyes of Allah and the deliberate and overt acceptance of What He Subhanawataala has forbidden us from.
6. Elsewhere in the Quran Allah Subhanwataala reassures us that the only things that he has forbidden us are those that are harmful to us. Sometimes at first pass those things that he has forbidden us seem okay but in the long reach of the arm of time and society they turn out to be devastatingly detrimental.

Allah knows best

Poznaliśmy datę premiery BlazBlue w Europie. To oczekiwane przez wielu wydarzenie będzie miało miejsce 1 lutego 2010 roku. Niestety, mimo usunięcia podtytułu Calamity Trigger, gra ta będzie tą samą, którą od kilku miesięcy cieszą się posiadacze konsol w USA i Azji. Mimo tego, że BlazBlue: Continuum Shift już w najbliższy piątek trafi do salonów automatowych w KKW, europejczycy – podobnie jak reszta osób grających na konsolach – będą musieli poczekać na zmodyfikowaną wersję “duchowego następcy” Guilty Geara.

źródło: forum dustloop

Clouds can bring rain, or devastation. Here is a Hadith illustrating the responses to changes in nature if one has knowledge of the Quran, and awareness that His (Subhanawtaala) bounties (rain) can be a blessing or a disaster (The winds that came with clouds and destroyed the disobedient nation):

HADITH

Sahih Al Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 428:

Narrated Ata:

‘Aisha said If the Prophet saw a cloud In the sky, he would walk to and fro in agitation, go out and come in, and the color of his face would change, and if it rained, he would feel relaxed.” So ‘Aisha knew that state of his.

So the Prophet (pbuh) said, I don’t know (am afraid), it may be similar to what happened to some people referred to in the Holy Quran in the following Verse:

-- “Then when they saw it as a dense cloud coming towards their valleys, they said, ‘This is a cloud bringing us rain!’ Nay, but, it is that (torment) which you were asking to be hastened a wind wherein is severe torment.” (46.24)

The government cut PAG-ASA’s budget. Why? Is the budget cut applied to ALL government proposed budget?

I’m just curious…how much will the DND, DPWH, DepEd, DOH, and DOST get?

How much will go to debt servicing?
—
If you slice DOST and PAG-ASA’s budget, how do you expect them to be able to contribute more fully in securing our country from damages and casualties not brought about by overt use of force by individuals and groups?
—
Ah so our neighbors from East Asia are giving us money related to our S&T modernization…
Hmmm…is the budget cut another manifestation of the government retreating from its duties for the nth time?
Just asking…
Kasi if we will have this stand as our official policy (meaning, waiting for our neighbors’ aids), e hindi na tau basta pulubi…
Bakit mo iaasa sa iba ang trabaho mo?
—
Mag-asawa si Pedro’t Petra. May siyam silang anak. Sira na ang payong na pinagkakasyang gamitin ng mga ito. Makulimlim ang kalangitan. Sabi ni Pedro kay Petra, Petra bawasan mo ang ilalaan mong budget sa pagpapaayos ng payong.
Ani Petra, e kailangan na nating palitan ng bago ang payong kasi sira na talaga.
Sagot ni Pedro, e may iba tayo dapat unahin na paggastusan. Antayin mo na lang kung may ipapasa sa ating gamit sina Kim Chi at Wasabi. O kaya, bayaan mong dumiskarte mga anak mo. Teka bakit hindi na lang ikaw ang dumiskarte ng paraan?
—-
The story above is a simplistic (i’m afraid too simplistic) presentation to illustrate my point. Sana pag-isipang mabuti ng pamahalaan ang kanyang mga prayoridad.
At sana, wag isasantabi ang agham at teknolohiyang makakatulong sa bayan.
—

“Gov’t slashes PAGASA funds for next year”

Inquirer.net
Mon, 16 Nov 2009

MANILA, Philippines-Despite the series of deadly storms that battered the country, the national government has cut the budget of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) for 2010.

Lillibeth Gonzales, chief of the agency’s finance, management and planning division, said they submitted a P1.7-billion budget to the Department of Budget and Management. The amount would cover personnel and maintenance expenses including capital outlays for the purchase of new equipment.

“But we were told to stay within the ceiling of P614 million,” Gonzales said.

A big chunk of the budget, she said, is devoted to the salaries of some 900 employees.

The 2010 national budget has been passed by the House of Representatives and is pending in the Senate.

In 2009, PAGASA got a P757-million budget that included an amount for capital outlays, Gonzales said.

Director Prisco Nilo, PAGASA head, said that in 2009, the agency was also able to get a P1.6-billion grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and a $3-billion grant from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica) to upgrade PAGASA’s weather forecasting equipment.

JICA also gave another P300 million to upgrade the agency’s flood forecasting system.

Not only does PAGASA need new equipment, it also needs new blood.

Catalino Davis, PAGASA deputy administrator for administration and engineering, told reporters during a recent media seminar in San Manuel, Pangasinan, that 40 percent of the agency’s 900 employees were between the ages of 41 and 50.

On the other hand, only 1.4 percent of employees were between the ages of 21 and 30.

“We are an aging agency. We need new blood and we need to attract new personnel,” Davis said.

I was working in the State Bank, as Accountant, when my father phoned me, insisting that I come home immediately. He refused to give any reasons, as is his nature, being something of a Hitler. He still treats me as a child. I must confess that I am slender, weak minded and lack the will power of my father. It was his suggestion that I must join the Bank. My preference was for literature. Only fools read poetry, he would say.
Mother died early in my life, and father wanted me to marry early, so that there will be a woman in the house, which was quite big and the estate a few acres in size. I hated it, as he would tell me to count the coconuts, before taking to the mill, for extracting oil. I always made mistake in counting, as my mind will wander here and there.
When I reached home, he told me to see a girl, whom I knew from childhood. I cursed my fate. She was one among half a dozen brats, black, dirty with a running nose and always babling about whatever came to her mind.
Their house was in a village which can be reached by a local train, starting early morning. The next train is in the evening. I was to go alone, as they had been informed in advance. Of course, father was too busy to come wth me.
I was thinking about Sushma, of our office,who had a liking for me. I too felt happy in her presence. I missed the station, where I was to get down. So I got down at the next station.
To my surprise and relief, my class fellow was the Station Master there !
As soon as the train left, he took me to his room. When I explained my plight, he burst out: let him go to hell. You are earning a salary. You can live with your income. One day, the old man will surely die. Don’t marry now. Wait for some years. You are only twenty two!
At lunch time, we went to his quarter, a few  steps from the station. He had infrmed his mother and  they were expecting me. He had a sister, extremely beautiful, but unhealthy. She went on talking to me, as to an old friend, though it was our first meeting. I liked her.
When I returned home, by the noon train, my father did not say anything. When I told him about my missing the place, to get down from the train,
the only comment was: what else can be expected from a dreamer?

The station master, my friend, and I belong to the same caste, Tamil Brahmins settled in Keralam. He lost no time in contacting my father and before I could think of it, my marriage with his sister was fixed. I was not unhappy.
I hired a better house and we started our life on a good note. The mobile phone enabled us to be together, even when we were separated, and I enjoyed her sweet voice almost always. Sushma, though a Nair girl, used to come to our house off and on. My wife knew how to make vada, dosa, muruku and a  host of other dishes, available only in Tamilnadu. She would teach the technique to Sushma, and sometimes, my wife would sing. She had a pleasing voice.
Every month, my wife had fever, with high temperature. I think, the doctors did not understand her problem. They went on prescribing new medicines, which were of no avail. When she became pregnant, they cautioned about her inebility to survive a delivery, but my wife was bent on having the baby.
Sushma too tried to avert the calamity, advising a D and C.
 I tried to believe in His powers. We went to all temples and offered prayers. When the time came, we went to Calicut medical college hospital, where I had friends. Sushma too came to give moral support.
Even when I recollect those times, I feel the utter helplessness of we human beings, our prayers and aspirations. I was mentally prepared to hear the worst, but was spared of the necessity. She delivered a boy and survived.

But the joy was short lived. She died of a very severe fever, becoming delirious and then uncoscious.
Sushma remained with me to look after the baby.
I was transferred to Calcutta.
When I joined the branch there, my boss was a Miss Swamy. She came and I wished her. Seeing the new comer, a flick of recognition passed through her eyes, just a momentary ray of light. She motioned me to come into her cabin.
On being seated, her smile burst into peals of lauhter. I could not understand it. How can this fashionable lady, though jet black in colour, know me, living in far away Keralam ? Yet her eyes, so magnetic and fiery, reminded me of the past. But how?
Are you not from Vallapuzha ? she asked. I was dumbfounded.
Yes.
You have a big estate there.
Yes, Madam.
OH! Forget the madam. I am simply Geeta. Once you were coming to see me, but you didn’t turn up. My father was very upset then.
I kept mum.
Several customers came in and she dismissed me.
I could not believe it. How that dirty girl has metamorphosed into this vivacious, bright, fashonably dressed, Senior Manager of a Nationalised Bank, where I am still an unknown accountant, was beyond my comprehension.
During lunch break, she called me in and we had tea and biscuits. She asked me to stay on, till she took me out to have dinner. As I was new, I didn’t have much to do. She called me in, at about four.
I must thank God you have come. I came here only one week back. I have not settled yet. Have you brought your family?
 I told her what happened.
I am so sorry man. Any way, we will stay together. I have plenty of friends here. They will fix me up.
Then she took me in her car and drove to a posh restaurant. She behaved, as though we are friends for a long time. She even ordered non-veg. items. I chose dosa which was avalilable luckily.
Why did you not try for officer’s post.
I am happy as it is.
My father pressed me hard to marry. All others are married. Now he is no more. What about you?
Mine is still alive. Very weak. Can’t hear or see.
In the night, she persuaded me to stay in her hotel room. There is plenty of room for two. We are not teenagers. I had enough sex. Now I a not interested, unless you want to.
Can I speak to my people at home?
She asked the hotel to connect the number I gave her.
Who is this Sushma? Is she attached to you?
Yes and no. See, she is looking after my son. She is very much devoted to my late wife and our son.
Well, good night! Have proper rest. Talk afterwards.
In the office, she asked my advice, even for small matters. There was a case, involving a loan of some twenty crores. She wanted me to study it thoroughly, especially the risk factor. Some minister is interested.

We shifted to a house, in a posh locality. Why not some cheap one, I asked.
Life is to enjoy. Whom shall I save money for? Will they not forget it afterwrds, when we need their help? – I had no reply.
Every one was happy, it seemd. Not some people in the office, though.
What is the relation between the two? People were curious. In our society two individuals may not live together, if they happen to be of different sex. Some anonymous letters reached H.Q. They forwarded it to our lady. She showed it to me. WHAT DOES HER ADVISOR SAY?
On the one hand, I undrestood her philosophy. But we are living in a society. We have to respect their sentiments.
Sushma wanted to come to Calcutta. I was eager to see my son. In the photo he seemed very handsome. He is now two years old. I never went home, during these two years.
That evening we went to a park. The full moon was rising in the East, spreading its milky sprays in the whole world. Geeta sat very near, encircling me with her arms, warm and soft, loving and tender. Her lips were nibbling my cheek. A celestial fragrance emanated from her body. We lay down, curling against each other. She removed the buttons of her jacket and I brought my mouth very closed to those soft buttery heaps, when we heard footsteps coming towards us…….
She bought some fine whisky and we went back home. The maid brought our food and she dismissed her. Sipping the drink and tasting the chicken, no more objectionable to me, we spent a pleasant evening.
I slept soon. In the dead of night, something was creeping over my body. When I switched on the light, I saw Geeta  licking my body, every inch of it, herself stark naked, her breasts full and the nipples erect. My body began to get hotter and hotter. She was lying over my body and almost bit my lips off.
My stuff stood up like a pillar and went into the tunnel in the valley, as easily, as a sharp knife into the soft cake……
Nex day, Sushma came with the kid. I had taken leave and went to the railway station to receive them. The boy was looking healthy and smart. Sushma looked even more bright. No one will say, it is not her child. On the way she asked me a number of questions, some very difficult to answer. Why am I staying with Geeta?
We used to go sight seeing. She was in a metropolitan city for the first time. The child too enjoyed the atmosphere in the children’s park etc. But she was very critical of Geeta. She is capable of doing anything, she said.

I told Geeta that Sushma is willing for a transfer to Calcutta. Will Madam help?
The day for their departure came. The boy was crying, but no response from Sushma. When  we went into her room, she was lying dead. Blood was coming from her mouth.
Geeta: I always kept a bottle of cyanide for emergency. She must have taken it inadvertently.
I took the baby and Sushma’s baggage. I went to the railway station, without saying a word.

The spirit of Oneness moves the Filipino nation in this time of need.  With the aftermath of the recent calamity, the whole country is moved by how Filipinos have been working together towards one goal.

Analog Soul, a Filipino retail clothing line that believes in Filipinos, celebrates the nation’s oneness through the introduction of their new shirt designs called State of Unity.  A true believer of this nation’s talents, the brand tapped young Filipino artists to share their interpretation of what is happening in the country after the recent typhoon.

“It’s inspiring how everyone, not only Filipinos, is unified in aiming for one goal, which is to help the calamity victims.  We continue to overcome hardships because we are a united people whose hopes and aspirations are one.  You will see both young and old, doing their own share to help.  Every initiative, every effort counts,” Migs Naguiat, Analog Soul owner, said.

On its part, Analog Soul is using these new shirt designs to continue to inspire and see the positive effects of the calamity, as well as help the victims.  Naguiat explained that for every shirt sold, a portion of the proceeds would go to the Citizen Disaster Response Center to help with the relief operations.

The new State of the Unity designs are available in Analog Soul outlets in Trinoma, Megamall, Rockwell, and Glorietta.

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I remember watching the news of New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina and seeing how varied the reactions were. Some used the occasion to loot, steal, rob, rape and murder. Others willingly sacrificed so that others could have. Some devoted hours, days, weeks and months to rescue, rehabilitation and relocation. I was reminded that crises don’t develop character nearly so much as they reveal it. It is a rare thing that evil inclinations turn to good in the face of adversity.

The same principle played out on corporate levels as well, I suppose. Whether by local management or top executive, I don’t know, but numerous hotels and gas stations skyrocketed their prices immediately, happily exploiting those who were able to get out of the city.

Civilizations, cities, neighborhoods and families all seem to reflect a similar pattern; where bonds are strong, calamity serves to strengthen them. In the other cases, tension turns to trauma and fractures turn into chasms. Rebuilding the cities might be easier than bringing a family back together. Particularly if it is one that has never truly been a family.

Regardless of the history, though, those who seek the path of God’s blessing, who come confessing that they, too, are sinners, who seek him in humility, who are willing to show mercy and eager for the flow of grace in all directions, they shall yet see the work of his hands and understand that truly, he is at work in all things for their good.

H. Arnett
11/02/09

All by a bump from a mini-forklift? I hope everyone lived through this. Geez

Fast and furious.

This was how typhoon Santi crossed Metro Manila and the southern section of Luzon Saturday, allowing most of us to quietly commune with our departed relatives, with considerably lesser damage to life and property than storms Ondoy and Pepeng.

As disaster response officials put the initial death toll at 14 dead and four missing (plus 116,00 forced to flee their homes in Quezon, Laguna, Cavite and Batangas) we can surely thank God for tempering’s Santi’s rage.

Here’s a montage of stills from by CNN  video showing how furious Santi’s winds were:

The images indeed tell the story of how Santi carried out a quick and dirty visit… toppling power poles like match sticks and blowing down homes made of light material.

About 1.6 million or 35 percent of the 4.6 million registered customers of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) remained without power as of 10 a.m. Saturday.

The tenet “better safe than sorry” surely ruled in Metro Manila as authorities suspended the operations of the mass tgransit for several hours and giant tarpaulin billboards were rolled down rather than risk being torn down by the winds of Santi.

Have we learned the lessons from Ondoy and Pepeng?
Maybe.

But we shouldn’t go back to our uncaring ways just yet.

Lot more homework we need to catch up on.

Thank you. Lord.

he Filipino Baby Boomer, those born between 1946 and 1964, have too much to reckon when two hostile typhoons;  Ondoy,  and Pepeng, visited the country and left behind great havoc and destructions. 

            The Filipino Baby Boomer played a role in the exacerbation of the worst calamity ever endured by the Filipinos in recent history.

            Everyone feel the pangs of this tragedy mirrored on these kids faces.

            Kids whose peaceful innocence kept secured by their worried mothers seeking refuge amid chaos.   

            Kids doing kid’s thing – playing, eating, sleeping, and learning, in the most adverse situation.

Kids, whose curiosities only get more “why”.

            Kids, whose eyes meander, and wonder and loaded with questions.   

Kids, whose existence is shortened.

Had these scenes sunk in?

Of course, it did. Empathy is universal. But not all Baby Boomer probably captured their guilt on these kid’s eyes. Could it be that they don’t know? Or they know, but they just ignored it?  

The Deluge, the Exodus, and the Anguish

Flood had been a constant phenomenon in the Philippines. This fact is undisputed. Yet the Baby Boomer Bureaucrats, the Baby Boomer politicians, the layman Baby Boomer, the Baby Boomer squatters – they seemed quietly conspiring ignoring this flood as constant phenomenon – when the truth is, they are in a position to mitigate the impact of this act of nature!
 

Here’s the nature’s retribution to Baby Boomers.

Rooftops turn into family room.   

Car learns to swim and fails.  

People with salvaged belonging rush for higher ground – repeats of Exodus times, and the days of Noah.

Then, the anguish. The bitterness. The mourning.

The Philippine’s Baby Boomer Generation – million of them – scatters in every sectors of Philippine’s society. They are offspring of the World War II generation whose lives were marred by the atrocities of war, who lived in squalor and most of them miserable. In order to get better than their predecessors, these baby boomers are hellish bent on quest of good life and leisure. This Baby Boom Generation becomes busy and greedy accumulating wealth. And as they developed this acute individualistic gluttony, they have forgotten things outside of themselves: their next generation, the earth they lived in. 

The Baby Boomer Bureaucrats could remain faithful, vigilant, forceful, doing their duties. Their determination could have been strong not to be swayed by pecuniary gain or political consideration to compromise their sworn obligation – those in the Forestry, for example, guarding the forests, or those bureaucrats in charge of the zoning regulation, or those bureaucrats in charge of guarding government’s lands, to prevent squatters from encroaching in.  

The Baby Boomer politicians by just be conscientious to allot funds to procure state of the art weather forecasting tools and equipment.  

The layman Baby Boomer for just being conscious of the way they disposed their garbage, for example, or anything that might hurt the environment.

The Baby Boomer squatters not to build their shanties along river banks or embankments that clog waterways.

It’s not too late for the Philippine’s Baby Boomer to amend their ways.
They just have a second look on their grandchildren’s eyes. They just have to capture their guilt from those eyes. In the end, only kindness matters.

Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it.

October 31, 2009

HIS EXCELLENCY
BAN KI-MOON Secretary General
United Nations

Dear Mr. Secretary General:

Greetings! Every 5th of June since 1972 is commemorated by the United Nations as the World Environment Day. In 2010-2011, scientists report that there will be a solar maximum that has not occurred since fifty years ago as reported in this article from Science@NASA:

a (solar) storm is coming–the most intense solar maximum in fifty years. The prediction comes from a team led by Mausumi Dikpati of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). “The next sunspot cycle will be 30% to 50% stronger than the previous one,” she says. If correct, the years ahead could produce a burst of solar activity second only to the historic Solar Max of 1958. Read more about it here

This and other factors will result in major disasters during the period in question. Our group of professionals advocating environment protection and disaster damage diminution respectfully request the United Nations to support our effort to organize a Geo Hazard Mapping and Environment Summit in 2010 and we are determined that this gathering be convened in Manila, Philippines. In this connection, may we respectfully request the following:

1. United Nations and its concerned departments participate in the Summit and help in organizing said event
2. The Year 2010 be declared as the International Geo Hazard Mapping Year
3. The month of April 2010 be declared as the International Disaster Risk Reduction Month; and finally,
4. The date of April 17, 2010 be declared as the first World Hazards Awareness Day.

That these declarations be formally announced in Manila prior to the Summit.

Thank you ever so much! Mabuhay!!!

Respectfully yours,

Organizers HMES 2010