If you are a journalist, and feels you have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, check out this site http://www.conflict-study.com
The site promotes itself as a self-assessment tool that helps journalists determine if they are suffering from the effects of PTSD.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Sunday, February 18, 2007
On Losing Anorexia
Another cat is lost in the "Muning" genealogy, the cat that delivered kittens to the Flores family and died days after. Her kittens named "Badjing", "Murder", and "Anorexia" were cared for, or put it correctly, placed on a pedestal by my girlfriend Paulette that they grew up fat and in silky fur. "Badjing" (named after her kitten-days bungee jumping mode) was most loved, "Murder" (after his kitten-days obsession to eat yellow-green Birdie) was second and "Anorexia" (after her anorexic look, sickly body, swollen eyes) was the least, although she was the most "malambing" and "mabait". 
On February 17, last year, "Badjing" was lost, or we surmised snatched up while playing outside the gate and sold for P20 (that was the buying rate in Caloocan according to a "basurero" we talked to) to be fed to a Rottweiler or a wild snake. What an ending for a cute, clean cat that eats nothing but Friskies and "galunggong". So "Badjing" is indeed gone and can never come back. Since then, "Murder" sleeps with my girlfriend-- you just don't know how it feels to have a cat for a rival, hehe! By the way, "Murder", the local Garfield (he's so sluggish and fat) or the little Lion King (so fiery and possessive at times) fathered many more sons and daughters from his incestuous relationship with "Badjing" and "Anorexia". Among them left is "Namfrel" (the vegetarian cat) and "Pretty" (cat so quiet, so petty)-- the others we gave away to friends and neighbors.
Last February 14, "Anorexia" was found lost, or snatched up in an unholy hour by what we suspect as a February serial cat stealer. Until today, we still look for "Anorexia", wondering how she has been treated, for a cat like her has never been outside and exposed to strangers. Her loss refreshes the pain of having lost "Badjing", even makes more painful as my girlfriend contemplates on the day that "Murder" is out of her life, and for reasons that they were sold and helplessly fed to carnivores. It's unfortunate that these cats live in a neighborhood, or perhaps city, where most people care only about what they could sell and eat for a day.
They say, there are many ways to skin a cat. But I say, if I see whoever snatched our cats, I will skin him in so many ways!
Monday, February 05, 2007
Global Warming
My Philosophy 1 teacher once declared, "the truth of the general contains the truth of the particular." Eg. "The world is warming", "Manila is part of the world", "Therefore, Manila is warming."
But is it? For almost a week now, newspapers and cable news channels looked like weather bureaus dispatching gloomy updates on the state of the global climate. Global warming has become the staple topic, and maybe for lack of local gossips, or tired of political grandstandings, even AM radio commentators picked up the issue, inviting climatologists to talk about something we have long been neglecting. As if global warming has just dawned on our asses. But it's long been decided, said Dan Vergano of USA Today- The Debate is Over: Globe is Warming! Matitigas lang talaga ulo natin!
Ironically, since the last week of January, Manila, and perhaps many parts of the country, is swallowed by colder air believably caused by the advancing cold front. It is colder in the evening and culminates in the wee hours, reminding me that my orinola has not yet come of age.
By the way, while I don't consciously patronize Green Peace, Haribon or any environmentalist group, I downloaded my first step of my first "fight against global warming" from LocalCooling.Com. Clap! Clap! We'll honestly, not actually out of nobler cause than to save the lifespan of my laptop battery-- from an original 80-Watt output, now it's 56 Watts! In effect, me and those who use LocalCooling are saving trees, galloons of gas and energy. Ultimately we also save the world from warming!
"The world is warming."
"Manila, where I live, is part of the world."
"Therefore the world, because of me, will have hope!"
But is it? For almost a week now, newspapers and cable news channels looked like weather bureaus dispatching gloomy updates on the state of the global climate. Global warming has become the staple topic, and maybe for lack of local gossips, or tired of political grandstandings, even AM radio commentators picked up the issue, inviting climatologists to talk about something we have long been neglecting. As if global warming has just dawned on our asses. But it's long been decided, said Dan Vergano of USA Today- The Debate is Over: Globe is Warming! Matitigas lang talaga ulo natin!
Ironically, since the last week of January, Manila, and perhaps many parts of the country, is swallowed by colder air believably caused by the advancing cold front. It is colder in the evening and culminates in the wee hours, reminding me that my orinola has not yet come of age.
By the way, while I don't consciously patronize Green Peace, Haribon or any environmentalist group, I downloaded my first step of my first "fight against global warming" from LocalCooling.Com. Clap! Clap! We'll honestly, not actually out of nobler cause than to save the lifespan of my laptop battery-- from an original 80-Watt output, now it's 56 Watts! In effect, me and those who use LocalCooling are saving trees, galloons of gas and energy. Ultimately we also save the world from warming!
"The world is warming."
"Manila, where I live, is part of the world."
"Therefore the world, because of me, will have hope!"
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