"SPARE PARTS"

2009-06-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

See-Through Frogs, Alien Salamanders, and Spiny Bugs

A salamander that looks like E.T., a micosized frog smaller than a fingernail, and a spiny-crested grasshopper. Who says the age of exploration is dead?

It's definitely not for Conservation International (CI). Their scientists have come back with some startlingly vivid images of endangered and never-before-seen critters from a whirlwind trip to the Nangaritza Protected Forest in Ecuador, near the Peruvian border. CI researchers came across at least 15 species of creatures and plants "unknown to science."

One of the most remarkable creatures is the Hyalinobatrachium pellucidum, also called a glass or crystal frog because you can see through its transparent flesh (right down to its guts). This guy's not new, but he's definitely endangered, so the find is heartening for environmentalists.

Glass Frog

The purpose of the three-week biodiversity study was to identify species and make conservation recommendations for ecotourism possibilities, which the Ecuadorian locals are entertaining. It also turns out that frogs and insects yield medicinal properties, and a proper population survey is needed to see what else is out there in the forest.

According to Bloomberg, out of 14 million plants and animals in the world, human beings have been acquainted with only about 1.8 million. Below are more images of new friends; you can find other photos and expedition details at CI's site.

Nicknamed the "ugly salamander," Genus Bolitoglossa (photo by Jessica Deichmann)
Itty-bitty frog, genus Pristimantis (photo by Luis A. Coloma)
Spiny-crested katydid, genus Diacanthodis (photo by Holger Braun)
Poison-arrow frog, genus Dendrobates (photo by Jessica Deichmann)

2009-06-16T22:34:00.000-07:00

Prototype Nokia phone recharges without wires

Pardon the cliche, but it's one of the holiest of Holy Grails of technology: Wireless power. And while early lab experiments have been able to "beam" electricity a few feet to power a light bulb, the day when our laptops and cell phones can charge without having to plug them in to a wall socket still seems decades in the future.

Nokia, however, has taken another baby step in that direction with the invention of a cell phone that recharges itself using a unique system: It harvests ambient

radio waves from the air, and turns that energy into usable power. Enough, at least, to keep a cell phone from running out of juice.

While "traditional" (if there is such a thing) wireless power systems are specifically designed with a transmitter and receiver in mind, Nokia's system isn't finicky about where it gets its wireless waves. TV, radio, other mobile phone systems -- all of this stuff just bounces around the air and most of it is wasted, absorbed into the environment or scattered into the ether. Nokia picks up all the bits and pieces of these waves and uses the collected electromagnetic energy to create electrical current, then uses that to recharge the phone's battery. A huge range of frequencies can be utilized by the system (there's no other way, really, as the energy in any given wave is infinitesimal). It's the same idea that Tesla was exploring 100 years ago, just on a tiny scale.

Mind you, harvesting ambient electromagnetic energy is never going to offer enough electricity to power your whole house or office, but it just might be enough to keep a cell phone alive and kicking. Currently Nokia is able to harvest all of 5 milliwatts from the air; the goal is to increase that to 20 milliwatts in the short term and 50 milliwatts down the line. That wouldn't be enough to keep the phone alive during an active call, but would be enough to slowly recharge the cell phone battery while it's in standby mode, theoretically offering infinite power -- provided you're not stuck deep underground where radio waves can't penetrate.

Nokia says it hopes to commercialize the technology in three to five years.

2009-06-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

Iowa woman's photo sparks push for new cloud type

By: karl brian utar

DES MOINES, Iowa – Looking out the 11th floor window of her law office, Jane Wiggins did a double take and grabbed her camera. The dark, undulating clouds hovering outside were unlike anything she'd seen before.

"It looked like Armageddon," said Wiggins, a paralegal and amateur photographer in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. "The shadows of the clouds, the lights and the darks, and the greenish-yellow backdrop. They seemed to change."

They dissipated within 15 minutes, but the photo Wiggins captured in June 2006 intrigued — and stumped — a group of dedicated weather watchers who now are pushing weather authorities to create a new cloud category, something that hasn't been done since 1951.

Breaking into the cloud family would require surviving layers of skeptical international review. Still, Gavin Pretor-Pinney and his England-based Cloud Appreciation Society are determined to establish a new variety. They've given Wiggins' photo and similar pictures taken in different parts of the world to experts in England, and are discussing the subject fervently online.

"They (the clouds) were the first ones that I noted of this type and I was unsure which category to put them under," said Pretor-Pinney, author of "The Cloudspotter's Guide." "When we put pictures up online we list the category, and I wasn't sure how to categorize it."

Some scientists are skeptical. They argue that researchers who have long watched the sky haven't seen anything distinctly new for decades.

There are three main groups of clouds: cumulous, cirrus and stratus. Each has various sub-classifications built on other details of the formation.

Brant Foote, a longtime scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., said the clouds photographed by Wiggins already fit into the existing cumulous classification.

But Pretor-Pinney, who never studied meteorology, believes the clouds merit their own cumulus sub-classification. He proposes they be called altocumulus undulatus asperatus. The last word — Latin for roughen or agitate — is a reference to the clouds' undulating surface.

"Not necessarily gentle or steady, but quite violent-looking, turbulent, almost twisted in its appearance," he said.

The group has compiled several photographs documenting the formations from the billowy, rolling clouds shot by Wiggins in Iowa to ones from New Zealand that were much more menacing, hanging lava-like in the sky.

Foote said it would be "very unusual" for such a formation to be recognized as a new variety of cloud.

"People have been looking at clouds for hundreds of years and the general cloud classification is well defined," Foote said. "It's not as if someone discovered a new plant in the Amazon. It's what you've seen every day. There was no atmospheric condition that caused a new kind of cloud to form."

Pretor-Pinney is working with the Royal Meteorological Society in Reading, England, to prepare his case. If that group signs off, the proposal will go to the United Nation's World Meteorological Organization in Geneva.

Society executive director Paul Hardaker said a small panel within the society is gathering evidence to review. Their efforts include talking with those who took the submitted photos to determinine when, where and amid what weather they were taken. Hardaker said meteorologists tend to be skeptical of such proposals.

"We like to believe that just about everything that can be seen has been, but you do get caught once in a while with the odd, new, interesting thing," Hardaker said. "By this stage we think it's sufficiently interesting to explore it further and we're optimistic about the information we've got."

2009-06-16T07:09:00.000-07:00

5 Secrets to Preserve Your Eyesight

By: Karl Brian Utar

More than ever we are using our eyes to stare at small type and images on computer screens, televisions, and cellphones—a modern trend that leads to eye fatigue and an increase in age-related eye problems. But diminished eyesight does not have to be an inevitable part of living long. Use these 5 secrets to promote and preserve the health of your eyes.

1. A juice to brighten your eyesight
An age-old Chinese folk remedy for clearing the vision is a blended juice made from celery, peppermint, and Chinese parsley. Research has caught up with this wisdom, and we now know that luteolin, an antioxidant bioflavonoid found in these three ingredients, has been found to provide the best protection of cell DNA from radiation. Some evidence shows that luteolin helps protect the eye from UV radiation damage, as well as from glycation, a process in which sticky sugar molecules bind up protein, potentially damaging the retina. Luteolin also promotes healthy blood sugar levels and regulates insulin sensitivity. Blend together celery, peppermint, and Chinese parsley in a blender with a little water or a juicer. Drink this fresh juice daily to see well into the future!

2. Eat for eye health
Let nature help you maintain vision health with its bounty of beneficial foods for eyesight. Spinach is full of lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that protect your retina from the macular degeneration that comes with age. Don't forget: fat increases lutein absorption, so remember to sauté your spinach in a little olive oil. (More leafy greens for a long life.) Other lutein and zeaxanthin vegetables include spinach, kale, turnip greens, collards, mustard greens, squash, green peas, broccoli, pumpkin, and corn. Chlorophyll-rich algae like spirulina, chlorella, and blue-green algae possess nutrients that are beneficial for the eyes. Carrots, loaded with vitamin A and beta-carotene, are also a great help to your eyes. Bilberry, a cousin of blueberry, boosts blood flow to eye nerves and is also rich in antioxidants. Goji berry is used to strengthen the eyesight, so snack on them in between meals.

3. Stay hydrated
Proper hydration is essential for good eye function. So drink filtered water regularly to stay hydrated. A slow and regular intake of water creates a constant supply of water to lubricate and nourish our eyes. Drink 8 glasses of water every day.

4. Eye exercises to fight floaters
These simple exercises improve and maintain good vision and may also get rid of those pesky floaters in your eyes.

Rub your palms together to create heat, and then place them against your eyes for five seconds. Repeat this three times.
Roll your eyes in circles, starting at the top and slowly circling 10 times clockwise and 10 times counterclockwise.
Hold a pen at arm's length, focus your eyes on it, and slowly bring the pen closer until it's about six inches away from your nose. Then slowly move it back, keeping your eyes focused on the pen, 10 times in all.
Using your thumb knuckles, massage your temples in small circles, 20 times in one direction and 20 in the other. Repeat the same actions above the mid-point of the eyebrows at the forehead, then below the eyes on both sides of the bridge of the nose.
Take a nap on the job! Put your head back, close your eyes, and relax for three minutes.

After a month you will notice an improvement in vision and a decrease in floaters. Try to do these exercises first thing in the morning, just before bed, or whenever your eyes feel tired, like after computer use. Make sure your hands are clean and that you are relaxed. The key to progress is daily practice, so make it a habit! Additionally, take care of your eyes by wearing UV-protective sunglasses.

5. Instant eye remedies
Try these dietary and herbal remedies for overall eye health:

To nourish your eyes, follow Popeye's lead. Boil 4 ounces of fresh spinach in 4 cups of water. Drink this spinach tea daily to give vital nourishment to your eyes.
Grape seed extract (OPC) and bilberry extracts contain potent antioxidants for eye health.
Taking ginkgo on a daily basis has been shown to improve circulation to the eyes. Find it in a health food store.
When your eyes feel tired, lie down and place slices of cucumber on your eyelids to soothe the eyes and restore moisture.
As a general rule of thumb, eye exams should be done once every 2 to 4 years for everyone under age 40 and once every 2 years after. This way, you can detect issues before they become severe.

You can find these eye health secrets and many others in my newest book Second Spring.

I hope these help you maintain good vision well into your golden years! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

Top Ten Beaches in the Philippines

2009-03-09T16:31:00.000-07:00

compiled by:
karl brian utar

With more than 7,000 islands comprising the archipelago, it does not come as a surprise that the Philippines has some of the best beaches in Asia, if not the world. Choices vary from the commercialized to the exotic, to the simply breathtaking. Here are the ten best beaches in the Philippines that are definitely worth sunbathing in.

1. BORACAY ISLAND

Characterized by its fine sand and crystal clear waters, Boracay comes as a no-brainer in this list. Currently it is still the most famous and the most visited beach in the country; the destination of foreigners and Filipinos alike during summer. Boracay locals work hard to maintain the island's prestige as the number one summer getaway in the Philippines. Now highly commercialized, the island not only boasts of its beaches, but is also packed with bars, hotels, shopping areas, and other establishments. Boracay satisfies those urbanites who do not want to get away from the conveniences offered by the city, yet are longing for a relaxing summer by the beach.

2. BACUIT ARCHIPELAGO, PALAWAN

Palawan has always been a favorite getaway to the adventure-hungry traveler, for the province offers not only heavenly beaches, but also possesses breathtaking vistas and exciting biodiversity. One of these places is the Bacuit Archipelago in El Nido, inarguably one of the best beach landscapes in the world. Also awaiting the audacious traveler are features such as Miniloc Island's Big Lagoon, the most photographed sight in Palawan; and Matinloc Island's Secret Beach, only accessible by swimming through a keyhole slot.

Trivia: The American reality game show Amazing Race shot one of their episodes in Bacuit.

3. PANGLAO ISLAND, BOHOL

Panglao Island is a recent favorite among bakasyonistas, for who will not be enticed with some of the Philippines' clearest waters, paired with rich marine biodiversity and sands as fine and white as Boracay's? More importantly, Panglao Island is rarely visited by the volume of people that troop to Boracay, so your dream of a quiet summer by the beach can become a reality.

4. PAGUDPUD, ILOCOS NORTE

Pagudpud is hailed as the “Boracay of the North,” sans the gazillion tourists. The secluded Maira-ira Beach brings the vacationer a most sought-after relaxation, as there are hardly any visitors on these fantastic shores. One can also see a view of the Bangui Windmills, the magnificent power generators situated in Bangui Bay.

5. SIARGAO ISLAND

Siargao, a rare gem found in the province of Surigao del Norte, is steadily gaining popularity as one of the best surfing destinations in the world. Cloud 9, the venue for the yearly surfing competition called Siargao Cup, boasts of waves that can rival those of Hawaii's. Less adventurous tourists can enjoy the sand strip in General Luna, while spelunkers can explore the island's tunnels and caves.

6. MALAPASCUA ISLAND, CEBU

Until recently, this stunning island north of Cebu was not even on the municipal map. Now, Malapascua Island is hailed as one of the country's best beach destinations. It offers the curious tourist white-sand coasts, great food, and a no-fuss, low-key approach to tourism. Divers will surely be spoiled with the fascinating wreckage beneath the marine sanctuary of nearby Gato Island, as well as a rare treat of the appearance of the thresher shark off Monad Shoal.

7. NORTH PANDAN ISLAND, MINDORO OCCIDENTAL

Although Mindoro usually brings to mind the famous Puerto Galera, it is North Pandan Island that takes centerstage in our list. This tropical island gives the relaxing tourist complete escape from the busy city life. The island's laidback lifestyle together with the white sand beaches, prime diving spots, and sumptuous buffets are real treats for any vacationer. The costs are not too pricey, so even the traveler with the strictest budget can enjoy a good vacation.

8. CORON ISLAND, PALAWAN

Hailed as the most beautiful island of the Calamian group in Palawan, Coron Island gives tourists the best of inland and coastal swimming and diving experiences. Its main attractions are Lake Kayangan and Lake Barracuda, which are crystal-clear lakes filled with interesting features. The island also boasts of white sand beaches already typical of the coastlines of Palawan.

9. CAMIGUIN

Camiguin is a volcanic island located north of the main island of Mindanao. Because of its location, Camiguin is often overlooked as a tourist destination. But little do people know that this volcanic paradise offers some of the Philippines' best sceneries. Aside from its powder-like white sand beaches and crystal clear waters, one can enjoy the island's beautiful geography, which include the active Mount Hibok-Hibok and the scenic Katibawasan Falls.

10. ROMBLON ISLAND

Romblon is the must-see destination for one who has a taste for remote yet beautiful places. North of Boracay Island, Romblon boasts its own set of idyllic beaches, but with a more relaxed and simplified atmosphere. It is also a historic province, with its capital, also called Romblon, the site of 17th century fortifications, churches, and lighthouses.

2009-03-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

Top 10 summer party spots

Hip destinations for the seasons' best partying

compiled by: KARL BRIAN UTAR

The sun isn’t the only thing that sizzles between June and August – the season also ignites the hottest summer party spots around the globe, from bizarre desert gatherings to hedonistic bashes on azure-coasted islands. We’ve rounded up a fantastic list of must-visit cities, where revelry manifests itself in renowned cultural fests and over-the-top parades; sexy seaside towns, where celebrities and party-goers touch down – often by yacht – to enjoy long summer nights; and even a desert destination, where thousands converge to send off the season. Of course, our list had to include Scandinavia's coolest summer capital, where midnight golf, mineral spas, and hopping nightlife are just some of the season's remarkable bounty. So get ready to get your groove on when the summer party switch is flipped!

Berlin
There are more than a few reasons to head to Germany’s capital city for a raging summer jaunt you won’t soon forget. Not only is the “capital of cool” (its common moniker) hosting Europe’s most celebrated sports event, the World Cup, in 2006, but it’s also the stomping ground for the Love Parade (July 15), possibly the world’s biggest street party. Even if you miss these two headline events, any summer night in Berlin holds endless opportunities for debauchery-laden fun – its mercurial nightlife scene is renowned for its underground clubs, beer gardens, and über-cool lounges.

Black Rock Desert
If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind summer party, rest assured that the annual Burning Man festival held in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert is no mirage. This ultimate end-of-summer hurrah (it’s held the week leading up to and including Labor Day weekend) encourages everyone around to let go – don’t be surprised to see people getting naked, drunk, or high – and culminates with the burning of a 40-foot tall wooden effigy known as “the man”.

Chicago
Chicago’s nickname, the Windy City, may have been borne of excessive boasting during its bid for the 1893 World Fair – and have nothing whatsoever to do with the weather – but summertime in this Midwestern city definitely warrants bragging rights. In addition to its year-long attractions – think world-class museums, legendary jazz and blues clubs, 7000-plus restaurants, two stellar ball clubs (the Cubs and White Sox) – summer months bring a slew of seasonal events, including The Taste of Chicago; the critically-acclaimed Theater on the Lake; the Ravinia Festival; and the Magnificent Mile Arts Festival.

Côte d’Azur
Monte Carlo, Nice, Cannes, and St-Tropez – the quartet of French cities at the heart of this sexy Mediterranean strip – conjure images of well-heeled vacationers passing long days on the beach, and even longer nights at elegant casinos, fine restaurants, and hot nightclubs. A night of gambling at Monte Carlo’s famed casino is a must, but it you’re content to strut your stuff, the place to do it is Cannes’ palm-treed Croisette boardwalk. The paramount place to be seen after dark, mind you, is in St. Tropez.

Hvar
This up-and-comer on Croatia’s southern coast (a short boat ride from Dubrovnik, itself another bona fide summer hot spot) is considered by many to be the hippest island in the Adriatic – and we’d have to agree. It’s blessed with fantastic beaches, the hottest bars in southern Dalmatia, and a beautiful globetrotting crowd, all of which combine to create the chicest beach-party scene north of the Mediterranean.

Ibiza
Listed as the “entertainment island of the world” by the Guinness Book of World Records, Ibiza, one of the three main Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain, has become synonymous with summer hedonism. Characterized by world-renowned clubs, where dance floors heave under the tracks spun by A-list international DJs, it’s quite possible you’ll spend more time dancing on this pleasure island than anywhere else on our list.

Montreal
Of course, you’ll have to forego beaches and bikinis in Montreal, but with alcohol consumption and casino gambling (check out the chic Casino de Montréal) open to the 18-and-over crowd, scintillating nightlife (try Boulevard St-Laurent or Crescent Street for the best action), strip-clubs galore, and a certain je ne sais quoi, this French-Canadian city reels in its fair share of summer party-goers all the same. Popular seasonal festivals also abound – two not to miss include the renowned International Jazz Festival and the Just for Laughs Festival.

Mykonos
Indeed, if your idea of paradise involves rambling white sands met by the deep-blue Aegean, beach bars bumping with Euro tunes, bikini-clad bodies dancing on tables, and topless girls sprawled on the sand, you’ll find it and more on Mykonos, where two adjoining local beaches, the appropriately named Paradise and Super Paradise, host full-blown parties along their shores. The music doesn’t typically die down before dawn – just in time for sunrise and a morning nap on fine Greek island sand.

Provincetown
This isolated New England beach town on the eastern end of Cape Cod has long been a magnet for summer-party seekers and all-around adventurers, attracting artsy types, gays and lesbians, and assorted free spirits to bask by its shores and soak up the culture of one of America's oldest art colonies. Long days spent combing the miles of protected beachfront – or exploring the high seas on the deck of a sailboat – tend to seamlessly merge into evening partying. One of the best places to get your groove on is at the town’s popular Tea Dance at the waterfront Boatslip Resort, (daily from 4-7 p.m.).

Reykjavik
Home to a legendary nightlife scene that’s actually a blast to partake in all year long, Reykjavik nonetheless really comes into its own in summer, when the fabled Midnight Sun crests the horizon – and heralds a season of midnight golf and white nights. June 23 marks the onset of “midnight madness,” with a Viking-inspired festival complete with bonfires and live music. Despite its chilly temperatures (summer highs barely top 65 degrees), there are plenty of thermal wonders to warm you up here too, like the hugely popular Blue Lagoon.

2009-03-08T16:52:00.000-07:00

"...TRAGIC"
by: karl brian utar

Once upon a time, there was once a guy who was very much in love with this girl. This romantic guy folded 1,000 pieces of paper cranes as a gift to his girl. Although, at that time he was just a small executive in his company, his future doesn't seemed too bright, they were very happy together. Until one day, his girl told him she was going to Paris and will never come back. She also told him that she cannot visualize any future for the both of them, so let's go their own ways there and then... heartbroken, the guy agreed.

When he regained his confidence, he worked hard day and night, slogging his body and mind just to make something out of himself. Finally with all these handwork and with the help of friends, this guy had set up his own company...

"You never fail until you stop trying." he always told himself. "I must make it in life!"
One rainy day, while this guy was driving, he saw an elderly couple sharing an umbrella in the rain walking to some destination. Even with the umbrella, they were still drenched. It didn't take him long to realise those were his ex-girlfriend's parents. With a heart in getting back at them, he drove slowly beside the couple, wanting them to spot him in his luxury sedan. He wanted them to know that he wasn't the same anymore, he had his own company, car, condo, etc. He had made it in life!

Before the guy can realise, the couple was walking towards a cemetery,and he got out of his car and followed them...and he saw his ex-girlfriend, a photograph of her smiling sweetly as ever at him from her tombstone... and he saw his precious paper cranes in a bottle placed beside her tomb. Her parents saw him. He walked over and asked them why this had happened. They explained, she did not leave for France at all. She was stricken ill with cancer. In her heart, she had believed that he will make it someday, but she did not want her illness to be his obstacle ... therefore she had chosen to leave him.

She had wanted her parents to put his paper cranes beside her, because, if the day comes when fate brings him to her again he can take some of those back with him. The guy just wept ...the worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside them but knowing you can't have them and will never see them again.
The End."

A tragic story that perhaps happens only in the movies. At the end of the day, money is money is money but love is divine. In our quest for our material wealth, take time to make time for our loved ones. There will be a time when we have only memories to cling to.
Take this weekend to show our "love" to all that are close to us.

2009-03-03T03:08:00.000-08:00

"... It's too late"
by: Karl Brian Utar

I've known him since childhood and he has been my best buddy ever since. During summer, we enjoyed good times together. We would go biking, swimming in the river and watch the sunset on the roof top. We never needed anyone because we were happy with each other. For us three is a crowd When we went to college, we parted ways. He went to manila while I studied in Paris but or communication never stopped. We never kept secrets from each other. He would often ask me advice about courting girls but was jealous if he found out about me entertaining suitors. he wanted to be contented with a friend like me. He said he would never break my heart because he'll always be my friend. When we graduated, I went back to the Philippines and stayed in Manila to manage our family's business while he went to the U.S. to take care of his dying father. Since then, we have been very busy with our lives and we never had time to see each other. our communication stopped for almost 2 years until one day. February 05, 2005, I receive a letter for him.

To My best friend,

You have been my best buddy since time immemorial. You are the most beautiful girl I ever had and I'm sure that i'm the most good looking guy you've seen in your entire life. My life has been so sad here. my dad died a year ago and t'was never easy for me to accept his death, after that, my mom had a stroke. Being the only child, i have to take all the responsibility of taking care of her and our business here. I have many problems and often thought of giving up. I never told you about all of this because I don't want you to worry. i know you will help me, but I need to face my trials alone, but during those times, I met someone who had been very supportive of me. She has been my everything since then and finally, when the trials where over we decided to settle down. Together with this letter is our invitation. I want you to be with us during our special day. You'll surely like her.

I was happy to receive a letter from him but now, after reading his letter, tears began to fall, i never expected it. I know he was a hearthrob in highschool and a playboy at college, he had plenty of girlfriends. But why? Why he's falling for another girl. And why am I hurting this way? i never answered his letters and even his calls. After how many days of thinking, I realized that I'm in love with him. the guy I've known since childhood, my best friend, is the guy i love the most. I have to win him back... But what am i going to do? I cant just talk to him and tell him about what I've felt. I'm sure he'll laugh at me. Perhaps this is just my role in his life, to be an ideal best friend.

I didn't attend the wedding, I gave all the valid excuses so that the wedding, I gave all the valod excuses so that he would not get mad at me. I can't afford to see the girl is with her wedding dress while I'm aching inside. When they went home to the Philippines I flew to England for a vacation. I didn't want to see them.

When they went back to the U.S. He kept on writing letters for me, but I read none of them, I know he'll just tell me how wonderful his married life is.

One morning, I receive a call from him telling that he is going home alone next week and there's something very important he would tell me and I should wait for him coz he has something to give me.

The day of his arrival came, I was so excited to see the guy I loved secretly, my bestfriend. I prepared his favorite dish for lunch and waited for him to knock my door. Four hours had passed, and yet he still hadn't arrived but still, i wanted patiently, I'm sure I'll hug him tight when he arrives. the pone rang... The news was a real shock for me, I almost collapsed and it hurts more than the time he told me that he's getting married. He's gone!!! the guy that I love most is gone!!!! The plane he was on crashed. It can't be true! This is just a dream. I hysterizally shouted and cried helplessly. I should have told him about my love for him.

During his burial, his uncle gave me a small box. He said they saw it in his hand the time when his body was found. I opened the box and was surprised to see the ring, our names were angraved on it. What does this mean?

I went home puzzled and found myself reading the letters he sent that I never gave time to read. He told me that their relationship is burning out. That he missed his bestfriend terribly and he often thought of her. The last letter was the one I never thought he would write.

To my bestfriend,

My marriage with her is over. I thought she's the one for me but i was wrong. Maybe we're not just meant to be. Yes we were very happy after our wedding but it lasted for a few months only. We fought most of the time. I really didn't know what went wrong but the moment we decided to end up everything, your face appeared on my mind. That's the time I found out the answer to my questions. I have never been totally happy with her because I have thought of you most of the time. Everytime I reminisced our memories, I always found myself laughing, my wife and I did not have that kind of moment together. We did not have "chemistry" unlike us. My bestfriend it was you the woman that I've loved. Someday, if I have all the courage to face you, I'll go home and ask you to become my wife. I wanna watch the sunset with you once more. Please wait for me. i'll be home very very soon.

2009-03-03T01:52:00.000-08:00

"MISS JUDGE..."

by: karl brian utar

I can't resist gazing at the stars every night and admire them. It would take me a minute or two to be staring at the sky. Stars are too many that it's ridiculous to count them one by one. But there are still a few that shine the brightest. At times, I would ask myself if beauty is certainly hard to reach like those stars. "How lucky can one person be if he or she is beautiful", I'd remark.

Last night, it wasn't only those stars that i noticed. When I went to buy a bottle of coke and a pack of Chipy, I saw a group of guys bullying Paul a.k.a "Boy Putol". They were calling him names again. It was like one of those scenes in a teleserye where the weak was being oppressed. Paul had an amputated right arm. Even though I wanted to be heroic and teach those idiots some manners, I didn't have the guts to do so. I was afraid because they were older than me. For a fact if I'd told them many times not to pick on him, they wouldn't understand that easily (they're stupid - remember?). I just don't get it why people find pleasure teasing someone by their imperfection.

Why is our world so hung up on appearance that sometimes we judge a person right way based on the way he looks? Why do we not bother finding out on what they're really about? Why do we raise our noses when we pass by someone who is dressed wrong and different from us? Make foul comments like: "... thank God, I don't look like him." Why are we so insecure about ourselves that we have to make an outcast of anyone who is different? God does not judge by outward appearance; He look at the heart. why can't we learn the same thing?

It seems so unreasonable that people will avoid some guy because he is too tall or too skinny or too short or not muscular enough. but it happened a lot. Girls are being discarded because they have flat "you-know-what" or she's too chubby because she's been eating a lot. This kind of judgement happened a lot at school and at church. It influences our decisions on who gets to join clubs, who gets to be a cheerleader or the class president. Four years in High School and I can attest that those who look good and those who are rich have more advantage compared to those who aren't so attractive although they are more capable enough to do the job.

But it really gets bad when we start looking for someone to date or even marry. We haven't even got to know the person a lot better but we already. I know appearance do matter somehow. However if you're going to pass up someone who is courting you just because he isn't good looking and give attention to the one who is undeniably handsome, then it's unfair. Why not give equal attention to both parties? Of course, I also have my physical insecurities. I'm not mister ramp model/actor. Sometimes, I hate looking at the mirror especially when i comb my hair because it's not bouncy or attractively straight.

I always dream of being someone admired without even making an effort. But then when I come to think of it, I don't want to be admired just like that-just mere good looks. I'd always hear this line if beauty was to be discussed, "Dont judge the book by its cover". Is it such a cliche ? No wonder it has been always used, because it is true.