Emmanuel Domingo and Michael Jordan

Yes, at first there seems to be nothing that would connect these two personalities, spectacular in their own respective rights. But the wide disparity separating them is bridged by some things both of them share in common which is invisible to the naked eye.

Noel and Michael have the same birthdays- February 17. But that's not all.

Michael is a great slam dunker, while Noel has been slammed in the bunker.
Michael can shoot a three with ease, while Noel eats three burgers with cheese.

But wait, it gets more creepy!

Michael is like a team leader. Noel likes the grimm reaper.

Wait, there's more!

Michael is the go-to guy in the fourth quarter. Noel is the go-to guy to buy a quarter pounder.

Michael can shoot even with three defenders. Noel will eat only with free extenders...

These facts will definitely need the re-writing of history!

Why Germany is Good at writing Fairy Tales- Thanks to Youtube

The Little Mermaid- Part 8

The Little Mermaid- Part 7

The Little Mermaid- Part 6

The Little Mermaid- Part 5

The Little Mermaid- Part 4

The Little Mermaid- Part 3

The Little Mermaid-Part 2

The Little Mermaid-Part 1

The Little Match Girl- from Youtube

"BUT WHAT THEN, SENOR?"

An American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal
Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.
Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna.
The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish
and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, "Only a little while, Senor."
The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch
more fish?" The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's
immediate needs. The American then asked,
"But what do you do with the rest of your time?"The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria,
stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play
guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, Senor."The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you.

You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds,
buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you
could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet
of fishing boats.

Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell
directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery.
You would control the product, processing and distribution.
You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and
move to Mexico City , then LA and eventually NYC where you will
run your expanding enterprise."The Mexican fisherman asked, "But Senor, how long will this all take?"To which the American replied, "15-20 years.""But what then, Senor?"The American laughed and said, "That's the best part.

When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your
company stock to the public and become very rich,
you would make millions."
Millions, Senor? Then what?"

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal
fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little,
play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the
village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your
guitar with your amigos."

"You mean being a Harvard MBA, you have to go through all that to
finally get to where I already am, Senor?"

Inspirational Quotes

Excalibur

There it sat, glistening, gleaming,
Waiting for its heir, its freedom fair,
Hath not the time yet come?
Soon it shall and prophecy be fulfilled

And neither dust-robed mason
Nor noble oath-bound knight
Would free it from its prison
Of granite walls, ‘cuffs
And jailers of wizardries unknown.

Only one, a hidden son, still young
And pure, of both magic and disguise
Would let the ancient tale unfold.
The dawning of the day, the era,
Was gray, heavy with the promise
Of a king beyond all others.
A boy, unwanted, unheeded
Pulls lightly ‘pon the gilded hilt.
The blade unsheathed, before the land
Declares his shocking coronation.

Source: http://www.elfwood.com/libr/h/o/hochman/exacaliber3.htm.html

The Story of the Unbreakable Sword

One upon a time, when dragons ruled the earth and chivalry still burned in the hearts of men, there lived King Thorian. His kingdom was once peaceful and full of promise as a shining beacon of freedom and prosperity. The people loved King Thorian and the land was filled with food and abundance that no one went hungry.

However, the light has slowly faded as the kingdom began to disintegrate due to never ending battles with barbarians, goblins, and bloodthirsty giants that raged the countryside and brought havoc to the lives of the people.

These spawns of evil was released by King Thorian’s only surviving nemesis, Count Plethorus, who have laid sanctuary on top the highest mountain in the East. His kind has lingered in the deadliest dreams of men because of the powerful control he weaved over black magic, and King Thorian is well aware of this.

“Something must be done,” said the King “ to break this never ending cycle of death.”

“We must cut this poisonous siege from its source. We must destroy Count Plethorus’ sanctuary and end this evil once and for all”.

“But dear King Thorian”… said one village elder, “our numbers have dissipated, our resources are way below our people’s needs, and we cannot muster enough soldiers to fight Count Plethorus’ army of the undead.”

“We don’t need soldiers. I cannot sacrifice the lives of my men anymore. This is something I will do alone?”

“Alone you say?! This is absurd, we cannot go on without a King!”

“But I will not die…” he said this, while hurrying outside the castle walls…” I hope.”

Quietly he went through a door at the left side of the castle, which led to a scarcely opened dungeon. When he arrived at the door, a big lock greeted him, covered by cobwebs spun by giant spiders of long ago. He carefully unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a key, tightly knit in his over alls, which slid quite easily in the lock. It opened and fell to the floor with a loud thud that could have awakened the sleepiest mortal.

Going down the stairs, he lit the torches and hurriedly opened the door at the end of the corridor. “Father, I swear I will never do this again.”

He opened the door and saw a golden coffin inside, which was big for its size and could have housed a small ogre. Opening the coffin once again with his discreetly hidden key, he took out the coffin’s most unlikely tenant.

“The unbreakable sword…. Let justice and freedom reign with every swish of its blade.”

This sword was not made of steel, nor did any mortal blacksmith make it. It was forged by the titans to serve as the final line of defense against the minions of evil on earth. It cannot be broken because it is made of the finest diamonds, melted by Vulcan himself and fashioned with the blessing of the gods and formed with a drop of blood from Mars, the god of war. Its sheath was made of matter from the nine planets given by messengers of the unknown.

And so, with this fear and courage fighting to gain dominance within his heart, King Thorian put on his heavily crusted armor and set forth with hist fastest steed to the dark realm of Count Plethorus. It was not an easy journey because the Count’s spies have alerted him earlier and so the Count made sure of greeting the King with sand storms, freezing snow and hurricanes, and a barrage of deadly monsters along the way.

But King Thorian destroyed all of them with one mighty blow from the unbreakable sword, which seems to have taken a life of its own.

The King arrived finally in front of the castle gates, ready for whatever would happen.

The gate opened… eerily, which was not expected after the onslaught of roaring wind and unnamable creatures he met along the way. But still, the King entered, with sword in hand and with God in his heart.

From out of nowhere, an army of raging arrows fired from above, from the left, the right, and even below, trapping the King from where he stood. With one quick swish of the sword, an invisible force field shielded his body from the sharp blades of the arrow, which temporarily blocked out all light. When the attack subsided, the King saw himself five feet below a conundrum of broken wood and steel.

He suffered a few bruises but nothing mortal. While waiting for the next attack, a big, cracking voice was heard from above. He looked up but saw nothing but a black raven staring at him.

“Show yourself Count! We will end this now!”

And so the raven transformed into a seven-foot behemoth with tentacles almost twenty feet long, and with each tentacle covered by sets of jagged protruding teeth.

“You will not defeat me King Thorian, you are weak, and feeble, and your sword cannot cut through ancient ethereal flesh.”

The King reached for his shield to block three incoming tentacles which were not altogether injured in whatever way. Everything the tentacles touched turned into ethereal matter, including the shield. No blood was spilt and no flesh fell to the ground.

“My blade cannot cut through him. My shield is useless, I cannot use it in this condition”. So he threw the shield instead against the next barrage of tentacles coming at him.” He heard a faint shriek of pain.

The shield, which became ethereal matter, was able to pierce through the ethereal tentacles of Count Plethorus. “Now, I know what to do, I will let his tentacles touch the sword to make it ethereal.”

With cautious abandon, the King readied himself for the next attack and, grasping firmly the sword, swung it towards the almost invisible matter.

His plan worked. Before the sword can fall from his hand, he threw it with all his might directly into the roaring mouth of Count Plethorus.

The Count roared with the power of a thousand thunders which shattered all windows and broke the wooden roof of the castle. The Count was dead.

When the dust and smoke subsided, all that remained standing was the King. “The sword will remain here" he whispered, "for I could no longer touch its ethereal frame. I will have to guard this palace for all eternity so that the sword will not fall into the wrong hand.”

And so the King sent out his soldiers to guard the unbreakable sword inside Count Plethorus’ castle.

The King lived to become a very old man and his stories about the wars and battles he fought was told and retold to children and old people alike. But nothing was more awaited than the story of how the King finally rid his realm of Count Plethorus’ evil curse.

The sword remains in the castle until this day.

The Girl Who Does not Get Lost

I

(1948)

The Town Near the RiverIn a town not far from the river where everything flows, there lives a girl who everyone calls Kate. Like every little child who smiles even for no reason, Kate can play all day without getting tired, getting her cheeks red and her shirt all wet and muddy until his mother, Maribel, a kind and beautiful young mother that she is, would shout her lungs out in desperation, trying to stop further mayhem. There is nothing quite peculiar about Kate, not the fact that she wears the most radiant smile in the community, not that her stare can burn a hole inside your sockets, and definitely not that she can break your eardrums with her occasional shrieks and cries.

Kate has a little secret, something that not even her mother and father, Mr. Bochock, knows about. But of course, Mr. Bochock is an exception. He keeps to himself almost all the time, staring at yesterday’s papers reading the obituary section and his scissors by his side. Oh yes, he only reads yesterday’s papers because he cannot borrow the new ones, which is still being read by the neighbors. He keeps the scissors so he could cut out the date to make himself forget that he is reading yesterday’s news.

For him, neighbors are very useful creatures; he can always seem take advantage of their nice nature. Well, being nice means you would have to lend things to your neighbors, until their house gets too small for all the things borrowed, that is.When he is asked “Hey, Bochock, can I get my wrench back?” He would reply, “What wrench?”

I have not told you about the mother, Maribel. She is a gentle, quiet, and shy woman, like almost all women are, before they are changed, disillusioned, and transformed by the realities of marriage. Her inner strength has kept her beautiful though, inside and outside. She dreamt once of becoming a nurse, then a businesswoman- then her idealism just waned with the passing of time, being content of giving what she overflowed with, her abundant, unconditional, limitless love for both her daughter and husband.“Kate Francine…! Come down from there!”, her mother shouted as she strained to get Kate away from the wooden, rickety roof of their hundred year old house.

“Let her be…”, said Bochock, “…maybe she can train to be a monkey and work in the circus one day. We could get rich!”, he added.“In a second, Mother! One, two, three…” and she jumped to the rope tied to the tree, oblivious to her mother’s hoarse shouting, her body swinging wildly almost hitting their window below, hitting the edge of his father’s one-day old newspaper, and safely landing in the soft grass covered lawn.Children must have planned this for so long a time ever since they were in their mother’s womb. Just think what would do sitting there for nine whole months with all the water and darkness inside. Water and darkness, a deadly combination.

In this small town, near the river where everything flows, lives the town mayor whose tummy can hold the sea, and with a moustache which can house all the birds in the forest. He is always looking for a quick profit, seeing everyone as milking cows. But the town loves him more because of the originality of his promises which he never keeps.“I’ll pass an ordinance to prohibit the entry of all storms in this town! No more storms all year round, a good harvest until eternity!” He did not take note of course that there are no fields to plant in in the town. Most areas are covered by rugged terrain and chocolate hills; a thick, dense forest covers the rest.

Across Kate’s house, beyond the grassy lawn, is a small house which houses small children, a day care center by morning, and a residence of Teacher Mimi by night, and she will have it no other way. “Class, you must start reading those books or else…. Or else there will be nothing to teach, if there will be nothing to teach, there will be no point going to school, if there will be no point going to school, there will be no point using this house as a day care center, if there will be no point…”

The faint creaking of the door interrupted her.“I’m sorry I’m late Teacher Mimi, ”greeted Kate as she entered the half-filled class room, with half-awake students. “Take your seat Kate, you know the penalty for being late, of course”, said Teacher Mimi. “Yes, madame,” Kate sighed.

“Bayang magiliw

Perlas ng silanganan

Alab ng……”

“You sang the national anthem four times already. Now, sing Bahay Kubo”, Teacher Mimi interrupted.

“But you have not taught us that song yet” said Kate, keeping her eyes at her teacher’s soiled shoes. You know, Teacher Mimi have to walk two miles in going to school.

“Well, use your imagination. I heard you humming the tune of Bahay Kubo once when you had your recess. Now sing it!”, added Teacher Mimi.

Rolling her eyes in defeat, she sang…

“Bahay kubo, kahit munti

Ang halaman doon, ay sari-sari

Singkamas, at talong, sigarilyas

At mani, sitaw, bataw patani”(click here for mp3)

“Very good, very good, now take your seat. We are not going to clap because that would be like rewarding you for being late so we will just stomp our feet. Okay class, on my count, stomp your feet,…. One, two, three…!,”Teacher Mimi ordered.One student at row four stomped his feet, the rest yawned in boredom. “Okay, that will be enough, take your seat.”

This was a regular occurrence in Kate’s young life. Boring as it may be, her imagination is whirring like dynamo. Not everyone was privileged to study and this is what motivated her to go to school. Not very common for a girl five years old.

II

(1948 Second half)

Weird Indeed

Now why is Kate different from other girls? What extraordinary feat could she have exhibited to merit her being called “different”?

Well, you know, Kate does not wear his hair differently, or her shoes awkwardly. She just wears her clothes differently- in reverse.You see, she has a well-founded fear of getting lost. Almost always, during her toddler days, she had a recurring dream of getting lost deep in the woods together with a dozen other girls who were wearing some sort of dark green uniform. She would often wake up sweaty and frightened and would find herself back in her small square room, which is filled with Winnie the Pooh posters.And so, to solve the problem, once and for all, the family consulted their Lola who lived nearby in the next hut to the right of the Acacia Tree, where mushrooms abound.

To be Continued....