The making of a Millionaire

It is really not surprising if wealthy people from around the world are increasing significantly. In spite of the economic crisis affecting the world, news story of nouveau riche continue to make headlines. Prominent of them of course are the rugs to riches stories, educated biz-wizards, professional athletes and showbiz stars. In the underworld side are the schemers, scum bugs, drug syndicates, human smugglers, money launderers and small time swindlers scattered around the world. Of course the list makes longer because there are the so called “game of chance” millionaires who are lotto jackpot winners and well, maybe the casino gamblers?
Like them, to be wealthy is everybody’s goal or aspiration. In essence, the objective is to improve the status in life and to have a secure future. But for others, wealth is a statement of fame, power, influence and abuse that desecrate the real meaning of humility and pride. They give importance to want rather than need. Thus, wealth comes up with different application and possession. Either way, wealth is a prognosis of a person’s building character on how he handles it.
How to become a Millionaire
Actually, there are many ways that point us to the “paradise of great abundance,” only that we have to choose which way is more convenient to pass for us to reach that paradise of wealth. Most of the time the complex and circuitous way of life makes people to change course rather than take the usual route which eventually lead them to do their contrive plan of acquiring wealth.
Religion, sect, church
“Though shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold Him guiltless that takes His name in vain”
Unfortunately, this is not the case because there are people who invest in religion to acquire wealth. Different religious sects are using the name of God in their scheme to deceive and bleed the followers of their hard earned money. In the Philippines alone, there are four major religious sects known to be multi-millionaires or if not billionaires. The leaders of these sects are literally living in the “paradise of great abundance,” free of tax of course.
Creating a religious sect is a zero investment, only the use of God’s name will do the trick and money will flow like fresh milk taken from the domesticated poor bovine. No education required. Mastery of Bible texts, good speech presentation and perfect body language are the other tricks to accumulate wealth. .
Politics, government service
Joining politics and in government service is a rewarding career. Although, honesty, service and responsibility are the basic principles in government and appointed position, self interest comes first. Most people in these institutions are governed by selfish intention to get rich at the expense of the nation’s wealth and resources. To join in these institutions one needs real investment and usually the return is hundred times of what a person in government service had invested. So, in a very short time of self interest driven career in government, one will become wealthy, no doubt about it. It is very clear that everything is possible to be a millionaire; the path is wide open for all to try by hook or by crook.

Back pain treatment, could it be done naturally?

Although, there are many medical bulletin posted in the internet detailing comprehensive explanation about back pain and its causes, symptoms and medical remedies, I would like to share a piece of information regarding herbal treatment that could definitely help ease certain cause of back pain.

Usually, back pain treatment is traditionally done under the meticulous supervision of medical practitioner that applies different remedies to different kinds of back pain. In acute or severe cases, patients undergo surgery to totally ease the excruciating pain. Others, with less severe condition are treated with regular dose of medicine that serves as temporary pain reliever. And, of course the rest take the old Asian traditional medicine.

Back pain studies

There are various studies on back pain and medical experts say that it varies from age, gender and lifestyle. Some studies claim that back pain is common among males and usually affects the middle age and above. But other studies found that there’s no age or gender limit to back pain and anyone can be affected by the excruciating experience borne out by back pain. The only thing that separates back pain sufferers are the causes on how, why and what makes them suffer the bothering condition of back pain.

Causes of back pain

Actually, there are many causes listed in the medical journals or bulletins searchable in the internet like wrong sitting position, improper lifting, strenuous physical activity, obesity, big tummy or beer belly and more. The cause may be determined whether it is chronic or acute, depending on the condition of back pain which could last from weeks to months.

Common remedy to common back pain

 In some point, common problems that causes back pain can be treated at home using the common remedy of cold or hot compress like muscle spasm, muscle stress and fatigue. Body massage is also good like, Shiatsu, Swedish, acupressure and simple hand massage using eucalyptus oil or liniments.  Traditional medicine like fire cupping or glass cupping is also recommended for it gives complete relief to common back pain. This technique manipulates the chi or energy of the human body which directly eases muscle pain. I intentionally omitted acupuncture among the available remedy to common back pain because I haven’t try it and I don’t want to undergo that “needle insertion” thing.

My excruciating experience

I thought I was just having normal back pain due to my regular exercises of lifting weights, bench presses, push-ups, pull-up bar and other physical activity. But I was wrong. Although, I am experiencing frequent urination, I did not give much attention to it until I started to feel moderate to severe back pain especially during bed time. I scanned the internet for immediate understanding about my problem and it bothers me to know that abnormal kidney or bladder function can cause back pain.

Only then I realized that may be I have a problem with abdominal aneurysm, a weakening of aorta responsible for abnormal kidney function, or may be an abnormal bladder that induces frequent urination or more to that effect.

Like other people stricken with back pain, I have to be tough and to overcome the pain without getting proper and appropriate medical help from a doctor. But admittedly my back pain bothers me no end especially so that I know it is my kidney or bladder as the culprit of my on-off back pain, as explained in one of the medical journal posted in the web. It further noted that severe case can only be treated by means of blood pressure medication or surgery to implant a synthetic graft.

Herbal treatment and its positive effect

Well, of course going under the knife and the financial burden that goes with the procedure as mentioned is totally a tall order for an ordinary person like me. So, I hinged my lot on alternative medicine. My senior citizen mother told me to try cat’s whiskers (orthosiphon aristatus) or Java tea, an herbal plant endemic or found in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia. I did not second guess of what really the medicinal value of the plant. And I did not buy a factory made version of cat’s whiskers because my mother have it in our backyard, teeming with green leaves and fresh for the picking.

The positive effect of drinking cat’s whiskers and guava leaves is really consistent with facts and I can attest to its healing properties. My back pain gradually stop after a drinking binge of homemade cocktail laced with cat’s whiskers and guava leaves.

The procedure

1. Normal amount of cat’s whiskers leaves

2. Guava leaves, same amount of cat’s whiskers (optional)

3. Boil the leaves with 10-20 glass of water

4. Wait until the juice appear to its full extraction

5. Drink the concoction based on your given time or during meal time.

6. Lemon (optional)

Note: I add the guava leaves because finding shows that it is good in treating urinary incontinence and so with frequent urination. It also neutralizes the bitter taste of cat’s whiskers. Although, cat’s whisker is diuretics, its specific role is to work on the kidney itself, cleaning it of unwanted properties or toxins forming in the kidney. Lemon is also good to add to balance the bitter taste of the herbal plant.

Cooking Stingray meat in coconut milk spiced with herbs

Cooking Stingray meat in coconut milk spiced with herbs

Living in the Village

Living in the Village

The ode of Sadie

The ode of Sadie

The Roaring Dragon

The world have heard it plenty of times and only recently the fiery dragon once again roared in a deafening sound, sending a message to all nations that the once tamed dragon is dead serious to confront of what it says agitators of its political independence and self determination. China a.k.a. the dragon was incensed after the Norwegian Nobel Committee collectively had chosen Liu Xiaobo, one of the peace activists critical of China’s one party system as 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner.
The “roaring dragon’s” bellicosity reverberated across the globe, prompting nations with diplomatic ties to China, including the Philippines, to snub the Nobel awarding ceremony in the land of King Theodoric the Osthrogoth in Oslo, Norway. Other nations, headed by Uncle Sam’s US of A, ignored the rhetoric of the “roaring dragon” which irked the latter more and called them “clowns” for making too much ado about Xiaobo and the Nobel Peace award.
As a result, the Nobel Peace award ceremony caused a divided stand among allies making it easy for China to win support from among the close allies of the US, which includes the Philippines, to snub the yearly Nobel “ritual.” The non participation of the Philippines were said to be a diplomatic concession to soften China in giving reprieve to Filipinos sentenced to death for drug trafficking.
There are more than one hundred Filipinos jailed in China and a number of them were already handed the death sentence for violating Chinas’ strict law on illegal drugs. Worst, these Filipino nationals were paid to act as drug mules or couriers for drug syndicates based in Africa and South America in exchange for a few thousand dollars.
This incidence involving Filipinos are alarming and it seems that not only in China where Filipinos are being caught but also in other parts of South East Asia particularly Malaysia. It was middle of last year when I saw on a TV news report of a Malaysian news channel detailing on how Malaysian authorities caught a young and pregnant Filipino woman in possession of illegal drugs.
The woman came from South America and disembarked in Kuala Lumpur International Airport for a brief stopover for another flight to China where the said illegal drugs will be delivered. In just a few weeks, the same news program reported that another Filipino woman was taken into custody for the same offense of being a drug courier. Unfortunately for the two women, Malaysia is one the countries that have a severe and strict laws on illegal drugs.
The plethora of reasons seems too close to ponder on why this is happening to a number of Filipino nationals. For one, it was said that they are the unwilling victims of drug syndicates. On the other hand, the color of dollars made them so and the opportunity to travel from one country to another. Others, well of course, employment to support their family in the Philippines. In spite of the reasons given, they practically knew that they will end up in jail and suffer the fate of a criminal once nabbed by the authorities.
In this situation, the Philippines could do nothing but to make a practical decision-though unwise in some aspect-to give assistance to its own nationals awaiting execution in China. For having done so, the Philippines’ diplomatic stance was tested and would somehow influence the legal debacle of its nationals to overturn the death sentence and hand them down long years in jail instead.
But it depends on the attitude of China to reciprocate the action taken by its neighbor. For the Philippines, skipping this year’s Nobel “ritual” is less damaging to the nationalistic pride of the country. Kowtowing to the wishes of China is more than enough to appease the “roaring dragon” and to put above all the protection and redemption of its own nationals and deliver them from the maximum penalty of death.

Gunpoint Social Activism

World AIDS Day was observed last 01 December 2010 and as usual the same awareness campaign about the dreaded disease was again the main topic of discussions to educate people whereby putting more emphasis on how the world will prevent and fight the disease. The intent and purpose of World AIDS Day has a clear program of action to inform the world that AIDS is a threat to social health in particular and to the world in general.
Although the observance of World AIDS Day is to inform the people about the killer disease, it is ironic to say that the AIDS disease continues to increase simply because the message lacks the character and moral fortitude to counter the gunpoint social activism put together by various organizations from around the world.
Gunpoint social activism is making it hard for awareness campaigners to succeed obviously because the activists themselves are the progenitor of the disease by urging society to side with them in their immoral battle to promote same sex marriage and the horny culture of lust and perversion.
Ironically for these people, they are noisily seeking equal rights and full recognition from the society, but for all we know they are already enjoying their rights more than the ordinary people had. Men with homosexual orientation are often on the headlines accused of molesting children. Gay Bars are openly conducting their salacious operations right at the very noses of authorities. Men having sex men had been the norm anywhere else. Cases of rape against foreign male workers are prevalent in the Middle East.
Aside from this, other social activists are making headlines created by the WikiLeaks issue. A group of people wants Western governments to stoop to their level or even subjugate authorities to their own terms and conditions, and clearly this is a gunpoint social activism at its worst. The activists had morphed into different sub-groups; the freedom of information activist (gatecrasher of sensitive and classified documents), the anarchist (urban junkies without a cause), traitors (with cruel intention to get recognition & fame) and the hack-tivists (IT expert with abnormal neurotic disorder).
All told, social activists threaten the very existence of human being. They are shouting their slogan of PEACE, FREEDOM & EQUALITY and yet they are destabilizing world PEACE by exposing sensitive, classified or top secret documents. They are curtailing FREEDOM of people to live in a healthy society by spreading AIDS and they are more than guilty of disregarding EQUALITY by violating the rights of innocent children and men victims of sexual assault from activists cum sex offenders. Whether we like it or not gunpoint social activism is here to stay and will bring the world in anarchy rather than stability.