When HE backs out...

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary but now circulates thru e-mails. It is forwarded to me by my sister and I think it's worth sharing. So here it goes...

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).... Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... Terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves..

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet? Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us. Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not, then just discard it..... No one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully, Ben Stein

IF YOU BELIEVE IN HIS WORDS, THEN, RETWEET IT...

BALANCE SHEET OF LIFE

The happiness of life is made of little things - a smile, a hug, a moment of shared laughter - its not the wealth you have but what you give to others & the lives you touch that you take with you for eternity!

Our Birth is our Opening Balance!

Our Death is our Closing Balance!

Our Prejudiced Views are our Liabilities

Our Creative Ideas are our Assets

Heart is our Current Asset

Soul is our Fixed Asset

Brain is our Fixed Deposit

Thinking is our Current Account

Achievements are our Capital

Character & Morals, our Stock-in-Trade

Friends are our General Reserves

Values & Behavior are our Goodwill

Patience is our Interest Earned

Love is our Dividend

Children are our Bonus Issues

Education is Brands / Patents

Knowledge is our Investment

Experience is our Premium Account

The Aim is to Tally the Balance Sheet Accurately.

The Goal is to get the Best Presented Accounts Award.

Some very Good and Very bad things ....

The most destructive habit..............Worry

The greatest Joy......................Giving

The greatest loss.................Loss of self-respect

The most satisfying work..........Helping others

The ugliest personality trait...Selfishness

The most endangered species...Dedicated leaders

Our greatest natural resource...............Our youth

The greatest 'shot in the arm'..........Encouragement

The greatest problem to overcome..................Fear

The most effective sleeping pill........Peace of mind

The most crippling failure disease..............Excuses

The most powerful force in life..................Love

The most dangerous pariah...................A gossiper

The world's most incredible computer........The brain

The worst thing to be without.................... Hope

The deadliest weapon........................The tongue

The two most power-filled words................'I Can'

The greatest asset...............................Faith

The most worthless emotion...................Self-pity

The most beautiful attire.......................SMILE!

The most prized possession.................Integrity

The most powerful channel of communication.....Prayer

The most contagious spirit.................Enthusiasm

The most important thing in life...........GOD

'When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others' .... Retweet this...

HEALTH TRIVIA

DO YOU KNOW ...

…that dentists recommend to keep your toothbrush at least 6 feet away from the toilet to avoid the particles resulting from flushing?

…that sleeping can burn more calories than watching t.v.?

…that 75-80% of house dust is your dead skin? Ew!

…that all US Presidents wore eyeglasses?

…that you have 14-18 square feet of skin?

…that armpits can harbor up to 516,000 bacteria per square inch compare to drier areas which has 13,000 bacteria per square inch? Yuck!

…that 50% of bird’s head is their eyes? So, to be like them, you should have eyes as big as baseball. Imagine that!

…that your strongest bone is your thigh bone? It is stronger than a rod with the same size.

…that you will lost half of your taste buds when you reach the age of 60?

…that your body holds enough sulfur to kill an average dog’s flea, potassium to fire a toy cannon, carbon to make 900 pencils, fat to make 7 bars of soap, and phosphorus to make 2,200 match heads?

…that you have a unique tongue print just like your finger print?

…that the air released from your sneezing can speed up to 100 meter/second? And I bet you, if you can sneeze with your eyes open, I will give you a thousand dollar.

…that a red blood can circulate your whole body for just about 20 seconds?

SULAT NI ITAY AT INAY SA ATIN

Mahal kong anak,

Sa aking pagtanda,

unawain mo sana ako at pagpasensiyahan.

Kapag dala ng kalabuan ng mata ay nakabasag ako ng pinggan

o nakatapon ng sabaw sa hapag kainan,

huwag mo sanaakongkagagalitan.

Maramdamin ang isang matanda.

Nagse-self-pity ako satuwingsinisigawan mo ako.

Kapag mahina na ang tenga ko at hindi ko maintindihan

ang sinasabi mo,

huwag mo naman sana akong sabihan

ng "binge!"

paki-ulit nalang ang sinabi mo o pakisulat nalang.

Pasensya ka na, anak. Matanda na talaga ako.

Kapag mahina na ang tuhod ko,

pagtiyagaan mo sana akong tulungang tumayo,

katulad ng pag-aalalay ko sa iyo

noong nag-aaral ka pa lamang lumakad.

Pagpasensyahan mo sana ako

kung ako man ay nagiging makulit

at paulit-ulit na parang sirangplaka.

Basta pakinggan mo nalang ako.

Huwag mo sana akong pagtatawanan o pagsasawaang pakinggan.

Natatandaan mo anak noong bata ka pa?

kapag gusto mo ng lobo, paulit-ulit mo 'yongsasabihin,

maghapon kang mangungulit

hangga't hindi mo nakukuhaang gusto mo.

Pinagtyagaan ko ang kakulitan mo.

Pagpasensyahan mo na rin sana ang aking amoy.

Amoy matanda, amoy lupa.

Huwag mo sana akong piliting maligo.

Mahina na ang katawan ko.

Madaling magkasakit kapag nalamigan,

huwag mo sana akong pandirihan.

Natatandaan mo noong bata ka pa?

Pinagtyagaan kitang habulin

Sa ilalim ng kama kapag ayaw mong maligo.

Pagpasensyahan mo sana kung madalas,

ako'y masungit

Dala na marahil ito ng katandaan.

Pagtanda mo, maiintindihanmo rin.

Kapag may konti kang panahon,

magkwentuhan naman tayo,

kahit sandali lang.

Inip na ako sa bahay, maghapong nag-iisa.

Walang kausap.

Alam kong busy ka sa trabaho,

subalit nais kong malaman mo nasabik na sabik

na akong makakwentuhan ka,

kahit alam kong hindi kainteresado sa mga kwento ko.

Natatandaan mo anak, noong bata ka pa?

Pinagtyagaan kong pakinggan at intindihin

ang pautal-utal mong kwento tungkol sa iyong teddybear.

At kapag dumating ang sandali na ako'y magkakasakit

at maratay sa banig ng karamdaman,

huwag mo sana akong pagsawaang alagaan.

Pagpasensyahan mo na sana kung ako man ay maihi o madumi sahigaan,

Pagtyagaan mo sana akong alagaan sa mga huling sandaling akingbuhay.

Tutal hindi na naman ako magtatagal.

Kapag dumating ang sandali ng aking pagpanaw,

hawakan mo sana ang aking kamay

At bigyan mo ako ng lakas ng loob na harapin ang kamatayan.

At huwag kang mag-alala,

kapag kaharap ko na ang Diyos na lumikha,

ibubulong ko sa kanya na pagpalain ka sana ....

Dahil naging mapagmahal ka sa iyong ama't ina...

STRESS

A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience,Raised a glass of water and asked 'How heavy is this glass of water?'

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it f or a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes. 'He continued, 'And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, As the burden becomes increasingly heavy,We won't be able to carry on.

''As with the glass of water,You have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.''

So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, Let them down for a moment if you can.'

"So, my friend, Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon,And some days you're the statue.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet,Just in case you have to eat them.

* Always wear stuff that will make you look goodIf you die in the middle of it.

* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be"Recalled" by their maker.

* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again,It was probably worth it.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time,Because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

* Nobody cares if you can't dance well.Just get up and dance.

* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

* The second mouse gets the cheese.

* When everything's coming your way,You're in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you.The more you have, the longer you live.

* You may be only one person in the world,But you may also be the world to one person.

* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

* We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

A WOMAN WENT FATAL AFTER DRINKING COLA IN CAN

This is Serious! This incident happened recently in North Texas . A woman went boating one Sunday taking with her some cans of coke which she put into the refrigerator of the boat. On Monday she was taken to the hospital and placed in the Intensive Care Unit. She died on Wednesday. The autopsy concluded she died of L eptospirosis. This was traced to the can of coke she drank from, not using a glass. Tests showed that th e can was infected by dried rat urine and hence the disease Leptospirosis.

Rat urine contains toxic and deathly substances. It is highly recommended to thoroughly wash the upper part of all soda cans before drinking out of them. The cans are typically stocked in warehouses and transported straight to the shops without being cleaned.

A study at NYCU showed that the tops of all soda cans are more contaminated than public toilets (i.e).. full of germs and bacteria. So wash them with water before putting them to the mouth to avoid any kind of fatal accident.

KEEP WALKING

Just to check this out...... The Organs of your body have their sensory touches at the bottom of your foot, if you massage these points you will find relief from aches and pains as you can see the heart is on the left foot.

Typically they are shown as points and arrows to show which organ it connects to. It is indeed correct since the nerves connected to these organs terminate here. This is covered in great details in Acupressure studies or textbooks. God created our body so well that he thought of even this. He made us walk so that we will always be pressing these pressure points and thus keeping these organs activated at all times. So, keep walking...

TULA NI JOEY DE LEON

Someone e-mailed me this and I was thinking that you people might be interested, too.

Wala na sa piling ng mga Pilipino,
Tinig ng awiting Mga Kababayan Ko,
At lumisan na rin noong isang Sabado,
Inang nagpalipad sa awiting Bayan Ko.
Ako'y sumasaludo, paalam Pangulo,
May isa 'kong lihim, kay tagal itinago,
Sa lahat nang inabot kong mga namuno,
Tanging ikaw lang sa luha ko'y nagpatulo.

Marami ang nalungkot sa iyong pagyao,
Magalang ang lahat at puno ng respeto,
Nagpasalamat pa nga Kapamilya sa 'yo,
Dahil kanilang himpilan naibalik mo.
* * *
Subalit ano itong nabalitaan ko?
Nangyari noong Lunes, a-tres ng Agosto,
Habang inililipat ang mga labi mo,
Ika'y parang nabastos sa isang TV show.

At ang napakasaklap at masakit dito,
Ang nambastos pa'y kapamilya ng anak mo,
Napanood ito ng tao at publiko,
Kakaunti na nga, ngunit lahat nahilo.
Sabi ng TV host na mainit ang ulo
Pagkakita sa video na kanyang kasalo,
"Sandali, meron akong ano... sa'ting ano...
Hindi naman sa ano," nagkaanu-ano!
Ayon sa Internet, meron pa s'yang nasambit,
" Sana pakitanggal muna 'yan sa'ting traffic..."
At 'di maaalis sa iyong pag-iisip,
Ang parada ng patay ang pinaliligpit!
At dagdag pa daw ng naghahari-harian,
"I don't think na dapat n'yong ipakita iyan..."
Nasaan naman ang paggalang, o nasaan?
Mga sinasabi natin minsa'y pag-ingatan.

At 'di pa nangimi nang sumunod na araw,
Pinilit pa ring ginawa n'ya ay tama raw,
Mga nakarinig 'di na nakagalaw
At ayon sa iba sila na la'y napa-wow!

"... Pero ako, totoo 'ko eh ... ", sabi kuno,
Totoo nga at totoo ring walang modo,
Pwede namang sabihin itong pa-sikreto,
Kaya't wala na rin mga paliwanag mo.

"Kung ganyan, pakita na lang 'yan!", ang hamon pa,
Para bang ang prusisyon nila-"lang - lang" lang ba,
Ang pangasiwaan ay pinapili pa n'ya,
Sumunod ang himpilan, nung August 5 wala s'ya.

May mga komentong pwede nang pang-harapan,
"On camera" baga sa TV ang tawag d'yan
At kung sensitibo man ang gustong bitawan,
Pagpasok ng commercial, hintayin mo na lang.

Matutong magbaba muna ng mikropono
At saka idikta lahat ng iyong gusto,
Lagi kang mataas lahat daw takot sa 'yo,
Ratings lang ang mababa - totoo ba ito?

The breaking news breaks your heart - at 'yan ang bawi mo,
Nang mahalata mong sumablay ang pasok mo,
Pero sigurado ika'y maa-abswelto,
'Di ba ikaw rin ang may-ari ng network n'yo?
Nung Hueves nag-apologize sa diario naman,
O, akala ko ba wala kang kasalanan,
Tapos ng angalan, sunod paliwanagan -
COMPLAIN before you EXPLAIN ka na naman!
O ito kaya ay isa na namang "glitch" lang,
Tulad ng "two-zero" 'di na natin nalaman,
O ito ay maliwanag na kabobohan?
Sa tingin ng marami, mahirap lusutan.

Ang sabi ng iba - istupidong mayabang,
At giit ng iba - istupidong mayaman,
Mayaman man o mayabang ang tiyak diyan,
Napakayaman n'ya sa kaistupiduhan.

Buti pa ang apat na honor guards ni Cory -
Sina Malab, Laguindan, Rodriguez, Cadiente,
Walong oras tumayo sa ulan at viaje,
Ang lahat ay tiniis at walang sinabi.

Samantalang ikaw na may bubong sa ulo,
Komportable ka lang sa malamig na studio,
Nang kapirasong libing sa TV sumalo,
Angal at inis ang sumambulat sa iyo.

Maaari din namang pabayaan na s'ya,
Subalit ang nangyari'y mabigat talaga,
Namayapang pangulo'y huling paalam na,
'Di mo pa pinagbigyan ... hoy, nag-iisa ka!

At nais ko lang sabihin at ipagyabang
Sa mahigit na s'yam na libong tanghalian,
Sa limang pangulong sa Bulaga'y dumaan,
Kahit isa wala kaming nilapastangan.

EATING FRUITS

It's long but very informative
We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths. It's not as easy as you think. It's important to know how and when to eat.
What is the correct way of=2 eating fruits?
IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS! FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.
If you eat fruit like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.
FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD. Let's say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so.
In the meantime the whole meal rots and ferments and turns to acid.. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.

So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals! You have heard people complaining - every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats up, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet etc - actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat!

Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes all these will not happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach.
There is no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the Secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight.

When you need to drink fruit juice - drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans. Don't even drink juice that has been heated up. Don't eat cooked fruits because you don't get the nutrients at all. You only get to taste. Cooking destroys all the vitamins.
But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice throughout the 3 days and you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look!

KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

ORANGE : Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.

Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer! Can you believe this? For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup,warm water or warm beer after a meal.

A serious note about heart attacks HEART ATTACK PROCEDURE': (THIS IS NOT A JOKE!) Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.. You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack . Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms.. Sixty percent of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know the better chance we could survive...