Career-Hopping

Are you happy with your job?

I’m sure many of us who are already employed ask this question to others and to ourselves. It’s a fact that more than 50% of those who are working are not happy with their jobs.

Those who got their dream job on the first try are probably wondering why employed people pose this query on themselves. They would most likely even answer it for them with sarcasm, saying that they shouldn’t have applied for their current post in the first place. Well, all I could say to these people is this – easy for you to say!

I’m one of those who didn’t get the job that I wanted on the first try. I was desperate in landing any job that pays well because I don’t want to bother my parents anymore for my gas money. Not everybody gets what he wants. That’s a flat fact. It’s not surprising then that most of the people who are currently employed are not exactly happy or satisfied with their position.

I started out in an insurance company, entering as a clerk then later on as a policy salesman. The job pays well, but it wasn’t really fulfilling. You wouldn’t want to build a career in an insurance company unless you’re its owner. I don’t even know if my job helped people. I’m sure you’re aware of the joke about life insurance – a contract that keeps you poor all your life so that you can die rich :)

I love my current job. I get to help people locate their lost loved ones through people searches, or find out the truth about their spouses or would-be partners by going through divorce files and other vital records. It’s mostly paperwork for me, none of the Sherlock Holmes things that you might be imagining. But hey, it’s exciting and rewarding just the same.

The Legacy

Despite the fact that Saddam Hussein has long been dead, Iraq continuous to suffer from the violence caused by warring ethnic groups, militants, and separatists. Life expectancy surveys in that country simple won’t work. No matter how healthy you are, you might easily end up in a coffin the next day.

While foreigners are in danger of being kidnapped in that side of the world, peacekeepers and locals are facing the daily peril of either being shot or blown away by a bomb. Top Iraqi politicians are not spared of this danger. Just recently, the country’s deputy prime minister, Salam al-Zubaie, escaped an assassination attempt. Investigations revealed that the murder try was an inside job, with one of his aides providing the means by which his boss could be killed.

There’s no need in pointing out that death records are piling up in Iraq. Many say that America started it all. Maybe they’re right. But that doesn’t mean that things can’t be changed. Moves are taking place in Capitol Hill to bring our troops back home. I’m one with those who wish for our soldiers to be spared of the needless killings in Iraq. However, I also wish that our government could do something for that country which we invaded.

Many hated the present administration for what it did in Iraq. It has received rebukes from all over the world. While it has made good its promise that it will establish democracy in Iraq, it failed to assure that the transition would be bloodless. Of course, bloodshed was expected. However, nobody expected that America’s meddling will cost so many lives.

Democracy is a legacy that America wants to leave to the country which it invaded or greatly influenced. Sadly though, it hasn’t learned a bit from what has happened in the past. President Bush should’ve known that no democracy could thrive without peace and order. Installing a democratic government in Iraq won’t solve its problems. In fact, it might just exacerbate it.

101 Reasons to Leave New York

The city that I live in is not just known as the city that never sleeps. New York is also known around the world as the city that never cares.

Many weren’t surprised then that the setting of one of the most despicable act towards helpless elderly people was the Big Apple. A video footage of a man beating up a 101-year-old woman circulated around the world. The shameless act enraged many Americans, with many of them calling for a prompt investigation of the incident.

Surprisingly, New Yorkers are spearheading the drive in locating and prosecuting the mugger. I’m quite astonished by this development since many of the state’s inhabitants usually don’t make a big deal of incidents such as this one. It doesn’t carry the distinction or impression of being a cold-hearted city for nothing.

That impression on New Yorkers changed overnight when the outrage spread like a forest fire throughout the state. Every member of the NYPD has already been apprised of the event, and had been shown the footage of the incident. The mugger became the state’s most wanted man overnight.

I, as well as everybody else in the state, have one tip for that shameless person who assaulted the old woman – get out of New York. He’ll be virtually begging for the issuance of a death record under his name if he doesn’t leave the state. Many New Yorkers have seen the footage, and it won’t be long now before the police authorities would come up with a clearer photo or sketch of the person responsible for the reprehensible deed.

The incident was very disheartening. However, I’m also glad that the cruel monikers that New Yorkers are frequently being given are not true. Many of the city’s residents do actually care for other people. If they do seem to be cold sometimes (ok, all the time), it’s probably because they’re always chasing time. This has been the order in the city since it became the financial capital of the world. It’s a tough place to live in. But the people here do have a heart.

As Real As It Can Get

I don’t have a definite or official statistic on this one, but I think that adoption records have been piling up on government registries for the past few years. Could it be that many American couples are now open to creating a family through adoption?

Of course, every couple would definitely prefer to have their own child. While you could also call your adopted child as “your own,” the concept is more biological than legal. Nothing beats having kids that have your facial features or temperament. Unfortunately, not all would be able to experience this. Some couples may suffer from medical conditions that would prohibit them from having a child. Some may be completely healthy, but for some reason cannot conceive a child.

It’s ironic that those who are fully capable of conceiving children are the ones backing out from the opportunity. I can’t blame then, though. Corporate America demands much from its citizen. You won’t be able to make it to the top if you don’t start early. As a result, many young couples decide to shelve any plan to have a baby. By the time they think they’re financially ready to support a child, their bodies may not be capable of responding favorably to their intention already.

I think this is one of the reasons why adoptions are getting common. Couples who previously thought that they should be working during their primes are now trying to catch up on what they should’ve done a few years back. There will be some who would not be able to get back what they have abandoned or neglected when they were still young. The ability to conceive is not eternal, you know. The next best thing then is to adopt.

I think this trend would benefit the society more. I mean, there are many kids out there that need a new family. I hope that those kids would be able to experience what it is like to have loving parents.

Mere Placebos?

If you’re one of those who believe that food supplements increase longevity, then you might want to brace yourself from the study that some experts recently published on the supposed benefits of certain antioxidant vitamins.

The research, published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, revealed that no significant effects, whether positive or negative, were found in persons taking Vitamin A, E, and C supplements. Some of the participants ended up dying due to causes which supposedly could’ve been prevented by the health enhancers.

I don’t know what’s your take on the report, but I’m a little bit skeptical about it. My medicine cabinet is replete with band aids and iodine, but it’s definitely lacking on food supplement bottles. However, this doesn’t mean that I don’t believe that vitamin tabs or capsules won’t contribute anything to my health. On the contrary, I believe they’re essential at this day and age where everything is cooked and served fast. Where else could you get your daily doze of vitamins if cheeseburgers are always on your daily menu?

I’m religiously taking Vitamin E capsules to supplement my delicious but unhealthy meals. I don’t know if it’s working. Maybe it is. But, then again, maybe I’m just deceiving myself. Maybe it’s nothing more than a placebo.

Many experts doubt the reliability of the study. Indeed, it’s already an established medical fact that food supplements could definitely breathe life to your failing health even if the bottle contains the warning “no proven therapeutic effects.”

If the new study’s findings are true, then there’s no reason why people should continue spending thousands of dollars on supplements which they believe could delay the issuance or processing of their death records. An independent panel should investigate the report to settle once and for all the issue on whether or not food supplements positively affect the health of those who are taking it.

Desperate Houswife Gives Birth To Twins

If you’re a fan of the hit series Desperate Housewives, then this entry might have already passed its expiry date.

The Associated Press has just revealed that Marcia Cross gave birth to twins. The girls and their mother are reportedly in very good condition.

Cross’ pregnancy amazed me not just because she went through the series’ tapings even during the few remaining months before she was expected to give birth, but she also attained the feat at an age where no woman usually dare to bear a child.

In case you don’t know, she’s already 44. She hid it well, didn’t she? I initially thought that she was just in her mid 30s. She definitely doesn’t look her age, and I mean this as a compliment.

Desperate Housewives fans will definitely try to take a peak at the twins’ birth records because this vital record contains information on both the girls and their celebrity mother as well.

It's Plain Murder. Period.

In this day and age where men and women are already regarded as equals, it’s quite surprising to hear that there are still societies which heavily segregates men from the opposite sex. Worse, these groups often discriminate against women in terms of rights and privileges.

I don’t want to foment social or cultural hatred, so I won’t mention the social or ethnic groups which deny their women the equal protection of the laws.

There’s this one group of people in Asia which cheapens the value of the lives of their women by permitting “honor killings.” The reason or principle behind the “enlightened” suicide is anything but honorable or valid, though. Women in this part of the world could be instantly killed if they interact with the opposite sex outside the permitted venues.

I have been taught to respect cultures no matter how different or absurd they may be. However, a culture or society which encourages the killing of a member for bringing shame to the family deserves neither a tinge of respect nor understanding. The death records of the victims of these senseless killings should be taken out of their drawers and be used to slap the faces of the deceased’s family members who consented to the murder.