Dressing up the Parisian way 11:51 PM

On one droning day while scanning some back issue of a Fashion Magazine, there’s this article which caught an attention. It was telling about how people are drawn to everything that is so ‘it’ especially in fashion. We always want something that the society surely accepts. Mostly a lot of people are afraid to break the rules in fashion but there’s this one exception… the French way of street dressing. Here are some tips for dressing like a Parisian from legendary model Ines de la Fressange's book, Parisian Chic: A Style Guide. Ten ways to dress like a Parisian.

10. Jeans with gem-encrusted sandals (not sneakers).

9. A pencil skirt with ballet flats (not with heels).

8. A sequined sweater with men’s trousers (not with a skirt).

7. A diamond necklace with a denim shirt during the day (and not a black dress at night).

6. Loafers with short ad even with socks (not with long slack and no socks).

5. An evening dress with ultra plain, open toed sandals (not with the gem-encrusted evening variety).

4. A pearl necklace with a rock n’ roll t-shirt (not with a simple shift dress).

3. A chiffon print dress with biker boots (not with branded neo ballet flats).

2. A tux jacket with sneakers (femme fatale stilettos).

1. An evening dress with a straw hand bag (not with gold clutch).

French street dressing is not being ‘it’ rather it almost breaking all the rules in fashion; it even doesn’t care about signature dresses or fashion items. But what is most important according to Ines de la Fressange: “You must feel good on what you wear”

Signs Of The Times: End Of The World Prediction 2:49 AM

            Many pictures and films have showed cataclysmic events leaving people in myriad of emotions. Fear and terror, wonder and doubt, even mockery has enveloped the hearts and minds of the masses about the end of the world predictions. Many have prophesied, many have interpreted, but when is the exact time when the world is coming to its end?

            The Mayan calendar has been making a clamor these days with its “predictions” about the world’s end since we have come to the year 2012 where the Mayan had stopped counting days. Does this mean life is really going to end this time, for real? And do the Mayans only have a say on this?

WHO ARE THESE MAYANS AND WHAT’S WITH THEIR CALENDAR, ANYWAY?

            The Mayans were said to be a very highly developed civilization and were to be found in the jungle of Mexico and Central America. In the whole of ancient America, it was said that the Mayans were the most developed. The Mayans were found to be very intelligent as supported by their books, calendars, study of Astronomy and number system.

            The Mayan calendar is a system of complex and highly developed calendars created by the Maya civilization of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Since it is a system of highly developed calendars, they have three series of calendars including the Tzol’kin, a sacred 260-day calendar; the Haab, a 365-day calendar and the calendar round which is a 52-haab cycle synchronizing the Tzol’kin and Haab cycles. 

      

A “LONG COUNT” CALENDAR: AS IF THREE ISN’T ENOUGH?

                                              

            According to the “Goodman, Martinez-Hernandez, and Thompson” correlation (also known as “GMT”) this was said to have started at [0.0.0.0.0] (Maya record) on August 11, 3114 BC. “GMT” was the most widely accepted correlation between the Maya and Gregorian calendar. It was said that this cycle is 1,872,000 days in length and would end on December 21 (ad 2012) which falls on the winter solstice. Lounsbury, another widely used correlation, states that the start-day was August 13, 3114 BC and the end that would be December 23, AD 2012.

SO THIS MEANS THE 21^ST OF DECEMBER 2012 MARKS THE DOOMSDAY, RIGHT?

Luke 21:5-11 (KJV)

v.7 Then they asked him”Teacher, when will this happen?”  And what sign will there be and when all these things are about to happen? 8 He answered, “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am He’, and ‘The time has come’. Do not follow them!

v.9 When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be  terrified; for such  things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.” 10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will powerful earthquakes, famines and plagues from place to place; and awesome sight and mighty signs will come from the sky.”

            In verse seven notice that Jesus was asked as to when the end times will come. We could say that the word “they” was used to refer to his apostles (or maybe the disciples). And those people would have been the closest to him. If you will be in Jesus’ shoes you could simply answer the question straightly and give a specific time since the ones who were asking were really close friends, right? Jesus simply did not. He enumerated signs but did not exactly tell when these things shall happen or come to an end.

            Wars, famines, earthquakes, plagues and mighty signs were spoken of. Which one of these has not yet been experienced in a thousand years? None. All of which came to pass and surely there will be more to come. But this does not assure the immediate end of the world.

            Why would Jesus tire himself of a lengthy answer when he could have given the exact date?  Maybe he does not want them to pay more attention to the coming end but to focus on what they can do while they were living and serving for Him. Maybe he wanted to focus on their purpose and calling and work on it rather than do nothing but wait for the end of the world that surely will come.

A SLICE OF HISTORY BEFORE THE WORLD ENDS

Wars and Conflicts

            Great wars had passed, alright. There was the First and Second World War. And there is still the wars occurring in the Middle East; in Iraq, Libya, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria  and even in Israel just to name a few.  Conflicts are everywhere. Nations cause fear among other nations. The world’s history has been a witness to these conflicts. One of those memorable and shaking conflicts occurred September 11, 2009 when the Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners and crashed two of them into the World Trade Center and Pentagon, in United States of America killing nearly 3,000 people.  There were many more to date and we do not have to enlist them just to point that conflicts and wars existed are still existing.

           

Earthquakes

            Japan and Haiti were just the recent among the many earthquakes that happened all over the world for a very long period of time. We have no records of the most previous earthquakes that occurred when people are not yet gathering them for keepsakes so we cannot tell exactly how many have already passed by.

Plagues

            AH1N1, Swine flu, Avian Influenza, SARS; these are just some of the diseases that broke out and created such a widespread chaos among the nations. There was the HIV-AIDS that still threaten and takes a hold to many lives.Not to mention the diseases that have already been a "household" disease.

Famines and Droughts

            Here is the list we have found on the internet regarding the worst famines that had occurred around the world to date. (http://www.ranker.com/list/the-worst-droughts-and-famines-in-history/drake-bird)

 

1. Great Chinese Famine - from 1958 to 1961, as few as 15 million and as many as 43 million were killed as a result.

2. Chinese Famine of 1907 - In a matter of months an estimated 24 million people were killed.

3. Indian Famine - took place between 1896 and 1902, claimed an estimated 19 million lives.

4. Bengal Famine of 1770 – took place between 1969 and 1773 in what is a now part of Bangladesh. An estimated 15 million perished in the famine, which was blamed on greedy principles from the British East India Company's rule.

5. Northern Chinese Famine - this disaster lasted from 1876 to 1879 and is believed to have killed 13 million people.

6. Indian Great Famine of 1876-78 - took the lives of as many as 10.3 million, affected over 250,000 square miles in India. The two-year famine also distressed over 58 million in the Madras, Mysore, Hyderabad and Bombay areas.

7. Great European Famine - was actually a series of crises. The tragedy, that killed an estimated 7.5 million people, was caused by strange weather and unrelenting rains.

8. Soviet Famine of 1932-33 - remembered by some as the Holodomor, a term that translates to "hungry mass death." Between seven and 10 million were killed in the area, which is now part of the Ukraine and Siberia, among other areas.

9. Chinese Famine of 1936

Hitting China over a few months in 1936, the Asian country lost an estimated five million people during the Chinese Famine of 1936. This incident was one of several to affect China during the first part of the 20th century.

10. Russian Famine of 1921

Though it may have killed as many as 10 million, the Russian Famine of 1921 is considered to have resulted in five million deaths. This disaster affected the Volga-Ural region and was believed to be as a result of hard times during World War I.

FACTUAL FORECAST 

            Many people constructed “predictions” and made “prophecies” about the world’s doom. Some have proven themselves phony for after the date they have released, the earth is still revolving around the sun; the people are still busy with their businesses. The gathered facts above were presented so that you would be able to make your own conclusion as to when really will the earth stand still and everything will end.  

v.7 Then they asked him”Teacher, when will this happen?” 

            Like the disciples, we might also want to ask, with all the commotion and chaos that are already present, “when will these things come to an end, really?”

V.9 when you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.”10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will powerful earthquakes, famines and plagues from place to place; and awesome sight and mighty signs will come from the sky.”

            Again, we gathered the facts that can be read above so that we can examine this. Many we have heard of the wars, the powerful earthquakes that threatened the hearts of humanity. Many are the lives lost in the famines and plagues that have been experienced. Many even are the signs that we have seen across the sky, most can be explained by the Science.

“…for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.

            These things are just the mark of the beginning for the things to come. And when all these things have passed and then the end will draw near. The fact is these already happened. They are still happening even. So we can expect that the end may be nearer but not nearer than it could have been beforetime. Who would have known, it could be this year, as “predicted” or maybe next month, next week even, or tomorrow. Maybe the end is today. Doom’s day may be knocking it’s way on the door.  See for yourself.

V.32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.  (Mark 13:32, KJV)

Hey there, we found a good read about the same topic. Check this out:

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/mayan-2012-calendar-doomsday-december-21-scientists-offer/story?id=15273982#.TxZJibJGH-M

Gyaboo! God Bless!

Hey there writer, say hello to 2012 and to your writing resolutions! 1:54 AM

12 Writing Resolutions for the 12 Months of 2012  

How many times have you made a list of resolutions in January, only to have misplaced them, forgotten about them, or just plain given up on them before the month was out? This year, instead of making a complete list of writing resolutions for the whole year, try implementing one new resolution every month. Following are twelve—one for each month!

In January, I resolve to…schedule a regular writing time.
The more regularly we write, the easier it gets to churn out words and the better those words become. Make a point of scheduling a regular writing time—whether it’s four hours seven days a week or fifteen minutes five days a week.

In February, I resolve to… create a roadmap to publication.
Reaching publication, whether it’s traditionally or independently, takes time. Start planning your course of action this month. Figure out what obstacles lay between you and your goal, and plan how you can overcome them one by one.

In March, I resolve to… stop procrastinating.
Procrastination is one of the writer’s most formidable enemies. This month, make a point of not allowing yourself to waste any of your scheduled writing time doing anything off point—including visiting the fridge, clipping your hangnails, or checking your email.

In April, I resolve to… edit an old story.
Pull your last story out of the closet and go over it with the ol’ red pen. Stories are never finished, just abandoned. So take advantage of the distance of time between you and an old story to gain an objective vantage point.

In May, I resolve to… send my story out for critique.
Try to always have something in the hands of a reader who can give you constructive feedback. Cultivate partnerships with other writers, with whom you can trade edits. Or bite the bullet and hire a professional editor to help you put that professional polish on your story.

In June, I resolve to… enforce my writing time.
This is the month to stop letting others run all over you and your writing time. Kindly, but firmly, let others know that your writing time is not to be interfered with. Even more important, refuse to let yourself feel guilty for making your writing a priority.

In July, I resolve to… streamline my writing process.
Take a hard look at your daily writing routine and your writing process as a whole. What could you do to streamline it? What new methods could you try? What current habits are deadweight that can be safely jettisoned?

In August, I resolve to… fact check my story.
Go through your story and make note of every single fact, no matter how small, that there’s even the slightest chance you could have gotten wrong. Then double-check them.

In September, I resolve to… do one thing to build my author’s platform.
Even if publication isn’t in your near future, start thinking about how you can start interacting with and building your reading community. Create a website, join a forum, print business cards.

In October, I resolve to… interview my characters.
Solidify and expand your knowledge of your characters by interviewing them. Find out their favorite colors, worst childhood memories, and fondest dreams. You can find a list of interview questions in my free e-book Crafting Unforgettable Characters (or an expanded list in my book Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success).

In November, I resolve to... get organized.
Clean out your desk and organize your notes, both hardcopy and digital. Trash anything you don’t need and file everything in appropriate folders, so you’ll be able to find what you need when you need it.

In December, I resolve to... exterminate clichés.
Go through your manuscript and specifically look for clichéd phrases and overused words. You’ll be surprised how many you find. Underline them in red and brainstorm original replacements.

Bonus: Year-Long Resolution:
This year, I resolve to read at least one book on the craft every month.

Note to the readers: the original article can be seen when you click this link-

source: http://wordplay-kmweiland.blogspot.com

Inkie-interaction Question: What's your writing resolutions for 2012?

HAPPY HOLIDAYS DEAR INKIES!