5 Worst Types of Colleagues You’ll Meet at Work

                Unless you plan to be a bum for the rest of your life, you cannot avoid going to work.  And as an employee, you are expected to act accordingly to the rules and regulations of your company which includes not punching a co-worker in the face. We all get stressed and frustrated at work and as difficult as it is already, some people somehow makes it even harder simply by being themselves.

Here are the 5 worst types of colleague you’ll definitely meet (or may have already) at work:

The Know-It-All  

                Ugh, nobody likes a know-it-all, right? But for some reason, they keep on breeding and there are lots of them in the workplace. They dote on you and criticizing every little thing you do, correcting every single wrongs and the worst part is, they’re not even your boss. How to deal with them? Be a know-it-all yourself but only use it to defend yourself. Prove to them that you know what you’re doing and no one else should tell you how to do your job unless they’re the ones paying your bills.

The Get Me Out Of Here

                This type is easy to spot. They’re the ones who are slumped on their chairs all day, complaining about everything. They complain about having to wake up so early. They complain about the traffic. They complain about the rude bus driver they just had a fight with. They complain about the weather, the train, the sky, the desk and the way the hours go oh so slow. They have always told you that they’re going to resign and find a better job somewhere but they’ve been saying that for years now and they’re still in the company, complaining. Stay away from this type if you don’t want to become like them.

The Mega Phone

                Happy-go-lucky, cheerful, giddy but loud, very loud-these are the traits of the Mega Phones. This type of colleague is harmless at first if you’re new at the office but once they get to know you, they’ll talk to you as if you’re at the other side of the office. Always excited about everything, they like telling stories you care nothing about and you’d seriously want to put something inside their mouths to get them to stop talking but of course, you can’t do that so just pop on your earphones and listen to heavy metal instead.

The Politician

                Ah, nothing says corporate drama than office politics. This is where the office politicians thrive. This is their battlefield. They work their way into the ranks and befriends everyone, especially the big bosses. They often make themselves popular by doing people favors but don’t get fooled, once they get to the position that they want, they’ll do an entire 360 and become the monster they always were.

The Dunce

                Idiots are fun that’s why every village wants one but definitely not in the workplace. Dunces are little children on “Bring Your Child To Work Day”. They literally don’t know or care about what they’re doing as long as they’re getting paid for it. They are most of the time subordinates who keep bugging you with questions rather than taking the initiative to figure things out on their own. It’ll make you wonder if they’re really just lazy or a legit bunch of idiots who miraculously know how to make a resume and pass a job interview.

Best 90s Bands That Should Be In Your Playlist

                The 90s can be best described as a bridge for it connects two generations. It’s the old and the coming of the new millennium blending within a decade. That’s why the music scene of the 90s is a merry mix of the fading 80s dance raves and pop songs and the emerging new subgenres of rock and roll such as alternative rock and grunge rock. Soon enough, a lot of these bands dominated the airwaves and people were listening to guitar riffs and bass lines again just like the good ‘ol days of rock in the 70s but with an angst-y twist. If you’re unaware of the amazing music scene of the 90s and want to enrich your playlist with actual music instead of pop sensations and digitally altered music that we have today, here are the best 90s bands that you should definitely listen to:

Blink-182

                You can ask any pop punk band that was formed in the early 2000s about their major influence and the answer will definitely include Blink-182. Founded by Mark Hoppus on vocals/bass, Tom DeLonge on vocals/guitars and drummer Scott Raynor (replaced by Travis Barker in 1998), the band is best known for reinventing and developing pop punk music. Since their debut in 1995, Blink-182 continued to top the charts with their hit songs such as “Dammit”, “What’s My Age Again”, “Adam’s song”, “All The Small Things” and many more. To date, the band has sold over 3.5 million albums worldwide. As of now, the band is going through some sort of a break up with DeLonge on an indefinite hiatus. Still, their big influence on today’s bands and to their fans remains undeniable.

Pearl Jam

                Nothing says 90s music than the band Pearl Jam. Their diverse music and interesting subjects that they use in their songs made them extremely popular, especially amongst teenagers. Formed in Seattle, Washington in the year 1990, Eddie Vader (vocals), Stone Gossard (guitar), Jeff Amment (bass), Mike Cready (guitar) and Matt Cameron (current drummer) sold over 3.1 million albums worldwide. If you want to hear how good this band is, check out their song “Jeremy” and “Just Breathe”.

Green Day

               This list would not be called best bands of the 90s without Green Day in it. Composed of Billie Joe Armstrong on vocals and guitar, Tre’ Cool on Drums and Mike Dirnt on bass, the band was formed in 1986 but achieved their commercial breakthrough in 1994 with their album, Kerplunk. Armed with their vicious take on punk rock, Green Day sold over 75 million albums worldwide and won numerous awards, including a Tony with the Broadway adaptation of their most successful studio album, American Idiot.  I suggest you put the whole American Idiot album on your playlist because every single song in there are worth the listen.

Rage Against The Machine

                Rage Against The Machine was not dubbed as The World’s Most Dangerous Band for nothing. Their hip/hop fused with heavy metal sound conquered the airwaves in 1992 with their self titled album that topped the charts despite their radical music. In fact, it is their radicalism that raised them to fame. Composed of Zack de La Rocha on vocals, Tom Morello on guitars, Brad Wilk on drums and Tim Commerford on bass, RATM used their songs to inspire social change amongst their audience and provide support to the minorities, especially those who are often victimized by racism in the United States and the rest of the world.  Though they disbanded in 2000, their songs of freedom and equality still rings true, especially now more than ever. If you want to hear how badass this band is, listen to ‘Killing In the Name”, “Bulls on Parade” and my personal favorite “Freedom”.

Nirvana 

                Nirvana is considered to be the voice of the 90s. Why wouldn’t they be when they started the whole grunge era of rock and roll? The Nirvana trio composed of Kurt Cobain on vocals and guitar, Kris Novoselic on bass and Dave Grohl on drums, became the flagship of Generation X because of their songs about individuality. They also invented the “quiet verses and heavy chorus” song formula which is widely used today by a lot of bands. Even after the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994 and their breakup, Nirvana continued to be one of the best selling bands of all time garnering over 75 million albums ales worldwide. In case you don’t have their songs yet on your playlist, you should definitely check out their classic songs “Smells Like Teen Spirit, “Come as You Are” and “No Apologies”.

Shocking Facts about the Philippine Martial Law

It’s been 43 years since former President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law. We’ve learned some stuff about it during our history class at school but my further readings told me that there are many things we didn’t know about it and weren’t taught to us in class. Here are some of the most shocking facts about the Philippine Martial Law:

• Former President Ferdinand Marcos was not the only president to declare martial law. In fact, it was Emilio Aguinaldo who first declared Martial Law making him not only the first president of the republic but also the country’s first dictator.

• Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo also declared a Martial Law in Mindanao to investigate the Amputan Clan’s alleged private armies and weaponry.

• Curfew was strictly imposed during the martial law and anyone who is caught walking the streets between 11pm-4am gets arrested and detained by the Metrocom or metropolitan.

• Little kids didn’t get to enjoy watching anime (Japanese animation) like Voltes V, Daimos or Mazinger Z. The government’s reason for banning these shows is that they’re too violent for little children to watch. Other says that it’s because the animes’ stories are about fighting an oppressive villain that’s why the Marcos regime didn’t want kids to watch it.

• Theater became a potent vehicle for political expression. PETA (Philippine Educational Theater Association) used their shows to express their sympathies against the government. They also taught local communities about theater.

• Senator Jose Diokno was known to be one of Marcos’ formidable foes alongside Senator Ninoy Aquino. After the successful overthrow of the Marcos regime, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Presidential Commission on Human Rights. However, during Cory’s regime and the infamous Mendiola massacre where the military opened fire and killed 15 farmers, he resigned from his position, disappointed that even after the dictator is gone, not much has changed.

• During Martial Law, Meralco was under the control of the government that’s why the electric bill during that time was incredibly lower than what’s written on our bills today. After the Cory regime got rid of the Marcoses, she gave back the company to the Lopez’ and completely out of the government’s hands.

• Public schools were normally supplied with NutriBun. a high-vitamin bun which was supposedly a complete, all-in-one meal. It only costs five centavos.

• Although his wife Imelda was credited for building some of the country’s finest monuments, she was criticized for personal extravagance. She was called the iron butterfly of Asia because of her ability to make connections with other powerful people fast. She’s also as strong willed as her late husband.

• Imelda Marcos came up with the Green Revolution program which required students to bring and plant seeds and take care of the environment. Aside from this, they are also required to attend news programs.

• After the 1986 people power, not much has changed and the Philippines still remained one of the poorest countries in Asia as opposed to our former title, The Tiger of Asia during Marcos’ regime.

We all have different views about the Martial but one thing is for sure, it did change the entire nation and affected the generation that came after it.

The Best Movies of 2014

  There were a lot of films released in the past year but only some of them made a great impact to the viewing public but some of them really stood out and took the box office by storm. Here are some of the most iconic films of 2014:

Boyhood

                Richard Linklater’s twelve years-in-the-making masterpiece impressed a lot of audiences worldwide. The movie was so moving that US President Barack Obama even declared this his favorite movie of 2014. What made this movie special is not just its incredible length but also the lengths the staff and crew went through to get this movie done. For twelve whole years, Boyhood follows the story of a young boy and his journey to becoming a man; facing real situations along the way.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

                Entering the doors of the Grand Budapest Hotel is like walking straight into a painting. Full of wonderful characters and an amazing color palette as expected of any Wes Anderson movie, The Grand Budapest will not only make your eyes wide with amazement but will also fill your heart with emotions.

The Lego Movie

                Why did this animated made the cut of the best movies of 2014? The answer is simple: because it’s awesome. The Lego Movie is not your average animated film although it might look like that at first. It’s one of those films that you didn’t expect to make a big impact in you but it did. This movie is not just for kids and Lego enthusiast but  for all ages because it talks about self worth and how your own uniqueness can be your super power. I owe a lot to this movie because it inspired me to be more proud of myself.

               

Norte: Hangganan ng Kasaysayan (Norte: The End of History)

                It’s not a surprise anymore that a few Filipino indie film receieve awards from many different award giving bodies. So what makes this Lav Diaz masterpiece different from the others? Norte: Hangganan ng Kasaysayan is what the critics call the best interpretation of Dosteovsky’s Crime and Punishment. Set in the Northern part of the Philippines, the movie depicts a story of an innocent man convicted of a crime he did not commit. This movie is four hours long but it you won’t even notice it because aside from the gripping story, it also visually tasty, full of amazingly shot scenes that shows a tragic story on a beautiful background. If you’re looking for your next favorite film, you should definitely see Norte: Hangganan ng Kasayasayan.

Guardians of the Galaxy

Known as one of the biggest superhero movies of all time because of its massive popularity, Guardians of the Galaxy proved that in every film, the story is still king. Equipped with a amazing special effects and unconventional characters, this movie exceeded my expectations of a normal superhero flick because it did more than just to excite me with fight scenes, it also warmed my heart and made me laugh harder than any other comedy movies I’ve ever watched. I love how the characters are all very different from each other and aren’t stereotypical.

Pinoy Children Shows That Should be on TV Again

               When I was a kid, I used to wake up at 8am and sit right in front of our TV every weekday to watch my favorite shows on local channels. We didn’t have cable back then but even when we got it, I still go back to my favorite children’s shows from time to time until they all just slowly vanished. These shows are so close to my heart and they taught me a lot of lessons not just academically but also in life.

Here are some Pinoy Children Shows that should be on TV Again:

Hiraya Manawari

                Hiraya Manawari is one of the longest running children’s shows back in my day. The term Hiraya is a deeper form of “sana” (hopefully) and Manawari means “mangyari” or “Matupad”. In English, it literally means “I Hope it comes true”. From what I remember it’s a show that teaches children about discipline, love and friendship. Most episodes of Hiraya Manawari involves travelling to Magical Lands and meeting magical creatures that will teach the protagonist of that particular story a lesson that that they will carry when they go back to their real world. What I miss about this show is the storyline of every episode because they do not take their audience for granted. I love how the stories even have slightly complicated plots that even adults can still learn from it. They should really bring this back instead of re-running old violent cartoons.

Bayani

This is the show that made me a history nerd and I regret nothing. I love this show so much I even risk getting late for school just to finish an episode. Bayani is a history based children’s show that brings audiences to the lives of our heroes and the builders of our nation. It’s like a first class ticket to the lives of Andres Bonifacio, Jose Rizal, Antonio Luna, Diego Silang and many more. The main thing I love about this show aside from the amazing set is that the portrayal of characters. The actors are all amazing! A lot of kids find history (especially ours) boring nowadays and perhaps if they bring this show back, it will spark their interest just as it did mine when I was a student.

Batibot

Batibot is like our very own version of Sesame Street with puppets and singing and learning about lots of stuff. I don’t remember much about the episodes of this show but I do remember Kapitan Basa who probably inspired my love for reading. Oh and also Kuya Bodjie (Luisito Pascua) the story teller. Batibot truly made me happy when I was a kid and I’m sure if they bring this back, little kids will love it too; just as long as they put away their phones for a bit.

Mathinik

I hated math when I was a kid (till now) and when Mathinik, a show about Mathematics came to television, It saved me from the horror of boring numbers. This show made Math fun for all of us, especially since they make solving problems a lot easier by making it very visual. I must say it improved my Math grades a little but I still find the subject boring. Nevertheless, it proved that teaching a boring subject in a fun way definitely helps.

Epol Apol

                Epol Apol is an English related children’s show that aims to teach little children proper English grammar and English words. I loved this show so much because it challenged me to learn English at such a young age. Kuya Bodjie also hosts this show and he travels with two children through distant lands to learn English phrases, usage, pronunciations, etc. This is one of the most educational since it forces the audience to learn because otherwise, they wouldn’t understand the episode.

Sineskwela

Sineskwela is the reason why I am in love with Science. To this day, even if I’m not in school anymore, I am still very much interested in it and this show is to blame. I was a very curious kid (still am) and this show satisfied me a lot, especially that episode where they travelled inside someone’s intestines. I also remember that episode about the weather and they visually depicted how a cloud forms from water vapor and oh, that episode about Volcanoes! Sineskwela was my all-time favorite show when I was a kid and I wouldn’t mind watching it again as a young adult. I want to see Kuya Bok, Ugat Puno, Ate Giselle, Ate Winnie, Palikpik, Kulitsap, Anatom and Agatom again, do some Science and chant “Siyensya, Siyensya! Mag-imbestiga, tuklasin ang hiwaga ng Siyensya!”

5 Ways the Media Has Manipulated You

                                Manipulation is a type of social influence that aims to change the perception or behavior of others through underhanded, deceptive, or even abusive tactics.  You can deny this as long as you want but we are all victims of manipulation every day since we got exposed to media. What media am I talking about? Everything from television programs, magazine, radio shows, the internet and all other methods of spreading information. It’s kind of like being hypnotized to do certain things or believe in something and we don’t even know we’re doing it. If you still think only you command your own mind, here are the 5 Ways Media Has Manipulated You:

1. Convincing you to Consume More Than You Should

                We all know the awesome power of the advertisements. And even though we hate seeing these 30 second clips while we are watching our favorite show, there’s nothing we can do but wait for them to be over so we won’t miss a thing from what we’re really trying to watch. In turn, we are forced to see these commercials that do nothing but sell us something we don’t need by making it seem like we do. They use flowery words, attractive people, sets and famous actors to convince you that your life will be complete if you just buy their products or give you the illusion that you CAN also have it all, just like your favorite celebrity can. And seeing all of those every day will definitely have an impact on your perception of things.

2. Reporting Half Truths

                When it comes to news reports, people are always so trusting especially if it comes from a reputable television network. What most people don’t know is that everything we see or hear on the news are all super filtered that almost only ½ of the actual story remains, sometimes it’s zero when the network is trying to protect a personality or a political figure. Most of the time, these networks often create expose programs to make it seem like they’re trying to uncover an actual truth. But in the end, they only manage to pose in more questions than answers.

3.  Making Sure You Remain Stupid

                The people who controls the media, controls the nation. That’s why they keep making mediocre shows for the masses’ mediocre minds and make it appear as if it’s the best thing on prime time TV even though the concept has been used over and over again in the past 10 years. Most of us don’t seem to mind the mindless television shows as long as they see others clapping for it, winning prizes and getting to hug celebrities that don’t really care about your poverty. They took out all the educational shows for kids and replaced it with Korean series’. That way, kids would be more educated about the history of other countries rather than their own because once they start caring about their country, they will start questioning the government. That’s why they want to keep you ignorant for as long as they want to rule.

4. Changing Stories and Rewriting History

                If you only get your information from the television, internet and newspapers, you are screwed. Why? Because there are loads of wrong information injected into your system every single day! Television shows have been tampering with actual historical events in favor of political figures and propagandas they support for years. They have lulled you into thinking that those who oppose the government are disturbing the peace. Let me tell you now that there is no peace. The peace you’re experiencing right now is brought to you by your compliance to the system. It’s all staged and they’re hiding the chaos so you’d submit willingly without resistance and accept whatever lie they feed you and accept it as truth; a lie that will be passed down to your children to the next until the truth is no more.

5. Distract you from what’s Important

                The most important tactic the media uses to manipulate us all is through distractions. Especially now that our attention spans are shortening as technology advances, it’s easier for them to keep us from questioning authority. There are a lot of awful happenings around the world that require our attention but most of us would rather update their Instagram with the latest picture of their lunch rather than spread the word. Most of us would rather browse through their Facebook newsfeed than give a crap about the corruption in the government. We aren’t even mad enough to do anything instead we take our anger to social media and we just let it fester there. The people who controls the media knows this and they’re going to keep coming up with distractions so we won’t ever oppose them. They think we are stupid and easily manipulated and we are proving them right.

Best Biopics that are Worth Your Time

            Everyone loves a good fiction but you have to admit, any novel or film becomes more interesting when you realize that it’s based on a true story. Here are the best biopics that are definitely worth your time:

 

Amadeus

            Although it has a lot of fictional add-ons, there is no doubt that this masterpiece from Milos Forman is one of the best biopics ever to hit the big screen. Receiving 53 nominations and winning 40 including an Academy Award for Best Picture, this film that depicts the life of the world’s greatest classical composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as told by his rival Antonio Salieri will leave you breathless. In my case, crying so hard at the end I can’t even breathe. It doesn’t matter if you’re a classical music enthusiast or not, you will definitely enjoy this 1984 movie because aside from its amazing set and unbelievable soundtrack, the story will stick with you for the rest of your life.

The Pianist

            War movies often leave us depressed but this film is very different from the others. Why? Because aside from leaving you depressed, it will also make you feel so destroyed. Please don’t let those words discourage you from seeing this movie if you haven’t already. This movie is truly beautiful but knowing that the horrible events that took place in the film is real will break your heart. Based on the memoirs of the Polish-Jewish pianist and composer Władysław Szpilman, The Pianist will make you a different person after watching it. It’s life changing despite how tragic it is.

The Aviator

            Just in case the fact that this movie is a Scorsese-DiCaprio production isn’t enough for you, then I’ll give you more reasons to watch this film that depicts the true to life story of Howard Hughes. This movie, perfectly starred by the amazing Leonardo DiCaprio as Hughes is reason number one, enough said. Reason number two, the story is just so incredible, you’d think it’s somehow fictional. But the best part is it’s not and it will definitely teach you a thing or two about determination. And reason number three, everything in this movie is flawless. The set, costume design, the cast and especially the script is just top notch. If you die without ever seeing this movie, you’ll definitely regret it.

Into The Wild

            This film is one of the most philosophical films I’ve ever seen in my entire life and it affected me so much that it changed a lot of my opinions in life. In fact, I’d like to think that this movie somehow made me a better person than I was before. Into the Wild is based on the travels of Christopher McCandles and his life in the Alaskan wilderness. It taught me a lot about dreams and possessions and how material things don’t mean as much as we think. But the most amazing thing I learned from this movie is that travelling will definitely make you a better storyteller.

 

The Real History behind Assassin’s Creed Games

 

                People who keep saying that playing video games does nothing but corrupt the brain and make you stupid clearly haven’t played Ubisoft’s most popular game, Assassin’s Creed. I’ve been playing the series for months now and the reason why it’s taking me a long time to finish one AC game is because I don’t want to rush such a masterpiece. You see, Assassin’s Creed is based on actual events in history and though some parts are fictional, the rest are fairly accurate. So for all you history nerds and video game aficionados out there, here are some of the real historical events featured in the Assassin’s Creed series:

The ‘Hashasins’ of Masyaf

                In the first installment of Assassin’s Creed, we follow the story of Altair Ibn La-Ahad, the master assassin of Masyaf who lived sometime in 1165-1257. Most of the story in the game occurred from 1189-92, the time which the Third Crusade took place. Now, the dates are accurate but did a secret order of Assassin’s existed during that time? Yes and they were called ‘Hashasins’. The Assassin’s guild, based at the castle of Masyaf, was established by Hassan-I Sabbah, a Persian missionary and philosopher. His assassins would target leaders, politicians and many influential people to give warnings to those who are planning to oppose him. They were also trained in martial arts and can blend with the crowd just like Altair.

They also do these killings in broad daylight to send a powerful message to the masses. Salāḥ ad-DīnYūsufibnAyyūb (better known as Saladin) who’s often mentioned in the game, is an actual Sultan who in real life, had problems with the assassins. Though he wasn’t assassinated, he backed off from fighting with them after an assassin left a dagger under his pillow that truly put him in his place.

The Knight Templars

                We now know that the Assassins were a real deal but what about their enemies, the Templars? Like the Assassin’s, the Templars were also written in history and was very active during the crusades. They were known as the Knight Templars and their original aim is to escort Pilgrims to the Holy Land. However, it soon grew into a military order that gained favors from very powerful people, including The Pope. Soon, corruption and murder overtook the knights and they were disbanded right after the crusades. Although, some people still claim that the organization still exists under a different name. Kind of like Abstergo Industries in the game, history books say they are long gone. Also, the appearance of the Templars in AC 1 were also historically accurate since most Templars works as guards, doctors and military leaders during that time.

Historical Characters

                Aside from Sultan Saladin, there were also a lot of real historical people scattered around the Assassin’s Creed universe. Most prominent is Rodrigo Borgia or most commonly known as Pope Alexander VI. In AC II, he was the main antagonist and if you think he’s evil in the game, he was reportedly so much worse in real life. He bought his way into papacy and was known to be a womanizer. He did whatever it takes to stay in power until he was poisoned in 1503. In the game, he was poisoned by his own son, Cesare (who’s also as bad in real life as his character in the game). Leonardo Da Vinci also appeared as EzioAuditore’soldest friend.

In AC III, George Washington gave aid to the assassin named Connor as he tried to free the US from the Templars. Black Beard, the legendary pirate king appeared in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. In the latest installment Assassin’s Creed Unity set in the midst of the French revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte assumed a very important role in the game.

                There are more historical Easter eggs hidden in the Assassin’s Creed universe and it adds to the fun trying to find and read all about it in history books. So, the next time you play AC, watch out for the real events and people in history in the game and it might just help you ace your exams.

2014’s Most Shocking Events

                A lot of shocking events has happened in the year 2014. Some of them are too tragic to forget. To sum up all the events that made the headlines last year, here’s a list of the most shocking events of 2014:

The Ukraine Crisis (January 2014- Present)

                2014 didn’t start easy for Ukranians as disagreements between protesters and separatists factions spiraled into an almost civil war. It all began when a number of Ukranians protestes against the government when they dropped the plans to forge a closer trade with the European union. In February 2014 alone, hundreds of protesters have been killed. Up until now, the crisis in Ukraine remains unresolved.

The Ebola Outbreak (February 2014)

                One of the worst epidemic of the 21st century, The Ebola outbreak began in West Africa on February 2014. A lot of health officers died in the area while trying to stop the virus from spreading. However, the virus spread so quickly that it even reached the United States of America. It caused massive scare on the entire world and up until now, the World Health Organization is still diligently working to eradicate this epidemic quickly.

The Missing Flight: MH370 (March 2014)

                On a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 disappeared somewhere over the Gulf of Thailand along with its 239 passengers on board. There’s been a lot of speculations why the plane suddenly disappeared and the most popular theory is a terrorist attack. However, none of these have been proven to be the real since the flight is still missing. Experts believe that the plane might have crashed near the Indian Ocean. So far, no sign of the airplane has been found there since though the search continues to this day.

The UC Santa Barbara Killing Spree (May 2014)

                A 22-year old student named Elliot Rodger started shooting fellow students inside their campus simply because no one would date him. He started off by killing his roommate and his friends inside their dorm and then he proceeds to shoot students around the campus. Before he committed the heinous act, he reportedly sent an email called “manifesto” to his relatives and posted a video on Youtube about his plans on how to he will go about his killing spree and why.

MH 17 Shot down over Ukraine (July 2014)

                Following the crisis in Ukraine and the disappearance of MH 370, another Malaysian plane got involved in another tragedy. Malaysian Airlines flight 17 has been shot down by surface-to-air missile, blowing up the plane and killing all the 298 people inside. It was believed that Russian separatists did the shooting.

Israel Invades The Gaza Strip (July-August 2014)

                One of the most shocking events of 2014 is the Israel invasion of The Gaza strip where thousands of people, including children have been killed. It started with the execution of Israeli students in Gaza committed by a group called Hamas. During those seven days of hell, 2,107 Palestinians and 71 Israelis were killed.

The Ferguson Riots (August 2014-Present)

                Following the death of an unarmed African-American teenager named Micahel Brown by the hands of the police, a massive riot erupted in Ferguson, Missouri. The protesters called for justice for the death of Brown and hundreds of other African-Americans because of racism and stereotyping. This protest receieved a massive following worldwide and gained support online. To this day, the policeman who shot Michael Brown hasn’t been arrested for murder.

Robin William’s Suicide (August 2014)

                The suicide of Robin Williams, one of the most iconic comedians of all time and an award winning actor, brought the whole world to tears. He was found dead in his home in Paradise Cay, California. His death reminded us once again that people who usually make other people happy are the ones who are battling the biggest demons.

What should be on Your New Year’s Resolution?

                Writing a New Year’s Resolution is a secular tradition in which a person makes a promise to do a big change or any act of self-improvement for the coming New Year. It is said to have started since the Babylonian era where they would promise to their Gods that they will return any borrowed objects and settle any debts at the start of each year.

Now, every New Year, most people make up a list of things they want to change or improve on for the coming year. The problem is, most of these New Year’s resolutions are left undone and worse, forgotten. So, to avoid breaking your own promises to yourself, here are a few tips in writing your New Year’s Resolution:

• Keep it ‘Doable’

The main reason why so many resolutions go to waste each year is because they’re not at all realistic. You must keep your resolutions simple, specific and easier to abide by. For example, if you’re planning to lose weight before the next holiday season, don’t write “become thin by December’. Instead, write “Work out more frequently to achieve weight goal every month till December”.

• Reflect on the good things

Don’t just jump on to the New Year as if the last one didn’t happen. Before you make plans for 2015, make sure you cherish and remember all the good things that went well on 2014. Whether it’s a job promotion, a new car or just a memorable bonding moment with friends and family, they are ought to be remembered, celebrated even. This way, you’d be able to look at the New Year with a more positive outlook and more enthusiasm to make your resolutions a reality.

• Write Goals with Impact

Aside from writing resolutions for self-improvement, you should also write a goal that has a lasting impact on you and everyone else. Don’t just do things for yourself, do for other people as well. You can try volunteering for a charity or joining a Non-Government Organization. You can also try teaching and helping out in your own community.

• Think Small

One of the most common mistakes of people who often bail out on their New Year’s Resolution is thinking too big. Don’t fight your biggest battles head on. Instead, break them down into smaller pieces and try to achieve them step by step. Don’t rush your improvement. After all, you’ve got 365 days ahead of you.

• Work On It

Your resolutions are worth nothing if you don’t work on it every single day. Develop a time table for each promise and monitor your progress every week. You can even ask a relative or a friend to check up on you so you’ll know how you’re holding up. Think of your resolutions as a challenge that you need to overcome and always keep your eye on winning.

• Enjoy the Process

You’re not going to reach your goal if you’re dragging the entire process of it. If you keep complaining on how big your sacrifice is to achieve your goal, you might as well quit instead of making yourself miserable. You should always devise a way to enjoy every bit of doing your New Year’s resolution and take no short cuts so when the time comes when you finally achieve your goal, it’ll be worth it.