On the Verge of Lunacy

Title: The Assyrian Author: Nicholas Guild Date Published: 1987 Genre: Historical Fiction Sequel: The Blood Star Summary The story is told from the first-person perspective of the protagonist, Tiglath Ashur, a fictional son of King Sennacherib and half-brother of Prince Essarhadon.  Tiglath was given the mark of the Blood Star of Ishtar on the day his grandfather Sargon was killed by the Kullumites. Sargon is here is not to be confused with the Akkadian king. Author is most likely referring to Sargon II. The people believed that the mark is a curse, and true indeed, it seemed that Tiglath was tricked by his gods. The story covers the first 25 years of his life through the voice of an old Tiglath who now lives in Greece.  The Prince grew up in the house of women along with his half-brother Esarhaddon and many others. It was there where Tiglath met the love of his life, Esharhamat who was fated to be the Mother of Kings and wife to the crown prince, or marsarru....

The disappointment that filled me when I first exercised my right to suffrage will be one of the things I will never be able to erase in my memory. A few hours after my finger was marked with an indelible ink, I realized that my hopes were for naught. Then I said to myself, why should I be worried? After all I'm not to be blamed for what was in store for the country for the next six years. Although this may sound a bit too accusing, the Philippines has finally showed what it really is made up of -- idiots. It is quite ironic for a country that dreams of a better life for its children to elect someone who is clearly incompetent and unfit for the seat of presidency. We keep demanding for something better yet the majority of us cannot even follow simple traffic rules. We keep accusing the leaders for being corrupt yet we do harm to ourselves and others in little ways we do not know (remember when you first sneaked out of the house to be with our barkada or how you stole a few peso...

The White Shirt "Hmm...I think this color looks better on Ore-sama's perfect, flawless complexion, don't you think so Kabaji?", mused Atobe while he ran his hands through his perfect, shiny hair. "Usu." Atobe rolled his eyes, "I knew you would say that". He got another long-sleeved polo shirt from the rack. "Cheap", he muttered. "Ore-sama should wear only the finest so people can admire the sight of ore-sama's beauty". He snapped his finger and a female attendant appeared at his side carrying more clothes to choose from. Kabaji stared, unmoving. While Atobe was trying on some of the clothes, another customer arrived. Kabaji stared at him. "Ah, so this is the place. How nice", Shinji buzzed. He saw the pile of new arrivals at the farthest corner of the store and stood before it, thinking loudly to himself. "Kamio said it's expensive here. But I need to find something to wear for the party tomorrow even if ...

He dropped to his knees when exhaustion finally claimed him. He was breathing hard and was bathing in his sweat but Kaidoh felt cold inside.   It was almost past 10 in the evening. He was supposed to take the bus but he figured that he could use the timefor a few minutes of jogging. He wants to be ready for the next match. He was walking home from Eiji's house, grateful that he cannot hear stupid Momo's stories when he saw Inui-sempai. He waved but Inui did not see him so he decided to observe his sempai first. He was busy tinkering with something but Kaidoh could not see what it was that interested Inui because it was dark.   "Haha...finally I found the ultimate recipe for my next project", he declared. Kaidoh could only see the flashlight he was holding. He moved closer cautiously, not wanting to disturb his sempai but curious at the same time. By being able to see what Inui was up to will make him ready next time he's asked to drink those awful concoctions....

STORM December 7 th . A day before the fiesta in  Dinagat ,  Surigao   del   Norte , my family set out for a perilous trip across the angry Pacific in a rattling boat. The heavy rain kept pounding on the rotting roof. The waters drummed on the sides and kept us unsteady on our feet. Even the wind were merciless;they deafen the ears. But the eagerness to attend a long-awaited family reunion kept us in high spirits amidst the storm. It was almost impossible to cross yet we braved on. The boat had to sail in its slowest possible speed to keep it afloat. It was hell hot inside. Everyone was silent as statues  and  even the little kids were aware of the danger. It seems that the slightest movement will inch them closer to death. I  opened  up ode window to let the air in. Instead, rain ambushed my face. Still wet, I went out and climbed up to the exposed roof and sat beside my cousin who was soaked to the bones. Fear crept up to my spine as I gazed upo...

Who is the next Michael Jordan? The list of names might go on forever but this player I'm going to talk about is not likely to be a candidate. Jordan undoubtedly is the best player to play the guard position and perhaps Tim Duncan might be the best power forward to play in the NBA.. He's not one of the flashiest players like Vince Carter or Shaq or Kobe; he doesn't have Allen Iverson's stutter crossover and he's not even among the most popular faces in the league. That is why some NBA fans are surprised when told of his accomplishments in his eight-year career. Duncan embodies the philosophy of pure basketball yet inly a few could appreciate him. But who really is this player? Why is he underrated? And what is behind this silent unmovable force that placed the San Antonio Spurs as the 2005 champions? After Jordan's second retirement I lost interest in the NBA. But on May17, 2002, one week after my birthday, a man with a blank expression on his face caught my eye...

Di ko lubos akalaing ganito kasakit ang paghihinagpis na daranasin ko. Kaybigat ng aking dibdib at halos di na mapigilan ang agos ng aking luha.Wala na. Wala na akong hahabulin, kukulitin at lalaruin sa labas. Wala na. Wala ng sasalubong sakin na halos matumba sa wagayway ng buntot.Wala na. Wala ng magmamakaawa para humingi ng makakain. Wala na. Wala na kayo na itinuring ko na parang mga kapatid na tao. Kung ano man ang pagkukulang koy pinagdurusahan ko na ngayon.Mahal ko kayong pareho. Ngunit kahit ano pang laban ang gawin natiy di tayo para sa isat isa. Mga alaala sa isip koy di na mabubura pa. At ang sakit ay dadalhin ko sa bawat minutong kayoy maaalala. Nagtataka at nagtatanong ngunit wala akong sinisisi. LAhat tayoy nagmahal, nasaktan at lumuha. Nagdurusa rin kami sa sakit sa inyong pilit nilalabanan. Ngunit wala kaming magawa. Sanay sa mga maliligayang alaala natin ay nagbunga ito ng kasiyahan sa mga bata nating puso. Paalam sa inyo.