I was born and raised in the Philippines. My country is like a melting pot of different cultures, the most dominant of which are Spanish and American. My father, who was born at the time of World War I and who fought in World War II, have always had high praises for the Americans. He was very quick to point out that the Americans were the ones who instilled in Filipinos the value of education. In fact, the Philippine educational system was based on the American’s. It’s a fact that the Philippines is the only English-speaking nation in Asia.

But when I came here, I was shocked at what I found out. The American youth’s value for education has deteriorated. To graduate from High School is already an achievement. Getting a college education is far from their minds. It is either they see it as a waste of time or education had become an item of luxury.

Government support for the system in terms of funding for both the structure and the cost of education is overwhelming. But still there are no takers. No wonder better educated immigrants are taking over the jobs.

Getting a college education is now so expensive that parents can no longer sustain financial support for their children. Students who are decided on pursuing a college education turn to financing companies for help. Unfortunately, some of them could not get out of debt.

I have compiled some useful ebooks on this topic:

Borrowing Student Loans Responsibly
Your Future is in Your Hands
Student Loan Pitfalls
Student Loan Repayment Tips
Student Loan Consolidation
Scholarship Databases

Two major issues against Senator Barack Obama is his alleged refusal to do a hand-over-heart when the national anthem is being played, and his alleged refusal to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. These two issues are being propagated in several versions of mass email messages circulating in the Internet. The email message normally has the image below as it’s come-on:

The image had been proven authentic. And video footage of the event clearly shows Senator Obama’s hands were in a clasp while the other personalities in the picture have their hand over their heart.

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Several years ago, whenever my friends would see me with something new, they would immediately remark, “Allan, where did you buy that - from eBay?”. This would be followed with chuckles. Now, these same friends buy everything from eBay, Half.com and other online stores they could google. They have become my disciples.

Everyone loves a great deal! Many people spend quite a bit of time searching for good deals on the items that they want and need and when they find those deals, they experience a certain amount of satisfaction. These people typically haunt garage sales, stores that are holding sales, wholesale warehouses, flea markets, and especially online and off-line auctions. With the incredible number of auctions that are constantly going on at eBay, it can be difficult to find the items you want, at the price you want to pay. But it isn’t impossible to find great deals!
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I recently received the following article which was posted to our fraternity messageboard. The article’s source was supposed to be SNOPES.COM.

snopes.com

Who is Barack Obama?

Probable U. S. presidential candidate, Barack Hussein Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black MUSLIM from Nyangoma-Kogel, Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white ATHEIST from Wichita, Kansas.

Obama’s parents met at the University of Hawaii . When Obama was two years old, his parents divorced. His father returned to Kenya . His mother then married Lolo Soetoro , a RADICAL Muslim from Indonesia.

When Obama was 6 years old, the family relocate to Indonesia . Obama attended a MUSLIM school in Jakarta . He also spent two years in a Catholic school.

Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim. He is quick to point out that, “He was once a Muslim, but that he also attended Catholic school.”

Obama’s political handlers are attempting to make it appear that that he is not a radical.

Obama’s introduction to Islam came via his father, and that this influence was temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returned to Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any direct influence over his son’s education.

Lolo Soeto ro, the second husband of Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, introduced his stepson to Islam. Obama was enrolled in a Wahabi school in Jakarta .
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Is there such a thing as “the perfect gift”? At Christmastime, shoppers go in search of it. Everyone wants his or her gift to be just what that receiver has always wanted. The things that people really want to make their lives better, can’t be bought from a store. I’m talking about good health, peace of mind, financial security, and long life to name a few.

There is a gift that can provide the missing elements of our lives. Best of all, anyone who knows where to find it can tell you where to get it - free of charge. It sounds too good to be true, but this is one gift that delivers what it promises.
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Eastern Orthodox icon of Saint Nicolas

When my daughter was in grade school, she used to get into heated arguments with her classmates about Santa Claus. She would say “Santa looks and sounds funny, but he is not true. My gifts come from Jesus, not Santa! Jesus gives my dad money to buy the gifts I prayed for!” These statements normally get her into trouble with her classmates. I had my daughter attend the International School in Metro Manila for both grade school and high school so she could avoid secular religion classes. I opted to teach her our faith first hand. And at a very young age, I have always taught her the truths - which sometimes do not conform with the popular practice. But I never regretted this.

How Does Santa fit into a Christian Christmas? Christian and non-Christian alike have heard of him. As children, we imagined the sleigh, decorated with gold and jewels. Small pointy-eared people stuffed dolls, train sets, trucks, and other treats into a bottomless red bag. The sleigh driver is a plump, kindly man sporting white hair and a red outfit, sat at the ready to lead his reindeer team across the night sky in search of deserving girls and boys. I remember not being able to sleep on Christmas Eve, my body filled with nervous energy as I waited for Santa Claus to arrive.
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