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HELP!!!

Can someone please help me translate the following into English?  I would greatly appreciate it.  My Greek education hasn't gone far enough to comprehend it.

"Δέσποτα Κύριε Ιησού Χριστέ, η αρχίφωτος σοφία του ανάρχου Πατρός. Ο φως οικών απρόσιτον, ο ειπών εκ σκότους φως λάμψαι, ο ειπών γενηθήτω φως και εγένετο φως. Κύριε, ο του φωτός χορηγός, ο εξαγαγών ημάς από του σκότους της πλάνης και εισαγαγών εις το θαυμαστόν φως της σης επιγνώσεως, ο την γην μεν πάσαν δια της εν αυτή ενσάρκου παρουσίας σου, τα καταχθόνια δε δια της εις Αδην καταβάσεώς σου φωτός πληρώσας και χαράς, μετά δε ταύτα δια των αγίων σου αποστόλων φως καταγγείλας πάσι τοις έθνεσιν. Ευχαριστούμεν σοι, ότι δια της ευσεβούς πίστεως μετήγαγες ημάς από σκότους εις φως και γεγόναμεν υιοί δια του αγίου βαπτίσματος, θεασάμενοι την δόξαν σου πλήρη ούσαν χάριτος και αληθείας: αλλ' ω φωτοπάροχε Κύριε: ο το μέγα φως ων, ο ειπών, ο λαός ο καθήμενος εν σκότει. Δέσποτα Κύριε, το φως το αληθινόν, ο φωτίζει πάντα άνθρωπον ερχόμενον εις τον κόσμον: το μόνον φως του κόσμου και φως της ζωής των ανθρώπων, ου από της δόξης επληρώθη τα σύμπαντα, ότι φως εις τον κόσμον ελήλυθας δια της ενσάρκου σου οικονομίας, ει και οι άνθρωποι ηγάπησαν μάλλον το σκότος ή το φως: συ Κύριε φωτοδότα, επάκουσον ημών των αμαρτωλών και αναξίων δούλων σου των τη ώρα ταύτη παρισταμένων τω παναγίω σου και φωτοφόρω τούτω τάφω και πρόσδεξαι ημάς τιμώντας τα άχραντα πάθη σου, την παναγίαν σου σταύρωσιν, τον εκούσιον θάνατον και την εν τω πανσεβάστω τούτω μνήματι του τεθεωμένου σου σώματος κατάθεσιν και ταφήν και τριήμερον εξανάστασιν, ην χαρμονικώς ήδη αρξάμενοι εορτάζειν, μνείαν ποιούμεθα και της εν Άδου καθόδου, δι' ης τας εκείσε των δικαίων κατεχομένας ψυχάς δεσποτικώς ηλευθέρωσας τη αστραπή της σης θεότητος φωτός πληρώσας τα καταχθόνια. Οθεν δη αγαλλομένη καρδία και χαρά πνευματική κατά τούτο το υπερευλογημένον Σάββατον τα εν γη και υπό γην θεοπρεπώς τελεσθέντα σοι σωτηριωδέστατα μυστήρια σου εορτάζοντες και σε το όντως ιλαρόν και εφετόν φως εν τοις καταχθονίοις θεϊκώς επιλάμψαν, εκ τάφου δε θεοπρεπώς αναλάμψαν αναμιμνησκόμενοι, φωτοφάνειαν ποιούμεθα, σου την προς ημάς συμπαθώς γενομένην θεοφάνειαν εικονίζοντες: επειδή γαρ τη σωτηρίω και φωταυγεί νυκτί πάντα πεπλήρωται φωτός ουρανός τε και γη και τα καταχθόνια δια το υπερφυές μυστήριον της εν Άδου καθόδου σου και της εκ Τάφου σου τριημέρου αναστάσεως. Δια τούτο, εκ του επι τούτον τον φωτοφόρον σου Τάφον ενδελεχώς και αειφώτως εκκαιομένου φωτός ευλαβώς λαμβάνοντες, διαδιδόαμεν τοις πιστεύουσιν εις σε το αληθινόν φως και παρακαλούμεν και δεόμεθά σου, Πανάγιε Δέσποτα, όπως αναδείξης αυτό αγιασμού δώρον και πάσης θεϊκής σου χάριτος πεπληρωμένον, δια της χάριτος του Παναγίου και φωτοφόρου Τάφου σου: και τους απτομένους ευλαβώς αυτού ευλογήσης και αγιάσης, του σκότους των παθών ελευθερών και των φωτεινοτάτων σου σκηνών καταξιώσης, όπου φως το ανέσπερον της σης θεότητος λάμπει: χάρισαι αυτοίς, Κύριε, υγίειαν και ευζωίαν και τους οίκους αυτών παντός αγαθού πλήρωσον. Ναι, Δέσποτα, φωτοπάροχε, επάκουσόν μου του αμαρτωλού εν τη ώρα ταύτη και δος ημίν τε και αυτοίς περιπατείν εν τω φωτί σου και εν αυτώ μένειν, έως το φως της προσκαίρου ζωής έχομεν. Δος ημίν, Κύριε, ίνα το φως της προσκαίρου ζωής ταύτης έχωμεν. Δος ημίν Κύριε, ίνα το φως των καλών έργων ημών λάμπη έμπροσθεν των ανθρώπων και δοξάζωσί σε συν τω ανάρχω σου Πατρί και τω Παναγίω Πνεύματι. Εις φως γαρ εθνών ημάς τέθεικας, ίνα αυτοίς τη σκοτία περιπατούσι φαίνωμεν. Αλλ' ημείς ηγαπήσαμεν το σκότος μάλλον ή το φως, φαύλα πράσσοντες. Πας γαρ ο φαύλα πράσσων μισεί το φως κατά τον αψευδή λόγον σου: δια τούτο οσημέραι προσκόπτομεν αμαρτάνοντες, επειδή περιπατούμεν εν τη σκοτία. Αλλ' αξίωσον ημάς το υπόλοιπον της ζωής ημών βιωτεύσαι πεφωτισμένους τους οφθαλμούς της διανοίας ημών. Δος ημίν, ίνα ως τέκνα φωτός περιπατήσωμεν εν τω φωτί των εντολών σου: το του αγίου βαπτίσματος φωτεινόν ένδυμα, όπερ δια των έργων ημαυρώσαμεν, λεύκανον ως το φως, ο αναβαλλόμενος το φως ώσπερ ιμάτιον. Δος ημίν ενδύσασθαι τα όπλα του φωτός, ίνα δι' αυτών τον άρχοντα του σκότους τροπούμεθα, ος μετασχηματίζεται εις άγγελον φωτός. Ναι, Κύριε, και ως εν ταύτη τη ημέρα τοις εν σκότει και σκιά θανάτου καθημένοις φως έλαμψας, ούτω σήμερον λάμψον εν ταις καρδίαις ημών το σον ακήρατον φως, ίνα δια τούτου φωτιζόμενοι και θερμαινόμενοι εν τη πίστει δοξάζομέν σε το μόνον εκ μόνου του αρχιφώτου φωτός ιλαρόν φως εις τους ατελευτήτους αιώνας. Αμήν."

hamog

Just watched Stephen King's The Mist. It was worth watching, not for the monsters, but rather to witness how the human mind works under extreme pressure. It was interesting to see the interplay of a mind's assessment of a situation, one's personality, values, and priorities, and how one would react to a given situation. I'm usually a sucker for monster movies. I've always been interested in cryptozoology. But for this film, which doesn't show much of the monsters, except for the pterodactyl-like creatures, the bugs, and the spiders, I absolutely don't mind. Why? Because I don't think that that was the real intention of the film or novel. It was the human mind and personality at work that is the focus of the story. The monsters and the "Arrowhead Project" were merely backdrops to set the scene for what was really the story. One thing marred the whole thing, though: the bad acting of the lead role, the father. Especially his scream at the end. Before I watched the film I read its synopsis on the net. I don't know but for me it doesn't spoil everything. I like doing that. It prepares me for the film and because I partly know the story I don't have to focus too much on figuring out the connections between stuff (particularly in films where you need to do alot of thinking!!!) Anyway, when I read about the father's scream of anguish on the net, I imagined it to be a blood-curdling, spine-tingling and hair-raising scream of desperation and hopelessness. Instead, the father's scream at the end turned out to be mediocre, something I don't even expect from third-rate horror movies, much less this film. Especially when he stops screaming and opens his eyes and you can't read a single emotion from his face...Argh! In the end my excitement about this movie could be compared to the behavior of a mist in the real world. It's foreboding, seems big, but easily disperses in time.

The Manchuria List, aka Wishing and Hoping by Dusty Springfield

Wishing and hoping and
thinking and praying,
planning and dreaming
each night of his charms
that won't get you into his arms,
so if you're looking to find love
you can share, all you gotta do,
is hold him and kiss him, and love him
and show him that you care

Show him that you care just for him,
do the things that he likes to do,
wear your hair just for him,
cause you won't get him, thinking and a praying
wishing and a hoping

Just wishing and hoping
and thinking and praying
planning and dreaming
his kisses will start...
that won't get you into his heart...
so if your thinking how great true love is
all you gotta do is...

Hold him and kiss him and squeeze him and love him
just do it and
after you do, you will be his

Show him that you care just for him,
do the things that he likes to do,
wear your hair just for him,
cause you won't get him
thinking and a praying
wishing and a hoping

Just wishing and hoping and thinking and praying
planning and dreaming
his kisses will start...
that won't get you into his heart
so if your thinking how great true love is
all you gotta do.....

Is hold him and kiss him
and squeeze him and love him
just do it and after you do
you will be his....
you will be his.....
you..will..be..his........

Of Fags and Their Hags

Fag Hags. Every fag I know has one. I, for one, enjoy their company. Most of my them treat us more like a sister. In fact, they are our sisters.

But there has been some change in the subculture of the fag hag.

There are some hags nowadays who no longer treat their fags as part of their company, but merely as accessories, the one designated to give the right (funny) statements at the right time. Though I admit this is one of the talents we gays have, it is not the only thing we can do. I'm not saying doing this is not right, but if you reduce one's ability to just this, it seems degrading.

I met one self-declared fag hag who I totally detest. She doesn't even understand the whole thing about being gay! She seems to think that her gay friends are just "in a phase." Worse, she even entertains the thought that her fags will soon "see the light."

Forgive her, she doesn't know what she's doing.

One time, she said that she totally understood homosexuality. A few minutes later, she said that homosexuality is acquired thru exposure to other gays and their subculture. She said she was very sure of that, based on her observation.

I told here that although the origin of sexuality in general, and homosexuality in particular, hasn't yet been proven conclusively, the current evidence seems to point that the biological factors play a very big role. I for one, wasn't totally exposed to gay culture until I got into college. But even way before that, I can already call myself queer.

She dismissed the subject, saying I don't really know myself and that I'm just confused and biased.

Where did she come from? She's entitled to her own ideas and opinions, yes. But who can better understand what gayness is than gays themselves?

She is not the ones who undergoes the hardship, the loneliness, the stigma of being gay. In fact, she hasn't totally lived the gay life, not even once. What gives her the right to pontificate on such a matter?

Fag hags should be sisters who understand us, not bigoted half-sisters, who relegate gays to a lower status. But how can they understand us, if they don't even accept who we are

No one should be under or over another, but should be there right beside one another, holding each others' hands, supporting each other.

Except for this one, I think. I can't seem to forgive her. Pity, she's pretty despite her views. Maybe I'll just preserve her under a glass dome and put on a shelf. That way I can preserve her beauty without having her contaminate the world further with her misguided opinions.

;-b

On the dies natalis of Valentine, Presbyter, Martyr at Rome, in the Year of Our Lord, 2008, the Fourth of this Relationship

Valentines day.  Haaayyy!!!

We've been together for four years now, so no more cheesy stuff like teddy bears or chocolates or flowers (he's allergic to it).

So we just spent the day doing something very enjoyable to both of us.  And cultural, too!

We had dinner at Wok Inn, just across the street from the side aisle of the Church of Nuestra Senyora de los Remedios in Malate. Guys, if you haven't tried this resto, you still don't know what authentic Chinese food is. According to my Jon, it's a lot better than North Park. It's not cozy, but the atmosphere is intimate, like a family diner or something. And the place is soooo affordable!!! We spent less than PhP700 for three dishes, chao fan for two, and four iced tea glasses. (Unfortunately, they don't have bottomless). I would recommend the stuffed squid. It's soooo gooooddd. Thinking about it makes me hungry. God, I wonder when we can go back there.

Then we went to our newest favorite hang-out place: Mr. Lady, one of the newest sing-a-long bars cum variety show place. It's in the tradition of the Japanese bars where our sister Filipino (or should I say Filipina?) trannies go to work. They've tried to re-create the atmosphere, from the way the ladies treat you to the way  the waiter serves you drinks on his knees. And the shows! My God! I just love the music, the production, and the costumes. For a moment there I thought we were in Nihon.

Almost all the ladies there have been to Japan and worked in a similar establishment. This one, apparently, was opened by an entertainer who used to work for one. And the name was taken from a similar type of bar in Tokyo. Mind you, that one is the most famous of it's type there. The owner, by the way, is more beautiful than 75% of the females I know.  (Hehehe, pasintabi po.)

The only sad thing is that only a few people know about this place, and so they rarely get filled up, despite the hard efforts put in by the ladies. But I know one day they will be known more.

One more thing: on the way to the bar (which is, by the way, on top of Padi's Malate) are photos of the ladies. Some manongs have already fallen victim to their beauty, not knowing what the ladies really hide under their skirts. Ha! Buti nga sa kanila! Mga manyak!

Then, after watching the two sets of shows from the ladies of Mr. Lady, we went off...

But that's another story. Bug me, and I might tell you.

Or not.

;-b

A Surreal Dream Sequence 2-3-2008

i was asleep on my bed...

suddenly i woke up, but somehow i feel that i'm not really awake. the bed seems smaller. from queen size it now looks like a single. i turn to my right. i have a new shelf? and on the shelf are icons, ones that i've never seen before.

beside the icons is a bioshpere (wait, i told myself, i don't have a biosphere). in it is a type of seagrass. i've never seen one, but it just registered as seagrass. i look at it, then somehow drift again to sleep within my sleep.

i am "woke up again." i look towards the foot of the bed where the pc is. i know my bf is using the computer. he always does whenever he's here. i can hear the tapping on the keyboard. but i don't see him.

i fall "asleep" again...

i was "roused" by a loud sound. but i feel like i'm the only one who heard it. i look towards the door. it was open, and beyond it i can see a saber-toothed feline, and somehow it just registered that this is the same animal that attacked yummy steven straight in his new movie, something BC. anyway, it growled at me. i turned and saw a door opening from my room to the kitchen (as if there really was one) and shouted at my mom to get to safety. i still can't find jon, my bf. but i feel that he's somewhere safe.

the giant cat is banging the door...

and i woke up.

this time for real...

FUGUE

sometimes i just feel like running away from it all

forget everything

start anew

start fresh

tabula rasa

forget everything that ever went wrong in my life, move to a place no one knows me and start over

create my life and personality from scratch, but learning from the mistakes in my past

wouldn't that be nice?

no one talking about you, the mistakes you've made; no one blaming you; no one giving a damn that you might commit the same mistakes again

but then i realize: who will i turn to (except YHWH) when i need someone; who will care for me; whom will i care for?

can i be sure that i've learned from the past and that i'll be better?

dunno

Walter H. Miller, in his psychosis, could be right: we're bound to our fate, our destiny.

might as well make the most out of it.

oh well...

can i start this blog all over again?