Understanding Gloria

What do Otto Von Bismark, Adolf Hitler, Thomas Jefferson, John Tyler, Colin Powell, Kofi Annan, Leonardo Da Vinci, Vincent Van Gogh, Betty Ford, Thomas Dewey, Joseph Pulitzer, Marlon Brando, Charlie Chaplin, Rosie O’Donnel, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tennessee Williams, Harry Houdini, Erap Estrada and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo have in common? They were all born under the sign of the Ram – Aries!

While enjoying former PNP Chief Arturo and Jacky Lomibao’s wedding feast at the Manila Hotel a month ago with my father’s good friends Col. Lory Dinio and Jake Madraso we stumbled upon a topic of which interest us – the Zodiac Signs. The three of us who happen to be solid Aquarians found ourselves quite engrossed. We tried to analyze public figures and understand what makes them tick. After the lengthy discussion Jake Madraso told me to get Linda Goodman’s book, Sun Signs. So, I did and after reading the section on people born under the Aries sign, I thought it would amuse some of you to know the true nature of GMA and Erap (for that matter) as they both belong to the same zodiac race.

The following are excerpts taken verbatim from Linda Goodman’s book, Sun Signs:

You will know the person is an Aries if he or she is committed to some idealistic cause and angrily defends the underdog. Male or female these people will fight what they feel is an injustice on the spot, and they’re not bashful about voicing their opinions.

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac. The ram (Aries’ symbol) is conscious only of himself. He is the infant of the zodiac – the newborn baby – completely absorbed with his own toes and fingers. His needs come first. An infant doesn’t care whether or not his parents or the neighbors are sleeping. When he’s hungry or wet, he yowls in discomfort. He wants his bottle, and he wants his diaper changed NOW. When an Aries person has an idea or something he wants get off his mind, he’ll call you at four in the morning without a qualm. Why shouldn’t you be awake to listen to him? He’s awake. That’s all that counts. He wants something. He gets it. Like an infant, Aries is totally unaware that he’s causing anyone the slightest inconvenience. His innocence hangs over him and mellows his aggressiveness, like the innocence of the newborn softens egocentricity. This disarming naivete is also why Aries people are so fearless. The baby fears nothing and no one, until he gets burned. Even then, he’ll trustingly try again, when he’s forgotten the hurt. There’s no trace of cunning wile in the ram, and he’ll remain this way throughout his lifetime; forever believing with all his heart, always falling down and getting up again to try once more.

An Aries will look you straight in the eye, with unabashed honesty and rather touching faith. You’re his friend aren’t you? You like him don’t you? No? Then the tears will start, but inside. He’ll never show it on the surface. Aries would rather be caught dead than be caught weak.

Aries is very direct, to put it mildly. Deceptiveness and deviousness are entirely foreign to them in nature. Frankness and refreshing honesty are Arien trademarks. Say what you will about his impulsiveness, the ram is seldom guilty of gloom. The seeds of depression, even if planted, will die a quick death in Arien soil. But that precious idea Aries holds, that no one else can do anything as efficiently as he can, may run away with him and lead to a thousand disasters. He’ll carry through his schemes with dash and confidence, seldom realizing that he’s overreaching himself and headed for ulcers or a nervous breakdown.

A little tactful diplomacy could have kept his dream from exploding, but it takes the average ram many years to reach the diplomacy. He learns modesty and humility only after many dismal failures. But once he’s learned, he can make a project pay off like a gusher adding stacks of creative ideas, intuitively making the right moves. He reaches leadership only by first respecting those above him. Yet success, when it comes, is normally gigantic and impressive.

Though Aries pushes ahead with confidence, caring little for the feelings of others, and his attitude, he can be the warmest and most generous of all the zodiac signs. He is not cruel. He just honestly believes that he can do anything better than anyone else. Give him a choice of money or glory, and he’ll take glory any time.

Arien anger flashes forth with the speed of sound, but it’s usually gone before the victim knows what it’s all about, and the happy, child-like smile quickly returns. Ariens are also often accused of having a terrible temper. They have. But they also have a complete inability to remain angry, and once over with, the grievance is generally buried and forgotten. He is hurt and surprised that you still remember the rash things he said but didn’t mean. Given the chance, Aries will apologize to his worst enemy, regardless of any dire threats he made in throes of emotion. Nothing will stop an Arien. He seeks acceptance, even while he heedlessly and deliberately courts rejection.

The typical ram will dine with beggars and kings with equal ease and genuine affection. Any reputation he gets for prejudice come from his tendency to lump people into two distinct camps – his friends and his enemies – and he’ll expect you to line them up the same way, if you’re close to him.

No one can show such tough, forceful behavior. These people are literally incapable of accepting defeat. They won’t recognize it — even when it stares them in the face. They’re incurable optimists about the end results of anything. They enjoy opposition because of the challenge it presents, and they’ll go out their way to meet an obstacle and conquer it long before it comes to them.

An Arien’s amazing faith in himself is match only by his naïve trust in others, which is why he’s almost constantly disillusioned, and complaining that someone has let him down. Of course, he won’t stay down long. He’ll pick himself up, dust himself off, and soon be ready, willing and able to blast away again, after a typical binge of violence but brief depression.

Aries have the zeal of born crusaders. Like a diamond, his horns are hard, and tough to crack. His metal is iron, and it unbendable strength gives him nine times as many lives to live as others; nine times as many chances of winning the battle. The fire that consumes his spirit can be a flaming torch that lights the way to courage for anyone who recognizes his great idealism. He is the pioneer, always leading others onward to an impossible goal. His beautiful iron faith is pure – unmixed with the alloys of hypocrisy and greed.

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I noticed that even with all the rallies and super personal attacks on Gloria by the different groups – she seems quite unaffected. But on hindsight, maybe she is. She just does not show it. Well, if you are frustrated with the turn of events of your crusade to oust GMA, it is not enough to throw words at her — you should know the true nature of this iron lady.