On Organ Donation

Oh please spare the panda. The panda does not want to be anywhere near those cards. Someday when he dies, he wants to be preserved  intact and complete. Mummify him like an Egyptian prince, freeze him in a cryonic bed of ice, or just put him in a very big jar of chemical preservatives. Do not donate his body to medicine. Spare him from scalpels of medical students, too.  Please do not cremate him, keep his body safe from any fire; and kindly NEVER donate any part of his body  to any stranger. It is a personal choice in the end.

MMORPG

Word of the Day

MMORPG-
Mindless Meaningless Overrated Repetitive Pointless Game.

A game you play for no reason other than the fact that you are addicted or you're just trying it out. You play it and play it as your mind goes into a passive state as you click away and bash on your macros. The only "real" point of the game is to level up and strengthen your character as much as possible, and when you finally get it to the maximum level, hopefully you realize that you have just wasted several months or quite possibly even years of your life. It never gives you a sense of accomplishment because anyone can do it, you need no skill, no self-discipline, just a large amount of time on your hands and a couple Mountain Dews to pull some all-nighters. For some real gaming, play a console or PC game, which develops reaction time, perseverance, and maybe even a little hand-eye coordination. Even when MMORPGs get updates, it doesn't matter because the main point of the game is still just to kill more stuff and become more powerful so you can kill stronger stuff and become more powerful so you can kill even stronger stuff and become more powerful and so on. Maybe it's fun to play with friends because you can joke around as you play.

They're fun at first with all the cool, big worlds and fun, flashy attacks, but after that, it's just the power-up/kill stuff cycle. So please, do yourself a favor and at least realize what you're doing as you click away while in that raid. MMORPGs become more than just a hobby when you really get into them. They start consuming many aspects of your life. Get a healthy hobby like console games, or a PC game that requires skill like Counter-Strike or Starcraft. They have more of a point to them, like getting a however high score or something. Also, you can keep balance in your life with a console, it will work around your schedule instead of you having to work around its. You can still go outside and hang with friends and stuff while still playing video games. Consoles won't consume your life (well maybe just for short periods if you find really good games). It will be hard to quit at first because your mind will still be addicted to that MMORPG, but you'll soon realize how much better off you are.
Person 1: Hey, I just got a Wii.

Person 2: That's cool, I got World of Warcraft, it looks like such an awesome MMORPG!

(Six months later)

Person 1: Hey man how's it goi- Whoa! Dude, what happened to your skin? You look like a freaking vampire!

Person 2: Yeah, well I've been inside for the past 6 months staring at my computer screen. My character is getting really strong.

1: That looks unhealthy, man you should stop.

2: Never!

Credits:
posted by valleyone at http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=MMORPG&defid=2389987

When Life Gets You Down

Dory in Finding Nemo (probably one of the greatest movies ever) tells Marlin what to do when life gets you down.

xxx

Dory: Hey there, Mr. Grumpy Gills. When life gets you down do you wanna know what you've gotta do?

Marlin: No I don't wanna know.

Dory: [singing] Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim.

Marlin: Dory, no singing.

Dory: [continuing] Ha, ha, ha, ha, ho. I love to swim. When you want to swim you want to swim.

Marlin: Now I'm stuck with that song... Now it's in my head.

Dory: Sorry.

xxx

What's in the Iglesia Ni Cristo Logo?

Just like Robert Langdon of Da Vinci Code, the panda is interested in Religious Symbology. Talk about him about any kind of religious symbogies and he'll listen to you all day. Here's one explanation posted by a blogger on the probable meaning of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) Logo.

xxx

What's in the INC Logo?


Finally we found an attempt to explain the INC Logo. Note, this explanation from one of its members (probably a Minister himself) is not official. See below. (Thanks to readmeinc dot blogspot dot com).




1. The bird is the dove or Holy Spirit
2. The flame is the light of salvation
3. The shield is the shield of faith
4. The scale represents the equality of the justice of God
5. The crown is the crown of eternal life
6. The lamb is the Lord Jesus Christ
7. The book is the Bible
8. The two scrolls seen in the Bible represent the OT and NT;
9. The upside down triangle means the equality of the members or brotherhood (Mt. 23:8);
10. White is holiness
11. Green is love
12. Red is courage

The logo of the INC has been used since 1919 but only appeared on its buildings of worship since the 1950s

On the contrary, here's what was thought about their logo (source: PinoyExchange.com)

On this image below, you’ll see a craftily “hidden” pattern of a “pentagram” on the compass and square. Observe really closely.
On this image below, you’ll see the scale, interlaced compass and square, and the craftily “hidden” pentagram. Now, this is a third coincidence already between the stark similarities between INC and Freemasonry. What do you call a 3rd coincidence? Is there such a thing in this world? Deliberate, copied, or just coincidence? Or, perhaps, they are the same institution!

Lost

It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything. -Tyler Durdin

The Perfection of the Now

"People believe themselves to be dependent on what happens for their happiness, that is to say, dependent on form.  They don't realize that 'what happens' is the most unstable thing in the universe; it changes constantly.  They look upon the present moment as either marred by something that has happened and shouldn't have or as deficient because of something that has not happened but should have.  And so they miss the deeper perfection that is inherent in life itself, a perfection that is always already here, that lies beyond what is happening or not happening, beyond form."

from "A New Earth"
by Eckhart Tolle

Anti-jejemon Awareness

Jejemon

R.P.G. Real PiNoy GangStER


WORD OF THE DAY:

jejemon


1) Usually seen around social networking sites such as Friendster and Multiply, jejemons are individuals with low IQs who spread around their idiocy on the web by tYpFing LyK diZS jejejeje, making all people viewing their profile raise their eyebrows out of annoyance. Normal people like you and me must take a Bachelor of Arts in Jejetyping in order to understand said individuals, as deciphering their text would cause a lot of frustration and hair pulling.

CAUTION: THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE BREEDING! THEY CAN BE SEEN WRECKING GRAMMATICAL HAVOC ON FACEBOOK TOO!

2) Jejemons are not just confined to trying-hard Filipino gangsters and emos. A Jejemon can also include a variety of Latino-Hispanic fags who enjoy typing "jejejejeje" in a wider context, much to the disdain of their opponents in an internet MMORPG game such as Ragnarok and DOTA.

3) Basically anyone with a low tolerance in correct punctuation, syntax and grammar. Jejemons are usually hated or hunted down by Jejebusters or the grammar nazi to eradicate their grammatical ways.
On AIM or YM:

miSzMaldiTahh111: EoW pFuOh!

You: Huh?

miszMaldiTahh111: i LLyK tO knOw moR3 bOut u, PwfoH. crE 2 t3ll mE yur N@me? jejejejeje!

You: You are a jejemon! Don't talk to me, you uneducated retard!

miszMaldiTahh111: T_T

credits:

karlenohwhirl  at Urban Dictionary http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jejemon

 http://img508.imageshack.us/i/qjmbn6nmreconnb6.jpg/

rap3r69 at http://www.tubeoli.com/video/Mdzs-tH0q4c/RPG-Real-PiNoy-GangStER.html

On Saving Earth

People keep on telling the panda to "help in the efforts to save the planet." But Mother nature has always pursued her destiny. What she is experiencing now is nothing compared to billions of years of what she had to go through: great floods, extinction of almost all living creatures, great tectonic earthquakes, ice age, asteroids, reversal of the magnetic poles, etc. All of these happened without human intervention; she survived it gracefully and turned out to be fine.

Mother Earth does not need us. The universe does not need us. The universe did not create earth specifically for humans. Humans are not the center of the universe. Mother Earth is fine, so let her take her course.

It is better to focus on solving more humanistic problems like the problem of hunger, injustice, and inequality.   This is better than spending one hour of lights out and other arrogant attempts to save earth. Humans cannot save her -- but humans can make the most of saving humanity so that it may reach its fullness. That's what is  more important.

***
This is not to say that we should stop caring for the environment. Of course, we should care for the environment - to benefit humanity. But humans should be humble enough to accept the fact we cannot save the earth. If it is her time, it is her time.

First things first. First we save humans from anti-humanistic problems, before we can even think of saving the earth. We must be suspicious of those elites who use the "save the earth" campaign to personally benefit  from sponsors (like Coke and other brands) and as a theme for partying under the guise of "environmental awareness." But the fact is these elites, in reality, may not even really care at all.

On Burnt Skin

 It  really takes a lot of humility to accept that fact that a  burned skin will never be enough to forget a past mistak3. He is a twenty something man, reading a book on philosophy, eating his Chickenjoy with a can of Coke at the airport. His keloid scar from a burned skin in his left arm was as big as his fist. The skin was intentionally burned to erase an unwanted ink. Was it really that bad? Was it the name of an ex-girlfriend? Was it used to be an image of Satan but now he is a converted believer of Jesus, or was it the other way around? No one knows. Maybe he is happier now.

Face the Sun

Monsters in the closet. Dark past. They are all shadows. When all that can be felt and all that can be seen are shadows, Helen Keller says we should face the sun. When the face is turned to the sun, shadows fall behind. If a positive life is lived, the troubles fall behind. Accept. Learn. Forgive.

On Mayweather vs Mosely

BOYCOTT Mayweather vs Mosely. Do not waste your money. Save it instead.  FLOYD DOES NOT CARE IF HE PUTS UP A GOOD FIGHT OR NOT, HE JUST WANTS YOUR MONEY. That is why he is hyping all his fights with all the trash-talking and pushing. 

He also did this kind of "entertainment trick" in the Marquez fight. He kept on pushing and taunting Marquez in pre-fight conferences, but he came to the fight night overweight. The fight turned out as expected - very boring. He kept on running and dancing and would not engage Marquez. He cannot  even KO Marquez when he had all the chances. Do not expect an action-packed fight in May 1. He is an entertainer (sort of like a WWE  wrestler), but he never really makes an effort to be exciting in the ring. He was boring against Zab Judah and Bladormir in 2004. We fell asleep in Mayweather vs de la Hoya in 2005. He cheated his win against the Marquez in 2009. 

He claims to be the greatest boxer ever, (even better than Sugar Ray Robinson) because he has an unbeaten record of 40 wins and 0 loss. But if we follow his line of fuzzy reasoning, then Julio Cezar Chavez Jr. should be the greatest, because right now, at age 24,  he has an unbeaten record of 42 wins and 0 loss. It would not be surprising  if medical science discovers Floyd Mayweather fights as cure for insomnia.


***
May1, 2010
(after the fight)


I told you so, it was a sleeper.

The Panda Reviews the Movie How to Train Your Dragon

Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves. 

- Henry David Thoreau

How to Train Your Dragon is a story of a lanky, geeky lad, who wanted to be like his father- the chief and strongest dragon slayer in a village that has been infested by dragons for generations. Hiccup's father would not allow his son to train as dragon slayer. His father was somehow skeptical of his son's capabilities. But to prove himself, Hiccup invents a catapult device to target, capture, and bring down flying dragons from a distance. One night, during a dragon infestation, he was able to hit and bring down a dragon. His eventual finding of that dragon made him understand dragons and himself.

Philosophers for thousands of years have offered good advice -  "know thy self." However, this suggestion does not mean we should only know our "negative self". In the story, Hiccup was made to believe that he was not fit to be a dragon slayer, but he proved his father wrong by solving the dragon infestations not by force, but by compassion.

How to Train Your Dragon is a lesson on empathy, empowerment, and understanding. It shows that if we just try to listen - problems can solved in a better perspective. If we just  try to understand the "why" of  people, situations, and things, we can become more tolerant and understanding. If we just try to empower people by giving them a chance and showing them the way, we will be able to wake ourselves up from the nightmare of prejudice.

The panda likes this movie. Worth watching? Yes.

On My Wish List

If you are familiar with FarmVille you know that it has a reward system called "achievement ribbon." The game gives you special ribbons for unique achievements (like planting 1000 crops). The panda does not play FarmVille anymore. The game feels like it gets more and more pointless and stupid as the game goes along. Ironically,  the game's simple expectancy and reward system keep you from playing the game more. Consequently, it also teaches patience in achieving goals.

The panda adopts a similar reward concept by launching My Wish List. Whenever a sensible life goal is achieved by chance or by choice or whenever a wish comes true, he affirms it to the world.  He hopes small things like this can help him be more motivated in playing "the game" - the game of life.

On Campaign Jingles

The panda can't even get decent sleep because of the noisy campaign jingles that parade the streets every morning and continues for the rest of the day. Can't even understand who the jingle is campaigning for. It is just random noise to the beat of some ripoff novelty song. Candidates, please help yourselves. Get the best quality hi-fidelity speakers that money can buy. Choose a good jingle -- the one that has a good "hook." And please, if you want us to get to know you, don't race your way to the streets. At least kindly go on a pace where we can understand what the jingle is about and how it can convince us to vote for you. Do these suggestions at the proper hours of the day. Or else, you are wasting time, not to mention the  nuisance your noisy gibberish  jingles bring.

The Panda Reviews the Movie Shutter Island

Shutter Island is a psychological drama that shows what goes on in a psychotic mind. Leonardo DiCaprio, a U.S. Marshall, investigates the disappearance of a patient in a certain island hospital for the criminally insane. His eventual discovery of the missing patient leads him to make a choice.

It is not the eyes that see, but the brain. That is why even in our sleep there are still visions in our dreams. In the same way, it is not our five senses that feel pain, but the brain. When the pain is too much to handle, the brain creates another universe to protect itself by numbing the physical or emotional pain it feels. This is the reason why people sometimes suffer loss of contact with reality.

The panda likes this movie. First, because it is psychologically interesting. Second, it has the elements of a good story (symbolism, back stories, twists, turns, etc.). Third, it is a complex film that goes beyond the conventional Hollywood  flick. For best results, watch the movie more than once. Quote that stuck -- "Which would be worse, to live as a monster or to die as a good man?" Worth watching? Yes.

On Idleness

Nature is a cruel mother; she hates idleness of any kind. She destroys the weak, and preserves the strong. In her arms,  the purity of mind and idleness are incompatible. Idleness -- is a haven for fools and a holiday for shoddy minds. The panda must adopt, explore, and learn more, even if it means failing, even if it means crying the tears of despair, even it means enduring the scorching heat of the sun.

On The Good Life

Everything the panda does must mean something. It must be directed, consciously or subconsciously toward attaining the good life. What is the good life? Socrates once asked that question and hoped that one can direct one's life through an understanding that was distinctively philosophical, meaning, general and abstract, reflective and concerned with what can be known through inquiry. "What shall we do and how should we live?" This is the most important question. Any philosophy that makes us look foolish should not be trusted.

My Problem with Pooh

I will not introduce Winnie the Pooh to children. He (or she?) is a problematic character. Children should not imitate Winnie.

Why does Pooh have a girly voice?
Why does he wear a hanging blouse?
Why doesn't he wear pants?
(usapang lasing pero totoo bakit nga ba?)

Take for example the analysis of Mr. Maho in his Blog (http://jfmaho.wordpress.com/tag/literary-analysis) I quote:

xxx

There are many ways in which one can read literary texts. One can interpret them at face value, or one can read various things into them. For instance, did you know that the stories about Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends comprise an allegory of male sexuality; in fact, a very old-fashioned one. With the exception of Kanga, all characters are male, and they each represent different aspects of male sexuality and associated desires, inhibitions, fears, prejudices, etc. The stories also include a typically male (albeit ancient) bipolar view of female sexuality: the caring Madonna (Kanga) and the always-accessible whore (the honey pot).

1. Winnie-the-Pooh is the personification of male (adolescent) sexuality. He is not quite sure what he wants, or even who he is. His actions are often hampered by his fears or his ignorance. Winnie-the-Pooh is in fact a symbol for the penis.

2. The Honey Pot, Winnie-the-Pooh’s favourite thing, represents the male fantasy of a vagina. It is the ultimate objectification of female sexuality. It is passive, will-less, and locked up in a safe place until male lust (i.e. Winnie-the-Pooh) wants a piece of it. As such, the Honey Pot is also a symbol for the whore.

3. Piglet is the unwilling virgin. He is the little kid who wants to be a big kid, like all his friends. Piglet represents the young adolescent’s frustrations and insecurities about never being sure if the others think he’s a grown-up or if they know he’s just a kid pretending to be a grown-up.

4. The Owl represents pretence. He wants to be wise. He tries very hard to appear wise. In fact, he has come to live the image he has created for himself. He is the guy who wants wants everyone else to think he knows all about what to do with the girls, but in reality he is just the same fumbling fool as the rest of us.

5. Eeyore is downbeat, cautious, self-pitying. He is always holding himself back, never allowing himself to enjoy things. He wants new experiences (i.e. date girls), but he is never likely to do so, because he fears what it might lead to. Eeyore is the personification of repressed sexuality.

6. Rabbit is that annoying acquaintance we all know, who is convinced that he is more experienced and mature than anyone else. He is different from the Owl, who knows his limitations but hides them, while Rabbit has no self-awareness at all. He wants to be in charge of all things around him, because he knows best, even when he doesn’t. In the bedroom, Rabbit is the one with the whip, always in fear of loosing control.

7. The Heffalump represents everything that our mothers warned us about, such as bad company, unhealthy living, strangers in cars, etc., as well as their consequences, like unwanted pregnancies, naughty diseases, and so on. Still, we’re all curious animals, and we’re strangely drawn to the Heffalump, perhaps because it is so taboo. The irony of the Heffalump is, of course, that it is no independent danger at all, but a part of our own beings. In fact, the search for the Heffalump represents all those trials and errors we make as young adolescents looking for love, identity, and adulthood. Hence the Heffalump is a symbol of puberty, or more specifically, an escalating awareness of our own sexuality.

8. Kanga represents the teenage mother. (Roo is her child.) Kanga is a mother because she wasn’t afraid of the Heffalump, or at least not afraid enough. But even so, she is a responsible mother. In fact, Kanga is a symbol for the Madonna. Her main role in the story is to control Roo’s unlimited lust for life, clearly in a vain attempt to stop him from repeating her mistake(s).

9. Roo, Kanga’s baby, is the fearless, life-enjoying optimist. He is totally without inhibitions and fears. He represents all our desires for constant adventure and joy. He is like a stereotypical hippie advocating free, boundless sex. He is always willing to jump into anything, as long as it looks fun. And if it doesn’t look fun, he’ll jump into it anyway.

10. Tigger is a wannabee adventurer who wants to enjoy life, but is too dumb to understand what or why things happen the way they do. As he lacks Roo’s naive self-confidence, he also lacks the courage to go all the way. He is the insecure boy who wants to hit on the pretty girls, but always gets cold feet in the last moment (eminently exemplified in stories by Tigger climbing into the tree and freezing). Tigger represents unfulfilled sexual desires, which makes him the eternal masturbator (symbolised by his constant bouncing up and down).

11. Christopher Robin is the only genuinely asexual character in the story. In a way, he is God. He gave life to all the characters. He is the moderator of their lives. He feels for them and cares for them. He is the benevolent, respectful leader we all wish we had.
xxx

Anyway, it is not just Pooh that I have problems with:

Porky Pig is nude too. Popeye is a violent old man. Looney tunes and Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Lab, Tom and Gerry, Road Runner and Cayote are too violent for kids. Cow and Chicken is VERY SICK.

It's just wrong or maybe - I'm just getting old.

Jan 10, '10 11:39 PM for everyone  *reposted  from my other blog

On Business

You have labored long enough. You have saved enough. You finally have the capital to launch  that business. Everything is in place.

But you are NOT treating your business like a new born baby.

Want the best for it; shower it with love and affection. Be keen on what it needs -  like a parent would be to his child. Seek the advice of the experts, accountants, managers, advertisers, people who know the field - as if your child needs a doctor, a teacher, a yaya.

It is important to know if you are making profit or not.  Most of all, develop an effective, progressive, and a dynamic business system, or else, time and energy is just wasted.

The Law of Diminishing and Increasing Returns

The Law of Diminishing Returns is a law in economics which means  if one factor of production is increased while other factors are held constant, the resulting increase in output will level-off after some time and then decline. In short,

"The gain is not worth the pain."

But there is another law, ironically, the opposite.
The Law of Increasing Returns is a law in motivation which states:

"Render more service than that for which you are paid and you will soon be paid for more than you render. The law of increasing returns takes care of this."- Napoleon Hill

It always pays to go the extra mile in motivation, but be guided by economics..

On Religion and Spirituality

Religion and Spirituality are two different approaches to God. It is hard to talk about religion. It is so much of a sensitive topic that it is impossible to talk about it publicly and not offend others at the same time. But since today is Good Friday, (Jesus supposedly died for us today) the panda will try to share his take on religion and spirituality. The goal of course is nothing more than epistemic gain to help us seek our path to God.

In John 4:19-24, a Samaritan woman was asking Jesus where should people worship. She is confused because apparently, Jews insist that it should be Jerusalem, on the other hand, Samaritans claim that Mt. Gerizim is the proper place of worship.

19“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”

21Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. 23But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

 

Jesus' reply to the Samaritan woman was very revealing. In this verse, we can observe that Jesus is giving more importance to spirituality rather than religious dogma. Jesus tells the woman it does not matter where God is worshiped, what is more important is the kind of spiritual worship. "For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth."

Here are some of the difference between Religion and Spirituality:

Religion gives too much importance to ancient religious dogma in its goal to achieve salvation.

Spirituality, on the other hand, is NOT so much concerned with the past, but instead is more concerned with the eternal now. For the spiritual, peace of mind is achieved by living in the present, it is not the past nor the  future that gives us liberation.

Fear is often the approach taken by religion. Religion reminds us that we must do the right thing if we do not wish to suffer in the future. On the other hand, the spiritual approach to God is through the path of love. Spirituality tells us that instead of fearing God, we approach him through the path of love.

Religion finds God being in the heavens. At times God can seem far from the reach of the aspiring humanity. Spirituality believes, on the other hand, that God can be felt as a living presence in our own heart. For the spiritual, God is reachable through the attainment of inner realization.

Extreme religiosity seems to be not very tolerant of other religions. For the religious, only one path can lead to salvation - their path. Their overwhelming faith in their own religion makes them feel that other religions are very wrong. This leads to their feeling of necessity to convert others to their faith. Sometimes this attitude leads to fanaticism and fundamentalism.

In short, there are sharp differences in every one's path or approach towards God. Some are more religious, some are more spiritual.

The beauty of knowing the limits of both is the sense of understanding, balance, and tolerance over the faith of others. The panda is, of course,  leaning towards the point that spirituality is more beautiful than religious dogmatism.

***
I still maintain the possibility that Jesus didn't really die.
***
 Saturday, someone sent me a message asking, "Did Jesus really live?"
- I don't want to go  into that topic... I reserve my opinions on that :)
***
Sunday, Christ has risen. But the day was gloomy. Lady panda and I ate 13 pieces of chicken wings.



Credits.
Published by Tejvan Pettinger 10/01/2007 http://www.biographyonline.net/spiritual/articles/religion_vs_spirituality.html
Katherine Lehman. Is it all right to be spiritual without being religious. http://www.explorefaith.org/spiritual.html
http://z.about.com/d/weirdnews/1/0/T/0/-/-/Crucifiction_Reinactment_1.jpg

Launching the SKWALOG

The panda invites everyone to Skwalog: the new blog of rah. www.skwalog.blogspot.com Care to follow him too and please care to leave something in the comment page and chat box, so that he can follow you too. Thanks so much.