Conquering Bohol

There are two things in life that I cannot resist - eating and traveling. So, when my mom gave me tour tickets to Bohol and Cebu all expense paid, how can i resist?

Let me tell you something -- I fell in love with Bohol. It is an island like no other. The food is so gastronomically awe-inspiring. The sands of the beach so powdery white. The water is as clear  as bottled water. The people are super friendly.

I had a chance to meet the tarsiers. Went to see the chocolate hills, too. Seeing the hills with my eyes sent chills to my spine.  It sure was very different from what I have seen in Hekasi books back in elementary. It is like seeing your idol celebrity for the first time.

I wanted to stay there for a month. I certainly would if only for the logistic side of it.

If you want a great island vacation, consider  Bohol. People who have been there know what I mean . It is like seeing beauty from without, letting you see beauty from within.

Good Excuse is Better than None.

Today, I will wear my lucky shirt and my lucky jacket. I will bring my lucky drawing pen. I will pray for good luck and hope for the best.

But if by chance my wish does not come true, I will think of a good excuse. Not long ago, I heard someone say, "A good excuse is definitely better than none." I believe him.

There is a reason for everything.

sinong sasama ng Mt. Pulag with me?! Dec. 5

On Ordinary Diligence of a Good Father

The diligence required by law to every person may be either: Ordinary Diligence or Extra Ordinary diligence, depending on the nature of the obligation

Extra Ordinary Diligence means, "the diligence of a very cautious person as far as utmost human care and foresight can provide with a due regard for all the circumstances."

On the other hand, Ordinary Diligence simply means, "diligence of a good father of a family."

The term "diligence of a good father of a family" reminds us that in rendering our obligations to other persons, we should provide the care and caution that we would have otherwise done in the exercise of handling the affairs of our own family.

There are times when I wonder why such the "diligence of a good father'??? I mean, come to think of it  --

Why not, The diligence of "a good mother?" or;

Why not, The diligence of a "good girlfriend?";

Why not The diligence of a "good sister?";

Or why is it not The diligence of a "good woman?"

To think, oftentimes, it is the mothers who are more diligent than fathers. I mean, in a family setting for example, women are generally better in taking care the children, getting the groceries, preparing the meals, cleaning the house—women do these and more and all at the same time. Women are naturally born diligent multi-taskers and can run the household without breaking a sweat.

Mothers being women, tend to have gotten better grades in school. Women tend to learn faster and are keener on details. Women mature faster than men. Women tend to communicate their ideas better.

Mothers have better capacity to sympathize and are more sensitive to the emotional and physical concerns of the children. Mothers have better facilities in a parent-child relationship with regard to instruction and supervision a child. Mothers even have this special gift of "intuition" which men in general do not have.

While I do not think that Ordinary Diligence means "the diligence of a good father" is wrong. It seems to me that "the diligence of a good mother" JUST makes more sense nowadays.

Maybe it is time for our law makers to review this part of the Civil Code.

If such said provision had been stated as  "diligence of a good mother of the family," ordinary obligations would have probably made better sense. Persons would have probably practiced sounder judgments. Courts would have probably lesser cases to handle regarding specific performance of obligations.

If  "mother's diligence" had been the law, a person only has to remember how his mother rendered diligence, care, and sacrifice to provide for the family, and he would have known exactly what the law was all about.

Hindi na ako gagamit ng fountain pen sa exam, mas maganda talaga ang drawing pen.

Acoustic Enchantment

Joyce, Me, Bey and Bogs kick some ass at Bela Bar Greenhills.

Talent Fee

So recently a production entity staged a one night concert involving three bands. The arrangement is such that every customer will be charged a ticket. The proceeds of the ticket sales shall be distributed pro rata to each of the members of the bands that performed as his/her "talent fee."

After the show,  every band member, received his/her share of the talent fee - EXCEPT me.

I did not receive anything. Not even a drink. Not even a small meal to feed my hungry guitarist stomach -  and I will tell you why --  I waived my talent fee.

I do not play for money. I enjoy sharing whatever little talent that I have with people I love and care about. Such a little talent is my gift to humanity. The so called "talent fee" or any monetary compensation for my art is the very last thing in my mind.

However, for being part of the project, I had a very small tiny request to the organizers - my guests (guitar technician, P.A., girlfriend, and a very small number of friends) will not be charged a cent to be admitted, which is of course was granted.

The problem is this -  after the show I am told that I had a talent fee all along. That it was applied to credit my guest list, "as if"  to purchase an admission. I was further told that "if my guests have bought their own tickets, the price would have exceeded my talent fee." It is therefore correct and justifiable to conclude that I should not receive any talent fee at all.

This is downright  insulting.

Let me just clear a few things out before I move on for good.

First, I am not playing for money, my art is free. However it insults me to hear that the reason I do not have a talent fee was not because I WAIVED it, but instead, such talent fee was applied and credited to pay for my guests' entrance.

And I don't have to be told that "that If they had paid for their own tickets, it would have exceeded the talent fee I should receive." I told you, I do not care about the money.

The thing is, if I had known my guests will be charged anyway (thanks to my T.F.) I would not have accepted the gig. I have so much things to occupy my time with.

Or, if I had played nevertheless, I would have purchased them their own tickets out of my own pocket. At least they get real  tickets (instead merely being put in a guest list), they would have gotten their free beer, drink, or whatever other benefit.

This is not an issue of money. This is my issue of not liking how my compensation for the gig is construed as if I was the one who owes the production entity some big favor for bringing in a few people to watch our band play. Mind you, my guests are the very reason I agreed to be part of the project in the first place.

Five reasons not to play farmville.

Five reasons not to play farmville.

1. Farmville is based on real world money which i think is just stupid. Yes you can get coins but farm cash is extremely hard to get and you have to spend real world money to get lots of it. You need farm cash often for things like tractors etc.

2. The idea of having animals and trees is just stupid. Animals give you barely any coins and take a long time to re-spawn. And what the heck? Collect down feathers from ducks, angelic hair from rabbits and truffles from pigs???

3. The buildings and decorations are completely pointless. They have no use other then experience. If I were Farmville i would make the cottages earn you 15% more experience for farming or windmills to increase your guys speed etc. But they just stand there and do nothing
Read more in Games
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4. It has no plot-line, the only point is to level and the only achievements you can get is better seeds and it is not even fun to plant or collect your crops, it’s just time consuming and boring

5. It gets pointless. Yes, at first you get sucked in, wanting to get all the ribbons, all the trees and the animals and wanting to plant different crops, get buildings and beat your Friends. But finally when you do get all of this, which is in about a month if you try, the game stops having any point. You start thinking, great il have 10 million coins, and what will i do with those, buy 100 cottages and then what? There are no inter games in Farmville and nothing to do except for level and soon that becomes boring.

So Don’t Waste a month of your life sitting for hours waiting for your crops to grow just because your freinds are doing it. Quit it and insated write on Triond.com to get enough money to buy a good game like COD4!

http://gameolosophy.com/games/five-reasons-not-to-play-farmville/

Baha

Sasakyan at gas.

Nakakatuwa. Napakaganda ng advise ng kaibigan ko minsan na nagusap kami.

Sabi niya,  lahat daw tayo ay parang sasakyan. Ang motivation daw ay parang gas.

Kung walang gas, hindi aandar ang sasakyan.

Kaya naman pala hindi ako umaandar dati. Wala akong gas.

Pero ngayon, iba na ang sitwasyon - baliktad na. Naguumapaw ang gas na para bang hindi na mauubos.

Saan tayo next na pupunta?? Excited na ako.

Always use po and opo, salamat po.

may mga bagay na hindi mo alam kung bakit mo ginagawa, pero ginagawa mo parin...

Consciousness

While drinking my coffee yesterday, something happened to me - I transcended in the state of consciousness.

A wave of familiarity and mystery flowed through my body. Right there, right then, I became  aware of everything.

My coffee was suddenly more than it seemed. I noticed the simplest things that make it up. It was a black liquid, hot, sweet, and aromatic.

I noticed everything around me. I can feel. I'm alive. I can think. I can absorb information. Everything was so new. It was as if it was my first day on earth. It was a great feeling of enlightenment. It was a direct subjected experience. It was a feeling of expanded comprehension.

But then, with this surge of consciousness came along waves of overwhelming confusion. I began to doubt deeply. How did I recognize all these things? Where does this knowledge come from? Why am I here? What is my purpose? Is this just a dream? Is this real? What is truth? Where do all this questions come from? Millions of questions pierced my eyes twice the speed of light.

I couldn't seem to go on. It was as if I was a prisoner of my own thoughts. I was paralyzed. The happiness I felt as consciousness unfolded itself was replaced by deep melancholy. I know that if I stayed in my surreally wonderful state of consciousness for too long, I will simply wilt and die.

The next thing I remember was I washing  my coffee cup and did the things I had to do for the rest of the day. I didn't think, I didn't question. I didn't let my consciousness take over me. I just let things be, as they are. This state is safer for now. I guess to be able to go on in life, sometimes consciousness must settle down completely.

left brain right brain

THE Right Brain vs Left Brain test ... do you see the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise?

If clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and vice versa.

Most of us would see the dancer turning anti-clockwise though you can try to focus and change the direction; see if you can do it.


LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical
safe

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses feeling
"big picture" oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking



hmmm..  I KNEW IT! Sabi ko na nga ba. Right brain dominant ako.






http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22556281-661,00.html

Act of God

In life two things can happen -- an act of man or, an act of God.

I sure did exercise extra-ordinary diligence, but what happened today was out of my control.

In French, it is called force majure, in Latin, casus fortuitus, in Taglog,  it is kaloob ng Diyos.

If I wasn't able to fulfill my obligation in its normal course, I'm sorry.

It was the act of God that prevailed.

Worry is the misuse of imagination.

gusto ko ng seedless atis...

"The harder you train, the easier the fight." - Manny Pacquiao

Our first duty in life is not to be poor.

Happiness is a Carrot on a Stick

Me and my dad were driving along Espana Boulevard when he asked me how was my retreat. I told him it was great and that if there was one thing that I learned, it would have to be this: "Happiness is a carrot on a stick."

I was about to tell him what it was all about when he suddenly cut me in the middle of my sentence to ask, "What stick?" (I was about to get to that dad!) but before I could answer, I realized that we have reached my destination. It was time for me to alight the car.

What's the point? Well... nothing. I just wanted to waste three paragraphs. (Kidding.)

"Carrot on a stick"  refers to a policy of offering a combination of rewards and punishment to induce behavior.

In this case, the driver would tie a carrot on a string to a long stick and dangle it in front of the donkey, just out of its reach. As the donkey moved forward to get the carrot, it pulled the cart and the driver so that the carrot would always remain out of reach.

"Happiness is a carrot on a stick" is about man's struggle to seek for happiness after happiness. For every step we move forward -- so does the carrot. Our happiness always seems to be at some destination we cannot reach; so we are never truly happy. It is a process that goes on and on.

"Happiness is a carrot on a stick" is the perfect picture of how life should NOT be lived --  happiness perceived as a destination.

Happiness should not be delayed until the end of the stick is reached. Happiness is as such. It starts the very moment it is claimed. As Buddha claimed, life is perfect as such. If we keep on seeking for happiness, we will never find it -- because searching is the antithesis for happiness.

Retreat

I just got home from a retreat. For three days, I was drowned in solitude, silence, simplicity, and prayer.

It is interesting that the word "retreat" also means "to give up" -- but more than a mere surrender,  it specifically means "to give up so you can go on."

Just like the Trojan War, the Greeks had to retreat because they were losing the battle. They had to rethink of a plan to beat the Trojans. With their retreat, came a war winning idea --  to send a Trojan Horse.

Thanks to this retreat, I now feel renewed and refreshed. I now find peace and serenity remembering what this fight was all about  -- my visions and convictions: the things I believe in and the things I am willing to die for.

bitter to better

i be out for 3 days recollecting.

i want to microwave my highlighter, book, shoes, barong, and socks just to see what will happen.

Instant Buddhism

Unlike other religions, all a person needs to do to be a Buddhist is to be fan of Buddha. Being a fan of Buddha is easy. His core teaching basically revolves around the Four Fold Truth and the Eight Fold Path.

Buddha teaches how to recognize the state of mind that produces unsatisfactory reaction to our understanding of reality. He's goal is to show us how we can get out of a condition of suffering and instead be totally present in a moment of pure happiness.

All of our lives, we were made to believe that happiness comes from doing things -- avoiding pain, accumulating wealth, seeking pleasure. But Buddha realized that there is a difference between pleasure and happiness. He realized that there are certain truths that we avoid that in the end, do not really make us happy. He says only through understanding and acceptance of the truth can a person find real happiness.

Buddha presents a road to happiness by making us aware of the foremost disease of life -- suffering. He elaborates this in what Buddhists now know as the "Four Noble Truths":

1. This is a life of suffering.
2. The cause of this suffering is desire.
3. To cure suffering, you must end desire.
4. To end that desire we must follow the "eight fold path."

The eight fold path is this:

1. Appropriate View
2. Appropriate Intention
3. Appropriate Speech
4. Appropriate Action
5. Appropriate Livelihood
6. Appropriate Effort
7. Appropriate Mindfulness
8. Appropriate Concentration

Buddhism offers an alternative perspective on life. It offers self introspection and understanding. It is a practice of ethical living. The advantage of ethical living is living a life without remorse or fear. It is a feeling of wellness and good will towards everything. It develops our loving kindness towards others that leads to lesser stress and more harmonious life.

"Tu a que te dedicas?"

Lately someone asked me, "What do you do?"

I wanted to answer back, "What do you care?" but I thought this might be a little rude, so I instead gave him a straight answer.

Maybe you ask this question a lot too, especially at  times you are reunited with your college friends or relatives.

The thing is, for a lot of people, "What do you do?" is  a source of insecurity. For a lot people who are not happy with how their precious time are spent, answering this question is not pleasurable at all.

"Anong trabaho mo?" similarly is quite burdensome. The word trabaho  means to labor for money. It makes you think that working for money is supposed to be very hard -- which should not be the case.

Perhaps a better way to ask "what do you do?" is to ask it in Spanish:

"Tu a que te dedicas?"

Literally means "What are you dedicated (to)?" In context it means, "What are you doing for life? Or "To what endeavor do you dedicate your life to?"

It is a beautiful question because it makes you reflect on whether you are spending your life doing the right thing.

Dedication is the key to a very successful career. Dedication means one has found his purpose for working. It means love for work. It means passion, perseverance, and inspiration for work. It means security, confidence, and contentment.  Dedication means giving a deeper meaning to your chosen career.

The next time you bump with a friend, do him a favor. Instead of asking him "What do you do?" ask him "Tu a que te dedicas?" or simply, "To what endeavor do you dedicate your life to?"

Fever

What is fever?

Two days ago, I exhibited symptoms of what seems to be flu: muscle aches, runny nose, coughing, and increase in body temperature.

I took this very seriously because of the H1N1 scare. I thought I might be candidate for one. I didn't hesitate to go to the doctor the very next day.

But the night before, I prudently and continuously monitored every symptom I have and my body's reaction to different kinds of over the counter medicine. I also researched on the symptoms of H1N1 and learned that aside from common symptoms of flu, diarrhea and vomiting are two of the  prominent indications of  "the dreaded virus" -- which i didn't have.

The next day at the clinic, I showed my pulmonologist my hourly plot of my body temperature the night before which ranged from 36.4 to 37.4 C and with esteem I told him, "Doc, I have fever.. and this and that symptoms...."

He cautiously studied my "hourly plot" and said, "No, you don't have  fever. A person who has fever has  least a temperature of 37.5 C..."

He said that what I have is a simple respiratory track infection, and after checking my temperature again, (37 at that moment) he said, all I needed to do was to rest, drink lots of water, and take my daily dose of vitamin C.

And so that day, I learned that in adults, a temperature over about 100 F is considered a fever. That's about at least 37.7777778 degrees Celsius or roughly, as the doctor said, 37.5 C.

Thank God I didn't have a fever! (my temperature was short of 0.1 degree Celsius). And thank God I am cleared of flu A(H1N1).

Immediately right after, I went home and treated everyone to McDonald's and ice cream.

On Education

"An educated man is not, necessarily, one who has an abundance of general or specialized knowledge. An educated man is one who has so developed the faculties of his mind that he may acquire anything he wants , or its equivalent, without violating the rights of others.

A man is educated who knows where to get knowledge when he needs it, and how to organize that knowledge into definite plans of action. It is not essential that he have this knowledge in his own mind."

 - Napoleon Hill.

I'm a Secret Fan of Michael Jackson

Yeah, you got that right. I'm into Jackson music. When I was in elementary, I was known in our school as a metal rocker. I could shred heavy metal guitar solos and had a wide collection of rock records of  Metallica, Megadeath, Pink floyd, Kiss, and Led Zep, you name it, I probably have it. You can say I was some sort of guru of rock and roll back then.

Little did my classmates and co-heavy rockers know that sometimes, when I am alone, I listen to Michal Jackson music and practice the moonwalk. I even wrote Michael Jackson a letter and sent it to his fan club.

Michael Jackson was like a drug to a lot of people like me -- a lot are addicted to his music and yet no one admits. And so it came to me as a surprise when I learned the King of Pop is dead.

Farewell Michael Jackson. Your music (and finger pointing, crouching, high-kicking, splay-footed, crotch-grabbing, moonwalking style) will be remembered forever.

What is Sociology Anyway?

When you are new on a job or a new in graduate school, the perennial question people ask is this:

"What was your course back in college?"

And of course I tell them, "Sociology."

This is almost always followed up by another question, "What is Sociology anyway?" "I never quite got what a Sociologist actually do..."

Of course I say, "Sociology studies human social behavior, especially the study of the origins, organization, institutions, and development of human society; Sociology studies social institution or societal segment as a self-contained entity or in relation to society as a whole.

As I explain this, it is almost always the conversation follows a long pause, as if people did not quite understand what I was talking about.

It's hard to make people appreciate the course. It takes so much reading, research, and meditations to actually appreciate the art.

I guess the first step in appreciating Sociology is through Sociological Imagination.

Coined by C. Wright Mills in 1950's, he argued that ‘nowadays men often feel that their private lives are a series of traps’ . Mills maintained that people are trapped because ‘their visions and their powers are limited to the close-up scenes of job, family [and] neighborhood’, and are not able to fully understand the greater sociological patterns related to their private troubles.

A lot of times people feel that they are trapped because they feel that they are so consumed with their personal lives. People feel that this life is a mere  trajectory, a mere routine, a mere series of personal events. It is common that they feel this  is a dog eat dog world, a rat race, a personal struggle to be solved.

Yet, if you look at it in a different perspective, "Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both" (Mills, 1956)

This understanding is what Mills calls the Sociological Imagination: the 'quality of mind' which allows one to grasp "history and biography and the relations between the two within society"

Ordinary people do not possess the quality of mind essential to grasp the interplay of man and society, of biography and history, of self and world." It is only with this interconnectedness of society and the individual that we can truly understand and possibly solve societal or individual problems/issues.

Sociology probably can not be contained in a single definition. Its meaning may vary from one experience to another. But one thing that all sociologists share is the ability to look beyond one’s own everyday life as a cause for daily successes and failures and see the entire society in which one lives as potential cause for these things.

For me, it seems that Sociology is about reading, feeling, and understanding a lot -- and then reading, feeling and understanding some more. For me, it is about fighting for what is  right and just. It is about questions to be answered and answers to be questioned so that at the end of the day -- we may gain epistemically and be in a position to make better choices in life.

Schedule your comebacks.

"Progress toward your goals is never gonna be a straight line; it'll always going to be a wavy line. You'll go up and come down a little. Two steps forward and one step back. Now most people get discouraged when they take the two steps back, they think they're failing. But they really haven't. They really in sync with the natural rhythm of progress. Now once you understand this rhythm, you can look ahead on your calendar to refresh, renew, and recover. Schedule your comeback while you're on top. Schedule a block of time to get away. Even to get away from what you love. Because coming back is gonna be that much more exciting when you've been renewed."

- Steve Chandler
http://www.scribd.com/doc/904961/100-Ways-to-Motivate-Yourself

Fire distinguisher

Yesterday, on my way home, I was in the LRT  and overheard two teachers  talking about a fire incident that happened at their school. Apparently, they were ranting because their principal was very disappointed with them. Students, while the fire incident broke out, were very unorganized and in complete restlessness. Some students even went back to the site where the fire broke out to retrieve their things.

One of the teachers said:

"Baliwala yung... (hesitates) fire distinguisher, hindi naman kasi natin abot, hindi din natin alam gamitin!"

The other teacher replied, "Oo, nga. Nagseminar pa nga tayo kung paano gamiting yung fire distinguisher na yan, pero hindi din naman natin kasalanan kung bakit nagkagulo yung mga bata ng ganon. Buti nalang napatay nila sunog agad. Pero, sana nasunog nalang yung room para narenovate lahat..." They both giggled as they alighted out of the train.

I had my own giggle, too!

It's the first time I heard of a device that distinguishes fire.

Do you know how to use a "fire distinguisher?" -- Well, I don't.

I will learn to use it as soon as possible. We'll never know where the next fire might happen.

Happy Birthday H1N1 virus

I though I've just discovered a remedy for Swine Flu.

Before class I went to the CR to compose my self. There I saw my friend  washing his hands while singing "Happy Birthday to You."  

I wondered if it is his birthday, but before I had an opportunity to ask, he left. He was late for class.

A while ago I received an information that San Beda has just confirmed its first case of Swine Flu and that the school will be closed for 10 days.

I panicked. I don't want to get infected.

And just like a lighted bulb. A spark of idea came to me.

You can sing "Happy Birthday to You" while washing your hands. It  takes about 15 seconds of applying soap to ensure that hands are clean. Singing happy birthday takes just about the same length of time. You will know your hands are clean when you are done singing.

If you don't want to sing Happy Birthday, you may instead opt to sing
Ba Ba Black Sheep or Twinkle Twinkle as they all share the same melody anyway.

I just thought I've stumbled upon a really good idea. Not until I saw a tarpaulin outside our school that recommends exactly the same thing.

I realised that's the reason why my friend was singing Happy Birthday a while ago in the first place.

My idea wasn't original after all.

Right at that moment my imaginary "light bulb" at the side of my head flickered and became totally dim and dark again.

The Right to Die

Lately, I have been having bad dreams about the many ways to die. Every time this happens, I wake my self up, because I'm scared. This causes me sleepless nights.

K.I.A. or killed in action is a military jargon for dying in the line of duty. For many who have dedicated their lives for a cause, this means dying with honor.

If you have seen Forrest Gump, there was a scene there where Lieutenant Dan was badly injured in battle. Forrest Gump was saving Lieutenant Dan but Lt. Dan wanted to die on the spot. To quote:

Lt. Dan: Now, you listen to me. We all have a destiny. Nothing just happens, it's all part of a plan. I should have died out there with my men! But now, I'm nothing but a goddamned cripple! A legless freak. Look! Look! Look at me! Do you see that? Do you know what it's like not to be able to use your legs?

Forrest: Well... Yes, sir, I do.

Lt. Dan: Did you hear what I said? You cheated me. I had a destiny. I was supposed to die in the field! With honor! That was my destiny! And you cheated me out of it! You understand what I'm saying, Gump? This wasn't supposed to happen. Not to me. I had a destiny. I was Lieutenant Dan Tyler.

Forrest: Yo-You're still Lieutenant Dan.

This scene asks us a very important question: whether or not we have the right to die.

The right to die has in its core the concept of dying with dignity. But how can someone die with dignity? This might seem an oxymoron, but it is true, there seems to be ways to die "better."

Spartans of ancient Greece take great pride in dying in battle. Iraqi suicide bombers use their bodies in the cause of  freedom. Mothers sacrifice their lives for their unborn children. These are regarded as very honorable ways of dying.

Much less dignity is afforded by children who die out of hunger in Africa, those who are killed mistakenly with no reason at all, and those who are tortured before dying.

The trajectory of life is that one day we will all die, but when that time comes, I want to die with honor and dignity.

Let it be known that I want to end my life well.

As my favorite philosopher Gracian writes:

"If you enter the house of Fortune through the door of pleasure, you will leave through the door of sorrow, and vice versa. So be careful of the way you end things, and devote more attention to a successful exit than to a highly applauded entrance. Fortunate people often have very favorable beginnings and very tragic endings. What matters isn't being applauded when you arrive -- for that is common -- but being missed when you leave. Rare are those who are still wanted. Fortune seldom accompanies someone to the door. She is a courteous to those who are coming as she is rude to those who are going."

Anyway, as to my dreams of death, it seems that for many cultures, it is unlikely to forecast an actual event, rather, death dreams seem to  represent the ending of one phase of life so that a new one can begin.

If this were true, I am excited. I like new beginnings and surprises.

Darts.

Professors are paid a great deal of money to teach and to give  fair grades.

Sadly, some professors, who are not in any way worthy of the academic title "professor,"are synonyms for book parrots.

What's worse, when the semester is over,  these "so called" profs play a game called "dart-a-grade."

I didn't believe it  until I saw it with my very eyes. Darts are real. It has  happened, is happening, and will happen again. It targets students indiscriminately at the most unexpected times.

Pray if you must. Seek for the intercession of your saints. Be humble, because you'll never know, you just might be the target of the next dart.

Extracting the Sweet From the Bitter

Only an espresso machine can extract the sweet crema from the bitter coffee, that's why, I am saving up to buy an "espresso machine" to replace, for good, my hassle, unreliable, and wasteful "coffee press."

Espresso is a concentrated coffee beverage brewed by forcing hot water under pressure through ground coffee. A distinguishing characteristic of espresso is the crema - a caramel  foam that floats on the surface and traps and holds the finest coffee oils and aromas that in other brewing processes are lost.  If you know good coffee, you know crema. A good crema undoubtedly means a good espresso.

And just like an espresso machine, I extract the sweet from the bitter. Like in the same way, I transform lemons to lemonade, stumbling blocks to stepping stones, loss to lesson, difficulties to opportunity, and oppression to justice.

Yes, it might have been a bitter arbitrariness that I have tasted, but from that bitterness, I will extract my sweet success -- just like how an espresso machine extracts crema out of bitter beans.

Lessons from Poker

I won my first million chips in Facebook today .

I fell in love with the game of poker from the first time I learned to play it, perhaps because the game is more like life itself -- the drama of life unfolds with every turn of a card.

Since I have reached this far in "the game." I have no further intentions of pursuing another million chips. The game does not appeal to me anymore. I have done enough for the game, and for this, I am officially retiring. I'd probably just give away my chips, especially to those who helped me during my "darkest poker times."

In my quest for my first million. I have learned a lot of lessons from poker as in life, which I hope you can learn from, too.
 
Life is both luck and skill, in the short run, "luck" prevails, but in the long run "skill"  triumphs.

Don't bluff, but don't be totally honest either.

Be patient, composed, and calm

To get better, practice and study.

Look for patterns.

Never make an important decision when you're tired or have recently consumed alcoholic beverages.

Stick to your level of stakes you are comfortable with.

While you're at it, you might as well enjoy the game.

Poker is a game of empathy. It is a game of understanding others' intent and motives so that  you can arrive at correct decisions. In a sense, Poker teaches us a lot about life. It develops discipline, critical reasoning, management of finances, strategy building, tactical implementation of the strategies - all are useful not only in life but also in any game that you want to pursue.

on taking shots

"You miss 100% of the shots you didn't take" - w. gretzky

Normal

Today, I feel normal.

These past few days, I had been sick. My doctor says i had pneumonia which is  probably due to a weak immune system caused by  bad habits, sleepless  nights, stress, and  emotional imbalances. But today is different because for the first time in many months, i feel normal.

I am cured of pneumonia. It was easy. All I had to  do was to take this 200 peso antibiotic drug twice daily for a week. I spent around 3 thousand pesos for the meds. It is a lot of money for me considering I am a mere minimum wage earner; although, it could have been more expensive if I had gone worse and I ended up in the hospital.  I am thankful to God for that.

You know, what's weird is that I really believe  there is something in the  ingredient of my antibiotic drug that cured me of more than just my pulmonary abnormality. It brought back something that I lost, something that I have been trying to find for so long - my self.

I don't know what it is, but it had a funny effect on me. For the first time in many, many months I felt the core of my being - the naked me - stripped out of desires and passions. Today, I'm just in tune with my self, my spirit, my Being. I am steady and stable. There's no longing for anything.  The vices don't appeal to me nor other worldly pleasures. I am not worried about my past, nor my future. I am not sad. I am not happy either. I'm just normal, perfectly normal.

Ironically, i know,  this feeling of being "perfectly normal" will pass, too. Soon I will be back to the real world. A world of roller coaster emotions, a world of neediness, arbitrariness, opportunity and pessimism. A world of chaos and order, light and darkness, freedom and restraint.

Soon, I'll be back playing  the game again. A game of losers, winners, expectations,  risk, stakes, prize and loss.

But today for now, I don't have to bother my self with the world and the game. Now, I will simply rejoice and be glad because for the first time in a long long time, I am fine and am perfectly normal.

On Ego

"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

You Are Probably Killing Yourself

Chapter 1 Lost and Found

Nagising ako ng maaga ngayon para pumunta sa ninang ko na doctor.

Balak ko sana siyang dalahan ng cake dahil alam ko na hindi siya nagpapabayad kaya dumaan muna ako sa Chocolate Kiss.

Pagdating ko sa Chokiss, wala silang tindang na buong cake, puro tingi lang.  Alangan naman magdala ako ng cake sa ninang ko na isang or dalawang piraso lang.  Baka isipin niya dinekwat ko yung ibang parte ng cake.  Hindi nalang ako bumili.  Naisip ko baka meron mabibilhan along the way, wala pala...

Nagtaxi nalang ako kasi tinatamad ako maglakad ng malayo.  Sabi ko sa driver sa Tandang Sora.

Nawala ako.  Iba ang dinaanan ng driver.  At wala akong idea kung nasang parte ako ng Tandang Sora.  Palayo na ako ng palayo, kaya bumaba nalang ako KUNG SAAN at naisip ko sumakay nalang ng KUNG ANONG jeep...

Pagkatapos ng isang mahaba at matrapik na biyahe, tumigil na ang jeep sa terminal niya.  nagbabaan na lahat ng mga tao.  Wala akong choice kundi bumababa narin.

Naglakad lakad ako ng konti.  Nagulat ako sa tuamambad sakin.  CHENEN!  Eureka!  Yung clinic ng ninang ko nasa tapat ko!  WOW Magic!  Hindi ko alam kung paano nangyari yon.  It must be some kind of power.

Chapter 2 Ako si Bonjing

Nakalimutan ko pala sabihin na yung Ninang ko ay isang Pediatrician.  Nakakatawa yung sumunod na eksena, dahil pagdating ko sa clinic niya, ang daming BATA, BABY, TODLERS, NANAY, TATAY, YAYA na nakapila.  Apparently, ako lang ang BAGETS, yebah!

Kinausap ko yung assistant ng clinic at sabi ko magpapatingin ako kay doctora.  Pinafill-up niya ako form na may picture ng baby at iba pang mga cute things.  May checklist din kung "Breast-fed ka o Bote"

Tinawag ako ng assistant ni doc.  Para magtimbang.  Tinanggal ko yung sapatos ko.  Kailangan ko yumuko para hindi mauntog sa cabinet.

Binigyan din ako ng nurse ng termometer para ipasok ko sa kilikili ko.

Feeling ko, ang Bonjing ko.  Nagmukha akong damulag doon.  Nakipaglaro din ako sa mga bata, kasi sila yung lumalapit sakin :D (si Bonjing ay isang pelikula tungkol sa isang isip bata na malaking tao na ginampanan ni Jimmy Santos.)


Chapter 3 Something to kill yourself

 Chineck up ako ni doc.  Dinikit niya yung stethoscope at pinahinga niya ako.  "Very good" daw ako huminga.  DUH, hindi naman mahirap huminga.

Sabi niya may Bronchal Pneumonia daw ako.  (Bakit kaya ang hirap iispell ang pneumonia?  Naisip ko lang ang daming silent letters pwede naman "nmnia" or "numonya" I hate words with silent letters, try mo nga spell ang hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia!!!!) hehehe Anyway, uminom daw ako ng antibiotic, yun lang ang kailangan ko gawin at gagaling na ako.  Ang mahal isang daan isang tableta.  Namulubi ako.  Alam mo naman minimum wage earner lang ako.

Buti nalang daw naagapan, kung hindi, sa ospital daw ako pupulutin.  Hahaha..  parang basura lang ako..  pinupulot.  Sabi niya "alam mo iho kaya ka nagkapneumonia, you are doing something..  probably killing your self..." sabay nag grin siya.

Ok na..  naresetahan na ako.  Nagthank you, at nagbabye na kay doc ninang.

Nastuck saakin yung sinabi niya.  "you are probably killing yourself"

Meron siyang alam sakin.  Meron siyang narinig or nakita at nalaman niya na may ginagawa ako that is killing me na nagresult sa pneumonia ko.

Nagets ko ang gusto niyang sabihin.  Kailangan ko na magbago.  Kung ano man yung source ng sakit ko,  kailangan ko ng baguhin ang attitude ko towards health. 

Wake up call para sakin, at siguro sayo din.

life is the dancer and i am the dance

I am one with life.

How to get what you want.

Luke 11:5-13

[5] Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, [6] because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.' [7] "Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me.  The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed.  I can't get up and give you anything.' [8] I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

[9] "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  [10] For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

[11] "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?  [12] Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?  [13] If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

EQ and the Marshmallow Test

Deferred gratification or delayed gratification is the ability to wait in order to obtain something that one wants. This personality trait is important for life success.

In Daniel Goleman's book “Emotional Intelligence," he describes the concept of the EQ (Emotional Quotient). EQ is similar in many respects to IQ; however, EQ is believed to be a better determinant of success in relating, building, and maintaining relationships with others over the course of a person's life.People who lack this trait are said to need instant gratification and may suffer from poor impulse control.

Impulse control disorder is a set of psychiatric disorders including (hot-headedness), kleptomania (stealing), pathological gambling, pyromania (fire-starting), trichotillomania (pulling one's hair out) and dermatillomania (skin picking). Impulse control disorders are considered to be part of the obsessive-compulsive disorder spectrum.

The onset of these disorders usually occurs between the ages of 7 and 15. Impulsivity, the key feature of these disorders, can be thought of as seeking a small, short term gain at the expense of a large, long term loss. Those with the disorder repeatedly demonstrate failure to resist their behavioral impetuosity. The essence of emotional self-regulation is the ability to control one's impulses in the service of goal.

The marshmallow experiment is a famous test of this concept conducted by Walter Mischel at Stanford University and discussed by Daniel Goleman in his popular work. In the 1960s, a group of four-year olds were given a marshmallow and promised another, only if they could wait 20 minutes before eating the first one. Some children could wait and others could not.

The researchers then followed the progress of each child into adolescence, and demonstrated that those with the ability to wait were better adjusted and more dependable (determined via surveys of their parents and teachers), and scored an average of 210 points higher on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.

The marshmallow test has been found to be a remarkable predictor in how successful the children will be at establishing and achieving goals. The test is essentially a way of measuring if the child is capable of understanding consequences and delaying gratification for a future reward.

The test starts with the interviewer and the child sitting at a table. The interviewer offers the child a marshmallow that they can have immediately, or if they can wait for 15 minutes they will be rewarded with an extra marshmallow. The interviewer then gets a call and has to leave the room, again explaining that if the child waits for their return they will be rewarded with a second marshmallow, but they are free to have the marshmallow in front of them at anytime. If they do take the marshmallow in front of them they will not get the second marshmallow, if they wait they will be rewarded with two.

This simple test has been a great predictor in determining how successful children will be in later life. Those children that are able to understand the concept of delayed gratification, and wait for the second marshmallow, tend to be more goal oriented. The children that act impulsively and eat the first marshmallow tend to be impulsive with less understanding of future reward.

 

 

 

Sources:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impulse_control_disorder
http://klondikeconsulting.com/blog/?p=24
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deferred_gratification
 

General guidelines to improve memory

General guidelines to improve memory

In addition to exercising your brain, there are some basic things you can do to improve your ability to retain and retrieve memories:

1. Pay attention. You can’t remember something if you never learned it, and you can’t learn something — that is, encode it into your brain — if you don’t pay enough attention to it. It takes about eight seconds of intent focus to process a piece of information through your hippocampus and into the appropriate memory center. So, no multitasking when you need to concentrate! If you distract easily, try to receive information in a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.
2. Tailor information acquisition to your learning style. Most people are visual learners; they learn best by reading or otherwise seeing what it is they have to know. But some are auditory learners who learn better by listening. They might benefit by recording information they need and listening to it until they remember it.
3. Involve as many senses as possible. Even if you’re a visual learner, read out loud what you want to remember. If you can recite it rhythmically, even better. Try to relate information to colors, textures, smells and tastes. The physical act of rewriting information can help imprint it onto your brain.
4. Relate information to what you already know. Connect new data to information you already remember, whether it’s new material that builds on previous knowledge, or something as simple as an address of someone who lives on a street where you already know someone.
5. Organize information. Write things down in address books and datebooks and on calendars; take notes on more complex material and reorganize the notes into categories later. Use both words and pictures in learning information.
6. Understand and be able to interpret complex material. For more complex material, focus on understanding basic ideas rather than memorizing isolated details. Be able to explain it to someone else in your own words.  
7. Rehearse information frequently and “over-learn”. Review what you’ve learned the same day you learn it, and at intervals thereafter. What researchers call “spaced rehearsal” is more effective than “cramming.” If you’re able to “over-learn” information so that recalling it becomes second nature, so much the better.
8. Be motivated and keep a positive attitude. Tell yourself that you want to learn what you need to remember, and that you can learn and remember it. Telling yourself you have a bad memory actually hampers the ability of your brain to remember, while positive mental feedback sets up an expectation of success.

Mnemonic devices to improve memory

Mnemonics (the initial “m” is silent) are clues of any kind that help us remember something, usually by causing us to associate the information we want to remember with a visual image, a sentence, or a word.

Common types of mnemonic devices include:

1. Visual images - a microphone to remember the name “Mike,” a rose for “Rosie.” Use positive, pleasant images, because the brain often blocks out unpleasant ones, and make them vivid, colorful, and three-dimensional — they’ll be easier to remember.
2. Sentences in which the first letter of each word is part of or represents the initial of what you want to remember. Millions of musicians, for example, first memorized the lines of the treble staff with the sentence “Every good boy does fine” (or “deserves favor”), representing the notes E, G, B, D, and F. Medical students often learn groups of nerves, bones, and other anatomical features using nonsense sentences.
3. Acronyms, which are initials that creates pronounceable words. The spaces between the lines on the treble staff, for example, are F, A, C, and E: FACE.
4. Rhymes and alliteration: remember learning “30 days hath September, April, June, and November”? A hefty guy named Robert can be remembered as “Big Bob” and a smiley co-worker as “Perky Pat” (though it might be best to keep such names to yourself).
5. Jokes or even off-color associations using facts, figures, and names you need to recall, because funny or peculiar things are easier to remember than mundane images.
6. “Chunking” information; that is, arranging a long list in smaller units or categories that are easier to remember. If you can reel off your Social Security number without looking at it, that’s probably because it’s arranged in groups of 3, 2, and 4 digits, not a string of 9.
7. “Method of loci”: This is an ancient and effective way of remembering a lot of material, such as a speech. You associate each part of what you have to remember with a landmark in a route you know well, such as your commute to work.

Healthy habits to improve memory

Treating your body well can enhance your ability to process and recall information.

Healthy Habits that Improve Memory
Regular exercise	Increases oxygen to your brain. Reduces the risk for disorders that lead to memory loss, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. May enhance the effects of helpful brain chemicals and protect brain cells.
Managing stress	Cortisol, the stress hormone, can damage the hippocampus if the stress is unrelieved. Stress makes it difficult to concentrate.
Good sleep habits	Sleep is necessary for memory consolidation. Sleep disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea leave you tired and unable to concentrate during the day.
Not smoking	Smoking heightens the risk of vascular disorders that can cause stroke and constrict arteries that deliver oxygen to the brain.

Nutrition and Memory improvement

You probably know already that a diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and “healthy” fats will provide lots of health benefits, but such a diet can also improve memory. Research indicates that certain nutrients nurture and stimulate brain function.
B vitamins, especially B6, B12, and folic acid, protects neurons by breaking down homocysteine, an amino acid that is toxic to nerve cells. They’re also involved in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen. (Best sources: spinach and other dark leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, strawberries, melons, black beans and other legumes, citrus fruits, soybeans.)
Antioxidants like vitamins C and E, and beta carotene, fight free radicals, which are atoms formed when oxygen interacts with certain molecules. Free radicals are highly reactive and can damage cells, but antioxidants can interact with them safely and neutralize them. Antioxidants also improve the flow of oxygen through the body and brain. (Best sources: blueberries and other berries, sweet potatoes, red tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, green tea, nuts and seeds, citrus fruits, liver.)
Omega-3 fatty acids are concentrated in the brain and are associated with cognitive function. They count as “healthy” fats, as opposed to saturated fats and trans fats, protecting against inflammation and high cholesterol. (Best sources: cold-water fish such as salmon, herring, tuna, halibut, and mackerel; walnuts and walnut oil; flaxseed and flaxseed oil)
Because older adults are more prone to B12 and folic acid deficiencies, a supplement may be a good idea for seniors. An omega-3 supplement (at any age) if you don’t like eating fish. But nutrients work best when they’re consumed in foods, so try your best to eat a broad spectrum of colorful plant foods and choose fats that will help clear, not clog, your arteries. Your brain will thank you!

http://www.helpguide.org/life/improving_memory.htm

Today is a Present

"The clock is running. Make the most of today. Time waits for no man. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it is called the present."

-Kung Fu Panda

Carpe diem everyone :D

Emotional Guidance System

The Emotional Guidance scale has a range of emotions beginning with the most positive empowering emotions to emotions of desperation and weakness.

The Emotional Guidance scale as explained by Esther and Jerry Hicks, has the following emotions.

During the day you need to be aware of which emotion you are experiencing from the Emotional Guidance System. When you are experiencing the positive emotions you are helping in the co creation of your goals.

When you feel a negative emotion you are blocking yourself from your source and blocking abundance. You then have to shift that negative emotion to better feeling emotion on the scale.

One of the methods to move to a better feeling emotions is Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) which is a natural and effective technique to heal negative emotions. When you feel stuck with negative emotions tapping on the meridian endings releases the negative energy and makes you feel calmer.

It is also important to heal the core issues behind the negative emotions. Suppose you feel anger towards a loved one. Healing past pain caused by this person who has angered you will help you feel lasting peace.

When you are happy and grateful we are connected to the universe, the source energy. When you are connected to your source you are in alignment with your goals.

When you are feeling negative emotions like frustration, impatience, anger etc you are disconnected from your source and we are not in alignment with your goals.

To be vibrating with positive emotions of love and gratitude may require you to make a committed effort towards your healing if you have not already done that. Healing past pain and negative beliefs improves your self esteem and helps you to vibrate with emotions indicated on the higher scale of the emotional guidance system.

The result is that you make peace with your past and you stop fighting the present moment. You vibrate with happy emotions and you are in the process helping in the manifestation of your goals and you become a conscious co creator.








http://www.squidoo.com/emotional-guidance-system

Horus vs Jesus (part 1)

About Yeshua of Nazareth: He is commonly referred to as Jesus Christ, although Joshua would be a more accurate translation of his first name.

"Christ" is not his last name; it is simply the Greek word for "Messiah," or "anointed one." Theologians have discovered about 50 gospels which were widely used by Jewish, Pauline and Gnostic groups within the early Christian movement. Only four of these were chosen by the surviving group, Pauline Christianity, and were included in the Bible. Those four Gospels describe Jesus as a Jew, a follower of the Hillel the Elder and his liberal school of religion.

Yeshua is said to have been born in what are now the occupied territories -- formerly called Palestine - circa 4 to 7 BCE. Two of the Gospels say that Yeshua was born of a virgin; John seems to deny the possibility, and Mark is silent on the virgin birth. Yeshua is variously portrayed as a rabbi, teacher, healer, exorcist, magician, ₁₈ prophet, and religious leader who had a one year (according to Mark, Matthew and Luke) or a three year (according to John) ministry, starting when he was about 30 years old. Most Christians believe that he was executed by the Roman occupying army, visited the underworld, was resurrected, spent 40 days with his disciples, and then ascended to heaven. Most Christian denominations view Jesus as God, and as the Son of God, the second person in the Trinity. Muslims view him as a great prophet, second only to Muhammed. They believe that God is indivisible and that the Trinity concept is perhaps the greatest blasphemy one can believe in.

Many evangeical Christians view the Gospels as being inerrant whose authors were inspired by God. The Gospels and other passages in the Bible are mostly interpreted literally.

About Horus: Various ancient Egyptian statues and writings tell of Horus, (pronounced "hohr'-uhs;"
a.k.a. Harseisis, Heru-sa-Aset (Horus, son of Isis), Heru-ur (Horus the elder), Hr, and Hrw), a creator sky God. He was worshipped thousands of years before the first century CE -- the time when Jesus was ministering in Palestine. ₂ Horus was often represented as a stylized eye symbol, symbolizing the eye of a falcon. He was also presented "in the shape of a sparrow hawk or as a man [or lion] with a hawk's head." ₃ He is often shown as an infant cradled by his mother Isis. He was considered to be the son of two major Egyptian deities: the God Osirus and and the Goddess Isis. In adulthood, he avenged his father's murder, and became recognized as the God of civil order and justice. Each of the Egyptian pharaohs were believed to be the living embodiment -- an incarnation -- of Horus. ₄

Life events shared by Horus and Jesus

Stories from the life of Horus had been circulating for centuries before Jesus birth (circa 4 to 7 BCE). If any copying occurred by the writers of the Egyptian or Christian religions, it was the followers of Jesus who incorporated into his biography the myths and legends of Horus, not vice-versa.

Author and theologian Tom Harpur studied the works of three authors who have written about ancient Egyptian religion: Godfrey Higgins (1771-1834), Gerald Massey (1828-1907) and Alvin Boyd Kuhn (1880-1963). Harpur incorporated some of their findings into his book "Pagan Christ." He argued that all of the essential ideas of both Judaism and Christianity came primarily from Egyptian religion. "[Author Gerald] Massey discovered nearly two hundred instances of immediate correspondence between the mythical Egyptian material and the allegedly historical Christian writings about Jesus. Horus indeed was the archetypal Pagan Christ." ₇

Comparison of some life events of Horus and Jesus:

from http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jcpa5.htm

Event	Horus	Yeshua of Nazareth, a.k.a. Jesus
Conception:	By a virgin. There is some doubt about this matter	By a virgin. 8
Father:	Only begotten son of the God Osiris.	Only begotten son of Yehovah (in the form of the Holy Spirit).
Mother:	Isis-Meri. 9	Miriam (a.k.a. Mary).
Foster father:	Seb, (Jo-Seph). 9	Joseph.
Foster father's ancestry:	Of royal descent.	Of royal descent.
Birth location:	In a cave.	In a cave or stable.
Annunciation:	By an angel to Isis, his mother.	By an angel to Miriam, his mother. 8
Birth heralded by:	The star Sirius, the morning star.	An unidentified "star in the East."
Birth date:	Ancient Egyptians paraded a manger and child representing Horus through the streets at the time of the winter solstice (about DEC-21).	Born during the fall. However, his birth date is now celebrated on DEC-25. The date was chosen to occur on the same date as the birth of Mithra, Dionysus and the Sol Invictus (unconquerable Sun), etc.
Birth announcement:	By angels.	By angels. 8
Birth witnesses:	Shepherds.	Shepherds. 8
Later witnesses to birth:	Three solar deities.	Three wise men. 8
Death threat during infancy:	Herut tried to have Horus murdered.	Herod tried to have Jesus murdered.
Handling the threat:	The God That tells Horus' mother "Come, thou goddess Isis, hide thyself with thy child."	An angel tells Jesus' father to: "Arise and take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt."
Rite of passage ritual:	Horus came of age with a special ritual,  when his eye was restored.	Taken by parents to the temple for what is today called a bar mitzvah ritual.
Age at the ritual:	12	12
Break in life history:	No data between ages of 12 & 30.	No data between ages of 12 & 30.
Baptism location:	In the river Eridanus.	In the river Jordan.
Age at baptism:	30.	30.
Baptized by:	Anup the Baptiser.	John the Baptist.
Subsequent fate of the baptiser:	Beheaded.	Beheaded.
Temptation:	Taken from the desert of Amenta up a high mountain by his arch-rival Sut. Sut (a.k.a. Set) was a precursor for the Hebrew Satan.	Taken from the desert in Palestine up a high mountain by his arch-rival Satan.
Result of temptation:	Horus resists temptation.	Jesus resists temptation.
Close followers:	Twelve disciples. There is some doubt about this matter as well.	Twelve disciples.
Activities:	Walked on water, cast out demons, healed the sick, restored sight to the blind. He "stilled the sea by his power."	Walked on water, cast out demons, healed the sick, restored sight to the blind. He ordered the sea with a "Peace, be still" command.
Raising of the dead:	Horus raised Osirus, his dead father,  from the grave. 10	Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave.
Location where the resurrection miracle occurred:	Anu, an Egyptian city where the rites of the death, burial and resurrection of Horus were enacted annually. 10	Hebrews added their prefix for house ('beth") to "Anu" to produce "Beth-Anu" or the "House of Anu." Since "u" and "y" were interchangeable in antiquity, "Bethanu" became "Bethany," the location mentioned in John 11.
Origin of Lazarus' name in the Gospel of John:		Asar was an alternative name for Osirus, Horus' father, who Horus raised from the dead. He was referred to as "the Asar," as a sign of respect. Translated into Hebrew, this is "El-Asar." The Romans added the prefix "us" to indicate a male name, producing "Elasarus." Over time, the "E" was dropped and "s" became "z," producing "Lazarus." 10
Transfigured:	On a mountain.	On a high mountain.
Key address(es):	Sermon on the Mount.	Sermon on the Mount; Sermon on the Plain.
Method of death	By crucifixion or by the sting of a scorpion; sources differ. 19	By crucifixion.
Accompanied by:	Two thieves.	Two thieves.
Burial	In a tomb.	In a tomb.
Fate after death:	Descended into Hell; resurrected after three days.	Descended into Hell; resurrected after about 30 to 38 hours (Friday PM to presumably some time in Sunday AM) covering parts of three days.
Resurrection announced by:	Women.	Women.
Future:	Reign for 1,000 years in the Millennium.	Reign for 1,000 years in the Millennium.

Congratulations to My Brother

Bro, Congratulations! Graduate ka na. I'm very proud of you. Alam ko pinaghirapan mo talaga ang degree mo. Naaalala ko ang mga gabi na nagpupuyat ka ng sobra sa kakaaral at kakagawa ng thesis mo. Minsan pa nga umiiyak ka sakin kasi sobrang stressed ka na :)

Masayang-masaya ako para sayo. Isang life achievement ang naaccomplish mo. Panibagong chapter ng buhay mo ang magbubukas. I'm sure magiging successful ka sa mga future undertakings mo. Bro nandito lang ako palagi to support you. Mabuhay ka! :)



______
PS: Sa lahat ng graduates ngayong March. Congratulations din sa inyo. :D
Welcome to the club :)

End Note. Ayon sa isang study, for every 100 na estudyante na pumapasok ng grade one,  less than 5% lang ang gumagraduate ng college sa Pilipinas.

The Law of Diminishing Returns

Here are a couple of definitions:

Concept in economics that if one factor of production (number of workers, for example) is increased while other factors (machines and workspace, for example) are held constant, the resulting increase in output will level-off after some time and then decline. Although the marginal productivity of the workforce decreases as output increases, diminishing returns do not mean negative returns until (in this example) the number of workers exceeds the available machines or workspace. In everyday experience, this law is expressed as "the gain is not worth the pain.”

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The law of diminishing returns is a classic economic concept that states that as more investment in an area is made, overall return on that investment increases at a declining rate, assuming that all variables remain fixed. To continue to make an investment after a certain point (which varies from context to context) is to receive a decreasing return on that input.
The law of diminishing returns has broader applications than economics. In fact, it is one of the most widely recognized economic principles outside of the economic classroom. In a call center, for instance, service level improvements decline in rate in relation to each additional successive agent added.



Other real-world examples abound:


Drinking beer when you're already drunk
Buying when you can no longer afford
Fighting when it's not fighting for
Giving more time to unimportant things
Staying when it's time to leave.
A student considering one more hour of study after 2 AM and he is burnt out.


http://ph.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090303165814AATCcYB

On Killing

Si X pinatay si Y

What crime is committed?

IT DEPENDS.

Parricide -- if he kills his father, mother, or child, whether legitimate of illegitimate, or any of his ascendants or descendants, or his spouse.

Death under exceptional circumstances -- if a legally married person or a parent surprises his spouse or his daughter, the latter under 18 years of age and living with him, in the act of committing sexual intercourse with another person; that he or she kills any or both of them, and has not promoted or facilitated the prostitution of his wife or daughter, or that he or she has not consented to the infidelity of the other spouse.

Murder -- if it is not parricide, and the killing is committed with treachery, meaning, means or persons are employed by the accused who killed the deceased to prevent his being recognized, or to secure himself against detection and punishment. Or with cruelty, by deliberately, and inhumanly augmenting the suffering of the victim, or outraging or scoffing at his person or corpse.

Homicide -- if the killing is without the attendance of any of the circumstances of murder.

Death caused in a tumultuous affray -- if while several persons, not composing groups organized for the common purpose of assaulting and attacking each other reciprocally, quarrel and assault each other in a confused and tumultuous manner, and in the course of the affray someone is killed, and it cannot be identified, such person or persons.

Infanticide -- when a child less than 3 days is killed.

Intentional abortion -- if the fetus dies as a result of the use of violence or drugs or beverages upon a pregnant woman or any other act.

Unintentional abortion -- if violence is used upon such pregnant woman without intending an abortion.

If Y is an animal, like aso, baboy pusa (or any property) for the purposes of willful damaging of another’s property due to hate, revenge , or other EVIL motives the crime is Malicious Mischief.

If Y is an insect – the crime is insecticide (nye!)

 
Post script.

Kung may utang kayo, at demandable na - please lang bayaran niyo na!. Atsaka, pag nagpromise kayo na babayaran niyo ang utang niyo on a given date,place, at time, please naman, be true to your word para walang nahahassel.  Sabi pa nga sa sa Civil Code:

 
Art. 19. "Every person must, in the exercise of his rights and in the performance of his duties, act with justice, give everyone his due and observe honesty and good faith."

Art. 20. "Every person who, contrary to law, willfully or negligently causes damage to another, shall indemnify the latter for the same."

By the way, kung magpapautang kayo ng pera, lalo na at medyo malaking amount, it is best kung isusulat niyo yan sa isang kontrata. Para may panghahawakan kayo, kahit pa boyfriend or girlfriend or friend niyo ang papautangin niyo.

Magbayad ng utang. Gawin  ito ng hindi na tayo umabot sa KILLING :D

joke :)

 

Gay moments in LRT2

Before that, I have a joke.

Use VIOLET in a sentence?

Shucks my pen doesn't have ink. 'di bale, I'll go to National Bookstore and VIOLET. :D
nye! :D

OK game.

Everyday, I take the LRT2. Before you get to the platform, of course you have to pass through a routine inspection. Sometimes, especially during rush hours, the line is so long that you have to think of something to do while waiting for your turn -- like read something.

So LRT2 authorities do just that, they give you something to read. They post a list of macho looking most wanted criminals and public enemies.

It is quite amusing that these posters of wanted criminals are pretty updated. Last year only faces of these public enemies can be seen. BUT NOW, VOILA! They already have BIG X marks, indicating their capture, death, or probably the government's loss of interest in them.

Sometimes, I wonder if the picture portraits of those wanted criminals are really them. I say this because one of the pictures looks like Manny Pacquiao. I'm not kidding, see for your self (third from the the top). Another picture looks like Jose of Eat Bulaga.

After a short wait, my time for my bag to be inspected comes.

The guard pretends to inspect my bag, but he is not really concerned with this. His real concern IS TO SMELL passengers. This creates discomfort for a lot of passengers.

The ways he does this, is first, he creates a very small isle for you to pass through -- so you have to walk sideways, thus your face points to his. Then he extends  his nose to your face to a point of an attempted kiss. He does this to see if you are smell like alcohol, and thus, deny your entry.

Whenever the guard does this "sniffing thing" -- I hate it. I have goose bumps every time this happens. It's an everyday gay moment with Mr. Guard.

But you see, they probably hate this part of their job, too. Imagine doing this for thousands of commuters everyday.

I'm glad I don't have their job, I don't have to deal with their hassle. I mean, you have to commend them somehow for doing their job, right? Before this kind of inspection, I've seen a lot of drunk passengers in the train leaving their biological stains.

But you know what, whatever! Even with this justification, this gay moment STILL sends chills to my spine.

A meek but violent god? A tragic irony.

In Mt. 5:5, Jesus said, “blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

In 1 Corinthians 4:21, it is said, “What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with gentle spirit?

In 2 Timothy 2:24, it was stated that “And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to knowledge of the truth.”

In Luke 23:34, Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

This passages, show a picture of how we should carry ourselves in times trials and tribulations. It shows how we should frame our minds. That is -- opposed to harshness and contentiousness, and that shows itself in gentleness and tenderness in dealing with others.

However, compare these passages with other passages in the bible and you will find an irony.

 

[W]hen the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance of them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord . . . (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

 

“[H]e that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him”(John 3:36).

 

 

In Leviticus 25:44-46, the Lord tells the Israelites it's OK to own slaves, provided they are strangers or heathens.

 

2) In Samuel 15:2-3, the Lord orders Saul to kill all the Amalekite men, women and infants.

 

3) In Exodus 15:3, the Bible tells us the Lord is a man of war.

 

4) In Numbers 31, the Lord tells Moses to kill all the Midianites, sparing only the virgins.

 

5) In Deuteronomy 13:6-16, the Lord instructs Israel to kill anyone who worships a different god or who worships the Lord differently.

 

6) In Mark 7:9, Jesus is critical of the Jews for not killing their disobedient children as prescribed by Old Testament law.

 

7) In Luke 19:22-27, Jesus orders killed anyone who refuses to be ruled by him.

Cruelty and Violence in the 1st Four Books of the Bible

Genesis

 

1. God likes Abel's dead animals better than Cain's fruits and vegetables. Why? Well, no reason is given, but it probably has something to do with the amount of pain, blood, and gore involved. 4:3-5

 

2. Because God liked Abel's animal sacrifice more than Cain's vegetables, Cain kills his brother Abel in a fit of religious jealousy. 4:8

 

3. God is angry. He decides to destroy all humans, beasts, creeping things, fowls, and "all flesh wherein there is breath of life." He plans to drown them all. 6:7, 17

 

4. God repeats his intention to kill "every living substance ... from off the face of the earth." But why does God kill all the innocent animals? What had they done to deserve his wrath? It seems God never gets his fill of tormenting animals. 7:4

 

5. God drowns everything that breathes air. From newborn babies to koala bears -- all creatures great and small, the Lord God drowned them all. 7:21-23

 

6. Noah kills the "clean beasts" and burns their dead bodies for God. According to 7:8 this would have caused the extinction of all "clean" animals since only two of each were taken onto the ark. "And the Lord smelled a sweet savor." 8:20

 

7. To free Lot from captivity, Abram sends an army of slaves to pursue and smite his captors. 14:14-15

 

8. God tells Abram to kill some animals for him. The needless slaughter makes God feel better. 15:9-10

 

9. Hagar conceives, making Sarai jealous. Abram tells Sarai to do to Hagar whatever she wants. "And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled." 16:6

 

10. Lot refuses to give up his angels to the perverted mob, offering his two "virgin daughters" instead. He tells the bunch of angel rapers to "do unto them [his daughters] as is good in your eyes." This is the same man that is called "just" and "righteous" in 2 Pet.2:7-8. 19:7-8

 

11. God kills everyone (men, women, children, infants, newborns) in Sodom and Gomorrah by raining "fire and brimstone from the Lord out of heaven." Well, almost everyone -- he spares the "just and righteous" Lot and his family. 19:24

 

12. God threatens to kill Abimelech and his people for believing Abe's lie. 20:3-7

 

13. God orders Abraham to kill Isaac as a burnt offering. Abraham shows his love for God by his willingness to murder his son. But finally, just before Isaac's throat is slit, God provides a goat to kill instead. 22:2-13

 

14. Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, is "defiled" by a man who seems to love her dearly. Her brothers trick all of the men of the town and kill them (after first having them all circumcised), and then take their wives and children captive. 34:1-31