The Filipino Nation: In the Face of Tragedy

Typhoon ‘Ondoy’ struck the northern part of the Philippines and flooded most of the Metro Manila areas. Rainfall that didn’t fall for six months poured in just a matter of six hours causing loss of lives and devastation in the hard hit areas.

The initial death toll was at 73, and still rising as more and more bodies are pulled out from flooded regions. There’s countless number of victims who are still missing; and displaced families ran in thousands.

Is the country and its disaster preparedness agency ready enough to tackle the huge task of helping all who are directly affected by the tragedy? It might have been too much but the president promised that ‘it didn’t break’ the resolve of the nation.

It’s too early to tell because as I write this blog there’s a good portion of the region that is still under water and has no electricity and probably has no water resource safe enough for human consumption.

This is not the first time that heavy torrential rains brought about by a typhoon has drenched the countryside and flooded the region. In fact the number of casualties doesn’t even come as a surprise at all. Landslides and flooding have already claimed a many lives in the past.

In all these, the Filipino nation of course is uniting to help out those who are in dire need. Overseas workers are even extending support thru a relief drive. The global community is also helping through the Red Cross.

Was there anything that could have been done to lessen the damage of this recent disaster? Who knows? I’m sure the poorest of the poor who are probably among the casualties would have no choice but to live in uninhabitable areas, building shanties made of cardboard boxes, a makeshift of a floating abode with a luxurious view of the bay, yet was in all sense is and was a tragedy waiting to happen.

It was not uncommon to build a tent on top of a slightly covered sewer system and call it home. And when the downpour ravaged the land, these people had nowhere to run to seek refuge or at least stay out of harm’s way as the threat of the typhoon looms.

That’s the biggest tragedy! These people would have easily awashed with just the rising of the tide because they were in a place where they weren’t supposed to be.

Time and time again, tragedies have occurred in this poverty-stricken country and it’s always the poor who suffered. Did the leaders learn their lesson?

I doubt it. This is not the first time that the nation is bruised and left helpless with a tragic event, and certainly, this will not be the last. The country’s leaders need to be proactive to the obvious need of the poor, if things have to change. Until then, I, being a Filipino feel that I can only watch in horror as tragic events like this unfold.

On the lighter side, I believe that pain and suffering are the common strands that bind all of humanity. We all at some point in our lifetime have to deal with pain and suffering.

Pain and suffering makes us more humane every time, if only we see the silver lining.

For anyone who wishes to help, you can contact the International Red Cross hotline.

A Great Political Icon: Corazon C. Aquino (1933-2009)

The Filipino nation is mourning today the loss of a great leader and a beloved past Philippine president ‘Cory Aquino’. Cory died at 3:18 a.m. on August 1, 2009 (Philippine time) after she was diagnosed with colon cancer over a year ago.

Cory Aquino is notably remembered for changing the face of Philippine politics after ousting a former dictator-president Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 through a people’s revolt on the streets. She then became the first lady president of the Philippines.

She was an intelligent, courageous and a morally-conscious leader who openly waged a war against the ugliness that hounds the face of Philippine politics. After her reign as president, she continued to be an ambassadress for the masses.

The Filipino nation owe her a lot for all the lessons she has imparted being a true Filipino in spirit, defending and fighting for the cause of democracy and together with her husband, Ninoy Aquino, gave so much to us all--the Filipino nation.

She is a great hero, and she will be remembered as one.

The Monkey and the Turtle

Pay attention closely to this story. It may reflect something about how you take opportunities in life. The original author of this story is Dr. Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines.

Two friends, a monkey and a turtle decided to go strolling one day. As they were strolling around, they saw a banana tree filled with luscious ripe banana fruits. They were trying to figure out what to do with their find, and since the two were good friends they decided to divide the tree into two parts and each one will go home with his share.

The monkey then suggested to the turtle that they cut the tree into two halves—the top half and the lower half. The monkey opted to take the top half of the tree already sprouting with its harvest of ripe banana fruits. Meanwhile, the more laidback turtle agreed to take the bottom part that has the roots.

The monkey was doubly jovial about the fact that he has fruits that he can eat right away plus he gets a chance of getting more once he planted the tree, not realizing that without the roots the tree won’t grow.

They both went home happy and then planted their respective tree halves on the ground. They were both eager to see their plants grow. After a few days, the monkey’s tree died while the tree that the turtle planted grew and bloomed into a full fruit-bearing tree.

The Lesson:

Every once in a while life presents us with opportunities to make our lives better. Most of us though, choose ‘instant gratification’, thus, blinding us to the real value of the opportunity before our eyes. In the end, all we can do is sigh and wished we chose differently.

In most cases, good things come to those who wait.

I Beg To Differ:

If good things come to those who wait, what about those who die in the process of waiting?

Pacquiao vs. Hatton: KO at 2:59 of Round 2

Tonight’s boxing match between two great fighters in the boxing arena was sweet and short.

Like he normally does, Pacquiao was brilliant in his boxing techniques that led to a premature end of a match that was slated to go for twelve rounds. For all Hatton fanatics, it was a surprising and disappointing end after Pacquiao brutally pounded Hatton with his left and right hooks, at lightning-fast speed.

I have watched the pre-fight documentary, Pacquiao-Hatton 24/7 which highlighted both fighters’ unique journey to prepare for tonight’s match. It was entertaining to listen to the exchange of words between two camps. It was obvious, that there was intent to psyche out each other. Hatton’s camp in fact claimed a sure win over Pacquiao, made visibly clear by Mayweather Sr.’s remarks. He was very dramatic over the certainty of their victory that he even made poetic rhymes to mock Pacquiao’s camp.

On the other hand, Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer knew better. He casually brushed aside the remarks by saying, “I have the best fighter.”

I couldn’t agree more. Pacquiao is the best pound for pound boxer not only in this era but probably throughout the history of boxing. Pacquiao from six years ago has annihilated boxing’s notable names: Barrera, Marquez, Morales, de la Hoya one by one.

Tonight’s performance by Pacquiao surely shut out doubts about how far Manny Pacquiao can go as a boxer. Pacquiao has evolved from a regular boxer-puncher to one who knows priceless techniques inside the ring, studying his opponent quite artistically as he throws his quick damaging punches.

I could go on and talk about how great Manny Pacquiao is as a boxer, but I wouldn’t even go there. The boxing match tonight said it all.

I am amused though, at hindsight, remembering Hatton’s trainer’s comments.

Talk is cheap. And for some, they can talk the talk, but can’t quite walk the walk.

What matters inside the ring is performance and results. Pacquiao delivered what was expected of him and more.

It couldn’t get any better than that.

Signs That Your Geek Meter Is Dangerously High

1. You are convinced that Bamboo, Apple & Blackberry don't come with leaves or stems.

2. You know that Iliad and Kindle are synonymous words.

3.You incorporate 'backup and recovery' as part of your daily chore.

4. You are so wired, you'd pass for a terrorist at security check points.

5. You are so unwired, you utilize HSDPA, 3G, UMA, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and wait...what happened to infrared technology?

6. You read e-books on e-paper that uses e-ink. You even shop at e-book mall.

7. You are an advocate for paperless statements and electronic notifications.

8. You have subscribed to at least three of these: ITunes, Napster, Rhapsody, Dada, E-music & Grooveshark.

9. Your media player, weirdly is not the one provided by any of the above; instead you have the best media player there is...MediaMonkey.

10. Your main hobbies include 'coding' and 'troubleshooting'.

11. Your mobile apps include Yahoo Go, Avantgo, Wattpad, Nutsie and every free apps for the iPhone and for the G1 Android system.

12. You know that del.icio.us is delicious, indeed!

13. Your most valued asset is a list of the top 100 free resource online, be it books, music, software, tutorials...and you choose not to share it.

Francis M: Farewell

I recently learned that Francis Magalona recently passed away on March 6, 2009 due to complications of leukemia at the young age of 44. He is survived by his wife and eight children who surprisingly remained strong amid the great loss.

What can I say? Francis M. was an icon in the Filipino entertainment arena. His one famous rap song “Mga Kababayan Ko” left an indelible imprint in our memories after it has topped the music charts during the rap-song music era.

I really haven’t followed much of his recent music contributions, but I would just like to say that Francis M. was a great talent who carries himself with pizzazz and a sense of class.

Unlike other artists out there, he stands out because he is not only talented but he is also obviously intelligent. His persona always commands some serious respect. Don’t get me wrong though. He was a guy who loves to have fun and have a good laugh. In fact he was a regular at a noontime show “Eat Bulaga” for a long time.

He died at a young age, but from all he’s done, it would be fair to say that he has lived his life’s worth by doing what he enjoyed doing and imparting and sharing his talent to the Filipino nation.

If there’s any consolation in all of this, his life was a life lived with enthusiasm, talent, and enormous zest for life and humanity.

His songs and his legacy will be remembered in our hearts for a long time.

Lie To Me: My New TV Show Fave

I am recently glued to a new TV series entitled 'Lie To Me' starring Tim Roth as the lead character.

What I like about this show is, it is interesting and it offers the viewers some lessons in reading facial expressions and involuntary triggers from somebody's face to depict emotions of shame, fear, contempt, disgust, anger, pain, disbelief and many more.

Just having Tim Roth on the show is awesome and him being able to play a character who has an amazing skill of reading facial expressions is remarkable.

I am enjoying this show. Definitely.

And even if the show specifically warns the audience that it is a work of fiction, the show for some reason feels so real because of the profound subject--human emotions--as its core theme. Plus, showing clips of famous personalities and even dignitaries depicting the same emotion is really a good selling point to the audience as well.

If you haven't seen it, try watching it. Just be forewarned. You might be glued to this TV show, too.

American Idol: Top 13?

It is definitely a welcomed move. I would rather be entertained by thirteen great singers than a mere twelve great ones.

On the other hand, not one contestant has really separated himself or herself from the bunch by standing out with his/her performance. It's too early to tell, but just basing on the vocals, it is really not that promising.

Tatiana which could have been a good addition to the show for some drama, didn't make it and it is a little disappointing since she definitely can sing. But I agree with Simon. If she sang the same song three times already, what is she trying to say? I mean if you truly have the talent why not seize the moment and prove to the judges after you are given another opportunity to prove your worth, that indeed you deserve a spot in the top 13.

Tatiana! Girl, what were you thinking?

Yoga And Meditation: Essential Life Tool?

I am reminded that I just recently enrolled in yoga and meditation, and with which I have no prior experience or exposure to.

What is my goal?

My main goal is to be able to delimit the effects of today's stress using breathing exercises and control of the mind. Accordingly, it is said that if we are able to master this art then we can tap into a vast source of potential energy which could have positive effects on our lives.

I managed to gather some information which I am happy to share to anyone who maybe looking into practicing yoga and meditation.

What is yoga?

Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word "yug" which means "unity" or "oneness" and basically refers to the union of the individual consciousness with the universal consciousness.

The many benefits of Yoga include:

• relaxing the mind and body
  
• stretching and toning
  
• improving the body's flexibility
  
• helping breathing disorders
  
• improving heart conditions
  
• strengthening the spine
  
• easing back pain
  
• relieving stress or tiredness
  

. . . and more

What is meditation?

It is the mastery of controlling the mind. It is the perfect tool for developing positive emotional health and the key to success in life. The way to achieving this is through perfecting the ability to discipline and refine the mind, body and breath using psycho-physiological tools.

The many benefits of meditation include:

• calming the mind
  
• giving a sense of purpose
  
• balancing the left and right hemispheres of the brain
  
• giving perspective and clarity
  
• promoting confidence
  
• soothing the nervous system
  
• improving the memory
  
• improving the body's energy levels
  

This is a very interesting endeavor for me and I am hoping to enjoy the positive effects of this practice in my life.

In this chaotic world, it is essential for us to find a way to channel our negative emotions and mental stress so that we may be able to find a peaceful place within ourselves.

If yoga and meditation will help, then I'm up for it. How about you?

My Take On American Idol Judges: Does It Matter?

After about three good weeks of performance by the top thirty-six contestants, American Idol remained to be truly unpredictable, engaging, brilliant and entertaining by far compared to other TV reality shows.

What I like most about the show aside from seeing raw talent is Simon's ever accurate assessment of every performance. For someone who doesn't really sing, Cowell is unbelievably right on the money every time.

His comments are always painfully necessary to provide a dose of reality check to American Idol wannabes. Less of what Simon does now would be unforgivable. In all honesty, Simon is the one who is able to carry the show with his often brutally jaw-dropping comments to the contestants.

Randy is getting better at it, too. He is able now to say more sensible and truly honest weigh-in on every contestant's performance.

Kara? Cara? She is good as well. She is getting there but sometimes her tempo is off-beat with the other judges' comments. What I notice with her comments is her immediate foresight on how commercially viable a contestant is. This sometimes blinds her of how much talent is laid out on the table compared to the X-factor or the 'it' quality.

Was it necessary to have a fourth judge this year? I don't think it is necessary but a change of pace is always refreshing.

As with Paula, she is there for a reason. She is always the strong pillar upon which every badly shaken contestant can lean on after hearing the other three judges' harsh criticisms. She is the emotional, caring and appreciative aura needed to counter all the brutal energies exchanged after a lousy performance.

Always, Paula's presence is needed to soften each hard blow which some contestants aren't totally prepared for at times.

With the vibe and the atmosphere that the four judges provide now, American Idol has become ever more colorful. A great deal of compliments should go to Ryan Seacrest as well for being great at what he does--hosting.

I'm never short of wonderful expectations for this season's American Idol.

It's always a pleasure to watch this show.