Quaere Verum

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings. Thank you, Lord, that I can hear. There are many who are deaf. Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as possible. Thank you, Lord, that I can see. Many are blind. Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising. Thank you, Lord, that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedridden. Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned and tempers are short, my children are so loud. Thank you, Lord, for my family. There are many who are lonely. Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced. Thank you, Lord, for the food we have. There are many who are hungry. Even though the routine of my job often is monotonous. Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work. There are many who have no job. Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my circumstances were n...

Check out this article about becoming a better blogger. It was written by Sheila Ann Manuel Coggins , an Australia based Filipina. It was by chance that I came across this article after seeing it mentioned on Teacher Sol's blog . I think all of us, old and new bloggers alike, could stand to learn a thing or two from this article. Thanks Teach! :-)

I was going over some of my old stuff several days ago, looking for trash to throw out, when I chanced upon an old folded piece of paper carefully tucked among some knick knacks. A bit curious, I carefully unfolded it, and I saw a long forgotten poem that was written for me a long time ago. It happened about thirteen years ago, give or take a year or so. I was still in college at the time. Someone...I have no idea who, gave me this poem. I found the poem elegant in its simplicity and expressiveness - the author definitely had a way with words. I guess it was written by someone who, well, judging from the sentiment of the poem, had a crush on me or something (I hope I'm not being too presumptuous). I was flattered to say the least, and quite impressed. Unfortunately, I never did get to know who wrote this, much less meet the person. It happened so long ago that I don't remember much about it anymore. However, the poem, to my mind, remains what it was when I first read it...a be...

When I was small, the Philippine peso was P7 to the $dollar. Life was simple. Life was easy. My father was a farmer. My mother kept a small sari-sari store where our neighbors bought sang-perang asin, sang-perang bagoong, sang-perang suka, sang-perang toyo at pahinging isang butil na bawang. Our backyard had kamatis, kalabasa, talong, ampalaya, upo, batao, and okra. Our silong had chicken. We had a pig, dog & cat. And of course, we lived on the farm. During rainy season, my father caught frogs at night which my mother made into batute (stuffed frog), or just plain fried. During the day, he caught hito and dalag from his rice paddies, which he would usually inihaw. During dry season, we relied on the chickens, vegetables, bangus, tuyo, and tinapa. Every now and then, there was pork and beef from the town market. Life was so peaceful, so quiet, no electricity, no TV. Just the radio for Tia Dely, Roman Rapido, Tawag ng Tanghalan and Tang-tarang-tang. And who can forget Leila Benitez o...

While I was checking my blog's stats on StatCounter the other day, I found myself amused by the following entry on my Recent Keyword Activity page: It seems some poor slob looking for information on PhilHealth 's reengineering effort was directed by Yahoo! to my post entitled Dilbert's view on reengineering . Upon using the Magnify User function, I managed to get some more information on the person making the query: It turns out to be someone from the Asian Institute of Management . Dilbert strikes again! :-D

Today is National Heroes Day . It is a national holiday commemorated every last Sunday of August. It was instituted on October 29, 1931 by virtue of Act No. 3827 as a means of paying homage to all those who fought and struggled for our freedom, including those whose names are forever lost in the annals of history. "There can be no tyrants where there are no slaves." - Jose Rizal Note: Pursuant to Proc. No. 901, August 29 has been declared a non-working holiday. Covered by the holiday are all government offices except the Bureau of Customs, and all public and private schools.

I have this friend...well, we've drifted apart lately, but yes, I still consider him a friend...who is apparently lamenting the fact that he has lost a lot of his friends over the years. He used to be a very popular person, with friends everywhere, at work and outside work. People used to go out of their way to enjoy his company. He gets invited to all sorts of get-togethers, all sorts of activities, all sorts of meetings. His presence and input used to be a valuable commodity. Unfortunately it would seem, those days have long passed. Nowadays he seems to have lost his crowd. The friends that I've seen surround him in the past have all moved on to different groups of friends, different places, different environments, different interests. I guess that includes me. I find it a bit perplexing why he has to resort to self-pity though. If everyone else moved on, and he feels left behind, it can only be attributed to one of two reasons. It's either he has a problem with his frie...

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KABABATA BA KITA? ALAM MO BA ITO ? --nung ikaw ay bata... nagawa mo ba to?-- *kumakain ka ba ng aratilis? *nagpipitpit ng gumamela para gawing soapy bubbles na hihipanmo sa binilog na tanggkay ng walis tingting? *pinipilit ka ba matulog ng nanay mo pag hapon at di ka papayagan maglaro pag di ka natulog? *marunong ka magpatintero, saksak puso, langit-lupa, teleber-teleber, luksong tinik? *malupit ka pag meron kang atari, family computer or nes? *alam mo ang silbi ng up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, a, b, a, b, start? *may mga damit ka na U.S.E.D., Boy London, Cross Colors, Esprit, Blowing Bubbles at pag nakakakita ka ng Bench na damit eh naalala mo si Richard Gomez? *addict ka sa rainbow brite, carebears, my little pony, thundercats, bioman, voltes v, mazinger z, daimos, he-man at marami pang cartoons na hindi pa translated sa tagalog? *nanonood ka ng shaider kasi nabobosohan mo si annie at type na type mo ang puting panty nya? *marunong ka mag wordstar at nakahawak ka na t...

A couple of months ago I made a post about Debbie Gibson posing nude in Playboy magazine (see post here ). In the course of making the research for that post, I learned that Debbie Gibson wasn't the first former pop teen sensation to shed her clothes for the camera. Tiffany also posed nude for Playboy three years ago. In case you forgot, Tiffany, like Debbie Gibson, was also a pop phenomenon in the late 80's, with popular hits such as I Think We're Alone Now, I Saw Him Standing There, and Could've Been. You probably have to be at least in your late twenties or early thirties to remember Tiffany during her heyday. She was (and is still) one of those celebrities who go by only by their first names. In case you're curious, her full name is Tiffany Renee Darwish. Her latest album, Dust Off And Dance , was produced independently and released last May. Click here to order it. Here's her on the cover of the April 2002 issue of Playboy : Click here to see her ...

* Smile at a stranger * Drop a coin where a child can find it * Learn something new and teach it to someone * Tell someone you love them * Hug someone * Forgive someone who has wronged you * Try saying "I'm sorry" when you ought to * Tell a child how great they are * Sing a song about Jesus to yourself * Keep a promise * Call someone just to say hello * Try listening more than talking * Stand up for what you believe in * Thank God for His beautiful Creation * Encourage someone who is feeling down * Cherish today as if it were your last one * Tell someone about Jesus - Author Unknown

I've been playing Battlefield 2 (see previous post here ) online for almost two months now. I've made Lance Corporal, and have been awarded a slew of medals to show for my exploits on the virtual battlefield. :-) I've killed and been killed hundreds of times, revived and healed comrades, rode in tanks, amphibious vehicles, humvees and helicopters, set up mines, blew up enemy equipment, won and lost hundred of battles... However, I seem to be missing something. I've never met a fellow Filipino in any of the Battlefield 2 matches that I've joined, and I've joined a lot. I haven't even seen a Filipino flag in the leaderboards, no matter how much I scroll through it. Is it possible that I'm the only Filipino playing this game? I sincerely doubt it. Where are the Pinoys? It would be nice to play a game with my kababayans for a change. I'm getting tired of playing with and against Americans, Thais, Japanese, Canadians, and various Europeans. Since the g...

Something we should keep in mind as responsible members of the blogosphere: A BLOGGER'S CODE OF ETHICS Be Honest and Fair Bloggers should be honest and fair in gathering, reporting and interpreting information. Bloggers should: Never plagiarize. Identify and link to sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources’ reliability. Make certain that Weblog entries, quotations, headlines, photos and all other content do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context. Never distort the content of photos without disclosing what has been changed. Image enhancement is only acceptable for for technical clarity. Label montages and photo illustrations. Never publish information they know is inaccurate — and if publishing questionable information, make it clear it’s in doubt. Distinguish between advocacy, commentary and factual information. Even advocacy writing and commentary should not misrepresent fact or co...

To the person who visited my post on the Khaos Super Turbo Charger yesterday at 5:41 PM using the the I.P. address 203.177.172.207, the email address psyct07@yahoo.com (presumably fictional), and answering to the handle ako_to : I assume you didn't agree with my post. That's alright, it is a free country (last time I looked though), and I never claimed to be a full-pledged expert about the subject. It is however, my honest and well-researched opinion . Here's some unsolicited advice: Try to respect other people's opinions, the same way they respect yours. We're all adults here, no need to resort to name-calling. I'm confident about my views, and I don't think I have to resort to name-calling in order to get attention. If you have any counter-arguments, present them in a mature way. Who knows? You may just convince me to change my stand. I doubt it, but you never know. I suppose name calling can be fun...I do it at times...but it all seems so juvenile,...

Warning: If you are not into Star Trek , skip reading this post. Personal (b)log. Stardate 59108.1. I've seen just about everything there is to be seen regarding Star Trek . I've seen all of the series, from the original, up to Enterprise (except the obscure animated one ). I've seen all of the movies at least twice, and even have most of the series and movies on DVD. I hate to admit it, but yes, I'm a trekkie . There's something to be said about living in a utopia where crime and poverty are inexistent, where the only driving forces are the pursuit of knowledge, the exploration of the unknown, and the improvement of one's self. It is also very intriguing to live in a time where technology has sufficiently advanced that we have virtually eliminated disease, and it is actually possible for us to go to the stars. And besides, for some strange reason that I can't fathom, I actually can tell the difference between a magnetic constrictor and a plasma injector. :...

Considering that a lot of the previous posts on this blog are about my experiences with my son, I decided to spin off a new blog dealing specifically with that subject. It's called The Ronald Anthony Diaries . It's only a day or so old, so it's definitely still a work in progress. Hope you people can drop by. :-)

This may be helpful to some of my friends who have been having some problems with their marriages lately. Keep the faith people. :-) The Two Types of Unhappy Marriages By J. Bailey Molineux, Ph.D. All happy families are happy in the same way, according to Leo Tolstoy in the introduction to his tragic novel Anna Karenina, while all unhappy families are unhappy in many different ways. To me, there are two types of unhappy marriages and unhappy marriages make for unhappy family life and stressed children. The first type of unhappy marriage is one in which there is too much conflict between the spouses. Fights can be frequent, prolonged, unproductive, ugly, abusive or violent. The second type of unhappy marriage is one in which there is hardly any conflict. The spouses have grown apart and become emotionally disengaged from each other. Their marriage is emotionally and sexually dead or dying. Lovemaking has decreased significantly or stopped altogether. The couple may live in morose silenc...

It was 22 years ago when former Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino was shot on the tarmac of the Manila International Airport (now known as the Ninoy Aquino Internation Airport in his honor) after returning from political asylum. His death served as a catalyst for fueling the Filipinos' desire for freedom, justice and democracy. He is now considered one of our national heroes. May his long departed soul find satisfaction in the fact that it was his death which inspired us as a nation to fight against oppression and injustice. "The Filipino is worth dying for." - Ninoy Aquino Links: Tribute to Ninoy

Geek Alert: This post is intended to be read by PC hardware enthusiasts only. Proceed at your own risk. Yeah, this is another geek post, but I just couldn't help it. Lately it seems as if someone is always asking me a question in relation to this. Despite being quite ubiquitous nowadays, it would seem that the inner workings of PCs still remain a mystery to most people. I've built a lot of PCs for other people (like here for example) and I've answered a lot of queries on this topic this from my friends and colleagues. From what I have heard other people say, there are just a lot of false notions and misconceptions when it comes to devices at the heart of every PC - the CPU, or simply the processor. Well, the aim of this post is to try and clear up those misconceptions. Hopefully, someone out there would find this information useful. Here are some of the most common questions that people seem to ask me, as well as replies phrased as simple as I can make them: What kind of p...

Video code provided by Music Video Codes Its been a while, but I think its about time that I go back, well, at least for now, to my alternative rock and rap metal roots. This song may not be for everyone, but it suits me just fine. :-) Stupify Disturbed Yeah, bringing you another disturbing creation from the mind of one sick animal who can't tell the difference and gets stupified I've been waiting my whole life for just one fuck And all I needed was just one fuck How can you say that you don't give a fuck I find myself stupified, coming back again All I wanted was just one fuck One tiny little innocent fuck And when I feel like I'm shit out of luck I find my stupified, coming back again Why, do you like playing around with My, narrow scope of reality I, can feel it all start slipping I think I'm breaking down Why, do you like playing around with My, narrow scope of reality I, can feel it all start slipping away See but I don't get it Don't you think maybe we...

A friend of mine is scheduled to give birth today. Good luck! It's always a wonderful thing when a new life is brought forth into the world. :-) Congratulations to Annie and Gary for being parents twice over. :-)

Not so long ago I came across this news article on the internet. It was just an ordinary news article, or so I thought, until I noticed that it had mentioned an ex-girlfriend's name. For a moment, I just felt stunned. Has this ever happened to you? You've lost touch with a person you've been very close too. In fact, the last time you even seen or talked with that person could be years and years ago. Then, suddenly, out of the blue, you remember him or her. Then you find yourself awash in all your memories of that person, the good and the bad. That's exactly what happened to me. And for an instant, for no real apparent reason, I found myself slowly inching my way towards an anxiety attack. Well, it never really went that far, but I guess you know what I mean. For a brief moment, I was in the past again. Perhaps not unlike Richard Collier ( Christopher Reeve 's character) in the movie Somewhere in Time. All of a sudden I was engulfed in feelings that I never realized ...

Was the horrid attack on the Twin Towers in New York what Nostradamus was referring to when he stated that the sky would burn at forty-five degrees? Century VI, Quatrain 97 The sky will burn at forty-five degrees, fire approaches the great New City. Immediately a huge cattered flame leaps up when they want to have proof of the Normans. TRANSLATION: New York County actually lies between the 40° 45° parallel in the USA. On September 11th 2001 the New York City sky line burned as 2 planes crashed into the Twin Towers. Did Nostradamus predict this horrific act of terrorism or is it easy to relate it in hindsight? The last line of the prophecy is typically muddled and no one seems to have come up with a satisfactory explanation of his reference to 'the Normans.' Reference: Nostradamus: Visions of the Future by Allan Hall

With the prices of petroleum products on the rise, particularly due to the escalating cost of crude oil in the world market, as well as the pending implementation of new tax measures (EVAT), it only makes sense that we leave no stone unturned in exerting all efforts to conserve fuel. This post on Money Minute offers some fuel-saving tips that you would probably find worthwhile, especially during these difficult times. It also links to a previous blog entry of mine regarding the efficacy (or lack thereof) of a certain device which supposedly saves fuel when installed in your car. Definitely worth reading. :-)

My cousin who recently passed away was finally laid to rest today. May his soul rest in peace. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

Check out this file , it's pretty funny. :-) Don't worry, it's virus free. Thanks to Obet for this one. Sorry if I haven't come up with anything new lately. I'm having an asthma attack. :-(

Sent to me by xtnag . Perhaps you can make sense of it. :-) How come Superman could stop bullets with his chest, but always ducked when someone threw a gun at him? Why does sour cream have an expiration date? How much deeper would the ocean be if sponges didn't grow in it? Whose cruel idea was it for the word "lisp" to have an "s" in it? If 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, why are there locks on the doors? If quitters never win, and winners never quit, what fool came up with, "Quit while you're ahead"? If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular? Why do you press harder on a remote control when you know the battery is dead? If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to see it, do the other trees make fun of it? Why are there 5 syllables in the word "monosyllabic"? Should you trust a stockbroker who's married to a travel agent? Why do bankruptcy lawyers expect to be paid? If at first you don't succeed, then sky...

I've been feeling kinda down the past couple of days. It's no surprise really, considering that I have always been the broody type. Perhaps it's due to a mixture of stress, boredom, bad news, the vacillating weather, and other negativities which have been gnawing at my leg lately. I've also reached a "blogger's block" of sorts. I somehow can't think of anything worth blogging about. Politics? I've done that to death so many times already. While Philippine politics happen to be one of my interests, I've gotten tired of it lately. Seems like we've been going around in circles. A new witness surfaces, gives testimony, then retracts. I don't know about you, but I think I've had my fill of these controversies, at least for now. Maybe later. Personal experiences then? Haven't had any blog-worthy experiences lately. Things have been quite routine the past couple of days. Of course, it's safe and secure being stuck in a routine, but...

Shaw Boulevard afternoon rush hour.

The Keys to Your Heart You are attracted to good manners and elegance. In love, you feel the most alive when your partner is patient and never willing to give up on you. You'd like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring. You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please. Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with. Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment. You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred. In this moment, you think of love as commitment. Love only works when both people are totally devoted. What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

Tagged by Rain . Here I go: Seven things that scare you: 1. getting sick 2. failure 3. irrelevance 4. making mistakes 5. leaving something on that may cause a fire, or leaving something unlocked (sorry, I'm obsessive-compulsive) 6. loss of loved ones 7. losing stuff Seven things you like the most: 1. the internet 2. computers 3. video games 4. movies 5. books 6. gadgets and gizmos 7. music Seven important things in your bedroom: 1. TV 2. DVD player 3. bed 4. remote controls (all of them) 5. eyeglasses 6. airconditioner 7. broom (really) Seven random facts about you: 1. used to front in a band 2. used to be the President and CEO of my own company 3. involved in a car accident more than a year ago 4. enjoys shooting guns in a firing range 5. sentimental and serious 6. witty and good sense of humor 7. loner Seven things you plan to do before you die: 1. get married again (with any luck) 2. write a book 3. teach 4. travel abroad 5. learn ballroom dancing 6. win the lotto 7. be in a m...

A couple of nights ago, some friends and I had a couple of rounds at the the Elbow Room , a billiard hall slash restaurant located in Metrowalk along Meralco Avenue. While we never did get to play billiards, we did manage to put down a few drinks for a pleasant nightcap before we called it a night. It was a chance to share some stories and insights with some people with whom I haven't drank with in a long, long time. Perhaps too long. But that's the nice thing with real friends. Sometimes you may not see or talk to each other in years, but when you do get together, it's as if you never went your own ways. We talked about a lot of things, most of them enlightening, and some things which ought not to see the light of day. But that's just the way things are. :-) It was my first time to be inebriated in that place, and I have to say it seems quite nice. Maybe I ought to come back one of these days, perhaps with more "intimate" company. That is, if I could find som...

Early this morning my mother told me that my cousin, her sister's son, just passed away. He died from complications arising from pneumonia in relation to bone cancer which was diagnosed only a month or so ago. He was 59. He was a chain smoker, and the initial fear was that he had lung cancer. It wasn't, but it was just as bad. He left behind a loving family which stayed at his side until the end. May the Lord God bless his soul and his family. Sometimes we tend to forget that death is as much a part of life as everything else. Death is a certainty that we tend to turn a blind eye to, until it blindsides us when we least expect it...perhaps on a rainy Friday evening, or a sunny Tuesday afternoon. We're all dying, as it were. Only at different rates. Lately it seems that I have been seeing death rear its scythe more often than usual. It was only two weeks ago when former Senator Raul Roco died , after a 10 year battle with prostate cancer which eventually metastasized into hi...

Geek Alert: This post is intended to be read by PC hardware enthusiasts only. Proceed at your own risk. The last couple of weeks I've been thinking about upgrading my video card. I'm currently using a video card with an ATI Radeon 9600 Pro VPU. It's almost two years old, and despite the fact that it can still run any game with adequate speed and excellent image quality, it is starting to show its age. One of the games that I've been playing quite frequently recently, Battlefield 2 (see previous post here ), is actually capable of bringing the 9600 Pro VPU to its knees when run at its maximum settings. Can you say choppy ? I've even overclocked it in excess of 9600XT core speeds, yet the simple truth of the matter is that it just can't run Battlefield 2 with high quality settings at a framerate that is even close to being playable. Because of this, I just run it at medium settings at a resolution of 1280x960 with 2x antialiasing. These settings aren't t...

A meme from Evi . Thanks Evi! :-) What's in a book? I don't think I can put it any better than Evi did. Knowledge, and inspiration. Number of books on the shelves: I have absolutely no idea. Never did count them. :-) Those that I own or bought: All of them I guess. Last few books that I bought: Nostradamus: Visions of the Future by Allan Hall Books that I'm reading now: A Better Way to Live by Og Mandino One hundred years of solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Last few books read: Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser Pop: Truth and Power and the Coca-Cola Company by Constance Hays Secrets of Angels & Demons by Dan Burstein with Arne de Keijzer Secrets of the Code by Dan Burstein Now, I tag Rain , Jeff , and Abbie . Hope you guys can answer this as well! :-)

Another story sent through email. I have no idea if this really happened, but if it did, it sure makes a powerful statement against racism. Read on. Scene took place on a BA (British Airways) flight between Johannesburg and London. A white woman, about 50 years old, was seated next to a black man. Obviously disturbed by this, she called the air Hostess. "Madam, what is the matter," the hostess asked. You obviously do not see it then?" she responded. "You placed me next to a black man. I do not agree to sit next to someone from such a repugnant group. Give me an alternative seat." "Be calm please," the hostess replied. "Almost all the places on this flight are taken. I will go to see if another place is available." The Hostess went away and then came back a few minutes later. "Madam, just as I thought, there are no other available seats in the economy class. I spoke to the captain and he informed me that there is also no seat...

Its been more than ten years since I last saw this movie. I finally got around to getting it on DVD. Seeing it again made me remember how much I liked it the first time I saw it. Forrest Gump has to be my favorite feel good movie of all time. The movie came out in 1994, and is loosely based on a novel written by Winston Groom in 1985. It starred Tom Hanks and was directed by Robert Zemeckis, who is also known for his directorial work in the Back to the Future trilogy. The movie garnered six Academy Awards, noteworthy of which were the Best Picture and Best Director awards. It is a little known fact that Groom's book had a sequel named Gump and Co. , but he refused to sell the film rights to Paramount, and as such, it has never been made into a movie. It may be just as well. Forrest Gump the movie differs significantly from the book in characterization, historical background, plot lines, and various small details, despite sharing similarities in the overall story. The movie i...

Sent to me via email. A funny take on affairs. Thanks to Annie for this one. :-) The First Affair A married man was having an affair with his secretary. One day, their passions overcame them and they took off for her house, where they made passionate love all afternoon. Exhausted from the wild sex, they fell asleep, awakening around 8:00 pm. As the man threw on his clothes, he told the woman to take his shoes outside and rub them through the grass and dirt. Mystified, she nonetheless complied. He slipped into his shoes and drove home. "Where have you been?" demanded his wife when he entered the house. "Darling, I can't lie to you. I've been having an affair with my secretary and we've been having sex all afternoon. I fell asleep and didn't wake up until eight o'clock." The wife glanced down at his shoes and said, "You lying bastard! You've been playing golf!". ------------------------------------------------------------- The Second ...