Quaere Verum

Looking back...there are lot of things I wish I did...or did differently. Not that I totally regret my life mind you. It's just life is so short...in retrospect it's such a shame not to have lived it to its fullest. You only realize this when you reach a certain age. All of a sudden...you realize...that it's already too late. I'm not talking about really heavy stuff...though a few pop into my mind. This post is about the small things that wish we wish we did in the past, when there was still a lot of time, before we got sucked into the routine that would, for good or for bad, define our adult lives. Me, for example: I wish I learned how to dance; I wish I learned to play the guitar really, really good; I wish I learned how to play the piano; I wish I learned to eat right from the very start; I wish I learned how too cook; I wish I learned another language; I wish I saved more at the bank; I wish I was friendlier with people; Well...you get the idea. Looking on the brigh...

Kings and Queens 30 Seconds To Mars Oh... Into the night Desperate and broken The sound of a fight Father has spoken Oh... We were the kings and queens of promise We were the victims of ourselves Maybe the children of a lesser God Between Heaven and Hell Heaven and Hell Into your eyes Hopeless and taken We stole our new lives Through blindness In defense of our dreams In defense of our dreams We were the Kings and Queens of promise We were the victims of ourselves Maybe the Children of a lesser God Between Heaven and Hell Heaven and Hell The age of man is over A darkness comes at dawn These lessons that we've learned here Have only just begun We were the Kings and Queens of promise We were the victims of ourselves Maybe the Children of a Lesser God Between Heaven and Hell We are the Kings We are the Queens We are the Kings We are the Queens

Just a repost. You never know who might notice. Anyone here interested in purchasing or leasing a plot of commercial land located along Commonwealth Ave. in Quezon City? It's my father's property, and it has a lot area of 2,844 sqm., with a number of residential improvements. The frontage is a bit on the small side, at 14 m., but it directly faces Commonwealth Ave. The lot has been on the market for quite a while, but since the real estate market has been down for some time now...well you know how it is. Just in case you're interested, or know someone who is, please feel free to leave a comment or to email me at ronallandottk@yahoo.com . To cut the hassle, would prefer to deal with direct buyers only. Sometimes it can be quite hard dealing with a multitude of brokers and middlemen...you know how that is too. :-) You can also call 9315575 if you have any inquiries. Siteplan of the property. Aerial view. The road at the top of the photo is Commonwealth Avenue. Here's a ti...

Lord, let this feast of my birth be a reminder to me of all the gifts and blessings I have received from You this day and all the days of my life. On my day of celebration, I thank you for my life and all of my blessings and ask for another year filled with Your presence in my life that I may continue to grow in your love. Gracious God, I thank You for enabling me to celebrate my birthday. Lord You have been good to me all these years and I thank You for all the blessings I have recieved but especially for life itself. Creator God, I do not know what lies ahead for me this year. Yet I know that You are holding my future in Your hand. Let my ways be pleasing to you. As You have promised, be with me, Lord. Grid me with Your strength and grace so that I can live for Your light. Enable me to draw closer to You that I may walk in your peace and be the creative and loving person that you intend for me to be. I ask this and all things in the sure and certain knowledge of your love for me and ...

Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those that I care deeply for, who are reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy.. Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your grace.. Where there is need, I ask You to fulfill their needs. Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings. Amen.

Bought my first new phone in three years a week ago, something to replace my aging N95 8GB . To be honest, it's a step down in features from the N95 (no 3G or HSDPA, no video calling, 3.2 megapixel camera vs the N95's 5 megapixels, no digital zoom, no GPS, no headphone jack) but it has Wi-Fi connectivity (just like the N95), a touchscreen interface (takes some getting used to), and more importantly, it's a dual-sim phone, a feature I've been interested in for quite a while now. It's also my first LG phone, having had nothing but Nokias for my main phones for more than a decade. LG isn't a pushover though, as far as mobile phone manufacturers are concerned...it's currently number 3 in the world . Not really in the mood to write a full review right now, so here's something from Daily Digitals : LG GX500 Dual SIM Mobile Phone LG Electronics has announced a new mobile phone called LG GX500 . The thickness of LG GX500 is 13 mm packs a 3-inch touch screen w...

A very prestigious cardiologist died, and was given a very elaborate funeral by the hospital he worked for most of his life. A huge heart ... covered in flowers stood behind the casket during the service as all the doctors from the hospital sat in awe. Following the eulogy, the heart opened, and the casket was rolled inside. The heart then closed, sealing the doctor in the beautiful heart forever. At that point, one of the mourners burst into laughter. When all eyes stared at him, he said, 'I am so sorry, I was just thinking of my own funeral ...I'm a gynecologist.' The proctologist fainted.

It's been a while since I last posted something... Haven't felt any motivation to blog lately...I don't know...maybe blogging is a dying art? And to think blogging hasn't been around that long. These days the internet is mostly about Facebook and Twitter . Why bother writing long-winded essays when you can just publish one-line status updates? It doesn't seem like a lot of people nowadays want to exert the effort to commit their thoughts to keyboard, I mean really commit their thoughts...not just one-liners. It can't be helped I guess. Things change. Not many people I know blog or blog hop anymore. In the middle of the decade, which was just a few years ago, almost everyone I know was into blogging, into blog hopping, then having eyeballs with fellow bloggers. Then the most popular websites were Blogger , TypePad , and WordPress . Everyone seemed eager to share their thoughts and what not. Everybody wanted their blogs to be read. Alas, it seems the blog as we ...

State of the Nation Address of His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III President of the Philippines to the Congress of the Philippines Session Hall of the House of Representatives July 26, 2010 [Batasan Pambansa Complex, Quezon City] Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Vice President Jejomar Binay; Chief Justice Renato Corona; Former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada; members of the House of Representatives and the Senate; distinguished members of the diplomatic corps; my fellow workers in government; Mga minamahal kong kababayan: Sa bawat sandali po ng pamamahala ay nahaharap tayo sa isang sangandaan. Sa isang banda po ay ang pagpili para sa ikabubuti ng taumbayan. Ang pagtanaw sa interes ng nakakarami; ang pagkapit sa prinsipyo; at ang pagiging tapat sa sinumpaan nating tungkulin bilang lingkod-bayan. Ito po ang tuwid na daan. Sa kabilang banda ay ang pag-una sa pansariling interes. Ang pagpapaalipin sa pulitikal na konsiderasyon, at p...

What thought are you holding that is holding you back? Now you can let it go. Nothing will come when you try to get it. Now you can stop trying and let it be. The task is as difficult as you decide to make it. Now you can choose to let it easily and naturally flow. The little things can give you an excuse to stop, or a place from which to jump to a higher level. Now you can be more authentic and effective than ever. Proceed with the assumption that you will, and you will. Now you can make a valuable difference. Touch the vision of who you wish to be, where you wish to go, and how you wish to live. Now you can let it come fully to life. - Ralph Marston

1. Platform - The union should have a clear plan on how it intends to improve the lot of all the rank-and-file employees. What benefits/programs/initiatives will it advocate? Are such benefits/programs/initiatives indeed feasible, or are they just intended to win votes or to sway opinion in favor of the union? What are its concrete plans that will redound to the benefit of the members? 2. Transparency - The union should not hide the nature or details of its activities to the rank-and-file employees it represents, whether they be members or not. As the sole and accredited collective negotiating agent of the rank-and-file employees, all of us, whether we be members of the union or not, have a personal stake on how the union performs, on how it utilizes its financial and other resources, on how it negotiates or deals with management. Keeping us in the dark will only lead to speculation on what really happens behind closed doors. 3. Integrity - The union should have character. It should...

There's no such thing as a get-rich quick scheme. There. I said it. In the realm of human existence, there are only a handful of ways to get rich in the shortest amount of time. You could win the lottery, invent something that sells like hotcakes, author a best selling book, create a successful business, get a high paying job, inherit from a rich deceased relative, be a movie/rock/sports star, marry into a rich family, or find hidden treasure. If you're live in some Southeast Asian country south of Taiwan and east of Vietnam like I do, you could also add being a corrupt government official, or working at the Bureau of Customs to the list. The truth is, for the vast majority of us, our financial situations hardly deviate much from where we started from. Yes, there will be improvements, but these are incremental (albeit tangible), and nowhere near the rags to riches prospect that everyone dreams of. In short, more often than not, if you're rich, you stay rich, and if you...

Just a repost. You never know who might notice. Anyone here interested in purchasing or leasing a plot of commercial land located along Commonwealth Ave. in Quezon City? It's my father's property, and it has a lot area of 2,844 sqm., with a number of residential improvements. The frontage is a bit on the small side, at 14 m., but it directly faces Commonwealth Ave. The lot has been on the market for quite a while, but since the real estate market has been down for some time now...well you know how it is. Just in case you're interested, or know someone who is, please feel free to leave a comment or to email me at ronallandottk@yahoo.com . To cut the hassle, would prefer to deal with direct buyers only. Sometimes it can be quite hard dealing with a multitude of brokers and middlemen...you know how that is too. :-) You can also call 9315575 if you have any inquiries. Siteplan of the property. Aerial view. The road at the top of the photo is Commonwealth Avenue. Here's a ti...

I've always prided myself for being strong...for being sure of myself. The irony is, that's all an illusion. An illusion I've built for myself to make sure that I'm always in a position of control, to give others the impression that I'm okay in my own little niche, the niche inside my head where I've often sought refuge to protect myself from the pain of the real world. It's not often I drop that illusion to anyone I know. In fact, I can count on the fingers of one hand the times that I showed my true self to anyone, that of being a needy, insecure individual, devoid of self-confidence, always expecting things to go wrong, always in need of reassurance or validation of the things I do or think of. Therein lies the rub. It is this weak side of my persona...dare I say who I am for real, that I show to the few people I've really cared for. It is also this weak side...that disappoints them and drives them away. They see, and perhaps are attracted to the illu...

Am I? Someone close to me asked me once or twice if I'm the possessive type of person in a relationship. To be honest, I never really thought of myself as the possessive type. I've been in a few relationships in my life, and while I have my share of character flaws...more than my share actually, being possessive didn't seem to be one of them. I guess I could be mistaken for that though, because I am fond of giving my attention to someone I care for, but it doesn't really mean that I give my attention 24/7, nor do I obligate her to receive my attention, 24/7. While I definitely enjoy the company of someone special, I would like to think that I know where the lines are drawn, and what things I shouldn't intrude into. I know this, because I tend to be a very private person myself, and indeed there are just some things that are better left to yourself. Couples don't really have to tell each other everything . While I don't really like too many secrets between c...

Foreword to the repost: This is one of my most read blog entries, as well as one of my oldest ones, having been posted almost six years ago. Thought I'd post it again. Old or not, some people still find it interesting. That's one of the nice things about having posted a ton of entries. I can always recycle one if I'm suffering from writer's block. :-) (Foreword to the repost dated June 3, 2010) Foreword: This is one of my very first posts, made more than a year ago. Just thought I'd post it again. Since it is more than a year old, and written during the dawn of my blogging days, it doesn't really meet my present standards as far as the writing style and thoroughness are concerned, especially taking into consideration the fact that it deals with a rather touchy subject for some. Then, I just wrote for myself, about whatever comes to mind, without any regard for the sensitivities of an audience. A year later, some things have changed. Not only are there people ki...

I have writer's block. I don't know what to write about. At this very moment I'm sitting in front of my notebook, listening to random MP3s, while I burn another hour before I can take to the streets. Everything is a blank though. No, I'm not sad, nor am I depressed. Am I happy? In a general sense I am. Maybe I'm just bored, but then again I really have no idea what I want to do at this particular moment, so I'm sitting here, staring into space, my mind devoid of anything, except for the words I'm typing at this very moment. The music of Coldplay fills the air, emanating from the tinny speakers of my cheap notebook while the setting sun shines its last few minutes of sunlight through the window blinds at the other side of the room. And here I sit. Pondering nullity. I guess I could go for a cigarette right about now, but I'm making a conscious effort to reduce the number of cigarettes I smoke, so, no. I could go downstairs and check if the ATM to my bank...

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of everyday's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death. - Elizabeth Barret Browning

Solo jeepney ride, that is. Yesterday, a little before noon, my son and I undertook a grand experiment...well not that grand to be honest. In the grand scheme of things it's probably mediocre. Still, useful lessons ought to be learned, so we, or at least I, thought it to be a worthwhile endeavor to teach my son how to ride a jeepney by himself. Actually, he taught himself. I wasn't there with him. If I were, it wouldn't be a solo jeepney ride would it? I drove him near his school, which was beside Sto. Domingo church in Quezon City, gave him a couple of bills, and gave him the four cardinal rules of jeepney riding: (1) Don't draw attention to himself; (2) Don't display any expensive stuff like his cellphone or PSP; (3) Keep his eyes peeled, and to trust his senses. If he thinks something is off or looks suspicious, find another jeepney; and lastly (4) Look cool. Unfortunately, he botched the last one, since the first thing that happened when he got off the car was t...

If in my deep slumber I would awaken, And find my world And life’s dreams To be forsaken, Let me hold onto my credence Of someday I’ll find you home. Back to where my heart is longing, Ease my heart that’s breaking, Stop the tears falling, And come back home. If by chance we meet And you see that I am confused, Put a stop to my confusion And carry me home. Destiny’s already woven We’ve got to keep believing That ours are interwoven, That’s all I could do to Keep apart from you, Hoping someday Love would see us through. Though troubles and despairs may Be cast upon our ways, but God would see us through. Home, will be the place in my heart Where you’ll stay for a lifetime, I’ll wait for you in the meantime When the time would be right For us to decide What’s next in line. Just remember that – I will always love you, For my home is your heart… and yours is in mine. - Lynae

Way Back Into Love Hugh Grant Featuring Haley Bennett I've been living with a shadow overhead I've been sleeping with a cloud above my bed I've been lonely for so long Trapped in the past, I just can't seem to move on I've been hiding all my hopes and dreams away Just in case I ever need em again someday I've been setting aside time To clear a little space in the corners of my mind All I want to do is find a way back into love I can't make it through without a way back into love Oh oh oh I've been watching but the stars refuse to shine I've been searching but I just don't see the signs I know that it's out there There's got to be something for my soul somewhere I've been looking for someone to shed some light Not somebody just to get me through the night I could use some direction And I'm open to your suggestions All I want to do is find a way back into love I can't make it through without a way back into love And if I open my...

Just a repost. You never know who might notice. Anyone here interested in purchasing or leasing a plot of commercial land located along Commonwealth Ave. in Quezon City? It's my father's property, and it has a lot area of 2,844 sqm., with a number of residential improvements. The frontage is a bit on the small side, at 14 m., but it directly faces Commonwealth Ave. The lot has been on the market for quite a while, but since the real estate market has been down for some time now...well you know how it is. Just in case you're interested, or know someone who is, please feel free to leave a comment or to email me at ronallandottk@yahoo.com . To cut the hassle, would prefer to deal with direct buyers only. Sometimes it can be quite hard dealing with a multitude of brokers and middlemen...you know how that is too. :-) You can also call 9315575 if you have any inquiries. Siteplan of the property. Aerial view. The road at the top of the photo is Commonwealth Avenue. Here's a ti...

The summer air: saps my strength I sit in my chair. Yes. That's it.

Bounded by the thoughts of what once was I lingered, filled with emotions that’ll never come to pass Trapped in a time I thought won't ever last Silenced by the memories of the past. Within these walls, I blindly walk Not knowing when or where to go. Shadows of doubt had loomed so free, Trying to fill the void that once was me. In this emptiness, I quietly lay, Waiting and hoping for time to make haste Fading the delusions of the mind, Of dreams that I can never find. - Lynae

Last night, out of the blue, I received a message on my Facebook account. It was her. My first girlfriend, whom I last heard from 19 years ago. I look at her profile picture. She still looks exactly the same as I remember her. Apparently she's doing well...and not surprisingly, she has her own family now. Frankly, I don't know how to react. I must have made an impression on her, since she remembered me and actually looked me up after all these years. Though it was 19 years ago, I still remember how I felt back then. I remember how we met when I first got a summer job working at a Dunkin' Donuts shop in SM North Edsa. I remember how I used to wait for her until she punched out of the donut shop where we both worked so I could take her home. I remember when she was reassigned to a branch in Quiapo where I used to visit her, even though I wasn't working anymore. I remember when she left Manila to go back home to Pangasinan. I remember how hard I tried to maintain a long-...

JULIET: 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, And for that name which is no part of thee Take all myself. - From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet .

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself when someone told me that some union members where planning to change the name of their union supposedly "because the union name has no credibility". Hello? How can a union name "not have any credibility"? It's just a name. Sometimes I can't help but be surprised how shallow some people can be. It is the officers and members of a union which give it its credibility, and not the name. Even if the name was changed, but if you still had the same people on board, and these people are not credible to begin with, it doesn't matter how many times you change the name, or what name you change it to. The organization will still lack credibility. As I'm often fond of saying: A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. And by the same token, a pile of shit would still stink no matter what you call it. What's in a name anyway? Are the terms we use to refer to someone, to something, really that important? It...

This is one of those posts which are about nothing in particular. I felt like posting an update, but for the life of me, nothing really blog-worthy seems to be popping into my head at this very moment. I'm not saying that there's nothing going on. I guess there is, but at this point in time I guess I'd rather not blog about it since it's a hanging issue, and I don't think its a good idea to preempt something, whether it goes one way or another. Suffice it to say that I'm still hoping for the best, and at the same time, afraid of...yet preparing for the worst. As for other things...not much to report. I keep getting a lot of input from other people suggesting that I try doing something new in our office. At this point I'm not so sure about that. Maybe I'll wait until things settle down. With the national elections over more than a week ago, and a new administration starting on June 30, a lot of things could still happen in our office. It's not impossi...

Your action may be required. MEMO : TO ALL EMPLOYEES Effective immediately DRESS CODE 1. It is advised that you come to work dressed according to your salary. If we see you wearing Prada shoes, a Giorgio Armani suit or carrying a Gucci bag, we assume you are doing well financially and therefore do not need a pay raise. 2. If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your money better, so that you may buy nicer clothes, and therefore you do not need a pay raise. 3. If you dress just right, you are right where you need to be and therefore you do not need a pay raise. SICK DAYS We will no longer accept a doctor's certificate as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work. HOLIDAY DAYS Each employee will receive 52 personal days a year of holidays. They are called Sunday. COMPASSIONATE LEAVE This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead relatives, friends or co-workers. Every effort should be made to have non-emplo...

Am I? Too sensitive for my own good? Maybe I am, and I just haven't realized it. Maybe I kept to myself for so long now, that I've forgotten how to take other people's thoughts and actions in stride; Maybe I've always distanced myself from everyone else, and now I'm not sure how to be close to anyone anymore; Maybe I've been doing things my own way for the longest time now, and I'm no longer used to people telling me I'm doing the wrong thing, or telling me to do something else; Maybe I've been so full of myself for years, that I filled up the space meant for other people with my own self-loathing; Maybe I've been so cynical about other people that I find it difficult adjusting to the concept that there are some people who actually care about me without wanting anything from me; Maybe I've been so preoccupied with giving that I don't know how to receive anymore; Maybe I've finally turned into an antisocial paranoiac. Maybe I'm alr...

Hard disk space that is. I have a total of 2 GB of Network-attached storage, consisting of a Linksys NAS200 with two 500 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 SATA drives, and a 1 TB Seagate FreeAgent Desk connected to the NAS200 via USB. It isn't enough. Linksys NAS200. Seagate FreeAgent Desk. I bought the NAS200 with its two drives about a year and a half ago. The FreeAgent is only about four months old. Between the two of them I only have about 200 GB of space free, and at the rate I'm downloading stuff, I'd probably fill my drives to capacity in a few weeks' time. Two terabytes of movies, TV series, animes, documentaries, comic books, e-books, MP3s, and what not. When I first started with computers in the 80s, (yes I'm old, I know) I thought the 143 KB capacity of a single-sided 5.25" floppy on my Apple II Plus was a godsend, especially when compared to the meager capacity and inconvenience of storing data on cassette tapes, which were popular at the time. Today...