Personal Rationalization and Reflections

XOXO and jejeje: Twitter and social networks

2010-07-12T04:56:00.000-07:00

It has been sometime that the Internet age started creeping to our society.

With great technologies being made or discovered every year, our society seems to look like the science fiction movies we use to watch during Friday night. One new thing is the rise of Internet language.

The Internet is not limited to the geeks alone. Even some not so highly technological people have also invaded the cyberspace and created a world of their own. It started with YM lingo like LOLZ, ASL, GTG, and the one that I got curious with because I only knew the meaning which means Kiss and Hugs, XOXO.

The same Internet language was also in a way uploaded to our daily living specially due to the use of cellular phone and text messaging. The need to express yourself with only 140 characters forced us to innovate. Also the use of special characters to create images are some of the most ingenious creations the people of this Internet age, the youth, has contributed to the new era. While the debate is going on if such way of expression will be a good or a bad one due to the degrading effects on grammar and proper communications another wave of culture brought about by such came to being. Welcome to the rise of the Jejemons.

Jejemons are not only the persons that use the famous Jejebet, the alphabet of the Jejejmons, but also are the ones with that kind of culture of which makes them different from the normal. It has become a culture. You can see it in their Facebook and Friendster mesages. In Yahoo Messenger or Myspace and other social networks. It breed a new tribe at the same time it created factions like the Jejebuster, person who use the Jejebet to intimidate Jejemons.

It seems that our future is backwards. Before we express ourselves with lengthy sentences. Now with Twitter, we have become more expressive only using 140 characters. Philippines was said to be the texting capital of the world and now Indonesia is the Twitter capital of the world. New words or abbreviations and symbols has new meanings because of the need to evolve and express oneself in a new medium. Social networks has connected people with different culture and language. Virtually we are very near and yet no physical connections exist. Barriers are torn down but at the same time problems of privacy arose.

What is the latest new term have you learned lately? Share some here in the comment.

When your heart talks

2010-07-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

source:http://politicalpoet.files.wordpress.com/

Love has always been the cause of so many things in life. But today love is causing me pain and confusion.

I hate this feeling. The feeling when you know deep inside of you there is something that you feel towards someone and yet you don't want it to surface because you don't want to lose what you already have with someone. You wanted to chose to stay that way but you can hear the beating of your heart. Instead of you being happy you turn to be troubled.

I know this feeling years back. But back then I know that its not the right thing to do. I wanted to be a better than the one who loves, because I wanted to be the one that will stand by when needed. Someone to look up to when help and guidance is needed. I know that from the very beginning and yet just lately emotions are rushing into me. Probably it was triggered by some unspoken words. By some unusual terms pass by into me. Probably I misinterpret it; and I am hoping it was just a wrong misinterpretation.

How I wish it is a feeling that I would embrace but in reality I don't know what to do about it. Do I pursue it or put it back to the deepest corners of my heart where it should be. I don't know what to do and I don't know if I am ready for the answers.

Sleeplessness: Me and me and me

2010-06-24T05:17:00.000-07:00

source:http://www.edupics.com/

Many people have this sickness called insomnia sleep disorder.

As of today I don't see myself insomniac so to speak; but the fact that I don't get enough sleep a bad thing. One bad thing I know about it is that you keep on eating in daybreak to stay awake since I cant be sleeping on daybreak, how I wish. But on weekends I try to catch sleep but I hate the idea. When waking up from such slumber it seems I slept for two or three days. Sometimes I wonder if what year is it when I wake up. And when my body begins to realize that probably I just slept three or four hours my head begins to ache, my back begins to ache, and as if I want to vomit.

As much as I wanted to doze off at 10:00 pm I cant. My mind is still awake but its not thinking of anything. Thus it starts to wander. I cant lie down in bed or else I will be awake the whole night. There are things I can do while passing time until my body decides to sleep but the problem is my mind is blank. And when the mind is blank you know what happens.

I have mentioned in my past blogs about a time when as if I am hearing a strange talk while I was lying down in my bed. It was creepy. As if a dead man speaking in language from the past is right there in my room. Whispering eerie things in my ear.

Do you know what can I do to fight this sleeplessness? Do you know what causes insomnia, or you have any insomnia information? Leave your advices and thoughts in the comment box, your contribution is highly appreciated

Zeitgeist Movement: Is it the truth?

2010-06-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine told me to watch this particular movie and its sequel. Was able to searched it in youtube and watch it. The first movie about nearly two hours talks about how a particular group of people manipulated the entire world using religion, money system, politics, and international relations. The second one still talks about the same topic only that it showcased a particular project called the Venus Project.

If you will watched it it seems factual and compelling. If you don't guard your senses well you will be easily drawn to join in their group. But the truth is some of the ideas and things they mentioned were true. yes religion has been one of the caused of division and hate in this world that is why Crusades were wage and up to now the fight between Muslims and Christians rages on. It shouldn't be that way. Though we have different belief it doesn't mean that the only way to end it is to wage war at one another. Also sad to say that some Catholics and Christians, Muslims, and other religion now a days are only in name not in practice. If only people understand and appreciate what they believe in and use it to unite the differences rather than separate this world would have been a better place.

There is also some truth about the money system fraud that they mentioned. Yes our society is profit driven. But that alone is not bad, what is bad is when a few abuses it and turn greedy. The term legal tender means the state promises to pay for the face value. Thus inflation exist because over time the value of money goes down due to oversupply because of continuing business. Interest is the consequence of using other's asset thus when you borrow money you are charged interest. The bad thing about it is that people in reality are the very reason why the value of money went down. As of present people barrow money either through loan, credit card, of mortgage to satisfy themselves now. They don't know to delay gratification. Since they are indebt off course legally unpaid debt must be paid with additional interest. In order to fight this group of bankers from abusing their right to charge interest the weapon is to turn the tables around: charge them interest. Don't barrow money, work for some and invest what you have. Accumulate and buy them out buy buying more of their stocks. Ask others to keep on buying so that when the minority interest are combined you form a block bigger than the original owners. Of course there will be a point were they will buy you out, dont sell your ownership.

Politics and the business of war is actually a reality. There is no need to explained to you why so many countries go to war. It is a business just like the olden times of colonialism and imperialism.

As for the topic of one world government, I think it would be nice to have one government the problem lies on whom will be the government. If the central government will be presided by the very same few people then it would be what we see in movies now a days. As regards to the Venus project, if such will push through who will preside it. Yes it is true that the Earth's is enough for all of us, the problem lies with the distribution of wealth. If such project is taken over by the few there would be no difference on what we have now.

Twitter trending topic about #thatsdisturbing

2010-05-13T04:22:00.000-07:00

I have just joined the Twitter bandwagon and has become addicted to it. Another thing that makes Twitter the latest Social Network is the trending topic. You get to share your ideas or opinion on such topics by only using 140 characters(minus the topic). Topics that are tag with the hash tag "#" allows Twitter to in a way indexed that word and create a data about it.

The topic is about what's disturbing. The Twitter trending topic is on #thatsdisturbing and here are some excerpts in the Twitter world:

You 30 and you still playing w/ action figures #thatsdisturbing

a babe havn an adams apple nd a voice deeper than shaqs...#thatsdisturbing

Chic has more facial hair than I do #ThatsDisturbing

#thatsdisturbing when you're watching horror by yourself...

when u ask many question like a detective #thatsdisturbing

Seeing someone u know die in front of u...#thatsdisturbing

A woman with feet bigger than Shaq's... #thatsdisturbing

How about you what do you consider disturbing? You can add up here by posting in the comment box or clicking retweet and adding the #thatsdisturbing at the end .

May 10, 2010:Philippine National Election

2010-05-10T02:03:00.000-07:00

(courtesy of mjgallego.wordpress.com/2010/02/)

Today the Philippines is electing government officials from the highest to the municipal level.

It has been a history that it would be a bloody election. Last year the clash between the Ampatuans and Mangudadatus in Maguindano has claimed about 70 lives including journalist. In other parts of the Philippines reports of destroying the PICOS machines were noted a day or hours before election and a sadder news just hours after the start of the election 4 were killed. Even civilians just refusing to be bought was just shot at point blank. The question that always run in my mind why does it has to be like this?

Lives are taken for just a position which pays only a small amount. So many people wanted to grab seats of power. Have they not known that being elected is a sacrifice. It should be a seat of lifelong sacrifice to serve fellow man and not to serve oneself and its allies. I have seen this mentality for my family as well is in politics. Good thing I never dip my foot to it. Back then my brother was considering me to run as barangay SK chairman just like many of my cousins in different barangays in our town. Sons and daugthers are force to run for a seat in government to preserve power and then it will be a continuous cycle of interchange. The former mayor runs as congressman and the former congressman runs as governor then after one term the governor runs for mayor and the mayor runs for congressman....a line of what we call TRAPO(Traditional Politicians)

What Philippines need are statesmen. Men who does not run for fame, power and money but rather men who run for the better management of the country. The Philippines has long been longing for this but the powerful and influential has always abuse the poverty and ignorance of the masses. The few elite men are blinded by the promises and positions that they will get once they side with the Trapo, and the few great men are easily push around due to lack of support and lack of machinery to topple down the dynasty.

All I could do is to pray for the fate of the Philippines. A few more hours and the election will really start; counting the votes is one of the darkest hours of the election. Many politicians will kill just to win, just to make sure they get the votes. I pray for the safety of the canvassers, watchers, teachers, media, observers, and all Filipino doing there best for a fair, clean and honest results of this May 10, 2010 election.

Human nature of wanting more

2010-05-04T01:54:00.000-07:00

(Picture courtesy of Single Mind)

Lately I have joined the forum I used to comment and share with and this topic has been a hot topic.

By nature, as we learned back in economics 101, man has an unlimited wants and needs. Because of this notion we developed a mentality of greed and envy, two of the seven capital sins. When we were born we were just small creatures dependent to our parents. When we grow to childhood we are faced with the experience of having things because our dads and moms love us that much so they buy things for us. We develop the sense of ownership then into a form of greed. We don't want other people to touch or play with our things. We keep on saying "mine, mine, mine" just like my little niece.

Envy develops when we begin to compare what we have with others. Fueled by somebody else showiness and flagrant boasting that theirs is better than yours one begins to think that what they have is inferior or second class and because of that we feel the same way so we tend to want what they have in order to satisfy ourselves that we are not inferior to them.

Wanting more in a sense is not that bad. If wanting more will lead you to greater achievements then it is a good thing. But it becomes bad when one pursues it just to be in the same level as others. Again envy starts when one compares oneself to others. That is why one should have a standard on which one has to focus. In order for a person to say to himself has achieve something great one has to prove that to himself first before others.

This is something that most people don't grasp. Your inability to surpass your neighbor would only lead you to depression. Because you have to prove to your neighbor that you are better you forget to see clearly and that leads you to rather satisfy your neighbor's standard rather than yours. Isn't that insane. You rather do a lot of work and sacrifices just not to be branded as second class. In the end you will regret that it seems that you have never live the fullness of life because you have been chasing the wind for all of your life.

As I have always advice others life is a choice. You choose your standards. You choose your battles. If for you the only important thing in life is to surpass somebody else then what would happen if you did surpass them? I think life will be boring and all your efforts would have been a waste because in the end all the things that you bought out of envy will just be there dusting because in reality you will get bored with them and you wont be able to play or enjoy them because you have to work harder and longer to pay them of. In truth you just traded it for another thing called DEBT and you also loss one great thing which is called TIME.

How about INVESTING?

2010-02-27T20:21:00.000-08:00

A lot of us maybe one of those guys who live as we call it "from pay check to pay check" or are you one of the 15th day club e.i. happy only on payday?

A lot of us also are too afraid to play the game of investing. Some say its risky because you can become a rich in a second and also a poor man in just a wink of an eye. So many people have so little idea about investing, and I am one of those. So in my quest to learn investing I started reading books, surfing the internet, and asking questions regarding investing. I am not an expert on the topic but as the saying goes" only you can well manage your money"; if you don't have enough knowledge about money probably investing is not for you. The thing is information about investing is free. We can all access the internet, read the business section of the newspaper, and ask anyone who knows about it. It is just a matter of us making the move to really educate ourselves about it.

I got an excerpt from China Banks website regarding investments. Hope it will be the start.

Starting to Invest

Proper investment planning involves the process of accumulation and management of funds to improve one’s financial position and achieve goals set for oneself and for one’s family.

Strategies should be mapped out on how assets are to be allocated among various outlets such as cash, stocks, bonds, real estate, and other investments. In planning for investments, it is important to have a careful assessment of one’s personal situation before choosing on the various investment outlets available in the market. Each one is unique and the same applies to one’s investment profile. The suitability of investment outlets and strategies to a person would depend on several factors. Some of these are the following:

Amount of Capital
How much capital do you have available? Are these excess funds or funds intended for business or standby for other potential business opportunities?

Investment Goals
Investment goals should be specific and quantifiable. For example, you may want to save up for a comfortable retirement. How much is “comfortable” would depend from person to person. You may have to compute how much monthly income you would need during retirement, and how much funds can provide that amount of retirement income. Then you can make saving and investment strategies in order to achieve that retirement goal.

Investment Horizon
How much time do you have to reach your goals? An investor’s age and possible future use of the funds can help you determine your investment horizon. Short-term goals should be matched with short-term term, lower risk investments. It would be wiser to keep funds in instruments that protect principal and guarantee yield because you don’t have the benefit of time to recover whatever will be lost. With long term goals, you have the benefit of time to ride out the volatility in the market. There are investment outlets that may have the possibility of losing the principal on a short-term view, but have a higher yield potential on a longer term.

Risk Appetite
Finally, it is important to determine your risk tolerance before investing. A very conservative investor may not be comfortable putting his money on an investment that offers a high potential yield, yet with the possibility of capital loss. He may be affected with the volatility in the market, thus preventing him from making rational investment decisions.

On the other hand, an aggressive investor may not be very happy with the returns that a low-risk investment offers. It may be more fitting for him to invest in an instrument that may be a little riskier on the short run, yet has a higher potential for capital gains in order for him to achieve his goals faster. Each person’s risk profile differs, and should be matched along with his investment goals before choosing on any investment.

Some types of Investments

There are several forms of investment, but they can fall under any of 2 main categories:

Bonds
Bonds are certificates of indebtedness of an issuer (e.g., the national government or a private corporation) to an investor. Investing in a bond is an act of lending money to the issuer usually to finance the issuer’s business expansion or public expenditures.

In exchange for lending money, the investor (i.e., an individual or another private institution) gets interest payments at specific intervals and par value upon maturity of the bond.

There are several ways to classify bonds. One way is to base it on their currency, as follows:

Currency	Type of Bonds
Peso-denominated	FXTNs (Fixed Rate Treasury Notes) RTBs (Retail Treasury Bonds) Zero coupon bonds (Napocor) Corporate Bonds (Ayala)
Dollar-denominated Euro-denominated	ROP (Republic of the Philippines) BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) Corporate bonds (e.g. Ayala Bond, SMIC, PLDT) ROP (Republic of the Philippines)

Another is to classify bonds by their holding period or “life”, as follows:

Life of the Bond	Holding Period
Short-term	1 year or less
Intermediate term	2 to 10 years
Long-Term	10 to 30 years

If you are investing in bonds for the first time, consider the life of the bond that best meets your investment horizon.

Treasury Bills
Treasury Bills or “T-Bills” are short-term borrowings of the National Government to finance public expenditures. T-Bills have the following features:

are issued by the National Government through the Bureau of Treasury
have an original term of 91, 182 & 364 days from issue date
earn interest income subject to 20% withholding tax

Maguindanao Massacre

2009-11-25T23:34:00.000-08:00

The country was shock to hear the news last Tuesday. As the 2010 Philippine national election nears, violence tends to rise due to rival candidates. And such is started by this massacre of a caravan of candidates on their way to file their candidacy accompanied by journalist to cover the filling.

To date 57 dead bodies were found, of which the wife, two sisters, and relatives of Esmael Mangudadatu were identified. The said incident is brought about by the rivalry of the Ampatuans & Mangudadatus. These two clans have been rivals in politics in the areas of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, and Cotabato City. The prime suspect, Andal Ampatuan Jr., the mayor of Datu Unsay, is already charged for the massacre together with four policemen who are allegedly accomplices to the massacre.

The tension in the area has been rising and probably it would grow more as it nears the election. Some of the female victims were reportedly raped before shot point blank. The victims were about to be covered in a dug mass grave in a remote area covering all evidences including the vehicles use by the victims.The Mangudadatu may have accepted the surrender of Andal Jr. but people's fear in the area for retaliation and underground actions of both parties may hamper justice and peaceful election in the area.

What do you believe in?

2009-10-21T05:41:00.000-07:00

I watched the movie Stigmata a few days back.

The story was about an atheist who received the stigmata, wound similar to that of our Lord Jesus. But beyond that the story rolls to the angle of "lost gospels" particularly the gospel of Thomas. The gospel of Thomas are list of sayings which as the gospel says "from the living Jesus Christ" and the movie points out that the church is in each human being and all around us.

Lately we have seen the effect of the Da Vinci Code. It caused people to seek the truth but at the same time led people to confusion. Sometimes we think that all our faith, is a spoon fed thing that we just took and not bother what really it is.

And then we stumbled on something that either shattered or strengthened our faith.

Also back then a documentary was made regarding finding the remains of Jesus. The Lost Tomb of Jesus is a documentary about finding a tomb believed to be a family tomb of which one ossuaries has an inscriptions saying Yeshua bar Yehosef, Aramaic for "Jesus son of Joseph"

These movies and other media can stir what we believe in. It may make you re-think your stand on your faith and in the end lead you to nothingness. Seeking answers is good, but I caution you that life is not about what is happening right in front of our eyes rather it is the choices that we made that makes our lives.

Lets talk about the dreaded topic: DEATH

2009-09-15T04:34:00.000-07:00

Merriam Webster online defines it as:

Main Entry: death
Pronunciation: \ˈdeth\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English deeth, from Old English dēath; akin to Old Norse dauthi death, deyja to die — more at die
Date: before 12th century

1 a : a permanent cessation of all vital functions : the end of life — compare brain death b : an instance of dying deaths>
2 a : the cause or occasion of loss of life death of him> b : a cause of ruin death to my character — Wilkie Collins>
3 capitalized : the destroyer of life represented usually as a skeleton with a scythe
4 : the state of being dead
5 a : the passing or destruction of something inanimate death of vaudeville> b : extinction
6 : civil death
7 : slaughter
8 Christian Science : the lie of life in matter : that which is unreal and untrue

— at death's door : close to death : critically ill

— to death : beyond endurance : excessively to death>

To most people death is loss, for some the end, and to others destruction.

My father died a few years back, it was the very first time I realize what death was. To any one who has not yet lost someone important attending a wake is just like going to an occasion. It is something that one must attend or else you will be branded. it has become part of human culture to celebrate death. Celebrate not in a sense that we are joyful about it but rather we take apart of our time to devote it to those who are left behind.

Dad died about three months after a stroke. His main cause of his demise was due to complication of his other illnesses that were not made known to us. Before all that I believed my siblings had observed that he was afraid to go to see a physician. During his wake one of my relatives has told us that he once mentioned that he wont reach 60 just like the rest of his male siblings, he was 59 when he died.

What did I realize about death?Death defines a person.

Hours after my dad died lots of people came to our house even before his body was brought in. Most of them our relatives from bought clan of my fathers father and mother side. In the early morning people from our small barangay came upon hearing the news. Then at mid-day any one from town who new him came. Wailings and cries are all you hear.

During the wake people do not talk about his mistakes, his irrationality, or even his odd ways. People talk about the good things he did. We hear stories recounted and told about the good things his decisions made during his tenure as barangay captain. Wise advice he gave to young men and friends were again heard. Great adventures were told again and again. Even persons from far that our family doesn't even know came to pay respect. There was an old man that came early morning about the second or third day of the wake who would like to see my dad. My mom doesn't even know him but upon telling his story about my dad she remembers that my dad gave a chicken to this man years back when we were raising poultry.

Also there are two aspect of death that I have seen. First it brings together families. Second it pushes respect to authority.

Nearly all my uncles and aunts were there and some of my dad's siblings from my grandfather's first marriage came. Relatives that became rivals in politics came and face each other civilly. Relatives from far away places try their very best to come. It's like a big family re-union. As much as it is a time of mourning it was also a time of celebration. cousins whom we haven't seen yet were introduce, husbands or wives of relatives were introduce, even suitors or boyfriend/girlfriend were introduce.

Things like where will we bury the remains, the arrangements etc are all discuss and opinions of elder siblings, uncle or aunts are first consulted before doing any actions. Decision was handed to the eldest as a respect for seniority. All even superstitious beliefs are followed. Most of the belief my relatives keep on telling us where all not to do. It was funny but even though some don't make sense we still follow them out of respect to these older people telling this beliefs.

In the end death should always be a celebration of life.And this celebration of the deceased defines who he or she really was.