 
A Wonderful World

Timeless Essays

I looked at the pile of books for a while, going into a heightened state of awareness. I then reached out and allowed the right ones to find me. I just knew that I was then ready for whatever will come. I found three books that I feel perfectly symbolizes who I am and what I have become at this stage of my spiritual journey. They are about angels, healing and ancient secrets of wisdom. ~ Diary, March 2015.

I was alone, seeing glimpses of empty gray walls. I can't even see the floor: everything else was black. I knew that someone had died there though there was no paranormal activity. I can feel his psychic imprint if not his presence. I was looking for the woman who owns the house but she was nowhere to be found. I wanted to tell her that her husband's father died in his sleep, lying in bed with his legs crossed like he's sitting in an armchair. ~ Dream Journal, October 2014.

I meditate. I do yoga. I believe in reincarnation. I talk to plants. I can be telepathic sometimes. I bond instantly with decent and broadminded people. On the other hand, back-fighters and power-trippers hate me. I'm happy even in solitude. I don't feel the need for other people's approval to validate my worth. I measure a person only by his character, never his resume. I know a good man when I see one. I can let go and move on. I'm not afraid to say goodbye. I'm not afraid to be different. ~ Facebook Story, January 2013.

One of the many reasons why I'm happy is because I have developed the attitude of gratitude; I'm now more focused on the positive side of things. On top of which, I am by nature an optimist, so the result is a mindset which makes me realize that everything that happens brings some good, even if the situation seems like a curse. I still don't have the life I want, but I know I will get there, so I can still smile and chillax. As long as I maintain my self-respect, and never lose my freedom and privacy, I'll be fine. ~ Blog Story, December 2012.

The Sunken Garden at the sprawling Diliman campus of the University of the Philippines, like Ayala Triangle park in Makati, is special to me. What plays in my mind at those places is "I'll Remember" by Madonna, theme from With Honors, a touching movie set in Harvard. I won't tell you why, only it's about peeks at the bright sparks on the verities of existence, sheltered by the arms of nature, under an infinite sky that will outlast our sojourn through eclectic lifetimes. ~ Blog Story May 2011.

The salvation of his immortal soul thus fell on the greatest orator of the land. Webster faced the most fearsome jury only nightmares can conceive–the gathering of the darkest characters in the history of the land of the free. Freedom, argued Webster, is man's birthright. It is what gives life its deepest significance. The ideal of freedom summons the noble side of humanity. His summation reminds us all of who we are and what we are here for. ~ Blog Story, July 2010.

As long as we retain our gung-ho sense of humor, we'll be fine. After all, for a country that has sired the likes of St. Lorenzo Ruiz, Jose Rizal and Carlos P. Romulo, we, the people, deserve more than a choice between the lesser of two evils. Discipline begins at the top, as every management guru would agree, and we deserve a government we can respect, trust and fight for. ~ Op-Ed Letter, May 2009 **.**

### A Wonderful World

By Jonathan Aquino

Copyright March 2015 Jonathan Aquino

Smashwords Edition

Chapter I. 2015

Trust The Universe

Forever Young

Feel God Within

I Will Love The One I Love Until I Die

What Prosperity Consciousness Really Is

Crystal Clear With Brian Tracy

What's Odd About Thomas?

"It's A Small World, My Friend!"

Chapter II. 2014

Being Charming and Having Fun

Seeing The Miracles of Nature

A Shroud of Darkness

Rituals

"I Still Have That Diamond."

The First Time I Tried Pyrokinesis

Leaving The Herd

Every Day Wisdom From My Spiritual Mentor

Journey Through A Haunted Road

City of Immortals

Parkour vs Vampire

Missing My Lighthouse

Meeting My Fiance

Sensing Mutants

Looking For Alvin

Dancing Like Dobson

Dreaming Bill Clinton

Chapter III. 2013

The Legend of Hilot

This Is True Freedom

My Simply Six

My Ideal Day

Songs From The Sountrack of My Life

The Freedom To Wear Jeans and Sneakers

Charm, Like Happiness, Is A Choice

Time Traveling To The Hippie Sixties

What Would You Do If You Were Taken Hostage?

Witness To Senior Citizen Act Violations

Being Young Again At The Luneta

Incredible Musical Artistry

A Tale of Two Saints

Chapter IV. 2012

Embracing The Real Me

When Mike Arroyo Was A Kid

Why Do People Join Fraternities?

The Slaying of The Spirit of Baguio

NLP: Something That Really Works

The Root of A Dysfunctional Justice System

I Love Rock & Roll

Why The Azkals Are Being Kicked

Corona Impeachment: The First Three Days

Bourne In the Philippines

Who Is Most Welcome To Your Home?

Sorrow At Yuletide

Me and the Athenians

Are You Using All Your Powers?

The Best Lawyer Jokes In The World

The Inside Story of The Jabidah Massacre

Chapter V. 2011

Trees of Gold

In The Arms of Nature

Superstar Stray Cat

A Friendship To Last A Lifetime

What I Did When I Woke Up This Morning

My First Day Alone

In Perfect Harmony

Your Signature Can Save Palawan

A Stormy and Thankless Job

Why I Wear Sunglasses At Night

My First Story After The World Ended

Should Marcos Be Buried At Heroes Cemetery?

Why I Support The RH Bill

The Planet's Most Vicious Animal

You Have To Earn R-E-S-P-E-C-T

New Year Message

Merry Christmas Message

My General Trias Magical Mystery Tour

Which Is Good and Which Is Bad?

A Person's True Measure

Where Compassion Is A Crime

Glorious Nightrise

Falcon In The Millennium

Nitpicker Nation

Barbarians At The Gate

Taxi Chancing

Have We Forgotten Our Dying Veterans?

Why I Live The Way I Do

When Friends Make You Smile

What The (Polar-Shifting) World Needs Now

What If You're Face To Face With Your Murderer?

What Attracts You To The Opposite (Or Same) Sex?

2Rivers Celebrates The New Golden Age of Filipino Movies

The Story of Huggybear

Chapter VI. 2010

The First Miracle of 2010

Birth Control Is Different From Abortion

What's So Funny About Helping Students?

You Want To Legalize Jueteng?

In Solidarity With Torture Victims

I Hope Nobody Rides Those "Floating Coffins" Again

The First Miracle of 2010

Chapter VII. 2009

Do You Have Peace Of Mind?

Profile Of A Hostage-Taker

Why The Private Sector Can Be The Country's Secret Weapon

Why The World Needs People Power

Why I Don't Believe The World Will End In 2012

Does God REALLY Exist?

Mary, Do You Take Jesus To Be Your Lawfully-Wedded Husband?

The Moral Responsibility Of The International Community

The Separation Of Church and State Ends Where Loyalty To The Country Begins

How Congress Could Save Our OFWs

What If You Can"t Read?

The World's Perfect Cone Can Be A Cornucopia of Destruction

How Do You Judge A Person?

What Kind Of Idiot Would Legalize Abortion?

Trav'ling Boy Quo Vadis?

You Don't Talk About The Death Penalty During New Year

The Great Greenbelt Rolex Robbery: An Inside Job?

What Are We Filipinos Like?

What Is Wrong With Us?

Our Dark Side

Why I Believe There Is Still Hope For The Philippines

Face To Face With A Freak Storm and Flashfloods

You Ain't Heavy, You're My Brother

Chapter I. 2015

Trust The Universe

Diary, March 8, 2015 Sunday

One of the many life-changing lessons I learned in my quest for spiritual awakening is to just allow the infinite intelligence of the universe to lead me to understanding and, hopefully, enlightenment. It means letting go of any resistance to my vibrational alignment to the Source of All That Is.

I saw this as clear as day earlier this week. I went to a store that sells second-hand books. I looked at the pile of books for a while, going into a heightened state of awareness. I then reached out and allowed the right ones to find me. I just knew that I was then ready for whatever will come. I found three books that I feel perfectly symbolizes who I am and what I have become at this stage of my spiritual journey. They are about angels, healing and ancient secrets of wisdom.

I was moved to the depths of my entire being as I read _Are We Listening To Angels?_ by Robert Grant. I have always believed in angels, not only because of my many inexplicable experiences of everyday miracles, but also because I know in my heart they are here and have never left us.

I love the true story of a man named David. He has been diagnosed with a terminal disease, too weak to even get up. Then one day, his wife Doreen found him in the hospital chapel. How did he get there? There was a teenage boy with him. The boy looked at Doreen and she was filled with reverence and peace. She knew David was telling the truth when he told her the boy was his guardian angel. David was transformed. He wasn't afraid of death anymore. He became a comforting presence to the other patients. But it was his time to go. David died physically but his spirit has been healed.

What sets this apart from other angel books is the extensive use of Cayce materials on angels. Edgar Cayce was a devout Christian who also had the ability to access the universal memory of the Akashic Records by going into a deep meditative state. He was not a spirit medium like Jane Roberts whose body became the instrument for the non-physical entity Seth. He didn't actually heal in the way Jesus did. He would just tell people what to do to find the cure. Most of the cases were medically hopeless but the nearly perfect success rate continue to defy science even today.

Edgar Cayce has changed my life in so many ways because of the knowledge he had shared about the true nature of the soul and the true nature of God. One of the greatest inspirations in my life is the way he had selflessly dedicated his life to help heal thousands and continues to touch the lives of millions even after his death in 1945. These psychic sessions, called "readings," eventually came to include questions on reincarnation and the divinity of Jesus- which the readings both affirm as true.

My belief in reincarnation and Atlantis is perfectly shown in a reading in 1938. I got it from _Edgar Cayce On Atlantis_ by his son Edgar Evans Cayce which I just finished reading for the second time two days ago and which I found in that same book store last month. It was pure serendipity. "The entity was in Atlantis when there was the second period of disturbance, which would be some 22,000 years before the periods of Egyptian activity covered by the exodus, or it was some 28,000 before Christ, see?" said Cayce while in a state that looks like a trance but is not.

The "entity" is the person for whom the reading is given and the "exodus" refers to the migration of the Atlanteans to other places including Egypt and Peru before their continent sank. The Atlanteans were highly advanced in technology and mental powers. But some of them have been seduced by the Dark Side and thus began the epic battle of the Jedi-like Children of The Law of One against the Sith-like Children of Belial.

I was humbled by the wisdom of the universe when she helped me find _The Four Agreements_ by the Toltec shaman Don Miguel Ruiz. A part of me rejoices because I'm already living these principles. Yet I know I still have a long way to go in my journey. "

Be impeccable in your words" is the First Agreement you need to make with yourself if you want to achieve personal freedom. Words have power, says Don Miguel.

It just so happens that was talking to somebody yesterday who was asking me for my opinion on a rumor about a mutual friend.

"I'm just not interested in rumors," I told him, after a contemplative pause. "I really tend to stay away from gossip."

"So you don't think it's true?" he persisted.

"That is precisely the point I'm trying to make," I smiled. "It doesn't matter to me if it's true or not. It doesn't even matter that there's a rumor in the first place."

"Don't take anything personally," is the Second Agreement. I'm living my life the way I want it, in part because I have learned long ago that there will be always those who will cricitize what you say or do, or what you don't say or don't do, no matter what happens. So I made a decision to live a life that is meaningful to me and not waste it by trying to please others who will always try to find fault anyway.

We can create our own personal heaven in the middle of hell, says Don Miguel.

This is also one of the most empowering lessons I learned from the maverick metaphysical author Dick Sutphen whose _Radical Spirituality_ is one of the books I will take with me wherever I go for the rest of my life. One unforgettable event in his seminars is how he helped a young woman with a very critical husband to take control of her life. He taught her to avoid taking things personally. Dick explained that the husband will criticize his wife no matter who he is married to. That is the husband's way of thinking. It had nothing to do with her. She may not be able to change him but she has learned to take the first step to personal freedom.

I have a lot of stories about this. One time I was in an elevator with a colleague who kept insisting I should upgrade to one of those fashionable touch-screen phone models. I told him I don't need it. I saw no reason to explain that I do all my writing on it and the wide flip screen and good old reliable keypad is perfect for my needs.

"A lot of people are laughing at my phone," I smiled. "But you have to remember that their judgment is not a reflection of my character."

I think he got the implied message.

Then there was the time when I was in the gym where another colleague kept insisting I should do less cardio and stretching and lift heavier weights, and that I "should" (his favorite world) work out for no less than three hours. I said I wasn't bulking up but just toning my muscles and shaping my frame. My ideal body is that of a gymnast, not a wrestler.

"You just love to criticize don't you?" I smiled sweetly.

That shut him up.

I'm beginning to feel a great interest in healing. It is not because of illness of any kind. I see it as a paradox because I'm in the best of health; I go to the gym everyday and even donated blood to the Red Cross last month. I would like to be able to heal people. I also want to meet some of the fascinating individuals I came across in _Mystics and Healers_ by the actress Sandy Johnson. They are already changing my life with the new insights I gained.

Vianna Stibal is at the top my list. I believe we are all a part of God and we are of the same divine essence so we are all capable of performing miracles. This was also confirmed by Cayce. But after seeing how Vianna command God as an equal, and I believe we all are in the highest sense, it had made me realize that we are much more valued by God than what we were led to believe. She gave a new strength to my faith and made me see my divine connection with my Creator in a new and a more brilliant light.

I would like to take my own pilgrimage to different healers so they can help me release the healing energy that I believe is within us all. I would find the Hawaiian kahuna "Auntie" Margaret Machado, the aquatic healer and Olympic champion Peter Maxwell, the vibrational healer and voice coach Warren Barrigian and the Australian shaman and Tashkent-winning documentary filmmaker Gerry "Bundji" Bostock who I somehow feel is a kindred spirit. In fact, I like to meet all the other healers in Sandy's book: Sandra Ingerman, Katie Englehart, Howard Wills, Virginia Ellen, Milton Trager, Gary Brownlee, Ruth Ziemba and the unnamed Chinese healer in Denver with his cat Lora.

One of the healers in Sandy's memoirs is operating on patients today despite dying exactly a century ago. The German army surgeon Adolf Fritz died in 1915 while tending a wounded soldier at the height of the First World War. Since then has been using spirit mediums in Brazil. His first instrument was the celebrated healer Jose Arigo in 1947. Then he inhabited the bodies of Edvaldo Wilde in 1975 and Edson Quieroz in 1980. The medium for Dr. Fritz as the book was being written is Rubens Faria from São Paolo.

This is where it gets spooky. Arigo, Wilde and Quieroz all died tragically like Fritz himself. Faria knows this and has accepted the inevitable. The power to heal carries a moral responsibility. It seems, from the sequence of violent deaths that began in battle field one hundred years ago, there is also a great price to pay.

The enchanted land of Brazil is the home of another, perhaps even more celebrated, healer. Joao Teixeira da Faria is known throughout the world as Joao de Deus, "John of God." He is also a medium but he channels a staggering thirty four spirits led by Saint Ignatius Loyola. The Casa de San Inacio in the village of Abadiana, 103 kilometers from the capital Brasilia, is where people from around the world would gather to find healing, to see miracles, and to be in a state of grace.

Forever Young

Diary, March 1, 2015, Sunday

While I've always believed that everything happens for a reason, I learned today from the highly evolved entity Abraham through the medium Esther Hicks that things happen not because of outside forces. Everything in your life is a manifestation of your thoughts. You may not be thinking of getting a disease but illness results from the same negative vibrations that creates your resistance to all the good you desire. I'm always listening to the teachings of "Abraham" Hicks when I go online and this has become a personal ritual for me for almost a year. The inner tranquility of knowing my true nature as a spiritual and vibrational being in union with the infinite intelligence of the universe is simply beyond words. I'm overflowing with gratitude because I now find it impossible to count the many blessings that keeps shining down on me. One of the many reasons why I'm happy is that I'm still in touch with my inner child.

I still have the child-like sense of wonder. It was pure joy as I watched on YouTube the intros and clips of my favorite Japanese giant robot animes and Saturday morning cartoons. At twilight yesterday I sat watching the bats in I.T. Park as they flew around and filled the air with their sonar music. still have my youthful idealism. But my idea of changing the world is different now. What I desire most is to achieve total spiritual enlightenment so I can help in the evolution of the consciousness of mankind.

Mitch Gaylord is still one of the greatest influences in my life. I have begun the new habit of watching his spectacular Olympic Gold gymnastic triumphs and his film _American Anthem._ They give me happy memories of my early teenage years and also inspires me today to reach that state of physical excellence. I would rather have a simple life with a perfect body and that empowering sense of well being than corporate prestige with too many strings attached.

Feel God Within

Diary, February 28, 2015, Saturday

Calm your mind and feel the joy and peace of God's Divine presence and absolute Love and infinite wisdom flowing through you. Feel your complete union with God, your Higher Self and the infinite intelligence of the universe. Feel God's presence and infinite power as a brilliant white flowing through you and purifying your mind, body and spirit, and giving you wisdom, guidance, creativity, strength and the absolute certainty that God's infinite power is flowing through you and bringing you all that you desire all the time. Feel God's presence and infinite power flowing through and giving you perfect health and a perfect body. Feel God's presence and infinite power flowing through and giving you success and abundance. Feel God's presence and infinite power flowing through you and surrounding you with a brilliant white light of divine purification, healing and protection all the time.

When Jesus says we all came from the Father, what He really meant is we are of the same divine essence. "When man comes to himself and comprehends that fact that he is son of God, he is a master mind and all the elements will hear his voice and gladly do his will," as He says in 92:11-12 of The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus The Christ. When Fear and Unbelief "are caught and turned aside, the will of man will know no bounds; then man has but to speak and it is done."

I Will Love The One I Love Until I Die

Diary, February 27, 2015, Friday

I will love the one I love until I die. Love is not about possesing a person like an object. Love is about trust. It is about trusting your partner and trusting in the universe to show you the path you must go for your own spiritual growth.

What a happy coincidence (though there really is no such thing) because the same idea has also been expressed by one of my favorite spiritual authors, Gary Zukav. I took some photos of passages from various books including his _The Seat of The Soul_ when I was going to the public library almost everyday about two weeks ago. I copied and pasted the photos on a Word document and printed them today as an experiment. The copies were dark and blurred but still a bit decipherable.

"Trust allows the experience of bliss," he says. "When you trust that the universe in each moment is providing for the needs of your soul, and that the guidance and assistance of your nonphysical guides and Teachers are always available to you, you are free to enjoy your interactions with others and to leave aside the heavier frequencies of manipulation and protectiveness."

What Prosperity Consciousness Really Is

Diary, February 28, 2015, Saturday

I've been thinking of how different I am now and I'm overflowing with thanksgiving and a sense of wonder from how the powers of the universe brought me the illumination of my true nature. One of the most profound lessons I learned is that no matter where you go, you will never find peace of mind unless you realize that you need to look within. The circumstances in your life may be the reflection of the state of your spiritual vibration, but making physical changes alone will not bring you the joy and peace and abundance that are your birthright if you don't change your thoughts. The Eagles song "Love Will Keep Us Alive" was playing from a radio in a sidewalk stall when the vehicle I was riding in earlier stopped for a red light. I was so young and so rich when I first heard that song in 1995. I was then a highly paid campaign worker for a young man with impeccable lineage running for city councilor in Manila. (He won. He deserved to win.)

I realized that I'm even more financially stable today than ever though there have been times in the past when my financial status was less than ideal. I think the crucial difference between then and now is I have come to the realization that the infinite intelligence of the universe is supplying me of everything I need. Some people may use the term "prosperity consciousness." I definite feel more in control of my life and confident that I will live to my highest vision. But it is not about about money. Once you understand that everything you need or will ever need is already given to you, then you will see for yourself that it is never about the money.

Crystal Clear With Brian Tracy

Diary, February 13, 2015, Friday

This is part of my notes when I was doing my story on motivation guru Brian Tracy. What all winners have is clarity of vision. Clarity is knowing exactly what you want. You may not always know how to get it but you know what matters most to you. Clarity means having the ability to focus. Be clear about your priorities. This is the crucial factor for making wise decision. Only true leaders can understand the priceless value of Decisiveness. Clarity is having a vision. Your vision for your ideal life is helps you focus on the results, not activities. You begin to make your vision real by setting down your goals on paper. Always review goals: are you really doing what needs to be done? Excellence yields opportunities, says Tracy, and hard work yields improvements.

What's Odd About Thomas?

January 21, 2015, Wednesday

My priority from now on is to find alignment with the source energy of the universe. I'm a soul. I'm a being of vibration. I won't even think too much about it anymore. If I concentrate on what I want, it brings my vibrations to the fact that I don't have it.

I will just let them come as I release all negative vibrations that are holding them back. This is the lesson I'm taking in today from Abraham after listening in to one of Esther Hicks' seminars as I went online to unwind. I watched the zombie film _Lola_ (about an old woman in a world infested with zombies) and _Siopao_ (about a young man who teaches a little boy how to read) from the Asian short film site Viddsee.com. I stayed long enough to refresh my spirit with inspirational videos but not too long as to overwhelm my mind with sensory overload.

I've published the original version of my short story "A Thousand Summers" as a series which will appear every Saturday. Today is the third episode. My video streams of my favorite songs from The Beatles, the "Across The Universe" series, will run every Wednesday starting this week with "Here Comes The Sun" as the opening song.

There is power in humility, says Wayne Dyer. This man continues to inspire me to be a full self-actualized human being. His talk on the wisdom of Lao Tze is one of the videos I've watched today on YouTube. The sea stays low and does not call attention to itself. And yet all the seas and the rivers come to it. "The Tao is doing nothing," he says, "but leaves nothing undone."

Being soulful is becoming part of the moment and of who you really are, says Gary Zukav. I looked for his videos because I'm interested in knowing more of the man who inspired me so much with his books.

I was in the gym this morning with Oleanna. The TV is on Crime + Investigation channel with a documentary about a man in Great Falls, Montana named Gene Meredith who claimed to have heard voices that drove him to kill.

"The only difference between him and us," I told her, "is that he can hear them." We are surrounded by non physical entities. What prevents us from fully understanding another dimension of reality is our human tendency to judge everything. We use words like "evil" and "psychotic" as our way of trying to get a define a phenomena that defies our finite minds.

I watched _Odd Thomas_ and I found it a struggle to avoid comparing the movie to the book. I just finished reading it the other day. As a reader I was deeply moved and as a writer I was really impressed with its effortless grace. I've read a lot of Dean Koontz's novels and this is what I liked best. I like Anton Yelchin as Odd. The film is fine on the main elements except for Odd basking in the media spotlight which is totally out of character.

I think the people behind the film are not aware of how deep the story really is. They didn't include Terri, the owner of the restaurant where Odd works as a short order cook; and they reduced Odd's mentor Ozzie to a tasteless cameo. These are two of Odd's emotional and psychological anchors. I had John Goodman and Michelle Pfeiffer in my mental movie version. I would consider it a great privilege to have people like them in my own life. I can relate to the way Odd has created a simple and quiet life for himself. He is surrounded by people who love him even if he is different from every else.

"It's A Small World, My Friend!"

Diary, January 19, 2015, Monday

There is a shower of blessings in the past few days and I'm dancing in the rain. I'm writing this at nearly four in the afternoon at a McDonald's beside the back entrance of I.T. Park in the building which used to be Aegis People Support but now Teleperformance. I just passed the tough but fun online exam in a new company near here. The final interview will be later at five and hopefully after that will be the job offer and contract signing. A wonderful thing happened earlier. I was having lunch here when I saw a close friend from my Northgate days in late 2012 whom I'll call Carlos.

"It's a small world, my friend," I greeted him warmly as we embraced. He has climbed up the corporate ladder and I'm proud of him. I've been keenly observing my reactions and I found to my delight that I never felt even the slightest envy. I'm genuinely happy for him. I feel really good when I see people achieve their dreams.

Chapter II. 2014

Being Charming and Having Fun

Diary, December 29, 2014, Monday

I had a lot of fun yesterday when I went to Carbon Market to buy fruits. I got some jackets near the corner of Manalili where they sell clothes like those _ukay-ukay_ sidewalk stalls I've seen in Baguio. The girl who assisted me was so full of life that it was a joy just to be with her. She was giggling non-stop as she helped me while I tried them on. She squealed joyfully at my jokes:

"I don't want to wear the hood because people might think I'm a snatcher."

"Your mirror is too small I should get a discount."

"This shirt is too big it makes me look like a hanger."

"I like dark colors because I hate doing laundry."

Seeing The Miracles of Nature

Diary, December 5, 2014, Friday

Is the world an illusion? I see the miracles of nature and my heart tells me that her mysteries are beyond what my eyes can ever see.

Yet there is beauty as real as the breeze that embraces me, as the spiritual traveler Siddharta found when he left the world of material competitiveness to once again seek the true self he had lost. I've been reading Herman Hesse's _Siddharta_ again yesterday, trying to recapture those moments of magic that I have felt eternity within.

Inside me is my Authentic Self. All I need is to cut away all that is false to reveal my inmost nature. There is a Higher Reality where I wage my real battles, as the mysterious golf caddie Bagger Vance says, and only by winning there can I find victory here.

On the land of what is now the Atlantic Ocean in the middle of Africa and America he has once stood, thousands of years before my spirit entered this flesh. I'm reading again Steven Pressfield's _The Legend of Bagger Vance_ today, as I once more try to find my touchstone-my own rhythm, my unbreachable sense of identity-my Authentic Swing.

I finished _Fit For Life_ and now studying it for a deeper level of understanding. Instead of getting protein, says the book, we should look for excellent sources of amino acids-which the body converts to protein-and those can only come from fruits and vegetables. I had bananas for dinner last night, an apple during my coffee break at work.

For my breakfast after my shift, I got my usual _chopsuey_ and canton noodles plus meatless spaghetti. Around late morning before going to bed (I sleep during the day because I work at night), I had two hardboiled eggs which reminded me that I've forgotten they're not healthy for the human body at all-like milk, cheese and chemically manufactured and commercially overrated yogurt. I wish I could say I haven't eaten the incompatible hotdog (protein) and rice (starch) during lunch shift last night, but then again, there was no other option and I was really hungry. Perhaps I'm addicted to the taste for meat and rice, or maybe even because I'm being compelled by the same impulses that make people overeat. Either way, I feel tormented by the passions of a weak flesh, in certain ways like the emotional agonies Siddharta and the golf champion Junah went through.

Siddharta and Bagger Vance are teaching the same lesson. The only path to enlightenment is through the most powerful force in the universe and the most beautiful thing in the world-love.

With love comes forgiveness and letting go - and giving myself a chance for a new beginning.

A Shroud of Darkness

Dream Journal, October 7, 2014, Tuesday

I dreamed the other night I was in a strange house under a shroud of darkness. I was alone, seeing glimpses of empty gray walls. I can't even see the floor: everything else was black.

I knew that someone had died there though there was no paranormal activity. I can feel his psychic imprint if not his presence.

I was looking for the woman who owns the house but she was nowhere to be found. I wanted to tell her that her husband's father died in his sleep, lying in bed with his legs crossed like he's sitting in an armchair.

In a flash, I was taking a shower in that gloomy house. Suddenly the ghostly curtain was pulled back. A man was standing there urging me to come. He said that the man I tried to heal was now okay. In the dream, I seem to know him though not in my waking life.

One may see the act of taking a bath as a symbol of purification (or the need for one). Some may interpret it twelve ways to Sunday. If I bump into Sigmund Freud's spirit, he'll probably tell me I'm a sex machine. Dreams, says the clairvoyant George Noory, have their own internal logic.

Rituals

Diary, June 30, 2014, Monday

Everybody has their own rituals. I'm in bed trying to get some shut-eye for my work tonight. Before I go to sleep, I need a period of mental tranquility. Writing is my way of getting rid of stress. I would just type on my phone whatever comes to mind, just like this vignette, a slice in the pie of my life. Oftentimes, I would need to listen to music as food for my soul. I always put on headphones. I appreciate the sound better. I don't see any point in sharing it with my neighbors, and I most certainly don't want to hear their racket. We're different folks and so we stroke to each his own. I like it that way. It's so refreshing to let the outside world stay out.

"I Still Have That Diamond."

Diary, July 5, 2014, Saturday

When the winds of outrageous fortunes blows, and when the applause has died down and the crowds have all been gone, I turn to within. When all is said and done, I still have myself. I still have me. I'm writing this, writhing from emotional agony and existential angst. I don't understand how something so beautiful can bring so much pain. Jack Weil comes to mind. A lesson from one of my favorite film characters is helping me get through this.

Jack, played by Robert Redford in _Havana_ , is a gambler, unafraid to take chances. But after a lifetime of solitary perfection, he is taking the unfathomable risk of falling in love. Now he's letting his guard down, laying aside his shield of invulnerability. On his arm, sewed inside his sinews, is a diamond. "Whatever happens," he says as he reveals his deepest secret, "whatever they do to me, I still have that chance. I still have that diamond."

The First Time I Tried Pyrokinesis

Dream Journal, May 11, 2014, Sunday

I had my first dream about a post-Apocalyptic world infested with the walking dead.

In most of my dreams, I exhibit paranormal powers and talk to the dead. I guess zombies are not so unusual.

It turns out I'm a zombie hunter riding KITT, the talking _Knight Rider_ car. I was explaining to a woman that I can only do this alone. I don't want passengers in my car and I don't want anybody pulling me down. I remember being curious as to how I kill the zombies. In the course of my scattered dream scenes, I discovered that I can generate fire from my hands. Cool! I mean, Hot!

There's a scene where I'm driving down a deserted highway. Suddenly, a helicopter descended on me, lights blazing down like in one of those reality cop shows. The chopper, presumably, was not piloted by zombies. I vividly remember being indignant that they are targeting a maverick doing good instead of going after the real enemies. I opened the car roof window and stood, the car on self-driving mode. That was when I first knew about the pyro thing. I reached out. My hands blazed with blinding light.

Leaving The Herd

Diary, May 8, 2014, Thursday

I'm like a Volkswagen Beetle. I know, and all my friends and work colleagues know, that I'm very reliable. I'm sturdy, able to withstand the elements. Old school too, in my taste for music, movies, and I'm of those few remaining people on the planet who thinks that a quiet evening at home reading books is fun. Most of all, I have transcended fashion and will forever remain timeless.

I'm also like a Ferrari in certain aspects, to take this car metaphor on the road. My mechanism is a bit delicate but full of power just waiting to fire up. You can't drive a Ferrari where even 4x4 SUVs fear to tread, in the same way that you can't put me in a situation where I don't want to, and then expect optimal performance. But given expert handling and maintenance, you'll see the difference from the herds in the highway.

Every Day Wisdom From My Spiritual Mentor

Diary, May 4 2014, Sunday

It's really funny. Just when I've to the point where material acquisitions don't matter to me, I realized that buying a tablet is a good idea.

What appeals to me is that I can watch, and take notes at my own leisure, the videos of my spiritual mentors like Wayne Dyer. I was tuned in again to Wayne's video _Every Day Wisdom_ earlier.

Forgiveness, he says, is an act of self love. You forgive those who hurt you not because you love them, but because you love yourself. It means you respect yourself too much to let negativity corrupt your being.

Learning to let go is a way of honoring your being. If people judge you, it's a reflection of their character, not yours. A heart full of love cannot spread hatred. You can't get apple juice from an orange. You can only give what you have.

Journey Through A Haunted Road

Dream Journal, April 21, 2014, Monday

The school corridor is like in the film Sixth Sense where Bruce and the boy were saying goodbye.

I didn't see dead people, at least not on that scene.

I was walking alone. Along came a girl I'll call Lucy, a coworker in my waking life. She came up from behind and walked rapidly ahead, obviously in a hurry.

"Go," I told her, urging her. I was being sarcastic, thinking about certain people who are always in a hurry just to meet their perennially recycling daily errands, not having time for things that could mean a lot, like quality time with true friends.

Lucy ran up the stairs. I went up leisurely, not following her nor interested where she's going. I went out. I didn't look at the building but I knew it was over a century old, like the 17th century University of Santo Tomas in Manila. The school grounds were empty. It looked like the Sunken Garden at the University of the Philippines, Diliman in Quezon City. On my left, around the corner corner of the building and out of my sight, I saw Lucy with some people I didn't care to meet. So I went to the right, strolling along the empty park-like campus grounds.

It was night in another scene, I was on the countryside. I was walking along an unpaved trail like in the Filipino modern horror classic The Road. I came upon a police mobile on my left. There are people but they were shrouded in darkness. The pulsing lights were illuminating the place like a scene of a crime. I looked in front of me. A large part of the road was submerged in mud. I casually glided over it, half floating.

In another scene, I was on top of a tall building. It was also night. I knew that behind me is a large sign of the construction company doing the edifice. I looked down. I was thinking that the building below on my right is where I currently work in my waking life. But it wasn't. It was on a pier. I can see the harbor behind it, wondering how deep those dark and placid waters must be. The sea was still, as if devoid of life. Her secrets will never be known.

City of Immortals

Dream Journal, April 26, 2014, Saturday

I was in New Orleans, a place I loved and knew so well, and of course it was night.

I was riding through Metairie at the back of a yellow cab, looking out as we passed one of the cemeteries which had stood for centuries.

At the same time, I was on Bourbon Street at the French Quarter, in a laundry shop with coin-operated washing machines. The floor had black and white tiles, like a chess board with diamonds instead of squares. Outside the glass window is the usual sight of people in costumes for the Halloween. I knew that some of them are vampires.

The driver and I were talking about how the place had remained unchanged for decades. I felt glad about it. "This is the city of immortals," I told him.

I had teleported to my home town Antipolo. I would be there for a day, staying at the house where I spent part of my childhood. I was walking down the sloping Milagros Subdivision. I saw somebody from my youth walking up towards me, talking with a tall young man that I knew to be her son. I don't want them to see me so I made myself invisible. I camouflaged my aura as they passed without noticing me. I smiled wryly. I find it ironic that, since I had built a shield, I wasn't able to read their minds.

Then I was already in downtown Antipolo, walking through the quiet residential areas near the famous church. I felt afraid that it would soon be conquered by squatters like Manila and Cebu. So I was there, deciding what I would have for dinner. I took a tricycle going home because I didn't want to be exposed to the public. I rode at the back of the driver. Then I told him to stop. I've forgotten that I had to get some food at the market first, also remembering that I need to buy earphones. The tricycle stopped. I was alone in the sidecar. "I knew you won't stay long," said a strange woman sitting at the back of the driver. She wasn't there before.

Parkour vs Vampire

Dream Journal, April 16, 2014, Wednesday

I gazed up. I was standing under a complex geometrical structure that looked like a Lego train set. The sky above it was gray and it was getting dark. The hive-like thing was being built by my foster father who had died in my waking life almost five years ago. It's supposed to be a series of living quarters like condominium units connected by roller coaster walkways.

I warned him it's dangerous because a strong earthquake is about to hit. I also pointed out to him that the exposed floors of these hanging rooms were made of thin wood. I sensed that the workers doesn't care about the stability. I knew it was doomed to collapse. I even acknowledged, in that dream state, how solid and reliable my intuition is. Even more significant, I wasn't afraid of the coming earthquake because I even declared what I've always known in my waking life: that no harm would ever come to me.

Suddenly there was a commotion.

I began to sense people coming out of the gathering darkness. They were in a panic. A bat-like creature was at one of the steel beams overhead. I chased the vampire without hesitation. I remember I was glad because I could practice my parkour skills which is my newest sport. I leaped up using the railings. The people were shouting that the vampire was about to fly away. As I felt I was about to teleport to a different scene, the ground started to shake.

Missing My Lighthouse

February 28, 2014, Friday

Text message to a childhood friend

I haven't been to my lighthouse in Nova Scotia in this lifetime yet. But I'll go to Cyprus first before Canada. That's still next year. Just when I'm preparing to travel further, a lot of people are telling me to settle down. "Oh my personal life is fine," I would say, hoping they'd get the hint. But they don't. Just this morning, a colleague, who keeps bugging me about my private affairs, seemed to want to run my life her way. The gall of these people, I thought. Why is it that the less they know, the more convinced they are that they know everything? "It's unfair," I told her, "because you're stressing yourself about my life when I'm not even thinking about yours!" I said that like a joke.

Meeting My Fiance

Dream Journal, February 26, 2014, Wednesday

It was one of those telepathic dreams again. I was in a empty street.

Across the grassy vacant lots to the next block, I can see the back of one of the houses I grew up in as a kid.

A voice was telling me that my fiancé was waiting for me at the red front gate of our house. I saw in my mind she looked like stage actress and New Voice repertory founder Monique Wilson. I told Sue Storm of the Fantastic Four, who was beside me, to ask her to wait. I was about to go there when everything vanished.

Then I was in a room. I went to the next where I heard the song _Iisa Pa Lamang_ (There Is Still Only One) by Joey Albert. It's about having been involved in so many relationships then meeting someone whom you loved above them. There's a story there which I've forgotten because I had to rush out of bed when I woke up. But I remember scenes where I was eating spaghetti, and I was talking to an aunt who's now in a nursing home and a cousin who had died almost a decade ago.

Sensing Mutants

Dream Journal, February 28, 2014, Friday

It seems I'm getting more psychic in my dreams. I haven't seen the future yet. Or maybe I did but didn't sense it. I'm not sure if I want to.

I was trying to climb out of a hole that transformed into a bridge. I was hanging under it. I can sense the presence of mutants around me.

In another scene, I was explaining the meaning of a ancient Chinese symbol.

Then I was sitting in a chair that's inside a wooden box. I have been moving the box with my telekinetic powers, driving it in the street like an SUV. In a flash, I was running naked in the street, holding a large block of wood to cover my genitals. It was night. I ran under and alongside a flyover. The city was deserted.

Dancing Like Dobson

Dream Journal, February 21, 2014, Friday

I dreamed I was standing in the yard of what looked like an abandoned or unfinished building. I was talking to a woman who seems to be drawing water from a pump or hanging clothes out to dry.

Her aura is blurred and I don't know who she was.

The building is unpainted, just gray from the cement plastered on the concrete hollow blocks. On a large hole on the wall which had been a window, I saw a cousin-in-law. I was glad to see her because we're close and I miss decent conversations.

In a blink, I was standing in a bright living room full of stuffed toys and colorful decor. I saw my cousin-in-law look go into the kitchen alcove to my right. On the sofa in front of me is someone from my present work whom I had an issue with last week because of the way she was showing how unworthy she is of her position.

I have a solid track record of defying authority. But I'm always civilized, even in my dreams. I was telling her that I like the place because it's large. I even danced like Peter Dobson in Sing.

Dreaming Bill Clinton

Dream Journal, January 1, 2014, Wednesday

I dreamed about Bill Clinton. We were in a large room. It's not the White House: more like Bruce Wayne's mansion.

I was sitting in a backless divan, wearing a tux.

Clinton was standing in front of me carrying a little boy.

It's just the three of us. Outside the closed door, a party was about to start. The boy's left shoe fell off; a light-colored sneaker-type scandal. I picked it up and put it on him.

I jumped.

I was walking down the upper middle class subdivision where I spent part of my puberty. I was on the way to the chapel. I had to go there everyday so I couldn't come to the family reunion with the two branches of my second cousins. Inside the chapel was a film-making workshop. A couple of guys were shooting an MTV.

"I could have done that better!" I remember specifically saying that.

I jumped. I was on a small hill. It was daylight.

On the clearing below, I saw a childhood friend, Jerry, calling out to me. He was in front of a large cabin.

I jumped. I'm inside an abandoned building. It seemed to have burned down a long time ago but it's still standing. In the middle of the floor was a large hole.

I looked down.

Chapter III. 2013

The Legend of Hilot

One super intriguing phenomenon that I personally witnessed is _usog_ , a Filipino term which means when one can literally make another person sick by his mere presence.

Traditionally, if you brought _usog_ to someone, you have to wipe your saliva to a part of his body, usually his navel or sole.

Hilot healer Efren Guazon, guest at the December 19, 2012 episode of _Inner Mind_ , revealed the mystery: _usog_ is essentially the loss of the _chi_ , or life energy.

The saliva from the person who caused it helps restore the life energy.

A practitioner of hilot, the ancient art of healing indigenous to the Bondoc and other northern tribes in the Philippines, has to develop his consciousness to move up the seven levels of training: from chiropractic-like massage therapy to being able to heal victims of witchcraft.

The seven levels of training corresponds to the seven _lundayan ng kusog_ (channels of energy). Hilot integrates the body's _mulangkap_ (elements): fire, water, earth, air and the _alangaan_ (etheric).

Efren is the president of the Alyansa ng Mga Manghihilot at Albularyo, a nation-wide organization of hilot healers. _Inner Mind_ host Jimmy Licauco tells about the story of American musician Jeff Cohen, whose brother was in a car accident and Western doctors cannot help him. Efren knows him and also the healer in the mountains of Bondoc, Apo Pakukad, the only person in the world who brought back his brother to full recovery.

This Is True Freedom

I meditate. I do yoga. I believe in reincarnation. I talk to plants. I can be telepathic sometimes. I bond instantly with decent and broadminded people. On the other hand, back-fighters and power-trippers hate me. I'm happy even in solitude. I don't feel the need for other people's approval to validate my worth. I measure a person only by his character, never his resume. I know a good man when I see one. I can let go and move on. I'm not afraid to say goodbye. I'm not afraid to be different. I never pretended to be "normal."

But I'll be damned if I apologize for being who I am.

Songs From The Sountrack of My Life

My digital voice recorder is dead again after I had it fixed for the second time. The first was in 2012 in Baclaran and the second was last July 2013 in Cebu. This was the replacement for the original one I bought from CDR-King on October 2011 in SM Manila. The original died just a few days after I bought it. Since it was still under warranty, I gave it back for repair. They said 3 weeks but it took almost 3 months. Lesson: Never buy from CDR-King.

I found a technician who fixed my MP3, which I bought two years ago when I used to be a correspondent for a newspaper. I got my MP3 going again, yehey! I chose the selections from from my friend Manuel who works in a download and cell phone repair shop in Baclaran, Parañaque.

I will just name here simply six: "Longer" by Dan Fogelberg, "Danny's Song" by Kenny Loggins, "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor, "Annie's Song" by John Denver, "Is It Okay If I Call You Mine" by Paul McCrane and "What Matters Most" by Kenny Rankin. There's a lot of Gary V. and The Beatles and a lot more, including "What A Feeling" by Irene Cara which I played during my Sunday morning runs at the CCP complex when I was still in Manila. Good times. Good memories.

My Simply Six

I find serenity in living simply. I avoid information overload with my Simply Six. I've divided my life into 6 major areas, like "sports" and "writing" (which includes updating my blog when I go online to e-mail my articles to publications). I also have quiet time for myself, like when I curl up with a book while shutting out the rest of the world. Or when I when I'm up in a mountain or under the sea, or when I just want to watch the sunset. Then I have what I can describe as "discretionary time" for stuff with practical applications in my life to avoid tunnel vision, like when I try out new ideas. Now that I know my priorities, paradoxically it's easier to find time for my girlfriend, close friends and relatives. Anything outside is a waste of time.

My Ideal Day

My ideal day is waking up at dawn, looking forward to the day knowing I will make a difference. Then going to bed at night with a clear conscience and a sense of fulfillment from seeing that my day has been productive. And in between, just following my passions and not being forced to do things that I don't like. I want to be away from things that don't matter to me. This is what I want my life to be- every single day of my life.

The Freedom To Wear Jeans and Sneakers

As long as you're neat and presentable, what you wear has nothing to do with your competence. It's understandable that food chain crews wear uniforms.

But it is ironic and demotivating to be in an American call center that forces its employees to obey a dress code. This rule comes from a narrow-minded Filipino management that wants its ranks filled with conformists.

Only primitive minds think that jeans and sneakers make you less professional.

Charm, Like Happiness, Is A Choice

I'm experimenting on subliminal dynamics so I needed a cassette tape recorder. I squeezed some time to buy the cheapest China-made model from the appliance section of SM Southmall on Jan. 20, 2013. I was in a hurry so I never bothered to test it. Back home, it didn't work. I had to waste more time and cancel some planned activities to return and get a replacement. It was frustrating but I'm happy and really proud to say that I got one without acting like a self-righteous jerk, demeaning other people in public. I'm not like that and it doesn't help any. I even got rapport with the merchandiser and flirted with the customer service girl. I want people to be nice to me so I'm nice to them. It's called...CHARM

Time Traveling To The Hippie Sixties

I love the sixties though I was born in a different decade. I would have been in Woodstock, flashing the peace sign. Yeah, that's where it's at: on the road, like Jack Kerouac, on a psychedic colored van, tripping on Dylan and Spiral Staircase. Beatles and Monkees, of course! Hendrix, Marley, Peter, Paul and Mary too! The hippie movement is a revolution of consciousness, the declaration of independence of an entire generation. PEACE!

What Would You Do If You Were Taken Hostage?

I wonder what I would have done if I've been one of those gas plant workers taken hostage by terrorists in Algeria. Ruben Andrada, a Filipino engineer and one of the few survivors, tells his harrowing experience via phone patch to the radio show _Ibayong Pinoy_ as I tuned in, Jan. 20, 2013 (I had just then texted a friend, saying I'm chillaxing for bed, "waiting for my sleepiness to reach a climax."). Andrada and the other hostages had been herded into vans, strapped with bombs, and were driven straight in the crossfire between the government soldiers and the terrorists. I'm not afraid to die, and I think I would have struggled to resist, knowing me. But one of the most important lessons I learned in my life is, in any situation, you really can't be sure of what you will do if it hasn't happened to you. Anything else is wishful thinking.

Witness To Senior Citizen Act Violations

The government-run Philippine National Railways (PNR) apparently spits on the Senior Citizens Act.

A friend of mine, who's in his 60s and hobbling from arthritic knees, was shouted at in public by an arrogant security guard in the PNR station in Bicutan. My friend, who is also diabetic with critically unstable blood-sugar levels and had just undergone a cataract operation, was scolded like a child and was rudely told that they don't honor senior citizen cards: no courtesy lane, no priority, and certainly no discount.

" _Walang senior citizen sa akin_ (There's no senior citizen to me)!" was the guard's exact words. It happened past 1 p.m., Thursday, January 17, 2013. When my friend arrived at the Tutuban station, he reported the incident.

A security official named S. Moreno said my friend does not look like a senior citizen, by implication justifying the guard's power-tripping and utter lack of courtesy and even basic good manners. Or maybe the culture of PNR breeds that.

Senior citizens deserve our highest respect for their lifetime of wisdom and their unparalleled contributions to our society and to our world.

But the Philippine law mandating a 20% discount for senior citizens is being violated everyday, like in Master Siomai and other franchise food carts.

Around the last week of November 2012, I boarded a Green Star bus with an Calamba-Alabang-Lawton via Skyway route. There it was: "No Student ID, No Senior Citizen ID, No 20% Discount." Just in case the passengers can't get the hint, it goes to the point: "No Senior Citizen and Student ID." Under that, to drive it home: "NO 20% DISCOUNT." Will the government sanction the bus owner? It depends on how high his connections are.

Being Young Again At The Luneta

I saw a lot of young students practicing for their stage presentations at the giant Lapu Lapu monument at the Luneta when I passed by on Nov. 22, 2012, circling the park from the National Library to the Instituto Cervantes. I love children, and I got there videos to share the joy of seeing them in action, so full of innocence, enthusiasm and joy for living

On Kawayan Musika:

I saw incredible musical artistry in front of the Manila Yatch Club on Nov. 11, 2012. I just came from the Cultural Center complex and was walking to Baywalk. I'm impressed by the originality: a duo on an improvised bamboo xylophone. I actually enjoyed the performance of the almost non-stop medley of famous pop songs. They are Kawayan Musika and their number is 0932-746-6572. I honestly believe they deserve international exposure, a showcase of world-class Filipino talent. It was one of the many things that made that special morning even more memorable. It's a beautiful Sunday, it's a beautiful day!

Incredible Musical Artistry

I saw incredible musical artistry in front of the Manila Yatch Club on Nov. 11, 2012. I just came from the Cultural Center complex and was walking to Baywalk. I'm impressed by the originality: a duo on an improvised bamboo xylophone. I actually enjoyed the performance of the almost non-stop medley of famous pop songs. They are Kawayan Musika and their number is 0932-746-6572. I honestly believe they deserve international exposure, a showcase of world-class Filipino talent. It was one of the many things that made that special morning even more memorable. It's a beautiful Sunday, it's a beautiful day!

A Tale of Two Saints

I'll share two stories of saints: Peter and Anthony.

I always illustrate the ideas in my magazine articles with anecdotes. But some of the characters I featured on my story on Harry Emerson Fosdick for _Manila Bulletin_ , like the psychics Eileen Garett and Ingo Swann, just might be too scandalous for a conservative publication. Not to mention, of course, the Dutch sculptor Harry Stone, who channed Ra Ho Tep from the Fourth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, around 270 BCE.

So that's why I tried to include stories of saints to give it a wholesome sheen. But there's no space anymore, so here they are.

Saint Peter faced Simon Magus, a Samarian magician and a key figure in ancient Masonic lore.

Simon summoned black hounds and Peter made the dogs go away with "holy bread," goes one legend.

In the famous version, Simon flew up and Peter defeated him by praying for him to fall.

"God, please kill him," he probably said.

Saint Anthony of Padua was preaching in Limoges in 1226.

Suddenly, he remembered that he has to be at another service miles away. He paused, knelt and put on his hood.

At that moment, he appeared before the congregation on the other church, read his appointed passage then vanished.

He then got up and continued his sermon.

Chapter IV. 2012

Embracing The Real Me

I read somewhere a long time ago that happiness is measured by how much your life is similar to your ideal life.

There are some things I need for my life to be how I want it. It doesn't mean I'm unhappy. Actually, I am, though some people find it hard to believe, especially those who are, deep down, miserable. One of the many reasons why I'm happy is because I have developed the attitude of gratitude; I'm now more focused on the positive side of things.

On top of which, I am by nature an optimist, so the result is a mindset which makes me realize that everything that happens brings some good, even if the situation seems like a curse. I still don't have the life I want, but I know I will get there, so I can still smile and chillax. As long as I maintain my self-respect, and never lose my freedom and privacy, I'll be fine.

When Mike Arroyo Was A Kid

I met a guy who graduated from Ateneo High School, Batch 1963. He showed me his yearbook as we drank on his chi-chi balcony around the third week of May 2012. One of his batchmates was the former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo who was cute back then. I browse the yearbook as I look at the city lights of Manila and photos of a seemingly innocent bygone era.

Why Do People Join Fraternities?

A law student named Marc Andrei Marcos died from hazing a few weeks ago. His entire body has become a swollen, bluish pulp, left for dead by his fraternity brothers.

Another law student, Marvin Reglos, also died from hazing just a few months earlier.

You would think this country has learned something from that tragedy.

I understand the idea of initiation ceremonies, and I respect it when I think of coming-of-age rites, when a boy becomes a man, among African and Native American tribes. I value brotherhood, but I can't grasp the logic of deliberately inflicting pain on others just so they can belong in a group. We've all heard stories about betrayals among relatives and best friends, so even a deep emotional bond can't guarantee absolute loyalty.

How far can you trust a friend when the only thing you have in common is that you both nearly died from torture from the hands of power-trippers who command you to call them Masters?

The Slaying of The Spirit of Baguio

The pine tree is the soul of Baguio. It gives that unmistakable sense of place, that character that makes Baguio really special. Now they're being cut down to make a car park for SM Baguio.SM is fast becoming the symbol of environmental and social irresponsibility.

I'm thinking: What if I'm a billionaire owner of mall chains around the country? Will I become greedy enough to make the world an uglier place? Will I even care about the non-income-generating environment? How much will satisfy my greed? Why will I listen to the treehugging "little people" if I can buy government permits?

NLP: Something That Really Works

Richard Bandler, co-founder of the breakthrough behavior transformation technique Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) with John Grinder, once had to deal with an asylum patient who claims he's Jesus Christ.

"Are you Jesus?" he asked.

"Yes, my son," the patient replied benevolently.

"I'll be back in a minute," said Richard.

The patient was confused at the unexpected response.

Richard came back with a tape measurement and took note of the patient's height and arm length. Then he left.

The man who calls himself Christ began to feel nervous.

Richard returned with two long narrow boards, a hammer and a bag of nails. Then he started to build a cross by pounding the two boards together with some large evil-looking spikes.

"What are you doing?" asked the increasingly apprehensive patient.

"Are you Jesus?"

"Yes, my son."

"Then you know why I'm here."

"I'M NOT JESUS! I'M NOT JESUS!!!

The Root of A Dysfunctional Justice System

I sent this story to the op-ed sections of five different national broadsheets on the last week of November 20012. Some things came up and I wasn't able to check if they published it or not

The Philippine justice system still remains dysfunctional at its root, despite motherhood statements for political mileage. I personally witnessed this when I accompanied a friend of mine, victimized by theft and still in shock, to file a complaint. My friend has just put all his life savings for a small Internet shop in Malate, most of the equipments still on loan, and the new houseboy vanished with all 10 computers and that day's earnings. The suspect had applied for the job but he took his documents along with the loot. Following a hunch and armed only with the name, I found a photo of him on Facebook

We went first to the barangay hall at the street at the back of Shoppes@Victoria building around 7 in the evening of Nov. 25, 2012, Sunday. It was empty. We waited for half an hour. Later, the barangay secretary points us to the police outpost in Pedro Gil diagonally across Robinson's Place

An officer named Gacayan refuses to help, saying we had to go to the Theft and Robbery He, like the barangay secretary, keeps asking the wrong questions, like "What are we planning to do?" He refuses to help, saying we had to go to the Theft and Robbery Section in the WPD station on U.N. Ave., because the stolen items are worth more than a hundred thousand Pesos

At the WPD, a tall officer wearing a checkered polo shirt who didn't give out his name, also refuses to help, saying there's a new memo that they would handle only crimes that involve two hundred thousand. He says we had to go, instead, to the precinct at the back of Manila Zoo at the city outskirts

When we got there, a young man in handcuffs is being jailed; an elderly policeman, before pushing him into the cramped cell, delivers such a strong punch into his stomach

The desk officer named Lauriaga, to his credit, actually takes the time to explain where we stand. Since it was the 25th and the crime happened on thd 12th, according to the rules of the Philippine National Police, an arrest warrant cannot be issued anymore. What my friend, the victim, needs to do is to file a case at the city hall, with the suspect's complete name (with middle name) and complete address for a judge to issue a subpoena. If the suspect doesn't appear at the hearing, then the judge may issue a warrant for contempt Apparently, Malate is handled by precints 5 and 9. Lauriaga, who was in 9, is helpful: he calls the precint 5 in Pedro Gil (the one we been to earlier and the nearest precint to the crime scene), and tells them that our case is within their jurisdiction

Back at the Pedro Gil precint 5, Gacayan adamantly still refuses to help, saying we should go instead to the precint in Arquiza street a half dozen blocks away, without even the courtesy of a phone call to them

The police, with their reputation of incompetence and abuse of authority, also has the parochial mentality of refusing to do what they are actually being to paid to do: to serve and protect the people. nstead, they treat civilians like the rotten apples associated with their image, throwing them to their neighbor's yard

In a single crime, a citizen gets victimized twice: by the act itself, and the police's bureaucratic adherence to rules that defy common sense and basic human compassion

I Love Rock & Roll

The (sadly) now-defunct radio station NU 107 had a tagline: "Once a rocker, always a rocker!" I love music and appreciate all kinds of genre but I also dont believe in labels. Then again, like in Rock of Ages, "I love rock and roll!" I super-duper enjoyed the bus DVD during a trip from Manila to Calamba via Skyway on Sept. 15, 2012. It was a collection of live performances, really awesome. First was The Eagles with the accoustic version of Hotel California: "On a dark desert highway...!"

(I like "Desperado": "It may be raining, but there's a rainbow above you...")

Then Scorpion with "Wind of Change": "Take me, to the magic of the moment...!"

Then Guns 'n' Roses, Slash with his formidable double lead guitar and Axl Rose running all over the stage, "Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door...!"

Next was Bon Jovi with "Always": "I'll be there, forever and a day...!"

(I like the theme from _Young Guns 2_ , "Blaze of Glory": "I lived life to the fullest; let this boy die like a man...!"

Next was Queen. Freddie Mercury, fully alive and half naked, on the piano, singing the incredible classic "Bohemian Rhapsody." During the Italian opera acapella part, they played a recording, with deft klieg light magic hiding the stage, but they came for a rousing finale

(My favorite Queen song is "A Kind of Magic," theme from one of my favorite movies of all time: the original _Highlander_ with Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery).

Next was Dire Straits with "Money For Nothing" featuring Sting: "That's the way you do it: you play the guitar on the MTV...!

(My favorite Dire Straits song is "Walk of Life." I remember singing that while swimming in a forgotten beach when I was fourteen and I almost drowned.

Next was guitar god Eric Clapton with the theme from _Phenomenon_ starring John Travolta, "Change The World," featuring Babyface: "I will be the sunlight in your universe...!"

(I also like "Tears in Heaven," which I first heard in Santa Rosa, Laguna in 1992, where they have the best pork _dinuguan_ in the galaxy)

The DVD then began skipping and pixelizing, obviously pirated. There's supposed to be Phil Collins, Mr. Big and Bryan Adams.

It was about the time we're passing the airport. A plane flew overhead, hopefully an aerodynamic harbinger of good things to come.

Why The Azkals Are Being Kicked

When The Azkals was first formed, a lot of Filipinos was riding on their Pinoy lineage. Now that two members, Lexton Moy and Angel Guirado, are accused of sexual harassment, The Azkals is being demonized. Even their European ancestry is being used against them.

It's one thing to express an opinion, it's another to make self-righteous personal attacks. Some people in this country doesn't seem to know the difference. That's the dark side of the Filipino character.

Corona Impeachment: The First Three Days

The impeachment trial against Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona began January 16. Serafin Cuevas, lead counsel for defense and former SC Associate Justice, argued a motion for preliminary hearing and dismissal of trial. This was denied by Presiding Officer Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

Motions to summon Corona, his relatives, House Speaker Sonny Belmonte and other congressmen have also been dismissed. There are 8 articles of impeachment.

The sequence will be 2 (Non-Disclosure of Declaration of Statements of Assets and Liability Net Worth); 1 (Partiality to the Arroyo Administration); and 7 (Improper Issuance of TRO to Allow President Arroyo and Husband To Flee the Country). It's nonlinear, like Pulp Fiction.

Senator Joker Arroyo cautioned: If the Impeachment Court issues a subpoena for Chief Justice Renato Corona's statement of assets and liabilities net worth, then the Supreme Court counteracts with a temporary restraining order, then it could spark a constitutional crisis.

A question from Senator Franklin Drilon delivered a victory to the prosecution. The witness on the stand was SC Clerk of Court Enriquetta Vidal. SC Justices are required to submit their statements of assets and liabilities net worth. Did Vidal bring a copy of Corona's SALN? Apparently she did.

Senator-Judges Edgardo Angara, Jinggoy Estrada, Kiko Pangilinan, Chiz Escudero and Koko Pimentel assured her that she has nothing to fear if she gives it to the impeachment court despite an SC ruling forbidding it.

Senator TG Guingona made clear that the impeachment court is not Congress that's why they took a diffrent oath. Vidal gave the copy.

Happily, she won't be sanctioned, says SC Administrator Midas Marquez.

Bourne In the Philippines

January 11, 2012 is the first filming day of _The Bourne Legacy_ in Leveriza in Pasay in the Philippines.

I read _The Bourne Ultimatum_ by Robert Ludlum years ago. If I remember correctly, this was when Jason's arch enemy Carlos The Jackal drowned in an amusement park.

Carlos The Jackal is a real person, Ilich Sanchez Ramirez, a Venezuela-born international assassin in the 1970s. He was a central figure in Claire Sterling's groundbreaking investigative book _Network of Terror_.

Claire Sterling is the inspiration for the character of Clarice Starling in Thomas Harris' novel _The Silence of the Lambs_. Clarice was played by Jodie Foster in Jonathan Demme's film version, with Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter.

Carlos also inspired ex-CIA Frederick Forsyth's novel _The Day of The Jackal,_ which was made into a movie in the 70s. Bruce Willis played the role in the 90s remake, with Richard Gere and Sidney Poitier

Sorrow At Yuletide

The tragedy brought by typhoon Sendong was lethally swift, totally unexpected and gut-wrenching. But it galvanized people around the world to send help to the grieving survivors in Iligan and Cagayan De Oro; couriers like ZestAir are even offering their services for free just to send much needed aid. Universal brotherhood knows no borders.

A typhoon is a phenomenon of nature. But how "natural" are disasters like flashfloods caused by illegal loggers and irresponsible mining companies protected by politicians?

Congress can amend the Price Act overnight to include bottled water in the list of necessary items to avoid overpricing during calamities. If Congress can impeach an incumbent Supreme Court Chief Justice in a matter of hours, surely they can.

Who Is Most Welcome To Your Home?

Bill Moore of Asheville, South Carolina wrote a letter to their local paper about a house guest who turned their lives upside down. They followed all his demands: a special bed, an entourage of at least three people wherever he goes, undivided attention when he's awake, and most importantly, absolute silence when he's asleep.

He has a habit of taking things apart, blissfully oblivious that he can't put them back together again.

One time, they went to Mount Pisgah, and in reaction to the magnificent view, he yawned and slept. During lunch, he made a fuss, refusing to eat what was ordered and insisting that he eat somebody else's meal. If that wasn't enough, he was seen kissing the waitress.

Is that kind of guest welcome?

You bet! "He is just three years old, and he calls me Grandpa," says Bill. "And he can come and dissemble the whole house anytime he wants." (Source: Reader's Digest, November 1979)

Me and the Athenians

As a writer, I appreciate brevity. Yes. So did the Athenians of Ancient Greece. Philip of Macedonia, father of Alexander The Great, told them: "If we capture your city, we'll burn it!" The king sent a one-word reply: "If.

Are You Using All Your Powers?

A young boy as trying to lift a boulder but it was too heavy. He told his father he was using ALL his strength.

"No," his father smiled, "because you haven't asked me to help you yet."

The Best Lawyer Jokes In The World

I got a bunch of lawyer jokes from columnist Jarius Bondoc.

A witness who was suffering from myasthenia was asked how it affects her memory. She said it makes her forgetful. The lawyer asked: "Can you cite examples of those things you have forgotten?"

A widow was asked how her marriage ended, and she said by death. The lawyer demanded: "Whose death?"

A forensic pathologist was on the witness stand. The lawyer wanted to get his medical opinion: "Doctor, isn't it true that if a person dies during the night, he wouldn't know about this until the next day?"

A prosecutor was grilling a witness: "Were you present when your photo was taken?"

A lawyer was making sure he got the facts straight. Okay, the witness has three children. There are no boys. The lawyer confirmed: "Are there girls?"

The Inside Story of The Jabidah Massacre

I was talking with the former provincial administrator of Jolo (or so he says), around the third week of May. Apparently, Sabah belongs to the Philippines. It was leased by the Sultanate of Sulu to the British North Borneo Timber Corp in the 19th century. After World War 2, Sabah was lumped with the Federation of Malaysia, from which Singapore and Brunei broke away to become solo nations. So Sabah was left with Malaysia.

It turns out that Marcos' Operation Jabidah, the secret recruitment and training of Sulu's fearsome Samal Bangenge tribal warriors in Corregidor, was meant to be a coup to reclaim Sabah. It was also known as the Jabidah Massacre, because the food-denied troops staged a mutiny and they were all killed.

Chapter V. 2011

Trees of Gold

Spent the entire day yesterday in Ayala Triangle, the park behind the Makati Stock Exchange. People, local and foreign, look at me and see a guy in a blue sports shirt, jeans and silver rubber shoes. Probably a student, writing in a notebook, with trinkets on both wrists like a hippie, a couple of books on top of his knapsack.

I was actually writing magazine articles, making my free time productive and hydrated with Gulp from 7-11 and Coke from McDonald's.

I look up and see trees of gold like the cherry blossoms in a Shinto shrine in Japan.

In The Arms of Nature

The Sunken Garden at the sprawling Diliman campus of the University of the Philippines, like Ayala Triangle, is special to me. What plays in my mind at those places is "I'll Remember" by Madonna, theme from With Honors, a touching movie set in Harvard.

I won't tell you why, only it's about peeks at the bright sparks on the verities of existence, sheltered by the arms of nature, under an infinite sky that will outlast our sojourn through eclectic lifetimes.

Superstar Stray Cat

Last Monday I was sitting outside a tailor shop in Santa Ana in Manila under the shade of a tree. The summer heat was demonic though it was cooler where I was, compared to my apartment which doesn't even have air conditioning.

A ragamuffin kitten passed, and I instinctively called out: " _Swswswswswswsws_!"

He came, climbed up to me and was soon sitting on my knapsack on my lap as comfy as you please.

Feeling close.

A Friendship To Last A Lifetime

I just attended last Wednesday my nth funeral – I mean, not mine, but I've been to so many I actually lost count. It pains me still that those include the wakes of my first best friend Noel De Los Angeles in 2007 and my second best friend Gilbert Bolante in 2009. I was also there for a really close friend, Jimmy Locsin, in 2003.

This time it was for the aunt of another old friend, Gary, a good friend since 1993. What makes it poignant is his mother died just last month. It was in the same room at Loyola Chapels in Guadalupe in Makati.

I value friendship more than words can say. As I posted in Facebook last week: If you earn my respect, then you deserve my loyalty. No man intimidates me so my words are true.

I may not be a party animal – I don't drink and really feel out-of-place in boisterous crowds – but in your hour of need, I'll be there.

If our friendship is worth keeping, then you can lean on me. Depend on it. That's what friends are for.

Cheesy!!!

What I Did When I Woke Up This Morning

Woke up early today to a beautiful rain shower, an easy Sunday morning! Good mornin' Al Jarreau and Mr. Radio! Surfed the FM stations til I got _Di Bale Na Lang_ by Gary V. I love Sundays: it's rest day from both work and school. I love it when it rains and I don't have to go out, enjoying that cozy moment sheltered from the elements, remembering that line from the Astrud Gilberto jazz classic "A Certain Sadness": "Look out the window when that rain storms..."

My First Day Alone

There's a reason why the song"First Day Alone" is super special to me. "Here comes the morning sun..."

It's perfect hearing it on the jeep radio in the early smile of sunshine on a Sunday two weeks ago. This Cascades classic revives my youthful adventures in my quest for independence and my place in this world.

It just so happens that I was reminiscing about my gung-ho zest to live life to the fullest, totally indifferent to trivialities and gossip. I still have that _joie de vivre_ , that joy for living and I'm happy because I choose to be

In Perfect Harmony

When you update your Facebook status through your mobile phone, the ideal message length is 96 characters, or 64/1 on your phone screen. Here's my FB Mobile post Tuesday morning, something adorable and upbeat:

Huggybear would like to teach the world to sin in perfect harmony, U R a child of the universe.

Why I Wear Sunglasses At Night

I go the extra mile to affirm my belief in humanity. Last April, I lost my Top Gun style sunglasses, in an original Hugo Boss frame with its indestructible case, in a PBCom pantry while waiting for some friends who work at Stream, formerly eTelecare.

The next day I got it back because somebody turned it over to the security personnel. It perhaps helped that it was tinted prescription glasses, 600 on both eyes, so I know nobody but me can use it. Still, I'm grateful, and it strengthened my faith in the inherent goodness of my fellow men.

A Stormy and Thankless Job

Weather is, by nature, unpredictable. That's why we used to have the tradition of naming tropical depressions with girls' names, an ode to the fairer sex's famous fickle mind. That is, until women's lib landed, so now we also have boy storms.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), throughout the years, has been our only source of information about anything about the weather. This government agency under the Department of Science and Technology reports their forecasts based on their instrument readings, always setting the expectation that conditions can, and oftentimes will, change.

It does them gross injustice to get blamed for something beyond their control, like what's happening now. Some politicians, instead of being thankful that typhoon Chedeng didn't fully land in Metro Manila and the northern part of the country as was calculated based on the available information at that time, actually slammed PAGASA.

Instead of being thankful that their constituents did not have to face the full force of nature's fury, they even took it as an opportunity to get media mileage.

PAGASA's warnings galvanize preparedness and have actually saved lives, but there are people who just stubbornly insist on focusing on flaws, and nothing can change their mind, not even the climate.

But if the storm did arrive, they would blame PAGASA too. "What a fool believes he sees," sings Michael McDonald and the Doobie Brothers, "no wise man has the power to reason away."

Your Signature Can Save Palawan

Remember Aesop's fable about the thirsty crow? Let's call him Vince Perez. Stumbled upon a half-empty bottle of Chivas Regal. Can't reach his beak inside, you see, so he got some ice cubes until he got a shot of scotch whiskey on the rocks.

Great things start from small beginning, goes the Milo slogan. Little things accumulate. I am proud to say that I have signed the petition to stop mining in Palawan.

I did that last March and my blog 2Rivers has been carrying a self-made banner link to the sign-up website since then.

Good news: Palawan is unique for its rich but delicate biodiversity. Here's the bad news: the ground underneath is so thin and fragile so any excavation threatens to sink the entire island.

My First Story After The World Ended

Today's the first day after the end of the world.

I respect other people's beliefs, even if they contradict mine, even if they defy logic. I didn't even entertain the possibility that the Lord Almighty has revealed to Harold Camping of Family Radio Worldwide – EXCLUSIVE! – that doomsday has been scheduled for yesterday.

It is against my nature to gloat, but it got me seriously thinking about the God-like powers of the mass media.

I understand the human need for a connection to the divine. I'm just sad that some people, like trekkers stranded on a desert, will desperately cling to a mirage to assuage their thirst, to fill that emptiness.

In our search for the sacred, have we forgotten to discern what we believe to be true from what we want to be true?

Should Marcos Be Buried At Heroes Cemetery?

Our actions live on after we die, like the ripples on a lake after the pebble we have thrown has disappeared beneath the surface. The regime of the late President Ferdinand Marcos systematically erased the our people's inalienable human rights and democratic way of life.

Martial Law has murdered thousands of men and women from all walks of all life, and destroyed the lives of countless families.

Marcos has lost the moral right to be buried at the Heroes Cemetery. The nation may forgive the abomination, but it should never forget the consequences of those actions.

Absolute power corrupted him and almost destroyed our republic. If we let Marcos be buried alongside true heroes who gave their last full measure of devotion in defense of democracy, then we show the world that we Filipinos do not deserve democracy, that we do not deserve justice, that we do not deserve respect.

Why I Support The RH Bill

I support the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill because intelligent family planning cannot rely on menstrual cycles alone. Sex follows its own sked and libido moves in mysterious ways.

President Aquino is ready to defy the Church to curb the galloping boom, and I admire him for that, and I'm behind him all the way in my own little way.

Here's a solid case for population management: Just last week, the Department of Social Welfare and Development rounded up more than a dozen minors in Balintawak who were sniffing rugby and gambling on the sidewalk, asking pedestrians for money so they can gamble more.

Children like these are mostly spawned by uneducated, alcoholic and criminal fathers, the kind that begs you for coins – and curses you if you don't give them.

Here's a suggestion from a friend: Stop taxing families with less than 2 children as an incentive for family planning. That makes sense. The present set-up of tax exemptions for large families actually encourages precisely what the government is trying to stop.

Here's my own suggestion: Pay 5 thousand pesos to male teenagers in slum areas to undergo vasectomy. They will agree as long as their peers won't know. Purely voluntary of course, and PAGCOR can easily jumpstart the pilot project.

But for juvenile delinquents and jail gang members, vasectomy should be part of the punishment–we are sick and tired of their kind.

Our cities are now infested with squatter areas and overrun with genetically conditioned mendicants who mate and multiply even before they reach adolescence. Change the tax code and pass the RH Bill before it's too late.

The Planet's Most Vicious Animal

Torturing animals is unspeakably despicable. There's a scene in _The Brothers Karamazov_ where a boy stuck a sharp pin into a piece of bread and threw it to a starving, trusting dog. His conscience punished him later, and he even became swore loyalty to Alyosha, so at least he had a measure of redemption.

Real life, on the other, can sometimes be more surreal than Russian dramas, sometimes more abominable than real life.

It's bad enough that a U.P. student mauled a kitten to death out of sheer bloodlust just a couple of days ago.

What's even worse are those Filipinos whose job is to systematically subject animals to intense agony and slow death, capturing it all on video which they sell to perverts who gets aroused by it all.

What the hell kind of sub-humans are those?

Man is the only animal which inflicts pain for the pleasure of it. It makes you wonder why God thought we have evolved enough to have dominion over the earth.

You Have To Earn R-E-S-P-E-C-T

I attended a class with a trainer who's the complete opposite of a good leader, the complete opposite of a good teacher, and the complete opposite of a professional worthy of respect.

He bullies his students, humiliates them in front of the class. It's obvious he's uncomfortable with me because I'm one of the handful who doesn't kiss his ass, and I know he resents me because I'm the only one in class who's not afraid of him.

I have nothing but contempt for power-trippers.

This is a snapshot of my life now so I'll have lots of things to chuckle about when I grow old and look back. I left that class and good riddance.

New Year Message

Life is beautiful, so precious to squander on things that hold us back from a life of happiness, fulfillment and inner peace. Life goes on whatever we may feel, whatever may happen to us, whatever we imagine. It's something to think about as we all receive the gift of a new beginning. This is Huggybear wishing you a Happy New Year and may The Force be with you!

Merry Christmas Message

My favorite Christmas tale is the greatest story ever told: Jesus was born in the most humble of circumstances \- and became the greatest man in the history of the world. The gift of eternal life from Our Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior and the Son of God, is the true meaning of Christmas. This is Jonathan "Huggybear" Aquino wishing you and your family and all your loved ones a blessed and meaningful Yuletide season

A Person's True Measure

I have always believed that the only true measure of a person's worth is his character. His achievements should be lauded, but everything in his resume is external . If a person is inherently good, like Frodo Baggins, then he will overcome the temptations of his baser instincts. "But to look beyond the glory is the hardest part," as Michael Bolton's _Hercules_ theme goes, "for a hero's strength is measured by his heart..."

Which Is Good and Which Is Bad?

Some things are good by itself, like respect for elders. Some things are inherently bad, like child abuse.

But most things in life are in the gray area in between. There is no clear dividing line.

So we all play the Line Drawing Game, says Wayne Dyer, author of Your Erroneous Zones, the book that changed my life for the better forever.

Example: The Godfather Don Vito Corleone rackets gambling and prostitution but draws the line on illegal drugs.

This is part of human nature. That's why some people donate to charity but cheat on their wives, why some politicians condemn birth control but steal taxpayers' money.

"People," as George Michael sings in _Kissing A Fool, "_ you can never change the way they feel, better let them do just what they will, for they will..."

My General Trias Magical Mystery Tour

I have a house in General Trias town in Cavite, about 30 kilometers south of Manila. I went to the Bro. Andrew Gonzalez Hall in La Salle Taft on November 21 by commute. Going home that night, the last bus trip to Tanza town left without me.

So I took the bus to Dasmariñas and got down in SM Bacoor. Then took a BB bus, those colorful minibuses found only in Cavite, as it began to drizzle.

The BB bus went through Binakayan, Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario towns. I super enjoyed that unexpected midnight tour; even a brief change of scenery refreshes my spirit. "

This travelin' boy is only passing through..." (I love Paul Williams).

In Tanza, I got on the last jeep trip to Trias, then caught the last tricycle trip to the subdivision. Got home safe before the overnight rain began. Thank God!

Angels brought me here!

Where Compassion Is A Crime

A 13-year old boy shot his 16-year old male lover, then shot himself in the SM Pampanga mall last September in front of dozens of witnesses. It was a crime of passion, and the alleged third party is also a teenage boy.

I have friends who go for same-sex relationships so the gay angle is not an issue to me. I make no judgments of any kind.

But I find it sad because I believe that love is about letting go, because the one meant for you will find you, will return. I believe, as sure as God made yellow mangoes, that love always finds a way.

One of the most depressing scenes I ever saw was its aftermath. One of the boys was still alive – and the security personnel and the kibitzers just stood by, taking souvenir photos.

If somebody came to their rescue, he or she would have been arrested. The police declared that crime scenes should not be disturbed – even if the victims are still alive.

In the Philippines, heroism is a crime.

Weeks after the tragedy come the viral video of the young girl in China, a victim of hit-and-run. She lay in the street, dying, ignored by her fellowmen.

They don't want to get involved.

Glorious Nightrise

"I'll just rest and refresh my soul at the bayside," I texted my friend Bryan last week Wednesday, when he asked what I was up to.

I told him I need to meditate "in solitude to find a way to achieve life balance," to "shut off" the noisy world," at least for a while.

I went to Roxas Boulevard and I saw the just-inaugurated footbridge in front of the U.S. Embassy but my camera was acting up again. But I was able to capture a shot of the world-famous sunset in Manila Bay. Beautiful, isn't it?

Falcon In The Millennium

Typhoon Falcon is lashing the country right now, in tandem with another low pressure area being monitored as possibly the next storm. It was raining hard when I had to go to work last night and the night before. Who's afraid of flood? Here's my post in Facebook Mobile: Perfect attendance. I go to work with extra shoes, shirts and socks. I'm like a stowaway

The joke is that, when a mouse pees, Metro Manila will flood. This is true, but we city folks are compared to our countrymen in the south. Normally, water lilies are beneficial to aquatic life, but Cotabato and it adjacent towns were inundated when the Rio De Grande De Mindanao overflowed because water hyacinths blocked the mouth of the river

I tried to send this to FB but I ran out of load. It's from "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head," theme from _Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid_ with Robert Redford and Paul Newman:

"I'm never gonna stop the rain by complaining, because I'm free! Nothing's worrying me!"

Nitpicker Nation

President Noynoy Aquino was attacked by political enemies and chronic critics because of his low public rating from the latest Social Weather Station survey. The official Malacañang position is that the President's focus is work and not media mileage. The administration was redeemed with the more positive results of the latest Pulse Asia poll.

We Filipinos are so obsessed with ratings, and it seems we conduct elections just to see if poll surveys are right. It's too early to judge the President's performance –he's been in office for only a year, for crying out loud! (Don't cry out loud).

The surveys can be seen as a gauge, a snapshot of the progress of his learning curve, and they should not equate to a school report card. That's absurd

Barbarians At The Gate

I had to meet a friend at the Mall of Asia last week. The one thing that ruined that trip was the shuttle ride in front of Jac Liner in Buendia. The dispatchers are barbarians: they would bang the side of the jeepney-like cab, commanding the passengers to squeeze together, as if they are ordering their servants. It has always been like that. It would make a difference if those uncouth and obviously uneducated dispatchers of the MOA shuttles were taught proper manners when they were young, but now it's too late. Since one cannot impart one does not know, their children would grow up like them.

Taxi Chancing

Just like today and the whole day yesterday, it also rained the entire Wednesday two weeks ago. Had to take a cab late at night. A couple of empty taxis swept by. The drivers probably thought I was a mugger. What a cute hooligan if that's the case.

I'm sorry for them though: they cannot tell if a passenger is their dream ride or their worst nightmare.

Then again, appearances are deceiving.

But then again, if you're a lousy judge of character, then you will avoid the good and attract the goons.

I got a ride finally, and as usual, I sat at the front and the driver and I were shooting the breeze as we swiftly cruised JP Rizal Avenue.

What usually plays on my mind when I'm in a car is "Forever Blue" by Swing Out Sister. My good taxi driver was there when I need it, he even took a faster route, and he fully deserves the bonus as I gave him twice the meter price. The look on his face was priceless.

Have We Forgotten Our Dying Veterans?

Today April 9 we commemorate the Fall of Bataan, one of the most significant battles of World War II, when Filipino and American soldiers were defeated by the Japanese, tortured and suffered the infamous Death March in 1942.

Today, the remaining living Filipino veterans – despite the mark of shame of having been denied what is due to them – remains steadfast to the democratic ideals which they have fought for, and for which their beloved comrades gave their last full measure of devotion.

Let us take a moment of silence to honor the memories of the brave Filipino and American soldiers who suffered and died in Bataan.

Why I Live The Way I Do

I just read the coffee table book _Malate: A Matter of Taste_ , a vividly exhilarating immersion in the bohemian, wildly uncompromising culture of Malate; I'd feel at home there. I've taken Larry Cruz, the visionary restaurateur behind Café Adriatico, among others, as my role model as a budding entrepreneur and blogger – I want my (future) Internet shop and my Mac-inspired blog 2Rivers to bear the distinctive stamp of my personality. I love the night life!

When Friends Make You Smile

I was greatly amused when good friend of mine, K, who uses all sorts of bleaching soaps, proudly displayed to me his fair complexion. Reminds me another friend, J, who bragged his Blackberry–dual SIM, made in China

What The (Polar-Shifting) World Needs Now

The series of unfortunate events in Japan – the earthquake, the tsunami and the nuclear accident–are the not the punishments of a vindictive deity. But they have global repercussions. It heartens me to see various governments and NGOs, including our own, proactively assisting the thousands of families affected by these Non-Acts of God.

In a world transformed by technology, in a planet in the verge of transition, we need human solidarity now more than ever.

How Congress Could Save Our OFWs

I fully agree with broadcaster Vic Lima's suggestion that Congress should increase the budget of the Department of Foreign Affairs, specifically for repatriating overseas Filipino workers. I was tuned in, March 15, to _Pasada Sais Trenta_ , the radio-TV political commentary show of Vic and Karen Davila.

DFA Asst. Sec. Ed Malaya read the advisory – everybody within a 20 km. radius from Fukushima should flee the area. They also had a live caller from Bahrain, which is now under a state of emergency, in the throes of political chaos, in the brink of a revolution.

We should get our countrymen out of there but the DFA doesn't have the funds for it.

But Congress does.

What If You're Face To Face With Your Murderer?

People take pictures all the time, especially during celebrations.

But a father who was talking his family's photo captured a most unexpected image–his killer pointing a gun at him.

A split second, then the fatal shot.

Reynaldo Dagsa, 38, a village councilman in Caloocan, was assassinated at the height of the New Year revelry in front of his wife, daughter and mother-in-law. The killer, Arnel Buenaflor, a car thief he had sent to jail, is in hiding, but the two look-outs, Michael Gonzales and Rommel Oliva, also caught on film, are now both detained by the police.

Dagsa, trained by the Philippine Army, could have shot Buenaflor if he drew his own gun, but that would put his family in the line of fire.

"He must have thought the assassin would hurt his family or his relative, or anybody in the area, so he did not do anything that would compromise our safety," his wife Arlene told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. "He took the bullet instead."

In the first hour of 2011, at 12:30 a.m., Dagsa was declared dead at the Martinez Hospital.

"I will miss my Papa," cries his 10-year old daughter Reynalyn. "Who will take us and fetch us from school? Who will sing to me Lead Me Lord? That's my father's favorite."

What Attracts You To The Opposite (Or Same) Sex?

Is It Sex?

A Berlitz coach asked me today what attracts me to the opposite sex.

I said, "Character."

What I find attractive in a woman is the confidence that comes from being comfortable with who she is.

Character is what I look for, and that includes independence of mind and generosity of spirit.

I don't have time for people who are insecure and pretentious – they're most critics and back-fighters anyway.

I added that I don't care about physical appearance. As long as she is has a beautiful soul, I don't care if she looks like a horse.

2Rivers Celebrates The New Golden Age of Filipino Movies

We Filipinos love movies. It has become part of our lives like jaywalking and invited others to share our food while expecting them to refuse. A lot pf people have declared that the local film industry is dead, killed by the national mania for buying pirated DVDs.

But this is the Philippines, where even ghosts get pensions.

So we are all happy to say, loud and clear, that Filipino movies are alive, kicking and now showing! 2Rivers celebrates the resurgence of world class films we can all call our very own!

Ruel Bayani's _No Other Woman_ is officially the highest grossing Filipino movie of all time. Wenn V. Deramas' _Praybeyt Benjamin_ looks like it has beaten the record.

Even before that was parade of mainsteam blockbusters like Jerry Lopez Sineneng's _Way Back Home_ , Paul Soriano's _Thelma_ , Jose Javier Reyes' _Wedding Tayo (Wedding Hindi)_ , Paul Soriano's _Journey Home_ , Jun Lana's _My Neighbor's Wife_ , Marilou Diaz Abaya's _Ikaw Ang Pag-Ibig_ , Mark A. Reyes's _Tween Academy: Class of 2012_ and Chris Martinez's remake of Joey Gosengfiao's _Temptation Island_.

The box office hits of the 2011 Cinemalaya independent film festival were also shown in regular theaters, like _Zombadings: Patayin Sa Syokot Si Remington_ directed by Jade Castro and Marlon Rivera's _Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank_ –the country's entry to the Oscar Awards.

Also in the cinemas are the indie films such as ' _Rakenrol_ from Quark Henares _, Ligo Na U, Lapit Na Me_ directed by Erick Salud, Noel D. Ferrer and Jerry Gracio based on the bestselling novel by Eros Atalia. One of my favorites is Alvin Yapan's _Sayaw Ng Daliwang Kaliwang Paa_ (The Dance of Two Left Feet)

I hope they also show _Every Other Time_ by Gino M. Santos and the other films of Cinemalaya.

There was a great acclaim from the international press including the _New York Times_ for veteran actor Joel Torre for the film _Amigo_ directed by John Sayles.

The film _El Presidente_ , the comeback movie of Nora Aunor, is being filmed right now.

Recently shown movies enjoyed commercial runs like Yuan Santiago's _Babang Luksa_ , Jerrold Tarog's _Aswang_ , Chris Reyes' _Batang Ifugao_ and Yam Laranas' _The Road_ showing on November 30

This is a new golden age and _Mabuhay_ to Filipino movies!

The Story of Huggybear

I have always known that good things always come my way, and even the things that hurt me taught me lessons that made me a better person, someone I am proud to be – which perhaps explains why I have never been intimidated or envious of anyone.

I always think positive, knowing that Like Attracts Like is the fundamental law of the universe, even years before I came across _The Secret_ by Rhonda Byrne.

"All this time, I've no regrets," as Tiffany sings. "The sun still shines, the sun still sets; and the heart forgives, the heart forgets..."

Here's one of my most recent Twitter tweets that defines my semi-charmed kind of life: I am blessed with warm memories of the past, beautiful moments in my present, facing good times in the future.

But wait, there's more! Here's my Facebook Mobile post Friday morning: Do not wait to do good things. Do good things and wait, and success, health and wealth will come.

Chapter VI. 2010

The First Miracle of 2010

Kudos to the vigilant and dedicated men and women of Phivolcs for saving the lives of the 47,000 people who live near the Mayon Volcano when it erupted.

Another good news is that volcanic activity is steadily declining, and the alert status has been downgraded to Level 3.

Evacuees are now returning to their homes, assisting by 200 troops with 15 military trucks plus 10 new military vehicles from the South Korean government.

But "The No Human Activity within the 6 kilometer radius PDZ [Permanent Danger Zone] is still in place," says Capt. Razaleigh Bansawqan, spokesman of Task Force Mayon. That's reassuring–better err on the side of caution.

Birth Control Is Different From Abortion

Priests got their "Calling" when they are young so they are (in theory) virgins.

That perhaps explains why Fr. Nereo Odchimar, head of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, cannot distinguish between birth control and abortion. He wants to excommunicate the President because the government supports population education.

That's absurd! It's about time that we tell people that poverty is not an excuse to make twelve babies and not send them to school, letting those kids roam the street sniffing glue and pestering pedestrians asking for money pretending to be hungry so they can buy more rugby. What do you think happens when they grow up?

What's So Funny About Helping Students?

All of us have seen elementary school kids forced to carry bulging schoolbags because they are required to bring all their books everyday.

Good thing: Senator Lito Lapid proposed a bill that will alleviate this, supported by research on spinal problems caused by carrying heavy loads.

Bad thing is: the person who appointed to be the Secretary of Education, Armin Luistro, laughed at the suggestion.

I don't think it is funny that we have an Education Secretary who thinks it is stupid to help students

You Want To Legalize Jueteng?

Legalizing jueteng is tantamount to declaring that we as a people would rather surrender and continue to do what we consider illegal because we do not have the political will. It shows that we have no guts.

In Solidarity With Torture Victims

Torture has no place in the civilized world. Countless men, women and, tragically, even children, have suffered, died and were buried in unknown graves, for reasons that Reason know to be false. Regimes that institute this abominable act as state policy pervert justice and degrade our collective humanity.

But what if terrorists would rather choose death rather than reveal that crucial information to stop mass destruction? Here is the best way to save the world – inject those extremist basterds with sodium amytal instead.

The CIA should read _The Brotherhood of The Rose_ by bestselling author David Morrel. They would, actually, but only if my favorite spy novel is stamped TOP SECRET.

Truth serum will set us free.

I Hope Nobody Rides Those "Floating Coffins" Again

The last major news headline in 2009 was a tragedy. It was a painful reminder of our culture of overcrowding, a custom that spawned what legislators call "Floating coffins" – inter-island ferries that sink under the weight of too many passengers, especially during the holidays.

The latest news on the _M/V Catalyn B_ , now 221 feet underwater off Limbones Island in Cavite, is the Coast Guard's continuing efforts to retrieve the bodies of the remaining 22 bodies still trapped inside. They died on the day before Christmas, on the way to be reunited with their families.

Chapter VII. 2009

Do You Have Peace Of Mind?

A profound change came upon my attitude in life–and by extension, my destiny–when I first ran across the "Serenity Prayer" traditionally attributed to St. Francis of Assisi: "Lord, grant me the courage to change the things I can, the patience to accept the things I cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference."

I can achieve my dreams if I invest discipline and perseverance, but I can't graduate from Harvard today at 3:00 PM. The difference is clear. Most things, alas, are not. That is why need wisdom.

"Wisdom is good," some might say, "but we need cash." So okay–wisdom and cash. That much is clear.

Profile Of A Hostage-Taker

The aftermath of the 2007 Lawton hostage drama brought the inevitable cries for stricter "screening" of teachers. Meaning, the government would make life even more complicated for applicants.

But remember that Armando Ducat is a licensed engineer, teacher, pre-school owner, building contractor, businessman, philanthropist, former congressional candidate and a close friend of a Senator of the Republic.

Does that sound like a guy who will fail a "screening"?

Like suicide bombers, hostage-takers fit no specific psychological profile. The most logical way to discourage such acts in the future is for the government to show that it will never give in to any demands whatsoever-including privileged speeches, ice cream and chamber pots on demand.

Why The Private Sector Can Be The Country's Secret Weapon

"If you want to, there's way; if you don't, there's an excuse," goes one of the slogans of the late great Senator Raul Roco.

We all want automated elections, which is actually something we should have had decades ago.

Here's one idea: why not a Congressional Act that will deputize the private sector to take over public projects, instead of paying taxes?

The government has a list of projects, and those who want to participate (in lieu of accumulated taxes) can choose which ones to sponsor.

Examples: banks can pay the salaries of teachers, real estate developers can retrofit structures to make them earthquake-proof, a group of multinationals can pool funds for poll automation–not to mention computerizing the entire bureaucracy, like in Naga City.

The feasibility is proven by the success and public acceptance of the Adopt-A-School project. The BIR can still collect taxes from individuals and SMEs–but by this time, there will be no more need for E-VAT.

A more active role in governance would galvanize our objective of a First World status. This would streamline the bureaucracy, minimize opportunities for graft, prevent future tax hikes and foster a greater sense of national responsibility and pride.

This is people empowerment at its truest–and most glorious.

Why The World Needs People Power

Voltaire and Benjamin Franklin both warned that when people choose personal convenience above civil liberties, they are doomed to lose both. Those who equate People Power with "mob rule" don't see it for what it really is: a vibrant manifestation of the citizens' inalienable rights to free speech and assembly.

If Richard Nixon didn't resign when the Watergate scandal broke out then he faced impeachment by bribing Congress, the people would have taken to the streets. Americans don't understand our political situation because they never came to that point, and this is true as with the Japanese and South Koreans.

This is because public officials in nations with a tradition of honor step down on their own initiative when they have broken the law, abused their powers, tainted their office and lost their mandate.

There is nothing Unconstitutional about People Power. It's just that we Filipinos are like stubborn mules: we need a solid whack in the head. It's amusing since we don't have mules in the Philippines, but it's not a joke to realize that we are one of those countries without a tradition of honor, and that's why the world needs People Power–to remind us that true democracy is, and always will be, the freedom of the people to uphold the rule of law.

This freedom should be defended, in the immortal words of Archibald McLeish, "by truth when it is attacked by lies; by democratic faith when it is attacked by authoritarian dogma. Always, and in the final act, by determination and faith."

Why I Don't Believe The World Will End In 2012

Before we arrive at the End of Days, I want to ask, "Do you believe in the Priory of Sion?"

Oh, I have another question: "How good is your memory?"

Jesus Christ, I have a third question!

"Have you seen the Mel Gibson movie _Apocalypto_?" I haven't, but if I remember right, it was set during the zenith of the Mayan civilization.

That's the rub, you see. I'm writing this in a public park at two in the morning, away from Google and my library that was already destroyed by the flood anyway, so I'm relying on memory.

If you believe that Jesus was a divine bachelor, the Bible is enough. But if He wasn't, there's _Holy Blood, Holy Grail_ and _The Templar Legacy_ – not to mention _The DaVinci Code_ –and that's just for starters.

The point is: we believe what we want to believe, and we can cite references to back that belief.

This also applies to the idea that the Doomsday will come in 2012, three years from now.

If you believe it–or just open-minded about it–I think I know where you're coming from, and that includes the book that decoded the Mayan calendar but whose title I forgot. And if you don't, ditto. It would be so nice so everybody understands and respects each other's viewpoints and senior moments.

I, for one, do not believe that the world as we know it will – poof!–vanish. I believe in Edgar Cayce's revelations about everything–I give you my word that _Seer Out Of Season_ is worth your hard-earned money – so this is how I see the future.

I believe that the earth's "axis" will tilt, and the north and south "poles' will change their map coordinates. This "Polar shift" will devastate–but not destroy–our planet. The upheaval will (chillingly) sink California, Japan, Northern Europe and lots of other places.

This polar shift has two phases:

_Gradual_ –This is also the chief cause of climate change, much more powerful that global warming; and

_Sudden_ –The last time we had this, it froze Greenland, dried Egypt and sunk Atlantis. This, I believe is what killed the dinosaurs, not an asteroid like in those movies where Elijah Wood survived but Bruce Willis did not.

I believe that earth will survive even after the year 3000 because Cayce is meant to reincarnate at that time. He saw the future with New York City still existing–but some of the western part of the United States wasn't there anymore.

Does God REALLY Exist?

There are many faces of evil, and for every generation comes an event that seemed its incarnate: Nazism, communism, Islamic fundamentalism. It makes you wonder why God lets these things happen.

There was even a book by a Jewish rabbi titled, _Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?_ It is a question that has haunted humankind for millennia; and the answer has proven to be the most elusive in the history of human thought and reason.

It reminds me of the Arnold Schwarzegger film _End of Days_ , where the Devil, played by Gabriel Byrne, said that God is the greatest underachiever, but He has the best publicist of all time–when something good happens, "It's God's will"; and if something bad happens, "God works in mysterious ways."

It is precisely stuff like this this that quickens one's prayers, and tests and affirms his faith, or shows its shallowness and hypocrisy.

Mary, Do You Take Jesus To Be Your Lawfully-Wedded Husband?

We now know that anyone can make a career just by slamming The DaVinci Code. Don't be surprised if they're so excited because the sequel Angels & Demons is on the way soon.

But because of that, Dan Brown has now more money than Opus Dei. It makes you wonder whose side the critics are on.

The truth is, Jesus died for us but He wasn't required to die a virgin. His purity, if you'll pardon the pun, has been religiously defended throughout the centuries, and that's okay because that's freedom of religion.

It reminds me too of a scene in Genesis where the Almighty Creator was horrified to see naked people in Eden.

As a full-blooded young male, I find it unnerving that Jesus, you know, not once, even when He was a teenager, never?

But Jesus wasn't gay either, no sir, and the reason why His young disciple John is His "Beloved" is purely platonic.

I don't know why I say I know, but if people want to get kinky about His sexlife, that's fine, though I bet that Catholics would rather have Him sleep with His wife Mary Magdalene than His brother-in-law Lazarus.

The Moral Responsibility Of The International Community

As a citizen of a country that has been traumatized by dictatorship, cronyism and corruption, I believe history will vindicate the U.S. conquest of Saddam Hussein.

Although local politics should be left alone, the international community should intervene when there are cases of human rights violations or when the problem endangers the national security of other countries. This is called Moral Responsibility.

The Separation Of Church and State Ends Where Loyalty To The Country Begins

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines represents the Church. The Church is the Shepherd, and his Flock is the Catholic Filipinos–the vast majority of our 85 million+ populace. The Flock is crying for help from the wolves of tyranny, deceit and treachery.

But the Shepherd, his moral and spiritual obligations to his Flock notwithstanding, decides to remain neutral. Perhaps his independence was compromised by the unchristian attempts of a handful of aging ivory-towered technocrats in Rome to silence the moral force of the late Jaime Cardinal Sin.

Cardinal Sin united a culturally fractious and chronically apathetic country to depose a President who had dishonored his Office through a moral revolution, not once, but twice! He taught us that the separation of Church and State ends where loyalty to the country begins, and has inspired the whole world with the glory of true democracy in action.

Perhaps the present Shepherd consults the Scriptures because his conscience is bugging him, and he had overlooked Hebrews 12:1 – "Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight."

What If You Can"t Read?

Today is the day after International Literacy Day. Let us stop and think for a moment. Have you ever thought – really, deeply contemplated – just how lucky you are because you can, of all things, read?

Some books and magazine articles have become indelible part of our lives, stamped in our hearts and woven into our souls. Just like songs in Bread's "The Guitar Man": "You find yourself some message and some words to call your own and take them home..."

Folks who can't read nor write – like Robert De Niro's character in _Stanley & Iris_ – are trapped in the dark, and while the journey may not be as easy as ABC, the first step to the light is our understanding, and a helping hand, in our own way, one word at a time.

The World's Perfect Cone Can Be A Cornucopia of Destruction

I am concerned about the alarming developments around Mayon Volcano. But really, the first thing to enter my mind when I think about it is – How can such breath-taking beauty summon such awesome destruction? I guess that's why volcanoes are referred to as She.

How Do You Judge A Person?

Our experiences made us who we are, right? Of course there are other factors, like environment, but I have a feeling you'll agree that how we reacted to the various circumstances in our lives is our more defining measure as effective human beings.

I believe that a person's worth is internal – character.

Everything else is secondary. Everything in his resume – including his photo (physical appearance) – is external.

Why do I believe that?

It is because I have encountered college graduates without good manners and professionals without right conduct.

There are kids from decent families who become parasites, and religious people who take advantage of others and stab them in the back.

There are those bred in luxury but wallow in self-pity, and there are intelligent folks who only think about self-destruction.

What Kind Of Idiot Would Legalize Abortion?

Those who oppose the Reproductive Health Bill are making a career out of implying that it's pro-abortion.

But Party-List Representative Risa Hontiveros emphatically says that the abortion-related clauses in the Revised Penal Code will remain untouched even if the bill become law.

Come to think of it, reproduction is, if you'll excuse the pun, beside the point.

It's sort of more like about...condoms, if anything.

That's the great thing about democracy: you get to hear both sides of an issue. You also get some really snarky comments sometimes and they make things spicier and twice as interesting, don't you agree?

Trav'ling Boy Quo Vadis?

I have the highest regard for people who give wise counsels. They are the salt of the earth, so to speak (whatever that means), giving much-needed insights to those in pain, a healing balm to hearts that grieve. We need wake-up calls for introspection from time to time.

I believe, as articulated by Dr. Johnson, that "Only a well-examined life is worth living."

Have you thought about your life lately? "Do you know where you're going to?" sings Diana Ross. "Do you like the things that life is showing you?"

You Don't Talk About The Death Penalty During New Year

I'm not sure I remember talking about my stand on the death penalty here on 2Rivers, but I'll say it now.

I want the death penalty per se for scum – terrorists, drug dealers, arm smugglers and such–but not in the Philippines because the justice system here makes you want to live in America.

I was upset while I was watching the CNN breaking reports on the aborted terrorist attack in Detroit–by a Nigerian bomber who flew in from Amsterdam with a bomb made in Yemen. It's not what I have in mind when I think of the phrase "World-class."

I was also proud of the heroic passengers who foiled that evil plan, and I believe they all deserve commendations from no less than the President of the United States.

Having said all that, I hope the bomber dies.

The Greenbelt Rolex Robbery: An Inside Job?

Here's irony in spades. One of the most daring heists in recent memory happened in broad daylight. Six armed men nonchalantly strolled into one of the country's most prestigious malls, the plan was derailed by two policeman while they were serving as bodyguards of a politician who didn't even invite them for lunch.

The target was Rolex watches, but instead they got Tudor watches, but they worth 8 million pesos ($164K+). One robber died from the shoot-out but the rest have escaped smoothly, as if there's no security.

This happened just last Sunday at the Greenbelt 5 mall. Apparently the robbers told the security guards that they're the Bomb Squad; they turned out to be the Alvin Flores hold-up syndicate.

Taguig City Mayor Freddie Tinga was having lunch while his bodyguards, SPO1 Cesar Tiglao and PO1 Efren Ceniza, waited outside the restaurant. The two cops saw the thieves breaking the display cases and they opened fire.

Where are the security guards? Or more precisely, why did they seem to vanish? Are they in cahoots?

Here's another irony: The NCRPO (National Capital Regional Police Office) had issued a directive a few weeks back that armed men wearing uniforms – Police, SWAT, Bomb Squad – should not be allowed to enter private establishments unless they arrive in mobile patrols or any official vehicle.

The Rolex robbers came in private cars, and the security guards probably even saluted them.

Last September 29, armed goons wearing SWAT uniforms entered and raided Harrison Plaza in Malate in Manila, just a few meters from a police outpost. They were there for over an hour, but no one checked their identities.

Also last month, another establishment in Pasig City was visited by criminals wearing police uniforms – I wouldn't be surprised if they're the real McCoy – and they bound and gagged the security men while they ransacked the place.

The Philippine National Police is full of crooks, sometimes to the point of overflowing, but security guards as insiders is becoming a growing cottage industry, having graduated from two-bit jobs in pawnshops and money changers.

Take the case of the young girl whose cell phone was stolen by – get ready for this – a pregnant criminal in Landmark. The girl and her parents asked for help from a security guard, who ignored them and refused to radio for assistance.

The criminal escaped; she got by with a little help from her accomplice.

What Are We Filipinos Like?

We Filipinos are famous for being hospitable. Sadly, we are also major-league nitpickers so "hospitality" can sometimes mean "spit" and "hostility."

The Philippines, Pearl of the Orient Seas, a gathering of 7,107 fiesta island (when it's low tide)–the nation symbolized by the Three Stars and The Sun– is...strange.

The Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists in Indonesia want to live in Mindanao. The people of Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon want to live in Manila. And the people of Manila want to live in America.

We Filipinos have no racial discrimination. But there are those of us who, when we see white (Caucasians), we see green ($$$!). But then again, some of us are really color-blind, like that fellow who painted the National Museum a ghastly yellow.

We Filipinos say, "We would rather die than become a U.S. colony!" Americans say, "And who on earth told you we want you, hmm?"

We Filipinos love music. We express ourselves by singing, so much so that "Birthday parties" now means videooke and Red Horse beer 'til the sun rises. Ask us, "Hey, what about the people who want to go to sleep but can't because you're too noisy?" We'd answer you, "What about them?"

Naturally, we have public sound systems in our park. An American friend asked me why Rizal Park – the national park of the Philippines–always play American music.

I said that's because the first Filipino who wins a Grammy Award will become President. This partly explains why there are rumors flying around that IBO Junior Welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao will run for President.

(A note about Manny: we Filipinos love him but we don't trust the people around him–the politicians who are using him for media mileage and his advisers who tell him to sign two contracts simultaneously.)

At the same time, we Filipinos hate silence. That's why we have radios even in libraries. I remember finishing Dan Brown's _The DaVinci Cod_ e at the National Library with Guy Sebastian's "Angels Brought Me Here" in the background. I'm writing this in May 2009 at the Manila City Library, and the song is "Desert Moon" by Styx.

What Is Wrong With Us?

History teaches us that all successful parliaments are essentially bicameral, and unicameral regimes always self-destruct-but apparently , we Filipinos have cultural ADHD.

Our Constitution may not be perfect, but it is workable: The problem is not our system but us-what we need is not Charter-change but psychotherapy.

Case in point: We have delusions of grandeur: When given a measure of authority, we become megalomaniacs like the proverbial fly on the carabao's back who shouts: "I'm the king of the world!"-then we follow-up with: "Please, don't let this feeling end!"

Furthermore, we're too greedy: What we do is our own business, but we ride on the achievements of other people-then we think they owe us their victories.

Also, we have paranoia: everybody's a subversive and a terrorist, and we burn book we haven't even read because other people who also haven't read them heard etc.

Plus, we have a fetish for mudslinging: our politics, showbiz, and mass-media revolve around malice, our national pastime is gossip, and we have obssessions about scandals.

On top of which, we have bi-polar disorder: We are either indifferent or hysterical-clearly, we're schizophrenic:

We want to be rich, but we hate businessmen.

We want to be famous, but we hate ambitious people.

We admire potential leaders, but we complain when they run for higher office.

We vote for movie stars, but we complain about celebrities in politics.

We call for professionalism, but we force teen stars to have affairs with each other.

We search for role models, but we force actors to dress like women and kiss each other.

Our idea of patriotism is Jamie Rivera's "Heal Our Land," but our idea of unity is Sinatra's "My Way."

We expect our kids to speak English, but we Tagalize everything.

We expect our students to be smart, but we conduct classes like refugee camps-and our SOP is to lower educational standards so they can gradute ASAP.

We demand our human rights, but we treat indigent patients like lepers and hospital watchers like beggars.

We demand due process, but we arrest poor suspects and fallguys without warrants then present them to the media without trial.

We want our prisoners to be rehabilitated, but we treat them like animals.

We hail the rule of law, but we sabotaged [whistleblowers] Nicole, Cam and Gudani-and encouraged [suspected masterminds] Garcillano, Bolante, Strunk and Palparan.

We lure foreign investors, but we can't even have honest public biddings.

We want a Strong Republic, but we can't even have honest elections.

We are "worth dying for," but we'd rather have "a government run like hell."

Our Dark Side

The reality TV show "Pinoy Big Brother" shows our most malicious fantasy–the omniscience to boost our egos.

The orientation of mass media illustrates our deep-seated inferiority complex – we need to see people scandalized because we want to think we're superior.

At the same time, insecurity drives us to go overboard for the six-thirty evening news to confirm our existence.

This is the reason why amending the Constitution will not change anything except the Charter–we have "A government run like hell" because it's part of our culture.

As the song "Man In The Mirror" goes: "If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change"–and the first step is to exorcise our own personal demons–not the Haunted House of Representatives.

Why I Want To Believe There Is Still Hope For The Philippines

As the late Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. wrote in his undelivered arrival statement, he returns "From exile to an uncertain future with only determination and faith to offer-faith in our people and faith in God."

We have always celebrated our undying optimism as a race, our fiesta mentality in the midst of a cyclone. From a historical perspective, we have gone through worse nightmares that today's political rollercoaster ride seems like a bump in the road. The Filipino as the ultimate survivor, if you will.

As long as we retain our gung-ho sense of humor, we'll be okay.

After all, for a country that has sired the likes of St. Lorenzo Ruiz, Jose Rizal and Carlos P. Romulo, we, the people, deserve more than a choice between the lesser of two evils. Discipline begins at the top, as every management guru would agree, and we deserve a government we can respect, trust and fight for.

Above all, we deserve more than our present public officials-gripped by the tentacles of partisan politics and vested interests.

Face To Face With A Freak Storm and Flashfloods

You get used to a lot of strange things when you live in the Philippines, like election frauds in showbiz awards. But nothing prepared anybody for typhoon Ondoy, a.k.a. Ketsana.

On the morning of September 26, I woke up and found my room already half-submerged in muddy water; the whole dorm, the compound, even the street outside, were sinking. This was at the heart of the University Belt in Manila, mind you.

I thought it would recede in a couple of hours – which is normal here.

I was wrong. Meanwhile I had to go out and eat anyway, so I waded to the nearest restaurant, then went to Morayta to pass the time in an Internet café. But I couldn't even cross Recto.

Things got worse – quickly.

The whole city is flooded with poisoned liquid, which was actually raging like a malignant river. Hundreds are stranded; some, like me, refused to be. I was slogging happily, like Gene Kelly in _Singin' In The Rain,_ but without the umbrella, much less the dance moves. But that was peanuts to what happened, as I found out later, to the entire Metro Manila.

The LRT 1 closed operation, and I was glad they re-opened by late afternoon. I rode to Pedro Gil to get to a friend's house in the Paco area, near Quirino Highway (Figueroa Street, actually), which was elevated. They were glad to see me and equally happy that I was kind enough to swim by the market first. I bought food while the flood level is caressing my nipples, if you can imagine.

I spent that night dry and comfortable, fortified with food, listening to DzMM for a blow-by-blow account of the worst flood in nearly half a century, realizing that most of my country men are experiencing the exact opposite. There's an element of guilt, but also a great measure of thanksgiving.

I returned to my room the next day, and saw that everything I owned were marinated, like chicken wings in soy sauce with _calamansi_ lemons, the entire night. From the marks on the wall, the water level went just a couple of feet shy of the roof.

Almost a thousand books and magazines and files – including the only copy of my first novel's original manuscript – transformed into a mountainous yucky soggy decaying Jabba the Hut. I'm starting all over again, and I'm not the only one.

Thousands of my country men died and lost all they had, but as TV host Boy Abunda memorably said: We have different stories, but they all lead to a single refrain – "Thank God we're still alive."

You Ain't Heavy! You're My Brother

We are all connected. An individual, in the metaphysical levels, share an indestructible bond with every man, woman and child; not only with those of the present, but also of the past and of the future. This empathy with our fellow human beings is the foundation of the noble side of our humanity.

The Mahabharata, one of the greatest spiritual documents known to man, teaches us to: "Do nothing to your neighbor which you would not hereafter have your neighbor do to you. A man obtains a rule of action by looking upon his neighbors like himself."

