Birthdays are overrated. Although it could be argued that simply because I usually don’t celebrate birthdays, it doesn’t mean it’s overrated. As Ted Failon said in jest, why would I spend tons of money to entertain my family and friends during my birthday? Why can’t they make little contributions to give me a treat? It’s my birthday for crying out loud. They say jokes are always half-meant. (more…)
The 15th typhoon to hit the Philippines in 2009, named Typhoon Ondoy, showed that 13 is not the unlucky number. Typhoon Ondoy is not even close to being categorized as a supertyphoon, based on the existing public typhoon warning signals of PAGASA. If we consider the amount of rainfall and the resulting floods, however, Typhoon Ondoy is easily one of the most destructive in recent Philippine history. (more…)
Desire causes suffering.
I’m not sure if that’s the exact phrase, but I’m sure that’s the thought. It was already late on a Friday evening and work had to be temporarily halted for some power rest. A documentary on India was loaded in the DVD player and it skipped to the portion discussing Buddhism, about the noble truths espoused by Buddha. (more…)
The news came through the radio as I was driving back to the office yesterday, cursing the high temperature outside. It was after lunch and I was yet to take eat. The long drive, the hunger, the heat, everything resulted to a terrible headache. But somehow the pain seemed to disappear as the announcement sank in — Francis Magallona lost his fight with leukemia. (more…)
There’s an art in giving gifts, something that my wife has mastered. Women are experts in giving great gifts. They probably knew it from the moment they were born. They take time thinking about what to give to someone. Coupled with another favorite hobby — shopping — women find great satisfaction in choosing and giving gifts. (more…)
I hate to sound like the Grinch, but there are reasons why we’re going to talk about not-so-pleasant things related to the Christmas celebrations. There’s no guarantee that these reasons are good. First, it seems that most would discuss what they love about Christmas, so maybe a change of perspective won’t hurt. Second, this is for fun. Since you’re invited to share what you hate about Christmas (please use the comment section below), you can’t really complain, can you? Here goes . . . (more…)
In reviewing the life of a successful person, the usual focus is the personal or inborn traits of that person. This is not the entire story, as discussed in the new thought-provoking book of Malcolm Gladwell, the Outliers: The Story of Success (Little, Brown and Company [2008], 309 pages). (more…)
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99,
Wear Sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.
The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists,
whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.
I will dispense this advice now. (more…)
Striking a balance between career and family is never easy. Even superheroes are confronted with the dilemma of choosing between spending time with a loved one or saving the world. Ask Batman or Spiderman. Or even Superman. They would probably tell you (rather, you’d probably read) not only that with great power comes great responsibility, but also that it’s much difficult for ordinary mortals to balance work and family. (more…)
