Trapped Ideas and Laziness » Note on Blog Hiatus Status

I’m busy saving the world (I mean my own personal world) that is why it’s been weeks since my last post and you might think I abandoned blogging, but hell no – this is not yet a zombie blog. Weather can automatically switch me on and off to lazy mode and [damn!] this rainy season puts me on hiatus status. Although, yeah I’m naturally lazy, I admit that.

Work is also eating up lots of my reserved energy and giving me a taste of hell for the past few weeks. It’s work and I already stripped myself the right to complain – because it’s my choice – but hey, I still have the right to rant and I got this blog.

Also, I got this personal project which has something to do with having my own permanent home address (that means I’m getting old and planning to settle down) and that keeps me preoccupied.

Hmmm, excuses, excuses.

I’m monetizing this blog, so I just want to post this note to let the crawlers know this blog is still breathing. For the regular lurkers here (as if there’s any, he he) I’ll do my best to pop up from time to time to share my thoughts and starting next week I want to end yodisphere’s hiatus status (**raising right hand)

You will also notice that this blog is recently focusing on travel posts. I’m thinking of making Travel as my niche but still I don’t want to get stuck on one specific subject (and Travel is quite an expensive niche), although most blog gurus are advising that a niche blog is way better for monetizing and SEO.

Trapped Ideas

Anyway, here’s the list of pending posts sleeping on my drafts folder, which hopefully I can finish before our trip to HK on midweek of July.

» Ilocos Tour Last Part – Batac and Vigan (Calle Crisologo) Tour

» Review: Ace Water Spa Pasig

» Pahiyas Festival Mobile Phone Photography

» Agawan Festival in Quezon

» Sidetrip to Kamay ni Hesus – Quezon

» My List of Top Ten Emerging Influential Blog

» Conquer Mt. Pinatubo

» Book Notes

Voila tout! - That’s all for now and I better get working.

Here I am, here I remain.

___________________________

Image Source: 

» Zen by gabrielnardelli via DeviantART: Digital Art / Photomanipulation / Surreal

The Art of Talking To Yourself » Why It Does Not Always Mean You Are Crazy

I maybe having the first sign of madness, but talking to myself actually help me in making sound decisions. Yes, I may sound crazy, but this is not a statement of paranormal; it is a statement of truth. We all have an inner voice…and I consider mine as an ally.

Most of the time I am telling myself things I would never let anyone else say to me. This way I am not letting my inner voice tear down and strip away my confidence. This is the beauty of self-talk and I think I am not crazy. Self-talk is not bad, or wrong, or a sign of psychological problems. It is, I think, normal. Here’s a quick research I did on this topic.

What the hell is self talk?

In psychological terms, the talking is referred to as self-talk (wow, not a very complicated term, eh?). It’s also known as verbal persuasion, an important component of self-efficacy conceptualized by psychologist Albert Bandura presented in his social cognitive theory. Self-talk is a way of describing all the things we say to ourselves all day long as we confront obstacles, make decisions, and resolve problems. Self-talk is not "talking to yourself" in a literal sense, although it sometimes does involve talking out loud (I know a lot of person who do that – thinking out loud as they say.)

Why talking to yourself does not always mean you are crazy

Yodz talking, shouting, cursing....TO HIMSELF

 Usually, it is part of our thinking process, or what we call "stream of consciousness." As we are presented with problems, or decisions, we might think, "Okay, how do I handle this?' or "This looks like it is difficult, I better ask for help." or "I know how to fix this!" Self Talk is how you talk to yourself through out the day. It may be comprised of either positive or negative statements.

As a general rule, negative self talk is anything that puts us down or limits our actions, on the other hand positive self talk makes us feel good or motivates our actions. Positive self talk is extremely beneficial and will enhance the effects of future programming techniques. Once mastered, it will result in an attitude that anything is possible.

It is not madness, and it’s good for you, say scientists

Okay, Sir Yodz this is how we will handle this...

There has been a wealth of research in psychology that supports the advantages and usefulness of self-talk, especially when combined with other peak performance strategies. It is not madness, and it’s good for you, scientists have found.

According to researchers, it can even strengthen dieters’ willpower, help defuse arguments and improve decision-making.

Psychologists from the University of Toronto in Canada asked volunteers to complete several challenges to test their self-control. In some, they were prevented from talking to themselves by being forced to recite one word repeatedly.

Researcher Professor Michael Inzlicht said: "Through a series of tests, we found that people acted more impulsively when they couldn’t use their inner voice or talk themselves through the tasks."

In one challenge, the volunteers performed a test on a computer. If they saw a particular symbol appear on the screen, they were told to press a button.

If they saw a different symbol, they were told they must refrain from pushing the button. The majority of the symbols required the volunteers to press the button, making this become an impulsive response.

Their self-control could be measured by how well they resisted pressing it when an alternative symbol did appear. The second phase of the study included measures to prevent participants from exercising their inner voice while performing the tests, to see whether blocking this dialogue had any effect on their powers of restraint.

In order to stop the volunteers talking to themselves, they were instructed to repeat one word over and over as they performed each test.

Professor Inzlicht said: “Without being able to verbalise messages to themselves, they were not able to exercise the same amount of self-control as when they could talk themselves through the process. It’s always been known that people have internal dialogues with themselves, but until now, we’ve never known what an important function they serve. This study shows that talking to ourselves in this “inner voice” actually helps us exercise self control and prevents us from making impulsive decisions.”

Alexa Tullett, author of the study, added: “We give ourselves messages all the time with the intent of controlling ourselves – whether that’s telling ourselves to keep running when we’re tired, to stop eating even though we want one more slice of cake, or to refrain from blowing up on someone in an argument. We wanted to find out whether talking to ourselves in this “inner voice” actually helps.”

The team’s research has been published in the science journal Acta Psychologica.

CAUTION: Talk to yourself instead of allowing “yourself” talk to you

According to David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, author of the book Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure, it is important that we must talk to ourselves, instead of allowing “ourselves” to talk to us. He suggested that the main trouble in this whole matter of depression in a sense is that we allow our self to talk to us instead of talking to our self. He further stressed that most of our unhappiness in life is due to the fact that we are listening to ourselves instead of talking to ourselves.

Be good at being yourself

We can now safely conclude that outward success first starts with inward success. The trick is we have to learn the secret strategies to winning communication with ourselves. Everyday we talk to ourselves and about ourselves.

We affirm our beliefs, explain our behaviour, and predict our future. We persuade, cajole, order and suggest stuff constantly and consistently. For this reason alone we can be very good at being the person we really want to be.

The lesson? Learn self talk the right way -- it's a valuable performance tool.

At the very least, I tell myself that.

_________________

Photo Credit:

» Yodz Doube Trouble by Aldan Reposo January 2011
» Talk to the hand by cold-wind-of-death [Retrieved 28 January 2011] {http://cold-wind-of-death.deviantart.com/art) Category: Digital Art / Photomanipulation / Surreal

References: 

» Bandura, A. (1992) Exercise of personal agency through the self-efficacy mechanisms. In R. Schwarzer (Ed.), Self-efficacy: Thought control of action. Washington, DC: Hemisphere.

» Franklin, Donald J., Ph.D., “Self-talk”. Psychology Information Online

http://www.psychologyinfo.com/depression/cognitive.htm [28 January 2011]

» Daily Mail Reporter. “Is talking to yourself a sign of madness? No it's good for you, say scientists” 23rd September 2010 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1314434/Is-talking-sign-madness-No-good-say-scientists.html [28 January 2011]

» University of Toronto. "Inner voice plays role in self control." ScienceDaily 22 September 2010. 31 January 2011 .
» Tullett, Alexa. The voice of self-control: Blocking the inner voice increases impulsive responding. Acta Psychologica, 2010
» Lloyd-Jones, David Martyn, 1965. Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans

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When Idiots Attack » Our Prime Assertive Customer Rights and How Salespeople Violate It

My jurassic Nokia phone has been with me for five years and already served its purpose more than it is bound to. Its hardware is now getting weird, so last Christmas, as a gift to myself, I decided buying a new Samsung mobile phone.

I grant you that the shop where I bought my phone is legit with official reselling rights, permits and stuff. However, my experience as a customer of that shop tested my temper, patience and my assertive customer right. At any rate, I hope that you can learn over my tales of woe, agree, disagree, defend, or commiserate as you see fit. Please note that it is not my intention to discredit any establishment – this is purely personal opinion on being on the receiving end of a lousy customer service. So with that being said, and without further adieu, let my rants begin!

Mega Exchange’s Mega-Bad Customer Service

I bought my new Samsung Galaxy S in a retail shop called Mega Exchange at SM Megamall Cyberzone because they offer the lowest price compared to other stores in Megamall. I definitely fell in love with my new “all-around” phone running on Android 2.1 (Éclair).

I learned that software upgrade for Samsung Galaxy S from Android 2.1 (Éclair) to Android 2.2 (Froyo) is already available in the Philippines via Samsung Kies but I’m having trouble downloading and installing Kies on my jurassic laptop so I brought my phone to Mega Exchange (the store where I bought it) and asked if software upgrade is part of the store warranty. They said it is not, but if I want to upgrade it, I have to pay 900.00 pesos for it. Whaaatt? I argue that that price is too much for a free downloadable software.

 

Mega Exchange re-tail store at SM Megamall Cyberzone where I bought my phone

Just around the corner is the Samsung Service Center, and they told me that software upgrade for my Galaxy S is FREE provided I have the original receipt. They checked my phone and sadly told me that they cannot do any upgrade on my phone because it is NOT NTC APPROVED (meaning it didn’t pass the National Telecommunications Commission inspection and I suspect it also didn’t pass Customs perhaps to avoid tax.) It’s what they called “puslit.” Damn!

This is the conversation I had with the Mega Exchange manager:

DAY 01:

Me: “Sir, Samsung Service Center refuse to do any free upgrade on the phone I bought here because it is not NTC approved”

Manager: “I’m not aware that some of our phones are not NTC approved. We just accept delivery from our head office, besides we offer store warranty.” {This is just a goddamn alibi – but still I didn’t switch off my diplomatic mode}

Me: “But you’re charging me for the software upgrade, which I am supposed to get for free. If you disclosed that this phone is not NTC approved, I will not buy it. Please upgrade my phone to Froyo.”

Manager: “Sir we don’t do Froyo upgrade here.”  {Liar Liar}

Me: “I talked to one of your technician this morning and told me they do Froyo upgrade for 900.00 pesos. Although I can do it myself, I don’t want to, because if anything happens I know your warranty will not cover it because, of course you will say I tampered with the phone’s OS” 

Manager: “Currently we don’t have the software for Froyo upgrade. We need to install it to our system.”

Me: “Installing Samsung Kies only took an hour, I’m willing to wait.” {The Manager didn’t realize I do research in advance}

Manager: {Whispering something at the technician beside him} “Sir we don’t use Samsung Kies, we are using different software.”

Me: “What software?”

Manager: “Sir, we’re not disclosing it to our clients”

Me: “Then problably it’s illegal. Anyway, I want a Froyo upgrade, can I have my phone upgraded today?”

Manager: “Sir, our senior technician who’s in-charge of upgrades is not on duty today. He’s only here every Saturday ”

Me: “Then I’ll be back Saturday”

DAY 02 – Saturday

Technician: “Sir, it will took one hour for the upgrade.”

Me: “Ok I’ll just leave my phone and be back after an hour”

{After 2 hours}
Technician: “Sir, we need another hour because we need new USB cable. The cable we have is malfunctioning.”

 Me: “What do you mean your cable is malfunctioning?”

Technician: “Sir, its resistor is defective.”

Me: “Look pal, I perfectly know what a resistor is. USB cables doesn’t have resistors. Just tell me if the phone you sold me is defective.”

{It’s damn obvious these guys is messing around, but I just took a deep breath to control myself. Lecturing the poor T-shirt-wearing soldering-iron-jockey would have been pointless because my goal is to have my phone fixed as soon as possible. But I'm not going to leave my phone to collect dust for a few days.}

After another long hour of useless fiddling and head scratching…

Technician: “Sir we can’t connect your phone to the PC. Our software cannot detect your unit. We need a few days to fix it”

Me: “Then the phone is defective. I need it upgraded today.”

Technician: “Sir we need to reformat it and flush the OS.”

Me: “I understand, but I need an upgraded and working phone today.”

Technician: “Sir, we have other customers requiring service and we need to download additional software for your phone.”

Me: “I need my phone today, Can I talk to your manager?

Manager: “Sir, our technician is finding ways to fix your phone. You need to leave it for a few days.”

Me: “Returning back here already cost me money and I already wasted my time here. If you can’t upgrade it today, then it’s definitely defective. Plus it’s not NTC approved. I need a phone today. Please replace it with a new NTC approved phone”

Manager: “Sir, we don’t do replacement, we will just fix it.”

Me: “I know my rights as a customer. You guys already make me look like a fool here. Our agreement is, you will fix it today in just an hour. You already wasted a lot of my time waiting here and giving me obnoxious alibis. You said you can fix it in an hour, then you said you need additional hours, and now you need days? I will not accept that defective phone. I need a new NTC approved phone TODAY.

Manager: “Sir, maybe you want other higher units. You just have to add a certain amount for it.”

Me: “What I need is a Samsung Galaxy S. I need replacement, and I need it today.”

Manager: “Sir you’ll need to add 4,000 pesos for the 16G Samsung Galaxy S, I’m not sure if we still have 8G Galaxy S today. {This is too much and really exasperating! Making sales to an already unsatisfied customer.}

Me: “Just tell me if you will replace it today or not. If not, you’re giving me no option but to file complaint to NTC, DTI or Customs! I want you to replace that defective phone and I want an NTC approved phone TODAY!” {I said it a little louder so that other customers around will hear it}

Manager: “I’ll see what I can do.”

The manager left the customer area and after a few minutes a saleslady handed me a new Samsung Galaxy S – brand new with official NTC sticker inside. They just let me leave without even saying “we are sorry for your inconvenience!”

The following day, I visited Samsung Service Center also in Megamall and got my phone running on Android 2.2-Froyo, upgraded for free.

This most recent experience teach me two things: the value of being well-informed and coping with other people through diplomatic verbal assertiveness. I understand that times are hard for many these days, and that retail shops in particular are feeling the economic pain, but selling non-NTC approved phones, probably to avoid tax and getting away with it is unacceptable. Most of the time, making returns is a bit more unpleasant, but it is our right as a customer.

Any thoughts? Or maybe you also have a bad Customer Service story to tell. I would really appreciate it if you could share highlights of it in my comments box.

 

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Image source: Matt Tusenfot “Familiar Faces II”  

Last Year's Illness » The Blind Caterpillar Syndrome

Today is my first day of work for 2011, and I’m still on the self-introspection mode. I woke up early and set a goal to finish all my pending tasks – which I did. However, something seems wrong today. It’s my usual toxic Monday and I survived it. Although I finish all to-dos, it doesn’t seem to bring me anywhere. I browse the net and came across this article which answered my dilemma: 
      

The Processionary Caterpillars

John Henry Fabre, the great French naturalist, conducted a most unusual experiment with some processionary caterpillars. These caterpillars blindly follow the one in front of them, hence, the name.  Fabre arranged them in a circle in a flowerpot so that the lead caterpillar actually was behind the last one forming a circle. In the center of the flowerpot he put pine needles, which is their food. The caterpillars started walking around this circular flowerpot. The caterpillars kept going in a circle in the pot. Eventually, after a week of circling around, they dropped dead of exhaustion and starvation with food only inches away from them.

I realized that, like the blind caterpillars, I made the same mistake and, as a result, I had repeated failures despite the fact that opportunities lie within reach. I acquired very little because my own limiting beliefs and the inability to see the solutions blinds me. I follow the crowd of conformity in a circle to nowhere, I refuse to leave the sick cycle carousel because “It’s always been done that way.”

I need to learn a lesson from those caterpillars. Just because I am doing something, doesn't mean I am getting anywhere. There is a big difference between activity and accomplishment. I must evaluate my activities in order to have accomplishment.

Yodz Note: If we confuse activity with accomplishment, we could be making great time but we won't get anywhere. Being busy is our way of feeling in control of our lives… until our busywork spirals out of control and eventually robs us of life itself.

Whew! this must be the effect of exposing myself to too much firecracker smoke. 

How about you? How’s your first Monday of 2011? 

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What Makes Filipino Woman Happy?

What do women want? Freud asked the question nearly 100 years ago and confessed that his "thirty years of research into the feminine soul" left him unable to answer one great question: "What does a woman want?"

This question definitely elicits intense interest among us. That is why statistics is also trying to find answers to this question. Last week, I came across this very interesting article entitled “What makes Women Happy?” by Dr. Romulo A. Virola, Secretary General of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB).

Dr. Virola reported that women in the Philippines rank food a lot higher than their sex life among the main things that make them happy based on the recent NSCB survey. The poll also concluded that, both Filipino men and women ranked family, health and religion in that order as the three most important things that made them happy.

Pinay respondents, however, put food in fifth place, just ahead of work. Love life came 10th and and sex life at 18th, just one rank above the bottom.

For the Pinoy Machos, love life figured in 6th place and sex life 10th, with food at 9th. So you see ladies? Sex is not the only thing occupying Pinoy’s mind – at least food ranked before sex. Ha ha. 

click image to enlarge

"This is easy to trivialise, but the unmet expectations for love and sex by either partner can surely lead to problems, and must be managed properly and professionally," Virola wrote on the NSCB website.

Naturally, for the poor Filipinos, men ranked their sex, love lives and food at the top while women said family, love life and food were top of their lists.

I’m not a fan of surveys, especially if you’re measuring happiness because we know that different individuals have different definitions and sources of happiness. Maybe they should include sabong, because it makes my Tatay very happy, or videoke singing because we all love to sing.

For the most part of, the results are obvious. These are literal and basic requirements for human needs and happiness – which reminds me of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

How about you, what makes you happy?

________________
Source: Virola, Romulo A. "What Makes Women Happy?"

Almost Quitting » Seven Things I Do When Blogging is Freaking Me Out

I told myself not to post rants on this blog, but hey, I first made this for that purpose. So here I am again, writing random thoughts. I don’t know why I am crazy enough to own a blog and spend most of my evenings on this. In fact I don’t really know why I like blogging, but I do.

With millions of blogs out there, I fear I might just fail on this project one day. All of a sudden I feel like I’ve lost all my inspiration, I begin to cringe why I’m not achieving my blogging goals and I wonder what else I can do apart from hitting that “I QUIT” button.

I don’t want this blog to be just another “internet trash” that serves no purpose. No!… I am not going to get sentimental about this. No, not today. 

Really? Then why not get serious and divert these useless rants into something worth sharing!

Ok dear conscience, let’s try diverting this negative energy into something. Let’s try writing this useless, childish rants and try finding some sensible answers to it. This is me talking to myself again.

1. I must define my purpose. Why the hell am I Blogging?

By far this is the most fundamental question I should ask myself. Why the hell I am blogging? I came across some bloggers who say blogging can make you rich in a couple of months. I do some research and found out they are sadly mistaken. I am sure that none of this has happened in the history of blogging. Please do correct me if I’m wrong.   

Lately, I noticed that I’m developing a passion to blog, particularly on topics I like and I find it really rewarding. To add on, I like helping others through blogging by sharing my experiences. Hopefully this will put this blog ahead further.

2. I must do some planning.

What is my blogging plan for the next week? Have I outlined a set of goals concerning the things I want to achieve for the next month? Have I chosen the right topic for my next post and do some extra research or am I just blogging about useless personal rants because everyone is blogging about it?

3. I must learn from other bloggers.

When I am on my way to quit, I do bloghopping. I join forums and comment like crazy. It’s rewarding. Yes it cost me some precious time, but I think if I’m having some trouble, or having those uninspiring moments, all I need is a group of experienced bloggers to help me out. Thank you fellow bloggers, visitors and readers especially those who are sharing their thoughts here. You may not know it but you are helping me in a lot.

4. I must catch up on my reading.

While thinking of my commenting practices, I realized that if I am only bloghopping from one blog to another, looking for posts to comment on every week without actually reflecting on how that blogger can come out with that interesting topic, then I am not doing the right thing. Yes I know it is part of networking, and all that heady SEO stuff but there must be a higher purpose for that activity – it’s the search for inspiration, and of course to make blog envy as my motivation.  

However, this is one sure thing – I will learn much more and share more ideas if I will spend more time reading books, magazines, and newspapers.

5. I must break out, not freak out.

Am I too comfortable in my comfort zone? Am I blogging in that same similar way that I used to 6 months ago? Why do I sometimes fear that changing my blogging style will drive my visitors away?

These are all the questions that are running through my head right now.

But I should not start cursing, rant or whine; although that is a great attention getter for a short period of time. I realized that it is only when I break out with my comfort zone, I will begin to start learning something. I must try some experimenting. Who knows it might propel this blog to greater heights! Yattaaaa!

6. I must discover my own voice through commenting

In the real world, sometimes the best thing to do is to say something instead of just keeping my silence. In the blogosphere, I can do that by commenting on blogs. Sometimes I came across my old comments on other blogs and it’s amazing because it makes me discover my own voice and my own style. I must always remember that in commenting to other blogs, I shouldn’t just regurgitate what the blogger have said on their post. I must ask questions, expand share opinions and ideas. This will not only get their attention but also learn more from the answers.

7. I must take the medicine for bloggers

Let me make this clear - there’s no such thing as a pill for bloggers. Aspirin can cure our headaches but it won’t cure us of our blog miseries. What’s my medicine? Take a blog break. A few days of not logging in to google analytics or checking the webmaster tool or totally disconnecting to the internet. When I do this, I am surprised because that is when ideas come flowing. Some bloggers work better under pressure but for me, time off even for a day or two can turn things around.

WOW, I MADE IT! I diverted my useless rants into something. This really pull me out from the dumps. I think this blog and my blogging journey is worth continuing.

Sorry if I freak out earlier.

Blogging may be for everyone but it certainly won’t bring success to everyone – including me perhaps. But I am enjoying this - that is what matters most. I’m sure success is just a byproduct, and extra income is the side-effect.

Did I miss something here? Let me know your thoughts. I’m listening…

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Happy Coffins Before You Die » How to Leave this World In Style

Would you fancy to ‘leave this world' in style? Leave this transitory life for the eternal afterworld in a colorful and uber-cool coffin that looks like an art canvass or a gift box?

I have previous posts regarding different fashionable ways to kick in the bucket list – wherein we can choose a non-traditional ways of disposing our body or perhaps a customized tombstone. Accordingly, I was amazed by this news in a broadsheet yesterday about a Singaporean charity which announced the winners of an international art competition to design "happy coffins." The aim is to encourage the elderly and dying to celebrate life, with 3,000 US dollars for the first prize winner.

Actually, when I read about it, I immediately googled it and came across thelifebeforedeath.com. The website features quality of death index, a first ever global study on the quality of death across 20 countries. The site also has a dedicated page for the things you could do and say before you die, a bucket list, last playlist and a legacy galley. It also highlights the winning “happy coffin” designs.

Well, I think these coffins are cool, why not?

The Happy Coffins contest

In July 2010 an international art competition was facilitated by online portal for creativity, Eyeka. A total of 733 entries was received from 37 countries. Artists and designers from Asia, Africa, the Americas, Australia and Europe enthusiastically responded to the challenge to get creative with the most unusual of canvasses – the Coffin.

Participants had to design a coffin for a family member, close friend or someone who had been an inspiration. Or they could choose to design their own coffin. Each entry had to be accompanied by a written sharing of the thought process leading to the final design.

Professional designers were presented the challenge of creating 3 personalized coffins for residents of the St. Joseph’s Home & Hospice (Singapore) or for a family member, close friend or someone who had been an inspiration. Or they could choose to design their own. Six winning designs out of 733 entries from 37 countries were made into personalized coffins in cooperation with a local funeral home. The awesome entries and winners are compiled at the Underground Gallery.

The project was spearheaded by the local Lien Foundation, which favors non-traditional forms of philanthropy. Under the slogan "My Life, My Coffin" the foundation said it wanted to encourage people to think "out of the box" about taboos surrounding death.

The winning designs

First Prize
"Hello Coffin" by Ines Van Gucht, 27 from Belgium

According to Ines

“This coffin is designed for myself so I wanted it to be personal and real.

I have begun thinking about my life, the future, my death and my funeral. These things raise many questions, like – Who will I be? Will I be happy? Will I be happy with what I made of my life? Will there be regrets?

I cannot answer these questions now.  And once I lie in my coffin, I guess these questions won’t matter. The only certainty then is this coffin. That is why I designed my coffin to be my friend - the one who will take care of me after my death.”

Second Prize
"An Inspiring Force" by Ian Lim Wei Ming, 25 from Singapore

According to Ian:

"This coffin is dedicated to my late Art teacher, Ms Ivy Ho Hwee Ting. She passed away in 2002 from Hepatitis B. The image on the coffin is without facial expression because the essence of Ms. Ho’s smiles cannot be replicated in a painting. But her love of sunflowers is clear.

A devoted mentor, she carried on helping us even after she left teaching for further studies. Her love and enthusiasm inspired me to follow in her footsteps and take up design as a career. This coffin is specially created in appreciation of her"

My Pick among the Merit Prize

My Favorite Things in Life by Martin Matera

R.I.P. (Rest In Pride) from Indonesia

Genesis from Indonesia

The Boatman’s Call from  Singapore

Love is Our Life from China

How about you, what would be the design of your coffin? 

16 Funny Things To Ponder About Living in the 21st Century

 1.  The one thing that unites all human beings on the internet, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside we ALL hope that our friends/network will click that "Like" button on our Facebook status.. 

2. There is a very fine line between “Facebook,” "Twitter" and “mental illness.” 

3. The most powerful force in the internet and the whole universe, is gossip. 

4. When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one Filipino policeman who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that policeman is crazy. 

5. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests you think she’s gaining weight. 

6. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why your company has not achieved, and never will achieve, its goals, targets or implement plans for salary increase, that word would be “meetings.” 

7. The main accomplishment of almost all organized protests and rallies is to annoy people who are not in them. 

8. If God who created the entire universe with all of its glories, decides to deliver a message to humanity, He will NOT use, as His messenger, that guy on IBC 13, wearing red suit with fake smile who wants to be Philippine President. 

9. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them. 

10. You should not confuse your LIFE with career and money. 

11. A person who is nice to you, but rude to the fastfood waiters and salesladies, is not a nice person. 

12. Your friends love you, don't doubt that. 

13. Friends come and go, that's normal. If your enemies is accumulating - that's abnormal

14. Nobody cares if you can’t sing well in a videoke bar. Just get up and sing.. 

15. The battle of the sexes ended a few decades ago, too many already betrayed their own and joined the other side. 

16. A man usually feels better after a few winks, especially if she winks back.

Comments, Thoughts? Any additional points to ponder you might want to add?

The Shortest Movie Review » The Twilight Saga

Image Source: Worth.com

"The Lord of the Rings is about friendship and supporting others during life’s trials, Harry Potter is about inner strength, facing adversity and confronting fears, The Twilight Saga is about how important it is to have a boyfriend."

--yodz insigne--

Nocturnal Wisdom » Thou shall not sleep at seven in the evening

I don’t know if it it’s worth writing what I have to say, because basically I am talking to a half-sleep idiot – which is myself. But I’ll say it for the two or three of you who are not. 

I only got three hours sleep last night because of watching that damn TV series “The Legend of the Seeker” which, by the way, lacks depth. After watching a few episodes I find it has a very common story plot – but I’m still planning to finish season one, and even bought season two DVD. Isn’t it idiotic? Well, still nothing beats Heroes, Lost and Prison Break.

Nocturnal wisdom

But I digress, I force myself to wake up early for work – sleepy and edgy the whole day, drink a bottle of beer at 6:00 p.m. while waiting for the heavy rain to get heavier. I felt really tired and wish that a lightning would perhaps strike that nearby tree or the radio antenna of the adjacent Paragon building – you know, just to break the damn monotony of this damn Monday. Karen Carpenter is right – rainy days and Mondays always get me down.

Expecting nothing unusual will happen today, I decided to go home and violate the bachelor’s unwritten commandment – Thou shall not sleep as early as seven in the evening. 

The annoying thing is that I wake up before midnight having these random thoughts about life. I cannot force myself to get back to sleep so I grab my laptop and decided to write my random midnight rants. 

Here’s  my self-help nocturnal wisdom:

Opportunity is not a talking peacock

I repeatedly ignore opportunity so maybe it loses its interest in me too. I now realize that opportunity is like a bird suddenly showing itself one sultry afternoon at the veranda. Because I thought it is just a common bird I see everyday, I immediately lose interest and turn my back on it. Then it spread its wings as it flew away, showing its bright and rare color hiding underneath – but of course, I missed it, because I’m impatient and turned my back on it. If I look a little longer and waited, I might saw it and be able to grab it. I beg to disagree to those who are saying that opportunities are rare; it is actually presenting itself to us everyday, the problem is how we look at it. It’s not always appearing as the flamboyant-talking peacock saying “Hey moron! I am opportunity, would you like to grab me?”

I always leave self-discipline on my pillow when I wake up

I always buy a Stradmore organizer at the start of every year. Written on the first few pages of it are the things I accomplished the previous year and what I intend to accomplish for the coming year. For the past three years I realized that I haven’t fully accomplished what I set three years ago – because I lack self-discipline. I always start a plan or project with fiery enthusiasm for a few months, only to be neglected and abandoned without any solid result. I can’t imagine what I could have accomplished if I could simply get myself to follow through on my best plans and intentions no matter what and if only I could always carry with me the art of self-discipline. 

Next time, don’t leave discipline on the pillow you bastard!

I guess I need a round of LATIGO whipping

I heard the military are the best teachers of discipline – so maybe educational institutions should include in their curriculum a one month stay in a military academy to learn about discipline? But of course, in any school even in military, they don’t actually teach the important life lessons; like discipline, attitude, and life in general. You have to learn it in the real world, in actual interaction with others and oftentimes learning it all by yourself.

So here I am, in the middle of the night, writing this nonsense and feeling stagnant.  I’ve written a number of blog post about discipline and I know I’m sounding like a crazy cricket here, repeatedly screaming meaningless and annoying noise in the middle of the night.  I guess what I need now is a round of whipping with a latigo – yes, that old trick of gaining self-discipline over our behaviors with the latigo (Filipino term for a whip).

However, self-flagellation with a latigo is a crazy 14th century practice of those obsessed Opus Dei members. Hence, I just make an acronym for LATIGO to make a convenient way to remember self-discipline.

What? An acronym for LATIGO? Yeah I know you’re probably thinking of those corny Filipino acronyms like I.T.A.L.Y. (I Trust And Love You) – I can’t believe they even make it a movie title, or C.H.I.N.A. (Come Here I Need Affection) or the worst - P.H.I.L.I.P.P.I.N.E.S. (Pumping Hot.. I Love It! Please Please.. I Need Erotic Stimulation!)

All right, all right let’s stop it. Here’s my acronym for L.A.T.I.G.O. (Lifelong Attitude Towards Initiating Goals Outstandingly)

See? I just gave my own definition of self-discipline meaning:

SELF-DISCIPLINE = LATIGO (Lifelong Attitude Towards Initiating Goals Outstandingly) 
{Applause! Applause!}
 
Ok, I’m not yet sleepy but I’ll stop this nonsense. Maybe a few pages of Umberto Eco’s Turning back the Clock and a glass of warm milk will help me get back to sleep.

…Oh shit, the milk carton is empty.

I didn’t expect comments but if you would like to drop one, I’ll appreciate it. Goodnight and Good morning folks!

The Tyranny of My Second Mind

Looking at my feet, I walked, and did not notice the rain,
Till the gentle droplets reached my brows and fall like tears,
With clouded thoughts, I stride the deserted street,
The jeepneys were gone, and men also few.

Annoyed being ignored, the rain got furious,
I heard its million drops hit the battered asphalt,
Forming a king’s crown as its journey ends,
And in my hands I saw my dreams, abandoned like a child.



Yet blamed my other mind that fractured my resolve,
Than I reviled my existence and myself,
For subjecting my sacred vow,
Upon the tyranny of my second mind. ***

- random poem by Yodz -

[Reflections on losing discipline, indecision and losing focus. 

Written during during the typhoon "Karen"] 

20 August 2008, Mandaluyong City. 

Notes:__________________________

***Paulo Coelho, the famous author of “The Alchemist” said that we have two minds, first is the one we use in decision making and is used for logical thinking, the other one is the random thoughts and most of the time, uncontrolled. If you wake up with a song that just keeps playing in your mind, humming a melody without lyrics like a “ta-de-dum…la la la” thing, well that is your second mind doing its trick. In my case, I consider my second mind as my evil mind. Maybe that’s why Paulo Coelho strongly suggests controlling or in some instances, killing your second mind. [Notes from my post: Tomorrow I Will Kill My Second Thought]

My 2009 in Five Chapters

Chapter 1 

I run into a narrow path under tall trees and thick vines in a vaguely familiar forest. I don’t know what lies ahead but I still keep on running and come to a deep ravine. I fall in; I feel lost – helpless, my judgment became clouded by my foolishness. I feel it will take forever to find my way out. But I feel it is not my fault. I believe I just did the right thing.

Chapter II

I run into the same narrow path under tall trees and thick vines in a vaguely familiar forest. I still keep on running and come to a deep ravine. I pretend I do not see it, and fall in again. I hate myself for being on that same place. I can’t believe I did it again. It will be a long time again to get out. But I feel it is not my responsibility.

Chapter III 

I walk into the same narrow path under tall trees and thick vines in a vaguely familiar forest. I see the deep ravine ahead – but I still fall in. I realize it becomes a habit. I take caution and now my eyes are open. I now know where I am. I get out immediately and take full responsibility.

Chapter IV

I walk down the same path under tall tress and thick vines in a vaguely familiar forest and come to a deep ravine ahead. I walk around it.

Chapter V

I’m looking for another path.     

Here and There - Sudden Wisdom on a Hell Day

While trying to finish my usual 2-page To-Do list today, I suddenly stopped, gave a deep frustrated sigh, stared at all the papers in front of me, and thought of quitting... yes, resigning from this job... I don't know but I'm contemplating on this idea for almost a week now.

Like a choreographed emo moment, the next song played by my player was "I Will Get There" by Boyz II Men...

I will get there, 
I will get there somehow, 
Cross that river, 
Nothing's stoppin' me now, 
I will get through the night, 
And make it through to the other side

But...

How can I be sure that "there" is a better place than "here." I know myself, when my "there" has become a "here", I will simply obtain another "there" that will again look better than "here."

Ahhhhh, hell day it is!

__________________
Image Source: Kamicarus by Egil Paulsen

Warning:Browsing Yahoo Answers can cause Semi-Deep Thoughts Syndrome

To kill my terrible boredom today, I tried searching for some weird stuff using google but it’s just returning junk search results – maybe because I was searching for weird stuff.

Then this question caught my attention “Are there any blind optometrists? Can I sell fire extinguishers in hell?” – It caught my attention because I’m the one who posted this question in Yahoo Answers during one of my bored-to-death-days.   

Yes, I admit, I am guilty of posting crazy questions in Yahoo Answers – because I get crazy answers and it’s fun. To my surprise, I am not the only one doing this. Yahoo Answers has lots of unanswerable, nonsensical, illogical yet funny questions.

While browsing I came across these probing questions, which makes me smile:

WARNING:You should not attempt to do scientific research to answer these questions - semi-deep thoughts syndrome can cause silliness!

• What do we say to God when he sneezes?
• How many Americans are currently frozen in the hope of one day coming back to life?
• What is the percentage of nuts do squirrels lose because they forget where they put them?
• Why do frogs keep trying to cross the road after seeing what happened to their buddies when they tried?
• Where does the fat go when someone loses 30 lbs?
• In what type of container is Styrofoam shipped?
• Who hears the Pope confession?
• Did bald eagles ever have hair?
• Why did Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
• Is there a split between mind and body, and, if so, which is better to have?
  

After reading these questions I felt this semi-deep thoughts swirling in my head - I actually like it because it effectively killed my boredom.

Any answer to these questions? 
Any probing question you want to share in the comments section?

By the way, if there are semi-deep thought questions, there are also semi-deep thought best answers. Check this out:

Q. Name the four seasons
A. Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar

 

Q. Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink
A. Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large  pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists

Q. How is dew formed
A. The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire

Q. What causes the tides in the oceans
A. The tides are a fight between the earth and the moon. All water tends to flow towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature abhors a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins the fight

Q. What guarantees may a mortgage company insist on
A. If you are buying a house they will insist that you are well endowed

Q. In a democratic society, how important are elections
A. Very important. Sex can only happen when a male gets an election

Q. What are steroids
A. Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs

Q. What happens to your body as you age
A. When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental

 

Q. What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty
A. He says goodbye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery         

Q Name a major disease associated with cigarettes
A. Premature death

 

Q. What is artificial insemination
A. When the farmer does it to the bull instead of the cow

Q. How can you delay milk turning sour
A. Keep it in the cow                                    (Simple, but brilliant)

Q. How are the main 20 parts of the body categorised (e.G. The abdomen)
A. The body is consisted into 3 parts – the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain, the borax contains the heart and lungs and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels: A, E, I, O and U                        

Q.. What is the fibula?
A. A small lie

Q. What does ‘varicose’ mean?
A. Nearby

 

Q. What is the most common form of birth control
A. Most people prevent contraception by wearing a condominium  

Q. Give the meaning of the term ‘Caesarean section’
A. The caesarean section is a district in Rome

 

Q. What is a seizure?
A. A Roman Emperor.        (Julius Seizure, I came, I saw, I had a fit)

Q. What is a terminal illness
A. When you are sick at the airport.     

Q. Give an example of a fungus. What is a characteristic feature?
A. Mushrooms. They always grow in damp places and they look like umbrellas

 

Q. Use the word ‘judicious’ in a sentence to show you understand its meaning
A. Hands that judicious can be soft as your face.                

Q. What does the word ‘benign’ mean?
A. Benign is what you will be after you be eight

 

Q. What is a turbine?
A. Something an Arab or Shreik wears on his head

BRILLIANT! BRILLLIANT!