End Of Another Week

Another week has ended and once again we have entered into another weekend to rest and revitalize ourselves. Since my folks are currently on their holiday, I have been left with the responsibility of handling various tasks in our office, while still running my own marketing firm. It’s not really as hectic as my Dad has a solid team of people who pretty much can run things temporarily while he’s out. All I do is just do some basic checking and see if there’s anything needed to be signed or cleared.

While I was having dinner earlier, I suddenly felt alone (my sister came home late, so I went and ate without her). The alone I felt wasn’t sad at all, but rather calm and peaceful. And I thought if my daily life would be like this, it would be kinda boring after awhile. A home really needs a family and people to make it feel alive, else it would be just another house.

Being in the contemplative mood, I also wondered if I will ever get married in this lifetime. I’m not being dramatic and I’ve said it all along, that if possible I want to get married early like before I reach 28-29. I am currently closing in at 26 and the chances look bleak. Anyway, I’m not really the type who dwells on such things much, it’s just that of late there’s been so many wedding proposals. I’m getting quite sick of them really, I think due to so many proposals happening around me, I feel that it’s becoming a bit of an overkill. At least I can count on getting a couple of nice, free meals from all the wedding receptions I’ll be attending from now till 2010. Currently, most weddings are scheduled only up till 2010, maybe next year I’ll get more invites for post-2010 weddings.

On other news, the weather today is hot and humid. I do find it quite odd, usually once October comes in the weather usually cools down. Global warming and environemental changes must be really starting to kick in. Also, because of the current weather, it seems like Christmas season hasn’t kicked it yet. I mean, this is the Philippines and we treat Christmas like a long await event. Usually once the ‘ber months kick in, people quickly associate it as the start of Christmas. It is now nearing the end of October and I have yet to feel the ’spirit’.  Maybe it’s not just the weather, the economy has been pretty steady but definitely been affected by the number of local and international crisis we have experienced the past decade or more. People might be spending less (though I doubt it), they probably have just less to spend so many being all Christmas-y isn’t the best way to go.

I don’t know, maybe it’s because I am older now or maybe it’s different times we live in now, but Christmas doesn’t seem to be the same as before. It felt so vibrant and alive back then. I couldn’t wait for Christmas when I was a kid and even though we weren’t doing as well, we were happy living within our means. I didn’t need expensive gifts or extravagant decorations, all I needed was that Christmas was a time where we could spend time together as a family and with our immediate families. This is funny coming from a guy who doesn’t believe in Christianity and yet is a baptized and confirmed member of the Catholic church. I don’t need those complications to enjoy Christmas, because for me Christmas always meant about bringing our families together.

I wanted to discuss some current issues which might affect certain industries in the Philippines which are giving so much to our local economy, but perhaps I shall do it in another post.

Death Of A President

Today I saw George W. Bush die.

Death Of A President is a fictional political documentary regarding the assassination of current US President George W. Bush.

I have never been a fan of violence, and I am definitely not a fan of the wars that the US has engaged in various Middle Eastern countries. In my opinion, killing is never a solution, if anything, it only aggravates the whole situation. No matter what actions a person has done, he is still a human being, with a life, a family and nobody has the right to take that way.

While the title clearly suggests that this film is about the passing of a President. This film is much more deeper than that it depicts the effects of such an assassination and how people would react to the situation. I thought that it shows the viewer how that hate, racism and inequality is still predominant in present society albeit in different forms. People can talk about equality for all they want but stereotypes still exist no matter where you are and racism is present in our daily life. And many times, I too, have been guilty of this.

In my opinion, a lot of times religion is to blame. How is it that the same thing that unites us, is the very same thing that divides us? How can they say that only Muslim extremists are to be blamed? Or other religions for that fact? I am not familiar with the teachings of other religions but I am quite sure that there is nothing in the Bible that suggests we kill those who oppress our fellow man. Irregardless of religion, I do think the basic ideals behind the teachings is that we must do right by others.

While quotes and religious text are highly susceptible to gross misinterpretation, I would like to share some quotes I read that I find interesting and relevant to modern society:

“America touts itself as the land of the free, but the number one freedom that you and I have is the freedom to enter into a subservient role in the workplace. Once you exercise this freedom you’ve lost all control over what you do, what is produced, and how it is produced. And in the end, the product doesn’t belong to you. The only way you can avoid bosses and jobs is if you don’t care about making a living. Which leads to the second freedom: the freedom to starve.” – Tom Morello, Rage Against The Machine

“I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a “more convenient season.” Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” – 1 John 4:1

“Do not accept anything that you have no knowledge of. Surely the hearing, the sight and the mind you are responsible for.” – The Holy Qur’an, 17:36