Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Fruit Salad Personality
July 18, 2008
I always look at myself as an eclectic person. A certain mix of culture, lifestyle and competency is running within my system that makes me who I am today.
I can be as brave and decisive because of my military training or I can be as kind and compassionate when the nurse within me prevails.
I can be as fearless and adventuresome because I am an aviator yet I can be an introvert and passionate as a writer.
I can be a bit geeky or nerdie because of my love for computers but I can be mundane and ordinary too. I, too, love the arts as I can sing a tune or strum the guitar.
I can be spiritual and pious because of my religious upbringing and I can be rebellious and unorthodox at the same time.
I love ballads but I can head bang all night long to rock music. I get relaxation from the voice of Enya, yet I also go low with the beat of Flo Rida.
I may be called as a “lad from the barrio” however I can go with the busy and modernized ideologies of city life.
I am a hopeless romantic but I feel my “porn star instincts” always longing to be unleashed.
Indeed, I am a unique person. Variety is my name and monotony is not my game.
But I like my “fruit salad personality”. It is uniquely ME and no other person in this world thinks and acts like me. I am who I am and tha makes me worthy of my own space under the sun.
What I Learned From Kung Fu Panda
June 24, 2008After a long hiatus, I am now here again active and blogging. For so many months, my weblog had been void of inputs and activity. This may be attributed to my very busy schedule and overworked lifestyle.
Now that I am back in circulation, pardon me if I reboot my web life with a qoute from a fellow and infamous blogger, Happy Nest. I don’t want to herald my comeback with a copy from another webbie but Kung Fu Panda is a recent flick where I watched together with my beloved family. Though it is more of an animated movie ideal for kids and the kid-at-heart, I has a lot of lessons that speaks well of “life”. Thus, please allow me to quote a recent blog of Happy Nest.
With my recently acquired laptop and a hand over N-91 phone, I promise you of a more active blogsite in the near future.
Posted under Everyday Good Stuff
This post may contain spoilers.
FIND what motivates you and use it to your advantage! We are motivated by different things. To get fit, one could be motivated by the love for exercise, another by the desire to fit into those 24-inch jeans again. To get our own home, one could be motivated by a garden her kids can run around in, or the freedom from renting pitfalls.
In “Kung Fu Panda,” Po the Panda had difficulty learning kung fu. Quite a major setback when the enemy’s on the way. Eventually Master Shifu figures our how to use Po’s passion for food as a motivation to learn kung fu. Chopstick skills improved Po’s dexterity. Steamed buns could only be earned with the proper strategy. By putting together his hunger for food AND learning kung fu, he was able to master the art beautifully (and amusingly).
Admit to not knowing, and then strive to know. Before the foodie-kung fu puzzle was put together, Master Shifu was at a loss. How do you teach a big eternally-hungry lug to be the Dragon Warrior? Po challenged Shifu to answer, to which Shifu said, “I don’t know!”
Humility is a difficult trait to have. Not knowing may make us feel stupid and lacking. It is a matter of mindset however. Don’t be afraid to not know it all. It is better to find out the answers than to assume. Shifu’s humble admission and dedication to looking for the answer paid off in the end.
While we may work best alone, it helps to get along with others too. The Furious Five (Tigress, Monkey, Snake, Crane and Mantis) were already kung fu experts. While each one was strong, they worked well in fighting Tai Lung with their combined moves. Po, being the greenhorn, had trouble fitting in. By patiently building a friendship with them, his stay at the Palace became more comfortable and his training more focused.
There are a lot of things we feel we can do better on our own. Nothing wrong with that. Always remember though that there are people who can help us be more efficient, effective. And hey, it doesn’t hurt to laugh with someone in the middle of a busy day!
Take what is there and make the best out of it. Oogway kept repeating, “There are no accidents.” I still don’t buy this as much because it’s hard to believe everything is solely left to fate. But what I like about this thought is the attitude of being proactive. We could jail ourselves with thoughts of “should’ve been’s” and “what if’s,” but why waste time on that? Take what is present and do the best that you can with it.
I thoroughly enjoyed and loved “Kung Fu Panda.” It’s been a long time since an animated film has me laugh so much. It’s a great film for kids too. I think I’ll watch it again!
Quotable Quotes
February 9, 2008While surfing through the internet and reading online newspapers, I came across this online article from a link at the Philippine Daily Inquirer. I found it very interesting and I thought this is worth sharing to all of you.
13 quotes that can lift your spirits
I KNOW that you know that every cloud has a silver lining, and that there is no day but today. That while the grass is greener on the other side, you’ll never know what’s missing till it’s gone. I’m sure you also know that a smile is a frown turned upside down, and that when you smile, the world smiles with you. You’ve tried and tried until you’ve achieved success, because you thought that if others can’t, why couldn’t you?
You have to admit that one can find solace in classic lines. Quotable quotes may sound absolutely cliche, but I’ve come to discover thirteen quotes that never fail to pull me out of the gutter. Perhaps they can help you when you need some picker-uppers too.
1. The quote for when you need to bring back focus on the blessings you have now or for thanksgiving. In other words, when you feel like the world is depriving you of goodness, you can center yourself with the quote below.
“I live in a space of thankfulness, and I have been rewarded a million times over for it. I started giving thanks for small things, and the more thankful I became, the more my bounty increased. That’s because what you focus on expands, and when you focus on the goodness in your life, you create more of it.”
– Oprah Winfrey
2. The quote for when you feel the world is pulling you in all directions and you feel like you need to choose just one.
“No other success can compensate for failure in the home.”
– David McKay
3. The quote for when you feel you’re stuck with the chores again.
“Thank god for dirty dishes, they have a tale to tell. While others may go hungry, we’re eating very well.”
– Anonymous
4. The quote for when you’re too lazy to fix the house. Also see #3.
“Wash the plate not because it’s dirty nor because you’re told to wash it, but because you love the person who’ll use it next.”
– Mother Teresa
5. The quote for when you are beginning to get sick of routine.
“You must always be intoxicated. That sums it all up; it’s the only question. In order not to feel the horrible burden of Time which breaks your back and bends you down to earth, you must be unremittingly intoxicated…”
– Charles Baudelaire
6. The quote for when you are getting a mental block or when you wonder whether all this writing will lead somewhere or when you need to feel the rush of creating something.
“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”
-– Dead Poets Society
7. The quote for when you are doubting your talents.
“Each of us has the opportunity to change and grow until our very last breath. Happy creating.”
–- M.J. Ryan
8. The quote for when you are feeling indecisive or when you’re feeling taken for granted or when you feel like you’re one big doormat.
“I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.”
-– Invictus by William Ernest Henley
9. The quote for when you are going scaredy cat on something you’ve never done before.
“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”
— William Shedd
10. The quote for when you want to be reminded what it’s like to be outside your comfort zone.
“I feel infinite.”
– Charlie, from The Perks of Being A Wallflower
11. The quote for when you’re going soft on an opportunity that has opened up for you out of sheer fear or laziness.
“You can’t accomplish anything worthwhile if you inhibit yourself. If life teaches you nothing else, know this for sure: When you get the chance, go for it.”
– Oprah Winfrey
12. The quote for when you start comparing yourself to others and feel bad because you just don’t measure up (you think).
“People talk about the meaning of life; there is no meaning of life — there are lots of meanings of different lives, and you must decide what you want your own to be.”
– Joseph Campbell
13. The quote for when there is backbiting or impatience is coming or you feel like shouting or there are emotional vampires around you.
“No to negativity.”
– My friend and I
So here are 13 quotes that I hope help pull you out of any situation that makes you want to bop your head on the table or just hole up in your room. Classic lines like these can help us feel a little bit better. I hope they work for you!
http://blogs.inquirer.net/happynest/2008/02/07/13-quotes-that-can-lift-your-spirits/
The Homecoming
February 3, 2008I love my hometown Iloilo and I’d always been wanting to go there. However due to a very hectic schedule, demands of the job and my own family, and the high cost of traveling nowadays, I tend to go there on special occasions and on urgent situations.
Just recently, I came to visit Iloilo and Kalibo because of the demise of a love-one. Sad as it may seems, mourning did not hamper me from rekindling my ties and memories. Here are some of the photos to document my "homecoming"…
Upwind at the NAIA Aerodrome
Small Water Fall Where I Used to Take a Swim as a Child in my Mother’s hometown in Aklan.
Scenic View of a River in Malinao, Aklan
Same River from another Angle
Nature at its Best
Ricepaddoies along the Road
Reddish Soil
Homeward bound… Sunset at the New Iloilo Airport
The Aviator’s Psalm
December 19, 2007The LORD is my co-pilot; I shall not be in want.
He takes hold of the ignitions and breathes life into my engines; he leads me to safe full powered takeoffs and calm crosswinds,
He restores me to my senses as I get hold of the yoke. He guides me to safe flight paths and clear skies so that I can always fly back to the ones I love.
Even though I fly though a valley of clouds and thunderstorms,
I will fear no evil,
for He is with me;
my trusted instruments and indomitable wings which He has blessed,
they comfort me.
He prepares a safe landing field before me
be it in the presence of engine quits or planned landings.
He provides me with the overflowing wisdom - to remember what’s on my checklist and strength and coordination - to recover from unusual attitudes.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
as my gears shall touchdown firmly and safely on tierra firma in all my days of flight
and my plane and I will come all in one in piece at the hangar of the LORD
forever.
Weather Wisdom
October 11, 2007They say that no pilot is brave enough to fly towards a ravaging storm and weather flying is the most dreaded situation that any aviator, both professional and amateur, would not want to be placed into. Thus, as airmen who take the blue yonder as our workplace and the cockpit as our office desk, we must keep to mind essential wisdom about the weather. Here are 12 important facts that we all need to keep in mind.
12 Steps to Understanding Weather Wisdom
By Richard L. Collins
March 2007
Tidbits on the Basics
A lot of pilots are satisfied to fly away with the terminal forecasts and metars (in plain language, please) and I suppose that might meet the letter of the law on weather information. But there is so much more than that to weather and the pilot who puts some effort into understanding weather, and how it affects his flying, will find less weather-related surprises as a flight unfolds. Let's look at some of the basics that are available to us and see what we learn from them.
The Synopsis: Maybe the word is misunderstood, but as it appears at the beginning of an area forecast it is basically a description of the weather map. It is followed by a clouds and weather forecast. Do pay attention to the note "Non MSL hgts denoted by AGL or CIG." That means cloud bases are generally above sea level except where noted. Big difference in the mountains. Why is this basic item important? The location of high and low pressure areas and fronts tells a lot about the conditions that will be available for flying. If a trip is headed toward a low or a front, conditions will likely deteriorate the closer the airplane gets to the condition. Tops will probably be higher and bottoms lower. At lower altitudes, there will likely be turbulence in the frontal zone. This may not be wing-bending but it will make the flying more difficult and any passengers less comfortable. We have to be careful with weather maps. The ones on TV in the morning generally show weather for the whole day. For flying, we need to know what is expected to exist at a specified time. Official prog (for prognostic) charts are available on the web at adds.aviationweather.noaa.gov. There is a lot of other good stuff there, including a useful icing forecast. Lows: Low pressure areas are more important to flying weather than high pressure areas because the lows make the inclemencies that challenge us. The circulation around a low is counter-clockwise in the northern hemisphere and air flows around and into a low and then circulates upward. Low pressure areas almost always move, though they can become stationary or erratic in their movement. The normal movement of a surface low is roughly with the wind flow at the 500-millibar level, or about 18,000 feet. The prog charts will show the projected movement of lows, or you can look at the 18,000-foot wind forecast and visualize the movement. Upper lows are just that: complete circulations aloft. They are complex, it is difficult to forecast the formation, movement or dissipation of an upper low, and they can make nasty weather over a wide area. Called cut-off or closed lows aloft, if one is overhead nearby, the best surface forecast is for continuous clag. Any surface low might not be directly below the low aloft, and the air swirling into the surface low and then up into the low aloft can be quite bothered. Bad place to fly. Fronts: They come in cold, warm, stationary or occluded versions. The cold variety can spawn serious thunderstorms, especially when the low is strong and the temperature difference on the warm and cold side of the front is great. Warm fronts make for inclement weather over a wider area and can harbor embedded thunderstorms. Occluded fronts, generally found where a cold front overtakes a warm front because of an exceptionally strong circulation around a low, can make for nasty, bumpy flying. This is especially true just as the fronts are starting to occlude. Stay as far away from the driving low as possible. Stationary fronts come when a low peters out or moves so far away that the circulation is no longer strong enough to move the fronts. The weather might stay bad for days in a stationary frontal zone and only the development of a strong new low will change things. If all the parameters for a front are not met, the condition might be called a trough and, to a pilot, it might seem for all the world like a real front. Source Regions: That's simply where the air is coming from. Visualize the flow around the low and if the source of the low-level air along your route is moist, as in that coming from over the oceans or the Gulf of Mexico or California, then there will be plenty of ingredients for clouds and rain. The stronger the flow, the more important this becomes. Wind: A complete pilot studies wind, especially surface and wind aloft forecasts. If the forecasts are bang-on, that means the model of the atmosphere is accurate and the other forecasts should be pretty good. If the wind forecast is incorrect, then the other forecasts might be too. Generally, a wind that is more southerly or easterly than forecast means the surface weather will be worse than forecast. A stronger wind than forecast means that the low pressure area causing the wind is stronger than forecast. Wind shear is important, too. Defined as a change in direction and/or velocity over distance or height, wind shear can result in enthusiastic turbulence and can create low-altitude hazards around airports. There is always wind shear in frontal zones and where areas of strong wind (jet streams, streaks or cores) aloft interact with areas of lighter winds. Temperature & Dewpoint: This is really basic, but these items give clues to a lot of things. We learn early and often that if they are close, the flying weather suffers. They are especially important as the day is ending and beginning, when a small spread can result in rapidly deteriorating weather after sunset, or fog at and just after sunrise. If there is a big difference in the temperature and dewpoint ahead of and behind a cold front, there is probably a lot of action in the frontal zone. Also, if the temperature aloft is warmer than forecast, that means more moisture. The ability of the atmosphere to hold moisture doubles with every 11 degrees Celsius rise in temperature. That is why, when the talking heads say a heavy rain would have been so much snow, they don't know what they are talking about. Convective Sigmets: Looking at weather products, the convective sigmet comes across as one of the most useful. It is not a forecast, but a statement of fact about the existence of thunderstorms. Many feel the proliferation of weather radar information makes the convective sigmet obsolete, but for pilots without weather in the cockpit, it is a well-defined heads up about significant thunderstorm activity. Airmets: Airmet Sierra is for IFR conditions and/or extensive mountain obscuration. Tango goes for moderate turbulence, sustained surface winds of 30 knots or greater and/or nonconvective low-level wind shear. (Severe turbulence would be covered in a sigmet.) Zulu describes moderate icing and forecast freezing level heights. (Severe icing would be covered in a sigmet.) Years ago the information in airmets was covered by something they called "warnings to light aircraft." That is really what they are to this day: A warning to investigate thoroughly and make the decision that what is described by an airmet won't create a hazard during a proposed flight. Many feel airmets paint with too broad a brush, but if pilots take them as a message to look closely into conditions, they serve a useful purpose. TAFs: Terminal aerodrome forecasts are cranked out four times a day, starting at 0000Z. The first thing to understand about them is that they are, like so many things, better when fresh. So, while the terminal forecast goes out 24 hours from the issue time, the early part is likely to be more accurate than the later part. And the more recently it was issued, the better. The TAF is just for the area around the airport and while it is possible to get some idea of weather along a route from a collection of TAFs, that might not work too well in areas where the forecasting locations are far apart. Metars: These are statements of fact, or at least of conditions measured at an airport. The important thing about them is that for VFR or IFR, if the weather reported in a metar is anywhere near the minimum for the operation at hand, then everything becomes open to question. If it's close, it might be below minimum conditions out here or over there or wherever. Close to minimum conditions suggests coming up with a better idea if VFR. For IFR operations, reported weather close to minimums calls for an alternate plan and plenty of extra fuel. The weather in the area where you would transition from instrument flying to visually acquiring the runway might be a lot worse than that reported at the airport. Pireps: These are always good but must be taken with a grain of salt. The age of the pirep is important because weather can change rapidly. Also, the type aircraft (as compared with your type) has a lot of meaning. Ice is different if the speed of the aircraft is different, and turbulence would undoubtedly be one thing to an A380 and something else to a light-sport airplane. Precipitation: This used to be somewhat of a mystery, with information available only before takeoff and in reports from controllers willing to talk about the subject to en route aircraft. Now, with weather in the cockpit, there is a relatively low-cost way to have information about precipitation in the airplane, and this is an extremely important part of putting all the information together and using it to avoid bad things. Precipitation information is often thought of as related mainly to IFR airplanes and thunderstorms. With a complete cockpit weather system, lightning, cloud tops, cell movement and other information are included to give a pilot as complete a thunderstorm picture as possible. That's great, and precip and storms are important to VFR pilots, too, who can use the big picture to avoid areas of rain and thus marginal VFR or worse conditions. Make it a baker's dozen: Eyeballs & the Seat of Your Pants: A huge factor in dealing with weather is what you see and feel. No FAA products or electronics here, just a pilot, an airplane, a proposed flight and the sky. It starts at home (or at the motel) before the flight. What do the clouds look like? Are they angry in appearance? Are the low-level clouds racing by? What is the surface wind velocity and direction? Is it raining like pouring Pepsi out of a boot? Is it cold out? Certainly that first look at the local conditions defines what you should be looking for in the products available for study before takeoff. No way to know, but I would be willing to bet that of the many airplanes we lose in bad weather every year, the pilot had some misgivings from the start, from his first look out the window before the flight. I would also bet that those misgivings increased as the various products were studied. If it was a VFR flight, things only went downhill after takeoff, as the pilot studied the weather out the windshield. If it was an IFR flight, the increase in misgivings came with the sting of wind shear or convective turbulence, or of heavy rain on the windshield, or of a view of absolutely nothing at the decision altitude on an approach. These bad omens are not things that a pilot can become aware of in a metar/TAF briefing. They are things that can become obvious in a 12-step program dedicated to minimizing the increased risk we find when making a plan either to mix it up with inclement weather in light airplanes, or to go to the picture show instead.
What’s In My Name?
October 10, 2007Browsing through other people's blogs, I came across the posts of Markie. In one of his scribblings, he made mention of a site which gives you the meaning of you names. Tickling my fancy, I gave it a try and found out the following:
Jose Romulo
Solid, dependable and hardworking you have a fairly conservative approach to life and know that organisation gets results. With enormous courage and discipline you overcome difficult situations by tackling them head on. You have great maturity, able to balance your mind and emotions to reach sound decisions. Your talents and determination are likely to lead to a great deal of worldly success.
Jose - God shall add "Hebrew"
You are idealistic and intelligent and very much an all or nothing person.Tending to experience constant change in life security is found in your real and abiding values. With great organisational ability, industry and creative prowess you love to build tangible results and are especially gifted at transforming lost causes. Your intelligence is marked with keen perception and analytical ability. A secure home life and relationship are important for you.
Romulo
Energetic and courageous you stand up for your beliefs and for what you desire. You are independent, strong willed and fiercely competitive when needed although your ambition is tempered with patience. You maintain a positive attitude and with a more organised or practical approach to life material success is very likely. Your immensely loving and generous nature brings joy into peoples lives and ensures your happiness.
Likened to horoscopes or numerology, these stuff give us an insight of our own selves. Though these schools of thought are still contested, there is no harm in trying to apply it into our selves and have an opportunity for introspection. For I believe that "understanding of the universe begins with the self."
Thanks, Markie!
In My Darkest Hour
September 23, 2007There are times in our lives that we seemed to be carrying the whole weight of the world on our shoulders. There are times when everybody seems to demand from you but you only have this much to give. There are times when there are a lot of things to be done yet you only have this much time to spend. There are times when you feel money makes things happen yet you only have a peso on your pocket.
There are times when I felt so vulnerable. There are times when I felt I'm all alone. These are times when it seems there is no light at the end of the tunnel. These are my darkest hours!
This song uplifts my soul in times of tribulations. This song revives me from sorrow, pain and tears. This song reminds me that there is Someone I can turn to in my darkest hours.
Hangad - In Your Darkest Hour (Hangad)
In your darkest hour, did you see Me?
In your deepest sorrow, did you feel My comfort?
In your loneliness, did you take My outstretched Hand?
Your darkness is Mine too, and your sorrows I do share,
In your brokenness, My child, I am there.
In your time of pain, I embraced you,
Soothed your wounded spirit, whispered words of courage,
Led you by the hand when you knew not where to go.
For your darkness is Mine too, and your sorrows I do share,
In your brokenness, My child, I am there.
And My Hand shall never leave you.
You are Mine, My child.
Cast your load upon Me and rest your weary heart.
As is now and will always be:I am there.
And My Light shall never fail you.
You are Mine, My child.
I bring you a new day to renew your life and hope.
May you always remember,My child, I am there.
That in your darkest hour, you will see Me.
In your deepest sorrow, you will feel My comfort.
In your loneliness, you will take My outstretched Hand.
For your darkness is Mine too, and your sorrows I do share,
My child,I am ever there.
When again that hour comes,
When again the night sets in,
I am ever there, My child,
And the dawn again I'll bring!
Street-Smart Wisdom
August 21, 2007
- Every thing in this world has value and relevance. You can't pay for minimum fare unless you have two 25 cents on our pocket.
- We must be always prepared for whatever may happen. Anything can go wrong - burst tires, warm aircon, engine trouble…
- Life has its inequalities. Other people ride luxury cars while others commute on PUVs.
- Life is what we make it. In order to reach one's destination, he has the option of walking, taking the jeepney, bringing his car, or hailing a taxicab. The choice greatly depends on one's decision and preference and on how much cash he has on his pocket.
- Expect a bumpy ride. There are a numerous stretch of concrete streets around yet there are dirt roads too.