Poem Twist

Visiting Cyanide and Happiness has become a daily ritual for me. I love the comic's art and especially the humor infused by its writers. Whether the theme may focus on sarcasm, toilet humor or just plain insanity, the comics always completes my day. Take this comic for example. Here is an awesome and funny poem twist to reflect the dark side of relationship reality.


Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

...And Knowing Is Half the Battle

Ah, yes. GI Joe. It was recently the most anticipated movie. Like Transformers, it was extremely adorned with a lot of special effects and advanced computer animation. But I'm not here to talk about the film. I'm want to focus more on the cartoon series of GI Joe.

I've been a big fan of the series ever since I was a kid. I watched every episode and even collected action figures and toys. Even though the cartoon gave a clear message of violence by revolving the plot around the war of good and evil, it still redeemed itself as a show worth watching. This is because at the end of every episode, the GI Joe heroes would deliver brief public service announcements and lessons beneficial to their young viewers. It's too bad that I didn't learn much from them because every time I saw this portion, I knew that the credits would soon start rolling afterwards so I tend to turn off the TV or change channels.

On the case of violence, I guess the GI Joe series back then was not as violent compared to the shows we see today. Have you seen anyone bleeding profusely or actually dying a gory death in any episode? It's a shame that networks today are too and don't uphold the same values as their counterparts in the past did.

Anyway, with that aside, the GI Joe cartoon series made it to the 10 Life Lesson from Cartoon Characters of Beliefnet. Here is the article below by Paul Asay. [Read Full Article]

"G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" actually never aired on Saturday morning. Indeed, syndicated shows like "Joe" spelled the end of cartoon-centric Saturday morning TV as we knew it. But while the time slot was different, the vibe was still the same. These soldiers were all about teaching lessons, all right: teaching America's enemies a lesson in respect. Yo, Joe!

But for a show based on a series of action figures, "G.I. Joe" did have some redeeming qualities. After each episode, soldiers would offer a brief public service lesson for its young viewers—what to do if you get lost, what to do if your house is on fire—most of which would invariably end with the tagline, "And knowing is half the battle."

And you thought this show was all about selling toys.

Jollibee FTW!

Got this photo from facebook. I just had to share this in my blog. Thanks Steef.

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Gotta Love These Clever Visuals

Different perspectives expressed through a glass:

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Hometown Hero

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I frequently attend seminars given by prominent political and business figures with my dad. He believes it is a good way for me to be exposed to the activities in the community. But none of these talks were as striking as those by Dr. Cecilio Pedro.

I've seen Dr. Pedro deliver a speech twice. One was during Tony Blair's visit in Manila and the other was during the PBSP (Philippine Business for Social Progress) seminar. He is an interesting and admirable orator not only because he is clever and humorous, but also because of the values he conveys. I never saw anyone who is so optimistic, patriotic and religious.

Most businessmen would fold up at the face of crisis but Dr. Pedro himself said that he loves such a situation. In fact, his company was born out of one. I admire his ability to see opportunities in crises and even if there are none, he still believes that threats could be turned to advantages. He keeps on saying that if you want to be an entrepreneur, you should have started yesterday. Such optimistic attitude is what every aspiring entrepreneur should have for them to keep on chasing their dreams despite overwhelming odds.

It is difficult to see what is good about the Philippines given the present condition of the nation. Poverty is on the rise, there are political disputes and taxes are incredibly high. At a glance, a business person would say that the Philippines is not a good place to invest. But attitude can sometimes make all the difference against statistical facts. Dr. Pedro has so much faith in the skills and talent of the Filipino people and what they can achieve. He believes that the Philippines is still the best place to invest because of its unique natural resources. And despite all of the political and economic crises that ravaged the nation, he still didn't think twice of moving his business elsewhere.

Above all, Dr. Pedro's devotion to God is what I admire the most. He puts his faith into practice and applies his duties as a Catholic into his business. Just look at his company's motto. He developed corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs not for the sake of gaining popularity but because he wants to answer God's call to be a Steward of His creation. His company plants trees inside their compound. They also employ deaf-mute staff because Dr. Pedro believes that any disability should not prevent people from having a livelihood.

The message he conveyed during those seminars made me reflect about my current attitude towards life and the direction I'm taking. I realized that I have lost my faith in my country and my countrymen. I have admired other countries so much for their achievements that I've forgotten our own. I've put too much blame on the government that I've forgotten my own shortcomings. I've forgotten how to surrender my self to God and obey without any doubt. But I don't want to simply wallow in shame for my behavior. I want to change. I want to be a better Filipino, a more responsible citizen and a more faithful Catholic.

Dr. Cecilio Pedro may not be the wealthiest man in the country like Henry Sy. He may not own a conglomerate like John Gokongwei. What he has is something greater. It is the power to change lives, motivate people to love their country and redirect them back to God. Dr. Cecilio Pedro can be an excellent role model for many.

Prize Fail

I saw this raffle bowl in the hotel where the PBSP seminar was held. Incase you can't read the words due to the glare, it says, "Drop your calling card here and win a price"