Pablo Francisco: A stand-up comedian

By: Sherwin V. Centeno

Have you ever been to a stand up bar before? Here in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines where I lived, have one but had been closed because nobody is so fond of going there and hearing those comedy acts they perform. In some places all over the world are very much hooked in stand-up comedies and seems enjoying stuff that makes them laugh. Oh, those comedians, they sure know what they’re doing to make you laugh. It helps you forget stress in work, at home, and elsewhere.
The comedy bar is simple, a stage where the performer will perform and couches where the audience would sit there comfortably drinking and eating and laughing their heart out of the jokes that the performer would say. Most of them do green jokes to make everyone laugh and some would sing and impersonate important people you might know of. Most performers here in the Philippines are gays because they are the one who most likely has the guts to do these things and has the talent of performing. It’s very hard to make a big crowd laugh. Little joke in a conversation in a small group would be fine. Inserting little green jokes during talks would simply keep a lively conversation. On a bigger crowd and on stage, oh boy, it would take a talent to fulfil that.

A friend of mine came across Pablo Francisco at youtube.com; a Hispanic- American who was born in Tucson, Arizona. Who grew up of Chilean origin performs live on stage as a stand-up comedian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Francisco). He loves to talk about “green stuff” (you know what I mean). He surely is good at it. He is been performing for quite a while now and has a lot of fans. He can do beat box, change his voice to a woman and a man in an instant and acts along with it. Oh yes, he is really good.
How about you, do you have the talent like this?

Tuggs…tuggs…tugss…boommmmboommmm…

Who rocked the most?

Recently, there has been a battle between the two hottest Korean girl bands namely, 2NE1 and the Wonder Girls. I was kind of addicted in listening to these Korean dance beats which pushed me to write something about them. I have seen their music videos (Fire and Nobody) and I liked them both. I asked some friends of mine who among of the two is the best performer. Some preferred 2NE1 because they are more energetic and have good vocals. Some liked Wonder Girls because they are cute and hot (which I agree).

How about you who among them suits your taste?

Love is a many splendor things

By: Sherwin V. Centeno

Is love really An Splendor Things? Is there true and false love? Well firstly let me define love. When I was still in high school we define or associate love with a bubble gum. It says “Love is like a bubble gum, when it sticks on you, you’ll get crazy.” Grolier dictionary defines love as a) an intense affectionate concern to another person, b) a beloved person. Often used as a term for endearment.

Yes! Love can be a many splendor things because once in love you will do anything for that other person. You get excited when you are about to see him or her, or giving her or him a gift, or going on expensive date to impress you love which may be way out of your budget. Funny but it is true. We tend to buy or do things for someone we love because of the fact we care and love that person. You also sacrifice things for someone you love even if it is your own life. Me my self would do that for my special someone someday. Would you?

What if love fades, would you be the same person as you were once in love? Is this then false love? When we fall out of love, as per experience we also go crazy, you losses your appetite, stay in your room crying your heart out and some may tend to commit suicide, or would you move on with your life and find another love.

Some say that love is a trial and error thing; in which to find your love you have to try a few partners to find the perfect one for you. Some had found it the first time and the easy way. Some found it the long and hard way. Some had mistakenly fall, got married, but still lost that love and feeling.

The song LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDOR THING by Four Aces is one of my old time favorite which inspires me that there is true love.

For now, what I am feeling is A MANY SPLENDOR THING because I am in love and will to do everything for my love. How about you, would you do it, too?

The Moon

By: Sherwin Centeno

After the hard poured rain the last few months, those typhoons that had hit our country seem very stressful for us. Floods and land slides often occur during this time and disaster over certain areas of the country would suspend classes and evacuees are getting bigger each day. News in over the news paper, radios, and television are getting intense and people are getting tense about it.

For the past few days, have you ever tried to look up in the sky at night and gaze on the moon? Have you not notice that recently it had shine so bright as if it is shining on you? Well I have.

The moon is a natural satellite of the earth, visible by reflection of sunlight, having a slight elliptical orbit, approximately 221,600 miles distant at perigee and 252,950 miles at apogee. Its mean diameter is 2,160 miles, its mass approximately one-eightieth that of earth, and its average period of revolution around the earth 29 days 12 hours 44 minutes calculated with respect to the sun as Grolier dictionary defines it.

Riding my motorcycle coming home from a visit from a very charming and pretty lady I knew, I get to glance at the sky and notice the moon brightly shines over me. As I pass by the new bridge connecting Puntod and Kauswagan over the Cagayan de Oro River, I get to wonder and ask does this moon really shine’s over me? Then it hit my head of my old favorite songs MOON RIVER by Andy Williams and FLY ME TO THE MOON by Frank Sinatra. Oh how I wish I could fly to the moon.

The songs give meaning to the moon in relevance of love which you long for and worship and adore. So in others, I LOVE YOU…

So step out from your houses and feel what the moon it trying to say to you.

Nobody: Another Korean Hit

“Nobody But You” is another Korean song that is hitting the airwaves nowadays. I first heard of this song when I strolled along with a friend of mine in a mall and he sang along with the chorus. I was not familiar of the song neither heard of it before. It had a dance beat that everybody seems to love listening to and singing along with the chorus part. The “Wonder Girls”, which is the name of the group, were composed of 5 girls from South Korea. Namely, Yubin, Ye Eun (Yenny), Sun Ye (Sun), Sun Mi (Mimi), and Sohee. The genre of their song were that of Larruso and Las Ketchup who sang the Jamais and the Asereje, respectively. Although, these songs were written in French and Latin, so does “Nobody but You” which was written both in Korean and English were hits in the Billboard charts.

My curiosity drove me to write about this topic. I can relate to the song through experience. I remember a couple of months back I had a very bad break up with someone. He told me that he cannot be the same guy anymore. I wanted our relationship to work out somehow despite of all the obstacles but he just easily closed his door for me. Ouch! That was quick said. Just when you thought that you were match made in heaven but ended up hell of a crap.

Translation

Nobody (english Ver)
You Know I still Love You Baby
And it will never change (saranghae)

I want nobody nobody But You, I want nobody nobody But You
How can I be with another, I don’t want any other
I want nobody nobody nobody nobody

Why are you trying to, to make me leave ya
I know what you’re thinking
Baby why aren’t you listening
How can I just
Just love someone else and
Forget you completely
When I know you still love me

Telling me you’re not good enough
My life with you is just too tough
You know it’s not right so
Just stop and come back boy
How can this be
When we were meant to be

I want nobody nobody But You, I want nobody nobody But You
How can I be with another, I don’t want any other
I want nobody nobody nobody nobody

I want nobody nobody But You, I want nobody nobody But You
How can I be with another, I don’t want any other
I want nobody nobody nobody nobody

Why can’t we just, just be like this
Cause it’s you that i need and nothing else until the end
Who else can ever make me feel the way I
I feel when I’m with you, no one will ever do

Telling me you’re not good enough
My life with you is just too tough
You know me enough so
You know what I need boy
Right next to you is where I need to be.

I want nobody nobody But You, I want nobody nobody But You
How can I be with another, I don’t want any other
I want nobody nobody nobody nobody

I want nobody nobody But You, I want nobody nobody But You
How can I be with another, I don’t want any other
I want nobody nobody nobody nobody

I don’t want no body, body
I don’t want no body, body

Honey you know it’s you that I want, It’s you that I need
Why can’t you see~

I want nobody nobody But You, I want nobody nobody But You
How can I be with another, I don’t want any other
I want nobody nobody nobody nobody

Back to the days when we were so young and wild and free
Nothing else matters other than you and me
So tell me why can’t it be
Please let me live my life my way
Why do you push me away
I don’t want nobody nobody nobody nobody but you

ge

Shoes I Love

“ur body rest in your shoes throughout the day while ur body rest on your bed throughout the night.” forwarded to me by a friend during our chat. We were talking about buying a new pair of shoes which should be long decided but have the hesitations to do so because I am the type of person who does not buy until it gets uglier for me to notice. I will have to set aside an amount to buy the nicest pair that won’t hurt my budget yet considering the brand and durability of the shoes. I have been choosing among a pair of plane white wedge shoes, loafers, and the Classic White Nike Cortez trainers that I really wanted to buy long before.

Nike, a brand type of shoes in which we consider thinking a lot because of its price. Although we all know that its durability and quality is a risk to take in buying. We could say that the name stands for it self. A loafer on the other is a shoe I love to have for better or for worst. A pair I would say “you home”. Your feet feel so comfortable every time you wear these. Oh yeah, the price is also off the chart for a simple working mom who supports two kids. But the wedge, this I have to have. This other pair is like a food that you craved and needs to have it or your day would not be complete with it. The price is in the budget and so I took no hesitation and bought it and took it home with a big smile on my face and felt a satisfaction of a person just eaten a good decent meal.

How about you guys, have you bought your pair of shoes? Make sure the fits and most of all remember to try them first and use you left foot because its larger than your right foot. BUY NOW!!!

My Heart has a Mind of Its Own

Have you ever heard of the song titled “Mind of its Own” by Christian Bautista? Hummmm… This song was not yet released here in the Philippine but was already been sang in Singapore. I heard it in one of his concerts here in Cagayan de Oro and since then I fell in love with it.

A part of the song says in the chorus part:
My heart has a mind of its own
Right or wrong it’s gonna do
Only what it feel is true
I’ll follow it where ever it goes
Anywhere it leads me to
My heart has a mind, mind of its own.

It had touched my life since I heard it. It gave me a turning point in which I consider it a jump start of a new beginning, a new chapter of my life.

Medically, though some would say that the heart dictates the emotions you are feeling right now but anatomically, your hypothalamus (found in the brain) is the one controlling your heart to feel these emotions now, it may be a lost from a loved one, a separation from a family, a death of a best friend. All may be felt, be happy, sad, despair or most of all love which we consider the most common used emotion all over the world, I, my self will say that.

Love! I have lost it, found it and lost it again. Now, I am very much afraid of falling in love again. It hurts a lot to loose the love you thought would last a life time. God had made plans for us but we are the one to decide whether to take it as it is or venture to a path which we knew we might fall down to. Thus hardship and trials will come our way but who knows, we might learn from our mistakes. I have learned some, have you?

The heart is the center of attraction of all because love is being felt by it. Also our life depends on it to live in this world. Blood passes through it and travels to our entire system thus giving it a very important role of every person’s life. Our action of love comes from it though controlled by the brain. For me, the heart gives love a deeper meaning in us all. As another song goes, “love will keep us alive”. Do you agree?

Swine Flu Outbreak

I thought of AH1N1 the newest biological weapon that cruel scientists had created whose aim is to get rich by the increase demand of the vaccine. This was my opinion until I was able to converse with a friend. As our conversation flowed what I believed in turned out to be nonsense. He explained to me the factual cause of the spread of the disease. The rapid spread of the AH1N1 virus was very alarming to the public. It affected more than 100 countries all around the globe. The largest mortality rate caused by the swine flu virus was in the U.S. compared to Mexico, where the virus originated. In the Philippines we have one case of death when it had its first stop here. Some schools here in the city were closed and classes were suspended due to the positive cases of AH1N1. My son should have enjoyed a week’s long vacation. He had been put to bed rest for a couple of days because he had fever and headache. We did not go to see a doctor or let him undergo some medical test to see if he is positive with swine flu. Fortunately, he recovered before the classes resume.

I remember the movie Outbreak way back 1999. It starred Dustin Hoffman whom he tried saving the life of his ex-wife who was contaminated with the Ebola virus. I also watched the documentary of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in a friend’s house a couple of months ago before the AH1N1 pandemic occurred. Going back to me and my friend’s conversation, the Ebola (Hemorrhagic Fever) was said to be the REAL biological weapon. It is spread through direct contact and airborne. Therefore, the film has exaggerated the story where as in the real world according to Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), there was no documented spread among humans as of 2007.

The AH1N1 was considered to be another SARS according to World Health Organization (WHO). The spread of the two viruses are through aerial and contact with the infected person. Base on asiaone.com, the differences between the two are: the swine infected person is contagious before symptoms appear and are at most communicable at the start of the infection while in SARS sufferers are infectious after symptoms start showing and almost all cases will develop symptoms.

The origins of these zoonotic disease outbreaks were the monkey, the cat or a bat, and the pig, respectively. When the virus spread on the human host, the body has this compensatory mechanism where in our antibodies will fight for the virus. If the virus is dominant than our antibodies it tends to destroy it and thus leaving the body more vulnerable for more infection. Sooner or later our body gives in to the virus and so death occurs. The infected person has to undergo a lot of diagnostic test and take vaccines so he can boosts his resistance to the virus. The government has extended the awareness program for the preventive measures among its subordinates and to the people.

Way of communication changed over the years

The digital age is taking the lead in communicating with one another and with today’s latest technology and innovation perhaps there is no reason why we can’t break the barriers of communication. In just a matter of seconds we can close a deal right away without exerting much effort in traveling and spending money for a trip just to settle something with a client or a business partner.

I became an internet savvy person when I entered into the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) world. My knowledge in using the computer had expanded. Also, the time spent in front of the PC had increased- thanks to my brother-in-law- provided me with internet connection that had proved to be very useful.

One thing I missed is the old fashion way of communicating. A long conversation on the telephone until your ears burn from the pressure of the handset or simply seeing the person you are talking to. Snail mails, that would take a month or so to arrive to friends or relatives from distant places, were being replaced by the digital-age way of communication.

Webcams and cellular phones are the trend nowadays. Even mobile phone models were upgraded every month to catch up with people’s lifestyle. You can send messages, do unlimited calls 24/7, regardless what network you are hooked to attempt to outdo the competition. Of course, there is also the popular and widely used Yahoo Messenger, Skype, Eyeball and among others as ways of communicating using the World Wide Web. You just add the email address of your contacts and there you can instantly chat, talk and even simultaneously see them online. The electronic mail (e-mail) is one of the services that the internet can provide to people who have no time of snail mails. All you need is just an e-mail account from the various websites such as Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, Facebook, Friendster, and a lot more to send and receive electronic letters with just a snap of your finger.

The digital age had improved the way of communication in the workplace, businesses and to people from different walks of life in any part of the globe and has definitely made the world’s way smaller than it used to be.

But sad to say I, myself is not a techie person. The world of technology may evolve around me but I cannot adapt to its fast pace of growth. Hehehehe…

“Till Debt Do Us Part: Practical Tips to Financial Freedom”

I came across an article in The Philippine Star newspaper written by Butch Francisco, a showbiz talk show host of ABS-CBN’s Showbiz Linggo. He had a one on one interview with Chinkee Tan. As far as I could remember, his funny facial expressions on television made me laugh way back in the late 80’s. I even researched on the internet for some important information about him. His real name is Ferdinand Tan, also known as Chinkee Tan in show business. He was one of the members of Randy Santiago’s Hawi Boys, (the cowboy outlaws spoof of Philippine television) who also gave him the screen name, ”Chinkee” because of his chinito eyes. Honestly speaking, I am not a big fan of him and neither watches his shows regularly when he was still active in show business world. What brought me to write this “blog” is that he caught my attention of the book that he had written “Till Debt Do Us Part”, which I think is a very useful guide to financial management. Today, he as a successful entrepreneur, shares his practical tips on how to be debt free. Here are 11 ways taken from the book he wrote:

1. Love your profession. Be a professional. Be excellent in what you are doing. Never be late for work. Do your best. Never take things for granted. What you do not value you lose. You will never know how important it is until you lose it.
2. Save! Save! Save! Remember it is not how much you make that is important but how much money you save. Even if you make P100, 000 a month but if your lifestyle is at P120,000 a month you will be in debt. Even if you make only 20,000 a month but if you live below it you will be far of richer than the one who is making P100,000.
3. Be secure! Never compare yourself with other people. Being envious with other is not healthy. Two negative things happen, it is either you become proud that you are ahead of others or you become sad because others are ahead of you. They are both negative. The question we need to ask ourselves is that “Did you do your best and exert all effort?” If nothing happens it is not God’s will. Wait patiently for your time will come.
4. Invest! Invest! Invest! As you accumulate wealth make sure that invest it in the right places. I personally have invested some of my earnings in real estate and now I am having it leased and it is bringing me income even if I stop working. Questions you need to ask yourself “What if I stop working right now, will I still earn the money I need to support my lifestyle?” Let money work for you and do not work for money.
5. Learn before investing. People often complain about the high cost of learning. Allow me to reason with you about the high cost of ignorance. It is so difficult to earn and save money. But it is so easy to spend it. One wrong decision can cost you lifetime savings. Make sure before you invest ask, study and invest in something you understand. Learn before you earn. Read books, attend seminars and trainings that will enhance you.
6. One caution in investment. Avoid high risk investment. The higher the interest the higher the risk.
7. Diversify. Never put your eggs in one basket. You are only good as your last project. Reinvent yourself. You cannot be popular and stay in demand forever. So use your popularity as leverage in order to create more opportunities for yourself. Get involved in business, as much as possible start something you love to do. If you have no experience in running a business partner with someone who has the experience.
8. Be a wise spender. Avoid overspending and out of control spending. If money comes in too quick there is a tendency for you to spend it also too fast. Since you will have the mindset that more money will come in later. You exposed yourself by buying jewellery, a condo, lot or a car through mortgage or monthly payments. My question is “What if the money making machine stops?” What will happen to things you acquired? It will all be taken away.
9. Buy in cash stay away from debt. When you buy it in cash it is yours. Statistics shows that you tend to spend more if you buy things in credit especially if you use your credit card. Do not fall into the 12 months zero interest scheme. Credit card is the most emotionless and painless way of spending money. But once the billing statement comes “Ouch!” the pain sets in.
10. Be humble and considerate. Keep your feet planted on the ground. Make friends while you are on your way up. Never be arrogant and insensitive. Be careful of what you become in what you pursue in life. The question you need to ask yourself in pursuing your dreams and aspirations in life is, “Is it bringing out the best in me or the worst in me?”
11. Remember money is very relative. The more money you have the more relatives you have. Just like in life, if you are rich and famous you have many friends and people like to hang out with you. But you will only know who your true friends are when you lose everything. Ask those who had been there, done that.

“Hope this information will help and save you from pain and heartaches. As for me I do not believe in the saying “Experience is the best teacher.” Allow me to rephrase it by saying; learning from other people’s mistakes and experiences is the best teacher.” By Chinkee Tan

I thought of buying a copy of this book aside from the “Purpose Driven Life”. Maybe I should save to buy these two useful reading materials which are very good to ponder on.