the eotw as i know it

A month from now, Sony Pictures will release its Roland Emmerich film, 2012. And if everything stays true to its script about the world ending in 2012, then I have only a little over three years left to maintain this blog, barring any other earlier personal misfortune. Bummer! I wish I could be with you all forever!
But do I honestly think the world will end three years from now? Of course not! Why? Because I believe that no one really knows exactly about the day and hour of this apocalyptic event! The Bible says in Matthew 24:36 that “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” If even the angels in heaven don’t have a clue about it, then, how can I possibly believe any of these human-derived prophecies? And, yes, I am talking about the end of the world as I know it, meaning, the end of all life forms. As in planet earth never even existed in the first place!
So when will the world really end? I have no idea. I’m just trying to write a blog post here. If I knew its exact date for certain– without any shadow of a doubt– I will let you know about it immediately by any means necessary! I will inform you of it on this blog, I will go on national TV, I will tweet you, I will email you, I will put it on my facebook wall, I will text you. Heck, I may even knock on your door to tell you personally about this not-so-sweet news! But I’m just…me, a fickle-minded human being who always makes mistakes! Sigh.
The gist of the 2012 film tackles the earth’s doomsday scenario as taking place around the Mayan civilization’s supposedly end-of-cycle date which is December 21, 2012. At about this time, a series of terrifying natural disasters are presumed to take place worldwide culminating in earth’s eventual destruction! And how an ancient race even came to specify this ominous date is beyond me! All I know is what I’ve only seen on TV, that their knowledge of astronomy was far ahead of their time!
Bear in mind that some people thought the world would have already ended way back in 2000. But nine years later, I’m still here (and even blogging right now) and our planet earth  is still rotating around its axis and revolving around the sun. The world population has even gone up from 6.07 billion in 2000 to the current estimate, 6.79 billion! As you and I can see, life went on in spite of such prophecies. There are still night and day, earth and sky, you and me, and babies born every second!
Sorry to say, but I don’t really care how the world will end; please pardon my nonchalance. Because, let’s face it, when the world ends, everything and everyone ends with it for good! No one will be around to pat you on your remaining shoulder and say, “You’re bloody right, my friend! The world did end in one horrific explosion!” And I’d rather not venture even an educated guess because I’m not good when it comes to multiple choices. Even if I try my darnedest to influence the weather, I know I won’t be able to stop a tsunami from rushing inland or a volcano from erupting! I simply can’t go up against mother nature and expect myself to bend it according to my will! See, I don’t really want to know when or how the world will perish. It is what it is when the time comes and I will try to deal with it and face it with my faith. But of course it would be nice if I died with some sort of peace of mind or a clear conscience, wouldn’t it? The only way I know how this is possible is by following Christ’s teaching of loving one another– to love my fellow men as myself until the end! And by living this way every single day like it were my last day will help me keep check of my own personal mortality and salvation. That way, when I die loving, there is a greater chance that I will die with a smile on my face.
For all I know, the end of the world can happen any day now, in a way I’m afraid I least expect it to be. Sure it’ll end my earthly existence. But I also believe in the Messianic prophecy of Christ’s resurrection and triumph over death, that He “will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,” that He will resurrect the just and true believers and that “His kingdom will have no end” from this moment forward. When this day happens, you’ll either see me in a happy place up there with all the angels and saints, or in a terrible place elsewhere. And when we see each other in heaven, remind me to double-high-five everyone! Thank goodness, God bless all of us, thank God a lot!!! But– heaven forbid– if I end up in that “fiery furnace” where there is always “weeping and gnashing of teeth,” my only wish is that I don’t see any of your lovely faces in there. Because if that were to happen, I am sure I’d be tempted to crawl up to you just to ask this one nagging question: What in heaven’s name did you do on earth to end up with me in this hell of a place??! And please, don’t answer me with “Secret!”

The barcode

The word "artissining" in barcode form

According to Google, today marks the 57th anniversary of the patent filing for the barcode or Universal Product Code (UPC, to those who work in retail and merchandising). Yes, that ubiquitous array of thin and thick lines and spaces that are commonly found on products sold on the planet. Who would have thought that a cryptic series of lines and spaces could standardize the way merchandise are scanned and sold in our local grocery stores?
Many, many years back in high school, this barcode symbol was a popular print on Hanes t-shirts. At that time, I had no idea what the barcode really meant. All I know was that it signified something that was imported or PX (Post Exchange) goods that you could only buy in (U.S.) military installations and select department stores. The symbol became so universally recognized that, years later, it would enter pop culture not only as accepted marks on products sold but intriguingly so as the Mark of the Beast itself! This belief came by way of the biblical reference in Revelation 13:17 that says, “so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name,” and the understanding that every barcode is interspersed with the number “6″ in the beginning, middle and end of the code, hence the number 666.
But as mundane (and satanic) as the symbol is, it fascinated me! Somehow, the varying widths of lines and spaces were pleasing to look at even if they were printed only in one color, black! In a design standpoint, the barcode conveys an asymmetrical pattern that appears to illustrate the underlying principles of repetition (of lines), gradation (from thin to thick and vice versa), contrast (of the black positives to the white negative spaces) and dominance (of the thick black lines that are sometimes grouped together). It is an unlikely figure that seems to throb with conflict, harmony and unity! Sometimes, a symbol as trivial as a barcode can acquire as much importance as alphabet and numbers.

If you want to find out what your name or any word translates into barcode form (like I did with the name of this blog shown in the figure above), please click on this link.

Crappy

I’ve been thinking about the past a lot lately. And I think the reason is because I’m old already.
My father told me years ago that when a person grows old, his/her mind becomes occupied mostly with recollections of yesteryear. And he’s right! My thoughts now race all the way back to the time when I was kid, something I wouldn’t even think about when I was younger! And I found out I couldn’t just selectively pick only the good stuff from the spate of disparate experiences that beset me, all the while living through the gamut of emotions from regretful to grateful! Now that I’ve aged a lot, I also got dealt with a lot of memories to look back to. And even as I try to focus on only what’s on hand, I’m always drawn somehow to shift my sight from the horizon that’s just ahead, down to the path I’m standing on, and then all the way tracing back to where I came from. Ah, what incredible guilt trip! And it sounds like I’m remorseful about a lot of things. Well, lemme see, how many hearts did I break? I guess, a few. How many feelings did I hurt? I guess, a few. How many good opportunities did I pass up? I guess, a few. How many well-meaning people did I take for granted? I guess, a few. Okay, now, let me calculate once and for all this freaking payback figure in my head: “a few” + “a few” + “a few” + “a few” = a lot?? OMG, that’s like a ton of guilt, right?! No wonder I feel crappy nowadays!
And just a side thought as my unsolicited advice to the youth: Ask your parents for guidance whenever you’re faced with a seemingly insurmountable dilemma. Parents are there for a reason: they are your answered prayers for every growing-up trial you may face. Chances are they’d been down your troubling, rocky road before and they know exactly where each kind of path will lead you. Don’t go it alone with even the slightest doubt dampening your spirit. Your parents are the key to your portal through maturity. They know better, especially when you feel clueless about life.

the paths from regretful to grateful and then back, 12"x9", acrylic on Strathmore 400-series, 60-lb Sketch paper

Which Beatle am I?

Well, according to this article, I’m a little bit of George Harrison and John Lennon.
Yeah, man, that sounds about right! …heavy! (And with this I feel at peace ’cause these two Beatles are resting in peace already.)

Try the quiz yourself. I just happened to be half the group. And, maybe, if you turn out to be a little bit of Paul and Ringo, then perhaps we can get together and resurrect the Beatles, eh?!?

Crossroads

i can't spell when i'm lost, 11"x9", pen and ink on medium-weight white paper

Crossroads

Today I find myself again
wondering hard whether or not
I should take the leap of faith and
never even for once look back.
Like something’s about to happen
while I’m at the crossroads of life;
as the four winds blow on each end,
must I, too, leave my cares behind?
But how did things seem all laden
with a grief that was hard to bear?
And a spirit so disheartened
by the wearying guilt I had!
When did I first feel this burden?
And then I remembered my past,
as farther back I could portend:
the first crossroads I came upon!
That was the time I was given
the chance to be a better me.
But all that glittered and glistened
were only what my eyes could see!
And so my life’s been this since then–
the day I failed my test of faith!
That doomed moment my will weakened
cost me a lifetime of regret!
Then again all of a sudden,
another crossroads fast appeared!
This time waiting still as a friend
telling everyone not to fear!
So I gazed up into heaven
as I took one more step forward,
praying to keep my lessons learned
close to my heart all through this path!
So again it has been proven
that not all who fall fail always–
the farthest away sins are turned,
crossroads become paradises!

Life’s a maze

heartsamaze, 9"x12", marker on Aquabee Super Deluxe 93-lb Sketch paper

Life is complicated, no doubt about it! And love? Oh, boy, even more so! Which perhaps explains why when someone is heartbroken, his/her life as a whole gets affected, too, in the process.
I see love relationships in particular as somewhat akin to mazes. At times I can see clearly the path ahead, while in some instances I get turned back by an immovable wall! But whatever challenges or obstructions lie ahead, my objective is to find a way to move forward toward a prized goal! I am motivated by the belief that there is always a way to make wrong things right. And this is exactly “the way”– the one and only correct path– upon which I set out to take. Life is a labyrinth of hits and misses, successes and failures. But if I learn consistently from my mistakes, I’m hopeful I’ll make my life easier by growing up wiser.
I like to think that I am Sam, Robert De Niro’s character in the 1998 movie, Ronin. In one scene, Deirdre (the character played by Natascha McElhone), upon seeing Sam retrieving his gun which he previously hid behind some crates, asked him, “What exactly were you doin’ back here?” To which Sam replied, “Lady, I never walk into a place I don’t know how to walk out of.” (Yeah! That’s what I’m talkin’ about!)
Well, I drew the maze above in the form of a heart. Partly because whenever I think of relationships, I also think about confusion. But mostly, I used the symbolism of a heart to affirm that while love may be a mystery to some, it is also, without a shadow of a doubt, a miracle to most!

The maze is very simple. I drew it rather easily, so it shouldn’t prove any more puzzling than what it appears to be. All you have to do is choose which entrance, in your opinion, will take you from one side of the heart to the other side and then back! The important thing is you must complete your chosen route– without doubling back and, of course, uninterrupted– by also coming out of the entry point from which you came in before. And, you have to be able to read the message spelled out along the route. Good luck!

Corazon C. Aquino (1933-2009)

Rest in peace, Pres. Cory! And may GOD Bless your soul forever!!! Thank you so much, Cory!!! (please click on pic to link to Cory's site!)

August 1st, 2009, is a very sad day in my homeland, the Philippines. For on this day, former President Corazon C. Aquino (the eleventh president to lead my country, from 1986 to 1992) died after her bout with cancer. She was 76 years old.
This humble blog offers its sincerest prayers, sympathies and condolences to her entire family.
No doubt there will be countless outpouring of tributes that will be made in her name. And through this post, I would also like to pay my deepest respect to honor her memory.
The very first time I exercised my right to vote was in college, waaay back in 1986 during the so-called snap presidential election (announced by then incumbent president, the late Ferdinand E. Marcos). This was to determine who actually wielded true control of the country, as numerous mass actions were being staged virtually everywhere following the 1983 assassination of Cory’s husband, Benigno Aquino, Jr. It would prove to be the catalyst for meaningful events unprecedented in Philippine politics! And I am proud of myself, even until now, that I was one of those people who supported Cory’s run for the presidency. Needless to say, during those tumultuous times when yellow reigned as the symbolic color of change, with still an impressionable young mind that bordered mostly on activism, I voted for her as my president. I had nary a doubt nor regret about my decision! In fact, looking back at that time, I recalled feeling larger than life, a young man who believed he made the wisest of choices! And I wasn’t wrong either! Because Cory Aquino ultimately won that election. This would culminate in the famous four days in February of 1986 (from the 22nd to the 25th), collectively and popularly known as the peaceful People Power Revolution, abruptly ending the 20-year regime of Ferdinand Marcos! And the rest, as they say, is history!
In hindsight, Cory’s six-year term as president was replete with enormous challenges, both from natural calamities (the 1990 earthquake, the 1991 Pinatubo eruption, and the Ormoc City flooding from typhoon Uring, also in 1991) and political upheavals, most notably the seven coup attempts against her government. But none of these would bring her down from her rule that was rightfully– and democratically– empowered in her! It was also during her six-year term that a new Philippine Constitution was enacted, replacing the erstwhile 1973 Martial-Law-penned constitution.
In all the years since running and winning the snap election, to serving her full term as president, to her post-presidency years, and even until her last days, she displayed the same integrity, honesty, humility, love of country, devotion to duty, strength of character, and God-fearing nature that made her the first duly-elected woman-president of the Republic of the Philippines and Time Magazine’s 1986 “Woman of the Year,” as well as one of the 20 Most Influential Asians of the 20th century!
She was just a simple housewife, who– in her desire to continue the legacy of her husband Ninoy’s firm belief that “the Filipino is worth dying for”– happened to be the country’s president for a mere six years and gave back to her people the democracy that was repressed for twenty years!
(Now, if you are someone who is eyeing the presidency, or any political position, but wants in earnest to fiddle with the Constitution and transform it back to the rule of regime that you fought so hard for to get out from in the first place, then you ought to think twice! Clearly, you’re missing the goal! With such self-interest, you can’t possibly lead a country all too mired in distrust with leadership and expect to bring it back to the glory days after EDSA ‘86, when hope was fuel enough to rebuild a nation. Because, come to think of it: How can you see the light and relive this hope when, because of ulterior motive and vested interests, you can’t hold a candle to Cory’s nobility of purpose??!)

For the broken-hearted underdog

i am broken and cold without you, 12"x9", pastel and graphite on Bienfang 70-lb white paper

If someone in the past hurt you by betraying your trust, who promised you a life of togetherness but left you for somebody else, then I wouldn’t blame you if you might have given up on love already. But what if– despite your ill-fated past– a good heart (a really good heart and not one who pretends to be) found its way to your broken heart and offered to share your grief for as long as it’d take until it mended, would you give love another chance??! If your answer is yes, then, “hooray!” to you! Because that would have proven that you are indeed truly alive and rightfully only hoping for the best! As such, I’m rooting for you!!! I will always root for the broken-hearted underdog! In my book, when you found love by way of a broken heart, you are one blessed soul. Because how else would you describe a foregone conclusion that just defied all odds and reversed misfortune? How else would you define a life that turned the tide by receiving a new lease on love? How else, but “blessed” indeed! Yes, one whose life was maligned through no fault of his/her own has got to be one blessed soul when a kindhearted spirit find its way to his/her heart.
Life is too short to dilly-dally on the most precious of emotions. If you are certain that you found love at last, go grab it with your whole being! Say a prayer (of gratitude and blessing) and take the leap of faith! Because at the end of the day, it’s your own life that is on the line here. And when joy is what you seek for, love is the only way through it![Waiter, isa pa ngang round ng beer dito, please! Paki-dagdagan na rin yung yelo..! Whew! Sarap talaga ng broken-hearted!!!]

Do You Want to Know a Secret?

Are you old enough to know a secret? Are you young enough to care? Well, the secret’s already out on the world wide web. So I hope y’all will keep it that way– ya know, a secret!It’s a secret. So don’t tell a soul, okay?

The devil thinks he’s always HOT

the devil covets a naked soul, 11"x8.5", graphite and color pencil on Winsor & Newton 65-lb paper

Earthly woman: OMG!!! He’s so handsome as hell! I’ve always wanted to meet a hot guy with a bad-boy image!

Heavenly angel: Luka-luka! Bad talaga ‘yan! (You’re nuts! He really is bad news!)

Handsome as hell: No coaching please!

♀ ☻ ♂

Physical beauty is only skin deep. But true beauty can only radiate from within. For those who judge a book by its cover, they will most likely get frustrated more often than those who understand the contents of a book first and then keep it for what it’s worth. Good looks can be deceiving. A person’s countenance fades degradingly as he/she ages. But his/her character remains intact through the years. A good-looking person with a kind heart is indeed a truly beautiful soul. Merely looking at a person’s physical appearance will not give you the real worth of his/her being. In most instances, you don’t even have to do anything; you will feel his/her true character when he/she reaches out to touch you with his/her love.

♥♀♥♂♥