Watching the Cartoons I Missed As a Kid

When I was still a child, we didn't have television because my parents wants us to concentrate on our studies and when they finally bought a television, they didn't buy an antenna. So basically, we only turned on our television during Saturdays if ever there is a VHS movie available which was very rare because we were one of the few individuals who bought a VHS player when everybody else was still in Betamax format.

As a kid, I would run to my neighbors house just to watch television shows from one channel especially the cartoons but oftentimes I would miss them because I was tasked to watch over our little "sari-sari" store. I missed watching He-Man, She-Ra, G.I. Joe, Tom & Jerry, Looney Tunes and other cartoons during my childhood.

Nowadays, I like to find those cartoons that I grew up with and watch them again. It brings back memories of carefree childhood where cartoons have simple stories that could readily be understood. The prevalent cartoons today especially the anime are not good for kids growing up because they deal with such complex and oftentimes mature subject not suitable for a child's development.

Don't get me wrong, I love anime and I collect some of them especially the complex and philosophically-themed animation like Ghost in the Shell. Most of the cartoons today have their own toyline that is focused on what used to be simple toys like the yo-yo, marbles and "top".

Recently, I just found copies of the G.I. Joe series and my brother bought the complete original Tom and Jerry episodes (the one where both Tom & Jerry don't talk). I have seen the He-Man series but it was not the one I was looking for, it was the updated version. Hope to find copies of the original He-Man and She-Ra series.

Against All Hobbies?

I am against all hobbies. I have been against them since I figured out that nothing I ever do is considered a hobby. All my life I had to fill out forms that ask about hobbies. I always wanted to write down "reading," but reading is not a hobby.

If you collect books, that is a hobby. If you actually read them, it is not.

If you happen to watch a butterfly in a field, that is not a hobby. if you put a pin through its heart, that is a hobby.

Richard Cohen

Fame

I feel about fame as the fellow did who found himself in heaven. He didn't ask himself whether he deserved it. he just kept quiet and stayed.

Walt Whitman

Music from Ghost Town

It's been weeks since I have seen the movie but I still like listening to the songs from the movie. All of the songs are wonderful although not very popular. Here are four of the songs that I keep on listening:

Wilco - Please Be Patient With Me


Mason Jennings - Which Way Your Heart Will Go



Citizen Cope - Sideways



John Mayer - The Heart of Life




Enjoy!

Daydream

The only big ideas I've ever had have come from daydreaming, but modern life keeps people from daydreaming. Every moment of the day your mind is being occupied, controlled, by someone else - at school, at work; watching television. Getting away from all that is really important. You need to just kick back in a chair and let your mind daydream

Paul MacCready

The Art of Wandering

There is an art to wandering. if I have a destination, a plan - an objective - I've lost the ability to find serendipity. I've become too focused , too single-minded. I am on a quest, not a ramble. I search for the Holy Grail of particularity and miss the chalice freely offered, filled and overflowing.

Cathy Johnson

Back from the Expedition

I just arrived late this afternoon. We went for an expedition in some far flung areas in our city to discover new sites and destination that would be made into future destination for adventurers and nature lovers alike.

First, we climbed a mountain to reach the observation point for the Philippine Eagle. It took me about one and a half hour to get there. I almost quit because my legs can't take any more punishment from the uphill climb. Basically, I was not fit enough to climb that mountain but I was glad to reach the top. It was a case off mind over matter for me.

The view from the top was breathtaking even though we haven't caught a glimpse of the eagle. The trees that we view from the observation point were amazing. Tall trees that is not commonly seen by a urban dweller like me. Maybe some of those trees are over a hundred years old.

The next day, we explored an island and again climb to the top of it. My feet still tired from the climb a day before and my thigh beginning to ache, I climb with all the strength left in my feet. Even though it was just a small hill to climb, it was quite steep and has has no clear trail to follow. We had to climb a through slippery rocks, loose gravel and itchy grasses just to reach the top. I slipped a couple of times and was really afraid that I might fall to the rocks below. So, I did some unconventional way of climbing, I crawled through the rocks just to prevent myself from slipping.

The view from above was breathtaking although very dangerous because it was a cliff that went straight down to the sea. It looks like half of the island collapsed. When we down, I was told that they encountered a snake on top which made me more frightened. I was just glad that they didn't tell me that when I was headed to the top because it will just add to the fright I was feeling.

The trip was a wonderful adventure, especially for me who is not what you call a nature lover or an adventurer. It was wonderful to see nature for what it is and not as man wanted it to be.

I await the next adventure.

The Necessity to Unite with Other Living Beings

Man is torn away from his primary union with nature, which characterizes animal existence. Having at the same time reason and imagination, he is aware of his aloneness and separateness; of his powerlessness and ignorance; of the accidentalness of his birth and death. He could not face this state of being for a second if he could not find new ties with his fellow man which replace the old ones regulated by instincts. Even if all his physiological needs were satisfied, he would experience his state of aloneness and individuation as a prison from which he had to break in order to preserve his sanity. (...) the necessity to unite with other living beings, to be related to them, is an imperative need on the fulfillment of which man's sanity depends. This need is behind all phenomena which constitute the whole gamut of intimate human relations, of all passions which are called love in the broadest sense of the word.

Erich Fromm

Private Conscience

I think that when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties, they lead their country by a short route to chaos.
from"A Man for All Season"

I am watching once again the 1966 movie of Fred Zinneman about the Life of Sir Thomas More entitled " A Man for All Seasons". It a wonderful movie about standing one's group over an issue even at such insurmountable odds and dire consequences.

Most of us know that Thomas More has already been declared a saint by the Catholic Church and rightly so. What is wonderful about the movie is the fact that it didn't present it is the view of his saintliness by his humanity. The dialogue is much more of a courtroom drama rather than drama.

The quote above is something to ponder about because it creates a debate on which is to be followed when holding office, is it your own conscience or is it your duty as a civil servant. With the separation of church and state, we sometimes encounter laws that must be implemented but is not morally sound based on our beliefs.

Which would you follow? I have my own convictions about it and that's a blog for another day.

Sleep Mode at Work

It is Monday and for almost the whole day, it was raining. However, in the afternoon, there was heavy downpour and immediately the lights went out. For almost 4 hours, there was no electricity in the office.

What was I to do ion such a situation?

Well, most body started its sleep mode. The cool breeze was enough to entice me to sleep and the absence of electricity makes me want to go home and lie down in bed. The problem was that it was still one in the afternoon but may body was already in sleep mode. It was quite embarrassing to take naps in the middle of briefing and meetings when you superior is in front on you. It happened for most of the afternoon. I thought that maybe the loss of electricity would lessen the workload but my superior was still in his usual busy self going to other offices that were partially illuminated compared to our office. It was almost pitch black in our office because we have no windows.

Often work, I immediately went home and slept. Awoken only in time for dinner.

This weather is usually bad but if this happens on weekends, I would have loved to slept through it.

New Cellphone

I have just received my new cellphone. As with all postpaid accounts, every two years one gets a new cellphone. Although I'm in tune with the latest technology and gadgets, I am not a techie. People who just by the latest models of anything revolving around technology & gadgets. I see some who just have them for bragging rights. For them to say that they have the latest even though some of them don't know that much about the thing that they have. There are some who keeps looking for new applications and features in their cellphones even though they wouldn't use it that much. Although some people are excited about watching TV shows or videos in their cellphones, I am not one of them. It only stains my eyes and let's be frank about it, would you really want to watch something in those tiny screen in your cellphones. Come on, we are buying or dreaming of buying the latest plasma or wide screen television sets and yet some are ecstatic that their cellphones have TV capabilities. If ever these phone manufacturers invent a cellphone that projects video or images towards any surface, much like the projectors, then I would be one of the many people who buy them.

I'm pleased with my new cellphone because it has some features that I was looking for. One of the obstacles that I'll be facing now is to teach my fingers again on the operations of the new cellphone. My fingers almost had a cramp when I used it earlier to type in again my contacts. I have gotten so attuned with my old cellphone that I can even text without watching the screen. Old models have little fuzz regarding its use but the newer models and modeled upon personal computers which means that we get features that we wouldn't even use during the cellphone's life span.

I just think that technology should help make our lives easier and not complicate it further with details that we shouldn't be thinking about in the first place.

Movie : Ghost Town

I've just finished watching the movie Ghost Town, starring Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear & Tea Leoni and found it quite remarkable. It's a comedy with clever jokes and a wonderful storyline featuring a different take on the idea of a ghost's "unfinished business". However, in this movie, we find out that it is not ghosts who have "unfinished businesses" but the people they left behind. Sort of the "letting go" idea.

I like the part of the movie where Gervais' character found out that she was in love with the woman that she haven't noticed before even though they lived in the same apartment building. It's that sort of realization that strikes me because I can actually happen in life. Maybe, I'm sentimental about that kind of idea but it was wonderful presented in the movie that it didn't seem like a cliche.

The best quote in the movie, for me, was said by Tea Leoni's character, "We just get the one life, you know. Just one. You can't live someone else's or think it's more important just because it's more dramatic. What happens matters. May be only to us, but it matters." Oftentimes, we are victims of envy of other people's lives because they have more drama in them while we think that we live in a boring life just because there's not that many fireworks in our daily living. This explains why people love watching telenovelas. They like exploring the twists and turns of the characters in the series.

Also, listen to the soundtrack of the movie because it features many wonderful songs.

An Employee

Don't Change the World

Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled a prosperous country. One day, he went for a trip to some distant areas of his country. When he was back to his palace, he complained that his feet were very painful, because it was the first time that he went for such a long trip, and the road that he went through was very rough and stony. He then ordered his people to cover every road of the entire country with leather. Definitely, this would need thousands of cows' skin, and would cost a huge amount of money.

Then one of his wise servants dared himself to tell the king, "Why do you have to spend that unnecessary amount of money? Why don't you just cut a little piece of leather to cover your feet?”

The king was surprised, but he later agreed to his suggestion, to make a "shoe" for himself.

There is actually a valuable lesson of life in this story: to make this world a happy place to live, you better change yourself - your heart; and not the world.

Somebody’s Angel

Some say that angels come from God,
Borne here on wings snow white,
To touch some human being’s life
While on their heavenly flight.

That may be true, for so it seems
To happen, now and then.
Some heavenly being reaches down
To touch the hearts of men.

But there’s another kind of gift
That comes from God to men.
It happens when a human heart
Is filled with love again.

And this can happen any time,
On any given day,
If human hearts will hear Love’s call
And let Love have its way.

But human hearts are often shy,
And fear what men would say.
They also fail to see how Love
Could use them in this way.

And so they miss the chance to be
Somebody’s Angel when
A caring word, a thoughtful deed
Would’ve brought Love back again.

So listen, friend, and heed Love’s call
To help someone in need.
Somebody’s Angel, on this day,
Just may be you or me.

Charles David Heineke

First-Rate Intelligence

Manic Monday

At the start of the day, we were immediately bombarded with problems at work. It started a frenzy in our office and it never stopped. Problem after problem came along and all requiring prompt response or solution. People were beginning to be hot-tempered. They were all trying to justify themselves and place the blame on another. No one wants to admit any mistake on their part. Now, even the people who are not involved in it are dragged to this frenzy. Creating more strong emotions. Some are trying to parade themselves as know-it-all's in front of the public. Trying to show everyone around that they are in-charge. But why does efficiency in your job be paraded in front of everybody. Are they egotistical or just problem-solvers? I have this notion that if you are efficient in your job, no one knows about it because everything runs smoothly.

I heard this story before that the people of japan don't care about who heads their government. Most people don't even know the name of their prime minister. A citizen once declared that they will only know the name of their leaders once they make a mistake. And efficient leaders don't have to promote their own achievements.

It is better for the people to know your accomplishments from the effect that it has in their lives. Don't tell everyone that you did this and that because no one will believe in you. We are not as dumb as they think we are.

Discerning Your Mate During a Movie

A theater is an interesting place to analyze someone new in your life. Does he have a phobia about sitting on the aisle? When everyone else is sniffling and crying, is he busty unwrapping licorice and covering up emotions? Does he hog the communal armrest? Does he put his feet on the seat in front? Is he reluctant to ask people to move over one seat so the two of you can sit together? Everything you want to know about your potential mate can be discerned during a movie.

Kathleen Kroll Driscoll

Our Deepest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure about you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Marianne Williamson
A Return to Love