X-mas Stories

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I love the atmosphere of it, and I’m not talking of the weather and the temperature. It seems you can feel everything is different when it’s Christmas. I simply like everything about Christmas. The holiday. The merrymaking. The gift giving (kids like me can’t wait for the mullah… and those younger for the toys). The jubilance. The carols and songs. The religious significance (some kept on pointing out that Christmas is not really the date of Christ’s birth, and that it has paganism in it… sure, I know of the pagan symbols and connotations in Christmas… but the best argument is, let the pagans use the holiday and symbols for their purpose, but let the Christians use Christmas for God’s glory and for goodness, and it does not matter if December 25 is not the exact date of Christ’s birth; we are celebrating the birth of Christ anyway and not the date! The date is insignificant, the birth and the meaning of it are the things important.)
And, of course, I love Christmas stories.

Yes. The Christmas stories. There are a lot of them. From literature and traditions to TV specials and movies.

TV series and cartoons have Christmas specials when it is the holiday season – and those episodes are classics. Like the Hanna-Barbera cartoon Christmas special where all the Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters are together; and the Archie’s Weird Mysteries episode of the Christmas Phantom, who was actually Santa Claus himself, granting Archie’s wish for Christmas. I like to watch such Christmas specials, especially marathons, on TV. They are among the most entertaining shows ever. You get to see episodes that are very different from regular episodes. One example is the Christmas episode of Mr. Bean (the live version, not the cartoons); it was one of the best in the series.

During Christmas season, Christmas cartoons are aired on TV. I found three channels that did this effectively in my childhood. One was HBO, (not only did HBO rock when it comes to cartoons like Spawn and Sin City, but also of its Christmas toons) with cartoons like “Rudolph’s Shining Christmas”, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, and “Frosty the Snowman”. In the local networks, GMA did okay. I enjoyed their airing of several Christmas cartoons every afternoon, and of the cartoon series “Claus”, a cartoon series of a boy Santa Claus. Disney Channel is the third; not only did they air Christmas episodes of their regular set of TV series, but also other Christmas specials and movies.

And how about the movies? Christmas movies had pretty good stories, too. The Home Alone series were all set during the Christmas season, and it showed great Christmas principles as well as the best hilarious (and painful) pranks and booby traps a little boy can do. The Santa Claus movies of Tim Allen were okay, too. And Christmas specials does not only happen to TV shows, but also to movie franchises like “Richie Rich”, “Beauty and the Beast”, and “All Dogs Go to Heaven”; all of them have Christmas movies.

Though, yes, Christmas stories are more effective on TV or movies, let us not forget that it is also present in literature. Since Dickens’ classic “The Christmas Carol”, to Agatha Christie’s “Holiday for Murder”, Christmas has been used an effective theme of a story, or a background even if it is not the main theme. Christmas stories are also in comic books and cartoon strips. “Mickey Mouse and Friends”, “Calvin & Hobbes”, “Peanuts”, “Archie and Friends” and, especially, “B.C.”, are among the many that had created great stories by using Christmas as theme or tool… we find Uncle Scrooge McDuck, unbeknownst to him, treating the entire Duck clan for Christmas; Calvin’s father sacrificing his work so that he can spend time with his son to make a snowman (very Christmas spirit); Charlie Brown’s sister Sally mistaking “reindeer” for “rain gear”, as one of Santa’s trademarks; Archie collecting rare photos of things that can only happen in Christmas, missing a genuine shot of Santa Claus, but getting a shot of Jughead kissing Ethel, a thing that can only happen once in a lifetime; and B.C. and friends, with stories about the true meaning of Christmas, authored by the B.C.’s Christian cartoonist, Johnny Hart… the list goes on a long way of classic stories like these. Even superhero comics and mangas (even anime series have great Christmas episodes), like Yu Yu Hakushu, have great Christmas issues when it is the season.

“Christmas” should be an established genre in fiction. Good is present in the story if Christmas is used – even if it used just as a setting, a tool or a background. Great conflicts, plots and entertainment arise from a story with Christmas in it. Not only are Christmas stories entertaining, but also heartwarming and full of lessons to be learned. Christmas stories create fascinating characters like “Ebenezer Scrooge” to “The Grinch”. In regular continuity of stories, Christmas episodes or issues stray from the regular flow of the story sometimes, but it becomes a classic nonetheless. Like when Yusuke helped a stray spirit, and when psycho vigilante Batman shows compassion and emotion. And it creates unexpected but refreshing twists like in the “Archie’s Weird Mysteries” Christmas episode.
Yes, Christmas stories are certainly among the best stories in the world.

* * *

Christmas stories are special, entertaining and good. But maybe it is so because of the meaning – the true meaning – of Christmas, and the true story behind it all. Though there are a lot of good Christmas stories around, we should not forget the number one Christmas story ever. A true story of the Savior who was born in a manger a long time ago. The world has never been the same since then.

Merry Christmas, everybody.

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SPIDERS

Here is a scenario:
Someone, a female very often, sees a spider. It will take about a second or two for it to register to her that it was a spider. And another second of hesitation to confirm that it was a spider. Then the scream, “Eeeeeeeeee!” It’s so high pitched that it can break glass. “A spider! A hideous spider!” She will then either kill it herself with her shoe, or call someone, a male very often, to kill it for her.

When scenarios like this happen, my sympathy is on the spider. You see, I like spiders; they’re my fave kind of insects (technicaly, they are not really insects). Arachnids. I don’t know where this fondness of mine on spiders started. It might be because Spider-Man is my favorite comicbook character since I was a toddler that I grew fond of spiders, too (and I wondered if being bitten by an irradiated spider really gives you superpowers). Or because like other Filipino boys, I find it fun watching two spiders fight hanging on a stick. Or maybe because I find their webs, and when they make their webs, cool. Or is it because of a children story called “Charlotte’s Web”? I don’t know.

I am not afraid of spiders since I was a baby. Even of the big ones with venoms. And I never kill spiders, nor ever will, just as I won’t kill a cat. They are such interesting and complex creatures… one of God’s bests.

I heard a story of someone who does not know of God in atheist China, I think, what without the help of a preacher nor a Bible began to believe in god when he saw a spider. He cannot comprehend something as complex as a spider making its web exists even if there is no God. So, he concluded that there is God. Spiders, God’s little missionaries.

Fascinating are these God’ creatures that live all over the world, on mountains, in forests, in caves, desserts, and even underwater. Spiders don’t only eat insects, but some kinds also eat small fish and tadpoles. Another interesting thing about spiders I that male spiders are much smaller than females, so the females sometimes mistake males for other insects and gobble them up!

One of the things I like about spiders is they kill mosquitoes. Just as much as I liked spiders is my hate for mosquitoes. That’s why I don’t get rid of webs often, the more webs there are, the better the chance of a mosquito getting captured by a spider and get killed (of course, I have to remove the webs when they are already too thick for the light of the fluorescent bulb to get through). Oh, another cool thing, I saw a spider biting the head off a cockroach, and then sucking its blood… radical.

There is one characteristic in spiders that people should copy. Perseverance. Break their webs and they will only repair them or make another one. They never give up. Just like the spider in the song “itsy bitsy spider”. It continued on its way up the water spout after it was washed down by the rain. We, humans, should also learn to persevere and continue in our way up our “water spouts” even if the “rain” washes us out.
I think the guy who wrote that song likes spiders, too.

So, please, don’t kill a spider when you see one. There are 10,000 different kinds of spiders in the world, and all of them are not worth killing. The little guy is only minding his own business, do likewise. Only kill a spider when it is as huge as the ones in the movie “Eight-Legged Freaks”, you’re a fool if you don’t kill it if you have the chance.

All’s left is finding out if a bite from an irradiated spider really gives you powers like Spider-Man.

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The Admirable British Race

Among all the races in the world, my favorite is the British race… the people of the United Kingdom. They are people of admirable traits, character and history. They are really admirable and fascinating.

Britain was often dominating in terms of military conflicts (their only famous defeat was of the American Revolution). Most of all, they were always the “good guys”. They led Europe against Napoleon, won the Boer War, was prominent in both World Wars, they had beaten the great Spanish Armada (and I think there it all began that became a legendary naval power), the RAF beat Hitler’s “invincible” Luftwaffe… most of all they had conquered half the world.

They used to be the most powerful on Earth, as well as the richest. Those were the days of the mighty British Empire –where “the sun never sets” since the empire stretch out around the world, in all the continents. And with the trade and industry of the entire empire, they became richer, it was the time when one pound is equal to five dollars (now, I think one pound is only equal to about one dollar and ninety-nine cents).

Great leaders like Winston Churchill, Margaret “The Iron Lady” Thatcher, Tony Blair, Queen Victoria and many more. And the stories of their nobility are interesting, too, like of the Georges, the Henrys and the Elizabeths. William Wilberforce was behind slave abolition in the Empire, long before good ol’ Abe Lincoln abolished it in the States. And there are many other British leaders that were admired and made an impact in the world.

Literature was also enriched by the British. Because of the likes of Geoffrey Chaucer (“The Canterbury Tales”), William Shakespeare, Daniel Defoe (“Robinson Crusoe”), C.S. Lewis (“Narnia”), Robert Louis Stevenson (“The Black Arrow”, “Kidnapped!”, “Treasure Island”, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”), H.G. Wells (“The Time Machine”, “The War of the Worlds”), Lewis Caroll (“Alice in Wonderland”), Charles Dickens (“Oliver Twist”, “A Tale of Two Cities”, “A Christmas Carol”), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (“Hound of Baskerville”, “The Lost World”), Agatha Christie, and many many more. The world owes the British for Beowulf, Lord of the Rings, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, and before I forget, Harry Potter. Britons have beloved and respected authors by the world, but most of all, beloved and respected fictional characters.

Sure, Mozart was from Austria, Bach and Beethoven were German, and Chopin was Polish, but Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and Spice Girls were from Britain. See, the British have their achievements in music.

In Science, there were the likes of Isaac Newton and Alexander Fleming. But it is a pity that a man like Charles Darwin was also a British.

The King James Bible is from Britain (commissioned in the reign of, obviously, King James). Men of faith like Charles Spurgeon, William Tyndale, John Newton, C.S. Lewis, John Wesley and many others are British. Maybe God blessed Britain because they are God-centered (though, of course, they are not always so… like all races, even God’s “chosen”, the Jews).

I wonder what would have happened if the British succeeded in conquering the Philippines from the Spaniards, or we mimic them instead of the Americans. Would our country have become better? Would or character became better? Our economy (former British colonies like Hong Kong and Canada are doing great economically)? Filipinos as persons? We will never know.

No. no. I have no regrets of being a Filipino, instead of British. I love my country, and proud to be a Filipino (really). But I just admire the British than Filipinos. They are such great people. Last December 6, I think (or is it 7? Or 8? Or 9?), was the friendship day between the UK and the Philippines. Filipinos and Britons have some things in common like family values, love of merrymaking, and as Filipinos love their merriendas, Britons love their teas. I read and heard stories and observations that Filipinos are not discriminated in the UK (unlike in other countries where Filipinos are treated like dirt). They are such friendly people, like us, Filipinos. But sadly that’s where the similarities end. They have faults of course, but they are superior in many things in character (like they are also superior in other things).
But I wonder if the British also find Filipinos, who are sadly blemished with scandals and infamy, as a great admirable and fascinating race?

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Dream Job

I am in college studying to be a CPA. Whoa, I never really ever dream of being a bean counter – a shrink, probably – but an Accountant? No way. I just cannot picture myself in a world of business, commerce – and worse – numbers. Numbers and me… we just don’t get along well. But what a twist of fate, I am now aiming to be a CPA. Yes, I aim to be one. But still, back when I was a kid, when asked if what I want to be when I grow up, I didn’t reply that I want to be an Accountant.

My first dream – I was in Nursery back then – was to be an astronaut. I was an ignorant toddler. I did not know that the Philippines have no space program.

I also dreamt of being a pilot. A fighter plane pilot. One who pilots an F-14 Tomcat. Again, reality bites. The planes of the Philippine Air Force are not the same as those of the U.S. Navy. But nevertheless, it is still a dream I entertain up to these days. To be a pilot of a fighter plane.

In high school, I fantasize of being a writer of books. Best selling books. But novelists do not thrive in our country, another reality. But I still want to be published someday. I still carry that dream.

I also had the wild fantasy of being a professional musician. Playing lead guitar in some show band. Though I really love to play in a band, I don’t really take that dream seriously. But who knows.

I have many boyhood dreams. I wanted to be a spy, because James Bond made it appeared like an n attractive job. But 007 is fiction, though espionage and secret agents are not. Plus, I don’t know if I care much of being tortured. Scratch that one. A detective like Sherlock Holmes, perhaps? Maybe… but I don’t have the talents of a fictional character like Holmes. Scratch that one, too.

Growing up and reading comicbooks, I also wanted to draw them as a job. But although I can draw, I cannot say I can draw as much as the pros do. Besides, I don’t think I have the patience for it.

In high school, I thought of being a Mechanical Engineer, designing cars, or planes, or be an Imagineer in Disneyland. But I chose Mechanical Engineer as my second choice in my BUCET. And I passed my first choice which is (sigh) Accountancy.

No. Those dream jobs of mine are not from my chosen course. All those dream jobs I still prefer them than being a CPA. But I want to be a CPA. It may not be a boyhood dream but a “forced-on-me” dream, but a dream nonetheless, and I value all my dreams. Though it is not part of my original plans, I sincerely want to be an Accountant.

Who knows, maybe after getting my degree and then passing the board and taking up law and passing the bar, I might be able to do my other dream jobs. I could be a CPA lawyer who pilots fighter planes, writes bestselling books, plays guitar once in a while in gigs, solves mysteries as a side line, designs Disney rides in free time, contributes pencils to Marvel Comics’ special projects, and is secretly working for the government’s Intelligence. Now that’s cool.

Dream on, Bernz. Dream on.

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Collections and Collectors

I was always into collecting. Collections fascinate me. Collectors fascinate me more (especially if they are famous). And even if somebody’s collection is not the same as mine, or not a collection I think not interesting to collect, I am still fascinated by it, because of just the concept of collecting and the collectors’ zeal and happiness of collecting them. There is something magical and exciting in collecting. Probably, the best hobbies on Earth are those that involve collecting.

My collections are, mostly, literature and toys. I collected them for about ten years now. My literature collection ranges from novels, encyclopedias, biographies, comicbooks, magazines, newspapers cartoon strips, and others – as long as it is decent literature, I collect them. My toy collection ranges from toy soldiers to those that came from fast food chains. Sure, these collections fill my room, but compared to big time collections, mine is small in comparison. Nonetheless, my collections – which are stacked in cabinets and displayed on shelves of my room – are my treasures.

I used to have a big “tex” – the Filipino counterpart of trading cards, only smaller and less quality – collection. You got to enlarge your stack of them by either of the two: a) you buy more or b) you win them in games like “kapulan”, “tatchian”, “bangkuhan”, or any other “gambling” games. A tex’s popularity was dependent on the present popular TV show. Example, if Dragon Ball Z was hot, Dragon Ball Z tex were hot also, and they are the only kind of tex that can be traded or played with. And when Ghost Fighter became the hit, the Dragon Ball Z tex got obsolete. But I was a good collector and though one kind of tex was no longer popular, I still kept them. My only mistake was not being able to maintain my interest in them, and by and by, they disappeared (one of the worst mistakes in my life). I don’t know what happened to them. I miss them… especially the Marvel Vs. DC and the Streetfighter tex…arg!

The same thing happened with my pogs collection. And my robot, zoo, and Wild West toy collection. And my 4wd Let's Go kit. And I also lost some comcbooks…. Enough said about all those mistakes; it brings some bad feelings.  What is important is that I should take care of what I have now and not allow any of those mistakes to happen again.

My collection reflects to what I am economically. One’s collection is proportional to one’s economic status. That is absolutely true. Just look at celebrities and their collections. They are rich, so they can afford a large collection – or even several collections. It is fascinating to look at their collections. Sharon Cuneta has mugs, books and DVDs. German Morena got movies, tapes of shows, movies, clowns stuff, toys, memorabilia and others. Jay Taruc has paintings and toys. Former Senator Webb got Star Wars stuff and others. Senator Chiz Escudero has vintage cars. And there are many other personalities that have collections that are worth mentioning, but it will go a long way (a list of Hollywood personalities that collect comicbooks would go a long way already.)

Collecting is exciting with all the thrills of a find, the satisfaction obtained when looking at them, and the gentle greed that motivates a collector to make his collection bigger – and of course, I experience all of this… I want to make my collection bigger as time goes by and start new collections, too, like DVDs, guitars and other things. There is nothing wrong with collecting, but we should not always live in our collections. Yes, I said that my collections are my treasures. But my collection of friends and family are more valuable treasures. There are important things that we should not forget when we are engrossed in collecting and in our collection. There is danger when your addiction and love for your collection is greater than the more important things in life... or your life.

There are many good things derived in collecting. When you are with your collection, and making it improve or grow bigger, you are happy, and makes you forget some of your current stress or problems. You also get to learn patience, perseverance, and other values when you collect. The bottomline, though, is to be happy with collecting and your collection without sacrificing the most important things in your life and never forgetting your priorities – the right priorities.

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A Thought on Leaders

It is saddening how leaders abuse their powers. They use their powers to enrich or benefit themselves. Sure, I believe in the privileges of rank. But when the leader abuses his privileges, it is no longer right. Besides, to abuse privileges is not part of a leader's privileges.

Some leaders forget the true essence of leadership. Good leaders are also good followers and servants. They should also set as a model and an inspiration of the subordinates. He should make his subordinates see the importance of teamwork.

I admire leaders who can sympathize with his subordinates. A leader who can make his subordinates feel that he is one of them, without losing the dignity of a leader. A leader who shares the suffering and trouble of his group, and thus inspiring and motivating his subordinates to finish or solve the problem.

We cannot help encountering leaders who cannot effectively lead us, but instead these leaders take advantage of us. And we cannot help feel that there is injustice and all is unfair when these leaders abuse their powers and privileges. We feel bad and discouraged because of this injustices and unfairness. But there are always someone higher above these bad leaders that might see the unfairness that these leaders do. And if there are none, there is always the Big Boss who sees this unfairness, and  He's higher than all the leaders and top-of-the-hierarchy-people of this world.

Which reminds me of the story sent by a Corporal Vaughn Witt to Reader’s Digest:
“At the Annual Association of the U.S. Army convention in Washington D.C., a large crowd was waiting for the elevator in the convention hall. After several carloads arrived and left, filled to capacity, I finally boarded. We descended two floors and stopped, and the doors opened to reveal a captain. ‘I want everyone off this elevator,’ he arrogantly announced. ‘There is a three-star general who wants to get on.’
“From the back, somebody said, ‘To hell with that three-star!’ Everyone turned to see who had the audacity to say such thing – and instantly a pathway opened to show a four-star general standing there. The elevator doors closed on the captain, and with a roar of laughter we continued on our way.”

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On Religion

Through centuries of human history, humans developed and had adopted different religions. It might be because religion has been a human need. Maybe humans turned to religion to explain the unknown, or to appease their fear of the afterlife or the supernatural, or to justify their practices, or to have a system of values, or just to have to believe in a Greater Power… whatever the case, religion has been an integral part of human life.

One should realize that religion is often a taboo topic. Any religious discussion often flare into bloody debates. People have different religions, religious interpretations, and religious beliefs. Moreover, people believe in different deity, or deities. Sure, many believe that that deity is God, but of course, there are also many different interpretations and beliefs of “God”.

Maybe the reason that people had different religions and sects is because they try to manipulate religion to suit their needs and beliefs. And since people’s opinions vary, religions also vary. Since religions and beliefs differ, debates arise. Points made and flaws pointed out are ignored by opposing parties in religious debates. Someone who zealously follows his or her religion is greatly biased. Nobody really wins religious debates.

Wars had been fought because of religion. Religion has been an instrument for bloodshed and domination – an example is the Crusades. Of course, religious zealots is prepared to fight to death for the cause of his religion, because they believe they fight for the right and when they die they will be rewarded in Heaven.
However, what if they’re wrong?

* * *

Religion has been used to obtain power and money. Religion has been manipulated by many so it can suit their own interests. Some people market religion, believing that they would make a lot of money from it. Often enough, they were right, they got rich through religion.

That’s why preachers has been often branded, by this judgmental world, with the likes of con-men, hustlers, social climbers, phonies and the sort because of this people who “sell” religion, or exploit their congregation. The good guys are judged quickly and included with the category of the bad guys. Worse, sometimes the bad guys are thought to be the “heroes”, and the good guys the “villains.”
And the bad guys laugh…

But didn’t the Good Book said, I think over in Matthew 6:20, that it is better “to store treasures in Heaven”?

* * *
Religion and politics are thought to be separate. Separation of Church and State, and all that jazz. But religion is political.  It has effect on secular matters and can push its weight around.

Religion greatly manipulates politics. Religion may deny it. The government may deny it, and even we, ourselves, may deny it. But it’s true; religion has great political power and influence. And ambitious people use religion as tool for political ends.

Religion meddles in many affairs, not only in the governance of the people and the state, but in other fields as well, like Science (ever heard of Galileo?). Throughout human history, religion is like that. But, hey, let us not look far in the past, we could clearly see it at work at modern times.

* * *

With all religion’s flaws, many are blind and ignorant of them. Many choose to be blind and ignorant – pretending they do not see the flaws. And still there are many who see the flaws, but deny the fact and force themselves to believe that there is nothing wrong. And there are also those who see the flaws and hypocrisy, but became atheists or agnostics – which is as bad as being too overly religious.

People settle to a religion because they grew up in it, their parents are of that religion, or because they are mandated, or because they were brainwashed. People begun to worship religion itself. People concentrated more in religious propaganda, traditions, church enrichment, dogma, and such. They forget the important things like God, grace, principles, love, peace, and goodwill with fellow men.

Which came first? The chicken or the egg? Religion corrupting people, or people corrupting religion? Whatever the answer, it is clear that religion is corrupt. Religion is imperfect. Religion is a mask. Religion is grotesque. Religion has been the cause of many pain and confusion. Religion – may I dare say it? – is evil.

* * *

Religion is an interesting and fascinating study, but per se, I don’t really like religion. Religion is complicated and distorted. But I will make it clear that I am a Christian.
Wait. Wait. You might say that Christianity is a religion, so how can I say that I am Christian if I don’t like religion. Well, maybe, Christianity is religion, but it is more than a religion. Of course, subject to religion’s flaws, Christianity is also infected by distortion, too. But these distortions are the fault of men (and the evil forces in this world) and not of Christ. Christianity’s meaning and essence is noble and beautiful – because it centers on Jesus Christ, and not religion.
I am not really a theology expert, but simple as I am, I find Christianity as good and true. It’s a way of life. An experience. A communion. It is difficult to explain. I admit that I don’t know many things about Christianity, but I appreciate its meaning and essence and message. Of the Savior, of grace, of the Holy Spirit, of God’s promises… If Christianity is a religion, I’m glad it’s my religion.

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