Performances at BU Amphitheater

Joy Church organized a special performance of guests from Korea - a team of professional performers of Korean traditional dances and arts.  It was entitled "We Are One in Christ" and was held at BU Amphitheater last November 4.  Local Joy Church talents also performed some numbers during the event.  Floodgates, the band I am part of, led the praise and worship and performed two special number songs (in this performances, I played keyboard instead of the usual guitar).  And our mime team performed "Sin Chair" once more.  

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Floodgates' Performance In "Hallowed Be Thy Name 5"

"Hallowed Be Thy Name" is an annual Christian concert event spearheaded by Living Water Christian Ministries - Legazpi.  If I get it right, it is held every October 31 of each year to coincide with, or rather, to combat the worldly celebration of Halloween.  This year, our band, Floodgates, was invited to participate.  It was held at Embarcadero de Legazpi, making this our second performance there (our first was last May 2010).  Here was our performance...

  

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Top 10 Skills I Want To Learn

To have a rich variety of skills or talents is an advantage.  The more you have, the more capable you are in a wider scope of life situations.  It also makes you a more interesting person.

I like learning new things. And, though, I have been called “versatile” or “well-rounded” several times already, I still consider myself lacking.  There are still plenty of skills I want to learn.  Among those, here’s the top ten…

 

10.) COMPUTER HACKING

Movies and TV shows heavily romanticized computer hacking.   When depicted by Hollywood, hacking is presented as having the power to take control or manipulate everything with a laptop and light-speed typing skills.  Of course, several of these scenarios or cases depicted are completely absurd.  However, indeed, there is power in hacking in real life.  And I want to learn it, not because I want to have power, but because everything is starting to get centralized on computer technology.  And when the time comes that everything is dependent on or working by computers, the more computer know-how you have, the more competitive and fit you are in such environment.      

9.) COOKING WELL

Who isn’t fond of eating good food?  I, like everyone else, greatly enjoy eating.  And the only thing as good as eating good food is preparing it.  A delicious meal is made more enjoyable by the thought that you were the one who made it.  Thus, I want to be richly adept in the culinary arts – to prepare good food for myself and for others to enjoy.

8.) MAKING ART

When I was a kid, I often draw. And I love looking at art ever since.

I appreciate art, that’s why I know the fact that I’m still lacking in skill.  I envy those who have the talents to create amazing art – painters, sculptors, pencilers, etc.  I want to feel that fulfillment of creating something that will awe and/or cheer people. 

  

7.) PICKING A POCKET

“First, hacking a computer.  Now, picking a pocket?!  You aren’t deciding of becoming a criminal, are you?” you might ask.  No, of course not.  I just think that this skill is pretty cool – to get something from someone’s pocket without him noticing.  To have such quick and graceful hands is a great way to show off.  I should have probably used the term “sleight of hand” instead of “picking pocket” if I’m pertaining to this skill.  The “sleight of hand” is mighty invaluable in performing magic tricks and such… but more so with picking pockets.     

Note: I’m actually also considering adding “picking a lock” in this list.  But that would probably make you pretty suspicious of this list of skills I want to learn.  Besides, I think that the traditional lock-and-key convenience that we have in the present would be very much extinct in the near future.  Thus, the skill of “picking locks” would be inutile. 

6.) UBERMAN SLEEPING

This is going to be probably the longest entry in this list since I need to explain this skill…

We need sleep to refresh us.  But the time spent on sleeping seems to take out a large chunk out of our precious time.  We sleep, by average, around 8 hours a day (the recommended and usual given amount to the question “how much sleep we should get?”).  That’s already a third of our 24-hour day.  So that means we roughly spend a third of our lives sleeping!  It kind of sucks when you think about it: we’ll be sleeping when we’re dead anyway, why does sleep has to take a third of the time we’re alive, too?!

But what if sleeping would only take two hours out of our 24-hour day, and it’ll still be very much enough to refresh us?  Too good to be true?  Well, that’s how the Uberman sleeping schedule works.    

There are 5 stages of sleep.  But the only actual essential stage is the REM (rapid eye movement) stage.  This is the stage where we dream.  This is the stage where we are really being recharged.  The Uberman system aims to skip the other unnecessary 4 stages of sleep and go directly to the REM stage as soon as the eyes are closed.  The Uberman sleeping schedule goes like this: you take 20-minute naps every four hours.  That would give you 6 naps – a total of 2 hours of sleep – each day.  Of course, your brain and body wouldn’t adapt to this schedule quickly.  It would take one or two weeks till the brain and body gets accustomed to it.  During that period, you would definitely feel like crap.  But the idea is, once your brain and body get used to it, you will be able to sleep comfortably on such unorthodox schedule and will be refreshed from the naps because you will experience REM immediately.

Now that is the Uberman way of sleeping.  And I want to learn it. (Note: Some say that it’s a dangerous method though.) 

    

5.) SPEAKING WELL

Like most people, I write better than I speak.  I can organize my thoughts better and have a better command of diction when writing.  So, I prefer prepared speeches than extemporaneous ones.  However, I’m still not extremely good at delivering a prepared speech.  Most of the time during the speech, my eyes are looking down on my written copy.  Instead of using it as a guide, I mostly recite it verbatim.  I don’t want to lose the entire flavor on what I have written.  Of course, a good speaker merely glances at his written copy and maintain eye contact with his audience most of the time.  I want to be like that: to maintain the connection with the audience without sacrificing the entire flavor of the prepared speech.  I want to be able to be articulate my thoughts always; not only by writing, but by speech as well.  Speeches are usually more empathic than writings. 

There is a reason why a batshit Austrian imbecile (it’s a misconception that he’s a genius) like Hitler was able to gain power in Germany.  He might be madman, but he was a charismatic speaker.  I’m not saying I want to be like Hitler, but my point is, more often than not, those that can deliver speeches well are the one gaining leadership, prominence and recognition in history.  Churchill, Lincoln, Luther King, Jr… here are people who, unlike Hitler, used their legendary speaking prowess for the good of many.     

I really want to be good at speaking.  I want to be good at both the prepared speech and the extemporaneous speech.  To rally people with my tongue.  To give encouragement.  To proclaim truth and ideas with clarity and emphasis.  To impact history by words.  I want the skill – no, it’s not just a skill – the power of speech.

  

4.) PLAYING SAXOPHONE

As an amateur musician, I know how to play several instruments.  I’m not saying I am great in playing all of these instruments, but I know how to play them well enough to be able to experience performing with them at least once.  These instruments that I know how to play either belong to the string family or percussion family of musical instruments.  I don’t know how to play any wind instrument.  That’s why the next instrument I really want to learn to play is the saxophone – a wind instrument.  And why the saxophone you ask?  Well, because it is the sexiest sounding instrument there is.  Case study: non-sensual songs like “Careless Whisper” and “The One You Love” (check the lyrics) became “sexy” songs because of their popular saxophone riffs.    

3.) PILOTING A PLANE

I still don’t know how to drive a motorbike or car.  But, I think, eventually, it is very probable I’ll get to that.  But learning how to pilot a plane is a dream of mine since I was small.  I remember that when I was just a toddler – next to being an astronaut – I really wanted to be a fighter plane pilot.  Now, I don’t really dream of piloting planes as a vocation, but piloting a plane (not necessarily a fighter jet, of course) is still something I want to do.  

2.) KRAV MAGA

I consider Krav Maga as the best fighting style there is.  It’s practical and can be learned in just a few months.  Violence is not always the answer.  But as the song and saying goes, “you don’t have to fight to be a man, but, sometimes, you need to fight when you’re a man.”  I want to be equipped and have the confidence that I can go Krav Maga-berserk at any time or as a last result to protect myself and those dear to me from a threat. 

1.) ONLINE TRADING OF SECURITIES

Trading securities is like poker.  It’s risky and rewarding, but not that romantic as pop culture presented.  The reality is, like poker, trading securities involves a lot of math.

I want to have the proper training and knowledge to be able to trade securities via Internet.  Online trading is definitely convenient, since the conventional trading of securities involve leasing a sit on the floor of the Stock Exchange.  With merely logging in, clicking the mouse, I can buy and sell securities for profit at the convenience of being at home. 

Really need somebody to teach me this.  Anybody? Or, if not, you can teach me how to earn through online poker instead.     

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Our Cell Group's Dance Number

The "Alegria de Dios" (Joy of God) cell group - consisting of Pastora Joy, Joneil, Basil, and yours truly - performed this fun special dance number in our church.  This was choreographed by Arlene.

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My Sister's First Violin Recital

My sister Wanda, just after less than a month worth of lessons, did her first violin performance for an audience. I got to accompany them by playing keyboard.  Here's the instrumental of a classic hymn:

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Proper Perspective On Debate And Argumentation

"I love argument, I love debate. I don't expect anyone just to sit there and agree with me, that's not their job." - Margaret Thatcher

"I don't debate with liars." - Evo Morales

"Winning an argument in the Internet is like running in the Special Olympics. Even if you win, you're still retarded." - a Youtube comment

There are people who are wary to argue.  Even if they know they are right or have a point, they would rather passively keep their mouth shut.  They think it’s inconvenient.  They think debating and arguing are forms of conflict.  Since they dislike conflicts and/or inconveniences, they avoid debate as much as possible. 

Then, there are people who love to argue everything.  I mean everything.  They would always take the opposing side of what your preferences or opinions are.  It doesn’t matter if they actually believe or feel strongly about the subject matter.  They will just argue for the sake of arguing.    

These people have the wrong idea on what debating and arguing are all about.

Debate or argumentation, if done right, is actually a pretty worthwhile and productive activity.  It’s a great way to exercise one’s mental prowess on logic, knowledge, and wit.  Valuable skills, like grammar, speech, and writing, can be developed as well. 

And it can actually be quite enjoyable. 

Indeed, there is quite a good feeling when you own your opponent.  Winning is sweet, and winning an argument is one of the sweetest victories you can experience in your life.  However, if your prime motivation for beginning or joining a debate is the desire of wanting to win it, or to show how smart or right you are – or, worse, to show how dumb or wrong your opponent is – then it’s better not to debate at all.  For me, debate is a tool of logic, and logic’s objective is to find truth.  Therefore, your main motivation for deciding to argue or debate should be for the TRUTH – to defend, promote, or find what is true. 

That’s why I think the type of debating we encounter in our academic lives misses the point.  I mean a random topic to debate on is given. Then we are assigned – oftentimes, we can’t choose what side we will belong in – on the negative or affirmative side.  Now, what if I don’t concur with the side I am assigned on?  Why would I exert my effort on defending or pushing something I don’t believe in or agree on?  Isn’t that ridiculous?  You might say it’s all for the sake of exercise or learning the proper mechanics of debate.  Well, you know what, I still call it absurd!  No matter how brilliant or excellent the skills, effort, articulation, and organization that I use for that argument, if it’s all for arguing something as ridiculously false like the Earth is flat, they are all meaningless and inutile.  All of those things used for arguing for something that is not true or right are wasted. 

In fact, I would rather “lose” a debating contest as long as I am in the side of truth.      

Of course, there are times that a debate has no objective truths involved, but subjective ones that are dependent on opinions, like “Who will win in a fight?  Batman or Superman?”  It’s still going to be a productive debate but participants should understand the fact that, though objective points can be presented, there is no objective truth to be established as a result and that, in the end, personal opinion and preference would still be the actual determinants, and not how good the arguments are.   However, good arguments still impress and might at least make your opponent respect or acknowledge the merits of your preference.

Debates do not always end in establishing the truth (especially if the parties are not applying the proper philosophy of debating).  Sometimes it can even end with a compromise.  Usually it ends with an “agree to disagree”-result (human beings are stubborn creatures).  And sometimes, you just have to stop, like for instance: a) when after you have already completely exhausted your points and made a concrete case, your opponent still hasn’t agreed with you because you haven’t convinced him or his bias and pride made him stubbornly unyielding, b) you feel the debate is going nowhere since your opponent is just using the same arguments over and over again, or c) your opponent becomes unreasonable or displaying “troll” behavior. 

Debates can easily become emotional.  And when one is debating without the proper philosophy and discipline, he will tend to debate ineffectively when he gets emotional.  He will commit fallacies in his arguments.  His points will be irrelevant.  And he will attack you with insults.  You should be careful from falling into extreme obnoxiousness and rage when debating.  Sure, aggressiveness, sarcasm and humor can be used on debates.  But always keep in mind to be reasonable and civilized.  Attack the issues at hand, attack the points, attack the flaws in the argument, but never ever commit the mistake of attacking your opponent directly. Such low blow won’t prove any point.        

A worthwhile debate is that of a discussion for truth.  That is why we should debate.  Not using the glory of winning as an incentive.  There is no “winner” or “loser”, but the goal of establishing what is true.  Thus, when sometime during the debate you finally realized you are actually wrong and the other side is right, you should humbly and graciously admit you are wrong.  Do not let your pride get the better of you and stubbornly holding on and arguing for what you now know to be wrong.  Do not think that if you yield and admit that you’re wrong, you are the “loser” of the debate.  Again, there should be no “winners” and “losers” in a debate.  If the debate ends in establishing the truth, then the debate is a success.  Truth wins.  Always remember these whenever you decide to argue on something. 

 

By the way, no matter how strong or powerful Superman is, I sincerely believe that Batman can beat him in a fight.  Want to argue about this?  Bring it on.       

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How I Started Loving Basketball

I am familiar with all major sports, and among them, I prefer team sports.  And among these team sports, I love basketball most.  I find that among team sports, basketball is the most mental, most complex, most exciting, most fast-paced, and most teamwork-y among them.

So, how I started loving basketball?  It started with the one considered by many as the Greatest Of All Time in basketball…

Now, I don’t think that MJ should be a landslide undisputed choice for G.O.A.T. (even if he is indeed the best).  But though I think that way, it can’t be denied that he’s the biggest basketball icon that ever played the game.  In fact, he was even bigger than basketball (or at least the NBA) itself.  He was more than a basketballer, he was a pop culture icon.  Thus, back then, even if you don’t know anything about basketball, you know about Michael Jordan.  I never saw his games, but I saw plenty of his highlights.  And based on those highlights, he was the god of basketball.  Watching him was a joy.  And Michael Jordan cards are the only basketball cards worth collecting. 

And then he teamed-up with Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes to make the greatest basketball movie ever…

Michael Jordan’s status as a basketball superhero was greatly elevated after receiving the greatest alley-oop pass ever made from Bugs Bunny.

As a kid, I was more of a fan of cartoons than of professional sports (the only sport I really followed back then was the World Wrestling Federation).  And I was a big fan of the Looney Tunes (in fact, I enjoyed Bugs and Friends more than Mickey and Friends during those days), so “Space Jam” was a major reason why I started to like basketball.

The first time I actually watched NBA games was during the 1998 season – MJ’s last championship season.  I never really watched the game with understanding.  But just watched for the sake of seeing MJ in action.  I was into the Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls bandwagon, thus, most of the games I watched were Chicago Bulls games.  And I rooted for that team to win.  And they did. 

But I was still not yet a full NBA or basketball fan.  I just found a sport to like.  I still hadn’t understood yet how the game fully works.  In fact, during those days, I thought that a half court short was worth 5 points (I can’t remember how I got that idea).  I was naïve.  Michael Jordan, the greatest, didn’t have any flaws.  Scoring was all that matters in the game.  Half court shots were worth five points.  Such were my naïve thoughts at that time.

Another major reason why I started to get interested in basketball was an anime called Slam Dunk.

It’s one of the greatest anime series I have ever encountered.  Through its entertaining story and characters, I started to learn more about the game of basketball.  For instance, I learned that there are actually different positions in basketball.  Prior to the anime, I thought all 5 guys in a team just did the same stuff. 

I missed the 1998-1999 NBA season (I don’t know why).  When I started watching again – the 1999-2000 – Michael Jordan was already retired.  Pippen and Rodman were no longer in the Bulls. I needed a new “favorite team”. And I ended up with the Lost Angeles Lakers.  Which would be the biggest reason why I love basketball the way I do now. 

How did I decide to be a Laker fan?  It started with the two major reasons why the Lakers dominated the NBA early in 21^st Century.

Kobe and Shaq were a delight to watch. 

Well, during the days that I was an MJ fan (and believed he was indeed the greatest) solely because he was a major pop culture icon (and the hero of “Space Jam”), the player that probably is second to Jordan as an icon (at least in my eyes) that was not a Bull was Shaquille O’Neal.  By then, he was in the Orlando Magic.

 

When I got to start watching some NBA games (97-98 season), he was already out of the Magic and was now a Laker.  So, I started to watch some Laker games.  Then, eventually the Lakers become my “second favorite team”.  It was because with Shaq were three other stars – Kobe Bryant, Nick Van Exel, and Eddie Jones.  I was like, “Oh, the Bulls have 3 stars (Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman) but the Lakers have 4!”  As a basketball noob, I measured a team’s greatness by the stars they have.  I mean the Lakers had 4 players in the West All-Star squad!!!  

But among them, Kobe stood out in my eyes.  Initially, I liked Kobe because he was being dubbed as the “Next Jordan”.  Later on, Kobe Bryant would eventually become my favorite basketball player.  And not because I have joined a bandwagon like I did with Michael Jordan.  In the case of Kobe, I grew up watching him play, through the eyes of someone who finally understood basketball.  While, in the case of Jordan, I watch him through the eyes of a kid who was a fan of “Space Jam” and thought of a half-court shot as 5 points.  I maintain the opinion that Kobe is in the same page as Michael Jordan – that if they switched eras, Kobe would have been considered as the best.  It was all a matter of circumstance.  I could be wrong in my assessment, but I stand by this opinion. 

So when that 1999-2000 season begun, with no MJ anymore, I became a Laker fan.  Of course, at first, I became a “fan” by just picking out a team because it had prominent stars and it was a popular team, like what I did before when I picked Bulls as my “favorite team”.  But as I gained more knowledge and understanding of basketball, the NBA, and history, I truly saw how great and special the Lakers really are.  So though, at the start, I became a “Laker fan” for the reason of just needing a team to root for, in the end, I actually become a true Laker fan; the Los Angeles Lakers became a real favorite team of mine, and not because for the mere sake of just having a “favorite team”. 

From that point on, I was able to truly – from my heart – declare the slogan: “I love this game.”

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