Random shots na off-track

1. I've been watching very little TV lately, and with whatever time I've had, I end up watching a cooking show like Emeril or Iron Chef... which leads me to wonder what would be the best strategy to beat these Iron Chefs, who usually dish out 4-5 entrees in the given hour. Rarely do you see challengers beating out the iron chefs with just 2-3 entrees out... I think the Iron chefs don't focus too much on just the quality of the dishes, but more on the attack on the senses that they create, the sheer number/barrage of tastes and aromas that they can cook up in a span of 1 hour.

2. Saw The Butterfly Effect 2, pretty decent movie, which does serve up an intriguing storyline and poses a few good questions... which I'll ponder some other time...

3. I heard from a friend that Ayn Rand's 2 landmark novels... The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged are going to be put into film... with Atlas Shrugged starring Angelina Jolie as Dagny Taggart (a very worthy choice... although... I could have gone with Charlize Theron or Claire Forlani for the role) and a Fountainhead remake. I think its good that both these books are being put to film, a much more widespread medium, because I think the media in general have run out of heroic things to talk about... storylines that inspire people, and not just mundane love stories and comedies, but stories that illicit motive power in people.

The Principle of Joy (worldly version)

What's the principle of joy: Its simple... finding something you love and believe in, and doing it, making it happen, and enlightening other people about it. That's happiness right there.

People have no idea, that a lot of what we see in media everyday, are merely distractions, to get us what we can't find in our work. You don't enjoy what you do, well, maybe marginally, you get by with a faint glimmer of enthusiasm, but the truth is, you work because you need to get paid.

Which is all well and good. We all need to put food on our plates and pay the bills, but tell me honestly, after earning all that money and spending it on clothes, gadgets and extras, do you feel happy?

After finishing with your newly acquired toys you realize you're back in your office doing something you really don't like, waiting for your next paycheck. And so the cycle continues.

To some who wandered during there single years, starting a family galvinizes them into action and passionate work, not just to bring the basics to the family, but in order to raise the children properly.

For others, they find it in social causes, in grand statements, taking the less travelled road, and moving into altruistic and giving service.

And for a lucky few, they get to do it everyday, in their own little way. There's the pilot who leaps his plane into the morning sky, weightless with the never-ceasing awe, wonder and thrill of flight.

There's the singer-songwriter, who gets to belt out his own words... ever notice that, no matter how good a singer is, if he didn't write it himself, chances are he's just acting the part, and people can tell that... people can sense that... which is why very few singers/artists become successful (not necessarily famous) with a copy/cover/remake for their first shot.

People will always listen to you no matter how bad the song is, as long as you wrote it. Why? Because its from you, its genuine, and as much as they may cringe in their seats or applaud you, you don't care what they say about it, you just continue with it anyway.

And in the end, people respect that. The marketplace will respect that.

There's the businessman, who genuinely enjoys the process of earning. And of being able to do things he loves with the mobility that his money affords him, who later in life, may or may not realize that there are other things that money can't buy, which would lead him to service and philantropy, both of which can be truly rewarding activities as well. Probably much more rewarding than your typical million peso/dollar splurge.

Then there's the artist, architect, designer, sculptor, painter, etc. Who, no matter how small his project may be, is happy because he gets to call it his own, to bring an idea, strategy and vision into fruition is probably the joy-filled and thrilling act in this world. To see it there, standing, a door, a railing, a wall, a painting, a trinket, a portrait, whatever it is, is testament and reflection to the creator and his Creator.

So in the end, whats the cause of joy, i mean true honest pleasure? The singular act of creation, when we, as humans, put by God on earth, enact and become cocreators with Him. That is probably the only thing that brings joy and true pleasure to us as humans. Creating environments, creating lasting memories/experiences, creating the next generation.

Generator by the Foo Fighters

Lately Im getting better

Wish I could stay sick with you

But theres too many egos left to bruise

Call it sin

You can call it whatever

Eating deep inside of you

Well if it were me its all Id ever do



Steal me now and forever

Ill steal something good for you

The criminal in me is no-one new



Till you find something better

When theres nothing left to use

And everything starts going down on you



Im the generator

Firing whenever you quit

Yeah, whatever it is

You go out and its on

Yeah cant you hear my motored heart

Youre the one that started it



Send me out on a tether

Swing it round

Ill spin your noose

You let it down

Ill hang around with you

Till you find someone better

When theres no-one left to lose

Everyone keeps going down



Im the generator


Firing whenever you quit


Yeah, whatever it is


You go out and its on


Yeah cant you hear my motored heart


Youre the one that started it

Having it easy? Not really... just not making it look difficult.

One of my colleagues slipped his tongue and made a very subversive
remark at me yesterday. Saying that I had it easy, because my dad's an
architect, and that we have a firm, and that I've been trained by him
ever since I was a freshman in HS.



Yes, given those comparative advantages to majority of my colleagues
and peers, from the third-person's shallow point-of-view, its so much
easier for me to eke out my career path. But really now? You have no
idea.



As for being an architect's kid? Or any kid who's following in his/her
parent's footsteps for that matter, Ask anyone in the same position and
you'll see that the blessing/perk of having an in-house mentor is
coupled with tremendous pressure and strain. Countless days and nights
have been driven by fiery, humbling personal critique. But the one
thing that will keep you pushing hard is love. Soon, your love for your
profession will only equal your love for your parents. And that's when
the 2 become intertwined, never to be ripped apart.



Soon, the desire to please your parents disappears, and becomes your
genuine, honest desire to push the envelope and bring things to the
next level. To correct what's wrong, to change things, and to drive
others as well.



Soon, the desire to get plugged into the corporate world's comfortable
matrix disappears, and gets replaced with your desire to slug it out in
the real market, strike out on your own and fight your battles beyond
your home borders. Knowing that the corporate world's comforts will
never bring you artistic and professional independence, freedom and a
name.



And when all this happens, along with your own realization that, you
can actually do this and hang with the boys, and when resources meet
capabilities, properly matched with opportunities, you can only feel
your own desire to meet these circumstances, with your best, truest
effort.



Many have tried, failed for lack of desire and ability, faltered, got
their priorities sidetracked, abandoned and quit, and very few have
truly succeeded.  But ask anyone if they regret it, and they will
say that the ride was worth it.



Truly, much is expected from those whom much is given. I don't see my
advantages as safety nets and mere fall back positions, I see them as
tickets to take bigger risks, to take bigger challenges, and to go
further away from my comfort zone.



Tsk, tsk, if you think I have it easy, then sorry to say, your
standards and my standards are different. I'm just starting out, the
road is still long. If you think my corporate dayjob is the end all and
be all of my existence, then you are mistaken, thats just plan B.