Beat' Em Up Babe of the Day - Yeon So-Ha /Shadowless Sword

The city of Sanggyeong, Balhae, year 926. The Killer Blade Army is sent out by the Khitan Royal Court to search and capture the remaining royal princes of the Balhae Kingdom. But every time a prince is found, the leader of the Killer Blade Army executes the princes, (In vengeance of his father's death when the Balhae Royal family executed him) and plots to annihilate the Khitan Royal Court to put up his own rule.

The only hope for the Balhae Kingdom is to seek the last remaining prince, Jeonghyun, and to ensure his safe return they send out Yeon So-Ha, an officer of the Balhae Army.

Yeon So-Ha is our Beat'Em Up Babe of the Day because even when surrounded by 10 thugs, she easily whips them into pieces without a sweat.

Featured Clip of the Day - Pacman Gloves of What??

Don't get me wrong, I love the Pound for Pound King, it's just that...

Gloves of What??

Following Orders vs. Following Principles

I would presume that during our childhood, our parents instilled in us certain values and principles that we would be carrying for the rest of our lives; values such as Honesty, Integrity, and Respect. At an early age, we are taught to embrace these as it is the foundation into basically growing up to be a good person. We usually tell the truth, we would know what is right from wrong, and we would respect the people around us.

Later in life we acquire other values that would either strengthen our good natured character or bring out the dark force within us. This is where the conflict would arise and when encountered in certain situations such as in a work environment, it is very difficult to choose which side you should be on. It would be very challenging for us to make a just and honest decision that we would never want to regret later on.

What makes things more complicated is when you are given directives to make that decision that is against your values or principles. In my line of work, I encounter this crossroad almost everyday. My personal values are often challenged and stretched beyond its limit.

But let us take the example of a common foot soldier in the Army. Soldiers are bred to strictly live by a code and to honor it till the end. One of these codes would be to follow orders from higher ranking officials and adhere to the hierarchy or the chain of command. “If I say jump, you say how high.” (Quote taken from the movie Universal Soldier) Failure to follow orders would lead to consequences or disciplinary action and may even tantamount to Insubordination. You cannot in anyway question their orders.

But what if you are ordered to execute someone that you know deep inside you is not the right thing to do? Your personal values are preventing you from doing so; would you still do it then? To continue living with the knowledge that you wrongfully denied the life of a human being? Or take the risk of being subjected to sanctions for refusal to follow orders but having that peace of mind that you were principally correct in your decision to do what is just. Some countries wage wars in the name of peace, but is war really the right choice or path to take? In the famous words of the late US President – Theodore Roosevelt, “If I must choose between righteousness and peace, I choose righteousness.”

Any individual in any type of business or industry tries very hard to build a respectable reputation shielded by the values or “code” that they live by. When that shield is breached, you risk having your reputation tainted. I don’t want that happening to me.

So with that said, I will live by the code; “If I must choose between righteousness and resolution, I will choose righteousness.” because in the end, it is your name on the line and not the names of The Powers That Be.

Featured Clips of the Day - Office Linebacker

I sure would like to have him on my team, to enforce proper employee discipline...

The Pain Train is coming baby!!! Whoot Whoot!!

Terry Tate Office Linebacker

Terry Tate Office Linebacker - Sensitivity Training



The Invitation - by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living;
I want to know what you ache for,
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool;
for love,
for your dream,
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow.
If you have been opened by life’s betrayals,
or have become shrivelled and closed,
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain;
mine or your own without moving to hide it,
or fade it,
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own;
if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you,
to the tips of your fingers and toes, without cautioning us,
to be careful,
to be realistic,
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true.
I want to know if you can disappoint another;
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure;
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake,
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me to know where you live;
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up,
after the night of grief and despair,
weary and bruised to the bone,
and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know;
or how you came to be here.
I want to know
if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you from the inside,
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself;
and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

80’s Revisited: Music

In the past years we have seen and heard a lot of revivals or remakes of some of the 80’s songs and TV shows; recently, the popular one done by the Black Eyed Peas, Dirty Bit. Which was a remake of somewhat, the soundtrack single “The Time of my Life” in the movie Dirty Dancing. (Starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Gray)

Movies such as The A-Team, Miami Vice, the Hawaii Five-O TV Series, have seen it’s way back in the new millennium; it won’t be long before they revive classics such as MacGyver or the Equalizer.

(So is the 80’s the best generation ever? With all these movie and music revivals)

By the way, this was actually the theme for my office’s 2011 New Year activity; where we had to do a dance number to the tunes of Material Girl, Whip it and Dirty Bit.

Let’s start off with some of the sounds from the 80’s and a taste of their reborn versions; Whether it's a remake or original tunes, just keep the music rolling!

Star to Fall - Cabin Crew


Waiting for a Star to Fall (Original) - Boy Meets Girl


Time after Time - INOJ


Time after Time (Original) – Cyndi Lauper

Out of Touch - Uniting Nations



Out of Touch (Original) - Hall and Oates


Don’t stop believing – Glee


Don’t Stop Believing (Original) – Journey


Check out 80's Cartoons:
 80's Revisited: Cartoons Part 1 - G.I. Joe
80's Revisited: Cartoons Part 2 - Transformers

Featured Clip of the Day - Karate Cannabis

Banned Commercials - Karate Cannabis

Valentine's Day Celebration

This year, we spent our Valentine's at Barcino in Ortigas, with my cousins. This was after playing 3 consecutive games in ABL and Hoops Challenge on the same day. (Which we won all three! Wohoo!) So it was the best way to cap the night off and unwind.

Red Wine, Tapas, Chorizo and Cheese platter, Paella, Gambas....your typical case of food tripping.

 (What a happy bunch)

Life Is Fine by Langston Hughes

I went down to the river, I set down on the bank.
I tried to think but couldn't,
So I jumped in and sank.

I came up once and hollered!
I came up twice and cried!
If that water hadn't a-been so cold
I might've sunk and died.

But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!

I took the elevator
Sixteen floors above the ground.
I thought about my baby
And thought I would jump down.

I stood there and I hollered!
I stood there and I cried!
If it hadn't a-been so high
I might've jumped and died.

But it was High up there! It was high!

So since I'm still here livin',
I guess I will live on.
I could've died for love--
But for livin' I was born

Though you may hear me holler,
And you may see me cry--
I'll be dogged, sweet baby,
If you gonna see me die.

Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!

Budget Travel Destinations - by Nicole Frehsee

If you're on a tight budget, here are some travel destinations that you may consider...

Shanghai

Lisbon, Portugal

 Jamaica

 Tangalla Beach, Sri Lanka

Dublin, Ireland

For more budget travels, click this link: Top Budget Travel Destinations 2011

Anyway - by Mother Teresa

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

Road Rage

I just hate it when traffic in Metro Manila is completely messed up. You would sometimes imagine that you just drove a tank and ran over all the other vehicles on the road. But that’s just one of them. You know your driving experience is not going well if you encounter some of the following on any given day;

• The car in front of you is in the middle of two lanes and would not move to the side even if you blink you lights or honk your horn.
• When the traffic lights on an avenue stretch is not synchronized. 1st block it turns green, but the stoplight on the next block is red. You haven’t even reached 30 meters and you have to stop again. Try passing Santolan and you will know what I am talking about.
• Trucks and buses who think they are Ferraris and Porsches that swerve from the innermost lane to the outermost lane at 110 KPH.
• When an intersection does not follow the stop light because the traffic enforcer has other things in mind when directing traffic.
• When motorcycles try to squeeze between cars during traffic and hit your side mirror.
• Public Utility Vehicles that suddenly stop from a speed of 80 KPH to zero in the middle of the road to drop off or pick up passengers.
• They build an expressway but have a speed limit of 80-100 KPH. Specifically SCTEX. Hello, did you guys ever look up the meaning of “Expressway”.
• Buses that suddenly spew out smokescreens and impair your driving visibility and your windows are rolled down. Whenever this happens I feel like I am in a Death Race.

Featured Clip of the Day - Binocular Soccer

It's not as easy as you think it is.

Binocular Soccer

HR Moments

In my 8 and half years of being in Human Resources, each day would still bring new experiences in HR. There is not a dull moment if you ask me. There would always be something that will just pop out of nowhere and either it would make you laugh out loud or make you cry due to the stress it brings.

You encounter all types of personalities and all kinds of situations that crunches your mind and you just want to flip out, but can’t. (I actually had to go through a transformation from being the short-tempered barbarian, in order to be able to render good customer service) it’s true; I literally would go on a rampage if ever I got ticked off. But when I joined the airline industry back in 2000, I learned how to control my temper.

Now, most situations I encounter, I would just laugh at the absurdity of it. Even if it brings so much stress that I want to bang my head through the wall just to see if any solutions would come out of my cracked brain. Some situations are even so easy to resolve, but other parties are being too complicated to deal with, or are like horse with blinders that go around in circles and doesn’t see the bigger picture or the repercussions of their actions.

Here are my top 5 HR Moments;

No.5
An employee contested a disciplinary action given to her for cheating by sharing her answers to a co-trainee during a training assessment. She claims that she was only helping his team mate out. She then said; “Isn’t that one of our company values, TeamWork?”

No.4
An employee asked for a urine sample from the other team mates, for the medical exam. When I asked for the explanation why the employee did that, the employee suddenly snapped and said, I could give you my urine now if you want. I then just responded; “Do I look like I am interested in getting your urine now? Giving your urine to me at this moment does not relinquish the fact that you allegedly submitted a urine sample that was not yours.”

No.3
An employee came to the HR office one night and said that his wife is on her way to the office to kill him because the wife found out the he was having an affair with a co-employee. Out of utter curiosity, I asked how HR could help. The employee responded and handed me a picture of his wife; “Can you post my wife’s picture at the main entrance so that the guards would know who she is and not let her in, because she will kill me!”

No.2
An employee threatened to file a labor case because the employee claims that the overtime work rendered was not paid. When I checked with Payroll on the amount, it was just 50.00 pesos. (I honestly wanted to go to the employee and give the employee a hundred bucks and say, here is your overtime pay plus 100% interest! Capital OMG and WTF!! You would go to court for just 50.00 pesos!!?? Besides we have a Pay Dispute process, why did you not file for a dispute?? Heaven Almighty!! Please give me the strength to endure such ignorance!!)

No.1
An employee approached me one day to file a harassment case. This employee was courting another team mate only to find out later on that the team mate was gay. (Admittedly, the team mate really did look like a girl) So I asked the employee if there were any sexual advances made by the team mate that might have been offensive, the response was; “None. I was actually the one who kissed her..I mean him..I mean I don’t know if it’s him or her!!” then I responded; “So let me get this straight, you were the one who courted your team mate who you though was a girl, then kissed your team mate, and now you want to file a harassment case against your team mate?” There was silence in the room for like 2 minutes, and all I could say was…”Please tell me you’re not serious about pursuing this.”

Featured Clip of the Day - Twilight New Moon Auditions (Tom Cruise)

Leaked Tom Cruise auditions for Twilight

Story of the Seed

In the Far East, the emperor was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided to do something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you.”

The children were shocked, but the emperor continued. “I am going to give each one of you a seed today – one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor.”

One boy, named Ling, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it, carefully. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Ling didn’t have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by — still nothing in Ling’s pot.

He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn’t say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But his mother asked him to be honest about what happened.

Ling felt sick at his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful — in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other children laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, “Hey, nice try.”

When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. “My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown,” said the emperor. “Today one of you will be appointed the next emperor!”

All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. He thought, “The emperor knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!”

When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. “My name is Ling,” he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, “Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!”

Ling couldn’t believe it. Ling couldn’t even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?

Then the emperor said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds that would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he Is the one who will be the new emperor!”

"Honesty is still the best policy"

(Story of the Seed has many variations, this one by Georgy)