My Mental versus my Chronological Age

Today I feel that my mind is still in my 40's but my body tells me I am over 75. Actually, I am 78 years old and 5 months as of today.

Aging is a natural process. But with a good diet and exercise, the aging process can be slowed down, I believe.

Last March, while I was still in Marinduque, I did " hands-on gardening" such as weeding, fertilizing and watering my plants. After 30 minutes of actual gardening that is fertilizing my more than 50 potted plants, my back started to ache. I had a hard time standing up. It ached so much that I have to take a pain killer( Celebrex).

This tells me I should do only gardening by mouth. I have one permanent gardener and two temporary helpers, especially if there is an event in the resort. However, there are times I like to do "hands-on" gardening since I really enjoy gardening and it is also my exercise.

However with regards to my mind, I still have a good memory. I could still remember the unit prices of all building materials, such as cement, tiles, hinges, hollow blocks etc., that I purchased last year. I STILL play duplicate bridge and still remember almost all the 52 cards based on the bidding. For those of you who do not play duplicate bridge, you only see 26 cards. The other half is hidden, but based on the bidding, and of your memory of how the bidding went and the discarded cards, you actually can guess the location of all the 52 cards. I am proud to say, my memory is still good.

But I noticed that my memory is not as good as when I was in high school. In high school, my teacher in world history wanted to give me 100, since all my tests were all 100, but the highest grade he could legally gave me was only 95. I had a photographic memory then. But today, that photographic memory is gone.

So my dear readers, can you tell me where to find the fountain of youth? Do you have a formula or a lifestyle that slow down the aging process? Do you believe that a good diet and daily exercises can slow down the aging process? I will be posting an article on the ten items I do rigorously to stay fit and healthy in the next couple of days. Watch for it and have a Good Day.

The Reyes-Velasco Election Fiasco in Marinduque

Remove the Pork Barrel System in the Philippines and Eliminate Corruption
I attented a Filipino-American Party today here in Northern California. The most popular topic of conversation is the recent election in the Philippines. Topic number #1 is the Time magazine article stating that Filipinos are stupid for having elected a 20-year old Pinay with no experience in government with the name of Nancy Binay. The other topic was the local congressional election in Marinduque- The Reyes versus Velasco Election Fiasco. Vote buying, threat of goons and pork barrel as the main source of corruption were also discussed at the party.

Here's a sample of conversation that I recalled at the party.

Guest #1; So you are from Marinduque? I heard that the voters elected an American Citizen for your representative in Congress. Is this against the Law to run for an elected position in the Philippines if you are a US citizen?

Guest #2: Yes, I am from Marinduque. I am so ashamed of what is happening now in my Province. Gina Reyes the daughter of the reelected governor, Carmencita Reyes, garnered more than 3800 votes against the current representative Lord Allan Velasco. The Reyeses had been a political dynasty in the Province for the last four decades starting from the Marcos regime.

Guest #3: If you have been reading the Philippine News, it was published that Comelec ( Commission on Elections) had disqualified Gina Reyes as a candidate because of her citizenship and other lies in her Certificate of Candidacy (COC) regarding her date(s) of brith, names and marital status.

Guest #1: Today, I read in the news that the Board of Canvassers in Marinduque defied the decision of Comelec by proclaiming Gina Reyes as the newly elected congresswoman representative of Marinduque. Of course, Velasco protested and questioned the authority of the Boatrd of Canvassers. Since Reyes is a disqualified candidate, he should be the one proclaimed having garnered the second highest number of votes. Do you have an idea when will this moro-moro and fiasco end? Will this case go to the Supreme Court?

I joined the group and gave them my personal opinion on how to solve this problem immediately. I suggested that perhaps, the 4 years term of the representative in Congress be divided between Reyes and Velasco( 2 years each). Along with this decision there will be an equal allocation of the millions pesos of pork barrel. This money will have to be spent on a defined project. ( not to be placed in their personal bank accounts). In addition in the next election in 2016, the two co-representatives will pledge that there will no more vote buying in Marinduque or goons hired during the election campaign.

The group gave me a dirty look. I was embarrassed and went to another group of guests not discussing politics.

Only in Marinduque-2013 Election ( A Moro-Moro)

Shotgun Proclamation of Gina Reyes as the Officially Elected Rpresentative of Congress - questioned by Lord Allan Velasco

I was advised by a couple of friends that as a Balikbayan, I should not get involved in the local politics in the Philippines. This advised I have always followed because getting involved in the local politics will get you in trouble specially if you run a business in your locality. But this 2013 mid year election is really interesting. I feel like I am watching a "moro-moro", a filipino dramatic play on the political activities and shenanigans of our Pinoy politicians. I just can not be silent anymore.

As a blogger and a citizen journalist, here's my post on the 2103 election in the Philippines, particulaly in my island province of Marinduque- my second home. Most of these observations are commentaries from FaceBook friends and what is already published in the Philippine Newspapers for the last week.

1. Election 2013 will be the remembered in the annals of Marinduque political history as the election most marred with corruption, vote buying, voter intimidation, confusion and intrigue. With a degree in Political Science and Public Administration, I find it intriguing and mind boggling how this election was conducted, from the filing of Certificate of Candidacy (COC) to the Proclamation of Winners (by Aida Hulen).

2. Did we have a valid and honest election? Despite the apparent euphoria generated in some circles by the independent and virtually unknown candidate Grace Poe topping the unofficial senatorial count, and by President B. S. Aquino III’s most rabid pro-population control candidates not making it at all,serious doubts are now being raised about the conduct of Monday’s election(By Francisco S. Tatad).

3. Philippines Named ‘Most Stupid Country to Elect a 20-Year OJT as a Senator’ by Time Magazine
The overwhelming victory of a self-professed on-the-job trainee-cum-Senator in the recently held election in the Philippines cemented the country’s fate,” wrote Time’s news director Marilou C. Martin.

She added, “Falling for the diversionary tactics of an inexperienced candidate that saw her steer the issue away from her credibility to her skin complexion to make herself look like the underdog; gave us no choice but to bestow such title to a country, who was destined for greatness before the elections.” “And yes, we intentionally all-capped the word stupid for added emphasis,” according to Martin. Time gave special attention to the country’s 11,789,643 registered voters (as of press time) who voted for Nancy Binay, as contributing to the country’s “overall stupidity rating index

4. That shotgun proclamation! by Eli Obligacion, Marinduque Rising

DepEd Superintendent Magdalena Lim reads the shotgun proclamation with three towns of Marinduque yet to transmit their COCs representing 40% of the votes. The helpless process server who was ordered to personally serve the Comelec en banc resolution stands on the side. That was the resolution affirming the cancellation of the COC/disqualification of Regina O. Reyes.

As of 7:00 pm May 15 when the Provincial Board of Canvassers (PBC) convened after a two-hour recess the election results in the municipalities of Mogpog, Sta. Cruz and Boac have been transmitted to the PBC. The certificates of canvass from the other three municipalities of Buenavista, Gasan and Torrijos that represents 40% of the votes have, however, not been transmitted to the PBC. This is so because of hardware malfunction in certain precincts in said municipalities.

5. Reyes proclamation in Marinduque Questioned by By Jofel Lancion, Maricar Cinco and Gerald Querubin Inquirer Southern Luzon

The regional head of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) will assume supervision over the canvassing of votes in Marinduque amid the controversial proclamation of the province’s governor, vice governor and lone district congressional representative on Wednesday. The most controversial candidate, Regina Ongsiako Reyes, has been disqualified by the Comelec en banc.

Danny Gapasin, counsel for Representative Lord Allan Jay Velasco, said Regina’s proclamation was “highly irregular and null and void from the very beginning.” He said the number of votes from three towns—Gasan, Buenavista and Torrijos— that had not been canvassed accounted for almost 40 percent of the total number of votes in the province. Marinduque has 129,954 registered voters.

Allegations of irregularities in canvassing in Marinduque cropped up when the provincial board of canvassers (PBOC), chaired by provincial election supervisor Edwin Villa, proclaimed as winners reelectionist Gov. Carmencita Reyes, her running mate Romulo Bacorro as vice governor, and Regina, Carmencita’s daughter, as Marinduque representative even though election returns from three of the six towns of the province had not been counted.

In the meantime, amidst this political drama, tourism is dead in Marinduque with the cancellation of air flights from Manila to Marinduque and back since Last May 10. The province of Marinduque is now back again to the Middle Ages. This political moro-moro could happen only in Marinduque! How long will it take for Marinduque to have an official Representative in Congress? That is my question?

Are You an Oenophile? What? Repeat, Please!

Are You an Oenophile? What! Repeat, Please! No, I am not a pedophile! Are You? I am an oenophile or just a wine enthusiast or connoisseur.

What? that sounds like a bad word, so close to the word that starts with the "p" and with "d" in the middle. The first time I heard this word was about 15 years ago, when a distant cousin told me he was planning to take enology (oenology)at UC Davis. He just graduated from high school and his parents lived in the Napa Valley. He worked during summer in one of the vineyards in Napa.

At that time, I learned that UC Davis is the only university in California that has a Department of Viticulture and Enology and one can obtained a Bachelor's degree in Enology. I believe today, one can get a PhD degree in Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis. For those of you who is not familiar with enology and viticulture, here is the definition. Enology is the science of wine and wine making and Viticulture is the culture and cultivation of grapes. But what is an Oenophile? It is a simply a person who loves wine. Other terms are a wine aficionado or a wine connoisseur. So are you an Oenophile?

A lot of people have an obsession for good wine, they spend a fortune on good wines. My daughter has a friend who spends a lot of money on his wine collection. He keeps it in his temperature-controlled wine cellar in his home here in Sacramento. He had spent a lot of money for the construction of this wine cellar. His collection of wine costs him a lot of money. However, he has no children going to school so all his savings goes to his wine collection. He told me he has a wine bottle appraised for $1000. I told him I will choke to death if you let me drink a wine that cost that much. The most expensive wine that I have drunk was an Australian wine that cost me $27 per bottle. That was in celebration of our 54th wedding anniversary in the Philippines last May. I have drunk from a bottle of champagne that cost $40 about 15 years ago in Maryland, but that was a treat from a friend celebrating his 50th birthday.

Although, I am not an avid oenophile, Macrine and I have a glass of red or white wine for dinner about three times during the week. There are some studies that drinking one glass of red wine a day is good for you. My problem is I am suffering from a hyper acid stomach, so drinking red wine exacerbates my problem. So if you are a wine aficionado, an oenophile or a wine connoisseur, please share your experiences with my readers and give us tips on good buys of wine and related products. Here's my toast to all you my readers, Salud, Peseta y Amor ( Health, Money and Love) to all of you and your love ones. Remember, a lot of people still believe wine is the "Drink of the Gods".

Some of My Favorite Inspirational Quotes and a Video

Sunset from the Balcony of Chateau Du Mer Beach House, Boac, Marinduque, Philippines with Macrine and Miko,(my pet dog) in the background.

I always believe in the 6P's of Life. In order to succeed, one must always practice the 6P's: Patience, Perseverance, Prayers, Preparation, Persistence and Perspiration. I have written an article dated 5/09/09 in my autobiography at http://theintellectualmigrant.blogspot.com, Chapter 3, about the three failures in my life that inspired me to success. I AM INVITING YOU TO READ IT.

The following video is a good example of an inspirational video. Let me know if this video inspires you to succeed or at least gave you a positive attitude in life.



The following are some of my favorite quotes shared in Facebook and Twitter Pages.

1. “Just know, when you truly want success, you’ll never give up on it. No matter how bad the situation may get.” - Unknown

2. “Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else.” – Les Brown

3. “I don’t regret the things I’ve done, I regret the things I didn’t do when I had the chance.” – Unknown

4.“Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” - Joshua J. Marine

5. “Its hard to wait around for something you know might never happen; but its harder to give up when you know its everything you want.” – Unknown

6.“One of the most important keys to Success is having the discipline to do what you know you should do, even when you dont feel like doing it.” - Unknown

7. “Good things come to those who wait… greater things come to those who get off their ass and do anything to make it happen.” - Unknown

8. “Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, or worn. It is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace & gratitude.” - Denis Waitley

9. “In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.” – Bill Cosby

10. Dont be afraid to stand for what you believe in, even if that means standing alone.. - Unknown

11. “The best revenge is massive success.” – Frank Sinatra

12. “Forget all the reasons it won’t work and believe the one reason that it will.” - Unknown

13. “Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs.” – Farrah Gray

14.“The only thing that stands between you and your dream is the will to try and the belief that it is actually possible.” – Joel Brown

15. “Self confidence is the most attractive quality a person can have. how can anyone see how awesome you are if you can’t see it yourself?” – Unknown

16. “Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. it means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.” - Unknown

Do you have a favorite inspirational quotes that you can share? For more quotes, visit www.addicted2success.com