Buying and Shopping - A Choice makes a Difference

Have you heard Deal Grocer's Retail Therapy?
Yes, they claim it is YOUR right.

While I have no arguments with that, but like everything, I also believe that our choices always make a difference ...

You say you support the Coral Reefs - but you buy coral jewelry.
Or support wildlife and buy ivory jewelry

Then you dont put your money where your mouth is -

Coral jewelry is lovely, but if you support say the barrier, then you cant continue to buy such stuff ....

Happy Weekend Folks

Ah May is almost at an end so happy weekend to all of you

what shall you be doing this weekend
if you are like me
a typical weekend is - i try to sleep in as much as i can except when i have laboratory exams,
and i do - this weekend.

then i wash clothes - well, yes, through the washing machine
i have one of those that finish the cycle and when finished, the clothes (or whatever) is drip dry
they i have to hang them on the clothesline, which is inside the roofed patio, terrazo, or whatever you call it
they dry very fast in this heat

then i cook, clean the ref (sometimes i have to defrost!!! i have the kind that needs defrosting because science and practicality taught me this is the better option

weekends i change the bed linens so i always have fresh linen when i start the week, i feel you have to stack the upcoming week with whatever niceties you can

if i have time this weekend, i shall cook callos, if not, well, i'll probly have nilagang beef
:)

Rage, Rage, againt the dying of the light - one of the poems that SAY something

this quote from dylan is certainly evocative of these times
indeed, the dying of the light is a phenomenon very special to the philippines
and particular in one government institution i shall call  Estres

well, in Estres, morale is at an all-time low, the light in the employees' eyes are dying
and well, their leader does not give a sh*t  nor a f*ck

AND well, it seems that the condition of the world is mostly like this -
i am glad that there are organizations that DO care, and DO give a da*n


For your convenience, here's the poem

Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night

BY DYLAN THOMAS

Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,

Because their words had forked no lightning they

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright

Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,

And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight

Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,   

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,

Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Dylan Thomas, “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” from The Poems of Dylan Thomas. Copyright 1939, 1946 by New Directions Publishing Corporation. Reprinted with the permission of New Directions Publishing Corporation.

Here's my source

Dylan's Poem

A Goodreads quote on WORK - something to think about

Work is about a search for daily meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather than torpor; in short, for a sort of life rather than a Mondaythrough Friday sort of dying. 

Studs Terkel

Are you an SSS Member?

Yes?  Are you sure?

If you are sure.....  Why are you sure, or maybe i should ask, how are you sure?
The only real way to be sure is to check your SSS records.

You have got to be sure that your SSS records are correct.
If any of those records are in error, i guarantee that your claims for any and all benefits will take long because SSS  scrutinizes your records for every claim that you file ..... so DO NOT WAIT for a claim to clean-up your records

This is especially true for retirement claims.

First you have to check your personal details -
Is your name spelled correctly?  Is it complete?  Some members have double or triple names and your SSS records should reflect your legal name - your entire legal name.

Have you updated your E4?  Your E4 is the form that corrects personal details -
name, birthday, status (single, married, divorced, widowed), beneficiaries.
Remember many of these changes require proof of legality and correctness

Does your employer remit the proper contributions for you?
Remember, it could be an honest error on their part - and not because they are cheating you

It behooves you to check your contributions.

Are all your employers listed in your records?

Keeping your records straight will definitely facilitate the processing of your claims,
DO NOT wait until retirement before you check ..........

Your SSS pension and You

If you are 60 or more and are still employed, you obviously cannot get your SSS pension yet.
If you are 60 and not employed, you can already apply for your SSS pension provided you meet the required 120-months contribution.
If you are 60 and more, and not employed, and lack the 120 contributions, you can still continue to your contributions IF you wish to have a pension.

If you worked in the government sector (and thus had contributions for gsis), dont forget that you can combine the years of contribution for totalization

Meeting up with Fr. Minch Fabio and Fr. Ces Magsino

We met at Little Quiapo. Who's we - Alice and Manny, Amihan (whose Dad is again at NKTI), me, and the 2 Fathers - Father Ces and of course, Fr. Minch.

Little Quiapo is the resto behind SSS, along Malakas - nearest cross steets would be Matapang  on one end and VLuna Road at the other end and their main thing is Filipino cuisine.

Those of you who saw Belle's picture of Fr. Minch at Inday's would note that he has white hair, and is much thinner now although he pretty much looks the same.  He said he is a cancer survivor.  I guess that's part of the reason he's thinner.  He also got to view our pictorial records, the 2 huge scrapbooks, courtesy of Alice.

So he's based in Iloilo and is leaving on the 13th of this month.  Fr. Ces says he goes to Manila every now and then to do things.  When I asked what things - he said - visit the doctor (physician is the more accurate term), attend seminars and the like.  He said he was also open to be spiritual director for retreats .... DALE this answers your question.

He also asks for prayers from everyone, and promises to say prayers for us all also.
He also said i should  go to confession sooner than ,,,,,, rarely.  Every week is his recommendation.  I guess he saw the shock in my eyes because he said he knows it is hard, but to try to do it anyway.  i told him i have a personal confession everyday, but he said confessing to a priest gives one the assurance that one is forgiven.
i was going to tell him that i didnt need the assurance because i was very confident i was forgiven.  Fr. Ces did not comment on this exchange.

Btw, Fr. Ces knows how to get in touch with Willie Olaer, not directly - but through Willie's brother.

*** i had to go back to work, but i was lucky to get a personal blessing before i left
:-)

Fr. Minch is a member of the FB Sayans group Batch75

PICTURES COURTESY OF THE LIMS

Amihan, Fr. Ces, Fr. Minch, Alice, me

Amihan, Fr. Ces, Fr. Minch, Guia

Manny, Amihan, Fr. Ces

Fr. Ces

Frs Ces and Minch