Lost Generation

See link. a very nice read about Japan's lost generation.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/05/the-slacker-trap/309285/

A Letter on a Death of a Priest

Dearest Gen,

I might be intruding in your ‘nosebleed Sunday afternoon’, but it seems fitting to write something about the death of someone that influenced much of my life.

Reason could be a tribute, but this is rather un-true. Nor mourning, I felt any tinge of remorse.

It is not that I’m indifferent. It is just a usual case about sudden-death. My Tito Monsi, as we dearly called him, died of a heart attack last 22 March, last Friday.

Curious about sudden-death, specially of someone so close, is the time-delay to affected parties.

I do not know why. Maybe we are so used to his omni-presence, that death is impossible. It is just that his death had not sunk into me, yet.

But Tito Monsi and I were never close. As if we had a great-divide. It is not a personal animosity, it was just that he radiated this aura of authority. Not really of disgusting-dominion, but of silent-fascism.

Our generation, meaning his nieces and nephews, were afraid of his dis-approval. Although, we were free to live our own lives, he had this small-room in our heads, like a toll-gate, clearing our actions before we took one. More or less, he was a personification of conscience, in each one of us.

Summing up his contribution to our lives was generally positive; most of my cousins had distinguished themselves in their chosen career.

As for myself, it was a blessing: the great-divide was a marching order to do good and excel. But at the same time, it curtailed freedom that led to fear, and at times, mistrust. For years, I avoided him. Not that I was angry. It was just a token, declaring that I am free.

But, still the great-divide existed, until his death last Friday. As if a veil was lifted...and surprisingly, the divide between us, is the bridge that connected both of us.

Tito Monsi was instrumental in maintaining the monetary health of Archdiocese of Manila. But his greatest work, was the most hidden. He helped fellow priests that lost their way from holy vocation, and silently supported them...without judging them.

He was interned at Our Lady of Loreto, Sampaloc, Manila. Please pray for his soul.

Thank you and take care.

Dennis

What is beauty for Math?

• 
  

  20 hours ago

  " ...finding the solution of a problem involves a great deal of rather vague reasoning, following hunches, making
  guesses and so on.
  
  How does one know whether one of these guesses will survive a later,more rigorous scrutiny?
  
  Well, one doesn't, as I stressed earlier, but it is a good rule of
  thumb that the more beautiful the guess, the more likely it is to survive."
  

  - Timothy Gowers on 'The importance of mathematics'
  
  
  Comment:
  
  X: but beauty is in the eye of the beholder - which makes it relative 
  

  Y: well. not really that relative...beauty in math is very recognizable: Fibonacci numbers, golden number,Fermat numbers, prime numbers, the bell-curve of normal distribution, etc...
• in essence, one strikes me the most is that beauty in math came from tension between simplicity and complexity;

  if the proof of the theorem is too complex that it resulted to confusion, hence, it is not beautiful;

  if it is too simple that it became trivial, hence, it is not beautiful.

  incredibly, its the tension between complexity and simplicity. i am not sure if tension means balance. but i prefer tension better.

Her name was Glydel

Her name is Glydel.

She works as massage attendant at SF.

We first met, me as a her guest.

She is fine woman of 24 years.

At a glance, I know her kindness within.

But a skin-deep anger shimmers.

She touched me as if we were  lovers.

For I responded, with gentleness,  and  grace.

She touched me as if we were lovers,

For I responded, with warm-force.

She touched me as if we were lovers,

For I responded, with a love-release.

She touched me as if we were lovers.

We both touched by love.

But we are not lovers, but pretended to be a good one.

Her name was Glydel.

Lover in pretension, but lover none-the-less.

Art of listening

Pay attention
Since our brains have the capacity to process 275 more words per minute than are actually spoken, we tend to fill up the void with extraneous thoughts. Notice how when someone is speaking, you are partially listening, while simultaneously planning the rest of your day, replaying a meeting that just occurred, or deciding what you will say next. Paying attention is the cardinal rule for good listening. Hear the words, and let their meaning in. If your mind wanders, simply re-focus your attention on the conversation.

Be receptive
If you show up with an agenda, you are not going to be available to fully hear what the other person is saying. There is no problem with having goals for an interaction, but let them go while the other person is speaking so you can hear what is being expressed. Balance your need for a given outcome with your desire to sustain a harmonious relationship.

Check your understanding
Make sure you can repeat what you just heard, and if you can't, ask for clarification. You might be surprised at how much you are missing. Most people are. When you think you've gotten it, you might say, “So what you are saying is....” to verify your understanding.

Be an explorer
Explorers are open and curious. They are inquisitive, without knowing what they will find. So what to do with all of that excess brain power? Focus on the speaker. Notice body language, tone of voice, and rate of speaking. Then look beneath the words to see what feelings and needs are being communicated. You never know what you might find.

Show interest
If you find yourself bored and distracted, reconnect with the interaction. Maintain eye contact, uncross your arms, and ask questions that take the conversation deeper. Find out what really matters to the person you are speaking with.

Be patient
As much as you may be tempted, don't speak over someone who is talking. When you feel the urge to step in, take a breath, let your agenda go, and continue to listen. If you need to move the conversation along, do so politely, as in, “Excuse me, I'm so sorry for interrupting, but ….” Likewise, be careful not to jump to conclusions or assume you know what hasn't yet been said. These are all signs that your inner explorer has fallen asleep. Revitalize your experience by paying attention to what is happening in the moment.

Get out of a rut
Have you ever had the same problematic conversation with someone over and over? Bring a fresh perspective to the relationship by redoubling your efforts to listen. Let go of your need to be right or your ideas about what the other person should be saying or doing, and hear them as if for the first time. This moves you from contraction and limit to possibility and potential simply by listening.

Effective listening develops empathy, which is the capacity for a deep understanding of another's experience. And isn't that what it takes for a relationship to thrive? It's as simple as paying attention.

http://www.dumblittleman.com/2009/09/master-art-of-listening-and-watch-all.html

touch

it happened without warning.

she touched my arm,
although my heart  was aching  pain.
pain from the broken love,
requiem for the love lost.

but her touch drew warm breadth,
to a love's dying sigh.

and then,
my soul endeared by her touch,
that i continued to believe that there was love,
between lost souls.

between,
lost touching souls...

smile

smile,
pause the moment,
and smile.

give me a glimpse;
just enough to see your eyebrow,
and a tinge of smile of your lips.

it is enough for me to rest.
to rest in this moment of torment.

so please,
smile...

10:01 am Saturday

So anguish is exhaustible after all...

as long your mind will continue to be reflective and creative.

creativity, therefore is human's greatest mastery of fate.

it  is the  hidden-commandment, in the use of free will.

11:21 pm thursday

just so confused.

it is now for me to decide,

and forever forego my fate.

to love,

or not to love,

is always been a decision.

but to forego love, is to take the pain.

take the pain.

take the pain...

13Jan2013 at 5:56pm

maybe this is my fate.
to forever lost onto love,
and lost out of love.

romantics.
romance of the heart.
forever, not knowing to know what love is,
but feeling of what love is all about.

maybe,
just maybe, we humans are not intended to love at all.
but to live an illusion.
through love,
dominion over other species,
including our kind.

Sunday 13jan2013 at 1:35 pm

Say the rumor was true.

What then?

Do you avoid her?

Do you continue to be friends with her?

Or do you  ask her if it is  true?

All these questions lead to one thing:

You  care and love her so much;

Praying that the rumor will be false!

So again what then if it is true?

Will you take her in?

Will you love her?

This then will be your test!

Love is never a gold-plated stamp with ‘True Love’.

Love is a test of acceptance...

Of meaning in the shameful path of fate...

And of redemption, despite of everything.

Love therefore is taking the pain;

For taking the pain, one needs to heal...

To love truthfully.

Sunday-13Jan2013 at 11:46am

My feeling of anguish is beyond me to defeat.

Lingering toxic thought poisoning my entire soul.

Hearsays, hearsays,

Lies, lies, lies

Mite be true, but hurtful.

Mite be false, hurtful still.

So hurtful that I can not trust myself to love.

In time maybe, i can be healed.

But In God’s time, in God’s time, my soul be would be rested.

Oh God, release me from this anguish...