Protagonist antagonist neither are we,
We're all just extras in this hoolabaloo.
Life as we see it, life as we know,
Is all a part of a grand big show.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
March 27, 2011
You asked me to put my love aside,
And now I feel empty inside.
I cannot move,
I cannot breathe,
I cannot feel,
I cannot sleep.
What is life if it is not for you,
What is love if it is not yours true.
And now I feel empty inside.
I cannot move,
I cannot breathe,
I cannot feel,
I cannot sleep.
What is life if it is not for you,
What is love if it is not yours true.
February 15, 2011
A thousand lashes,
the sinner be.
To bring misery to thee.
I ask thou angel,
for forgiveness.
Thy kindness and mercy,
Am not worthy.
That is all I ask of thee,
Wholeheartedly...
the sinner be.
To bring misery to thee.
I ask thou angel,
for forgiveness.
Thy kindness and mercy,
Am not worthy.
That is all I ask of thee,
Wholeheartedly...
Rosas na Payak - February 8, 2011
Isang pasong Rosas,
Ugat ay matatag;
Kagandahang ipinamulat,
Mula loob palabas.
Pitasin man ang Rosas,
Makarating saan-saan;
Yaong katangian,
Di basta mapipiglas.
Kahunin man ang Rosas,
Tinig ay malamya;
Bugso ng damdamin,
Matibay, malakas.
Balutin man ang Rosas,
Sutla man o balat;
Ginto man o pilak,
Mananaig ang likas.
Isang pasong Rosas,
Ugat ay matatag...
Ugat ay matatag;
Kagandahang ipinamulat,
Mula loob palabas.
Pitasin man ang Rosas,
Makarating saan-saan;
Yaong katangian,
Di basta mapipiglas.
Kahunin man ang Rosas,
Tinig ay malamya;
Bugso ng damdamin,
Matibay, malakas.
Balutin man ang Rosas,
Sutla man o balat;
Ginto man o pilak,
Mananaig ang likas.
Isang pasong Rosas,
Ugat ay matatag...
January 31, 2011 (4)
The morning sun,
And dawning light;
The fullest moon,
That shines so bright.
The perfect cone,
And largest ocean;
The final bloom,
Of the cherry blossom.
The luscious choc,
And creamiest ice;
Butter, nut, cookie,
Baked, frost and slice.
All of these,
What people see;
When they meet you,
From nine 'til three.
What people say,
It doesn't matter;
For you are you,
Unlike any other.
And dawning light;
The fullest moon,
That shines so bright.
The perfect cone,
And largest ocean;
The final bloom,
Of the cherry blossom.
The luscious choc,
And creamiest ice;
Butter, nut, cookie,
Baked, frost and slice.
All of these,
What people see;
When they meet you,
From nine 'til three.
What people say,
It doesn't matter;
For you are you,
Unlike any other.
January 31, 2011 (3)
I came to say something,
I came to say grace,
I came to say everything,
Afraid to show my face.
I came to say grace,
I came to say everything,
Afraid to show my face.
January 31, 2011 (2)
Thirty and two seasons passed;
The third have come alas;
The future unclear and unseen;
Uncertain of peoples' whims.
The third have come alas;
The future unclear and unseen;
Uncertain of peoples' whims.
January 31, 2011
Voices lost in the past,
Will it return or will this last,
Nobody knows nor who to ask.
Will it return or will this last,
Nobody knows nor who to ask.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
September 18, 2009 - From "Persona"
'I dreamt I was a butterfly.
I couldn't tell if I was dreaming, but when I woke I was I and not a butterfly.
Was I dreaming that I was a butterfly?
Or was the butterfly dreaming that it was me?
Even if there's a difference between the butterfly and I the distinction isn't absolute.
And there is no relationship of cause and effect.
-Soshi
I couldn't tell if I was dreaming, but when I woke I was I and not a butterfly.
Was I dreaming that I was a butterfly?
Or was the butterfly dreaming that it was me?
Even if there's a difference between the butterfly and I the distinction isn't absolute.
And there is no relationship of cause and effect.
-Soshi
My Barber Shares His Wealth Secrets By: Rick Ackerman, Rick's Picks
(In the years leading up to the dot-com boom, I freelanced an investment column to the Sunday San Francisco Examiner. Following is one of my favorites. It tells how Louie Piro, my barber when I lived in Mountain View, became a multimillionaire by investing his
spare cash – amounting to all of $5 a week – in promising companies when he started cutting hair in the 1950s. Louie was still cutting hair long after he could have retired, but his
weekend getaways were anything but ho-hum: marlin fishing in Cabo, golfing in Las Vegas
and Hawaii, and casino junkets to Atlantic City. RA)
If there is a single word to sum up the success of investor Louis Piro, that word is "dull."
Piro has never made a killing on a stock. He doesn't play hunches and he runs from hot
tips. He says he passed up Pfizer not long ago because its shares were too pricey even before impotent men started flocking to their Viagra pill for a cure.
Nor will Piro sell anything from his portfolio. He just keeps buying -- and then only with money he knows he won't need any time soon. He adds stock whenever the price drops substantially. Piro shuns companies that sell products or services he can't understand,
and he has never even owned a share of a Silicon Valley upstart. His favorite word --
"dividend" -- could be the mantra of a successful hypnotist. Zzzzzzzz. Finally there
is this pearl, the cliché that underlies nearly every investment decision that Louis
Piro has made in the last 45 years: "Buy shares in companies that will grow with
America."
‘Build a Little Nest Egg’
That Piro, 63, could have amassed considerable riches by following such homely rules is
probably not unusual. What is striking, however, is the remarkable degree of his success, and the singular details of his journey. He is a wealthy man by any measure, with a sizable portfolio of stocks, bonds and, until recently, real estate. But he was not thinking about getting rich when he began to funnel his spare cash into the stock market 45 years ago.
At the time, he was 18 and just starting a lifelong career at Al's Barber Shop on Main Street here. His goal was simply to build a little nest egg. "I knew then that when I retired, all I would be taking with me was my clippers," says Piro. "There were no IRAs or tax-sheltered savings back then, so it was a question of creating some security for myself." Early on, the barber was literally investing all of his spare change, about $5 a week. "Every time it grew to a hundred dollars, I bought some more stock," he says. The first was Pacific Enterprises, a natural gas company. Piro didn't find that one himself -- he learned about it from a customer whose seemingly cushy retirement was well supported by Pacific's generous dividends.
Three Shares of Pacific
Three shares of Pacific was all Piro could afford, but he took the customer's advice and held onto them, always reinvesting the dividends. It has since grown to 2,000 shares. He has repeated this pattern in dozens of stocks and funds. His portfolio bulges with shares of Lucent, Coca Cola, Pacific Enterprises, Wisconsin Energy, AirTouch Communications, Pacific Gas & Electric, Bank of America and California Water Services, to name a few.
There are also sizable blocks of Southern California Edison, USX/Marathon, GT&E, AT&T and Sierra Pacific, as well as a slew of bond- and growth-oriented mutual funds offered by Vanguard, Prudential, Franklin and Benham. Tax-free bonds and annuities round out the list.
Piro, who everyone on Main Street calls Louie, doesn't gloat about his net worth, nor is he eager to tell the world exactly how much stock he owns. About all he'll say is that he's not worried about retirement, which is coming up soon. The building that houses Al's Barber Shop is scheduled to be razed in a year, and that's when Piro plans to trade in his scissors, shears and comb for a set of golf clubs and tickets to exotic ports and destinations around the world.
Louie’s Rules
He says that, god willing, he and his wife Ann will be able to do as they please for the next 30 years -- without having to sell a single share or bond from his portfolio. To anyone who dreams of retiring well on interest and dividends, he would offer the following advice:
* Don't fear bear markets. They come and they go, but if you buy stock in good companies, their shares will always recover.
* Don't ever sell any stock. If your reasons for buying are sound to begin with, the shares can only go higher over time.
* Buy more stock whenever the price drops substantially.
* Look for companies whose growth reflects the growth of America as a whole. Water, gas and electric companies will always be winners in states with healthy economies.
* Favor stocks with generous dividends, and plow every penny of it back into those stocks.
* Don't be too conservative. Life is a gamble, and you'll never win if you settle for the meager returns of CDs or passbook accounts.
* Never go for the quick profit, and be patient enough to hold onto good stocks when they hit the inevitable rough patch.
* Invest with money you don't need so that you are not pressured by financial adversity or bear markets to pull out of stocks.
* Buy confidently when fear-mongers flout common sense. In the depths of the 1990-91
recession, when Bank of America was trading at $7 a share, Piro says he bought heavily because he was so sure the bank wouldn't go under. This may seem obvious now, with the stock's value up almost fifteen-fold, Piro notes, but it surely wasn't then.
Piro says he could never have done so well if his wife had not been willing to help shoulder the sacrifice of setting money aside regularly. Luck was in his corner, too. "You've got to have a little help from somebody," he says, "and the Lord has been very good to me."
spare cash – amounting to all of $5 a week – in promising companies when he started cutting hair in the 1950s. Louie was still cutting hair long after he could have retired, but his
weekend getaways were anything but ho-hum: marlin fishing in Cabo, golfing in Las Vegas
and Hawaii, and casino junkets to Atlantic City. RA)
If there is a single word to sum up the success of investor Louis Piro, that word is "dull."
Piro has never made a killing on a stock. He doesn't play hunches and he runs from hot
tips. He says he passed up Pfizer not long ago because its shares were too pricey even before impotent men started flocking to their Viagra pill for a cure.
Nor will Piro sell anything from his portfolio. He just keeps buying -- and then only with money he knows he won't need any time soon. He adds stock whenever the price drops substantially. Piro shuns companies that sell products or services he can't understand,
and he has never even owned a share of a Silicon Valley upstart. His favorite word --
"dividend" -- could be the mantra of a successful hypnotist. Zzzzzzzz. Finally there
is this pearl, the cliché that underlies nearly every investment decision that Louis
Piro has made in the last 45 years: "Buy shares in companies that will grow with
America."
‘Build a Little Nest Egg’
That Piro, 63, could have amassed considerable riches by following such homely rules is
probably not unusual. What is striking, however, is the remarkable degree of his success, and the singular details of his journey. He is a wealthy man by any measure, with a sizable portfolio of stocks, bonds and, until recently, real estate. But he was not thinking about getting rich when he began to funnel his spare cash into the stock market 45 years ago.
At the time, he was 18 and just starting a lifelong career at Al's Barber Shop on Main Street here. His goal was simply to build a little nest egg. "I knew then that when I retired, all I would be taking with me was my clippers," says Piro. "There were no IRAs or tax-sheltered savings back then, so it was a question of creating some security for myself." Early on, the barber was literally investing all of his spare change, about $5 a week. "Every time it grew to a hundred dollars, I bought some more stock," he says. The first was Pacific Enterprises, a natural gas company. Piro didn't find that one himself -- he learned about it from a customer whose seemingly cushy retirement was well supported by Pacific's generous dividends.
Three Shares of Pacific
Three shares of Pacific was all Piro could afford, but he took the customer's advice and held onto them, always reinvesting the dividends. It has since grown to 2,000 shares. He has repeated this pattern in dozens of stocks and funds. His portfolio bulges with shares of Lucent, Coca Cola, Pacific Enterprises, Wisconsin Energy, AirTouch Communications, Pacific Gas & Electric, Bank of America and California Water Services, to name a few.
There are also sizable blocks of Southern California Edison, USX/Marathon, GT&E, AT&T and Sierra Pacific, as well as a slew of bond- and growth-oriented mutual funds offered by Vanguard, Prudential, Franklin and Benham. Tax-free bonds and annuities round out the list.
Piro, who everyone on Main Street calls Louie, doesn't gloat about his net worth, nor is he eager to tell the world exactly how much stock he owns. About all he'll say is that he's not worried about retirement, which is coming up soon. The building that houses Al's Barber Shop is scheduled to be razed in a year, and that's when Piro plans to trade in his scissors, shears and comb for a set of golf clubs and tickets to exotic ports and destinations around the world.
Louie’s Rules
He says that, god willing, he and his wife Ann will be able to do as they please for the next 30 years -- without having to sell a single share or bond from his portfolio. To anyone who dreams of retiring well on interest and dividends, he would offer the following advice:
* Don't fear bear markets. They come and they go, but if you buy stock in good companies, their shares will always recover.
* Don't ever sell any stock. If your reasons for buying are sound to begin with, the shares can only go higher over time.
* Buy more stock whenever the price drops substantially.
* Look for companies whose growth reflects the growth of America as a whole. Water, gas and electric companies will always be winners in states with healthy economies.
* Favor stocks with generous dividends, and plow every penny of it back into those stocks.
* Don't be too conservative. Life is a gamble, and you'll never win if you settle for the meager returns of CDs or passbook accounts.
* Never go for the quick profit, and be patient enough to hold onto good stocks when they hit the inevitable rough patch.
* Invest with money you don't need so that you are not pressured by financial adversity or bear markets to pull out of stocks.
* Buy confidently when fear-mongers flout common sense. In the depths of the 1990-91
recession, when Bank of America was trading at $7 a share, Piro says he bought heavily because he was so sure the bank wouldn't go under. This may seem obvious now, with the stock's value up almost fifteen-fold, Piro notes, but it surely wasn't then.
Piro says he could never have done so well if his wife had not been willing to help shoulder the sacrifice of setting money aside regularly. Luck was in his corner, too. "You've got to have a little help from somebody," he says, "and the Lord has been very good to me."
April 5, 2009
The moon shines brightly less its quarter light;
Watching over us with its foresight;
Listening keenly in the silent night;
Wishing for peace and not fight.
Watching over us with its foresight;
Listening keenly in the silent night;
Wishing for peace and not fight.
March 24, 2009
Why find now?
There is always tomorrow.
Why say now?
There is always tomorrow.
Why live now?
There is always tomorrow.
Why died now?
There will never be tomorrow.
If not now? When...
There is always tomorrow.
Why say now?
There is always tomorrow.
Why live now?
There is always tomorrow.
Why died now?
There will never be tomorrow.
If not now? When...
March 19, 2009
A dalmatian lost in the deep caverns;
Striding gently to the dark unknown;
A shadowy figure trails along yonder;
A thief? A crook? A marauder?
A wolf pried from the abyss;
Stared at her prey for a deadly kiss;
The hound returned a vivid glare;
Calm, curious, scared.
Upon seeing the sheep in wolf's clothes;
The dalmatian vigilantly approach;
With vengeful claws and malicious cloak;
The wolf unthinking gave a stroke.
Spirits broken, hearts torn;
The hound lie lifeless and scorned;
The wolf shed a tear and mourned;
For life has lost and will not be reborn.
A ray of light peeped through the cave;
The poignant sheep in wolf's clothes;
Shed her claws and malicious cloak;
A new beginning, a new hope.
Striding gently to the dark unknown;
A shadowy figure trails along yonder;
A thief? A crook? A marauder?
A wolf pried from the abyss;
Stared at her prey for a deadly kiss;
The hound returned a vivid glare;
Calm, curious, scared.
Upon seeing the sheep in wolf's clothes;
The dalmatian vigilantly approach;
With vengeful claws and malicious cloak;
The wolf unthinking gave a stroke.
Spirits broken, hearts torn;
The hound lie lifeless and scorned;
The wolf shed a tear and mourned;
For life has lost and will not be reborn.
A ray of light peeped through the cave;
The poignant sheep in wolf's clothes;
Shed her claws and malicious cloak;
A new beginning, a new hope.
March 4, 2009 (2)
In the middle of the night;
Under the moonlit's bright;
Great beasts fight;
Men, women fright.
At the end, no one stand;
No one wins, no one can;
And all is lost in the end.
(refined from 1998)
Under the moonlit's bright;
Great beasts fight;
Men, women fright.
At the end, no one stand;
No one wins, no one can;
And all is lost in the end.
(refined from 1998)
March 8, 2009
I asked for a family;
I was given a journey.
I asked for gold;
I was given a wolf.
I asked for death;
I was given health.
If I asked to live;
Will they leave me dead?
I was given a journey.
I asked for gold;
I was given a wolf.
I asked for death;
I was given health.
If I asked to live;
Will they leave me dead?
March 4, 2009
Twenty-six and three and four had passed;
Nothing remembered, it went that fast;
Twenty-six and five to come;
Pages unfold and yet to succumb.
Nothing remembered, it went that fast;
Twenty-six and five to come;
Pages unfold and yet to succumb.
July 28, 2006 (2)
I love to fear and fear to love;
For life has bequeathed me this ancient psalm;
For what love is, is but a dream.
For life has bequeathed me this ancient psalm;
For what love is, is but a dream.
July 28, 2006
A gush of wind on the sandy shores;
Bits of memories traveling far and wide;
Memories contained in the specks of sand;
There to sit untouched and forgotten.
Memories of life, laughter, and cheers;
Memories of death, agony, and tears.
Bits of memories traveling far and wide;
Memories contained in the specks of sand;
There to sit untouched and forgotten.
Memories of life, laughter, and cheers;
Memories of death, agony, and tears.
March 26, 2006 (2)
Coffee wine concoction;
Heart head locomotion;
Feather net devotion;
Body soul exhaustion.
Heart head locomotion;
Feather net devotion;
Body soul exhaustion.
March 26, 2006
Twenty-six and two almost here;
Time's a waiting, time's a wasting;
Sleep but not, thoughts but not;
Cry, cry, cry, tear, tear, tear.
Time's a waiting, time's a wasting;
Sleep but not, thoughts but not;
Cry, cry, cry, tear, tear, tear.
November 13, 2005
Twenty-six and one in this hemisphere;
My thoughts, my dreams, aren't clear;
How many must pass to make things stir;
In this world of year by year by year.
My thoughts, my dreams, aren't clear;
How many must pass to make things stir;
In this world of year by year by year.
The Jester (Circa 2002 - 2004)
Mischief runs in bloody veins;
The Jester sings and dances all day;
Bringing joy, laughter, and cheers;
For no one cares his sobs and tears.
The Jester sings and dances all day;
Bringing joy, laughter, and cheers;
For no one cares his sobs and tears.
Untitled (Circa 2002 -2004)
Of hardships and pain;
Of challenges came;
Forever we are;
Forever we will be.
Of challenges came;
Forever we are;
Forever we will be.
Pag-asa (Circa 2002 - 2004)
Sa pagpatak ng ulan;
Sa pagsikat ng araw;
Sa pagihip ng hangin;
May pag-asang darating.
Sa pagsikat ng araw;
Sa pagihip ng hangin;
May pag-asang darating.
Progress (Circa 2002 - 2004)
Automation does one good;
Automation does one harm;
It quickly gives one food;
It then gives the rest none.
Automation does one harm;
It quickly gives one food;
It then gives the rest none.
Window (Circa 2002 - 2004)
Creepy old window pane,
Have endured the test of time,
Outside is a new domain,
Remains until the end of time.
Have endured the test of time,
Outside is a new domain,
Remains until the end of time.
Persistence (Circa 2002 - 2004)
As high as the endless sky,
As wide as the morning light,
As far as the end of time,
Man'll cruise for his desires.
As wide as the morning light,
As far as the end of time,
Man'll cruise for his desires.
The Seed (Circa 2002 - 2004)
One seed sown,
It grows,
Harnessed sun,
And water flows.
One fruit bloom,
It close,
Lots of weed,
As well as dead.
It grows,
Harnessed sun,
And water flows.
One fruit bloom,
It close,
Lots of weed,
As well as dead.
Untitled (Circa 2002 -2004)
I stand on your doorstep,
You lay by your bed.
I knocked on your door,
But you never did stand.
I knocked on your window,
But never did care.
So baby then,
I thought you were dead.
You lay by your bed.
I knocked on your door,
But you never did stand.
I knocked on your window,
But never did care.
So baby then,
I thought you were dead.
Untitled (Circa 2001 -2002)
It's been a month we're together,
Our minds, our voice, our letters,
It's been a month seems forever,
With joy and tears and laughter.
Our minds, our voice, our letters,
It's been a month seems forever,
With joy and tears and laughter.
The Feather (Circa 2001 - 2002)
Climbing the stairs to heaven,
Paddling through the graceful wind,
Burdened by its petite weight,
The feather flies the morning day
Paddling through the graceful wind,
Burdened by its petite weight,
The feather flies the morning day
The Sun's Hymn (Circa 2001 - 2002)
My light and bright I've given to you and others,
The stars around that you've disowned are none other but my sisters,
I've reached for you but evaded thou with blanket and shivers.
The stars around that you've disowned are none other but my sisters,
I've reached for you but evaded thou with blanket and shivers.
Morning Sun (Circa 2001 - 2002)
The morning sun is high and bright,
Showing his strength and might,
His graceful ascendance shows humility,
Sharing us his humble light.
Showing his strength and might,
His graceful ascendance shows humility,
Sharing us his humble light.
Good Morning (Circa 2001 - 2002)
The sun shines high,
The moon creeps low,
Good morning to you,
Have a great day too.
The moon creeps low,
Good morning to you,
Have a great day too.
The Moon's Song (Circa 2001 - 2002)
Your light have brighten my gloomy face;
Like you've brighten the morning day;
The stars around me are nothing compared;
To the beauty you've shown in the world we stared.
Like you've brighten the morning day;
The stars around me are nothing compared;
To the beauty you've shown in the world we stared.
Untitled (Circa 2001 -2002)
I'm lost, please help me to find my way in this dark corridor.
A light I see quite far beyond is where my future holds.
I hope it's clear.
I hope it's bright.
I wish the Almighty to give me light.
A light I see quite far beyond is where my future holds.
I hope it's clear.
I hope it's bright.
I wish the Almighty to give me light.
Morning Moon (Circa 2001 - 2002)
Evening moon shines the morning sky;
Peeking through the world below;
Greeting all an early morning;
Goodbye it seems he goes.
Peeking through the world below;
Greeting all an early morning;
Goodbye it seems he goes.
Silver Night (Circa 2001 - 2002)
Silver moon shines silver tree,
Makes all the place so silvery,
More than lights and silver spoons,
Midnight comes and morning soon.
Makes all the place so silvery,
More than lights and silver spoons,
Midnight comes and morning soon.
Untitled (Circa 2001 -2002)
To sleep which I cannot,
To dine which I have not,
Mourning...weeping...
Of a tragedy that have not struck.
To dine which I have not,
Mourning...weeping...
Of a tragedy that have not struck.
Lost (Circa 2001)
Why do we all do the same mistakes?
Why do I lose my words?
I wish to write,
My mind is blank,
What to say,
What to do,
I do not know,
I wish I knew.
Why do I lose my words?
I wish to write,
My mind is blank,
What to say,
What to do,
I do not know,
I wish I knew.
Untitled (Circa 2000 - 2001)
What good is to wait,
When love is vain;
An angel who sought not me but others,
My name even she doesn't remember.
Time has lapsed and life's too short;
For me to pursue what love is not returned;
If I continue my heart gets burned.
When love is vain;
An angel who sought not me but others,
My name even she doesn't remember.
Time has lapsed and life's too short;
For me to pursue what love is not returned;
If I continue my heart gets burned.
Love Game (Circa 2001)
How is love?
Do we love by pure persuasion?
Or do we love by heart's desire?
How do we know that love is love?
If love is a game, then I shan't play it!
Do we love by pure persuasion?
Or do we love by heart's desire?
How do we know that love is love?
If love is a game, then I shan't play it!
Samurai (Circa 1998 - 2001)
As I clasped this sword,
With my shivering hands;
Quivering with fear and anger;
Fear of death in a single blow;
Filled with anger and hatred;
In a blink of an eye,
Death comes upon thine enemy!
With my shivering hands;
Quivering with fear and anger;
Fear of death in a single blow;
Filled with anger and hatred;
In a blink of an eye,
Death comes upon thine enemy!
How Do I Hate Thee (Circa 1998 - 2001)
How do I hate thee;
I can't find the ways;
For yours is the face,
That launched a thousand ships;
For yours are the eyes,
That sparkles in the night;
For yours is the hair,
That flows with the wind;
For yours is the breath,
That gives life to me.
How do I hate thee;
How do I hate thee.
I can't find the ways;
For yours is the face,
That launched a thousand ships;
For yours are the eyes,
That sparkles in the night;
For yours is the hair,
That flows with the wind;
For yours is the breath,
That gives life to me.
How do I hate thee;
How do I hate thee.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
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