May 19-25

I can relate to the irreverent, maverick, hippy cowboy character of Robin Padilla in Di Na Natuto. Sharon Cuneta plays one of their farm cowherders, so naturally, they have horseback riding moments for the fans. His brother (Edu Manzano) tried to poison their father the governor (Subas Herrero), and to protect the secret that he's not a true son, kidnaps Sharon and kills her mother (Nida Blanca). Robin's sidekick is Niño Muhlach whose dad is Subas' loyal friend Amado Cortez. It was shot in the lahar wastelands of Pampanga, exactly where I was just passing through that moment, nearly midnight on the last week of January 2012. The DVD ended while the bus was traversing the slithering, intestine-like mountainside road to Olongapo

Sometimes I can sense what others are thinking, sometimes it doesn't work. How do you develop telepathic consistency? That was my question to Nomer Lasala when he was guest on Heard On Thursdays on Monster Radio RX 93.1. It was read by talk show host Rafael Reyes last Jan 5. Nomer is a telepath, like Charles Xavier in X-Men and Edward Cullen in Twilight. He showcases his telepathic powers in Mind Master on GMA-7. Dennis Trillo was host and Nomer read the mind of Aljur Abrenica on the last episode I saw. Nomer's advice was to meditate more regularly, be more receptive to your intuition. Practice makes perfect. Also to read the classic book Silva Mind Control Method by Jose Silva. I actually have a copy but it was destroyed during Ondoy. Psi powers are real. Telepathy is cool. But it's always spooky when somebody else reads your mind

By God's grace, I won a myPhone smartphone from a text contest. The show was the radio-TV call-in counseling program Usapang Kapatid, hosted by Fr. Nono, SJ, and Sr. Bubbles (11pm, Saturdays, DZMM Teleradyo) The question was "What does Easter mean to you?" 3 answers will be chosen among the text replies, prize is phone. That was April 15, and the winners were announced and read on air April 22. Here is my entry, word for word: I'm in a transition period to a different line of career, and I don't think it's a coincidence that it's happening during Easter season. It's a growth process, complete with growing pains, like the passion of calvary. At the same time, 'tis the season for moving on, for letting go of the past. Christ rose from death for our salvation, and I believe it also symbolizes the gift of being given a second chance. Easter, for me, is a new beginning.

Look at that: kids playing on a haystack in a field. Such a beautiful sight! I love children. There is a special joy in watching them play, free from the cares of the world and the dark side of adults. I took this photo in Tanza,Cavite last March. There are lots of open spaces too, like Smallville
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I first read about Chuck Colson in a mid-2k Time list of America's most influential religious leaders. Top of the charts was Rick Warren, author of one the bestselling books of all time: The Purpose Driven Life. Chuck was key adviser to the President during Watergate. Nixon resigned, and he went to jail. But in prison, Chuck found Jesus and became a Christian. He founded Prison Fellowship, spreading the Good News to those in the abyss of despair. Ninoy Aquino, in his unforgettable appearance on The 700 Club, told Pat Roberts how he first thought that Colson was a phony. Then on a flight during his Boston exile, Ninoy found himself next to Chuck, and they began talking. Ninoy then realized that Colson was sincere. I next heard about Chuck last week as a guest in Haven Today, hosted by Charles Morris, the local telecast of which I listen to every night (9pm, weeknights, 702 DZAS) Then, in the April 23 episode, I was a bit sad when Charles said that Chuck had just died. Chuck was preparing for a talk for Prison Fellowship when he had a brain hemorrhage. On that episode, as a tribute, Charles played a conversation between Chuck and Jack Abrams, the controversial Washington lobbyist who is in prison. Chuck was a Christian, Jack was a Jew, and it was inspiring how the love of God, and the love FOR God, breaks boundaries. It's priceless comfort to know that, whatever happens to you, even if the whole word condemns you for whatever reason, justified or not, there is still Someone who will accept you and call you His own, if only you will let Him