Home At Last

Buying a house can cost a fortune. Many won’t even be able to buy one without the help of the government through subsidies or financing.

It has been the dream of every person to have his own home. However, prohibitive housing costs have pushed people away from turning this into a reality.

Some are really bent on freeing themselves from the slavery of monthly rents, though. While this determination has authored many success stories, it has also written many tragic ones.

Cunning house salespersons usually target families or persons who really want to own a house, but are not exactly sure if they can afford it. Of course, the salesperson would offer them a deal that they wouldn’t be able to resist, such as long installment schemes or huge discounts.

The problem with these types of transactions or sales is that the property is not usually clean. It is possible that the ownership of some of the properties that are offered for sale is still being contested in court.

Be diligent enough to conduct a background check on the person or company that is offering the property. You should also examine property records in order to determine if the house that you’re interested in is free from any lien or encumbrance.

Skinning My Skin

Some friends of mine back in college invited me out last Saturday for a quick bowl. I would’ve gladly accepted their invitation had my allergies chose a better time to appear.

Instead of bowling and laughing my Saturday night out, I just nailed myself at home and popped out some fish crackers. I would’ve preferred nachos, but my doctor advised me not to stick anything in my mouth that doesn’t come from the sea.

I don’t know how I got these allergies. They introduced themselves sometime after my 17th birthday. I asked my parents if I might have inherited these red spots, but they weren't able provide me with anything concrete.

I’ve been planning to conduct a background check on my other relatives and ancestors for the longest time, but again, procrastination got the better of me. My doctor kept asking me every time I go in for a check up if I have relatives who have or had this skin disease. I really have to act fast, or else I’ll be kissing my social life goodbye soon.

The Games of Your Life

The 2008 Olympics is still more than a year away, but Asia is already prepping up for the event as early as this month. While Beijing is busy preparing for the event, Doha, Qatar seems to be ready to host anything this year.

This oasis in the Middle East is the host of the 2006 Asian Games, and the country is wasting no time and opportunity in showcasing the things that it has to offer.

You might be wondering as to why I decided to write about an event that doesn’t even involve our athletes. Well, I guess this is the effect of the constant ad bombardment that Qatar has been throwing on cable TV these past few months. No matter what channel I turn to, there’s always an advertisement about the 2006 Asian Games.

I hope that the Asian Games and the 2008 Olympics will not be marred by any allegations of fraud. I can’t seem to remember any Olympic game in recent history where there wasn’t any controversy involving performance-enhancing drugs. The local Olympic committees should conduct a thorough background check on their athletes in order to ensure a credible and trouble-free event.

Father of the Bride 2

I was saving the DVDs that I borrowed from a neighbor for Saturday evening, but boredom got into me last night. I was kind of stressed out from work, too, so I decided to feed my DVD player with something light and funny.

They say that sequels are usually flops, but I think Father of the Bride 2 lived up to many of the critics’ expectations. The cast include Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Diane Keaton. I really had a good laugh on their crazy antics.

But the movie wasn’t just all fun and laugh. There were also touchy scenes. Steve Martin here was at a dilemma on whether to grow old gracefully, or beat the clock and live his life out as if he’s still in his 20s or 30s. He impulsively sold their house in order to buy a property near a beach since their daughter already has a family of her own.

The move proved to be very unwise, especially since his wife unexpectedly got pregnant. When he went back to his old house to ask the buyer to sell his house back to him, he was surprised to see that his former home was already up for demolition. All ended well as he was able to buy back his home, but for a steeper price.

I wonder if people really do sell something that is very valuable to them. If ever I’m going to sell our house because of dire financial need, I’ll make it a point to conduct a background check on the buyers first in order to console myself that my house would still be a good home, albeit to another family.

Reincarnation

Have you ever wondered what or who you were in your past lives? I’ve read a few novels where the characters were given a second chance to live out their lives again in order to accomplish what they were supposed to do in the past.

There are people who claim to have experienced flashbacks whenever looking at the pictures of their ancestors. They believe that they’re actually the reincarnation of a relative who lived a few centuries before them.

I’m not an expert on the subject, but if I were to be asked to give my 2 cents on the matter, I think that the alleged “recollection” of their past lives came from the setting of books, movies, or stories that date back to the time where that relative of theirs has lived.

As much as I would like to continue creating a new school of thought on the subject, I think that I’d better cut it before somebody surmises that I wasn’t exactly in a state of sobriety when I wrote this.

I’m sure you’re not a reincarnation of your grandfather or grandmother, but I think that it’s still important to know your ancestry. Much of your temperament or disposition is dictated by your genes. Hence, if you really want to know more about yourself, conduct a background check on every member of your family or clan.

Gazing Discreetly

Whenever I read the newspaper, the entertainment section is usually left untouched or unread. I love movies, and I also get star-struck sometimes. However, I just find articles that publicly pry on the lives of stars quite outrageous. I mean, just imagine how anybody would feel if he or she is always being hounded by cameras and microphones.

Many of those who are guilty of usurping the role of the stars’ shadows justify their acts by saying that they mean no harm and that they just want to get to know the actor or actress better.

Such excuses are lame and empty. If they really want to get to know a person, then they should just ask him or her for an interview. If that person gives them the shoulder, then Plan B should only involve a background check that is not intrusive.

I know that people in Hollywood chose to expose themselves to the public. However, one could only show so much. They might have surrendered their voices and faces to the screen, but I’m sure that they didn’t intend their souls to be part of the package.

Thanks For The Help

The season for hams and turkeys is fast approaching, and I still haven’t received any lunch or dinner invitation. There used to be a time when I was an indispensable guest in Thanksgiving gatherings arranged by both friends and relatives.

My aunt used to throw big Thanksgiving parties before she moved to Germany. She usually invites dozens of guests. Although she has two helpers in her employ, the kitchen tasks during the holidays are usually so demanding that three more helpers are taken in for the occasion.

If you plan on taking additional helpers during the holidays, make sure that you first conduct a background check before hiring them. You shouldn’t just trust anybody to roam around your house. The fact that they’ll only be employed for a day is not an excuse. Remember, robbers usually just need 5 to 10 minutes to strip your house of its valuables.

Meet the Parents...

I don’t know what it is about Ben Stiller that makes him a good tickler on the big screen. I’ve always thought that he looks too serious for comedy. He doesn’t make faces and I can’t even recall any movie where he crazily laughed his heart out.

Meet The Parents was on cable TV a few nights ago. It was supposed to be paperwork night for me, but I had a good time watching the film for the first time a few years ago, so I didn’t hesitate to shove work off for a few hours.

Robert de Niro played the father of Ben’s fiancé. De Niro wanted to find out if Stiller is ok, so he conducted a background check on him to see if he’s clean. His methods were quite crude, considering that he resorted to checking his personal belongings. I just thought that it would’ve been easy for the overly protective father if he conducted the backgound check online or through an expert.

Talk about relaxing. I (again) managed to squeeze in work during my leisure time. I really have to stop scrutinizing every detail of the movies that I watch.

Checking Candidates

I used to live in a subdivision where the homeowners association was very active. The officers of the organization usually conduct weekly social gatherings and monthly meetings. I’m usually quite busy even during the weekends, so I often beg off from such activities.

The only time that I’ve participated in a homeowners meeting was when some of my neighbors started to accuse some of the officers of spending association funds for personal needs. The officers vehemently denied the claims but agreed to step down to make way for a snap election.

I suspected that village politics played a role in the accusations since the complainants already had a ready-made line up of their favored candidates. I was just a silent observer, but I was determined to exercise my right to vote. However, I didn’t know much about them since I rarely mingle with them during gatherings.

I didn’t ask some of my neighbors regarding the character and qualifications of the candidates since I know that they’ll be injecting gossip material to the information that they’ll be giving me. What I did though, was to conduct a background check on each of them. I didn’t hire anybody. I just went through some of the databases available online. It really helped a lot... especially in sorting out the gossip from the facts.

Background Checking Your Daughter's Suitor

Teens these days are hard to 'leash'. Gone are the days when parents rule the house with such authority that nobody would even dare raise an eyebrow against them. Time has flown fast, and parents are now the ones who are trying to catch up with them.

It’s only natural for parents to be overprotective of their children, especially their daughters. Dads in particular are very suspicious of their little girl’s suitors. Relationship issues often strain the bond between parent and child. It’s not wise anymore to absolutely prohibit your daughter to go out on a date because doing so might only inspire her to go against you.

Many dads try to be cool by giving in to their daughters’ every demand. This may bring him closer to her, but the move may also have regrettable consequences. There is a way though, for a dad to be assured that the guy she is dating is of good character. Conducting a background check on her suitor or boyfriend is a good move, especially if you don’t know him that well. One can never be too careful nowadays you know...

Do You Know Your Chatmate? (Part 2)

The Internet has already written so many love stories. I’ve heard many tales about couples meeting halfway around the world after having known each other online. Some of them lived happily ever after. However, some also went through horrible experiences that even Stephen King couldn’t think of.

Don’t let those “You’ve Got Mail” tales fool you into believing that the Internet has become a wonderful place to look for love. You won’t always find what you’re looking for in cyberspace.

Some are not just content in just chatting with somebody online. Many IRC and Instant Messenger users are now very open to the prospect of meeting their chatmates in person. While having that meeting or date could dispel any doubts as to the true character of your online friend, it can also spell danger.

Conduct a background check first on your chatmate before deciding to meet up with him or her. I’m not scaring you or anything, but how do you think America’s most wanted persons get to talk with other people? I can’t conclusively say that they do it through the Internet, but I’m quite sure that they don’t do so by attending a social gathering.

Do You Know Your 'Chatmate'?

When I first learned how to access the Internet, I wasn’t that excited on browsing through various Web sites or downloading files. The available bandwidths at that time were so small that surfing could be excruciatingly slow.

The online fad at that time was Internet Relay Chat (IRC) programs. For the first time, people could communicate through the computer in real time even if they were continents apart. Back in the 80s and early 90s, the only way that you could get to know somebody from across the globe was through a pen pal network.

Many people have cultivated strong friendships over the Internet. The conversations in IRCs and Instant Messengers range from the mundane, to very sensitive ones that involve personal details. Be very careful when giving out personal information to somebody that you’ve only known through online chat programs. If you’re really bent on maintaining strong relations with that person, at least conduct a background check on him or her. You know... just to be on the safe side.