Dry spells and miscellaneous ramblings....
2007-03-11 03:06:00
I'm not blogging as much as I used to, but I guess you've already noticed by now.I guess I just have a lot on my mind the past couple of weeks...or months, and I just can't seem to focus enough to blog as regularly as before.It's been almost three years since I started blogging, and this is the longest dry spell I've ever been through. Well, three years is an eternity in the blogosphere, with numerous bloggers giving up only after a few months or so. I suppose it was just a matter of time before I got bored with it eventually.It's not that I plan on quitting soon, but my intermittent hiatuses (yes, hiatuses is the plural form of hiatus, I looked it up) have taken a significant toll on the number of people visiting my blog. Nowadays I'm averaging less than a fourth of the number of visitors I got during my blog's heyday. Can't say I blame them though. The moment a blog isn't updated, people lose interest. That's just the way things are.Probably I'm just spending way too much
Should you or shouldn't you?
2007-03-14 01:50:00
What would you do if you've discovered that the significant other of a friend of yours is having an affair, and your friend is totally oblivious to it?Would you tell him/her?Or would you rather just keep mum about it?Not so long ago I was faced with such a situation, and I asked myself that very question.It's not as if I'm totally alien to that particular situation though, as I have personally been through it in the past. I guess I even had more than my fair share of said experiences, as I know how it feels to be on either side of the situation, if you know what I mean. Of course it's been a while since I last went through either, though sooner or later it's quite inevitable that similar situations crop up with the people within your circle.Personally I think it's appalling, how people nowadays can be so disloyal or unfaithful at the drop of a hat, with hardly any second thought. And to add insult to injury, sometimes these indiscretions take place in a common workplace, or even
Disbar the First Boor
2007-03-13 16:28:00
Check this blog out. It contains the petition for the disbarment of First
Gentlemen Jose Miguel Arroyo for alleged immorality, as well as links to articles on his recent misdeeds, which include challenging a fellow lawyer to a fistfight during a court hearing, as well as the filing of libel charges he filed against 43 media practitioners.I think he's losing it.But can you blame him? He's married to GMA.
Sharing of Blessings
2007-03-21 12:25:00
I have been asked and have chosen to participate in a sharing of blessings. Now I'm passing it on. I pray that everyone who reads this will be blessed abundantly.Below is a beautiful poem, say a prayer about what's on your heart, before you read the poem. That's all you have to do. There is nothing attached. Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot of reward. Make sure you pray, and pray believing that God will answer. Say your prayer now.May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God...Let His presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."He that diligently seeks good, procures favor."- Prov
Read more: Sharing
, Blessings
Where there's smoke....
2007-03-29 23:31:00
Taken early yesterday morning. 19th story view of smoke billowing out of a burning garment factory in Kapitolyo, Pasig.
Is Heaven for POLITICIANS?
2007-03-29 17:05:00
While walking down the street one day a Philippine senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies.His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance."Welcome to heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you.""No problem, just let me in," says the senator."Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.""Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven," says the senator."I'm sorry, but we have our rules."And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course.In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him. Everyone is very happy and in even
Read more: Heaven
Not in the cards....
2007-04-03 15:18:00
Didn't make the cut...:-(But there's always a next time.
Happy Easter!
2007-04-08 02:14:00
Paolo Veronese's The Resurrection of Christ (circa 1570)I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. - John 11:25Happy
Easter
Sunday to everyone!
Read more: Happy Easter
Life as a cat....
2007-04-28 12:31:00
There are days that I just envy our house cat. Sleeping the day away, not a care in the world, a far cry from my own tedious and oftentimes frustrating existence. For proof, consider the following series of photos, taken one balmy summer day:8:50 AM.9:10 AM.9:28 AM.10:04 AM.10:44 AM.11:58 AM.1:22 PM.5:31 PM. I had some errands to run so I wasn't able to document the previous four hours. The cat seemed to finally realize it was being photographed and was meowing its disapproval. Or perhaps it was just hungry. :-)
Thirteen years ago....
2007-05-07 05:51:00
Thirteen years ago to the day.What happened thirteen years ago?Oh, nothing much. I just got married.It didn't last long though. In less than five years it cracked apart at the seams, a victim of childish impulses, immaturity, insincerity, anger, pride and disloyalty, more or less the same reasons for every other failed marriage.When I look back, it seems so surreal...like something out of a dream, or at least a cheesy dramatic movie. But no, it really happened, and the living proof of that event is the ten year-old boy who every so often asks me to transfer to the other computer in the other room so he can play his games installed on this one.Ah, the memories.What memories?It happened a long time ago that I don't really remember much from that time. Or maybe I just don't want to remember anymore.The final days are just too sad to remember.Do I have any regrets? Perhaps. But every time I replay in my head the events which led to me getting married at a relatively young age, given wh
Read more: Thirteen
SkyCABLE "One Night Stand" TVC
2007-05-06 05:01:00
I've seen this ad so many times on TV, but I still can't help but grin every time the "girl" says her line. :-)Maybe I shouldn't laugh. Hey, it could happen to me. I guess I'm just lucky I don't have a nice car. ;-)
Read more: Night
, Stand
, One Night
Ninoy's Letter to Noynoy
2007-05-05 04:54:00
August 25, 1973 Fort Bonifacio 11:30pm Mr. Benigno S. Aquino III P E R S O N A L My dearest Son: One of these days , when you have completed your studies I am sure you will have the opportunity to visit many countries. And in your travels you will witness a bullfight. In Spanish bullfighting as you know, a man – the matador – is pitted against an angry bull. The man goads the bull to extreme anger and madness. Then a moment comes when the bull, maddened, bleeding and covered with darts, feeling his last moment has come, stops rushing about and grimly turns his face on the man with the scarlet "muleta" and sword. The Spaniards call this "the moment of truth." This is the climax of the bullfight. This afternoon, I have arrived at my own moment of truth. After a lengthy conference with my lawyers, Senators Jovito R. Salonga and Lorenzo M. Tanada I made a very crucial and vital decision that will surely affect all our lives: mommie's, your sisters', yours and all our loved
Read more: Letter
Killing time....
2006-03-13 11:25:00
Lucky seven.Here I am, stuck in some internet cafe' in Quezon City. I'd rather go home, but I can't. Because my car's plate number ends in 1, I can't drive it on public roads until 7 PM.I'm a bit bushed, bored, and uninspired. Thought I'd rant a bit to while the time away.I never really did like browsing the internet from public computers. I have to be doubly certain that I log off properly from my email, blog, and other accounts, lest they be accessible to others when I leave this station. I have this friend who once opened her Friendster account in an internet cafe', and left the computer without logging off properly. Some idiot took advantage of the fact and sent expletives to various people in her friend list, including myself. Let that be a lesson to all of you out there who aren't careful about their accounts when on public computers.Aside from the security issues, one reason I dislike using public computers is that virtually all of them, to me at least, don't seem to b
Read more: Killing
Camera crazy....
2006-03-04 13:51:00
A couple of days ago I wrote a post on how my digital camera gave out on me due to a factory defect, and while Canon Philippines has generously offered to fix my camera for free, I have to wait two to three months before getting it back.Of course, in the meantime, I still need a camera.So I went out and bought another.Another Canon.I thought about purchasing another brand, but somehow I've become accustomed to the various controls common to all Canon cameras, and they seem to have it standardized for their entire line. Not wanting to relearn how to use a digital camera, I opted to stick with the same brand.Not having much in the way of camera requirements, I bought their latest entry-level model, the PowerShot A410. It's a pretty basic camera as far as specifications go (3.2 megapixels, 3.2x optical zoom, 3.2x digital zoom, 10x combined zoom, SD/MMC storage) but it does have an excellent feature set when it comes to picture composition (automatic or manual exposure settings, 14 shoot
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Fighting windmills....
2005-12-14 16:58:00
Last night, on the eve of the first death anniversary of actor and presidential aspirant Fernando Poe Jr., former defense secretary and retired general Fortunato Abat proclaimed himself as the head of a revolutionary transitional government mandated by the "second Malolos congress" with the objective of replacing the current administration and peacefully ousting President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.Say what?You heard me right the first time. We have an old geezer, a former general and cabinet member at that, suddenly coming out into the open, proclaiming himself the "president" of a "revolutionary government", vowing to remove President Arroyo from power.Is he a hero? Or a nutcase?The jury's still out on that question, though Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye and Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Raul Gonzales seem to be more inclined in believing the latter. Secretary Gonzales, while being his usual gauche self, was quoted as saying that he was not keen on sending "people who are alrea
Read more: Fighting
, windmills
Dissecting the double standard....
2005-12-06 09:18:00
Why is it that we look at things differently depending on whether it's a man or a woman who does something? Think about it. We tend to be guilty of this at times without even realizing it.It's 2005. Women as a gender have gone much further than they ever did before, and if the present trend continues, we will be seeing a lot more of women in fields which used to be exclusively the domain of men. Nowadays you'd be hard pressed to name one profession in which women have not entered. The idea of men being totally superior to women is a long outdated and obsolete concept which is hardly ever brought up anymore, except for the occassional retort of some male chauvinists who still manage to survive in this day and age. Of course, some of the stereotypes live on. Every time there's a bad driver on the road, there are still those who assume it to be a female. Women, while now allowed in various armed forces around the world, are still not routinely assigned to frontline duty and are usuall
Read more: Dissecting
, double
Childhood Memories of Food....
2005-12-04 05:20:00
A meme from ScrewedUp AKA SnglGuy. This is for you Guy. :-) 5 Childhood
Memories of FoodNips - The local version of M&M's plain chocolate candies. As far as I can tell, the earliest memories I have of candy involve Nips. Its been a while since I last had any, and every time I see a packet in a grocery store, for a split-second I go backwards in time and remember when I was three or four years old. At that age, candy always seemed to cheer me up. Actually it still does. :-)Paksiw na bangus - Milkfish cooked in vinegar (see basic recipe here). Still a favorite of mine, and makes my mouth water just thinking about it. :-) Just imagine, the sour-spicy taste of plump milkfish simmered in vinegar, ginger and chili peppers. Well, the childhood memory was of a time when a milkfish bone (tinik) once got lodged in my throat. I was told to try eating bananas, then bread, then drinking a glass of milk in an effort to dislodge the bone. Eventually, we resorted to an old wives' tale of having your
Retro TV....
2005-12-02 17:12:00
As a kid growing up in the 70s and 80s, television, for better or for worse, has been crucial in making me the person I am today. I spent probably more than my fair share of time in front of the idiot box, watching my favorite shows being aired on the few channels that were available then, then patiently waiting for another week before I could watch the same show again. Back in the day, there wasn't any cable TV or the huge selection of channels that we now take for granted. We only had five channels (2, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 13), and TVs were tuned using rotary dials, or if you were lucky, pushbuttons. I remember the scolding that I often got every time I twisted the rotary dial of our TV one way or another. Grownups then were convinced that turning the dial too fast or turning it the wrong direction would break the TV. There was also the old wives' tale of staying at least six feet away from the screen to avoid the TV's "radiation," prolonged exposure to which can supposedly "blind" you.
Slow Down Culture
2007-05-18 00:42:00
An interesting reflection: Slow Down CultureIt's been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish company. Working for them has proven to be an interesting experience. Any project here takes 2 years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple and brilliant. It's a rule.Globalized processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense of searching for immediate results. Therefore, we have come to possess a need to see immediate results. This contrasts greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish. They, on the other hand, debate, debate, debate, hold x quantity of meetings and work with a slowdown scheme. At the end, this always yields better results.Said in another words:1. Sweden is about the size of San Pablo, a state in Brazil.2. Sweden has 9 million inhabitants.3. Stockholm has 500,000 people.4. Volvo, Escania, Ericsson, Electrolux, Nokia are some of its owned companies. Volvo supplies the NASA.The first time I was in Sweden, one of my colleagues picked me up at the hote
I'm coming back...but not just yet
2007-06-16 05:06:00
It's been a while since I blogged. After almost three years of blogging, I seem to have lost my motivation.Of course, I fully intend to resume blogging.But not right now. I just don't feel like it.But I'll be back very soon. You can count on that.
Sundo
2007-06-27 05:46:00
Imago's latest hit. I actually liked this song even before learning that it was Imago who performed it. :-)Note:Turn off the background audio first at the bottom of the page before clicking the play button.SundoImagoKay tagal kong sinusuyodang buong mundoPara hanapin,para hanapin kaNilibot ang distritong iyong lumbayPupulutin, pupulutin kaSinusundo kita,Sinusundo...Asahan mong mula ngayonpag-ibig ko'y sayoAsahan mong mula ngayonpag-ibig ko'y sayoSa akin mo isabitang iyong lumbayDi kukulanginang ibibigayIsuko ang kabatuluyan kang bumitawIka'y manaligManalig ka..Sinusundo kitaSinusundo...Asahan mong mula ngayonpag-ibig ko'y sayoAsahan mong mula ngayonpag-ibig ko'y sayoHanda na sa liwanag moSinuyod ang buong mundoMaghihintay sayo'ng sundo
My first notebook....
2007-07-14 03:02:00
I finally bought my first notebook computer.I've been meaning to get one for some time now, but I never really got around to actually buying one, since I really didn't think I needed one before. I was simply content to use either of the two desktops I have at home, or the rather antiquated one I have in the office. The fact that I didn't have the funds for it or that most new notebook computers then were really expensive didn't help much either.With a little spare cash and a plethora of inexpensive models now flooding the market, I decided it was high time I took the plunge.After conducting a thorough research of locally available makes and models, I ended up choosing an Asus A9Rp notebook computer. Considering the low price of admission (29,900.00 PHP, or about 650 USD) I was able to get a notebook with a 1.86 GHz Intel® Celeron® M processor processor, a 15" display with ATI Radeon™ Xpress 200M graphics, 512 MB of DDR2 SDRAM memory, an 80 GB hard drive, a CD-RW/DVD combo opt
What I've Done
2007-07-19 18:28:00
Awesome song.Pick a version to play.Note:Turn off the background audio first at the bottom of the page before clicking the play button.Original video.Alternate (Australian) video.AOL Music Sessions.What I've DoneLinkin ParkIn this farewell,There's no blood,There's no alibi.'Cause I've drawn regret,From the truth,Of a thousand lies.So let mercy come,And wash awayWhat I've Done.I'll face myself,To cross out what I've become.Erase myself,And let go of what I've done.Put to rest,What you thought of me.While I clean this slate,With the hands,Of uncertainty.So let mercy come,And wash awayWhat I've Done.I'll face myself,To cross out what I've become.Erase myself,And let go of what I've done.For What I've DoneI start again,And whatever pain may come.Today this ends,I'm forgiving what I've done.I'll face myself,To cross out what I've become.Erase myself,And let go off what I've done.(From what I've doneFrom what I've done)What I've done.Forgiving What I've Done.
Please sir, I want some more....
2007-07-18 18:16:00
Can I have a bite?
Read more: Please
Nokia battery recall....
2007-08-17 19:27:00
If you own a Nokia
cellphone which uses a BL-5C battery
, you may be at risk of it blowing up in your face.A few days ago Nokia released an advisory regarding the possibility of such batteries exploding while being recharged. The problem has been traced to a batch of batteries manufactured by Matsushita Battery Industrial Co. Ltd. of Japan between December 2005 and November 2006.To be on the safe side, if your cellphone is manufactured by Nokia, check the battery if it's a BL-5C type. The part number is printed in the middle of the front of the battery.If your battery is indeed a BL-5C, go to Nokia's product advisory page and enter your battery's serial number in the space provided to determine if your particular battery is among those at risk. If it is, Nokia will send you a new battery via courier from Finland.I have three batteries of the same type, though after checking none of them appear to be part of the defective batch.The procedure in identifying whether your battery is pote
Read more: recall
Filipino Signs of Wit
2007-08-23 10:27:00
1. A flower shop in Diliman called Petal Attraction;2. Anita Bakery;3. A 24-hour restaurant called Doris Day & Night;4. Barber shop called Felix The Cut;5. A bakery named Bread Pitt;6. Fast-food place selling 'maruya' (banana fritters) called Maruya Carey;7. Then, there is Christopher Plumbing;8. A boutique called The Way We Wear;9. A video rental shop called Leon King Video Rental;10. A restaurant in Cainta district of Rizal called Caintacky Fried Chicken;11. A local burger restaurant called Mang Donald's;12. A doughnut shop called MacDonuts;13. A shop selling 'lumpia' (egg roll) in Makati called Wrap and Roll;14. And two butcher shops called Meating Place and Meatropolis;Smart travelers can decipher what may look like baffling signs to unaccustomed foreigners by simply sounding out the 'Taglish' (The Philippine version of English words spelled and pronounced with a heavy Filipino
such as:15. At a restaurant menu in Cebu “We hab sopdrink in can an in batol” [translation: We
Sightings....
2007-08-25 21:23:00
Somehow...I can relate.
Read more: Sightings
Government should regulate online games....
2007-08-24 20:08:00
Ever since broadband internet access became commonplace, the popularity of local online
gaming has grown by leaps and bounds. Only a few short years ago, internet/gaming cafés offered mostly single player titles, as well as multiplayer games playable over a local area network (LAN), such as StarCraft, WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos, Command & Conquer: Generals, and the ubiquitous Counter-Strike.Nowadays, while most of these games still have a following, a lot of players have simply grown tired of playing with or against AI allies and opponents, or even with or against human opponents on a local network. They want to play with or against players from literally all over the place, not only with people located in a single establishment. That's precisely what massively multiplayer games are all about, and the proliferation of high speed internet access has made it all possible.In the Philippines, the rapid proliferation of online games is nothing short of phenomenal, with an estimated 6.3
Read more: Government
Wake Me Up When September Ends
2007-09-10 19:52:00
One of my favorite songs. Fits the month...the day...even my mood.Note:Turn off the background audio first at the bottom of the page before clicking the play button.Wake Me Up When September
EndsGreen DaySummer has come and passedThe innocent may never lastWake me up when September endsLike my fathers come to passSeven years has gone so fastWake me up when September endsHere comes the rain againFalling from the starsDrenched in my pain againBecoming who we areAs my memory restsBut never forgets what I lostWake me up when September endsSummer has come and passedThe innocent can never lastWake me up when September endsRing out the bells againLike we did when Spring beganWake me up when September endsHere comes the rain againFalling from the starsDrenched in my pain againBecoming who we areAs my memory restsBut never forgets what I lostWake me up when September endsSummer has come and passedThe innocent can never lastWake me up when September endsLike my fathers come to passTwenty years h
A lapse in judgment....
2007-09-08 04:58:00
A few days ago, Fil-Am teen sensation Vanessa Hudgens, lead actress of the hit Disney Channel films High School Musical and High School Musical 2 was caught with her pants down...literally, after photos of her in the buff circulated freely on the internet.The photos were taken privately, and as is usual for nude pictures of famous celebrities, found their way to the internet much to the embarrassment and dismay of Disney, which is renowned for family-oriented films and television programs.Hudgens has issued a public apology over the incident, which her publicist has described as a "lapse in judgment". Disney will continue to retain her services, unwilling to mess with an already proven formula.Personally, I don't really consider her nude photos to be a big deal, except of course for the fact that posing in her birthday suit doesn't really jive with the corporate standards and target audience of the Disney Channel. Being signed up with a studio known for cartoons and movies devoid of
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