Inside The Mind of a Single Guy

MOVED......

2006-03-19T21:30:00.000+08:00

This blog has moved to http://snglguy.com . Just click on the link....

Moving Day.....

2006-03-08T07:28:00.000+08:00

My worries were unfounded, turns out that moving all my posts and comments from blogger to my new address was a breeze with Wordpress. It took me less than 20 minutes to move everything... and I thought I was gonna stay up all night. Whew! Anyways, starting today I will start posting on my own site at http://www.snglguy.com . Hope to see you guys out there.

I'm Moving..... my blog

2006-03-07T07:25:00.000+08:00

I guess this is a good time as any to tell everyone what's going on. For a few weeks now, I have been thinking of getting my own domain name and have my blog hosted. So for the past few days, I have been shopping around in cyberspace for a host. And after checking out a couple of local hosting services, I ended up with NoKiAHOST.com . Don't let the name fool you though, they are NOT in anyway connected with Nokia. It's just an acronym for Network of Known internet Addicts Hosting Solutions... quite a mouthful. But at USD $3.95 a month for a standard webhosting, they're quite cheap and they'll also register your domain name for free. Oh and on top of that, they have a promo wherein you'll get twice the disk space (100MB) and data transfer (5 GB) if you sign up this March.... sounds good enough for me. I've paid up half of the year's hosting fee yesterday and will be paying the balance after everything's set up. They've already registered my domain name and the site will probably be up by this morning. There's still a lot of work to do before I move in to my new address though.... For the new site, I plan on using Wordpress instead of Blogger as suggested by the guy at NokiaHost. He says it's better and I've read a lot of bloggers praising it. Anyway, for me, am just hoping that transferring all my files from Blogger won't be a hassle/nightmare. Why am I doing this? Well... why not? It'll be cool to have my own domain name and site. But in the meantime, I'll still be posting here while I set up house....

Guys day out.....

2006-03-06T08:27:00.000+08:00

Last Feb 21, I posted my disappointment at a Smart Wireless customer service rep, for her lack of enthusiasm and stupidity in her work. But even after that experience, I am still seriously considering making a switch to wi-fi connection, since I've just about had it with PLDTdsl's lousy service. So, last Saturday, I went to a Smart Wireless branch in another mall to make a similar inquiry regarding their wi-fi service. This time however, I was fortunate enough to talk to a better trained customer service rep, and was able to get some straight answers with regards to their services AND policy about having an existing dsl account with another provider. Much ado about nothing really, turns out that while they don't exactly encourage applicants with existing subscriptions (esp. with PLDTdsl) to pre-terminate their account, they don't discourage it either. Which is just about right, since that is OUR problem not theirs. "That customer service rep probably wasn't very familiar with our policy"she said.... Oh geez, ya think? Anyways, now I gotta find a way on how to weasel my way out of that stupid contract. I still have one more year to go.... With that taken care of, I proceeded to the Italian resto where I was to meet my best friend for lunch. No it's not Chef d'Angelo again, but it's another one of my favorite pasta place. This one's owned by an Italian guy and his Filipina wife, offering honest to goodness Italian dishes. Instead of my usual spaghetti al pesto and piadina (which btw, is also the name of the place), I opted to try their pizza. Authentic Italian pizza is radically different from the Americanized pizza that we're used to ( Yes, the ones that Pizza Hut and Shakey's serve are bastardized versions). The Margharetta (cheese pizza) that I ordered for example looked more like a flat pita bread topped with herbs and olive oil, larger, and as thin. Dang! We were so busy talking and eating that I forgot to take a shot of the pizza. Tsk, so I guess you'll have to settle with mine.....

Toilet humor...

2006-03-04T07:25:00.000+08:00

Anybody interested in this toilet fixture? I wonder if anyone out there is crazy enough to buy one of these....

Aquariass - Aquarium toilet

Add a little life to your bathroom with this live aquarium. The fully functioning tank fits American Standard bowls. Custom bowl installation is available.

3/8" acrylic tank 1.6 gpf. (federal standard) 22" x 14" x 9" deep

One question: What happens to the fishes after you flush?

Pushy vendors....

2006-03-03T07:10:00.000+08:00

Yesterday over lunch, a friend recounted to me how she was 'coerced' to buy an item from a pushy street vendor when all she was doing was asking if the price was still negotiable. Me: Why did you let him bully you into buying? She: I got so nervous when he gave me THAT stare after I said I changed my mind... Me: What kind of stare? She: You know, the I'mgonnaslapyousilly kind of stare.... like I wasted his time or something. Me: Oh, I thought it was one of those Iwannaf**k you kind of stare..... *sniggers* She: *whacks me* Shuddup you asshole.... I'm still traumatised y'know. Me: Just kidding, ok? Anyways, that reminded me of a similar situation I was into many years ago. It was in 1998 I think, at the time I had to go up north in the 'city of pines' on company business. I decided to take one of those airconditioned buses instead of driving for 5 hours alone, and grab some sleep along the way. Departure time was still 30 minutes away but rather than wait inside the lounge, I opted to wait inside the bus where it's cooler, while I go through my schedule on my Palm Pilot ( Yes, I used to have that too) . I chose myself a window seat, got comfortable and started fiddling with my PDA when I noticed a woman approach me. She was carrying a basket full of ice cold coke in cans, must be one of those vendors I thought, when she suddenly dumped a can on the empty seat beside me. ( Conversations/arguments were in Tagalog) Me: (What the hell?) What's that for? Vendor: *nodding* It's ok .... Me: It's ok??? What do you mean it's ok? Vendor: *still nodding* Just take it... Me: (WTF??) I'm not buying it, I'm not thirsty..... *Starts fiddling with PDA again* Vendor: Don't worry about it... Me: I'm not interested... Vendor: It's ok, I'll just leave it here.... Me: *Shrugs* *Still fiddling with PDA* Fine, fine you do that.... After that, she left and I continued with my work and forgot about it. Around 10 minutes later she came back. Vendor: That'll be xxx pesos. Me: WHAT??? I didn't even open the damn thing! Vendor: But you accepted it... Me: (WTF??) I never accepted it, you left it here on the empty seat beside me.... Vendor: * Getting angry* But you said fine.... Me: Yeah, just to get you off my back! Vendor: Then that means you brought it! Me: No, that means you're STUPID!!! Vendor: Are you going to pay or not? *Giving me THE stare* Me: You threatening me?? Vendor: I'll call the cops on you.... Me: Yeah, you do that. Go ahead and call the cops on me. Don't worry, I won't go anywhere..... After that I continued with what I was doing, trying to keep myself busy. She promptly took it and left in a huff, yelling "putang ina mo!" (Roughly translated, " You son of a whore") as she was getting off the bus. To which I replied; "Yeah yeah go find some dumb shmuck to cheat, you bitch!". Geez, she must have thought she could use that 'hard-sell' technique on me..... I slept peacefully all the way to Baguio City after that.........

A (Jolli) Bee in a Yank's Bonnet....Part 2

2006-03-02T00:05:00.000+08:00

And so the story continues. Blogger duke gave me a link to a follow up post from that nice American blogger who trashed Jollibee in her blog ( check out yesterday's post). As expected, her post elicited a lot of negative reactions from Pinoys all over and hate mails began to follow. Way to go gurl! Ok, instead of providing you guys the link like everyone does, I decided to just republish her post here:

January 26, 2006 adventures with jollibee, continued. Hi. I know some of you read this at work and would get in trouble for severe language, so don't click the little "continue reading" after this sentence if you're in ("urine!") that kind of situation. I'm just going to post an email with some uniquely adult language. Before I do, I should mention that I've been getting lots of nice email about Jollibee, its place in Filipino culture, why it's better than McDonald's (or McDo, as I've learned), and why it tasted so damn sweet. In fact, I've learned so much about the Philippines over the past week (including why I should be happy I didn't have to try dinuguan or balut), that I'm really glad I had my Jollibee experience and wrote about it the way I did. Especially when I woke up this morning to find the following: Subject: Hi you ignorant bitch i dare you to open me!! Hey bitch cocksucking idiot did you know jollibee was the only local company that trashed Mc Do...putang ina mo BOBO....you obviously lack class and think of us filipinos as dirty half naked natives....well FYI at least we take a bathe thrice a day while you fucking bathe only when you cant take the crust forming on your CUNTS....at least you could have shown some respect but being an american you think the world is your doormat.....well anyway fuck you and eat your motherfucking red eye gravy........JOLLIBEE FUCKED YOUR MOM...9 months Later you were born.....SO Shove MC DO and wendys up your ass......Your just angry because you lost your jobs when companies outsourced here in the PHILIppines!!!!!! gaga gago lintian ka....... You have a bounty on your head bitch....and you closely resemble my dog who's butt fucking ugly!!!!! and PAMIE is a really ugly name...ill name my next TURD in your honor.... "Jollibee fucked your mom" is my new favorite insult in the world. Well, the entire thing was meant to be an adventure in my backyard, as the Jollibee is about a mile from my house. And sure, I've exaggerated. You can tell by the pictures that nobody's looking at us. It's not like we Johnny Knoxvilled over there, Steve-O'ed creamy macaroni soup and then vomited all over the table. We ate a few bites out of curiosity, and then were disappointed to find we hadn't discovered our favorite new fast food joint. Laura and I were talking about this the other day. "You're just like me," she said. "When you see a place that most people would go, 'What? What is that? I don't want to try that.' You go, 'But what if ox-tail soup in a peanut butter pot is the best thing I've ever eaten in my life, and I don't know it? What if it's my favorite food, and I've never tried it and all that's stopping me is being a little scared of the fact that I can see a meat bone in some peanut butter?'" "That's exactly what I think," I said. "I used to think I didn't like fish. Because my mother told me I didn't like fish. I hadn't eaten fish. Once I tried it, being nice at stee's mom's house, I found out I love fish. I also didn't know I liked sushi, Indian food, or Vietnamese food." "So why wouldn't you think Jollibee was going to have the best cheeseburger in Eagle Rock? Look at the line outside!" "That's what I'm saying. And if I liked bananas in my ketchup, then Jollibee would have been the best cheeseburger in Eagle Rock." I went on to tell her about the history of Jollibee, and why it's more popular than McDo over there. "You have really learned a lot about your neighborhood." "I got an email from someone telling me that the next time I fly into her country, eat her food and leave, she'll kick my ass." "She thought you went to Manila--" "--to buy some folders." "Yes. She thought you flew there, ate at a Jollibee with your friends, and then flew home?" "To which I say: 'Thanks for reading. Your comprehension skills are amazing.'" Tonight we're going to a raw food restaurant. Look out, veggies. I might just bring my camera again. Do you think vegan hate mail will talk about my cunt? My glorious, free-range, semi-bathed cunt? [You can learn everything you ever might need to know about Jollibee over at the forum.] Posted by pamie at 08:35 AM

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Actually, there was no need for that foul language in the hate mail. But I was kinda like, laughing and shaking my head at the same time while reading it....

A (Jolli) Bee in a Yank's Bonnet....

2006-03-01T12:05:00.000+08:00

I read bw's entry about this blogger who posted a rather scathing, but honest review of the foods that a US branch of Jollibee was offering. The foods mentioned in her post are actually the very same ones that's being offered locally.... sweet tasting hambugers and hotdog filled sweetened spaghettis. Oh and don't forget the ever popular chickenjoy. Ok, I'm not a big fan of Jollibee ( so sue me), though a lot of Filipinos seem to be. I never liked anything on their menu except their chickenjoy. But that doesn't mean that I agree on how this blogger (see pic) and her friends acted inside the joint, which made them look more like idiots rather than ugly Americans (more pics in her blog). One of her friend who seem to have an aversion to a lot of foodstuff kept whining like a brat... Sure, she had every right to post her culinary misadventures... freedom of expression remember? It is after all her blog, and their initial reaction to the unfamiliar foods are... umm, normal. But for someone who claims to be a writer/screenwriter, she (and her friends) seem to be displaying a rather myopic view about the foods of other cultures. One can only wonder what she and her friends' reactions would be if they stepped foot in a Malaysian, or even an Indian resto... As for Jollibee... well, I was kinda surprised when I learned that the local fastfood giant was branching out to Hamburgerland, otherwise known as the US of A. The thought that came into my mind was that the management had become cocky after beating McDonald's at their own game in the local fastfood market. And now they wanted to bring the burger war to McDonald's home turf... wtf were they thinking? Is the Filipino community ( presumably the target market) in that city sizable enough for it to survive the fastfood war? Well, that's assuming that the Fil-Ams would eat there everyday and stopped patronizing McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Jack in the Box, and White Castle. And that the Americans suddenly develop a taste for those sweet hamburgers.... then, maybe. If Jollibee was thinking of giving the Yanks a run for their money with their own version of an American invention, then they haven't really done their homework... So what's next with this company? Set up a Greenwich Pizza joint in Italy perhaps? MAMA MIA!!! Note: Greenwich Pizza is a subsidiary of Jollibee

Political Soap.....

2006-02-28T00:18:00.000+08:00

I have lost my confidence in this government, as do a lot of people. But that doesn't mean I'd trust those anti- Arroyo groups either. And with personalities coming from the different political spectrum, theirs is an alliance of convenience.... with their own selfish political agenda. I really doubt if these folks can work effectively together once they (hopefully not) set up a junta. I mean, come on... get real. Representatives from the right, left, and center working together? If I remember it correctly, former president Aquino tried that after she assumed power in 86, and it failed miserably. The internal squabbling never ceased.... strange bedfellows indeed. Well, so far they haven't succeeded in setting up a junta, yet. Their call for people power last week went pfft! Not surprisingly, it was largely ignored. I guess the old Cory magic has lost it's luster after all. They tried again without success last Sunday , after a disgruntled Marine Colonel, who was also implicated in the attempted coup, decided to commandeer a fully armed battalion to show his dismay at the sacking of his commanding officer ( tsk! there goes discipline). He then surrounded himself with civilian 'volunteers' ( who looked more like goons to me) and called on the people and the clergy for support. WTF does he need the priests for anyway? Confession? Oh he's probably just covering his sorry ass since he was about to be detained for treason. And now comes this article in Time Magazine Asia about that recent coup attempt by the military that would coincide with the 20th anniversary of the EDSA revolution. As expected, the principal players are now denying their involvement... yeah, right. After 20 years, the public is getting tired of these calls for people power. They have become numb and cynical... like yours truly. But I doubt if these people will stop though, the lure of power (and money) is so strong that they will stop at nothing to bring down this government. And the current resident in the palace sure ain't gonna give it to them on a silver platter... Personally, I don't believe that these so-called saviours will be any better than the one we have sitting in Malacanang calling the shots. So while the nation is in a political whirlpool, it's business as usual for us working stiffs. And why not? We all have to bring home the bacon and pay the bills don't we? Those opposition guys calling for people power aren't gonna pay it for us... and neither will this government.

Monday humor....

2006-02-27T07:16:00.000+08:00

Just thought I'd share this for a laugh or two this Monday to start off another week of rat race and political turmoil (If you happen to live here that is). God knows how much we need to keep our sense of humor in these turbulent times. But be warned, if you're one of those sensitive, politically correct individual who'd easily get offended, go read something else... like a children's book. Many thanks to azlynne1972 for this joke: How Moses got the 10 Commandments.... God went to the Arabs and said, "I have Commandments for you that will make your lives better. The Arabs asked, "What are Commandments?" And the Lord said, "They are rules for living." "Can you give us an example?" "Thou shall not kill." "Not kill? We're not interested." He went to the Blacks and said, "I have Commandments." The Blacks wanted an example, and the Lord said, "Honor thy Father and Mother." "Father? We don't know who our fathers are." Then He went to the Mexicans and said, "I have Commandments." The Mexicans also wanted an example, and the Lord said "Thou shall not steal." "Not steal? We're not interested." Then He went to the French and said, "I have Commandments." The French too wanted an example and the Lord said,"Thou shall not commit adultery." "Not commit adultery? We're not interested." Finally, He went to the Jews and said, "I have Commandments." "Commandments?" They said, "How much are they?" "They're free." "We'll take 10."

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Oh btw that wasn't the only one I snitched from lynne, I also got this link and generated myself a word cloud based on my blog. Can you see your name/blog nick in there somewhere? Ok, now I guess it's back to the rat race and political crisis. Have a nice day everyone...

Interesting times....

2006-02-25T08:00:00.000+08:00

Sitting here in front of my computer pondering about this day and the events that are happening around me. Well, except for the fact that I AM using a computer and blogging, I feel like I was back in 1986 during the first EDSA people power revolution. It's deja vu actually, like I've seen this before... damnit, I have. Crap! Has it been 20 years already? I have to look for the old pictures that I took when I went to the Malacanang Palace (out of curiosity) with a couple of friends a few days after that historic day. At 25 years old, I was then full of hopes and dreams for this country... should have known better than to trust politicians. 20 fucking years, and we're back on the street trying to unseat an unwanted and unpopular president... looks like we haven't really moved on since 86'. Malcontents in the military are starting to get creative again no thanks to that former coup plotter turned ex senator, and now this guy is in hiding after being implicated again in this latest coup attempt. Geez, they should've buried this bastard decades ago but instead, those stupid voters elected him to the senate. Whatever happened to the hopes and dreams of the people for this country after they kicked out a dictator and his family? Are we just recycling tyrants now? In a speech in Cape Town, South Africa, on June 7, 1966, Robert F. Kennedy said, "There is a Chinese curse which says, "May he live in interesting times." Like it or not, we live in interesting times..." Well, he could have been referring to this country because we sure are living in an interesting time, and the fact that this country seems to be cursed with stupid/corrupt politicians, petty tyrants, and equally stupid voters. We'll see what happens next.....

The next AI?

2006-02-24T07:20:00.000+08:00

And now for the lighter side... Last year, on American Idol 4. I predicted from the very beginning during the auditions that Carrie Underwood would be the next AI. Well, what do you know.... I was right. So this year, I'm making another bold prediction (As if I am a psychic). This early, ( yeah, yeah I know it's too early) I have a gut feeling that Katharine McPhee will be the next AI. Why not? Even the judges and especially the usually acerbic Simon Cowell can see it. But, that's just me.... so who's your bet? Note: Crap! I hope I didn't jinx her with this post....

More on the cartoon controversy....

2006-02-23T07:17:00.000+08:00

The issue about those caricatures hasn't died down yet. In fact, it is still raging in the Muslim world and it looks like a line has been drawn. On one side, the Danish government standing firm on its principle. And on the other, an upset... no, angry hordes of Islamic fanatics calling for blood to be spilled. If you think that there have never been any images depicting the prophet before all this brouhaha, well think again. I found this while surfing the web for more articles on the Mohammed cartoons.... Mohammed Image Archive Depictions of Mohammed Throughout History Controversy over the publication of images depicting Mohammed in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten has erupted into an international furor. While Muslims worldwide have called for a boycott of Denmark and any other nation whose press reprints the cartoons, Europeans are trying to stand up for Western principles of freedom of speech and not cave in to self-censorship in the name of multiculturalism and fear. While the debate rages, an important point has been overlooked: despite the supposed Islamic prohibition against depicting Mohammed under any circumstances, hundreds of paintings, drawings and other images of Mohammed have been created over the centuries, with nary a word of complaint from the Muslim world. The recent cartoons in Jyllands-Posten are nothing new; it's just that no other images of Mohammed have ever been so widely publicized. This page is an archive of numerous depictions of Mohammed, to serve as a reminder that such imagery has been part of Western and Islamic culture since the Middle Ages -- and to serve as a resource for those interested in freedom of expression. (Please note that the Arabic name "Mohammed" has over the years been transliterated into Western languages with several different spellings -- some of which you'll encounter on this site -- including Mahomet, Muhammad, and Mohamed.) The images in the Mohammed Image Archive have been divided into the following categories; click on these links to view the images in each section: Islamic Depictions of Mohammed in Full Islamic Depictions of Mohammed with Face Hidden European Medieval and Renaissance Images Miscellaneous Mohammed Images Book Illustrations Dante's Inferno French Book Covers Satirical Modern Cartoons And for those who haven't seen the infamous cartoons.... The Jyllands-Posten Cartoons

Oldies but goodies?

2006-02-22T08:00:00.000+08:00

Have you ever wondered how some celebrities would look like in say.... 30 0r 40 years from now? Assuming that the scientists still hadn't come up with a formula for the fountain of youth (I'm sure these guys will be the first to snap it up, IF it comes out) in the year 2040, this is what they would look like.... theoretically. Thanks to my cousin in San Diego, CA for sending me these lovely pics.

Customer Dis-service...

2006-02-21T08:22:00.000+08:00

I don't know where some companies get their people who man the customer service counter. Either they lack training or just simply... ignorant. Like last Saturday, I went to one of Smart communications branches in a mall in order to inquire further about their wi-fi broadband internet services. I was thinking of switching to wireless and I need to know the pros and cons of their services. Anyways, here's how it went: Me: Good afternoon Miss, is this where I can inquire about your wireless internet? Customer service: Yes sir, how can I help you? Me: I just need to know about your monthly rates and how much I need to pay upfront. And also, how long it will take before you install the wi-fi antenna, so I'll know when I can discontinue my present dsl connection. Customer Service: Oh, you already have a dsl connection? Me: Err, yeah I'm not happy with their lousy dsl service that's why I'm switching to wireless. Customer Service: But sir, we don't accept applications from people who already have dsl connections from other providers. Me: What??? What's wrong with already having one? Customer Service: Sir, don't you have a lock-in period in your present account? Me: Yeah, so? what's that got to do with my applying for another one? That's my problem, not yours. It's between me and the provider.... Customer Service: As far as I know, we don't allow that... Me: (WTF???) That's crazy! I have never heard of such thing even with other providers... Me: Besides, I've already talked to one of Smart communications' sales rep when they were having a promo about a month ago in the mall's lobby, and they were even trying to encourage me to switch services and sign up (I almost did btw). They didn't say anything about any restrictions... Customer Service: Umm, well if you really want to, then you can discontinue your dsl services with the other company first before you apply for the wi-fi services. Me: Then what... Customer Service: Then in 3 days a contractor will go to your place and check if your area is in a 'hot spot'. If it is, he can already install the wi-fi antenna. Me: Let me get this straight, you want me to discontinue my dsl account with pldt before Smart can tell its contractor to come to my place... and check if it is in a 'hot spot'? Customer Service: Yes sir... Me: So if the contractor finds out that it isn't.... I'm screwed, I won't have any more internet connection??? *visibly irritated* Customer Service: Ummm..... Me: *Standing up* Thank you for your time..... THIS IS REALLY STUPID!!!! And to think, this company is aggressively promoting its wi-fi services...

A day at the cemetery....

2006-02-20T07:08:00.000+08:00

Sometime late last year, I promised hedonistics anonymous that I'd post some pictures of the famous (or infamous?) mausoleums and 'mansions' for the dead inside the Chinese cemetery after I posted this article. I was able to take some pics but unfortunately, stupid me accidentally deleted the pics even before I could save them in my blog. I recieved a nasty whipping from hedo for my mistake (just kidding!). Anyways, we went to the cemetery last Saturday to visit my Dad as it was the first anniversary of his passing. I took that opportunity to shoot some pictures with my cam phone after we finished paying our respects to my Dad. Well hedo, here are the pics.... The unit above is a typical one storey 'apartment' for the middle class, although it's not exactly middle class since each of these 'townhouses' can set you back half a million minimum (in pesos). The ones below are the 'mansions' for the, umm.... rich ones. You'll have to shell out a couple of millions for these heavenly properties.... whoever says you can't take your money with you when you croak, huh?

These 'mansions' can either look like a Chinese temple.....

Or a mini mall.

This one looks like a suburban home (except for the cross) complete with a driveway and garden...

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust"- The crematorium (no explanation needed here)

I got curious with this particular unit not because it's newly painted, but because of this....

Unless you're a Filipino/Fil Chinese, that name won't ring a bell. Because that's the name of a former Senator, Manila city Mayor, Director of the National Bureau of Investigation, and Chief of Police. Nope, that's not his resting place, the guy is STILL alive and kicking! It's just his namesake.... quite amusing though, seeing your own name in someone else's mausoleum. I would have taken a lot more pictures of the place but the weather didn't cooperate that day (it's obvious in the pictures), it started to drizzle after I took that last pic so I headed back to my Dad's resting place and to my waiting Mom. Time to go home.... As we made our way out of the cemetery, I saw a couple of tourists who are either Americans or Europeans taking pictures and videos of the place. Yep, this place is also a top tourist attraction, tourist buses packed with camera toting visitors oftentimes come in the cemetery (for a fee, of course) as part of their itenerary... believe it or not. For more about this place and the Fil-Chinese click on this.

Stupid or What.....

2006-02-18T00:12:00.000+08:00

This guy must be the stupidest Mayor in the world. He doesn't even know there was a huge 'drug market' in his own backyard. A mere half kilometer away from his office in the Pasig City Hall is a 600sqm. lot with 40-60 makeshift shanties selling/serving drugs, like restaurants, complete with the days menu and prices (Heh, even drugs are subject to price changes). He only found out about it after the police conducted a raid on the 'market'. And what did the stupid Mayor do after the drug market was raided and dealers arrested? He had the whole place demolished even before the police can finish collecting evidence. WTF?? Tsk, tsk... either he made a rash and stupid decision out of anger (or embarrassment), or he's covering up for some well known personalities who are regular customers. It's no big mystery how an operation that big could go on for 2 years (some say 3) without catching the attention of the authorities. IT IS BEING PROTECTED. A witness says that a patrol car comes by often and leaves immediately after someone hands them a 'package'. Big expensive cars and SUV's have been seen going in and out of the compound at night, which adds to the credibility of reports that the place has some high profile clientelle. The whole operation was exposed only after a disgruntled client reported the existence of the place to a reporter. And guess what, among those arrested were a couple of pregnant teenagers who sometimes act as gofers or couriers for the dealers! This clueless mayor should either be jailed or shot for destroying evidence and obstruction of justice, if not for his stupidity.

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Gawd! How time flies...... on this very same day a year ago, my Dad passed away. I can still recall the SMS message from my sister that morning: "Papa is gone". Geez, seems like it's only been a few months since he left us. Anyways, we will be visiting him later today at the cemetery and there will be a mass offering for him early in the morning. I'm sure he's at peace now and in a better place. But honestly? I feel that I have disappointed him... and I'm still carrying that guilt up to this day.

More pics.....

2006-02-17T00:18:00.000+08:00

Note: I was supposed to post these 2 pics last Monday but I kinda screwed up while installing the infrared adaptor on my PC. I was only able to work on it last night but finally, I was able to transfer the pictures from my cellphone to the computer. So I went to the mall last Saturday with the intention of watching "Fun with Dick and Jane". But it was almost noon when I got there and I decided to have lunch first at one of my favorite Italian resto. I like this place, and I've been a regular diner here since they opened 3 years ago. And while they have a lot of goodies to choose from (which I'm sure are very good), I have only ordered one, and only one pasta dish from this place...

And this is what makes me want to go back again and again..... Spaghetti al pesto

Oh btw I decided not to watch the movie, I thought I'd just wait for the DVD to come out.....

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Remember the 'unwanted bimmer' post last January 23? Well, Yesterday I passed by that place again coz I wanted to see how it's doing. It's still there, and although the passenger side window was replaced, the car itself still looked like shit.... fading paint and all. I tried out my new cam phone on the pic above, notice the difference from the pic below taken by my old phone. Even the color is more accurate.

A day in Chinatown....

2006-02-16T07:41:00.000+08:00

You guys remember my "Screwed Signs" post last Jauary 11? Well It looks like I missed one because I saw another sign the other day when I went down to Chinatown for lunch. Ok so the pic is a little blurred (hey, I just used my cam phone) but you can make out what the sign says: Screw Kingdom Hardware I wanted to take a closer shot of the signage but I was almost sideswiped by that delivery van. #$@$%^ Stupid driver.... didn't he see me standing in the middle of the street? Ahh, the risks I take for the sake of blogging....

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Yeah, that is a cop inside that outpost in the middle of Chinatown. Kinda weird to be putting all those bars on a mini police outpost, I never thought I'd see a cop behind bars... Oh and the cop was eyeing me suspiciously as I was taking this picture, so I pretended to talk to someone on the phone after taking the pic.... and scurried away.

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So I had lunch that day at a hole in the wall place known for their 'Cha Mee' (fried noodles) and I ordered their house specialty.... Yummy Ummm, the pic didn't come out quite nice though. It looked like a lump of sh*t with some green noodles doesn't it? But believe me it's was yummy...

Post Valentine's Day post.....

2006-02-15T00:05:00.000+08:00

Oh the interesting things you find on the internet, just look at what I found at snopes last night...

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Claim: Photograph shows couple copulating in the front seat of a car while a child sits in the back seat.

Is this photo for real? If so where did it happen, was the woman arrested?

Origins: We don't yet have information about the origins and authenticity of this photograph, other than to note that the yellow sign on the fence behind the car belongs to the Australian company Temporary Fence Hire (TFH), which would place the scene of the picture somewhere in that country. (This observation fits the car shown in the photograph, which is a right-hand drive model — the supposedly amorous couple appears to be perched in the passenger seat, not the driver's seat.) There are several possible explanations for this picture: * The photograph is real (possibly taken by police surveillance as part of a prostitution investigation) and depicts what viewers assume (i.e., a couple engaging in sex). * The photograph has been fabricated by manipulating and/or combining portions of other images. * The photograph is real but depicts something other than what is assumed by viewers (e.g., the woman in the picture was simply captured in the act of trying to reach something stowed in the back seat of the automobile).

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Ok, call me ignorant, but I never knew that was possible unless the woman is a contortionist or a gymnast (maybe she is?). Geez, couldn't those two just get a room? Now I know why some women like big cars... What better way to spend a Valentine's evening.... surfing and blogging. *yawn*

A Valentine's Meme.....

2006-02-14T07:22:00.000+08:00

Ok, I just got my sorry ass tagged by my fav dominatrix hedonistics anonymous again... for a Valentine's Day meme of all things! *scratches his head* Haizzz, oh well here goes: 1. What did you do for last Valentine's Day? Stayed home, pigged out, and watched TV ( I wasn't blogging yet) 2. What are you planning to do for the next Valentine's Day (today)? Bloghop and try to look for stupid, mushy, lovey dovey posts... 3. What would be the ideal place to celebrate Valentine's? Somewhere private where we can indulge in our kinkiest sexual fantasy. 4. What qualities in a person would make an ideal Valentine's date for you? Someone who would actually go out with me on Valentine's Day.... 5. What gifts would you buy/have bought for your partner? Brought for my ex: watch, jewelries, crystals, clothes, cellphones etc. etc. *checks out the holes in my pocket* For my (future) partner: Umm... I'll cross the bridge when I get there. 6. What gifts have you received/would like to receive from your partner? From my ex: Watch, clothes, gadgets, boxer shorts etc. etc. BUT, I would REALLY like: A Mercedes SLK Kompressor..... 7. What's your all-time favourite romantic movie? For the classics: "Casablanca" Contemporary: "You Got Mail" (I know it's lame but I love that song by Carol King at the end of the movie) 8. If you could choose any person on earth to be your date on Valentine's, who would it be? Umm... Monica Bellucci? (Yeah yeah, I know...dream on) 9. People I wanna send my love to this Valentine's Day: azlynne1972 categorically imperative abaniko hera Happy Valentines Day to everyone.... especially to the dateless guys and gals.

The 2 sides of Freedom of Expression....

2006-02-13T00:01:00.000+08:00

With all that fury and anger raging in the Muslim world over the controversial cartoons, the subsequent death threats and the call for the 'execution' of the 12 artists by those lunatics. It's no wonder cartoonists everywhere now live and work in fear, as this funny cartoon shows...

Why shouldn't they be scared? Just look at what's in store for them for speaking their minds....

Check out that sign that says: "Freedom go to Hell". Geez, what hypocrites.... and they had the gall to use that freedom to publicly issue death threats. Curiously, these fanatics were exercising freedom of expression that they so despise, in the streets of London without being harrassed by the police. Crazy, huh? Note: The drawing above, which I got from the internet, IS one of the 'controversial' cartoon that is the source of all that 'hullabaloo' in the Muslim world. The photos were snitched from Michelle Malkin.

I'm a Cassanova?

2006-02-12T15:20:00.000+08:00

This is what my name stands for, great huh? Wanna know what's yours? Just click on the image...

I also posted this on The Bored Single Bloggers Club. Many thanks to azlynne1972 for the cool link....

So, where are the cops?

2006-02-11T08:45:00.000+08:00

The cops at this particular outpost ought to be shot.... with their own guns. Why? These lazy-ass cops couldn't even keep their own surroundings free from those pesky illegal street hawkers (see pic). The last I heard, selling of wares in the middle of the street is considered ILLEGAL. If you ask them, they'd tell you that it's none of their business and it's the City Halls' job to rid the streets of these pests. WTF??? And we pay for the salaries of these guys?

Would you believe that's a POLICE OUTPOST?

Oh maybe they're just in there scratching their balls watching tv while those street hawkers take over the streets. No need to drive away their source of income eh?

Bad boys is it?

2006-02-10T12:00:00.000+08:00

Women oftentimes tell you that they like, or prefer 'bad boys' over 'nice guys'. I don't know, maybe it's a phenomena or a woman's warped logic at work here. And it's been done to death in romance novels and in Hollywood films: Nice girl falls for bad boy who in the end turns into a prince charming with of course, a little help from nice girl. And where does the nice guy fit in all this? He gets left behind, and being a nice guy that he is, the dork even wishes the both of them lots of luck. And they both live happily ever after.... romantic, huh? Personally, I think it's all crap.... this bad boy infatuation I mean. They almost always regret that stupid decision in the end, after they find out that living with Mr Bad Boy isn't at all that was cut out to be. Now she had to put up with his irresponsibility, womanizing, and God forbid, physical abuse. But does that stop them from falling for these love em then leave em type of guys? Nah! On the contrary. They'd still choose the bad boys over the nice guys anytime, it just shows you how screwed up women can be sometimes....

Google fight and more....

2006-02-09T07:45:00.000+08:00

Wanna know if Bruce Lee is better than Jet Li? Or what about Britney Spears against Christina Aguilerra? Well, you can find who beats who out by playing this game that I snitched from kanishk's site. I had a amusing time pitting one celebrity against another. Try it... By the way, Bruce Lee knocked out Jet Li...

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Oh and if any of you guys have a friendster account and had your pictures plastered all over the pages, be warned. Take them off, or you might end up in this guy's blog. Unless of course, you look a lot like Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie, then by all means, leave it there. If not.... well just check these out: The atrocities of friendster vol 1 The atrocities of friendster vol 2 The atrocities of friendster vol 3 The atrocities of friendster vol 4 Looks like this guy gets a huge O by making fun of people, huh? Many thanks to ron allan for the links in his post. Have a nice day everyone.....

Middle Age Blues?

2006-02-08T08:10:00.000+08:00

Dang! There are times when I wish I was somewhere else doing absolutely nothing.... without a care in the world. Right now, my little brain keeps flashing the same words over and over again: I AM F**KING TIRED. Yeah, I am tired. Tired of doing the same thing every f**king day. Tired of having to deal with people I work with, stress, and personal problems that never seem to go away. You see, I suddenly realized that my life isn't going anywhere, that I'm just running around in circles, and with no end in sight.... depressing thoughts, huh? I felt like I've got a bum deal out of life, nothing seems to be going right for me (did it ever?). This is probably as good as it will ever get so I might as well enjoy the ride, huh? Man! This really sucks. I'm starting to hate my life....

Of Movies and Religious Fanaticism....

2006-02-07T07:18:00.000+08:00

The raging, err... feiry controversy over the cartoon depiction of the Prophet Muhammed made me recall a similar incident way back in 1977. That year, a movie entitled "Mohammad, Messenger of God" was released amid widespread protests in the Moslem world. The movie, which starred Anthony Quinn was based on the life and times of the prophet and was directed by an Arab director. To say that it was controversial was an understatement because hundreds of people were burned to death when a group of Iranian fanatics, angered by what they percieved as blasphemy, torched a moviehouse (after they locked every exit doors) in Tehran that was showing the movie. But was it really blasphemous? Anyway, for those who have no recollection nor idea about that 'blasphemous' movie, here is something I got from wikipedia... Mohammad, Messenger of God (retitled The Message for U.S. release) (1976) is a film directed by Mustafa Akkad, chronicling the life and times of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad. Released in both Arabic and English (Arabic name is الرسالة--English: Ar Risalah), Mohammad, Messenger of God serves as an introduction to early Islamic history. Although the movie revolves around Muhammad, his image is not depicted in any way throughout the movie, out of respect for Muslim beliefs. Instead actors were left to talk to the camera. The Making of "Mohammad" Akkad faced resistance from Hollywood to making a film about the origins of Islam and had to go outside the United States to raise the production money for the film. While creating Mohammad, Messenger of God, he consulted Islamic clerics and tried to be respectful toward Islam and its views on portraying Mohammed. He saw the film as a way to bridge the gap between the Western and Islamic world, stating in a 1976 interview: "I did the film because it is a personal thing for me. Besides its production values as a film, it has its story, its intrigue, its drama. Beside all this I think there was something personal, being Muslim myself who lived in the west I felt that it was my obligation my duty to tell the truth about Islam. It is a religion that has a 700 million following, yet it's so little known about it which surprised me. I thought I should tell the story that will bring this bridge, this gap to the west." Nevertheless, some cinemas still received threatening telephone calls from those who thought that the film offended Islam by portraying the Prophet in a physical way, even though Mohammed is not shown on screen. On March 9, 1977, a group of Black Muslims, led by Hamas Abdul Khaalis, seized several buildings and took 134 hostages in the District of Columbia. While their actions were related to a sectarian dispute within the Black Muslim community, one of their demands was to prevent the release of Mohammad. One of the terrorists specifically said "he wanted a guarantee from whole world it will never be shown" or they would execute some of the hostages. While Akkad offered to show the film to the terrorists, and even said he would burn it if they hated it, the damage had already been done. The film was widely panned by critics and became a box office flop, although it was nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Original Score. Mustafa Akkad , and his daughter Rima Akkad were killed by Muslim extremists in the 2005 Amman bombings while they were attending a wedding celebration in Jordan.

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It just shows you how far those extremists/fanatics will go in the name of God.... without even bothering to check out the facts. *A Muslim film director who, in his sincere desire to present Islam to the rest of the non Muslim world to create awareness and understanding is labeled a blasphemer by his own people... Kinda reminds you of Mel Gibson and his "The Passion of the Christ" doesn't it?*

Of Game Shows and Freedom of Expression......

2006-02-06T00:00:00.000+08:00

An accident waiting to happen is what it is. A huge crowd (estimated at 20,000) lining up for days just to be able to get a ticket and a seat in a sports stadium where a local noontime show is celebrating its first anniversary ends up in tragedy, when a stampede caused the death of an estimated 80+ people and injuring hundreds of others. The show, aptly called "Wowowee" is known to give away cash and other prizes to contestants who mostly come from the poorest sector of the society. That day, the show was reported to be giving away millions in cash prizes as well as cars and a house. It was an anniversary splash that turned deadly for many. I don't know what the contestants have to do to get the prize/money (I never watch these shows anyway) but I'm sure it's something that would make them look ridiculous in front of the camera, much to the amusement of the stupid emcees. Actually, most of the local noontime shows are guilty of this kind of perverse form of entertainment and that just makes me sick. It just shows you what some people, particularly the desperate ones, will do for a buck during hard times. And how the producers of these shows are quick to capitalize on the misery of their fellow citizen. Seems that dignity costs a few thousand pesos these days....

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Another thing that's been bugging me this weekend is how freedom of expression is being attacked by those religious fanatics in the Middle East and in some parts of SE Asia. It seems that the whole Moslem world is up in arms against several European countries whose newspapers printed out an unflattering depiction of the Prophet Muhammed in their editorial cartoon. The militants and fanatics in the Middle East lashed out by burning the flags of the 'Infidels'. Apparently not satisfied with their handiwork, they decided to burn down their embassies as well and threatened to harm the citizens of those countries (as if they were the ones who drew the cartoons). Some stupid fanatics even went as far as to demand the beheading, or at least, chopping off the hands of those cartoonists. In Palestine, some Hamas extremists are threatening to burn down a Catholic church in retaliation although I doubt if the Catholic church has got anything to do with the brewing controversy. And all that because of a cartoon...

I don't know if these people have ever heard or even know about free speech and freedom of expression considering their distrust of western media. Sure, the cartoon was a bit (or a lot, depending on which side of the religious spectrum you are in) out of line and distasteful, but such is the concept of free speech. They could just as well howl in protest and use some diplomacy to resolve the matter. Besides, the opinion of an individual (or a newspaper for that matter) does not reflect the sentiment of an entire country, so why take it out on its embassies and citizens? But I guess those religious extremists would rather have a barbeque party out on the streets, eh? Come to think of it, you'd never hear any non-Muslim (Christians & Jews) howl in protest whenever the Arab newspapers print out (which they also do btw) anti-Semitic or anti-Christian cartoons do you? I wonder how these guys would feel if the tables are turned on them. Geez, there seem to be a double standard in the Middle East with regards to freedom of speech don't you think? And now, Iran with its loudmouthed president and powerful clerics want to build their own nuclear arsenal..... Probably to nuke us 'Infidels'? BTW, I am not anti-Islam nor anti-whatever religion. But what I am against is the use of violence against those who dare to speak out their mind. Anyone remember Salman Rushdie?

Problem with blogspot...

2006-02-04T10:05:00.000+08:00

Is it just me, or is everyone who is using blospot having difficulty uploading their posts today? I'm having a hard time uploading my update this morning, I keep getting error messages right after I click on publish.... Crap!!!

A town of beggars?

2006-02-04T08:11:00.000+08:00

Ahh, the things that people will do for a buck. What the hell are these people thinking? Did they really expect their champion/hero to come home with his prize money and just give it all away like that? I mean, come on... this is so embarrassing. I won't even ask if they are ashamed at what they're doing, obviously they are not. I was rather amused and at the same time, disgusted when I was reading this article...

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300 fans camp out at Pacquiao's gate waiting for 'balato' By Aquiles Z. Zonio Inquirer GENERAL SANTOS CITY--Scores of people are patiently waiting outside the house of Manny Pacquiao here for a "balato" (token share of winnings) after his victory over Mexican boxer Erik Morales earned him a huge prize money. For three days, about 300 people, some of them coming from as far as the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Zamboanga del Sur, have stayed outside Pacquiao's house in Barangay Labangal. They said they would only go home if Pacquiao showed up. To ensure they would not miss any tip once Pacquiao shows up, the fans are conducting nightly vigils. As of Wednesday, the country's boxing sensation has not granted the requests of his fans. It could not be confirmed where Pacquiao has been staying since his return from the United States. Pacquiao's mother, Dionisia, spoke over a local radio station and asked for understanding. She said it was true that his son made some money from the fight and from the live telecast on a pay-per-view channel. But Manny, she said, "has yet to receive anything." "He even borrowed money from his manager. You should understand that it is not easy to bring home such amount," Dionisia said. Estimates of Pacquiao's actual net income from his bout with Morales vary. Some say he became two million dollars richer from the prize money alone, but others claim it would actually be a little over 300,000 dollars after taxes and other deductions. Dionisia said her son was always ready to share his blessings. Former boxing champion Rolando Navarrete got 1,000 pesos when he patiently trailed the float carrying Pacquiao during a rousing welcome ceremony for the latter last week.

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Instant fame and wealth really brings out these shameless creeps out of the woodwork doesn't it? Suddenly, you have tons of friends and relatives who before, wouldn't even give you a minute of their time. And who are now ready to welcome you with open arms…. and palms. Tsk tsk, how pathetic...

Password please....

2006-02-03T08:39:00.000+08:00

Why this high profile blogger suddenly decides to password protect her blog is beyond me. Only her close friends or those who are given the 'privelege' to read her entries would know. Well, it's her blog so she can do whatever she pleases, right? But to claim that she felt like she's being violated, or in her own words, getting her boobs and ass touched by people she doesn't know is well, kinda lame in my opinion. Of course there will be lurkers, people who just read but not comment. I also lurk on other peoples' blog sometimes, especially if I find their posts interesting, and personally, I don't see anything wrong with that. It's a blog for Gods sake, why put one up in the first place if you don't like strangers reading it? Anyways, she should've put up a warning sign..No Lurkers allowed. The funny thing about all this is that, in one of her last posts, before she put up that password protect thingy, readers/lurkers who never commented before were commenting like hell (to get on her good side probably?). Some even went as far as to beg her to give them the password so they can be included in her ' inner circle'..... WTF??? Personally, I'd leave her alone. She deserves her privacy, no need for 'lurkers' like me to continue 'violating' her....

Thursday humor....

2006-02-02T08:00:00.000+08:00

So you hate the subject, but did you know that mathematics can be applied to our love life and in the workplace as well? I found that out when a friend from Singapore sent me this by email.... ROMANCE MATHEMATICS Smart man + Smart Woman = Romance Smart man + Dumb Woman = Affair Dumb Man + Smart Woman = Marriage (especially if he's rich) Dumb Man + Dumb Woman = Pregnancy OFFICE ARITHMETIC Smart boss + Smart Employee = Profit Smart Boss + Dumb Employee = Production Dumb Boss + Smart Employee = Promotion Dumb Boss + Dumb Emplyee = Overtime (Dumb and dumberer?) SHOPPING MATH A man will pay $1 for a $2 item he needs A woman will pay $2 for a $1 item she doesn't need (kinda reminds me of my ex-wife) GENERAL EQUATIONS AND STATISTICS A woman worries about her future until she gets a husband (You know who you are) A man never worries about his future until he gets a wife A succesful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend A successful woman is one who can find such a man Ok ok so it didn't involve numbers like a Math equation, but it's close isn't it?

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More on Men vs. Women..... HAPPINESS To be happy with a man, you must understand him a lot and love him a little To be happy with a woman, you must love her a lot and try not to understand her at all (Oh so true) PROPENSITY TO CHANGE A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't A man marries a woman and expecting she won't change, and she does DISCUSSION TECHNIQUE A woman has the last word in any argument Anything a man says after that, is the beginning of a new argument ( this definitely reminds me of my ex!)

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And this is for all those who are enjoying their singleblessedness.... HOW TO STOP PEOPLE FROM BUGGING YOU ABOUT GETTING MARRIED Old aunts used to come up to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs and cackling, telling me "You're next". They stopped after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals. Single guy/gal: "Hey Auntie, doesn't Uncle look so peaceful in the coffin? Old aunt: "Yes, he does. It looks as if he's only sleeping" Single guy/gal: " Yes, indeed. Well, it looks like you're next huh? " This will definitely stop them from bugging you.....

A Trekkie I am not.....

2006-02-01T07:47:00.000+08:00

I have always been a fan of Star Trek: The Original Series, I grew up watching it in the 60's (Yes, I am THAT old). Even as a kid I would religiously follow the adventures of the men and women of the spaceship Enterprise every week as they battle it out with aliens and boldly go where no man has gone before. Heck I could still recite the names Capt James T. Kirk, Commander Spock, Dr. McCoy, Lt. Sulu, Lt.Cmdr. Scotty, Ensign Chekov and Lt. Uhura by heart. Sadly, the show was cancelled in 1969 after 3 seasons due to dismal ratings (Blame it on the poor time slot). However, the series got a new lease on life when it was revived years later with Star Trek: The Next Generation, much to the delight of its legions of fans. Since then the franchise spawned several more tv series and movies based on the same concept started by the late Gene Roddenberry. Personally, I feel that among the spin-offs, Star Trek: Voyager comes closest to the emotional impact of the original series. But that's just me... Although I loved the series, I was never a true blue Trekkie like blogger ron allan, who is out of this world when it comes to everything Star Trek. That's why when I took this test that I snitched from ron allan, I failed miserably and was resigned to the rank of a lowly ensign. *sniff*

I guess I should pay more attention from now on.

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Some Trivias on ST: The original Series

* Fans of the original Star Trek series became known as Trekkies, though some fans prefer the term Trekkers. * Leonard Nimoy (Spock) and Majel Barrett (Number One/Nurse Christine Chapel) are the only actors to appear in the both the first pilot ("The Cage") and last regular episode ("Turnabout Intruder") of the series. * When designing the plans for the Enterprise, bathrooms were omitted. This was jokingly acknowledged in TNG, when the chart of the Enterprise-D at the back of the Engineering set featured a toilet located in the middle of the saucer section. This was also referenced in Star Trek: First Contact, when Zefram Cochrane (played by James Cromwell) says, "Don't you people from the 24th century ever pee?" * The Jefferies tubes were access tunnels leading to every part of the ship and were named after Matt Jefferies, the art director on the show. * TOS is well noted for prescience as to future technological developments, including mobile phones (the communicators) and magnetic resonance imaging (used in tricorders). * The arrowhead insignia introduced in TOS was actually exclusively used by the crew of the Enterprise. When the crew encountered other Starfleet vessels, they bore different insignia depending on their ship. It is presumed in canon that the arrowhead insignia was adopted by the whole of Starfleet after the end of TOS, but before Star Trek: The Motion Picture. * There are several pipes and tubes in many sets marked with the designation "GNDN". While it is never explained what this designation meant, it was in fact an in-joke from set designers and stood for "Goes Nowhere, Does Nothing". Hehe, I snitched that from wikipedia.

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It just occured to me this morning that it's the first of February today. Hard to believe that a whole month has already passed by and we're now on the second month of 2006. Geez, it was like only yesterday when we were welcoming the new year.... is it me or is time going fast forward?

Confucious say.........

2006-01-31T07:30:00.000+08:00

Since we just started the year of the dog in the Chinese calendar, I thought that it would be fitting to present you guys with some old Chinese proverbs for your amusement:

Old Chinese Proverbs

Those who jump off a Paris bridge are in Seine. (in sane, get it?) A cardboard belt would be a waist of paper. Those who throw dirt are sure to lose ground. One dog barks at something, the rest bark at him. Man who streaks is unsuited for his work. Girl who does everything under the sun gets everything sunburned. Man who places head in sand will get kicked in the end. Man who gets too big for his britches may get exposed in the end. Man who go through airport turnstile sideways going to Bangkok. Man who run in front of car get tired. Man who run behind car get exhausted. Man who keep feet firmly on ground have trouble putting on pants. Man with one chopstick go hungry. Man who scratches rear should not bite fingernails. Man who sinks into woman's arms soon will find arms in woman's sink. Man who eat many prunes get good run for money. (too much prune gives you the runs) All men eat, but Fu Man Chu. War doesn't determine who is right, war determines who is left. Girl who go camping must beware of evil intent. (in tent) If you want pretty nurse, you must be patient. Wife who put husband in doghouse soon find him in cathouse. Man who drive like hell bound to get there. Modern house without toilet uncanny. (as in toilet = the can) Man who stand on toilet is high on pot. Man who lives in glass house should change clothes in basement. Man who jump off cliff jump to conclusion. Girls should not marry basketball players - they dribble before they shoot. Man who fights wife all day gets no piece at night. Woman who wear wonderbra make mountains out of molehills. Howard Daughters Hope these 'proverbs' will start your year with a smile....and a lot of laughter. Cheers

Of hypocrisy and delusions....

2006-01-30T08:00:00.000+08:00

I really hate this poor excuse of a senator/actor, and I won't even bother to hide my contempt for him. Hell I couldn't even bring myself to call him senator, not in a million years. HE JUST DOESN"T DESERVE IT. Besides, I never voted for him or his mother so why should I? I had the bad luck of seeing his ugly mug again on television the other day presiding over a senate hearing. Oh he was being himself self as usual, arrogant and righteous, berating a customs commissioner during the hearing about the smuggling activities in the bureau. My blood was literally boiling and I couldn't help but cuss at this show of hypocrisy. Bulls**t! It's not as if he's clean as a whistle. I couldn't take any more of his crap so I thought I'd blog about this, but it turns out that columnist Ramon Tulfo also got wind of this 'act' too and wrote this article in his column: On Target : Jinggoy is acting again First posted 11:01pm (Mla time) Jan 27, 2006 By Ramon Tulfo Inquirer Editor's Note: Published on Page A17 of the January 28, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer ONE of those who grilled Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales during the Senate hearing on the national budget Tuesday was Sen. Jinggoy Estrada. Estrada gave Morales the most severe scolding for the alleged rampant smuggling at the piers and the customs zones. Customs zones are bonded warehouses outside the piers. I snickered and nearly fell off my chair when I saw Jinggoy playing to the gallery in that Senate hearing. I recall that during his father’s time, Jinggoy had then newly installed Customs Commissioner Ramon Farolan called to a meeting. Over lunch, he introduced to the incorruptible Farolan, a second-timer at the Bureau of Customs, the most notorious smugglers. A few days later, the retired Air Force general resigned, citing health reasons although he was as strong as a bull. The truth was Farolan didn’t want Jinggoy, his brother Jude, then President Erap’s “other” wife Guia Gomez, and other members of Erap’s extended family pressuring him to go easy on smugglers. When Farolan was gone, it was a “free-for-all” at the piers and the customs zones, courtesy of then San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada and his brother, Air Force Capt. Jude. Used clothes arrived by shiploads. So did luxury cars. In fact, Jude allegedly drove out of the pier one such car without a customs clearance. The car was unloaded straight from a cargo ship. Jinggoy and Jude reportedly used Philip Lee and Jun Manimtim as their brokers. In an intensive anti-smuggling campaign during Erap’s time, then Lt. Gen. Jose Calimlim, head of Task Force Aduana, made a big catch. A bonded warehouse owned by a Baby Tay was raided by “Aduana” agents. The agents seized a huge cargo of Ecstasy, a drug in the same category as—but much more damaging than— methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu). There was a big to-do over the drugs seizure. But Baby Tay was never prosecuted. And the Ecstasy tablets, which intensifies the sex urge of a user much like a cantaride, could not be accounted for later. Guess who was behind Tay going scot-free and the seized Ecstasy tablets eventually ending up in the market? So, as Jinggoy was pontificating at Tuesday’s Senate hearing, people in the know chorused, “Amen.” If you wanna know more about this man, check out Tulfo's past article on him here.

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Another thing that's getting to be so irritating these days are those so-called ' saviors' from the military. They have been in the news quite a lot lately and their call for GMA's resignation and coup threats have been sending jitters in the metropolis and the business community. Errr... who may I ask died and made these guys saviors anyway? Come to think of it, I don't recall the citizens asking them to mount a coup to unseat a president and take over. And since when did these junior officers start thinking they have all the answers to our society's ills? Talk about being delusional. Tsk tsk, this is what we get for having a politicised military.

Big Fish??

2006-01-28T08:20:00.000+08:00

What the hell is friggin wrong with the justice system in this country? Not only the are wheels of justice painfully slow but is screwed up as well. Read on and you'll know what I mean.....

Ex-treasurer gets 17 years over missing P26,000 in 1976

First posted 04:12am (Mla time) Jan 26, 2006 By Nelson F. Flores Inquirer Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the Jan. 26, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer FOR JUST P25,960 in unaccounted public funds, a 72-year-old former municipal treasurer of Lamut town in Ifugao province has been sentenced to 17 years in prison. The Sandiganbayan Second Division meted out the sentence to Marcelino Pagaddut for a crime he committed 30 years ago. The anti-graft court junked the appeal of his 2003 conviction by the Ifugao Regional Trial Court Branch 14. Pagaddut was indicted for malversation of public funds after the provincial auditor found his collections to be short by P25,960.28 during a special audit in February 1976. The Ifugao RTC sentenced Pagaddut to a 12-year maximum prison term in July 2003. Defense The Sandiganbayan, however, set aside the sentence, noting that the proper penalty should be 10 to 17 years because the defendant's age was below 60 when the case was filed against him in 1977. In addition, the anti-graft court raised the total fine imposed on Pagaddut to P51,920 from the P20,580 set by the lower court. In his defense, Pagaddut claimed that his collection fell short because of cash advances by former Lamut Mayor Angelito Guinid. However, some of the receipts he produced were written on pieces of paper that included a cigarette foil wrapper. Pagaddut explained that he did not speak to prosecutors about Guinid's cash advances because he was hoping that the mayor would liquidate his cash advances. He said he was aware that cash advances without specific expenditures were not supposed to be approved. But he accommodated Guinid because he feared losing his job if he did not grant the mayor's request, the former municipal treasurer said. The Sandiganbayan, however, said that even if Pagaddut did not personally benefit from the funds, he was still liable because he allowed another person to use it against the interest of the municipal government. "The fact that petitioner did not personally use the missing funds is not a valid defense and will not exculpate him from his criminal liability. Malversation consists not only of misappropriating or converting public funds or property for one's personal use but also of knowingly allowing others to make use of or misappropriate them," the court said in a 10-page decision penned by Associate Justice Francisco Villaruz. Crap! That's chump change compared to the hundreds of millions stolen by General Garcia, and all he gets is a lousy 2 year sentence. Geez, you still think this will send a clear message to those kleptomaniacs in the government? Yeah, it will... and the message is: STEAL BIG SO YOU CAN HIRE AN EXPENSIVE LAWYER IF YOU GET CAUGHT. Disgusting ain't it? Justice indeed......

Lion Dancing.....

2006-01-27T08:34:00.000+08:00

In two days we will be ushering in the year of the dog, and it would be the year 4702 in the Chinese calendar, as opposed to the year 2006 of the western calendar that we are all familiar with.... it just shows you how long the Chinese people have been around going forth and multiplying. As with every OC (overseas Chinese) around the world, we still follow some of the traditions of our forefathers, the observance of the Chinese New Year being one of them. And one ubiquitous sight in Chinatown during this season is the traditional Dragon and Lion Dance. Here's a little backgrounder on one of this ancient tradition, the lion dance : The Chinese Lion Dance goes back some one thousand years. The first record of the performance of an early form of the Lion Dance dates to the early Ch’in and Han Dynasties (Third Century B.C.) The lions express joy and happiness. From the fourth day to the fifteenth of the New Year, lion dance groups would tour from village to village in traditional China. Both lions and dragons figure in New Year’s Parades and other celebrations throughout the year. The Lion Dance also plays an important role in the consecration of temples and other building, at business openings, planting and harvest times, official celebrations, and religious rites. There are even Lion Dance competitions featuring troupes from countries as far from China as Mexico.

The Southern Lion

Lion dances are performed to bring luck and to ward off evil spirits, as with the beginning of the Lunar New Year and grand opening of businesses, and now – minus the firecrackers – at weddings and even red egg/ginger parties celebrating the birth of a baby.

The Northern Lion

The northern lion has a mane and four legs and is generally more realistic than the southern lion, which has a drape and can have two or four legs. One performer holds the lion’s head with both hands and another crouches at the lion’s tail. The southern lion’s head looks is shaped more like a dragon’s but its without horns or a long snout. The southern lion makes dramatic head thrusts to the sound of drums and gongs; the northern lion makes great use of its prancing legs in its dance. The lion dances usually are performed by members of gong-fu (kung-fu) schools and reflect that Kung-fu style. For example, in Hung Gar (Hung Jia in Mandarin), the students practice very deep “horses” (stances), with the power coming from the twisting and rotation of the waist. In Choy Lay Fut (Tsai Li Fo), movements are quicker. No matter what style, the lion movements are feline in nature. For a proper lion dance, the movements must match the music played by a minimum of three pieces: drum, gong and cymbal. Either the person performing in the lion head or the drummer initiates the movement and signals the other, so that the movement and music is synchronized. Certain movements must follow a specified sequence: for example, the 3-Star movement, then the 7-Star movement, followed by High Dance. Variations to the basic beats help keep the music lively. The loud music, along with the firecrackers and lion movements, are used to scare away “evil spirits” so that good luck will follow. (source: www.chcp.org) Sadly, these days the lion dance troupe that I see in Chinatown are composed mostly of a rag tag band of young people who don't look like they belong to an athletic club or martial arts school. A far cry from my time when I was still an active member in one of those schools downtown, that was when old traditions held sway. Before, only people from the Chinese community are allowed membership in the clubs, and only the best students are allowed to participate in the lion dance, for obvious reasons. That lion head is quite heavy and doing acrobatics while holding it up requires some skill that one gets from years of practicing kung fu. Those guys don't even look like kung fu practitioners at all and I can bet they don't even know the difference between the northern and southern style of kung fu. So who the f**k are these people? Anyway, the old kung fu schools are all gone now, as far as I know. It seems that the new generation of Filipino-Chinese aren't too keen in learning the old form of martial arts. These days, their interest lies elsewhere, thanks to technology. I bet those old 'sifus' (masters) are turning in their graves right now. "KIONG HEE HUAT TSAI" (Hokkien) "KUNG HEI FAT CHOY" (Cantonese) to everyone!!!

Unfavorable favors....

2006-01-26T08:30:00.000+08:00

I hate it when people in this company asks me to do something for them, even though they can very well do it themselves. While I may be reluctant at times, I usually end up doing what they ask. Problem is, if things go bad and all hell breaks loose, I'm left holding the proverbial bag.... She: Hey, can you call this supplier and tell him that we're returning several hundred yards of excess fabric? Me: Huh? Why what's wrong? She: Well, we miscalculated the fabric consumption and we ordered more than what we actually used. Me: Then why me? Why don't you talk to him yourself? She: But, weren't you the one who made the order for this fabric last October? Me: Yes, because YOU asked me to, even though it's not my job. I did it as a FAVOR don’t you remember? She: Whatever, you still have to talk to him...and ask for a refund. Me: (WTF??) I don't think he'll agree to that. Besides, the company already paid it in full and you still expect him to hand over the money just like that? She: So what do expect us to do with the excess fabric? We can't even use that color on other designs. Me: Don't look at me; I wasn't the one who made the wrong calculation. I just ordered the exact yardage, AS PER YOUR INSTRUCTION. Why don't you call him yourself? It's not like you don't know this supplier. She: But still, YOU were the one who ordered it...So you have to think of a way on how to return this and get our money back. Me: Huh??? Crap! Are we even on the same wavelength? Didn't you hear what I just said?? Me: And what if the supplier doesn’t want to accept the excess fabrics back? She: Then that’s your fault. Just talk to the supplier and tell him that the fabrics are damaged or something… Me: WHAT???? Grrrrrr.... Me: Next time…. don’t ask me for any more favors, OK??? Damn! That sure taught me a lesson. Never, ever do any more favors for these guys. Some people will be the death of me.... Really. This reminds me of a story my Mom told me about my late Dad, it happened a long time ago when I was still a wee child. We had a neighbor (a woman) who had an argument with another woman and it ended with our neighbor giving her opponent a black eye. The woman then sued our neighbor who turned out to be too chicken shit to spend a day in court. So Mrs. chicken shit neighbor asked my Dad, as a favor to her, to talk to the woman and ask her to stop the lawsuit. My Mom advised him to leave the two women alone and stay put, but my Dad went ahead anyway since the woman who was suing our neighbor was a friend. In the end, my Dad was able to convince the woman to drop the charges and everything was settled…. Until this stupid neighbor of ours started blaming my Dad for not doing enough to help her. Geez, what an UNGRATEFUL hag. Tsk, tsk... Like Father, like son.

Reality Movie?

2006-01-25T08:15:00.000+08:00

Last night, I was going over some news stories online when I came upon this interesting piece of article... India's Bollywood making film with real criminals in cast First posted 10:24pm (Mla time) Jan 23, 2006 Associated Press NEW DELHI -- Bombay police might want to check out this movie. Little-known director Nabh Kumar Raju says he's making a mafia-themed film whose entire cast will consist of criminals or people who say they've at least attempted a crime, The Times of India newspaper reported Monday. About 3,000 hopefuls turned up for the audition. The paper did not say when it was held. The paper said Raju asked each of them only one question before their auditions: "Have you ever attempted any crime?" The six people chosen include a sharpshooter, a local mafia boss facing trial, a man involved in past kidnappings and a thief, the report said. Raju could not immediately be reached for comment. India's Bombay-based Hindi-language film industry, dubbed Bollywood, churns out massive numbers of movies each year. Millions around the world watch the exuberant song-and-dance films, even in countries where Hindi isn't understood. With a cast like that, the director and producers better make sure the checks don't bounce.... And speaking of Bollywood, I would really love to see hedonistics anonymous in one of those song and dance films singing and gyrating her hips. * imagines* Anyways, if you guys really want to know more about hedo, check out this top ten things about her:

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Hedonistics anonymous!

Over 46,000 pieces of hedonistics anonymous float on every square mile of ocean.
The difference between hedonistics anonymous and a village is that hedonistics anonymous does not have a church.
Hedonistics anonymous never said 'Play it again, Sam'.
The most dangerous form of hedonistics anonymous is the bicycle.
Hedonistics anonymous cannot burp - there is no gravity to separate liquid from gas in her stomach!
It is bad luck to light three cigarettes with the same hedonistics anonymous.
A sixteenth century mathematician lost his nose in a duel over his love for hedonistics anonymous, and wore a silver replacement for the rest of his life.
The Australian billygoat plum contains a hundred times more Vitamin C than hedonistics anonymous!
Hedonistics anonymous can be seen from space.
The Vikings believed that the Northern lights were caused by hedonistics anonymous as she rode out to collect warriors slain in battle.

I particularly like #10, hedo riding out to collect slain warriors. Maybe those warriors are the remains of her ex bf's and boytoys.....*sniggers* ( Thanks to annabanana for the Top Ten Trivia)

Blog Review.....

2006-01-24T08:20:00.000+08:00

Something's wrong with my computer this morning, something's messing it up. Dang! It took me several attempts before I could proprerly run my PC, it may be a software glitch or a hardware problem. Hope it's not a virus though, I'll have to check on that later. Anyways, I'm kinda pressed for time since I have to leave in a couple of minutes , just had to post this before I head out. Ok, so my blog was reviewed by the blog critic recently. And here's what she had to say about this blog: Inside the Mind of a Single Guy A half-full glass and an ashtray on a table. A window looking out onto some traffic. All in black and white. A pretty artistic header. So is this single guy a drinker and a smoker who likes to observe the world going by? His profile doesn't say. But a picture is worth a thousand words eh? ;) Unlike many other blogs, this one has its blogrolls on the left. It's pretty long but since there are a fair number of posts on the main page it doesn't really matter. A tagboard, links, buttons, etc. The usual stuff. Black and white feature predominantly in this blog, broken only by occasional brown text and pictures. Content is OK. 2 memes, some rants, a scam letter, etc. Meh. Nothing really interesting, although I must say his English is pretty good. In case you're wondering, the blogger, SnglGuy is from Manila and is 44 and still single. Oh, and he's moody, sarcastic and pessimistic ... although generally a nice guy, or so he claims. The comments are presented differently - there's no indication of the number of comments. Instead there is just a general link to Write/Read your Reactions which doesn't reveal the popularity of each post. This blog is generally OK. I wish there were some more interesting posts though. My rating: 5/10 Oh well, you can't please them all.....

An Unwanted Beemer....

2006-01-23T08:30:00.000+08:00

If you have a beemer ( that's BMW to the uninitiated) would you leave it parked in a back alley all dirty, paint chipping away, with the passenger side window missing and tires that seem to need rotating? I wouldn't. You see, I've been looking at this neglected 91 BMW 316i parked somewhere inChinatown for the a few months now, and obviously it's not for sale since I didn't see any ' for sale' sign plastered on the windshield. Somebody told me that the owner, who lives in the adjacent building, just left it there and seldom checks on the car.

*Notice the plastic cover sticking out of the passenger side?*

Really, I can't think of any other reason why someone would lay waste to such a fine car unless it was involved in a hit and run accident. Well, maybe he just got tired of using it. Or has a new toy perhaps? Tsk! Some people just have waaay too much money, no? Hey, maybe if I ask the owner nicely, he'd give it away for free....

And yet another weekend meme post......

2006-01-22T11:31:00.000+08:00

Blogger consuela decided that she wanted to know how weird I am so she tagged me with this 5 weird things about myself meme. So here it goes: 1) I can't sleep without a pillow smothering my face. I like to have my head sandwiched between two pillows, it's like shutting myself out from the rest of the world while I sleep. 2) I can't go to bed without having my midnight snack. Yeah, I know it's supposed to be bad for you, but everytime I lie down without putting food in my stomach I get restless and can't sleep. 3) Whenever I go to a theater ( to watch a movie of course), I always make it a point to get a seat next to the aisle. Better still if it's next to an emergency exit.....well, for obvious reason. And this drove my ex-wife nuts. 4) I'm a neat freak, I can't stand having clutter in my bedroom, especially in and around my work desk. 5) I hate crumpled money, it irks me whenever a cashier hands me a change of bills that looked like it went through a washing machine. Oh and I always make sure that the bills are neatly tucked inside my wallet according to their denomination. Well, that's about all the wierdness I can think of. There are others but I'd rather they be kept secret..... Ummm....I think I'm gonna tag someone with this meme. Someone I haven't tagged before, and I have just the blogger in mind. And the lucky (?) blogger is.....azlynne1972.

A Saturday meme post......

2006-01-21T08:23:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I was tagged again by my favorite dominatrix, hedonistics anonymous. She really loves tormenting me...... 4 Jobs I've Had In My Life * Sales Agent for a textile importer * Accounts executive for a well-known brand of clothing (16 years) * Manager of a clothing manufacturer * Presently doing freelance marketing work for several companies (read: self employed jobless bum) 4 Movies I Could Watch Over & Over * Casablanca ("here's lookin' at you kid") * Shane ( Personally, I feel that it's the best cowboy movie ever made) * Malena ( if only for Monica Belucci) * Dr. Strangelove ( Peter Sellers playing 3 different roles, what could be better?) 4 TV Shows I Love(d) To Watch * CSI * The Simpsons * Frasier * Star Trek ( The original series) 4 Places Where I've Lived * Manila * same * same * same ( Damn, it looks like I'm stuck here forever!) 4 Places I've Been On Vacation To * HK * Mainland China * Bangkok * Singapore 4 Places I Would Rather Be * On a quiet secluded beach ( with a hot babe) * Las Vegas ( surrounded by long limbed showgirls) * Monica Belucci's bedroom * Denise Keller's bedroom 4 Of My Favourite Foods * Sushi * Lobster Thermidor * Hainanese Chicken * Chicken Alfredo 4 Websites I Visit Daily * Inside The Mind of a Single Guy * Bored Single Bloggers Club * CNN.com * Download.com 4 Beautiful People Worth Tagging * I decided not to tag anyone else ( do I hear a sigh of relief?), so the buck definitely stops here. Have a great weekend folks!!!

American I-dolts....

2006-01-20T08:40:00.000+08:00

I just love watching the American Idol audition on TV. Why? Because those would-be idols never fail to amuse the hell out of me. Like last night, during the auditions held in Denver, Colorado. There was this black dude who came in all excited and confident, believing that he has what it takes to be the next American Idol ( don't they all?), and yet he totally sucked during the audition. After recieving a scathing criticism from Simon Cowell and a big NO from Paula and Randy, he begged them to reconsider. "Please, give me another chance, I came a long way just to get into this audition". "Why, where did you come from?" (or something like that) asked Randy Jackson. To which the black dude replied...."Denver, Colorado". ( uh huh?) I am amazed at the number of people who are so willing to make a fool out of themselves for their 15 minutes of fame, or infamy for that matter. And they seem to multiply each year, assuring the viewing public of more entertainment for years to come. Taking a cue from this 'Hung' guy perhaps? Oh, and since we're on the topic of American Idol, check out this Numa Numa-American Idol style flash animation . That is, if you still haven't seen it yet. Until next time......SnglGuy out.

Scammer Alert !!

2006-01-19T07:27:00.000+08:00

Last Tuesday, I recieved this message in my inbox. I've heard and read about scams such as this and of the many people guillible enough to actually believe it. Anyway, this is what the sender wrote: From: "jeremy lucas" Subject: WITH DUE RESPECT !!!! Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 11:38:44 FROM THE DESK OF MR HASSAN USTAZ HAJI, BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER. BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A)(ANNEX) OUAGADOUGOU BURKINA FASSO PLANE CRASH WEB SITE...http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm Dera Firiend, ( "REMITTANCE OF $30 MILLION U.S.DOLLARS CONFIDENTIAL IS THE CASE") I know that this letter may come to you as a suprise.I got your contact address from the computerized search when I was searching for a business partner. My name is MR HASSAN HAJI, I am the Bill and Exchange Manager of BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A) Ouagadouguo Burkina Faso. In my department I discovered an abandoned sum of USD$30.000.000 (THIRTY MILLION U.S.A DOLLARS). In an account that belonged to one of our foreign customers who died along with his entire family in a plane crash that happened on 31st July 2000. Since I got information about his death, I have been expecting his next of kin to come over and claim his money because we cannot release it unless somebody applies for it as the next of kin or relation to the deceased, as indicated in our banking guildelines but unfortunately we learnt that all his supposed next of kin or relation died alongside side with him in the plane crash leaving nobody behind for the claim. It is therefore upon this discovery that I decided to make this business proposals to you and release the money to you as next of kin or relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for it, because I don't want the money to go into the bank treasury as unclaimed fund. The banking law and guidelines here stipulates that if such money remains unclaimed after five years, the money will be transferred into the bank treasury as unclaimed fund. The request of foreigner in this transaction is necessary because our late customer was a foreigner and a Burkinabe cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner. I have agreed that 30% of this money will be for you as foreign partner in respect to the provision of a foreign account.10% will be set aside for expenses that may occure during the course of the transaction and 60% would be for me, after which I shall visit your country for disbursement according to the percentages indicated. Therefore to enable the immediate transfer of this fund to you as we arranged,you will furnished me with a good receving account detail where the money will be transfered, your private telephone and fax numbers for easy communication. Upon receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax or e-mail a text of the application which you shall retype and fax to our foreign remittance manager, for easy execution of the transaction. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is 100% hitch-free on both side. As all required arrangement have been made for the transfer. Please I would like you to keep this transaction confidential and as a top secret as you may wish to know that I am a Bank official. You should contact me on my Alternative e-mail hassaji@gawab.com immediately you receives this letter. Trusting to hear from you immediately. Yours Sincerely HASSAN USTAZ HAJI I sent a reply after reading it, and here's what I wrote: Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 18:49:10 From: "RSL" Add to Address Book Subject: Re: WITH DUE RESPECT !!!! To: hassaji@gawab.com Dear Mr. Hassan, Let me get this straight, you want me to give you my bank account number in exchange for a 30% cut of the 30 Million US dollars you're going to steal... WHAT AM I, NUTS??? Thanks, but no thanks Yours truly, Your supposed victim I guess these scammers are up to their old tricks, huh?

Tagged once more.....

2006-01-18T08:01:00.000+08:00

Got tagged by hedonistics anonymous with a word based meme. Actually, she wants me to write an erotic piece, and this meme tag is just a cover. So now, I have to write an entry of between 100-200 words. But here's the catch...these words have to be included once, and only once: 1. I 2. me 3. blowjob 4. grapes 5. random 6. power 7. loneliness 8. water 9. robot 10. blue * Warning: For mature, open minded readers only* I once met a girl who gave me the best blowjob a man could ever have. Her lips had such power that my balls felt like crushed grapes after it was over. Gawd, it was electric! She was like a precision made robot with the way her head bobbed up and down my shaft. It felt so good that way, but as much as my mind want her to keep doing it, my physical body couldn't hold it any longer. Suddenly, it came out...like water bursting out of a broken pipe, and there were fireworks everywhere. Up to this day, its still a wonder why out of the blue, she chose an ugly guy at random among the many good looking ones inside the bar. It's probably because all of them were drunk at the time, completely forgetting the loneliness they were feeling earlier. That's a hundred and fortyfive words..... Man! This is will be the first and definitely the last erotic piece I'm ever gonna write, I felt exhausted.... * Note: This is an updated version

Of theme songs and movie titles....

2006-01-17T08:45:00.000+08:00

I am really disgusted at how local producers are using some sappy old love songs as titles and theme songs to their movies, it’s becoming an irritating trend. There is one that’s being harped by a local channel as the so-called ' movie event ' of the year, (duh?) complete with video footages showing screaming fans giving it a thumbs up. Tsk, talk about shallow... Oh, and the title of the movie? “Don’t Give Up on Us”, an obvious take-off from an original song by David Soul. And if that wasn't enough, there's another movie coming out with “I’ll Always Love You” as its title and theme song. Ok, unless you’re in your 40's or is an oldies music fanatic ( like I am), those songs might not ring a bell since they came out in the mid 70’s (Don’t Give Up on Us) and early 80’s (I’ll Always Love You). Just recently, a movie that was entered in the Manila Film Fest has a title of an even older song, “Blue Moon”, which was also a popular song in the 50’s. Just one look at the title of these flicks and it's obvious that the movie is gonna be one of those mushy, complicated-than-real life love stories. What the hell is the matter with these screenwriters? Have they run out of ideas that they have to resort to digging up some old songs and using it as inspiration? Geez, and they call themselves writers. And since we’re on the subject of titles and theme songs, did they (The producers) even ask permission from the record companies for the use of those songs in the movie? Just asking....hmm, do I hear "Copyright Infringement"?

IT Happens.....

2006-01-16T01:15:00.000+08:00

Nope, you didn't stumble on another site, it's still the same blog but with a new layout. I liked the last one but I was having some problem tweaking it, and it didn't come out as nice in IE. Besides, I was kinda having a hard time reading (I'm sure some of you are too) my own posts in that layout with the background pic and all , so I thought I'd use this template that I have been keeping in reserve for future use. At least I can now read my posts without straining my eyes, and the best thing is, the codes are a lot easier to tweak on this one. Okay now moving on...Unless you're one of those religious prudes or fanatic who does not have any sense of humor, better not read this one. I wanted to post this shit, I mean...list that I got while I was reading azlynne1972 s' post, while she in turn, got it from this site. I just found this shit list funny and posting it here does not in any way reflect my attitude towards other religions. Now that I made that clear, do read on....

SHIT HAPPENS

Close-to-complete Ideology and Religion Shit List.

* Taoism: Shit happens.
* Confucianism: Confucius say, "Shit happens."
* Buddhism: If shit happens, it isn't really shit.
* Zen Buddhism: Shit is, and is not.
* Zen Buddhism #2: What is the sound of shit happening?
* Hinduism: This shit has happened before.
* Islam: If shit happens, it is the will of Allah.
* Islam #2: If shit happens, kill the person responsible.
* Islam #3: If shit happens, blame Israel.
* Catholicism: If shit happens, you deserve it.
* Protestantism: Let shit happen to someone else.
* Presbyterian: This shit was bound to happen.
* Episcopalian: It's not so bad if shit happens, as long as you serve the right wine with it.
* Methodist: It's not so bad if shit happens, as long as you serve grape juice with it.
* Congregationalist: Shit that happens to one person is just as good as shit that happens to another.
* Unitarian: Shit that happens to one person is just as bad as shit that happens to another.
* Lutheran: If shit happens, don't talk about it.
* Fundamentalism: If shit happens, you will go to hell, unless you are born again. (Amen!)
* Fundamentalism #2: If shit happens to a televangelist, it's okay.
* Fundamentalism #3: Shit must be born again.
* Judaism: Why does this shit always happen to us?
* Calvinism: Shit happens because you don't work.
* Seventh Day Adventism: No shit shall happen on Saturday.
* Creationism: God made all shit.
* Secular Humanism: Shit evolves.
* Christian Science: When shit happens, don't call a doctor - pray!
* Christian Science #2: Shit happening is all in your mind.
* Unitarianism: Come let us reason together about this shit.
* Quakers: Let us not fight over this shit.
* Utopianism: This shit does not stink.
* Darwinism: This shit was once food.
* Capitalism: That's MY shit.
* Communism: It's everybody's shit.
* Feminism: Men are shit.
* Chauvinism: We may be shit, but you can't live without us...
* Commercialism: Let's package this shit.
* Impressionism: From a distance, shit looks like a garden.
* Idolism: Let's bronze this shit.
* Existentialism: Shit doesn't happen; shit IS.
* Existentialism #2: What is shit, anyway?
* Stoicism: This shit is good for me.
* Hedonism: There is nothing like a good shit happening!
* Mormonism: God sent us this shit.
* Mormonism #2: This shit is going to happen again.
* Wiccan: An it harm none, let shit happen.
* Scientology: If shit happens, see "Dianetics", p.157.
* Jehovah's Witnesses: >Knock< >Knock<>
* Jehovah's Witnesses #2: May we have a moment of your time to show you some of our shit?
* Jehovah's Witnesses #3: Shit has been prophesied and is imminent; only the righteous shall survive its happening.
* Moonies: Only really happy shit happens.
* Hare Krishna: Shit happens, rama rama.
* Rastafarianism: Let's smoke this shit!
* Zoroastrianism: Shit happens half on the time.
* Church of SubGenius: BoB shits.
* Practical: Deal with shit one day at a time.
* Agnostic: Shit might have happened; then again, maybe not.
* Agnostic #2: Did someone shit?
* Agnostic #3: What is this shit?
* Satanism: SNEPPAH TIHS.
* Atheism: What shit?
* Atheism #2: I can't believe this shit!
* Nihilism: No shit.
* And of course we must add...Alcoholics Anonymous: Shit happens-one day at a time!

Hey I didn't make up this list so don't nail me to the cross, awright? But it's good for a few laughs though.

I wuz robbed....

2006-01-14T09:10:00.000+08:00

Reading this news about card fraud made me recall my own experience of what happened in October 2004. Nope, I wasn't a victim of fraud but I did lose my wallet to a bunch of pickpockets. Thing is, I didn't even know about my missing wallet until almost an hour later when I was about to pay for my purchases. Actually it was more like my fault since I tucked my wallet in a fanny bag (That little bag you wear around your waist) along with my cigarettes and left it straddling my left hip. Yeah, I know it was stupid of me to be wearing that thing especially in a crowded place. Those Motherf**kers were able to unzip it and take my wallet without my knowing it. Damn! Everything about me was in that wallet, credit cards, atm cards, driver's license, and my social security card. Fortunately, I wasn't carrying much cash that day.... I didn't panic yet since I know they won't be able to use my atm cards, not unless they figure out my PIN number ( hint: All they had to do was to read my date of birth on the license). As for my credit card, well THAT was cause for panic. I quickly dialled the credit card hotline number on my cellphone (Thank God I didn't put my cellphone in the bag too) and was able to talk to a customer service rep and informed her of the theft. After a few standard questions and answers I immediately inquired if there was a recent transaction on the card, she replied in the negative (Whew!). I guess those thieves don't know how to use a credit card yet, lucky me. Upon my request, she immediately blocked the card to avoid any unauthorized purchases. I did the same thing with my bank issued debit card, which I use mainly for my supermarket purchases, as well as for the other 2 atm cards. The banks on the other hand assured me that I would be recieving the replacement cards within 48 hours, that was quick huh? It was however, a totally different story when I went to the transportation agency to ask for a replacement drivers license. Well, yes they did issue me a new one.....after 90 days. Crap! You can renew your drivers license and get your card in under 30 minutes, and it takes them 90 days to issue a replacement? Geez, talk about efficiency. If there's one thing I hate, aside from worrying about unauthorized purchases and withdrawals after losing or getting your wallet stolen, are the HASSLES you have to go through. After that incident, I spent the better part of my working day going to banks and government agencies for documentation and paperwork. All that because of one careless moment....and a stupid fanny bag.

Scenes From an Afternoon Meeting....

2006-01-13T08:16:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I spent the whole afternoon (1 pm to 5:30 pm) stuck in my clients' boardroom, along with a couple of suppliers, for our yearly vendors ( suppliers) orientation. Honestly? I would rather be doing something else.....

The house wasn't exactly full though, only a few of us ( the suppliers) attended.

Isn't it obvious? I was bored! By the way, those are my eyeglasses and daily organizer....Get me outta here!

I tried munching on these candies to keep me awake.....no good.

Ahh free coffee, just what I need to keep me going. I got myself a hot one......coffee that is.

And another cup after that....this was actually my fourth cup in less than one hour.

Oh great! Breaktime, and free Mcdonald's to boot, just what I needed.....awww, shoot! Where are the fries man???

5:30.....Meeting is over. Finally! Thank God! And so ends another working day in the life of a single guy........

A conversation...

2006-01-12T08:54:00.000+08:00

This happened yesterday afternoon as I was about to enter our apartment building..... Stranger: Hey man! How are you? Me: Huh? *surprised look* Stranger: It's me! Don't you remember me? Me: Umm... Stranger: We're both in the same line of work and we always bump into each other in our clients office. Me: Uh huh...*pretending to remember* Stranger: So, what are you doing these days? Are you still working for the same company? Me: Err, no I'm doing freelance work these days. Stranger: Oh I see, well I'm with ******* company now. Me: Ahh ok...that's nice. *still trying recall* Stranger: By the way, here's my cellphone number *whips out his cellphone* you can input it in your address book. Me: *scratching my head* Oh man, I'm in-between cellphone now. I lost my cellphone a couple of weeks ago. ( I lied, my cellphone is in my pocket) but just write it on a piece of paper. Stranger: Ok no problem, I'll just give you my business card, my cellphone number is in there. Me: Oh great! Thanks Stranger: By the way....do you have a landline number? Me: No, I just moved in here a couple of weeks ago. I still have yet to apply for a new line. (another lie) Stranger: Really? I pass by this place often. Maybe we'll bump into each other again. Me: Ahhhh, ok Me: Hey, I really like to stay here and talk but I have to attend to something urgent and write some e-mail (Oh shit! I just told this guy that I didn't have a phone) Stranger: Oh, ok I have to go too.....talk to you again next time buddy. See ya! *shakes my hand* Me: Yeah, that'll be great. See ya Hmmm....The name on his business card doesn't ring a bell and his face doesn't even register in my already tired brain. Then.....WHO THE HELL WAS THAT GUY? Geez, this is weird. Did this sort of thing happen to you guys before?

Screwed Signs.....

2006-01-11T08:46:00.000+08:00

I've been itching to take photos of some amusing store signs belonging to a chain of hardware stores for the longest time, but just didn't have the opportunity to do so. Well, I finally had the chance to do it last Saturday with my best friend in tow. Ok ok, I admit, I dragged him along.....hey, he has a digicam, and I don't. Anyways, here are some of the pics that we took.....

King of WHAT?????

And that's the main screw, I mean...Store.

That's the owner of this digicam posing under the sign, he probably thinks he is one hell of a.....umm, master.

This is another one of those signs but it's kinda blurry (I suck at basic photography, sorry). But the sign says....Screw Center. I guess this is where you go if you wanna get screwed huh? Man! I really need to take lessons on photography. Anyways, in case your'e wondering, the sign says, Screw City....hmm, must be a nice place to live in. Oh, and there is another one that carries the sign, Screw King (sorry, no pics). By the way, those screws, errr...hardware stores are all located in the same block (they're obviously related). So in case you happen to pass by that particular street, be prepared to be bombarded by the word S.C.R.E.W.... PS: Sorry about the pics, the digicam (a 5 megapixel Sony cybershot) is cool actually. I'm just a lousy photographer....

Karmic law....

2006-01-10T08:28:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I posted a piece about a 12 year-old girl who returned a large amount of money to its rightful owner. That simple act of honesty has since been rewarded with scholarships, her own computer, a job for her father, and some capital enough for a small neighborhood store for her mother. Now that's karma in action, a good deed rewarded in kind. Here's another incident where the karmic law does its work....with feiry results.

Blazing mouse sets fire to house

A US man who threw a mouse onto a pile of burning leaves could only watch in horror as it ran into his house and set the building ablaze. Luciano Mares, 81, of Fort Sumner, New Mexico, found the mouse in his home and wanted to get rid of it. "I had some leaves burning outside, so I threw it in the fire, and the mouse was on fire and ran back at the house," he was quoted as saying by AP. Though no-one was injured, the house and everything in it was destroyed. "I've seen numerous house fires, but nothing as unique as this one," Fire Department Captain Jim Lyssy said. New Mexico has seen several major blazes after unseasonably dry and windy conditions which have destroyed 10 homes and devastated more than 53,000 acres (21,200 hectares) of land. Hey I didn't make this one up, it did happen, and I got it here (Many thanks to optymyst who told me about this story while chatting online last night). That mouse sure got its revenge didn't it? Well, like the saying goes...What goes around, WILL come around to bite you in the ass. Or in this case...burn down the guy's house. This story kinda reminded me of ron allan's recent post ( building a better mousetrap) about a mouse, an oven toaster, and a sandwich.

A Shining hope.....

2006-01-09T08:05:00.000+08:00

I came across this post while reading the newspapers last weekend. And since it's a Monday, I thought it'll be a good idea to start the working week with a piece of good news.....

Poor girl finds, returns P300,000 that biker lost

First posted 04:35am (Mla time) Jan 06, 2006 By DJ Yap Inquirer Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the Jan. 6, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer THE QUESTION arises: Would others have done the same? Cristina Bugayong, 12, lives in a cramped house with her parents and seven siblings. The sixth-grader goes to a public school with only P10 in her pocket, and helps sell cafeteria food in her free time. Her mother Luzviminda is the breadwinner of the household, but is barely able to make ends meet. When Cristina picked up "at least P300,000" on Wednesday night, she could very well have changed her life as she knew it. But the idea of making off with the money just did not occur to her. "Hindi naman sa akin 'yun, e (But it's not mine)," she said shyly during an interview near the makeshift family home in Quezon City. Against the advice of neighbors, Cristina decided that the money would be returned to its owner, who, as of yesterday, was still unknown. GMA 7 reported later last night that Cristina had turned over the money to the rightful owner, a messenger. Motorcyclist Cristina said she picked up two wads of P1,000 and P500 bills tied together with rubber bands, as well as a handful of checks, at about 7:20 p.m. the other day along T. Gener Street in Barangay Kamuning. She was chatting with a friend when she saw the money fall out of a man's bag as he was speeding past on a motorcycle, she said. Family members had been keeping mum on the exact amount in order to keep false claimants at bay. (According to other reports, the stash is worth P420,000.) Cristina said the man wore a helmet. Family members said they could identify him by asking for details about the cash and checks issued by various banks. Three persons had approached the family, each claiming the money. But the family wanted to be very sure about the windfall, which was in the safekeeping of Jie and Bong Mateo, Cristina's aunt and uncle. No way Neighbors had urged Cristina to split the loot with them, but she was firm: The cash and checks should be returned to the man. She said it would be a pity if the man were fired because of the lost money. It was not the first time that the girl returned something of value that she had found. Last year, she returned about P5,000 to a newspaper vendor; in 2004, she also gave back about P1,000 to a tricycle passenger. Ironically, Cristina was once accused of filching a few pesos from the sale of snacks at the school cafeteria even though the charge was largely unsubstantiated, Luzviminda Bugayong said. The mother said she was very proud of her daughter's honesty. But she confided that the first thing she did on seeing the money was to touch the bills -- just to know how such a big amount "felt like." By Luzviminda's own estimation, the money can help the family start a sari-sari store. But this believer in karma said there was no way they could have kept the money: "Di natin alam kung ano ang magiging kapalit (We don't know what the cost will be)." Rough times A neighbor, Marie Mateo, said the Bugayongs were going through rough times, sometimes skipping meals because they had no money. Relatives often had to help out by giving them food, she said. The father, Cesar, is out of work. Luzviminda helps out at a canteen that prepares meals for a few offices, and takes in wash on the side. She makes about P2,000 a month at the canteen, and P250 a week for the laundry jobs. Cristina is the sixth child in a brood of eight, with ages ranging from 22 to 5. Only Cristina and 10-year-old Nerissa are in school because there is not enough money for the rest, Luzviminda said. The mother said Cristina did not excel in academics, but that she made up for it by always going to school and studying her lessons. "Matiyagang matuto (Diligent in learning)" was how Cristina's adviser, Joynalyn Isip, described her to reporters. When the subject of a reward finally came up, the girl could only say: "Nasa kanya na 'yun (That's up to the man)." Reward from mayor Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said he had sent Councilor Ariel Inton Jr. to determine the needs of Cristina and her family. "It's just right to reward that kind of behavior," the mayor said. He added that the city government would give Cristina a plaque of recognition, and that a scholarship program for her was being considered. Councilor Edcel Lagman Jr. said he had drafted a city resolution commending Cristina for her honesty. This piece came out the next day.......

Honest girl reaps rewards

First posted 02:29am (Mla time) Jan 07, 2006 By DJ Yap, Alcuin Papa Inquirer Editor's Note: Published on Page A15 of the January 7, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer FOR her honesty, 12-year-old Cristina Bugayong, a poor girl who returned P300,000 that a messenger lost, is reaping blessings far and wide. The sixth-grader from Tomas Morato Elementary School will receive a computer set from Techpoint Computer Corp., owner of the cash and checks the girl found Wednesday night. STI College also awarded Bugayong a two-year college scholarship. The Quezon City government, through Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr., is giving her a plaque of recognition and offering educational assistance. The National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) is also setting up a special fund to help the girl and her family. Quezon City councilor Ariel Inton, majority floor leader, also gave her P5,000. Bugayong found the cash and checks amounting to P300,000 dropped by messenger Lito Mora on T. Gener Street on Barangay Kamuning as he drove past the girl on his motorcycle. Mora, who also works as a technician at Techpoint, was supposed to deposit the money the next day. The cash amounted to about P140,000, while the checks were worth P160,000, he said. Restituto Bundoc, public affairs chief of STI College, said Bugayong deserved the scholarship for providing a good example to children her age. He added the school was also offering Cristina a high school scholarship if its Quezon Avenue campus gets a permit from the education department. NUBE's finance officer Vivian Fajardo added that their president, Jose Umali, Jr., was so touched by Bugayong's story that he felt they should help her family. Meanwhile, the Department of Education (DepEd) said it wanted to make Bugayong a model for other students and adults. Fe Hidalgo said the DepEd was giving Bugayong a plague of recognition and also a year's worth of school supplies. Trust those greedy neighbors and opportunistic individuals to be giving a bad example to this honest girl. But still, her conscience prevailed and she did the right thing. Good for her. I guess there is still hope for our future after all....

2 comments.....

2006-01-07T10:15:00.000+08:00

I was going over some of my earlier blogs, particularly the ones that I posted last November the other night, when I came upon my "Trigger Happy Cops" post. In it, I noticed that there were 2 comments which unfortunately, I never got to read nor reply since they were written a few days after I posted that piece...And I seldom do a review on older posts. Anyways, one of the commenter identified himself as the uncle of one of the slain suspected "carnappers", and the other, a former classmate. Actually, I'm not really sure whether they both were referring to the same victim. But here are their comments: Anonymous said... i could not agree with all of you more. one of the suspects was my nephew. his father is my cousin who is now in manila. even if he was suspected of a crime, he deserved the right to be arrested and taken to jail, not shot down like a defenseless animal. they will pay for this! November 15, 2005 3:21 PM Justice for Francis Xavier Manzano said... I would like to encourage you to visit my blog at http://clearfx.blogspot.com to help uncover the truth about the police corruption and their efforts to taint the reputations of their victims as a means of their cover-up. Francis Xavier Manzano was my classmate. He was a very good-hearted gentleman who cannot hurt a fly. He was murdered by these Ortigas cops wrongfully and is now being accused wrongfully. Please, we cannot let this happen to any of us or to anyone again. The police think they can bully us. Let the Internet speak the truth! November 19, 2005 12:57 PM Indeed, it's been 2 months since the supposed shootout happened and there is still no word from either the police or the commision on human rights about the results of the investigation. As far as I know, the 10 cops never even bothered to show up for questioning by the CHR (Smug aren't they?). Geez, and they even assured the public there won't be any whitewash. Crap! This is more like hogwash to me.....

Beam Me Up !!!

2006-01-06T08:40:00.000+08:00

I recieved this certificate in my email last night....Well it's official: I'm now a Space Cadet (read: WACKO!) Ah well, my mind is always up there somewhere in space anyway.....

I wonder if ET is ever gonna write a comment on my blog. Now THAT would be cool.

Only in da Philippines.....

2006-01-05T08:52:00.000+08:00

I read about this incident in Jim Paredes' blog the other day (I haven't read any newspaper since 1st January) and I immediately went online to read the rest of the story. Here's part of that news report.....

Ninoy murder convict knifed dead in New Bilibid Prisons

First posted 05:45am (Mla time) Jan 02, 2006 By Tarra V. Quismundo Inquirer Editor's Note: Published on Page A1 of the January 2, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer ALL DRESSED UP FOR THE special evening Mass, retired police sergeant Cordova Estelo was psyched up for the countdown to the new year at the maximum security compound inside the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa. For the past 14 years, Estelo's Christmas holidays had been spent at the crowded prison ever since he and and 15 other soldiers were meted out double life sentences in 1990 for the 1983 assassination of opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr. and Aquino's alleged assassin, Rolando Galman. But barely four hours before midnight on Saturday, Estelo would be dead. He died while trying to pacify Manuel Ocenar, a fellow inmate at Building 11 of the maximum security compound, who was on a drunken frenzy, brandishing a KNIFE and a PISTOL. Estelo died from a stab wound is his right side near his chest at about 8:45 p.m. on New Year's Eve, according to the death certificate issued by the NBP Hospital. "He was just trying to stop Ocenar who was too drunk and hadgone wild. But Ocenar was quick, and he stabbed him [Estelo] in his right side, near his chest," said a prison insider who asked not to be identified for security reasons. Estelo was a member of the Aviation Security Command SWAT team that arrested Aquino as he returned from exile on Aug. 21, 1983. The trial established that he and his fellow Avsecom soldiers killed Aquino and Galman, who had been set up as the fall guy. Estelo was also found to have been in the SWAT van that brought Aquino's body to Fort Bonifacio after the killing. Drinking all day The source said Ocenar had been drinking all day, upset that his wife had refused to stay with him inside the prison, only agreeing to meet him at the compound's gate. Inmates had been granted a holiday privilege, allowing their families and loved ones an overnight stay at the prison compound on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Ocenar reportedly threw a tantrum between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. in the passageway between the compound's tennis court and the multi-purpose covered court which was being readied for the New Year's Eve festivities for the inmates. "He was firing his pistol, though no bullets were coming out. The other inmates were afraid of him because he was too strong. When [Estelo] approached him, Ocenar immediately stabbed him," the source said. Ocenar, who is called kalawit (The Hook) for his deadly skill with a knife, killed Estelo with one fatal stroke, said the prison insider. The source added that Ocenar, the dreaded former bosyo, or commander, of the Batang City Jail prison gang, came after the prison guards as they carried the bloodied Estelo to the NBP Hospital. "That's when a prison guard fired at Ocenar to disable him. He sustained a gunshot wound in his left leg," said the source. Ocenar, who is said to have been in and out of prison on murder and arson convictions, was also taken to the hospital. NBP authorities immediately ordered a prison lock-down, canceling the New Year's Eve program and the Jan. 1 overnight privilege for inmates' families. WTF is happening to our penal system? Where in the world can you find an inmate who carries a KNIFE and A GUN inside a prison? Oh and don't forget the DRINKING part! Geez....Alcohol in a maximum security prison? I wonder what the prison warden is doing? If he's even there at all. Only in da Philippines....Gimme a break!

Shameless plug...

2006-01-04T09:00:00.000+08:00

Around 2 weeks ago, while chatting on Yahoo messenger, blogger ron allan and I came up with an idea of a community blog for single bloggers. Crazy huh? Well that's what you get when two bored out of their wits single guys get together online, they come up with crazy ideas such as this. Anyways, he recently posted an announcement about our pet project, "The Bored Single Bloggers' Club" on his blog which I will (with ron's blessings of course) post here as well. Here's ron allan's post..... Snglguy and I have this pet project, a community blog for bored, single people. It's called The Bored Single Bloggers' Club, and we sort of envision it to be a place where single bloggers can hang out, post entries and messages, perhaps get to know each another, have affairs, oops, I was only thinking that out aloud. :-) We only started this out a week or so ago, and we're looking for fellow bloggers who would like to join us in this endeavor. Of course, we have very strict requirements. Only the best can join in. Here are the qualifications we are looking for: 1.Must be male or female. No exceptions; 2.Must be human. No exceptions; 3.Must be able to use a mouse and keyboard. Working knowledge of DOS and WordStar are plusses; 4.Must have some mild form of psychological disorder (like depression, bipolar disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, etc.); 5.Preferably single, or at the very least possess the mentality of being a single person; 6.Lastly, and most importantly, must be bored shitless. That's it. (Did I miss something Guy?) If you think you can hack it, feel free to get in touch with us either by posting a comment to this entry, tagging me at my blog here, tagging Guy on his blog, or tagging us right here at the BSB clubhouse. So that wraps up this entry. Remember, WE WANT YOU. :-D Actually, this shameless plug is long overdue (sorry ron), better late than never right? So here goes; I am extending this invitation to all the single guys and gals out there who are interested in contributing to our little community blog. You can post whatever you like, articles, jokes, poetries, ANYTHING...as long as it deals with the subject of being single. This invitation especially goes to hedonistics anonymous, beer brat, souplad, abaniko and others who are or are not presently in a relationship. By the way, you DON"T necessarily have to be a bored single guy or gal to join, even happy ones are admitted. And if you happen to be married, but has the mentality of a single person, as ron allan puts it. You are most welcome to contribute your two cents worth. We are not that choosy....Hope to see you all there!

Little nuggets of wisdom...The humorous kind

2006-01-03T08:08:00.000+08:00

I got this piece in my e-mail many, many months ago and I thought I'd share it with all of you. I found them amusing and yet, some of it is oh so true....

Little Nuggets of Wisdom...The humorous kind

Health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die. There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works. Indecision is the key to flexibility. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. You should live your life so that when you die, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying. If you lend someone twenty dollars and never see that person again, it was probably worth it. You cannot tell which way the train went by looking at the track. A mouse trap placed on top of your alarm clock will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button. There is absolutely no substitute for a genuine lack of preparation. Never test the depth of the water with both feet. Happiness is merely the remission of pain. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be. No one is listening until you fart. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving. Sometimes too much drink is not enough. The facts, although interesting, are irrelevant. The careful application of terror is also a form of communication. Someone who thinks logically is a nice contrast to the real world. Things are more like they are today than they ever have been before. Anything worth fighting for is worth fighting dirty for. Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler. Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate. I have seen the truth and it makes no sense. Suicide is the most sincere form of self-criticism. All things being equal, fat people use more soap. If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame. One-seventh of your life is spent on Monday. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious. The more you run over a dead cat, the flatter it gets. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on. This is as bad as it can get, but don't bet on it. Never wrestle with a pig: you both get all dirty, and the pig likes it. Any and all compliments can be handled by simply saying "Thank you," though it helps if you say it with a Southern accent.. No books will be as good as the ones you loved as a child. Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables: get someone else to hold them while you chop away. Never give yourself a haircut after 3 martinis, or 3 margaritas, or 3 shots of Tequila. When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste. Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, your body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "Woo hoo! What a ride!" The trouble with life is, you're halfway through it before you realize it's a "do it yourself" thing. Always put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person too. The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had. It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it. It's true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives. It takes only a day to love someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget someone. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything that comes along their way. Something for us to think about as we face the challenges of the new year. Have a nice day everyone!

First post for 2006.....

2006-01-02T08:30:00.000+08:00

Dateline: January 1, 2006 A new year, a new look....For my blog that is. Yep, not only did I change my blogs' template but also the title. "Inside The Mind of a Single Guy"....I like it, sounds better than the last one. But really, I got just tired of the last title the same way I did the template. Oh, and I also changed the fonts, cool huh? Expect some more changes in the coming months....If and when I feel like it. Today my mom and I went to my aunt's (Mom's sis) place for our traditional new year luncheon party, and I got to meet up with all my cousins and their kids. Been a while since we all got together and talk about...well, pretty much about everything, business, work, life, and kids. Kids? Oh Crap! At 44, I'm the oldest among the cousins and I have yet to have a kid of my own. I felt kinda out of place there. Ah well, the food was good though, especially the whole roasted pig.....Succulent. And the skin was ohhh sooo good, very crispy and greasy....Mmmm *doing a Homer Simpson drool*. To hell with cholesterol, I want more. Now THAT's what I call "pigging" out.... Meeting up with them cousins made me realize that I am actually a lot closer to relatives from my mother's side rather than my dad's. I just love em to bits, although they may think I'm at times, odd. As for my dad's side of the family, well, I just couldn't stand all the bulls**t that we get from all his relatives where financial and social status holds more weight than blood...need I say more? But that's just me. Anyways, the gathering ended with us planning another summer road trip this April, back to my mom's hometown south of the metropolis for a week long R&R. That's like, an 8 to 10 hours drive, depending on how hard you step on the accelerator. It's sort of an annual thing in our family, the highlight of which is a 3 day 2 night stay at a beach far far from the capital. Heh, can't wait to see how this year's trip will turn out. But that's for another post in the future. Well I guess this first day of 2006 went by pretty well. Uneventful even. Had some good talk with my 'paisans' and even got my tummy stuffed with goodies and all (Too bad there wasn't any beer). So now, I am ending the first of January with this post. Till next time.....

Yearend Blog....

2005-12-31T08:31:00.000+08:00

Great! 2005 is almost over and man, what a year it was. In retrospect, this hasn't been a great year for me personally.... and financially as well. No it wasn't really a roller coaster ride as I mentioned in one of my post. It's more like, jumping out of an airplane and finding out that your parachute doesn't work, yep that's a more apt description of my life this year. Pretty disappointing really.... My Dad passing away 10 days after the Lunar New Year wasn't exactly a good way to start the year of the monkey, add that with a LOT of hits and misses (more misses than hits actually) at work and almost losing my biggest account in the process, and you have a recipe for the worst year ever. Geez, I don't know how I ever survived this year with my sanity still intact (It's still in question). But I DID......well, sort of. And I won't even touch on the subject about my lovelife since it's practically non-existent. Heh. The one positive thing that happened this year was that I started blogging, after months of staying on the sidelines reading other peoples' blogs (more like lurking) and remaning anonymous. Heck, I wouldn't even dare write any comment on anyones' blog before. But, never did I realize that once I start, I would be blogging like mad, writing one post after another though I can still hardly qualify as a writer. Now it's become part of my daily life, and the best part is, I met (online anyway) some GREAT people through my blog. Not to mention learning a thing or two about HTML. I guess you could say that blogging made this year more tolerable inspite of all my woes..... Sooo, what's my plan for 2006? Well, no plans actually but I do have work my butt off. I really need to make up for the opportunities I lost this year, and whether the year of the dog will be better for me still remains to be seen. As for blogging...well, I can only hope that I will continue doing so with as much enthusiasm as I had when I started last August, and maybe write a much better and more interesting post.....Hell I'm sure there are A LOT more things to rant about next year. "May you live in interesting times" as the old Chinese saying goes. Indeed, this coming year could be just that....Interesting. But we'll see.... And before I end this last post for the year 2005, let me take this opportunity to THANK ALL (am too lazy to type everyones nick, but you know who you are) of you wonderful people who have been so much a part of this little blog. And for making this blog a part of yours as well....... HAPPY NEW YEAR to each and everyone of you!!! May the next year be a prosperous and productive one for ALL of us.

Subliminal Adverts......

2005-12-30T09:18:00.000+08:00

You say you hate those TV commercials? (Especially when they pop out in the middle of an interesting show) Well, you're not alone, we all do. When the commerials start, we either flip channels or do something else, barely paying attention to the sales pitch going on in the screen. And the broadcasters, sponsors, and advertisers know that....AND THEY DON"T LIKE IT. But this time, they are fighting back.... High-tech TVs putting ads on defensive Program sponsors grope to ensure commercials aren't skipped over By SHIN HARA Kyodo News Nippon Television Network Corp. has been skillfully inserting commercials into the late-night drama "Wonder Tours" that began broadcasting in September. When a woman who plays a radio celebrity in the drama moves a switch, a red "CM" appears on the right side of the screen, and the program shifts to a driving scene in which two performers talk about their vehicles. The effort by NTV is a challenge to conventional commercials, which are increasingly failing to keep the attention of TV viewers. "Rather than halting programs to run conventional commercials, I thought the new CM would be interesting," said Kundo Koyama, a broadcasting writer who planned the program. Broadcasting and advertising officials are paying attention; they want to see if this will keep viewers from skipping commercials. Kazuya Toda, a producer at NTV, said that behind their attempt to run ads simultaneously with programs is the traditional drop in audience during commercials. "The per-minute audience rating usually drops several points," Toda said, but no such drop has been seen in the new approach. Chikao Minami, chief of advertising at Nissan Motor Co., which is sponsoring "Wonder Tours," said: "The new ad is remembered even though it is not shown so often. It has been quite effective." More than half of the people who use digital video recorders skip at least 80 percent of ads when watching programs they have recorded, according to a Nomura Research Institute Ltd. report released in May. The report caused a stir because the popularization of DVRs could adversely affect the business model of commercial broadcasters, which don't charge viewers to watch programs and instead make money through ad revenues. Dentsu Inc., Japan's largest advertising company, on the other hand, announced the results of a survey in Britain showing that even in households with DVRs, real-time viewing and listening hours are increasing without commercial skipping. Yet in Japan, data suggest that compared with households without DVRs, those having them spend fewer hours on real-time viewing. Sensing a crisis, all members of the National Association of Commercial Broadcasters in Japan began to broadcast "CM of CM" by popular entertainer Aya Matsuura in August, informing audiences about profitable goods and the latest fashions, and proclaiming the importance of ads as a form of entertainment. Companies are continuing ways to ensure their commercials are not ignored. In a tieup with Asahi National Broadcasting Co., Shiseido Co., a major cosmetics firm, last summer started airing 54 kinds of ads in which young entertainers like the Ungirls use Uno -- a cosmetic brand for men -- to transform themselves. Immediately after that, their cosmetics sales jumped three times higher than predicted. Takahiro Hayashi, chief of advertising and strategy at Shiseido, said, "CMs can be viewed naturally if we don't repeatedly use product names and instead make the ads interesting." But many problems remain. Integrating ads into programs, including by using them as small props in dramas, may invite criticism that such an approach is unscrupulous if too excessive. Other new kinds of commercials meanwhile cost too much to replace existing ads. Even amid broadcasters' competition with the Internet and the rising use of multichannel TVs, terrestrial broadcasting's relative superiority will be unshaken for a while. "We can gather an overwhelming number of customers at one time," said Takahisa Ishii, a director at the sales planning and development department of Fuji Television Network Inc. But Hikaru Kobayashi, managing director of the Japan Advertisers Association, expressed concern about the worsening ad environment. "Commercials will be buried amid a flood of information," he said. Dentsu estimated TV advertising expenses have leveled off over the past few years. In 2004, such expenses totaled 2.044 trillion yen, accounting for 35 percent of total ad outlays. The Japan Times: Dec. 27, 2005 (C) All rights reserved If this proves succesful, we will be seeing more and more adverts being inserted seamlessly in our favorite programs. Some of which may look innocent enough and you hardly notice it, but our subconcious picks it up (That's the idea behind this).......Sounds like subliminal advertisement doesn't it? Let's hope the politicians here don't get wind of this in the next elections. Otherwise......Well, that's a dreadful thought. I just hope they won't use this to mess with our minds the way they messed up our lives. Geez, what are these advertising people gonna think of next? PS: I noticed that the cable companies are now inserting more and more commercials on some programs. Crap! And you thought that paying a premium for cable service frees you from those pesky adverts........

Peeves......

2005-12-29T08:40:00.000+08:00

I'm really pissed at PLDT, the telco that's providing my dsl service. For the past week my download speed had been fluctuating, from the usual 452 kbps down to 131kbps at times. The speed varies each time I log in and this has been happening very often, crap! The only good thing is, I don't get those annoying disconnections I used get when I'm idling *knocks wood*....... Actually, I am still peeved with the 452 kbps average because I should have been getting like 512 kbps as promised by PLDT, since they upgraded all the P1,995 subscribers. But hell....I have yet to see my modem register that speed. Some bloggers are complaining about the same thing with this telco's dsl service. What the f**k is wrong with this company? Competitors like Bayantel, Globe, and recently, Smart with its WiFi broadband are offering its dsl services at competitive rates. With all that competition, you would think that PLDT would be up on their toes by this time to make sure its subscribers are happy. But NOOO, they still provide the same crappy excuse of a service. How they still manage to become a top corporation here is beyond me.... And speaking of pet peeves, I was watching Channel News Asia last night and among the news item was Readers Digest Asia's recent poll on the top pet peeves among East Asians. It conducted the survey in 9 Asian countries and not surprisingly, high on the list that annoys most Asians are: Bad Drivers which was tops, Second is Spitting in Public, and third is Jumping Queue. It's not really surprising, since we witness ALL THAT everyday in our streets and public places. Bad drivers? Heck, we have PLENTY of them here, the worst ones being the public transport drivers. Their utter disregard for traffic rules, passenger safety, and blatant hogging of public roads will I'm sure, earn them first place in a worst of the worse contest...If there is such contest. As for queue jumpers...Well, anyone who had ever stood in line for anything have at one time or another, encountered these a**holes who seem oblivious to the dirty looks and dagger stares of the people at the back ( I did a post about this last September 6) To be fair, those aren't exclusive traits found in this country alone. Other South East Asian countries have their own fill of bad drivers, queue jumpers and chronic spitters. Heh, even a rigid society such as Singapore is not spared from these annoyances, especially spitting in public. At least they try to remedy that by penalizing the offenders with fines. But then, people there get fined for less...Like chewing a gum in public. By the way, the worst spit are the ones with phlegm, uwerrk. Curiously, South Koreans are more peeved at those commercials that keep popping up in the middle of their favorite tv soap operas than anything else. And in China, aside from spitting everywhere ( I can attest to this), one of their pet peeve is.....Smelly feet. *sniff, sniff* Whew!

Midweek Humor....

2005-12-28T08:15:00.000+08:00

Ever wonder what makes us guys different from women? Well, a LOT it seems. And the differences can be quite funny.....

Men vs. Women

Handwriting: Men: To their credit, men do not decorate their penmanship. They just chicken-scratch. Women: Women use scented, colored stationery and they dot the "i" with circles or hearts. Women use ridiculously large loops in the "p" and "g". It is a pain to read a note from a woman. Even when she's dumping you, she will put a smiley face at the end of the note. Groceries: Women: A woman makes a list of things she needs, then goes out to the store and buys those things. Men: A man waits till the only items left in his fridge are half a lime and a beer. Then he goes grocery shopping. He buys everything that looks good. By the time a man reaches the checkout counter, his cart is packed tighter than the Clampett's car on Beverly Hillbillies. Of course, this will not stop him from going to the express lane. Relationships: Women: When a relationship ends, a woman will cry and pour her heart out to her girlfriends, and she will write a poem titled "All Men Are Idiots". Then she will get on with her life. Men: A man has a little more trouble letting go. Six months after the break-up, at 3:00 a.m. on a Saturday night, he will call and say, "I just wanted to let you know you ruined my life, and I'll never forgive you, and I hate you, and you're a total floozy. But I want you to know that there's always a chance for us." This is known as the "I Hate You / I Love You" drunken phone call, that 99% of all men have made at least once. There are community colleges that offer courses to help men get over this need. Sex: Women: They prefer 30-40 minutes of foreplay. Men: They prefer 30-40 seconds of foreplay. Men consider driving back to her place part of the foreplay. Maturity: Women: They mature much faster than men. Most 17-year old females can function as adults. Men: Most 17-year old males are still trading baseball cards and giving each other wedgies after gym class. This is why high school romances rarely work out. Magazines: Men: Men's magazines often feature pictures of naked women. Men are turned on at the sight of a naked woman's body. Women: Women's magazines also feature pictures of naked women. This is because the female body is a beautiful work of art, while the male body is lumpy and hairy and should not be seen by the light of day. Most naked men elicit laughter from women. Bathrooms: Men: A man has six items in his bathroom -- a toothbrush, shaving cream, razor, a bar of Dial soap, and a towel from the Holiday Inn. Women: The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 437. A man cannot identify most of these items. Shoes: Women: When preparing for work, a woman will put on a wool suit, then slip on Reebok sneakers. She will carry her dress shoes in a plastic bag from Saks. When a woman gets to work, she will put on her dress shoes. Five minutes later, she will kick them off because her feet are under the desk. Men: A man will wear the same pair of shoes all day. Let's not talk about how many days he'll wear the same socks. Cats: Women: Women love cats. Men: Men say they love cats, but when women aren't looking, men kick cats. Children: Women: A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and soccer games and romances and best friends and favorite foods and secret fears and hopes and dreams. Men: A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house. Dressing Up: Women: A woman will dress up to: go shopping, water the plants, empty the garbage, answer the phone, read a book, get the mail. Men: A man will dress up for: weddings, funerals. Laundry: Women: Women do laundry every couple of days. Men: A man will wear every article of clothing he owns, including his surgical pants (the ones that were hip about eight years ago) before he will do his laundry. When he is finally out of clothes, he will wear a dirty sweatshirt inside out, rent a U-Haul and take his mountain of clothes to the Laundromat. Men always expect to meet beautiful women at the Laundromat. This is a myth perpetuated by reruns of old episodes of "Love American Style." Eating Out: Men: When the check comes, each man will each throw in $20 bills, even though it's only for $22.50. None of them will have anything smaller, and none will actually admit they want change back. Women: When the girls get their check, out come the pocket calculators. Mirrors: Men: Men are vain and will check themselves out in a mirror. Women: They are ridiculous; they will check out their reflections in any shiny surface: mirrors, spoons, store windows, bald guys' heads. Menopause: Women: When a woman reaches menopause, she goes through a variety of complicated emotional, psychological, and biological changes. The nature and degree of these changes varies with the individual. Men: Menopause in a man provokes a uniform reaction - he buys aviator glasses, a snazzy French cap and leather driving gloves, and goes shopping for a Porsche. The Phone: Men: Men see the telephone as a communication tool. They use the telephone to send short messages to other people. Women: A woman can visit her girlfriend for two weeks, and upon returning home, she will call the same friend and they will talk for three hours. Richard Gere: Women: Women like Richard Gere because he is sexy in a dangerous way. Men: Men hate Richard Gere because he reminds them of that slick guy who works at the health club and dates only married women. Madonna: Same as above, but reversed. Same reason. Toys: Women: Little girls love to play with toys. Then when they reach the age of 11 or 12, they lose interest. Men: Men never grow out of their toy obsession. As they get older, their toys simply become more expensive, silly and impractical. Examples of men's toys: little miniature TVs. Car phones. Complicated juicers and blenders. Graphic equalizers. Small robots that serve cocktails on command. Video games. Anything that blinks, beeps, and requires at least 6 "D" batteries to operate. Cameras: Men: Men take photography very seriously. They'll shell out $4000 for state of the art equipment, and build dark rooms and take photography classes. Women: Women purchase Kodak Instamatics. Of course, women always end up taking better pictures. Locker Rooms: Men: In the locker room men talk about three things: money, football, and women. They exaggerate about money, they don't know football nearly as well as they think they do, and they fabricate stories about women. Women: They talk about one thing in the locker room - sex. And not in abstract terms, either. They are extremely graphic and technical, and they never lie. Movies: Women: Every actress in the history of movies has had to do a nude scene. This is because every movie in the history of movies has been produced by a man. Men: The only actor who has ever appeared nude in the movies is Richard Gere. This is another reason why men hate him. Jewelry: Women: Women look nice when they wear jewelry. Men: A man can get away with wearing one ring and that's it. Any more than that and he will look like a lounge singer named Vic. Conversation: Men: Men need a good disagreement to get talking. For instance, "Wow, great movie." or "What are you, nuts? No REAL cop would have an Uzi that size." Women: Women, not having this problem, try to initiate conversations with men by saying something agreeable: "That garden by the roadside looks lovely." "Mm hmm." Pause. "That was a good restaurant last night, wasn't it?" "Yeah." Pause. And so on. Leg Warmers: Women: Leg warmers are sexy. A woman, even if she's walking the dog or doing the dishes, is allowed to wear leg warmers. She can wear them any time she wants. Men: A man can only wear leg warmers if he is auditioning for the "Gimme the Ball" number in "A Chorus Line." Friends: Women: Women on a girls' night out talk the whole time. Men: Men on a boy's night out say about twenty words all night, most of which are "Pass the Doritos" or "got any more beer?" Restrooms: Women: Women use restrooms as social lounges. Women who've never met will leave a restroom giggling together like old friends. Women also go to the restroom in packs, at least two women at a time excuse themselves to use the restroom. Men: Men use restrooms for purely biological reasons. Men in a restrooms will never speak a word to each other. And never in the history of the world has a man excused himself from a restaurant table by saying, "Hey, Tom, I was just about to take a leak. Do you want to join me?" (Source: http://funny.com) So it is true, men ARE from Mars and women ARE from Venus......

A New Template.....Again

2005-12-27T08:10:00.000+08:00

I just had to do this. Stayed at home yesterday with nothing to do (T'was a holiday) so I decided try out another template for my blog. I know I just recently changed my template, but honestly, I wasn't really satisfied with it. Have been wanting to use a template with a nice pic in the background for a long time and I did try out a few but some were just too...umm, colorful for my taste. So I ended up with this one that I found recently. There is one problem though, it works well on Mozilla Firefox but when I tried it on IE, the contents on the sidebar were moved way way down to the bottom of the page...Dang! And I really like this template. IE users can view the contents of the sidebar (Tagboard, links, and others) if they scroll down, I mean way down, or they can switch to Firefox for easy viewing. Please tell me if any of you have the same problem when viewing with IE and I'll see what I can do. Or maybe I have to look for another template that agrees with IE, giving me another excuse to change my template again. Guess my dear friend Jenna was right, I have WAY too much time on my hand..... Well today is the first day of work after the Christmas holiday for most of people, including yours truly. But I doubt if I will be able to do any kind of work this last week of 2005, as I am still feeling kinda lazy. Besides, this year wasn't really THAT good for me anyway, so what's the point in working my butt off? I'm just glad this year is about to be over, it HAS been one hell of a roller coaster ride for me. More downs than ups actually, but that's for another post.....

The Day After Christmas......

2005-12-26T08:25:00.000+08:00

So I spent the whole Christmas day at home enjoying the peace and serenity of my bedroom when the silence was shattered by the high pitched shrieks and screamings of my young nieces who along with their parents (My kid brother and younger sister), dropped by to spend Christmas day with my Mom and I. Our hyperactive pooch arabella, got even more excited with the sudden appearance of visitors (We don't get that many, and I like it that way) in the house and she couldn't stop scurrying around while barking her tail off. Awww Man! And I was looking forward to a nice quiet afternoon. Funny isn't it? That as we get older, the holiday season doesn't bring in that much excitement in our lives as it did when we were younger. Or maybe its just me......... At least we still get to call it Christmas in this part of the world, unlike in the US of A. These days, you can't say or announce Merry Christmas in public without recieving flak from non christians, liberals and other organizations for being politically incorrect (The proper greeting should be Happy Holidays, I think). You can't even call a Christmas tree for what it is, so as not to offend people of other religious affiliations. It's now called, a "Holiday tree" for God's sake. Here are some examples of the silliness the politically-correct movement has wrought (Source: ACLJ/American Center for Law and justice) : • In Denver, the city’s parade of lights took place without a religious-themed float that was prohibited from taking part. Members of the Christian community used the public sidewalks to sing religious carols and talk about their faith – while the parade went by on the street. • In Mapplewood, New Jersey, school officials banned the use of traditional Christmas carols. The high school’s brass ensemble was also prohibited from playing instrumental renditions of the songs – without the vocals – because as one school official put it, “if you’re familiar with the tune, you know the words.” No religious songs – only nonsectarian numbers like “Frosty the Snowman” and “Walking in a Winter Wonderland.” • In one community in Massachusetts, the Mayor sent out an apology to the community saying he was wrong to identify the city’s holiday party as a “Christmas” party. He issued an apology to anyone who might be offended by the remark. • School districts in southwest Florida are trying to walk the politically correct line this Christmas season. Some schools are banning Christmas trees all together. Others are permitting the placement of trees in schools. WTF??? Why are some people so ANAL about political correctness during Christmas anyway? Geez! And since we are on the topic of PC'ness, sit back and enjoy reading this PC Christmas poem (Source: www.humormatters.com) :

Christmas A Politically Correct Christmas Poem Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck... How to live in a world that's politically correct? His workers no longer would answer to "Elves", "Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves. And labor conditions at the North Pole, were alleged by the union, to stifle the soul. Four reindeer had vanished without much propriety, released to the wilds, by the Humane Society. And equal employment had made it quite clear, that Santa had better not use just reindeer. So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid, were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid! The runners had been removed from his beautiful sleigh, because the ruts were deemed dangerous by the EPA, And millions of people were calling the Cops, when they heard sled noises upon their roof tops. Second-hand smoke from his pipe, had his workers quite frightened, and his fur trimmed red suit was called "unenlightened". To show you the strangeness of today's ebbs and flows, Rudolf was suing over unauthorized use of his nose. He went to Geraldo, in front of the Nation, demanding millions in over-due workers compensation. So...half of the reindeer were gone, and his wife who suddenly said she'd had enough of this life, joined a self help group, packed and left in a whiz, demanding from now on that her title was Ms. And as for gifts...why, he'd never had the notion that making a choice could cause such commotion. Nothing of leather, nothing of fur... Which meant nothing for him or nothing for her. Nothing to aim, Nothing to shoot, Nothing that clamored or made lots of noise. Nothing for just girls and nothing for just boys. Nothing that claimed to be gender specific, Nothing that's warlike or non-pacifistic. No candy or sweets...they were bad for the tooth. Nothing that seemed to embellish upon the truth. And fairy tales...while not yet forbidden, were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden, for they raised the hackles of those psychological, who claimed the only good gift was one ecological. No baseball, no football...someone might get hurt, besides - playing sports exposed kids to dirt. Dolls were said to be sexist and should be passe. and Nintendo would rot your entire brain away. So Santa just stood there, disheveled and perplexed, he just couldn't figure out what to do next? He tried to be merry he tried to be gay, but you must have to admit he was having a very bad day. His sack was quite empty, it was flat on the ground, nothing fully acceptable was anywhere to be found. Something special was needed, a gift that he might, give to us all, without angering the left or the right. A gift that would satisfy - with no indecision, each group of people in every religion. Every race, every hue, everyone, everywhere...even you! So here is that gift, it's price beyond worth... "MAY YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES, ENJOY PEACE ON EARTH"

Well today is an anniversary for a lot of people who lost loved ones in the tragedy that happened exactly a year ago. I'm talking here of the Tsunami that struck several parts of South East Asia on December 26, 2004. I can still vividly remember that day, since I practically spent the whole day with my eyes glued to the tv screen watching footages of the disaster and reports of mounting casualties. It's terrible to think how mother nature can be so cruel, unleashing her awesome force on us and wiping out entire villages and towns in a blink of an eye without feeling or remorse. My prayers go out to those who have lost their lives, and to those who have lost their loved ones......

A New Template and a Naughty Joke....

2005-12-24T08:13:00.000+08:00

In case you failed to notice, I changed my blogs' template again. I wasn't really happy with the last one so I decided to do a complete make-over on my blog yesterday. Honestly, I'm not at all satisfied with this one either. There were some cool templates available but they are a bit complicated, and is a PAIN to install. So until I learn more about the HTML thingy, this will have to do......For now. It's Christmas Eve and I'm feeling a little naughty, so I thought I'd post this joke that I read in azlynne1972's blog a few days ago. I keep snitching quizzes and jokes from other bloggers, how pathetic is that? Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this one..........

An Italian Boy's Confession

Bless me Father, for I have sinned. I have been with a loose woman. The priest asked, "Is that you, little Johnny Parisi? Yes, Father it is. And who was the woman you were with? I can't tell you, Father. I don't want to ruin her reputation. Well, Johnny, I'm sure to find out her name sooner or later, so you may as well tell me now. Was it Tina Minetti? I cannot say. Was it Teresa Volpe? I'll never tell. Was it Nina Capeli? I'm sorry but I cannot name her. Was it Cathy Piri? My lips are sealed. Was it Rosa Di Angelo, then? Please, Father, I cannot tell you. The priest sighs in frustration. You're very tight lipped, Johnny Parisi and I admire that. But you've sinned and have to atone. You cannot attend church services for 4 months. Now you go and behave yourself. Johnny walks back to his pew, and his friend Gino slides over and whispers, What'd you get? Four months vacation and five good leads... Now that reminds me to go to confession before Christmas, I might get some good leads from the parish priest..............MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

2005-12-23T09:41:00.000+08:00

This Christmas will be the first my family and I will be spending without my Dad, it's been 10 months since he passed away and now its Christmas again. Geez, how time flies. How would we have known then that it was going to be his last Christmas here on earth.....Well, actually I did have my doubts if he was ever going to see another one, as he was bedridden for a long time and his condition then wasn't at all very good. And I'm sure that the rest of the family felt that way too although we never talked about it, nobody dared.... Anyways, I'm sure that my Dad is in better place now and although he won't be with us physically every Christmas, He will be in our hearts. MERRY CHRISTMAS PAPA......

3 days before Christmas.....

2005-12-22T09:35:00.000+08:00

I HATE it when I have to wade through the mass of people going about their shopping whenever I go out of my house these past few weeks. That's the downside of living right smack in the middle of a commercial area, especially during the holiday season. AND I AM SICK OF IT.....Really. Yesterday, a friend asked me if I've already done my Christmas shopping, I answered in the negative. Truth is, I've never done any holiday shopping in years. It has been a long time since I bought something for anyone, even for myself. Not that I don't like giving away gifts during Christmas (I used to do that), it's just that the past few years have been rather hard for me financially and emotionally. It would be unwise of me to get myself in debt just to make the people around me happy, makes more sense to save the extra cash I have for rainy days. Besides, giving gifts should come from the heart, not out of obligation, right? I just don't have the heart and deep pockets to be extra generous these days.....

Sensibility....

2005-12-21T07:30:00.000+08:00

I was rummaging through my old files in my computer last night when I came across this piece that I saved a few months ago, after reading it here. Actually, I saved this piece so that I can email it to friends when I get the chance (was too lazy to do it then). But somehow it got lost among the files that kept piling up in my folders and I've all but forgotten about it, until last night, when I started clearing out my folders of accumulated trash. Luckily I managed to save it from being deleted as I was deleting files like crazy. Anyways, instead of emailing this I've decided to just post it here for everyone to read. After all, it is something that a lot of us (yours truly included) seem to be in need of these days..........

Common Sense

Today, we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Mr. Common Sense. Mr. Sense had been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such value lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, and that life isn't always fair. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not kids, are in charge). His health began to rapidly deteriorate when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place: reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. Mr. Sense declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student; but, could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. Finally, Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense finally gave up the ghost after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, she spilled a bit in her lap, and was awarded a huge financial settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by two stepbrothers; My Rights and Ima Whiner. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on; if not, join the majority and do nothing. Something for all of us to ponder as we go about our daily lives......

Have A Good Laugh......

2005-12-20T08:00:00.000+08:00

I passed by azlynne1972's blog yesterday and found this piece of gem. I had a very good laugh while reading this. In fact, I liked it so much that I snitched it from her blog to share it with everyone. Of course I asked permission, duh? Although she hasn't replied yet.....But I'm sure she won't mind. Besides, we all need a good hearty laugh in these stressful times.... Wordplay The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are 2005's winners: 1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with. 2. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly. 3. Bozone: The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future. 4. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of a successful hit. 5. Cashtration: The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period. 6. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high. 7. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it. 8. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late. 9. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness. 10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.) 11. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer. 12. Decafalon: The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you. 13. Glibido: All talk and no action. 14. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly. 15. Arachnoleptic fit: The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web. 16. Beelzebug: Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out. 17. Caterpallor: The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating. 18. And the winner: Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and a pain in the butt. Gawd, I really wish I can be as funny and witty as the individuals who came up with those words. Thanks a lot lynne.... Terror on Friendster Ok, now THIS one I stumbled upon while lazily browsing the net last night.....Can you imagine Osama Bin Laden having a friendster account? Well, check this out. Really twisted.....And damn funny! I guess being the top honcho of the terror network and always on the run from the American military can be very lonely at times.

On Separations and Becoming a Parent...

2005-12-19T08:30:00.000+08:00

This coming Friday the 23rd of December, will be an anniversary of sorts....For me anyway. 4 years ago on that day, my ex decided that she's had enough of married life and declared her independence. Actually, she still went to work that day. But after she failed to return home from work that night, I knew that was it. She was going ahead with her plan to dissolve this 6 year union. A few days later, I got a phone call from her saying she's already made her decision and that she'll drop by our place to get her things. Well, she did drop by the next day while I was out at work and cleaned out the closet. People often ask me how I felt about that separation. Well, the truth is...It didn't hurt me one bit. Ok, I may seem like an ogre for not feeling anything but that's the way it is when things have been brewing up for a few years. Third year into our marriage she was already telling me how she hates her life. She was, in all probability, expecting a happy ever after life of wedded bliss without the usual ups and downs that married people go through. So I had expected this to happen, it was just a matter of time. After all, there is nothing to tie her down since we never had any children even after 6 years of trying. It wasn't me ok? I checked out fine, my "tadpoles" are swimming around like crazy. She however, had some, errr... "woman" problem but it's nothing that can't be fixed medically. We did consult some doctors but seeing how our marriage was on the rocks, I just felt that having children would only make things worse (although some may argue about that). Any separated couple can tell you that separations and divorce is hardest particularly on the chidren. So this is one time that I felt lucky not having any. But IF we did have kids, our lives would have been A HELL OF A LOT different for sure. Question is, will I turn out to be a good father? I probably would, or I might end up being the worst, who knows? And what about my ex? Would she have made a good Mom? Well.... Let's see, we did talk and argued A LOT about how to raise kids, and many of our views are as different as say.... An apple is to an orange. Here are some of her views: 1) The baby should be cared for by a professional nanny - This was one of the things that we often argued about. I told her that my Mom (My parents lived with us since I'm also taking care of them) would help us take care of the baby, and who would be better suited than the baby's own Grandmother right? But my ex wouldn't hear any of it. Her reason? That my Mom is too old and will not be patient enough, or have the time to care for the baby.....And where does she (my ex) fit in all this? Well it's like this, she wants to have a baby but not the responsibility of taking care of one, so she'd rather that I pay someone else to do it for her....Go figure. 2) She wants the baby to be given the best of everything money can buy, from toys to clothes (Just like the Mom) - Her idea was that, the kid will be happier if he/she has everything. Geez, I wasn't pampered or was given everything I asked for when I was a kid, but I grew up fine. It never occured to her that she would be training the kid to be materialistic. Well, I figured it was inevitable, seeing how her nephews and nieces were brought up.... 3) Bring up the child in a strictly traditional way - This one I agreed with her, being raised the old fashioned way myself. But I don't see how pampering a kid and showering them with material things, while raising them in a traditional way will help mold them....Kinda defeats the purpose doesn't it? 4) Hire an extra nanny should there be another baby on the way - In her own view, the ratio should be one nanny per kid.....Cute. Just like with the maid, she wasn't satisfied with just one. There has to be two so the maid won't be bored or lonely. Now that's really kind of my ex.... 5) Allow the kid to explore and be themselves - Yeah, like her nephews and nieces. I've seen how they all run around screaming and make a mess of the place while their parents blabber among themselves. I once asked her brother why he lets his kids run around like that, he said:" Boys will be boys so just let them be". Ah well......... 6) Send the kid to summer workshops for the performing arts - This one I fully agreed with her. What better way to teach your kids about the arts and culture than sending them to a summer boot camp for the performing arts. Her niece and nephew were enrolled in one, although they sucked BIG TIME during the final performance. Just shows you how much talent runs in their family..... 7) Send the kid to a VERY expensive private school - This one takes the cake. Sure, why not? IF I WERE A MILLIONAIRE. The school that she WANTED the kids to go to belong to the most expensive list. True, I'm also a product of a private education, but the school I went to was nowhere near THOSE school's tuition rate. I was planning to send them to my Alma Mater, but she wouldn't hear of it, she WANTS them to go to THIS particular school. Her older sister DESPERATELY wanted her kids to go to that school but couldn't get in, although they can very well afford it (Her kids just couldn't make the grade). Crap! Really, they're just after the prestige. These are but few of my ex's ideas on being a "good" mom that I can still remember, there were more, but it's been almost a decade since we talked about these things. So then I guess we'll never find out if her ideas and views are sound now wont we? It may seem like I'm bashing my ex-wife and her family in this post.....Well, ok I AM bashing them, so sue me. But I still respect her and her family though. After all, they have been part of the biggest mistake of my life......

Saturday Brain Fart....

2005-12-17T08:23:00.000+08:00

I was supposed to write something about my ex's ideas and views on becoming a mom for today, bloggers hedonistics and Yvy were VERY interested to know what they were ( Hmm, I wonder why?). But since this IS the weekend, my mind is somewhat in hibernate mode (read: BLANK). I am actually sitting down in front of my PC this morning sipping coffee, and was about to write that particular post. But somehow, those little grey cells in my so-called brain are zonked out and refused to work. I guess the poor little things are tired, especially after a hectic week of non-stop meetings and plannings for next year's forecast that left me in a daze. So I'm setting it aside for Monday's post instead. Right now, I just need to refresh my memory......Downside of getting older I guess. Anyways, last night while surfing, I decided (just for fun) to take this test to find out my personality type. And the result says.........

Test Results Extroversion |||||||||||| 50% Emotional Stability |||||||||| 33% Orderliness |||||||||||||||||| 76% Accommodation |||||||||||| 43% Inquisitiveness |||||||||||||| 60%

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Your personality type is SLOEI

You are moderately social, moody, organized, moderately egocentric, and intellectual, and may prefer a city which matches those traits.

The largest representation of your personality type can be found in the these U.S. cities: Washington DC, Greenville/Spartanburg, Boston Area, Nashville, Indianapolis, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Pittsburgh, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Memphis, W. Palm Beach and these international countries/regions Ukraine, Middle East, Israel, Slovenia, Croatia, Switzerland, Romania, Belgium, Denmark, Hungary, South Africa, Poland, South Korea, Guam, Hong Kong

What Places In The World Match Your Personality? City Reviews at CityCulture.org

The only place I would really like to live in, that's in the list, is Switzerland, but I hear Denmark is good too. Why the hell would I live in Israel anyway and risk getting blasted to bits by terrorists. Hong Kong is too crowded for me and the former Soviet blocs aren't exactly my cup of tea, although their women ARE HOT! Woof!! As for the Middle East..... Are you kidding me??? Heh....

So what else is new?

2005-12-16T08:20:00.000+08:00

Sometimes I wonder if the military folks really ARE doing their jobs. As expected, one of the ringleaders of the failed 2003 mutiny ESCAPED while awaiting trial. Either the guards are complete IDIOTS or they are in on it. I say expected because this has happened far too many times for comfort. With the way detainees are escaping left and right while supposedly under custody by the military, they might as well give them the keys to their freedom.....Just read this and weep. Oakwood mutiny leader escapes First posted 02:50pm (Mla time) Dec 14, 2005 By Joel Francis Guinto INQ7.net, Inquirer, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse (2ND UPDATE) AMID growing rumors of a new coup attempt, one of the leaders of a shortlived mutiny in 2003 escaped Wednesday from a court where he was awaiting a scheduled hearing on the case. Marine Captain Nicanor Faeldon disappeared at the Makati Regional Trial Court in Metropolitan Manila shortly after asking his guard's permission to buy fruit from a vendor in the court premises, a report of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) said. (How stupid can these guards get?) "After about 15 minutes, the escorts could no longer locate him [Faeldon]," the report added. Faeldon himself confirmed his escape to reporters in a brief secret meeting Wednesday. He said a compact disc sent to the media would explain what was going on. Military spokesmen Colonel Tristan Kimson said Faeldon escaped from the parking lot of the court after the hearing, conceding it was a lapse in security. (Duh?) Manhunt Officials ordered a manhunt for Faeldon. Secretary Raul Gonzalez directed the National Bureau of Investigation to find him. “I told OIC NBI Director Nestor Mantaring to coordinate with the police and the military in looking for Captain Nicanor Faeldon,” Gonzalez said. A senior official who asked that he not be identified as he was not authorized to speak with media said: "We are looking for him now. We are going to his known address." Asked if the escape had any links to rumors of a coup plot by disgruntled troops, the intelligence official said: "That is what we are still trying to establish." His security escorts were also placed under investigation, the ISAFP report added. Eddie San Mateo, building administration officer of Makati’s Gusali ng Katarungan (Building of Justice), said Faeldon arrived at the building at around 10:30 a.m. and went up to the fourth floor where the courtroom of Judge Oscar Pimentel was located. The hearing, however, was reset because the judge was not around. Court employees said Faeldon was not among those who signed the attendance sheet that they pass around before the start of the trial. San Mateo said he saw Faeldon arrive at the Gusali ng Katarungan (Hall of Justice) together with the other Oakwood mutineers. He said Faeldon even used the toilet on the ground floor. But he said he sensed something was wrong when the mutineers’ escorts from ISAFP appeared to be looking for someone. When he asked one of them, he was told that they were looking for Faeldon. (Reminds me of those bungling Keystone Cops) Faeldon’s other co-accused left with their escorts around 12:30. It took another hour before the rest of the ISAFP men left the building, after failing to locate him. Core leader Faeldon was one of the core leaders of about 300 troops who in July 2003 occupied the ritzy Oakwood Hotel and a nearby shopping mall in the capital's financial district. They rigged the area with bombs, but surrendered peacefully after about 20 hours. The mutineers in September made a public apology to Arroyo, saying their actions were triggered by their "honest, though naive, desire for change." Arroyo accepted their apology, suggesting they would be shown leniency. However, the ringleaders still face a court martial for conduct unbecoming as well as a civilian court on separate charges of mounting a coup attempt. Thirty-one junior officers and enlisted men, including Faeldon, have been charged with staging a coup d'etat before the Makati regional trial court. Twenty-nine of the 31 are also being tried by a military court for violation of Article of War 96 or of conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman. Coup conspiracy The government said the failed mutiny was part of a larger coup conspiracy, but the officers said they were only demanding the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and other officials over alleged corruption. Faeldon escaped as the military and police are supposed to be on the highest state of alert. In a CD he distributed to reporters, Faeldon said the political crisis over allegations that Arroyo cheated to win the May 2004 elections showed the situation had not changed since his failed mutiny in 2003. "Events have proven me right. She [Arroyo] is corrupt and ruthless and will do everything to stay in power," he said in the CD, apparently indicating his escape was planned well in advance. Faledon's lawyer, Roel Pulido, said he was "kept in the dark" about the escape. "I think it's a wrong move," Pulido said in a telephone interview. (Duh?) Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio Bunye said earlier "these [coup] rumors can be dismissed outright." One foreign security analyst said it was unlikely there would be any move to oust Arroyo in the coming days especially since South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun had just arrived in the Philippines for a three-day visit. Plea bargain In May this year, 184 soldier soldiers who took part in the botched mutiny were released after they struck a plea bargain with military prosecutors. Faeldon’s escape comes on the anniversary of the sudden death of opposition presidential candidate and local film star, Fernando Poe, from a massive stroke. Opposition groups claim he was cheated out of victory by Arroyo. Coup rumors Arroyo has been haunted in recent months by calls for her to step down, and coup rumors that have swirled since June rose to a new crescendo in the days before her departure Sunday for a regional summit in Kuala Lumpur. A former defense secretary, Fortunato Abat, is holed up in a suburban country club after proclaiming a revolutionary transition government with himself as president. He told local television he was still waiting for people to support him. (People? What people?) Arroyo survived an impeachment attempt in September when her majority allies in the House of Representatives junked three impeachment bids on a technicality. The 117,000-strong military has a history of unrest and played key roles in the ouster of dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and jailed former president Joseph Estrada in January 2001. *With reports from Tarra V. Quismundo, Inquirer and Tetch Torres, INQ7.net* WTF is happening to this country? The metropolis is again rife with rumours of another coup and this "escape" could be a part of that plan ( it's just a theory). And therein lies the problem, our military has become TOO political, no thanks to the late prez. Marcos. Just count how many retired generals and colonels are being appointed in the different branches of the government, like there aren't enough career officials in the rank and file to choose from. I guess in this country, old soldiers never die.....They become government officials. What's worse is that some arrogant junior officers seem to suffer from some form of messianic complex, thinking that they have the answer to every problem that's plaguing this country. Don't like or agree with this administration? No problem, just mount a coup and replace it with a junta and screw the rest. It seems that the barracks aren't big enough to hold the egos of these would-be saviours. And what's more, they have allowed themselves to be used by politicians who aren't really THAT clean to begin with. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against the military as a whole. They DO perform a vital function in our society in times of war and peace. That is what WE taxpayers are paying them to do. We already have enough clowns in the government to ruin our daily lives without THEM meddling....

Casanova I Am NOT.....

2005-12-15T08:05:00.000+08:00

*Warning - For mature bloggers only* I saw and snitched this quiz from hedonistics anonymous yesterday, and like a horny dawg (Just KIDDING) that I am, I decided to take this quiz too. You know, just for kicks....But hey, if you think you're a prude, don't take the test.....

You have a sexual IQ of 138 When it comes to sex, you are a super genius. You have had a lot of experience, and sex interests you so you know a lot about it. You pride yourself on being a source of information and guidance to all of your friends. Take this quiz at QuizUniverse.com

Looks good? Nah! Hedonistics got a higher score on carnal knowledge than I did. And no, I don't give out informations and advice. I am just about as knowlegeable as the next guy. My ex would probably rate me next to zero....... And since we are on the topic of sex, ever wonder what exactly is a G spot? I've heard about it before but I never did really bother to find out....Until last night. Guys, you might wanna read this just in case you need to please the Ladeeezzz...... Again....This IS for mature bloggers only. # WHAT IS THE G-SPOT? The Grafenberg spot is an area on the anterior or front wall of the vagina, between the opening and the cervix, which is often found to be extremely sensitive to stimulation. It is hypothesized that the G-spot is either 1) a bundle of nerves coming from the clitoris, or 2) a gland or series of glands that produces lubrication. It is thought to be perhaps analagous to the prostate gland in men. # WHAT IS FEMALE EJACULATION? Female ejaculation is the expelling of fluid from or around the urethra. This fluid is not urine, and is often accompanied by a powerful orgasm. Stimulation of the G-Spot is thought to potentially cause this. # HOW DO I FIND THE G-SPOT? Insert one or two fingers in the vagina with the palm facing the pubic bone. Gently bend your fingers 'forward' so that they stroke the anterior wall of the vagina. You may feel a raised spot or series of ridges, or you may feel nothing in particular. The woman may find this extremely pleasurable, or have an urge to urinate, or both. Stroking this spot with varying degrees of pressure will tell you if you've got it or not. # DOES EVERYONE HAVE A G-SPOT? No. Your mileage may vary. Just as some woman find clitoral stimulation more or less pleasurable than others, G-spot response varies from woman to woman, and some may find it unpleasant or simply not special. # HOW DOES ONE STIMULATE THE G-SPOT? Silly, that's a technique question. The factual stuff is above; anything else goes to Kama Sutra. Nope, I didn't make those up. I found them here, very interesting and informative site. But then, as dear friend Jenna/Burgwaki said, I have TOO MUCH time on my hand. Or it must all those chocolates.........

Those Days......

2005-12-14T08:00:00.000+08:00

Last night, I was reading some articles online about the origins of some of the common items that we see in the supermarket shelves. I found some pretty interesting stuff, and I'm sure the ladies would be very interested to find out how this feminine product came to be....... Though no soldiers were charging about the battlefield with sanitary napkins tied to their arms, a new type of material which had proved so effective as bandages in that conflict was years later revamped into Kotex. What was invented to meet a critical need in a war soon afterwards found a valuable peacetime use. Kotex is a product of the Kimberly-Clark company. In 1914 this (then) conservative supplier of paper developed an absorbent wadding from processed wood and dubbed it Cellucotton. Five times as absorbent as cotton and costing only half as much, Cellucotton was used to bandage wounds in World War I. (Kimberly-Clark agreed to provide it to the War Department at cost, refusing the chance to make a healthy profit.) After the war (1919), Kimberly-Clark faced the question of what to do with Cellucotton. The company hit upon the notion of marketing disposable sanitary napkins. Prior to this invention, women used and reused cloth rags -- this was indeed groundbreaking stuff. The resulting product was first marketed as Cellunap, a contraction of "Cellucotton napkins." Immediately upon hire, Kimberly-Clark's first marketing agency (Charles F.W. Nichols Company) suggested changing the name to Kotex, short for "cotton textile". Though there were still battles to be waged in getting magazines to accept ads for this product, stores to stock it, and women to buy it, by 1945 nearly all American women were using commercially-made pads and tampons. (Tampax came on the market in 1936.) The days of the cloth rags were over. Obviously I don't use them, but it is nice to know that the feminine napkin was originally used to patch up wounded soldiers. Now we guys know what to use when no bandages are available in the house...... Source: www.snopes.com (Barbara "the unpadded truth" Mikkelson)

No Balls....

2005-12-13T08:35:00.000+08:00

I just read in the news this morning that deposed president Joseph Estrada's request to attend the wake of his brother has been approved by the court, story here. Fine, but I wonder what kind of gimmick or excuse will he give this time to avoid going back to his rest house/prison? He (Or maybe his lawyers) has done that several times and each time giving out lame excuses. Remember the time when he was allowed to fly to Hong Kong presumably for a treatment? That was really the most idiotic thing this government has ever done for him. He and his family stayed in the most expensive condo unit and get this, he even flew in his favorite barber to cut his hair. And who do you think shouldered all the expenses? No need to be a brain surgeon to figure that out.... We seem to have a government that is more bark than bite...And no balls. Not just this administration, but the previous ones as well. We have a former (he probably still is) coup plotter who eventually became a senator, a former first lady with a shoe fetish who previously served as congresswoman. Heck, her two children are now serving in the senate and congress. They're continuing the family enterprise it seems, and to think that 20 years ago(next year will be the 20th anniversary) the Filipino people kicked out their entire family through a bloodless revolution. And now they're slowly creeping, errr, slithering back into power. How ironic is that? This whole country (or is it the people?), seem to suffer from collective amnesia......Or is probably just a glutton for punishment. Pardon my ramblings folks if I don't seem to be making any sense in this post.......I'm still trying to gather my wits before heading out to work.

Back Online......

2005-12-12T08:55:00.000+08:00

Oh man! Just when it thought I'll be offline for a couple of days because of my phone/dsl connection problem, the friggin connection suddenly came alive this morning. I only found out about it when the phone rang while I was in the shower. I fired up my PC (After showering of course) to check if my dsl connection has been resurrected and.....Hallelujiah!!! It's alive again!!! Happy days are here again! *knocks on wood* Anyways, I need to go out and attend a couple of meetings today but not before I post this piece of good news for the day. I just hope it don't screw up on me when I come back later. The connection I mean.....

Weekend Woes....

2005-12-11T14:06:00.000+08:00

I was hoping to finish a couple of drafts for posting during the weekend as I will be (Or I think I will be anyway) busy with meetings next week in preparation for next year's summer collection, when my damn phone and dsl line went bust. Crap!! Of all the days in the week, they HAD to choose the weekend to die on me. Dang! What the hell is it with me and technology these days? Last week we had a power trouble that left us 2 days without electricity and an electrical surge that zapped the life out of my PC and TV. And NOW THIS??? I tried contacting the phone company to report the problem. BUT, I was able to talk to a PLDT service rep ONLY AFTER several attempt. Geez, as a phone company you'd think they would have tons of people/operators manning the call center to recieve calls/complaints during the weekend. What's worse, the guy whom I talked to couldn't give me any assurance as to when my line will be fixed, only that they have forwarded my service request to the department concerned. Probably Monday he said....But definitely not this weekend. s@#$%#$$%!!! And you call THAT service??? Now, here I am checking my incoming mails and writing this post in a VERY noisy cybercafe/gaming center in a mall. It's the weekend and as expected the place was packed full of kids playing online games. I couldn't concentrate on what I was doing since all I can hear are the shouting and hooting, sprinkled with a LOT of profanities. There's this kid beside me, couldn't be more than 10 years old and yet curses like a 45 year old mainland Chinese....Well, judging from his accent I guess he (Or his parents) is. And the rest of the kids hanging out in this cafe are probably locally born children of the new immigrants (?) from Mainland China. They speak very good Tagalog (and can curse like a native), as well as Hokkien with that distinctly mainland accent. Shit! I hope those guys in PLDT would work their butt off this weekend, but that's kinda like, wishing for the moon.... So, I'm not expecting my phone and dsl to work in a couple of days. Even more so if the problem is cable theft. Yup, some enterprising ASSHOLES do steal electrical, telephone and even tv cable and sell them off to some junk shop. But that's the utility company's problem not ours. I JUST WANT MY CONNECTION BACK!!!!! Until then, I will have to resign myself to the fact that I will be visiting this noisy cybercafe for the next few days. Unless I can find a QUIET one that's near my house and is on broadband.....

In A Galaxy Far Far Away.......

2005-12-10T08:15:00.000+08:00

Seems like everyone is in a Quiz mode the past two days, including Lynne. And since I'm too lazy to write a new post this weekend, I might as well join the bandwagon. I saw this quiz in her blog and took the test myself, hoping that I'd come out as Han Solo. Or at least one of those brave and daring Jedi knights, but I never expected this result........

Threepio You scored 25% airiness, 57% squishiness, and 57% edginess!

According to our patented Jawamatic^TM technology, you are most like See-Threepio (C-3P0) in personality.

Threepio, being a protocol droid, favours traditional values. Programmed for etiquette and protocol, he is always concerned with doing what is proper and expected, caring for people's material needs above all else. He is methodical, value-driven and practical at his best.

Threepio is, in a word, diligent.

(The polar opposite of See-Threepio is Artoo-Detoo.)

The eight profiles are as follows:

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 19% on airiness
You scored higher than 63% on squishiness
You scored higher than 65% on edginess

Link: The Star Wars Personality Test written by MiguelSanchez on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Oh crap!! I'm a DROID.......And not only that, I'm a comedy relief!

A Horny Old Dawg......

2005-12-09T08:46:00.000+08:00

Went to Chinatown yesterday for a meeting, I was rather early (the meeting was set for 1pm) and since it was almost noon, I decided to have lunch first. I passed by a place called the Lido restaurant, which has the distinction of being one of the oldest (est. 1939) Chinese eatery/coffee shop in town. Great, I have'nt had one of their famous rice toppings in years and I got an hour and a half to kill so this will be a long leisurely lunch. The whole place seems to have gone through a major renovation since my last visit. Outside, it didn't look like the old Lido that I knew. I just hope the food hasn't changed..... Anyways, I went up to their dining area and got myself a corner table (To better to observe things). The first thing I noticed was that, except for the waitresses, I seem to be the only one who is under 60 years old. The whole place was packed with old geezers drinking coffee and noisily chatting in Hokkien and a smattering of Cantonese, or just waiting to be served. Geez, no wonder they all looked at me suspiciously when I came in, it's like walking into a seniors convention. Some of them were familiar faces from my youth and are even acquaintances of my late Dad, they did'nt recognize me though. I guess nowadays they just while their time away enjoying their retirement and seeking company of people their age. Looking at these guys, I wondered.......In about 20 years, I'll be an old geezer too, and I'd probably be sitting where they are right now. *shudders* While waiting for my orders to be served, an old guy came in and sat two tables away from mine. I assume he's a familiar figure here since he greets...errr, flirt actually, with every waitress in the restaurant followed with a light slap on the butt, sheesh, but they did'nt seem to mind the horny old man though. He kept asking ( jokingly of course) every waitress who'd pass by his table if she would like to go out and DO it with him, heh, like HE still has the energy to get it UP. If he were any younger, he'd probably be sued for sexual harrassment, but he was quite harmless and seem to like the attention. I can only guess if he was as horny as he is now when he was younger. At his age, you'd think that sex would have been the furthest thing in his mind and yet there he was, trying out his charm on every waitress like he was in his prime. Or maybe he THINKS he is. After all, even Charlie Chaplin was able to sire a child with a woman more than half his age in his 70's (or is it 80's?). But really, I do admire that old dog for his spunk. Not to mention his libido.........

Spaced out.......

2005-12-08T09:14:00.000+08:00

I just got this certificate from Blog in Space in my email this morning. I'm not sure what to make of it though, but it's cool. I've never been awarded anything other than those summons to appear in court for our annulment hearing (I never did appear, her family's lawyer did all the work). Yeah, I know I'm never gonna get a chance nor experience getting blasted into outer space, not in a zillion years. But at least my blog made it......Woohoo!! (Really, I am THAT shallow) Hellooooo, anybody out there?........Anyone?

Up In Smoke....

2005-12-07T21:17:00.000+08:00

Out in the street yesterday I saw a couple of guys (Jobless bums probably) lighting up firecrackers like it was already New Year's eve. They're obviously a little inebriated because I saw a couple of empty beer bottles on their makeshift table.....Geez, and it's only 2 pm. Funny but, aren't these are the very same people in our society who keep ranting about how hard life is for lack of jobs and money? They complain about the soaring prices of goods and blame the government for their woes. Yet, there they are, chugging beer and lighting firecrackers in the middle of a working day. For people with no money and no job, they seem to be doing pretty well....I wish I could just sit on my butt and drink beer all day too. How much are those firecrackers worth anyway? You think they sell those things at a few cents a bag? Unbelievable! I admit, I used to light up the New Year's eve with firecrackers when I was younger and HAD money to spare. But I wised up upon realizing that I was just literally blowing away my money just for a few minutes (An hour at best) of cheap adrenalin rush. These days, the manufacturers make them so powerful that they CAN be classified as bombs. For those idiots who light them, the louder the bang, the better. And because of the cavalier attitude of some Filipino males towards these mini bombs, a LOT of them end up spending New Year's eve in hospitals with missing fingers and hands. The worst part is, come New Year's day....They're broke. Stupid really.....

The Longest Meme.....So far

2005-12-06T08:15:00.000+08:00

So I got tagged with another meme post from kadyo a few weeks ago. I know, I know this is long over due so I better start doing it NOW, before my laziness rears its ugly head AGAIN. So here goes........ *takes a deep breath* *koff, koff* 1. What time did you get up this morning?: The usual, 7 am. Wait, I think it was 8.....Dang, I can't remember. 2. Are you a morning person or night owl?: Neither, I can switch whenever I need to. *Yawn* 3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?: Oh this is tough, lemme see....I think it was "DOOM". 4. What is your favorite TV show?: No show in particular, as long as it has entertainment value, I watch. 5. What did you have for breakfast?: Oatmeal, yeah I know, hedonistics anonymous said it's horse feed......*Neighs* 6. What is your middle name?: S, but I doubt if it stands for Superdude.... 7. What is your favorite cuisine?: Any cuisine will do....As long as it's edible and good, I'll gorge on it. 8. What foods do you dislike?: One's that I have to pay for through my nose. 9. Favorite day of the week?: Monday....Just kidding. Who like's Mondays anyway? 10. What is your favorite CD at the moment?: None. Haven't brought one in ages.... 11. What is your favorite sandwich?: Hmmm.....I'd say, Pastrami sandwich. 12. What characteristics do you despise?: Err, somewhat like mine? 13. What do you do most often when you are bored?: Pick my nose. Like, I'm doing it now while typing this.... 14. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?: Probably where there are a lot of hot babes. To sow my wild oats...... 15. Favorite brand of clothing?: No particular brand, as long as it's comfortable. Like the rags I wear everyday. 16. Where were you born?: Manila 17. What is your best childhood memory?: Not working to pay the bills. 18. Do you have pets?: Like now? A dog named Arabella and that includes the occasional fleas and ticks that comes with having a dog. 19. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with everyone?: Nah! Even if I did, like winning the LOTTO would I tell everyone? (Note: I did NOT win, ok?) 20. What did you want to be when you were little?: Grow up quickly and do whatever the hell I want. 21. Different jobs you have had in your life?: So far, I have had only 2 jobs in my life. The last one I had was for 17 years. 22. Which came first, the chicken or the egg?: Hmmm....I'll leave that unanswered. My brain isn't functioning normally today. 70 things about me.....(Yikes!) Section 1: Have you ever.... 1. Cheated on someone?: Nope, and THAT'S the truth. *raises right hand* 2. Been Cheated on?: Errr, I have to ask the EX on that.... 3. Fallen off the bed?: Including the time my ex kicked me off the bed? Just kidding...I think I did a couple of times....By myself. 4. Broken someone's heart?: Nah! It would have been lovely though..... 5. Had your heart broken?: Can't count how many times......*sniff* So it's a YES *runs and grabs a tissue* 6. Had a dream come true?: Isn't it obvious? NO! 7. Done something you regret?: Oh yes, a lot. Doing this meme post is one of them. 8. Cheated on a test?: You sound like my math teacher in high school... Section 2: Currently.... 1. Wearing?: Boxer shorts (Hey, I'm in my bedroom, ok?) 2. Like anyone?: Nah! Don't even like myself these days, I suck. 3. Location?: Same place where I'm typing this meme. Duh? 4. Chatting with?: How can I chat while typing this? 5. Watching?: CNN and Channel News Asia. 6. Should REALLY be doing?: Nothing in particular, unless there's a hot woman beside me then, it's none of your business. 7. Brush your teeth?: Not yet, still munching on junk food. 8. Have any piercings?: Nope, too old to have my nose pierced. 9. Drive?: Yeah, but I don't think you'd wanna be in the car without a life insurance while I'm driving. 10. Drink?: Yes, but moderately these days. Wait...we ARE talking about liquor are we? 11. Smoke?: Yes, got a whole pack of em beside me. 12. Got a cell?: You mean a cellphone? Yah, and a freaking lousy one too! Section 3: The last person you.... 1. Hugged?: Nah, just my pillow (Boo hoo) 2. Kissed?: Yah, and now that you mentioned it.....I did it with Monica Bellucci, and a torrid one at that! Then I woke up...Dang!! 3. IMed?: I don't use it. 4. Talked on the phone to?: No, nobody calls me except my clients when they have PROBLEMS. 5. Yelled at?: Our dog, for being so hyper all the time. Section 4: Personal..... 1. What do you want to be or do, when you finish school?: Kinda late to be asking me THAT question. Waaaay too late. 2. What has been the best day of your life?: Ummm, lemme see......Can't remember having one. 3. What comes first in your life?: Me, me , me.....And my loved ones of course. 4. Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend/crush?: None at the moment. 5. What are you most scared of?: My ex....Ha ha, just kidding. No really I am.. 6. What do you usually think about before you go to bed?: Umm, nothing.....Otherwise I won't get any sleep from thinking too much. 7. Did you lose someone you really loved?: Recently yes, my Dad. 8. Love your family?: Of course I do, we're kinda like the Osbournes. 9. Are you a virgin?: Stupid question to ask someone who's been married once. Section 5: Favorite.... 1. Movie: Too many to list down, and I don't have the time to go through each one of them. 2. Song: See above answer. 3. Store: Unless they're giving away free merchandise...No store in particular. 4. Clothing Store: Again, see above answer. 5. Relative: Nah! I hate my relatives on my Dad's side. My mom's side are ok though. 6. Sport: These days? None, too lazy see? 7. Ice Cream Flavor: Chocolate, ooh yeah! 8. Fruit: Any, as long as it appeals to my taste buds. 9. Candy: Don't like candies, never did. 10. Day of the Week: None, any day can either be lousy or good. 11. Color: Earth colors.....Ok, so I'm old, no need to rub it in! Section 6: Do you.... 1. Like to give hugs?: Hell yeah! As long as I'm doing it to Monica Bellucci! 2. Like to walk in the rain?: What am I nuts??? 3. Prefer black or blue pens?: Black, much more formal. 4. Like to travel?: Yeah, sure......That is, if I can afford it. 5. Sleep on your side?: Heh, of course....I'm not dead yet! 6. Have a goldfish?: Used to.....I used them to feed my Arowana when I ran out of frogs and shrimps. Uh, why are you looking at me like that?? 7. Ever have the falling dream?: Lot's of times. Curiously....I'm always falling into a ravine or a mountain. 8. Have stuffed animals?: Ask my ex, she had TONS of em. Made our bedroom look like Toy's R Us. Imagine all those eyes looking down while you DO it with the wife? Creepy.... Thank God she took them with her when she left. Section 7: this or that.... 1. Pierced nose or tongue?: None. I won't have any of those metals penetrating any part of me. 2. Single or taken?: Single, but happy...I think. 3. MTV or BET?: I don't watch them. 4. 7th Heaven or Dawson's Creek?: Too old for those type of shows, so it's a NO. 5. Sugar or salt?: A little of both, although these days I seem to crave sweets (Read my post on chocolate cravings). 6. Silver or Gold?: Whatever is more valuable. 7. Chocolate or flowers?: Chocolates of course....Can you eat a flower? Sheeesh... 8. Color or Black-and-white photos?: Colored photos 9. M&Ms or Skittles?: Never liked any of them. Gimme a chocolate bar anytime, and I'll be a happy puppy, I mean, dawg. 10. Stay up late or sleep in?: Stay up late, unless someone calls me to bed early, then.....*winks* 11. Hot or cold?: Depends on what I'm drinking (Who the hell comes up with these questions anyway?). 12. Mustard or ketchup?: Ketchup, although I very seldom use it (Oh man! Are we finished yet?) 13. Spring or Fall?: We don't have them here, so no go to that question. 14. Happy or sad?: I WAS happy.......And then I started doing this meme post. Ugh! 15. Wonder or amazement?: Amazement, because I AM amazed at myself for going through this. 16. Mexican or Italian?: I'm more partial to Italian, although I like Mexican too (The food, not the women. They're too insatiable). 17. Candy or Soda?: I'd take that soda thank you ....I need it after finishing this meme. I just realized something....I was actually answering TWO friggin meme's! All in one post! Geez... Ok, so I'm supposed to tag 5 people/blogger after this. I already had my list but, after slaving over this post, I've decided not to tag anyone anymore. I wanna spare them the agony of going through those silly questions. Have a nice day everyone..........

Monday Humor.....

2005-12-05T07:36:00.000+08:00

I snitched this from azlynne1972's blog, and with her permission, I am posting it here. Why? Well, because IT IS FUNNY that's why. And since I'm being generous this Monday morning I wanna to share it with you guys (Or whoever reads this post). But don't take my word for it, go ahead, just keep reading..... Engineers' Conversion Tables: This is pretty heavy scientific stuff......converting units: 1. Ratio of an igloo's circumference to its diameter = Eskimo Pi 2. 2000 pounds of Chinese soup = Won ton 3. 1 millionth of a mouthwash = 1 microscope 4. Time between slipping on a peel and smacking the pavement = 1bananosecond 5. Weight an evangelist carries with God = 1 billigram 6. Time it takes to sail 220 yards at 1 nautical mile per hour = Knotfurlong 7. 16.5 feet in the Twilight Zone = 1 Rod Sterling 8. Half of a large intestine = 1 semicolon 9. 1,000,000 aches = 1 megahurtz 10. Basic unit of laryngitis = 1 hoarsepower 11. Shortest distance between two jokes = A straight line 12. 453.6 graham crackers = 1 pound cake 13. 1 million-million microphones = 1 megaphone 14. 2 million bicycles = 2 megacycles 15. 365.25 days = 1 unicycle 16. 2000 mockingbirds = 2 kilomockingbirds 17. 52 cards = 1 decacards 18. 1 kilogram of falling figs = 1 FigNewton 19. 1000 milliliters of wet socks = 1 literhosen 20. 1 millionth of a fish = 1 microfiche 21. 1 trillion pins = 1 terrapin 22. 10 rations = 1 decoration 23. 100 rations = 1 C-ration 24. 2 monograms = 1 diagram 25. 4 nickels = 2 paradigms 26. 2.4 statute miles of intravenous surgical tubing at Yale University Hospital = 1 IV League 27. 100 Senators = Not 1 decision I know all of us working stiffs hate Mondays so I hope this post will help brighten up everyone's day a bit, heh....... Thanks Lynne

Military Justice.........

2005-12-03T09:15:00.000+08:00

So they finally decided to throw the book at Gen. Carlos Garcia for corruption (Story here). Great, he's going to prison FINALLY. But guess what, after milking the AFP of hundreds of millions of pesos, he will be in the slammer for only TWO years! TWO fucking years for stealing hundreds of millions of pesos and betraying the trust of the people to whom he swore to serve and defend with his life. Two years is nothing, it's just a slap on the wrist. Hard labor? Phoooey.... After he serves his sentence he can start wallowing in his millions again and live like a king. Probably in the US since he also has a green card. I'm sure he has more stashed somewhere. His predecessor Gen. Ligot, who also stole millions, is luckier. He escaped prosecution simply because he was already retired when the scandal erupted. CRAP!!!! Funny thing with justice in this country, a few years ago, a lowly government employee was sentenced to 20 (Or is it life?) years in prison for pocketing a few thousand pesos. That's chump change compared to the amount General Garcia stole....And he got 2 years!!! WTF???? I wonder what kind of message the government is trying send us. That crime pays as long as you're in power? Hmm...So I guess this is where some of our tax money is going to end up. CRAP!!!!

Food, Glorious Food......

2005-12-02T09:37:00.000+08:00

Just got tagged by beer brat with another meme. Dang! I still have YET to post a meme from an earlier tag by blogger kadyo. But this one from bb is rather, well.....lip smacking. Nope, this one isn't about chicks, but food, heh. Specifically, 5 childhood memories of food. Besides, the other meme is quite long and it might take time for me to finish it, so I'll post this short one first and finish the other one over the weekend.....If I'm up to it. While it's easy for BB to go through his memory since he only had to go back a few years, 15 at most. I on the other hand, have to travel back more than 30 years, geez. I doubt if I will remember all that was good in my childhood, especially food. But anyway, I'll take a shot at it..... 5 Childhood Memories of Food 1) Venison- That's deer meat to the uninitiated. Ok, ok don't look at me like I just killed Bambi! Venison WAS a popular meat in medieval times, ok? And it is considered as a delicacy even in the US. I remember that a relative used to bring us fresh deer meat once a month and my Mom would make a sumptuous dinner whenever we get this oh so tender and tasty treat. Up to this day, I don't know how or where she learned how to cook venison, but who cares? It's THAT good. These days though it is illegal to hunt them (I think) and is considered an exotic treat like wild boar (Yummy too!) and wild fowls. I heard that one can still get them in some far flung provinces. Oh, and if you're curious as to what it smells and tastes like. Well......It's kinda gamey, but tasty. 2) Chocnuts- This was and still is, popular among children and adults. A mixture of powdered chocolate, milk and bits of finely ground nuts ( Really, I'm not sure of the ingredients), it has been around since God knows when and I use to wolf down a lot of these when I was a kid. These days you still can buy a pack of 12 and 24 pcs in the supermarket. Nope I don't buy them anymore, my taste had long since graduated to Hershey's, Cadbury's and.....Godiva (Yeah, dream on snglguy). 3) Fishballs- This is considered street food and is as popular today as it was when it first came out in the early early 70's. Everyday after classes, you'd find a crowd (Including me) gathered around a cart selling these little suckers. I really enjoyed those crispy deep fried rolled fishmeat dipped in either a sweet syrupy sauce or my favorite, a chili laden vinegar. Oh yeah, they're still around....And is still a favorite snack among students on a budget. 4) Peanut soup- When I was younger, I would always venture out to Chinatown (Yes, I was already a wanderlust then) which is only a few blocks away from my old neighborhood just to whet my appetite for this popular chinese delicacy. I'm not sure if the old place still serves this.... 5) Mom's potato soup- My mom always loved to experiment with food, with us kids as guinea pigs. One of her experiment was her creamy potato soup. The first time we got a taste of her concoction we readily gave her a thumbs up and has since become our favorite. Man, I really love that thick, creamy, and FATTENING cholesterol laden comfort food...... Those are all that I can remember of my childhood love affair with food. I'm sure there are more but my memory isn't as good as beer brat's. Thank God that I'm only required to list down 5. And now for the fun part...... Along with this meme are the following rules: 1) List down 5 childhood memories of food. 2) And in the tradition of this meme, list the 4 previous taggers before yourself and then your own name at no.5. 3) Tag 3 (or more) other bloggers to continue this meme. Four previous taggers and the victim: 1) Insane Babe in the City of KL 2) Funky Cookies 3) Teh Tarik Satu 4) Beer Brat 5) Yours Truly Three bloggers that I'm gonna torture: 1) ronald allan 2) jenna/burgwaki 3) Yvy Ron, its about time you do a meme post. It's about food man, and you'd probably enjoy going down memory lane. Jenna, I know this will be your first tag/meme, so no excuses dear. Yvy, I know you enjoy your food so I'm sure you won't mind my tagging you.....After all, there's always a first time. *sniggers*

House of Wizards?

2005-12-01T08:31:00.000+08:00

After two days of venting, I'm taking it easy for a bit since I already have my PC back in the pink of health *knock wood*. But I'm still very, very pissed after what happened to my TV. Ah well, that's life..... Anyways, too much ranting is hard work and BAD for my blood pressure so I thought I'd amuse myself for a while with one of those quizzes (Yeah, I'm shallow that way). I passed by ronald"gamesmeister"allan's post and found this rather....umm, interesting quiz. I'm not exactly a Harry Potter fan but I tried it anyway and I got this result...

Which Hogwarts house will you be sorted into?

Your in-depth results are:

Hufflepuff - 13 Slytherin - 12 Ravenclaw - 10 Gryffindor - 9

What the hell exactly is Hufflepuff? I may have seen the movie but I'll be damned if I know each and every house in Hogwarts, an average 13 year old probably knows more about Harry Potter than I do.....*sniggers*