hotnothot 22

Hotnot: Dubai’s bubble to burst? Dubai is in the news since yesterday due to Dubai World, the developer of high-end real estate properties, delaying payment against multi-billion dollar loans they have over several major banks. Dubai World is said to account for $59bn of the $80bn total loan by the Dubai government. The delay in payment resulted to stock markets from Europe to Asia falling as investors hurried off to sell their shares for fear of another economic turmoil resulting from these exposures. With Dubai and UAE in general not having large oil wells to provide other source of cash flow, it is a question where they will get the money to get out of this financial quagmire. The coming months will be very interesting. Read more on http://english.aljazeera.net/business/2009/11/20091126103029690634.html

Hotnot: More on the Maguindanao massacre. The powerful political clan of Ampatuans are said to be behind the massacre. Sabi ng isang witness na Al-Jazeera pa ang naka-hanap, si Andal Ampatuan Jr daw mismo ang nag-utos sa kanila para patayin lahat, including women and children. Sabi pa sa latest report, 8 members pa raw ng Ampatuan clan ang sabit. 57 na raw ang patay including 22 media men. At ang masakit, nadamay pa ang ibang inosenteng motorista na walang kamalay-malay sa kung ano man ang motive behind the killing. They just happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. As I step back and think about all these, nakaka-lulang isipin na may tao (o mga tao) na kayang pumatay, even one single life, para sa kung anomang dahilan. Sana lang maparusahan ang dapat maparusahan no matter what, no matter who.

Hotnot: 83 dead in heavy rains in Jeddah. Hindi lang sa Pilipinas kumikitil ng buhay ang baha. Even in a country primarily known for its hot, barren deserts. Another undeniable proof na talagang sobrang wasak na ang dating atmospheric balance. I hope the Copenhagen Convention will be able to come up with something substantial at hindi puro plano at papel.

Hotnot: The Catholic Church in yet another sex scandal. This time, it’s the Irish priests who are in the news. Malawakan daw ang cover up na ginawa ng Irish Church sa mga sex abuse na ginawa ng mga pari. Ang mga Archbishop daw ng Ireland ay aware na mahigit 46 priests ang nasampahan ng complaints between 1975 and 2004. May isang pari daw who admitted to having abused more than 100 minors. Pero wala man lang na-report officially dahil gusto raw nilang protektahan ang kapakanan ng Simbahan. More than the protection they should have given to the young, innocent children. And it is quite disgusting to know that the house of God is being used as a safe haven by the devil themselves.

coaching the champs

isang kaibigan at long-time tasnee colleague ang very active sa sports, particularly in basketball. he's been a regular face in the local tournament circuit starting from the first year na binuo nya ang tasnee basketball team until now that he's involved with a team from other companies.

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suki na sya ng mga paliga ni Nilo sa Jubail Port and in the process collecting nothing less than the championship trophies. in the recent filcom basketball tourney held in tamimi camp, nag-3rd place naman ang group nya. not bad considering the number of entries and caliber of the field.

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here's a few pics he wants to share with DS friends. proof that in saudi, you can have a meaningful and healthy activity other than pining away with homesickness. way to go noli boy!

and here's the cool, ever-chick boy coach/player...

noli 'abdullah' guerrero

hotnothot 21

Hothot: Efren Penaflorida is the CNN Hero of the Year for his Kariton Klasrum. Isang napakalaking karangalan para sa isang Pilipino na dapat din nating ikarangal. (Although sabi nga ng friend kong Ega, on-line voting kaya yan!) But like what Senator Pia Cayetano said, oo nga at isang malaking karangalan itong panalo ni Efren. But at the same time, ito ay isang malaking proof na ang gobyerno natin ay may malaking pagkukulang sa edukasyon ng ating mga kabataan. Actually Senator Cayetano, alam naman nating lahat na hindi lang edukasyon ang pinapabayaan ng gobyerno. Pati na rin ibang sectors like health, labor, basic social services. Lalo na ang economy. And we are left to fend for ourselves. Kaya may mga Efren na lumilitaw. Tapos bibigyan ng kung anong award para lang maki-sakay sa success nong tao. The nerve!

Hotnot: the massacre in Maguindanao. Nakakapangilabot isipin na 35 katao ang pinatay, posibleng mas marami pa, dahil lang sa pulitika. And that is only for a vice-mayoralty post. Paano na kaya kung mayoralty or governatorial post ang pinag-aagawan. Ubusan na ng lahi? At yang lagay na yan, filing pa lang ng COC huh. Paano na kaya pagdating ng campaign period? Come on people, have some respect. Kung hindi sa tao, buhay na lang ang i-respeto. Afterall, kahit anong political affiliation mo, kahit anong religious group ang kinabibilangan mo, respect for life is still basic.

Hothot: Hayden loses license. Tinanggal na ng PRC ang lisensya ni Hayden dahil sa reklamong isinampa ni Katrina. Buti naman. Vindication for Katrina who has suffered humiliation and degradation dahil sa kawalan ng katinuan ni Hayden na doctor pa mandin. Ang tanong ko ngayon, will Maricar be as vindicated? Parang hindi. Mas pinili kasi nyang manahimik kesa lumaban. Mas pinili nyang proteksyonan ang kanyang showbiz career. And I find it difficult to sympathize with people like that.

Hotnot: Hungry Pinoys up by 300k. Sabi ng latest survey ng SWS, tumaas daw from 17.5% to 18.9% ang bilang ng mga Pinoy na nagugutom. 3.5 million families daw ang apektado in and outside Luzon mostly dahil sa mga bagyong dumaan. Nakaka-panghina at nakakalungkot isipin na ganon karami ang sikmurang kumakalam at walang sumasayad na pagkain. Lalo yong mga batang walang kalaban-laban. Sana makonsensya ang mga corrupt na tao at yong kinukurakot nilang pera, itulong na lang sa mga pamilyang ito.

Hotnot: Pacquiao finally saying his piece about Krista. ‘Friends lang kami’. Isang gasgas, warak-warak at lumang-luma nang linya na paboritong gamitin ng mga walang ibang maisip sabihin para pagtakpan ang kalokohang ginawa o ginagawa. And you would believe na maniniwala kami sa iyo after you arrogantly said ‘walang pakialaman’ also on national tv? Haayyy Manny, just stick to your boxing coz apparently that’s the only thing you can do best.

notebook, netbook, bukbok?

came across this blog post in yahoo (http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/154921) which i find quite interesting coz i myself had a few not-so-pretty experiences when it comes to laptops. nakaka-ilang makina na ako in just under three years.
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for whatever reason, biglang-bigla na lang nagre-resign ang computer ko. either ayaw mag-boot, sasabihin no hard disk found, etc. sabi ng technician, most likely naba-virus daw ang pc ko. syempre hindi ko naman sinasabing minsan out of my own carelessness! hahaha!!

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kasi kung virus hindi naman ako ganon kalakwatsador sa net. the sites i'm visiting are so limited. laging check lang ng mail, yahoo and msn, mga on-line dyaryo and my blog. minsan youtube pero sa bagal ng connection ko i'd rather stay away from sites na hindi ko naman kailangan.

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i even had one external hd na nag-crash kaya ang mga personal files ko, including music, personal documents and my most cherished pics of families and friends, naglahong parang bola, este bula!

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sabagay, sa kamurahan ngayon ng laptops para na ngang disposable lighter ang labanan. pag nasira, instead of spending more (kung out of warranty period na), palitan mo na lang.

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but here's one article to give us an insight kung anong brand ang medyo reliable. don't know how reliable this study is but since there's some stats supporting it, might as well take heed and keep this in mind when buying a new machine.

1 in 3 laptops die in first three years

So your new laptop computer died in inside of a year. "I'll never buy a computer from [insert manufacturer name here] again!" I've heard the protests time and time again.

Yeah, maybe you got a lemon, but no matter which brand you bought, you truly are not alone in this situation: An analysis of 30,000 new laptops from SquareTrade, which provides aftermarket warranty coverage for electronics products, has found that in the first three years of ownership, nearly a third of laptops (31 percent) will fail.

That's actually better than I would have expected based on my experience and observations on how people treat their equipment.

SquareTrade has more detailed information on the research on its website. But here are some highlights about how, why, and which laptops fail:

> 20.4 percent of failures are due to hardware malfunctions. 10.6 percent are due to drops, spills, or other accidental damage.

> Netbooks have a roughly 20 percent higher failure rate due to hardware malfunctions than standard laptops. The more you pay for your laptop, the less likely it is to fail in general (maybe because you're more careful with it?).

> The most reliable companies? A shocker: Toshiba and Asus, both with below a 16 percent failure rate due to hardware malfunction.

> The least reliable brands? Acer, Gateway, and HP. HP's hardware malfunction rate, the worst in SquareTrade's analysis, is a whopping 25.6 percent.

None of the numbers are overly surprising. As SquareTrade notes, "the typical laptop endures more use and abuse than nearly any other consumer electronic device (with the possible exception of cell phones)," so failures are really inevitable.

Want to keep your notebook running for longer than a few years? Ensure your laptop is as drop-proofed as possible (use a padded bag or case, route cords so they won't be tripped on, lock children in another room), and protect it as best you can from heat and dust.

november bday

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Matt is our birthday boy for November.

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A cool, easy-going guy who is one of the more 'techie' among the adiks.

Sa kanya ako nakigaya ng blogging at sya rin ang nagpa-uso ng Facebook sa mga adiks.

Para syang help desk kasi sya ang tinatawagan ko whenever I have questions

about the net or my external drive crashing.

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He's got a seemingly inexhaustible reserve of patience,

something na tamang-tama sa trabaho nyang laging puro pressure.

He's the Vince Vaughn of the group, tingnan nyo naman ang pic huh. Parang nag-pose sa cam ng paparazzi. Coz he knows cameras and what a good photograph is all about. Isa kasi yan sa mga interest nya sa buhay.

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And that is aside from putting up his own mini-zoo sa bahay na kung ano-anong pet na ang inalagaan (turtle, hamsters, birds, cats and dogs and rabbits).

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TO YOU MATTEO,

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

a few wise lines

don't know if i've already posted this before but i've been using it in portions somewhere at the lower page of this blog. an old poem that is so bitingly practical it gives you one good set of guidelines in your everyday life.

DESIDERATA
written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s --

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.

Especially do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.

And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

pito-pito

Sabi ako ng sabi na hindi ako fan ni Pacquiao but everytime naman na in the spotlight sya heto at sulat naman ako ng sulat tungkol sa kanya. Well let me just say he’s hard to ignore. Kapag lahat ng dyaryo at tv show, mula sa showbiz hanggang sa dapat eh mainstream news, mukha nya ang makikita mo, kahit hindi ka nya kampon you would find it difficult ignoring this not-so-good-looking yet so-very-talented boxer.

Ayan nga at pati Time Asia nilagay na sya sa cover. And that is even before his utterly convincing win over Cotto. Parang Time themselves predicted na walang sinabi ang Puerto Rican pug sa ating pambansang kamao. Otherwise they could have damaged their prestige kung a few weeks after the cover eh nilampaso sya ni Cotto sa ring.

So what’s my take on this 7th crown across 7 divisions na wala pang nakagawa kahit sino?

To call him The Greatest Boxer of All Time, as I read in some papers, sounds an overkill sa una pero justifiable naman in the end. Coz the greatest boxers we’ve known so far – Muhammad Ali – the most recognizable sa tulad kong hindi boxing fan, won only in his weight division (yon ang alam ko huh… boxing aficionados, pls confirm). Hindi katulad ni MP na 7 division ang kinopo. Kaya pwede na ngang ikabit ang ‘Greatest’ sa kanya for now. At siguro matatagalan pa bago may makagawa ng same record na ginawa nya.

Although napangiwi ako nong may makita akong streamer that says Pacquiao for President. I hope you’re not serious guys. Hindi naman porke pwede nang tawaging Greatest Boxer yong tao, pwede na syang magpatakbo ng isang bansa. Lalo na ang Pinas na sadlak na sadlak na sa kahirapan at corruption. Iba syempre ang pagtayo sa lona kesa sa pag-tayo sa podium na may sealion emblem.

Sana makinig na lang sya sa payo ni Atienza (na sabi nya kino-consider nyang tatay-tatayan) at wag na syang tumakbo in any political post. I-maximize na lang nya ang opportunities habang nasa prime pa sya ng kanyang career. Kung pwede kalabanin muna nya ang mayabang na si Mayweather. Ipakita nyang mas mayabang sya sa pangit na yon at nang matanggal ang bad weather sa katawan.

Coz sana, dahil paulit-ulit na lang nangyayari, pumasok na sa kukote nya ang epekto nya sa Pinas. Zero crime rate. Walang traffic lalo sa Edsa pag may laban sya. Even the rebels stopped their kidnapping activities. All these he can do kung ipagpapatuloy nya ang pagbo-boxing. But if he switched to politics, anong magiging national impact nya? Titigil ba ang mga Pinoy para panoorin syang mag-speech sa Congress?

Kung serbisyo publiko ang purpose nya, mas maraming paraan. Foundations is one. Mas maraming makikinabang. Tutal hindi naman nya kailangan ang government funding para makapag-tayo ng mga ganito. Hindi rin kailangan na sa sarili nyang bulsa manggaling. Pwede syang mag-solicit sa mga celebrities na fan nya. Hindi sa Pinas huh. Sa Hollywood. Anong ginagawa nila Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Mickey Rourke and now, even Paris Hilton. Pati nga si Bill Clinton di ba. Hingan nya ng donations.

Ipagpatuloy na lang nya yong showbiz career nya. Tutal marami pang natutuwa sa pagkanta-kanta nya dahil sikat pa sya. Kahit nga Al-Jazeera news yon ang pinakita. Obviously naaliw sila sa boksingerong di lang left hook ang kayang pakawalan. Pati sintunadong Sometimes when We Touch. On a global tv pa yon huh! Nag-iisa lang talaga sya!

Stick with GMA-7 para consistent sa 7 wins nya. Pero wag na wag syang lilipat ng Dos at baka magkatotoong dalawa ang bebot nya like what the rumors are saying. Dati si Ara Mina. Ngayon nadagdag pa raw ang Krista Ranillo. Lupet talaga ni Pacman. Pero sa totoo lang, malas yan Manny Boy.

Isipin mo lang na para ka ngayong fresh pupu na ang dami-daming bangaw na naa-attract. Bilyones na kasi ang dolyares mo. Bakit, nong unknown ka pa, kilala ka ba ng mga hindurupot na yan? Lalo ang mga girls na obviously ay naghahanap lang ng sponsors ng mga kaluhuan like expensive bags and signature shoes? Gusto lang makapag-suot ng mga designer clothes na sinusuot ni Jinkee. Pati ang mga naglalakihang diamonds ni Mommy Dionisia na sa dami ng alahas parang naluma si Anabelle Rama huh!

Look back to where you are 5, 10 years ago. Saka mo tingnan kung sino ang nasa paligid mo noon at naniwala sa iyo minus your billions of dollars. Then you would realize kung sino talaga ang mga taong may malaking importansya sa buhay mo. You should realize na sa Tv station lang dapat ang loyalty mo. Sa totoong buhay, wag sundin ang kaPuso... importante pa rin ang kaPamilya!

Ay, bakit ba ako nakikialam. The guy has so much money, power and fame kayang-kaya na nyang gawin ang lahat ng gusto nya. With his dizzying celebrity status, hindi ko sya masisi kung mag-umpisa na syang magkida-kida (Arabic slang po yan ng mga kalokohang activities). He has worked so hard, even risked his life all the time na may laban sya. He deserves to do whatever pleases him now. Yon nga lang, he should do that without hurting the people he loves most.

Besides, yang mga rumors tungkol sa extra-marital affairs na yan only add to his machismo. Dagdag pogi points dahil pinapatunayan nyang hindi lang sya pang-sports, pang-lover boy pa! Kaya ang mga Kuya, Manong, Tiyo, Tatay and even Lolo na samba sa kanya, lalong dumadami. At marami ring gusto syang gayahin. Except sa mga kabataan na mas gusto sumali sa StarStruck!

Whatever happens, Pacman’s legacy is here to stay. Bahagi na sya ng history ng Pinas as the first (and probably the only) boxer na nagkaroon ng ganiyang achievement. At sya rin lang ang boksingerong pinag-aksayahan kong i-blog. Dahil kahit pa anong sabihin, feeling proud din naman ako pag nananalo sya. Pinoy pa rin kasi ako kahit hindi ako boxing fan. Pero pag kumanta na sya, bahala na kayo!

no. 17: marlboro and six-pack

Nothing’s constant but change. Cliché pero totoo. Everything has to evolve from one point to another. From one form to another. At palagay ko nandon ako sa mood na yon.

Coz suddenly, out of the blue, I felt like straightening out a few crooked ways. Hindi ko na kailangang maghintay ng New Year to implement someresolution. It could be done right here, right now sabi ko sa sarili ko.

First, I’ve decided to quit a long-time habit. Yup, it’s exactly one month today na smoke-free na ako. Something I should have done a long time ago. Buhat pa nong sinabihan ako ng doctor to quit smoking, stop using perfumes and avoid dust para hindi ma-exacerbate ang allergic rhinitis ko.

Kailangan pang sipunin ako ng 2 beses na ilang linggo lang ang pagitan bago ko lubayan ang pagpaparusa sa respiratory system ko. It must have been crying out for mercy na ewan ko ba naman kung bakit ini-ignore ko. So I said better stop now dahil hindi ko naman pinangarap na maubos ang retirement fund ko sa pagpapagamot ng emphysema or worse, television na walang kulay!

Fortunately, hindi ako dumadanas ng mga sinasabi nilang withdrawal symptoms. Aside from a few days na parang naglalaway ako, wala na akong ibang naramdaman. Considering na ang tagal ko ring suki ng Marlboro white. And I hope I can keep my resolve para hindi na bumalik yon. Will do my lungs some good pati na ang bulsa ko. Lalo na ngayon na SR7 na ang isang kaha. Kamahal!

I’ve also grown tired of my ever-expanding belly. From my eternal 27 waistline, it suddenly expanded to 32 over the last two years. Dahil sa katakawan kong kumain pero hindi man lang nag-e-exercise. Ang pangit nang tingnan dahil hindi naman kalakihan ang frame ko and at 5ft 6in, para akong butete.

Dati ayaw kong magsuot ng uniform na issue ng kumpanya pero ngayon sinusuot ko na rin dahil ang mahal na ng pantalon. My favorite Dickies jeans na dating SR 120-130 lang ngayon halos SR 200 na. Kaya hindi pwedeng bili ng bili ng pantalon.

Kaya nag-umpisa na rin akong mag-exercise. Halos one month na rin akong nagsi-sit-up araw-araw. Hopefully maituloy ko rin at hindi lang parang sumpong. Hindi ko pinangarap na magka-six packs. Tama na sa akin yong lumiit ng konti or, at the least, mapigil na ang paglaki. Besides, masarap mag-shower sa umaga pag nakapag-exercise. Hindi tulad ng dati na tubig ang gumigising sa tulog kong kalamnan.

Changes for the good. Sana kayanin ko. It’s just a question of resolve. Ang siste lang, I gotta have a lot of will power. Mas marami dapat sa aking katamaran. And that, my friends, is the real challenge!

hotnothot 20

sorry pero pulitika pa rin tayo... may ilang isyu kasing kareak-reak at hindi ako makapigil ng aking mga komento...

Hotnot: Gunigundo’s advice on OFWs. Today’s edition of Abante Tonite (today, tonight… ugh!) carries a news item about Valenzuela City Representative Magtanggol Gunigundo giving what is obviously an unsolicited and stupid advice to OFWs. Sabi nya, tularan daw si Manny Pacquiao when it comes to handling his finances. Dahil tayo daw mga OFW kumikita ng milyones pero hindi natin naha-handle ng maayos ang mga pera natin unlike Manny na kahit daw mag-retire na sa boxing eh kikita pa rin from his investments. Unang-una Congressman, ang kinikita ni Manny ay hindi kikitain ng milyones na OFW kahit umabot pa sila ng 100 years sa pagta-trabaho sa abroad. Kasama na ako doon. Pangalawa, kung ang sinasabi mo ay tungkol sa financial management, stupid advice yang tinira mo. Dahil kung magi-endorse ka rin lang ng role model, wag na yong nababalita na nagpapatalo ng milyones sa sabong and even in billiards. Marami pa dyan na mas role model-material pagdating sa paghawak ng pera kahit hindi kasing-sikat. Papogi ka naman yata masyado kay Manny!

Hotnot: Impeachment case kay Gloria dahil sa NBN-ZTE scandal. Maigsi lang ang sasabihin ko : BAKIT NGAYON LANG? Sa bagal ng impeachment proceedings, nakababa na si Gloria sa 2010 hindi pa tapos yan. Mga impakto.

Hotnot: Scam na naman! Pati ba naman road signs pinatos na rin at naibulsa daw ng kung sino ang 1.5B bilyon pisong pondo. Eto raw yong para sa mga road signs na ewan kung bakit aabot ng 1.5 bilyong piso. Diamond studded kaya ang street signs na ilalagay? Dito sabit ang pangalan ni Ebdane na nag-declare pa mandin na tatakbo na sya for President. O baka naman demolition job against Ebdane? Pero dahil dito, siguradong sasabihin ni Mikaela Bilbao na ‘sabi ko na sa inyo noh’. Sabi nya kasi, si Dodie Puno nga daw ang may pakana kaya pati pangalan ni Gretchen and Pops sabit din. Showbiz, pulitika, corruption. Parang soap opera na naman sa tv. Pero ang pinakamasakit, mukhang nakawawa na naman si Juan dela Cruz. Naisahan na naman ng kung sinong ganid!

Hotnot: Demolition job din against Noynoy? Pinapaimbestigahan daw ulit ni Satur Ocampo ang barilan sa Hacienda Luisita. Tanong ko ulit: Bakita ngayon ulit? Sabagay ganyan talaga ang pulitika sa atin. Eleksyon na naman kaya labasan na naman ng baho ng bawat kandidato. Kawawa talaga si Juan dela Cruz! Ang nag-iiba lang petsa at oras. Ang mga karakter ganon pa rin. Ang sistema ganon pa rin. Bulok. Kaya ang hangin sa Pinas di na naman kakayanin ng air fresheners!

the future star

sana buhay pa ang DS when this little girl turns out to be a singing sensation like what her proud father said. coz i'm sure siya mismo matatawa dito sa ginagawa nya pag nakita nya ito.

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wala pa pong 2 yrs old ang cute naming si sofia but she's already a star na talaga naman pong maipagmamalaki ng daddy ricky and mommy weng nya. can't wait for the day na talagang kakanta na sya ng isang makabagbag damdaming birit! meantime, makitawa muna tayo sa hindi maintindihang solo ng sofia the singing diva!

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the beauty of mother earth

it's saturday and as usual i'm feeling lousy. isang oras na ako sa aking workstation at wala pa akong ginagawa kungdi magkape at mag-check ng mails at blog ko. then i stumbled upon these marvelous pics on the net and it seemed to have done something magical to me. bigla akong nagising.

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earth is truly amazing. nakaka-overwhelm na ang katulad kong isang tinatamad na trabahador is just one tiny, miniscule portion of this wonderful planet called earth. just look at these pics of beautiful islands as taken from outer space. God is so gracious to have given us something so beautiful and yet we're just taking it all for granted. so let's take more conscious effort to take care of our planet shall we?

atafu islands, new zealand

eleuthera islands, bahamas

galapagos islands, pacific ocean

hawaiian islands, pacific ocean

maldives, indian ocean

millenium islands, republic of kiribati

onekotan islands, russia

lesser sunda, indonesia

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to view the whole article, visit http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/11/islands-space/?npu=1&mbid=yhp

hotnothot 19

my apologies if i don't have any hothot issue this time. i'm focusing on the political scene and i'm sure you'd agree that it's difficult to find something positive in that area right this moment.

Hotnot: Chiz Escudero’s politics. As I said in my previous posting, I used to adore Chiz. He’s young, he’s smart and he embodies the political idealism I can relate to. He’s like a breath of fresh air among the stench of the old ‘trapo’. But to me his actions of late are signals of a very calculating, possibly scheming character. From his dilly-dallying in making any official announcement to his sudden bolting out of his political party, I can sense one devious character hiding beneath the boy-next-door image. Maybe it will be for the country’s best if he doesn’t end up in Malacanang after all.

Hotnot: Gloria’s desperation. His spin doctors are churning out a lot of bs that’s stripping Gloria of whatever respect left on her already plummeting reputation. Things like Gloria running for Congress after her term doesn’t sound right. And the latest, Gloria running for VP leaves a bad taste in the mouth altogether. What’s wrong with her? Is she really that greedy for power that after being the ‘queen’ she’s willing to become just one of the witches cooking magic spells for the new ruler? Or is it her spin doctors who are behind the greed? Either way I hope it doesn’t come true. There’s too much greed already and millions of Pinoys are suffering. Lord have mercy on us!

Hotnot: Pacquiao overdrive. I’ve said it time and again. Even if I’m not a fan of Manny, I’m proud of what he has done for the Philippines. But for the Philippine legislation to grind to a halt just because of Manny’s bout is way too much of an over drive. These politicians should not be scampering to Vegas and instead be in their seats doing their jobs. It’s workday people. And since you’re salaried employees of the Filipino people, Juan dela Cruz oughta be kicking you’re a**es if you’re not in when the rolls were called.

Hotnot: Alvin Flores gang. Just one of the many names dotting an invisible map of organized crimes in the PI. Organizations that can easily pounce on large and supposedly safe establishment like Glorietta. Which only reflects the kind of society we are living in. A society where more people are in dire poverty which makes survival the only thing that matters. Unless the government does something to address this great divide between the few uber rich and the millions and millions of super poor, more Alvin Flores will surface.

ds poll results

i was thinking of closing our survey for the presidentiables after announcements were made. but it looks like a few of them are taking forever to make up their minds. coz except for noynoy and manny, the others are still playing games, dipping their toes probably to test how lukewarm the water is. and i'm sure they're keepin an eye on the results of surveys so that they can have a 'feel' of what's waiting for them in 2010.

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well if by any stroke of miracle these presidentiables ever wind up here in ds, they'd better take heed of what ds regulars had in mind. coz here's how you, my ds friends wanted it in 2010.

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you wanted noynoy to win. can't blame you. he's got the sentimental vote, thanks to ninoy and cory whose legacy is that of unbridled patriotism. however, i have doubts if noynoy can translate that greatness into an effective presidency. but who knows. with all the support he's getting, i sure hope he becomes a better president than what we've seen for the last decade. and maybe the halls of malacanang will do kris some good. so she can lose some of her 'kataklesahan'.

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manny comes second. and at the rate things are going, i'm bound to agree. he's got my vote for quite a few reasons. one being his very own personal success story. however, i hope he steers clear of that horrible show hosted by the equally horrible host who claims to be 'masa' but certainly isn't. manny wouldn't want to be associated with a 'plastic' personality if he wants his reputation and credibility uncompromised.

noli got one vote. and i hope that's exactly what he gets in 2010. coz i honestly believe he should not be holding the highest position in the land. he's one over-rated guy. why? he's been a senator. now a vp. but what has he done? ever been to oriental mindoro? if not, go and see for yourself why.

chiz got one vote also. quite a contrast on some surveys where he's usually leading. i used to like this guy too. but as time goes on, he seem to lose his star. and i certainly doubted him and his intentions when he did that stunt with his political party. he says his reasons are noble. i see it the other way.

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binay got one vote too. maybe from one of our friends from the makati area. i've said it before - he may have led makati very well. but makati is just one small area of the country. and governing the 7,100 other islands is an entirely different story.

erap got zero vote. thank god! at least i'm not gonna worry as far as ds country is concerned.

jamby got zero too. and that is the icing on the cake! coz i'll start doubting the sanity of ds friends if they give any vote to the grand dame of hallucination!

ds poll will be back as soon as the prima donnas have announced their official candidacy. let's see how it turns out. meantime, smile. and pray that we're gonna get a decent, honest, fearless, selfless and better president soon. ah well, i can dream, can't i?

steak house o stick-up?

It's halloween but you know the non-conformist me. Kaya hindi about halloween ang posting ko... instead it's something about a resto. (pasaway ba! hehehehe)

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Had dinner last night with a friend in the newest dining spot in Jubail, the Steakhouse. And, in keeping with DS tradition of reviewing almost anything (or simply being a pakialamero), let me share my thoughts about the place.

I thought it was a local franchise of the US-based Steak House (na hindi ko na pinagkaabalahang itanong) so sabi ko siguro masarap ang pagkain. Isa pa, I like the location coz it faces the beachfront of Fanateer. It’s calm and quiet as opposed to other restos lalo na yong mga nasa loob ng malls. Pero kung franchisee nga sya ng internationally recognized brand at kahit gaano kaganda ang place from the outside, marami pala akong ililitanya.

Let me start with the doorman na kabayan pa mandin. Dahil sallah (prayer time) kami dumating, parang sinisi pa kami kung bakit hindi kami kumatok eh nagpapapasok naman daw sila kahit prayer time. How would I know you imbecile. He rambled on a few more words pero wala akong narinig ni katiting ng standard na ‘good evening sir, welcome to’ whatever. Buti pa sa Jollibee matutulig ka sa mga service crew sa mga ganyang linya.

Ok, the interiors was nice but it’s too dull for a yuppie (uso pa ba ito?) like me. I’m more into Chili’s and TGIF ambience. Ok na rin ang Applebees. Pero ito, parang pang-matanda at boring na executives.

Here comes the waiter na kabayan din. He introduced himself and gave us the menu. The list was typical. Nothing unique. Pero gasgas na nga ang menu, pag-order ko ng Alfredo pasta (my all-time fave fettuccini), hindi raw available lahat ng pasta nila! What the…!!! At kung ano-ano pang io-offer ng impakto na mga specials at promos, ipipilit ang soup at salad bar na sabi ko na ngang hindi kami interesado.

Fast forward. Eto na ang drinks. Iced tea for me, soda for my friend. Parehong umaapaw sa bloke-blokeng yelo. Na pag inalis mo yong ice, kalahati na lang ng baso ang matitirang inumin. Besides, bakit ganito ang glass nila? Alam mo yong mga garapon sa sari-sari store dati? Yong parang cookie jar kumpleto with the grooves na kinakapitan nong takip? Yon ang baso nila. Nilagyan lang ng hawakan. It may look unique (dahil ngayon lang ako nakakita ng ganon in a dining place like that). But it sure looks odd.

Then the food was served. Mabilis naman dumating (maybe because iilan kaming customers nila at that time) but it’s more disappointments. The plate of Shrimp I ordered (in place of the fettuccini) looks Ok. Okey din ang lasa. Kaso, parang ang liit ng serving. Siguro 12pcs lang yong shrimps na small size pa, cooked in so much tomato paste, may kasamang slices of blanched carrots and beans at kaunting Mexican rice. Yon lang pero SR65 ang presyo! Parang hindi makatarungan.

And so is the rib-eye steak na highlight sana nong dinner ko. It looked more like a steamed piece of meat rather than grilled as I was expecting. Served with (again) carrots and beans and the potato wedges na kahit paano ay na-enjoy ko. Malambot yong steak but it tastes bland compared to countless other rib-eye na natikman ko. It could easily win as the worst rib-eye I ever had, hands-down!

And again, at SR65 (din), maliit ang serving ng steak nila. Hindi rin makatarungan. Para kang hino-holdap sa presyo. At yong hotplate nila, it looks like you’re eating right off a kawali. Naalala ko ang mga friend kong socialite. I can hear them chorusing ‘pang-hampaslupa’! hehehe…

Sa irita ko, binara ko ang lumapit na kabayan who did not introduce himself at basta na lang nagtanong kung how was our food daw. Baka manager nong resto. Eh unang subo ko pa lang kaya sabi ko “we’ve just started kaya wala pa akong masasabi sa iyo”. Hindi na nagpakita ulit ang hunghang.

Hindi nga ako nag-enjoy sa main course so I had to cap off the whole exercise with a dessert. Usually sa Applebees, Sizzlers and even Flamingo, hindi na ako makapag-dessert sa sobrang busog. But here, I just have to. Bitin ako. Hindi ako nag-enjoy. And I’m still giving them a chance to redeem themselves. So I asked for the menu again.

Pero wala na naman yong gusto kong apple pie. Iba na lang daw. O sige yon na lang (whatever that is na nakalimutan ko kung ano). But a few minutes later, heto na naman ang waiter. Ubos na rin daw yong whatever that is! Ano ba yan! Grrrr! O sige strawberry cheesecake na lang.

Na-enjoy ko naman yong cheesecake. Very smooth yong cheese unlike others na parang buhangin. Pero hindi pa rin talaga ako natuwa. Tinawag na strawberry cheesecake dahil cheesecake na nilagyan ng slices of strawberries. Kaso nilagyan ng puree. At ang puree na ginamit? Apple! Ano ba yan! Tara na nga!

On our way out heto na naman si kabayang doorman. ‘Tapos na?’ sabi ba naman sa akin. Tapos nang ano? Parang ‘tapos ka nang tumae?’. Hindi ko nga pinansin. Tiningnan ko lang. Walang ni hi ni ho. Impaktong ito saan kayang karinderya galing.

Sabi ko nga sa friend ko, I won’t go back to that place kung ako rin lang ang magbabayad. Pupunta lang ako don if it’s somebody else’s treat. And if that happens, I’ll even tell the guy treating to consider other place instead. Gusto kong kumain at mabusog. Hindi mainis at mabitin tulad ng nangyari kagabi. What an expensive way to get disappointed!