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!