Silence

I am currently listening to a CD that I recently bought, entitled "Silence". I bought it from Mag:net at the Loop at Mother Ignacia. They were playing it while I was checking out their magazines and the music caught my attention. I bought the CD on the spot.

The CD includes 14 instrumental songs. The music is beautiful. Very relaxing. They based the CD on the coffee table book by Jaime Zobel which features beautiful photographs. The CD has several pictures and verses as well. Photographs by Jaime Zobel, songs composed by Nhick Pacis and Rayben Maigue, and flute by Ray Sison.


Time and being
comes to a standstill
at the mind and hear's sudden joining --
the moment resonates,
and gives a glimpse of the universe's beginning.

I know of moments profound
when, holding myself still,
I feel the brush of a passing angel's kiss.
And peace, nestling close,
brings perfect bliss.


Definitely a great gift this Christmas.

2nd hand celphones for sale!

Giving this a shot, who knows? :)

Nokia 8250
Price: P6,000
-with charger
-open line
-phone in very good condition but needs a new case

Nokia 6510
Price: P9,000
-with charger
-Smart line only
-only 1 month old
-excellent condition

I prefer that both phones be bought together. Doing this because I'm planning to buy a new celphone.

If you're interested, kindly email me at [email protected]. Thanks!

For pick up at Katipunan, Loyola Heights area, or Mother Ignacia, in QC.

Wow, nice to blog again, after a long time. Don't know where to start...

I've been thinking of starting another blog. The error I always encounter with this blog is really annoying me already. It's the 503 (?) error, something about the template. There's also something wrong with the archives - as you can see, it stopped at September 14. For those who know me well, I'm sure you know how I can be impatient at times. Oh well, I don't care enough to make this a problem so I'm doing anything about it yet. If you have advice for me, please please feel free to let me know.

How's everyone? Can't wait to read your blogs. I've only been reading Bunny's blog.

Just going through tough times. Hope to blog regularly soon.

Long time no blog.

Been really busy the past week. When I get home I just chat on the phone for a while and go to sleep right away. Not much TV, and no internet from the house. I guess that's what happens when you go home tired.

Bazaars

Mommy, Gino and I went to 2 bazaars last Saturday. The one in Polo Club and the one in Makati Sports. There were so many people in Polo Club! I even saw my boss. Anyway, it was so hot so we didn't want to stay long. The prices were too steep for a bazaar, at least for me. I guess the people selling know that the 'target market' for that bazaard don't care much about prices. 2 good buys from there - Kesovore and Tinapate. Kesovore is like Pesto sauce, except that there's cheese. It's so good! It can be used for pasta, for sandwiches, and for chips. Tinapate is tinapa pate. Gino bought for himself 'cause he loved it so much. I don't like Tinapa so I wouldn't know. As for Makati Sports Club, there weren't a lot of people, compared to last year. I guess this is because there are many bazaars out there already. They still have good stuff, and a lot of good food. Bought strawberry almond cheesecake from a stall. Heavenly! I'll look for the contact details and post it here so you guys can check it out. It's P350 for a box which has 12 bars (normal brownie size bars). I'm telling you, it's YUMMY!

Gym

Started going to the gym last monday. It was supposed to be a normal aero class, but they had a guest from Cebu so we ended up doing Latin/Aero! I felt shitty at first 'cause I thought it was going to be really silly. It turned out that it was really good exercise for the body, and I really enjoyed it. Thing is, ANG SAKIT NG KATAWAN KO!!! I joined the aero class yesterday even if my body was still painful - good decision because there's less pain now. I'm supposed to join the kickboxing class today but I'm a volunteer for Urban Jungle tomorrow, and that starts at 6AM.

Busy!

I hope I can post something long later...

Busy busy.

Loaded day. I'm happy 'cause I was able to do a LOT of things. Plus I was able to chat with Mads, Kuya Danny, and Bunny. I hope it's always like this. I really like it when I'm busy.

There is one negative thing that I can say about this company. I am getting FAT! I really have to start going to the gym. I forced myself to pay already so that I don't have a choice but to start right away. Monday is the day. Hehe.

Friday Five on a Monday!

1. Did you vote in your last elections?
Yes I did.

2. Do you know who your elected representatives are?
Yes. Our town: Mayor-Perez, Vice-Mayor-Yatco. I didn't vote for councilors because I didn't know most of them.

3. Have you ever contacted an elected representative? If so, what was it about?
No, I don't think so.

4. Have you ever participated in a demonstration?
Sort of. I was part of the rallies against Erap in Makati, from November to January.

5. Have you ever volunteered in an election? What was the result?
Definitely. I was part of Namfrel twice. The first one, I was appointed Logistics Manager because one of the Logcom Managers got into an accident. Handling the QC count was no joke. It was hard work! No sleep! I think I slept a total of 5 hours for 3 days! After that I think I slept 16 hours straight. The second one, I was just part of the group in charge of 1 district.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

Something's going on in the Ateneo High School right now. Some sort of concert. Really loud music, since this afternoon. Gave me a great idea - why not listen to my CD's??? I haven't done that for the longest time! So now I'm listening to my old CD's. And I made sure that I'll only listen to fast, loud music. No senti songs, not in the mood for them.

Coke Mismo Ad

Have you guys seen the new Coke ad? It's a really nice ad with the message that Coke is for anyone, and everyone. They used the different coke variations to show the different kinds of people. I'm just surprised that Coke didn't launch this ad with a bang. They usually have big launches for new campaigns. I can't forget how they launched the "Coca Cola Enjoy" ads. They reserved the 12:00NN (or was it 4PM?) spots in 3 different TV stations and showed all 4 variations of the campaign.

Bunny also posted about this commercial in her blog. Like one of the regulars in her blog, I wish we had a local Adcritic.com. I'd like to see old and new commercials alike. I guess bandwith is just too expensive. And it's probably a hassle 'cause the webmaster will have to ask permission for all the commercials he includes in the website. Oh well.

An alternick of a PEx regular posted "Where's Caramba?" in the Announcements and Suggestions forum of PinoyExchange. Thanks to Ada, who replied that I'm no longer connected to PEx, but that I'm still in touch with them.

If people only know...

Anyway, I was really surprised to see certain people viewing the thread.

Angela Velez Logos and Picture Messages

I get a lot of visitors who are looking for Angela Velez. I don't have pics or info, but I can tell you this: You can download logos and picture messages of Angela Velez to your mobile phone. Just text LOGO or PIC and send to 2366 (for both Globe and Smart subscribers).

Keywords for Logos:
AVBABE, AVBOMB, AVEYES, AVFACE, AVMINE
AVNAME, AVRSST, AVSMYL, AVSIG, MYAV
AVNY, AVVAL, AHBD, AVHAL, AVXMS

Keywords for Picture Messages:
AVADCTD, AVAPIL, ABABE2, AVDNCE, AKISS
AVADCTD, AVOWN, AVDCE, AVSEXY, WANTAV
AVNY2, AVVAL2, AVHBD2, AVHAL2, AVXMS2
AVMD, AVFD

If you want to see samples check out this page.

*All logos and picture messages are worth P15.00

Recent Referrals

Powerboys - 8
Sex Bomb Dancers - 6
Angela Velez - 6
G-Girls - 4
Pilak Awards - 2
Menchie Mabanta Bazaars - 2
Heavent Sent Bazaars - 2

Wow.

When I have time, I will look for info about the Powerboys and Angela Velez, as a service to the online public. :)

Got this from Bunny. Pareho kami, hehe.


:: how jedi are you? ::

Allergies

First time to have an allergy attack after so long. Thing is, I don't know why! As far I'm concerned, I didn't eat/drink/do anything that I'm allergic to. Now my face (especially my nose and right ear) are so red. Damn.

I got really sad when I found out I was allergic to crabs. I love crabs! Before, whenever I'd eat, my tummy would react. It would get really painful. But I didn't mind it. Until one day, when the allergies came out. I was red all over! I guess the allergies stayed inside (which is more dangerous, I was told), and this resulted in the tummy aches. After that, I was told not to eat crabs anymore. It's dangerous because the allergies might come out in the air passage, so I won't be able to breathe properly. Really sad. Now I can only eat the fake crabs - the one used for sushi.

My medicine for allergies is celestamine. The good thing about it is that it acts fast. After you drink it, you see results. It becomes less itchy. The problem with it is that you can't take it regularly, because it has steroids. And it makes you sleepy. It's not like Fabihistine (Fabihistan) that you can take regularly. Problem with that is that it doesn't act right away. Takes probably an hour or a bit more.

Now I'm sleepy. Yawn.

Bosses

Say the word "boss" and you'll only get either a smile or a frown from a working person. I have heard soooooooo many stories on really questionable and undeserving bosses from friends. *Wink!* It's really sad when it's like that, because one's happiness in the office does not only depend on the workload, but also on relationships within the office, especially with "the boss". Heck, sometimes it doesn't even depend on the workload at all. More work doesn't necessarily mean unhappiness or stress. But having a bad boss will almost always result in stress.

It's hard to work for someone who you do not respect. It's hard to do the things you're being asked to do. Because where is the credibility? Why should you do something that someone who you do not respect told you to do? I guess respect is a broad word, it may be the result of different things. In this case I'm talking about respect for the knowledge of the boss. Some bosses may be a little bit hard to approach, but he's so good at what he does that you forget about that little detail. Some bosses, on the other hand, are just plain clueless as to what's going on.

I'm happy with my boss. I respect her. She knows what she's doing, she's on top of things, and she gets the work done. I'm not sucking up. Hey, she's not perfect, but in general, she's cool. How you look at your boss makes a whole lot of difference with how you learn at work. It really affects one's 'working experience'.

I feel sad for some friends who are not as lucky as me. They have to exert more effort in working - what I mean is that they have to push themselves a little more, by ignoring the fact that the boss sucks, by looking at other things for enjoyment, by learning from other people instead. Oh well, I'm glad though that they're coping really well. Some of them are even immune to their bosses already. They just do what they have to do.

Just thinking out loud, here in the office. Can't wait to go home.

Friday Five

1. Were you raised in a particular religious faith?
Yup, I'm a Roman Catholic.

2. Do you still practice that faith? Why or why not?
Yes I do. And it's not blind faith. I don't agree with every single thing that our Church teaches, though.

3. What do you think happens after death?
Really don't know. But I'm sure there's an afterlife. Too many stories to ignore this.

4. What is your favorite religious ritual (participating in or just observing)?
Hmmm, I like singing songs during mass. It's really a nice way to celebrate and give back to God.

5. Do you believe people are basically good?
Yes I do. It's really because of the environment that people get messed up. And even when they're in the process of being messed up, they still think it's for the better. The goal is always something "good", in quotation marks.

Bazaar Schedule

I got this through email, from a friend. Happy shopping!

November
14 Thu
Menchie Mabanta Bazaars - Phil Stock Exchange Center, Tektite

15 Fri
Menchie Mabanta Bazaars - Phil Stock Exchange Center, Tektite

16 Sat
Heaven Sent - Manila Polo Club
Menchie Mabanta Bazaars - Makati Sports
Karl Edwards - NBC Tent
Just Before Xmas Bazaar - Cuenca Com Center, Ayala Alabang
Bazaar Bonanza - Valle Verde 6 Clubhouse

17 Sun
Heaven Sent - Manila Polo Club
Menchie Mabanta Bazaars - Makati Sports
Angel Sent Bazaar - Edsa Shangri La Plaza
Karl Edwards - NBC Tent , The Fort
Just Before Xmas Bazaar - Cuenca Com Center, Ayala Alabang
Bazaar Bonanza - Valle Verde 6 Clubhouse

19 Tue
AWCP - World Trade Center 8:30-3:00

23 Sat
Heaven Sent - Manila Polo Club

24 Sun
Heaven Sent - Manila Polo Club

30 Sat
Menchie Mabanta Bazaars - Makati Sports
Almost Xmas Bazaar - Cuenca Com Center, Ayala Alabang 8:00-6:00

December
1 Sun
Sun Menchie Mabanta Bazaars - Makati Sports
Almost Xmas Bazaar - Cuenca Com Center, Ayala Alabang 8:00-6:00

5 Thu - 9 Mon
2nd World Bazaar Festival 2002 World Trade Center 10:00-12mn

11 Wed
AWCP - World Trade Center 8:30-3:00

12 Thu
Menchie Mabanta Bazaars - Phil Stock Exchange Center, Tektite

13 Fri
Menchie Mabanta Bazaars - Phil Stock Exchange Center, Tektite

14 Sat
Angel Sent Bazaar - Edsa Shangri La Plaza
Year End Bazaar - Cuenca Comm Center, Ayala Alabang 8:00-6:00

15 Sun
Angel Sent Bazaar - Edsa Shangri La Plaza
Year End Bazaar - Cuenca Comm Center, Ayala Alabang 8:00-6:00

18 Wed
Menchie Mabanta Bazaars - Phil Stock Exchange Center, Tektite

19 Thu
Menchie Mabanta Bazaars - Phil Stock Exchange Center, Tektite

20 Fri
Menchie Mabanta Bazaars - Phil Stock Exchang Center, Tektite

21 Sat
Angel Sent Bazaar - Edsa Shangri La Plaza

22 Sun
Angel Sent Bazaar - Edsa Shangri La Plaza

Julia Fordham

I am a Julia Fordham fan. I love her songs. Some say she's a transvestite. I don't care. Her songs are beautiful.

Here's a song that's not very common. It's entitled "Something Right". I have been looking for it for the longest time. I finally have a copy. It's a really nice song.

Something Right
By: Julia Fordham

I've been down to the river
And seen the other side
I have cowered in the corner
Without a place to hide
I've been lost and forsaken
And sworn 'd not get through
But I must have done something right
To be here loving you
I must have done something right
To be here loving you
I have searched
For the whole truth
And seldom have I lied
I have been the silent witness
To all the tears I've cried
There are things that I have done
I wish I could undo
But I must have done something right
To be here loving you
I must have done something right
To be here loving you
There were times when i had lost my
Will to carry on
I'm glad I found the strength to
So I could sing this song
There are things that I have done
I wish I could undo
But I must have done something right
To be here loving you
I must have done something right
To be here loving you

NIKKI AKA KAMATS AKA ONSE

I think Nikki has been visiting our blogs, or at least, my blog. Hi Nikki! We MISHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!
Yihee kilig na yan, pinag-aawayan ng girls. :)

Wow.
(From E Online)

If she's smart, then God is unfair. Check out Fashion Police

Just checked Friday Five. It's all about Halloween, so I decided not to answer it. My answers will be corny anyway. I don't watch scary movies, I don't like talking about scary stuff, and I definitely don't like ghost-hunting. I'm such a scaredy-cat.

I don't celebrate Halloween that much. I guess it's because I grew up in Binan, a town where trick-or-treat wasn't really practiced, unlike posh villages such as Ayala Alabang. I know it's fun, but well, I never really got into it.

Sitcom Gimmicks

I noticed that GMA 7 sitcoms have their own gimmicks. I like Kool Ka Lang's gimmick the best. They have a "Long Batian Portion" where they greet their texters/viewers. Long is given a minute to read all the greetings, and after a minute he gets hit by something on the head, then the show resumes. The clock they use is a Mickey Mouse clock, but instead of Mickey's face, Dagul's face is displayed.

Idol Ko Si Kap's gimmick used to be acceptable, but one gets tired of it after a while. A group of guys together with a kid rap the theme song of the show. They add Rufa Mae's line, "Todo na 'to!" At the end of the show, they all join in and sing and dance with the group.

Beh Bote Nga has the worst gimmick. I think they just came up with it because it's becoming a trend. Before commercial breaks, a group of 3 girls dance, and a 'hirit' is shown on screen. Sometimes, in the middle of the show, they insert blurbs with arrows pointed to the person involved. Really corny.

Why the hell am I blogging about this? Well, I'm watching Beh Bote Nga right now and the girls are starting to annoy me. :)

Philippine Web Awards

Why is it that whenever I talk to my friends about the Webbies, their reactions are almost always "ho-hum". As if there's nothing special about it, as if it's nothing to look forward to... And what surprises me more is that even acquaintances react the same way.

It seems that the Philippine Web Awards has become more of a social thing. It doesn't come across as a standard, which is should be. A lot of people question the winners, not because they're sourgraping, but because they truly do not believe in the winners. A lot of people, from different groups, feel that if you're not 'connected' to the organizers, you won't have a chance. True or not, why is it that a lot of people think that way? There must be something to it...

The list of semi-finalists is out.

Please do vote for PinoyExchange under the community category.

Got this from Monch






Take the Dessert Quiz

Homilies

I was thinking out loud about how priests should have subjects on extemporaneous speech and speech outlines (if it's read). My cousin heard me, and he said that the seminarians now have subjects related to this. I was really surprised, but it made sense because most of the younger priests give better homilies than the older ones.

I go to mass every Sunday, 5:30 at our Church. Two priests alternate. I really look forward to the masses celebrated by Priest 1, because his homilies are short, but they really make sense and they hit you. The homilies are interesting. On the other hand, Priest 2 always gets carried away, so he ends up giving long homilies which I don't understand. And so I don't pay attention most of the time.

Yes, mass-goers have the responsibility to pay attention during mass and absorb the 'lessons' of the Gospel. But I also believe that priests have the responsibility to make sure that people pay attention. They should do this by giving interesting homilies.

Just listened to I'll Be by Edwin McCain. I really, really LOVE this song.

The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful
Stop me and steal my breath
Emeralds from mountains thrust towards the sky
Never revealing their depth
Tell me that we belong together
Dress it up with the trappings of love
I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above
I'll be your cryin' shoulder
I'll be love suicide
I'll be better when I'm older
I'll be the greatest fan of your life
Rain falls angry on the tin roof
As we lie awake in my bed
You're my survival, you're my living proof
My love is alive and not dead
Tell me that we belong together
Dress it up in the trappings of love
I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above
I've dropped out, burned up, fought my way back from the dead
Tuned in, turned on, remembered the thing you said

Friday Five!

1. How many TVs do you have in your home?
Just 3. One in my parents' room, one in my room, and a small one in the kitchen.

2. On average, how much TV do you watch in a week?
I watch TV a lot. In a week, I watch around 25 hours of TV. 3 hours a day from Monday til Saturday, and around 5-6 hours every Sunday.

3. Do you feel that television is bad for young children?
In general, no. But I have to admit that a lot of shows now are not kid-friendly.

4. What TV shows do you absolutely HAVE to watch, and if you miss them, you're heartbroken?
Used to be CSI, but they're just replaying it now. I make sure I watch Kung Mawawala Ka, Kool Ka Lang, The Amazing Race, and Will and Grace.

5. If you had the power to create your own television network, what would your line-up look like?
That would really be cool! Hmmm, it will definitely be a mix. There will be soap operas, musical varieties, sitcoms (Kool Ka Lang and US sitcoms), US drama series, reality TV (The Amazing Race! Survivor, pwede na.), sports (esp. tennis and UAAP!), news, and cartoons. :)

Got this from Bunny

You are 14% geek

OK, so maybe you ain't a geek. You do, at least, show a bit of interest in the world around you. Either that, or you have enough of a sense of humor to pick some of the sillier answers on the test. Regardless, you're probably a pretty nifty, well-rounded person who gets along fine with people and can chat with just about anyone without fear of looking stupid or foolish or overly concerned with minutiae. God, I hate you.

Take the Polygeek Quiz at Thudfactor.com

Magka-iba ba geek and nerd? :D

Pagcor vs. Telcos

Pagcor says that all raffle games being offered by the telcos are forms of gambling. This means that they should be regulated by Pagcor. Check out the article at IT Matters - Smart, Globe text-based raffle promos tagged as gambling

I think they now realize that there's big money in text games so they want to step in. "I am convinced that all these (text games) are gambling. It is not a sales promotion. We should shield the public, especially the youth from all these forms of gambling," Mr. Gunigundo told reporters. Yeah right.

They do have a point though that no government body is regulating text promos. Advertising has the Adboard, brands have the DTI, food companies have the BFAD...

On the other hand, the telcos deny that the games are gambling, because there is no wager. What about the P2.00 or P2.50? The texter is paying for the service. It's not a wager. Good point too.

Well, whatever happens, all I know is that it will be more complicated if the government steps in. Prices might go up, because of the tax and fees and what-have-you.

Another sigh.

No more StarWorld on Destiny. Damn. Now we have to switch to SKY again! This sucks.

Felt good to read blogs again.

On GMA sending medical practitioners to Bali...

I kinda have a problem with this. I'm not saying that we shouldn't help, but maybe we can help some other way. Sending medical practioners to Bali will the mean the following:

-doctors having less time for Filipinos since they'll be in Bali
-spending for plane fare and medicine

Imagine if we just use that money to help Filipinos who are in need, like the kids in PGH.

I know that what happened in Bali is a terrible thing. But here in the Philippines, terrible things happen everyday. It doesn't have to be 'big' like a bomb exploding. Kids on the streets, sick Filipinos who cannot pay the hospital that they're in, etc...

Sigh.

Friday Five!

1. If you could only choose 1 cd to ever listen to again, what would it be?
Julia Fordham The Collection

2. If you could only choose 2 movies to watch ever again, what would they be?
Shawshank Redemption
Goodwill Hunting

3. If you could only choose 3 books to read ever again, what would they be?
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Tuesday with Morrie by Mitch Albom

4. If you could only choose 4 things to eat or drink ever again, what would they be?
Tequila Rose! LOL! Nestea Iced Tea. My mom's eggplant lasagna. And lechon!

5. If you could only choose 5 people to ever be/talk/associate/whatever with ever again, who would they be?
My mom, my dad, Gino, Misay... Hmmm I can think of around 3 for the 5th one - Bunny, Gina and Ms. Udani. .

Just got this via email.

La Salle-Ateneo: A duel beyond basketball
HERE'S THE SCORE by Teodoro C. Benigno
The Philippine Star 10/02/2002

How do we look at Saturday?

In the old days we had a crystal ball. We were a soothsayer supreme, at times Oom the Omniscient, the Seer of Sotanghoen, Teodorus the Peerless Swamus. At times our crystal ball turned out to be a lousy, double-crossing doorknob. Oh well, I couldn't win them all. Many fans would bet against the team I predicted would win. Once, I had to eat my column since I forecast an Ateneo win over La Salle. This bummed out and I said I would eat my column inside two slices of bread with lots of ketchup. I did, yuck. An incorrigible crystal ball gazer we, Teodorus again peers at the lighted globule.

Alakazam! Need I prophesy the obvious? The Archers will win.

-------
Mwahahahahaha! I wonder what a column inside two slices of bread with lots of ketchup tastes like? :D

Yahoo and MSN Messenger

Guys, if you're using Yahoo or MSN Messenger, I hope you can email me your ID's at [email protected] so that I can add you to my list. I'm currently using Yahoo. I'm supposed to use MSN Messenger also but I can't get it to work properly right now. Thanks!

I was supposed to answer Friday Five but I found the questions boring. And so I'll just talk about something else... the UAAP!

Ateneo won the UAAP Men's Basketball Championship last saturday. It was an awesome game, very close. I think the biggest lead of the game was 11 points, and the leads didn't last long. I had so much fun watching at the Moro Gym. I watched with Gino and Anton, and hundreds of other Ateneans.

I think we won because of the ff: very good defense, Mike Cortez not playing well, and lots of heart!

Mary for you!

The Official World's Funniest Joke

Can you believe that there is such a thing? Seems like a joke itself, right? But this is true. A team of British scientists carried out this experiment over the internet. They asked people to submit and rate the jokes on the site. They found out that people from different countries reacted differently to some jokes, but this joke was considered the funniest because it appealed to everyone:

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy takes out his phone and calls the emergency services.

He gasps: "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator says: "Calm down, I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is a silence, then a gunshot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says: "OK, now what?"

Interesting story. Read more about it at CNN

For those who are searching, I hope that these will help. Google is my top referrer, and a lot of people are searching for these keywords... (in bold)

If you're looking for info on the UAAP, you can go to the following websites:
PinoyExchange UAAP Forum
PinoyCentral - UAAP
Universitybelt.com

If you want info on the Ateneo players, you can go to the following websites:
Atenista.net Sports
Universitybelt - Ateneo
Pinoycentral - Ateneo

If you're looking for info on the Pilak Awards, you can check out the following:
4 A's Website (No info here though.)
Past blog entry - List of Finalists

If you're looking for info and pictures of thePowerboys, go here: ABS CBN - Powerboys

If you're looking for info and pictures of Angela Velez, go here: ABS CBN Talent Center - Angela Velez

If you're looking for UAAP Tickets, check out Ticketnet. I doubt if there are still tickets though.

People take so many things for granted. I'm guilty of this. We always find ourselves ranting about traffic, about parking, about taxes, everything... Well, here's an email that I receive that will make us remember to be grateful for things that we usually take for granted.

I AM THANKFUL....

FOR THE TAXES THAT I PAY, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT I AM EMPLOYED.

FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT I HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.

FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG, BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.

FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK, BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE.

FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING, WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING, AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING, BECAUSE IT
MEANS I HAVE A HOME.

FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

FOR THE PARKING SPOT I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT, BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING
AND THAT I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION.

FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL, BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM WARM.

FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH THAT SINGS OFF KEY, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT I CAN HEAR.

FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING, BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.

FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES AT THE END OF THE DAY, BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF WORKING
HARD.

FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT I AM ALIVE.

AND FINALLY...FOR TOO MUCH E-MAIL, BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE THINKING OF ME.

US visa holders face tighter screening

It sucks, but I understand. Even if you have a US Visa, you might still be asked to go through a special registration process which includes finger printing. Before, only only nationals from Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya and Syria were asked to go through this. Now, people who fall under the criteria will have to go through the process as well.

"Under the INS memorandum, four methods identify who will be subject to special registration and/or removal:

* Citizens or nationals of countries designated through publication of a notice in the Federal Register.
* Notification through the Interagency Border Inspection System (Ibis).
* Pre-existing criteria as defined by the Attorney General.
* Officer's discretion."

The criteria:

* The nonimmigrant alien has made unexplained trips to Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Syria, North Korea, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, Somalia, Pakistan, Indonesia, or Malaysia, or the alien's explanation of such trips lacks credibility.


* The alien has engaged in other travels not well-explained by his or her job or other legitimate circumstances.

* He or she had previously overstayed in the United States on a nonimmigrant visa, and monitoring is now appropriate in the interests of national security.

* He or she meets characterization established by current intelligence updates and advisories, or is identified by local, state or federal law enforcement agencies as being involved in activities that require monitoring in the interest of national security.

* The alien's behavior, demeanor or answers indicate that his or her movements should be monitored.

* He or she provides information that causes the immigration officer to reasonably determine that his or her activities require monitoring.

Sigh, it seems that it's such a hassle to go to the US right now, even just for vacation.

Ateneo lost Game 2 of the UAAP Finals. The players didn't play well and they lacked heart. They missed so many free throws and they missed so many open perimeter and 3 point shots. As a result, players with open shots hesitated and opted to pass rather than taking the open shot. A champion team does not play like that at all. Yesterday's game was so different from Game 1.

I'm happy though that Cardona was more humble yesterday. I guess he learned from Game 1.

Ateneo will definitely have a tough time during Game 3. I believe that La Salle will have the advantage. I hope one week will be enough preparation for these guys.

ATTENTION: CSI FANS

Good news! AXN will show back to back episodes every monday, from 10PM to 12 midnight. They'll probably show old episodes. This is good news for those who were not able to follow all the episodes, like Bunny. :) :)

ONE BIG FIGHT!

Yes!!! Ateneo won! It was an awesome game. I don't think any team was able to lead by more than 8 points throughout the game. Very good game for both teams. It was exciting until the last seconds.

I'm glad we won, because I was really planning on blogging about La Salle's Cardona. If we lost, then people will say that I'm sourgraping. Anyway, I totally do not have respect for this guy. Yes, he plays well. Yes, he's one of the best players of La Salle. I don't care. He is such a DIRTY PLAYER. I'm not being biased here. I do have respect for Mike Cortez. And when he was still playing I had respect for Renren Ritualo. They play well (heck, much better than Cardona), but they're 'clean'. Of course there are times when they give up fouls, times when they lose their temper, times when they trashtalk. But when they do it, you'll know it's part of the game. But Cardona - he goes out of his way to really play dirty and get on the nerves of his opponents. (We have a player who's like that in Ateneo too, I'll admit that...)

For today's game, he was extra cocky. And he really went out of his way to bump into the Ateneo players, especially Enrico Villanueva. It was so obvious that these were not 'accidental' bumps. He deliberately bumped into them, even if they were only walking around.

I'll admit, he played well. He made a lot of shots. But he won't earn my respect that way.

To the La Salle players, it was a great game. Could have gone either way. I guess Ateneo just had more heart in the final minutes.

Go Ateneo! ONE BIG FIGHT! Your hearts made you win! Play the same way next time!

Check out the updates of www.universitybelt.com. They already have pictures, stats and the summary of the game.

PS. Parokya ni Edgar joined the Blue Babble during half time. Aliw!

Speaking of the Powerboys...

They were part of the opening number of MTB today. They danced with Angela Velez. Okay, from the list of the things that they should be doing, we should definitely cross out dancing. It was awful. The steps were simple but it was so obvious that they were trying so hard. They were also asked to carry several dancers, and Angela Velez herself. They looked so awkward.

I can't wait to see them sing and act. I think these will be crossed out from the list as well. We'll see...

dance - NO!
sing - ?
act - ?
model - OK
hosting - ?

Sabi ko sa inyo eh, mag-model na lang kayo!!!

SUGGESTIONS

I'm bored, and I feel like ranting, so here's a list of my suggestions to whoever I can think of. I'm sure some of you will not agree with some of my suggestions. But well, to each his own.

GMA's S.O.P. TV Show - Please do not let Richard Gomez and Rossanna Roces sing anymore. You're missing the point of your tagline, "Concert TV".

Lakas - Don't field GMA in the 2004 presidential elections. No matter what happens, I don't think she'll win, especially if FPJ will run against her. If that happens, he will surely win. If the politicians are serious about change, and they're serious that they don't want Erap back (YEAH RIGHT), they should just field ONE candidate.

GMA - Tell your PR people to be more subtle. Your plans for 2004 are very obvious with every photo-op that you have. Your main message should be "I am working hard because I love this country, and because I am here to serve every Filipino". Right now, your message is obviously "I am doing this so that you will vote for me during the 2004 presidential elections".

Nestle Ice Cream - Please tell your key accounts people to make sure that Rustans Katipunan and Shoppersville will always have Milo Ice Cream. Please.

4 A's - Add a page to your website about the Pilak Awards. Do you know that a lot of people search for info about it through Google? They want info, give them info. Face it, a lot of people are going online. And oh yeah, please update your website.

Powerboys - Mag-model na lang kayo!!!

ABS CBN - Stop pushing your G Girls. Think of something else. Please don't say that "Powerboys" is your answer, because yikes, they're better off as models.

FPJ - If you really don't have plans of running, then SAY SO! Your vague answers are making you less respectable. I don't like Erap, but I still think you're respectable. But I can be wrong.

Powerbooks - Please sell the other books in the "A Wrinkle in Time" series.

AXN - PLEASE BRING BACK CSI!!! Pleaseeeeee!

I heard that there are some Malaysians who are bashing Filipinos online. They're part of an online community, which was discovered by a PinoyExchange member. He posted about it in PinoyExchange, and some PExers posted on the Malaysian board. At first the messages were okay, with a lot of facts to back up their arguments. Whenever the Malaysians cannot answer, some of them end up cursing the Filipinos. Sad to say, some of the Filipinos couldn't stand it, and so they also cursed back.

I haven't seen the thread in PinoyExchange yet. I'll try to visit it soon so that I can post here the URL of the Malaysian site, so that we can read for ourselves.

FRIDAY FIVE

1. Would you say that you're good at keeping in touch with people?
Hmmmm I'm okay at it. :) It's really so much easier now with texting.

2. Which communication method do you usually prefer/use: e-mail, telephone, snail mail, blog comments, or meeting in person? Why?
The two most 'successful' communication methods I use are text and email.

3. Do you have an instant messenger program? How many? Why/why not? How often do you use it?
I have two - Yahoo Messenger and ICQ. I usually use ICQ because most of my friends use it. I only use Yahoo Messenger so that I'll know if I have new email.

4. Do most of your close friends live nearby or far away?
Sad to say, they live far away. Most of them live in the south - Paranaque area. Some live in Makati.

5. Are you an "out of sight, out of mind" person, or do you believe that "distance makes the heart grow fonder"?
More of the latter. "Out of sight out of mind" is only for those useless, no-good people. :)

GMA's Men in Black Photo


(Picture from Telegraph.co.uk)

What do you guys think of the photo? Honestly, the first time I saw it on Inquirer, I didn't know how to react. But eventually, I thought the photo was cool, because it gave us a chance to see the 'other side' of the president. She's 'human' after all, someone who's capable of 'having fun'.

I have to admit though that people are definitely divided on this. I think those who don't like the photo have valid reasons too - the most important one being 'it's just not done by presidents'.

MORE QUIZZES


Test yourself at fontlover.com!



I'm Hello Kitty Water Fairy! made by: Jen




Discover what candy you are @ stvlive.com

See which Greek Goddess you are.

FEAR FACTOR again.

I blogged about Fear Factor last week 'cause I caught it on TV. And in one Friday Five entry I mentioned that one of the things that grosses me out is eating maggots, or maggots in general. Well, I'm watching it again right now on AXN. The contestants had to pick up as many chicken feet as possible in 2 minutes. No problem with that, right? But no, they had to pick up the chicken feet with their MOUTHS, without using their hands, from A CONTAINER THAT WAS FULL OF MAGGOTS. Live, wiggly, maggots. Sick!!! That show is really insane. And the contestants who join are more insane. I totally pity those who lose, because they had to go through all that shit for NOTHING. At least the winner gets $50,000.

PILAK AWARDS LIST OF WINNERS

I was finally able to get the list of winners of the 4 A's Pilak Awards from PinoyExchange.

Forgive me if I keep on blogging about this. It's really interesting and the memories it brings is just amazing.

Here's the list:

25. Camay "Ang Barko...President Roosevelt" / TV
24. Astra "Superman"/ Print
23. Jollibee "Lola" / TV
22. Knorr Chinese Soup "Just add 1 egg!" / TV
21. Mr. Clean "Labadami, Labango" / TV
20. Del Monte Spaghetti Sauce "Magnifico" / TV
19. PAL "Shining Though" / TV
18. DBP "Narda" / TV
17. Purefoods "Goodbye, Carlo" / TV
16. Sprite "Japorms" / TV
15. Johnson's Floor Wax "Parachute" / TV
14. Bench "Rowing" / TV
13. San Miguel Beer "Mag-beer muna tayo" / TV
12. Jollibee "Ligaw" / TV
11. Super Shell "Zoom Zoom" / TV
10. Gold Eagle Beer "Billards" / TV
9. Del Monte Spaghetti Sauce "Novices" / TV
8. MCDonald's Karen/Lolo" / TV
7. Palmolive Soap "I can feel it" / TV
6. Ayala Land "Grass to Glass" /Print
5. Rubie Blades "Ahit Pogi-Harana" / Radio
4. Royal Tru Orange "Joey-Mantika" / TV
3. Sarsi "Angat sa Iba" / TV
2. Superwheel " Magpatuka na lang ako sa ahas" / TV
1. San Miguel Beer "Isang Platitong Mani" /TV

I've been talking to friends about this. We couldn't believe that these two ads were not included in the list of finalists: Bear Brands "Look at my mole!" and San Miguel's "She-boom!".

Ateneo won against La Salle! Score was 76-63. Great job by Ateneo, considering that 3 key players were injured and could not play - Tenorio, Membrere, and Bugia. Also, Villanueva was not able to deliver, not because he couldn't, but La Salle did everything to stop him. From the first quarter, it was obvious that La Salle's main assignment was to stop Villanueva at all costs. And they were successful. Good for Ateneo that the other players stepped up for the team. Everyone played well. La Salle, on the other hand, didn't play as well as they normally do, and their key players were not able to deliver. Mike Cortez, La Salle's go-to-guy in the recent games, was not the usual "Mr. 4th quarter", as the commentators called him.

It was indeed a sweet victory. Winning against the arch-rival, stopping them in their bid for a sweep, or as others said "their date with destiny", and making them work a bit harder for a place in the finals. Go Ateneo, I hope you'll continue to play well. If you continue playing that way, there's a big chance that we can become champions. One big fight!

Illusione

Illusione was a blast. I left Onstage with an aching tummy, because I just kept on laughing during the show. I watched with Bunny and Gino. It was well worth the hell we went through in purchasing and claiming the tickets.

The story about the tickets is long so I won't bother writing about it. All I can say is, if you can help it, NEVER EVER BUY TICKETS FROM TICKETWORLD.

During the first part of the play, I thought that I wasted my money. It was a bit slow, and boring. But the play picked up its speed right away, and once 'the little guy' started performing on stage, there was no turning back. The play is about a discreet gay guy, his life, and the things he goes through - going out with friends who hide their being gay, friends who claim to be bisexuals, having a boyfriend, wanting to be a girl... The major parts of the show were broadway, current female singers, love (this part was short) and ballet. All of the impersonations were great, except for the one of Madonna. It stuck out like a sore thumb, compared to the others.

Some minor things - there was a cute guy in the play, and I wonder if he's gay. The guy who impersonated Janet Jackson was good. Good body, and he could really dance well.

I hope that you guys can get to watch Illusione in the future.

Friday Five on a Saturday

1. What was/is your favorite subject in school? Why?
I really liked Biology. I don't know, I'm very interested in the different topics under Biology, especially Zoology. I particularly loved dissecting. :)

I also liked Psychology and Philosphy. Very, very interesting.

2. Who was your favorite teacher? Why?

I liked how Ray Aguas taught Theology. He had a different approach, he didn't use the usual explanations. I also liked JJ Chua. He was able to teach Calculus really well. Thing is, he was absent often, to the point that the students were complaining because midterms is departmental, so we had to catch up on a lot of topics.

In high school, my favorite teachers were Ms. Udani and our literature teacher (sheeet I forgot her name).

3. What is your favorite memory of school?

Orgs, and Central Board projects, especially ORSEM. For grade school, playing "contaminator" and patintero.

4. What was your favorite recess game?

Pusoy dos, tong-its, and bluff.

5. What did you hate most about school?

Calculus. Really smart teachers who didn't know how to teach. Accounting.

Wow, Google has been my top referrer lately, but this site isn't even in the results of the referring pages. :)

Just watched Saksi, where Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes was interviewed. He really looks like Allan K. I'm serious...

IT'S QUIZ TIME


I'm Marge, who are you? by Lexi

Which Sim Are You?

You are the Presidental Barbie! While the rest of the world thinks the middle east is just where America goes to test out bombs, you actually realize it is an important section of the world. What's more, I bet you enjoy taking World Geography!! Politics are important to you. If you are a GOOD Presidential Barbie, you realize that the Green Party sucks.

what movie symbolism are you? find out!

What Flavor Icecream Are You?

What kind of clothes should I be wearing? by Evelyn

Which HP Kid Are You?

Heroes USA

I think that this photo is a candidate for a Pulitzer Prize. The photo has already been used for a new stamp, entitled "Heroes USA". It shows 3 firemen raising the US flag amidst the ruins of the WTC.

The photograph was taken by Thomas Franklin, staff photographer of The Record. Here's how he got the photograph.

Monday Mission

1. Where were you and what was happening in your life the moment when you first became aware of what was happening at the World Trade Center in New York City last September 11th? What was the first thing you did when you heard the news?

Our radio show, entitled "Speak Easy: PinoyExchange Live on the Hive" just finished. The production staff stayed in The Hive Cafe because we were hungry. I got a text message from Krakista, a PEx member. He said that a plane crashed into the WTC. I told the others, and we asked the waiters of the cafe to change the channel to CNN. When we watched, only one of the buildings was burning, we actually saw the second plane crash into the other building.

On our way home (carpool with Mikoid) we were all asking each other "What is happening to the world?".

2. When those truly responsible for the attack are apprehended, what do you think would be the most fitting form of justice?

Honestly, I don't know. I can't bring myself to say "life sentence" or even "death penalty". I don't think there can be any 'fitting form of justice' for what happened. It's just like the holocaust for me. I'll leave it up to the wiser people to decide on this...

3. How do you think the history books should present the 9-11 attacks? Should it be included for all future generations? How can we truly convey the shock, the outrage, the emotions and pain of that day to the children of our children?

Yes I think the attacks should have a 'place in history' for all future generations. It should be presented as a warning to everyone, that even superpowers can be attacked by a minority group, that the world is really full of ideas, a lot of them extreme. The side of the extremists should be explained. Why do they hate the US? What does their religion teach? Is this really the teaching of Islam, or are these people just plain crazy? Let's not forget that these people actually THINK THEY ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING. They're not evil for evil's sake. They actually think they can score points with their god, whoever he is, with what they're doing. They were raised that way. That has to be explained - who told them that this was right?

History should not try to convey the emotions that resulted from the attacks - it simply can't be done. It would be better to present the attacks objectively.

4. Did the events of 9-11 bring about a change in the way you live your life?

I'm more paranoid now, especially with public transportation and public places. It's always in the back of mind. Not a very positive kind of change...

5. A year later, do you find yourself feeling more secure than back then? Or is it just a matter of time before something else happens?

Not at all. The problem is still there. Their leader is still there. And now there are even reports that there are plans of attacking the Philippines (2 foreign embassies). That's definitely not good news. It doesn't help that nothing can be done about the Abu Sayaaf, which is reportedly linked to the Al Queda network.

6. What, if anything, will you do to personally reflect on the tragedy?

I guess this is it.

7. What image will you always have in your mind when you recall the events of 9-11?

The two buildings collapsing. I actually saw it live on TV, while it was happening. The newsmen were quiet - they were speechless for a few minutes. No words could describe what happened.

Nestle Milo Ice Cream



Have you tried Nestle Milo Ice Cream? If not, try it. It's really good! It's sweeter than the usual ice cream, and it has yummy Milo bits. A LOT of Milo bits.

It's a regular in our freezer. My only complaint is that it's a bit hard to find. Our 2 groceries/supermarkets here in Katipunan do not sell it regularly. I hope the Nestle Key Accounts people can do something about it. :)

Al Queda was planning to target the Philippines

This is what we get for being TOO rah-rah towards the US. Honestly, when they were here, I didn't mind. I honestly think that we can't really take care of ourselves when the need arises. I'm not talking about the government, I'm talking about war. If ever there will be war (God forbid), do you honestly think we can manage without the US, once we're targetted?

But GMA is just too much of a rah-rah girl. She's too vocal in supporting the US and their activities. And I think that because of this, the terrorists notice us more. See, they were/are actually planning to bomb two embassies here. Yikes.

And now GMA is supporting the US in their plans in attacking Iraq. I think she's one of the few who have expressed their support - I think that the only other supporter is Tony Blair. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong.)

And Sampras wins again...

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Pete Sampras has won against Andre Agassi in the 2002 US Open men's singles' finals. This is his 14th grand slam title, and his 5th US Open title. It wasn't the classic Sampras-Agassi match of last year's US Open Quarterfinals, which had no breaks, but still it was an amazing match. The final score was 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, and 6-4. The match lasted 2 hours and 54 minutes.

Some highlights: Sampras had 83 winners, including 33 aces. Yes, you read that right - 33!

I used to follow all the grand slam tournaments closely. I watched all the matches that I could match, especially the quarterfinals, semi-finals, and the finals. But I haven't been following tennis lately. I really don't like the current no. 1's, both in the men's and women's division. But then I found out that it was going to be Sampras vs. Agassi in the finals, so I made sure that I woke up early so that I could watch the match live.

I wasn't cheering for anyone in particular because I like them both. But I started cheering for Agassi in the 3rd set because he was down 2 sets. The crowd was also cheering for him - for every point he made, and for every Sampras error. I don't think it's because they hated Sampras, I'm sure it was because they wanted the match to last longer. And it did go on to the 4th set. You could say that the crowd played a big factor in Agassi's 3rd set win. It was tiring to watch the match from the 3rd set onwards. Lots of deuces, and lots of great plays.

Some other things:
-I saw the kid of Steffi and Andre - such a cute kid!
-The commentator used words such as "glorious", "delightful", "magnificent", and "remarkable". It was amusing.

It was worth it waking up at 4AM. Now that the match is over, I'll go back to sleep for a while... :)

I'm selling my Twisted Books...

Posted in the Classifieds Forum of PinoyExchange

For Sale: Twisted Books (by Jessica Zafra)

Twisted 3: Planet of the Apes - P140
Book IV: The Twisted Menace - P140
Twisted V - P140
Twisted 6 - P170

(If you get all the books I can give it at P550. I think the brand new books are priced at P195.)

All the books are in excellent condition. Twisted 3 to 5 have plastic covers. These books look brand new - only drawback is that they have my name (sticker). Twisted 6 I just bought 2 weeks ago.

The buyer should be able to meet me either in Makati or Loyola Heights.

If you're interested please email me at [email protected]

Just caught the Pilak Awards TV Special on ABS-CBN. Here are the top 5 ads:

5 - Rubie Blades "Ahit Pogi-Harana" / Radio (not sure...)
4 - Royal Tru Orange "Joey-Mantika" / TV
3 - Sarsi "Angat sa Iba" / TV
2 - Superwheel " Magpatuka na lang ako sa ahas" / TV
1 - San Miguel Beer "Isang Platitong Mani" /TV

I'll try to get hold of the complete list of winners.

Air Force Once

This isn't about the movie. Right now I'm watching National Geographic. They're showing a special on Air Force One, the presidential airplane of the United States of America. "One part Oval Office, one part Camp David. With wings."




Some interesting facts...
-Air Force One boasts a perfect flying record and is considered the safest plane in the world.
-To be an Air Force One pilot, you must have more than 2,000 hours in the cockpit, worldwide flight experience, and a spotless record.
-As its name suggests, Air Force One is a military plane, overseen by the U.S. Air Force. Every time the plane flies, it is considered a military mission.
-Air Force One has 87 different telephone lines, including 28 that are secure and encrypted, with unlimited range.

Check out the official fact sheet.

When I saw the commercial about the special, I knew I had to watch. It's so cool that National Geographic was allowed to film in plane. They were able to film Clinton and Bush while they were working in the plane, and they were able to conduct interviews.

Can you eat pig rectum?

I am watching Fear Factor right now. The contestants had to eat PIG FREAKIN' RECTUM!!! In the show they called it "Pig Bung".

O my god! Sick!!!

Here's an explanation as to how the show chooses what kind of stuff (I can't call it "food") they will ask the contestants to eat. According to them, they always ask for the approval of the USDA. And they were surprised, and delighted, to find out that Pig Rectum or Pig Bung was approved as edible.

Several posts ago I mentioned that I cannot see myself joining Fear Factor. This is one of the reasons why.

Yahooooo! Bunny, Gino and I are going to watch Illusione on friday at OnStage Greenbelt. This was highly recommended by several friends. The play features female impersonations of mostly gay guys, including Arnel Ignacio and even James Cooper. Here are some of the articles about the play:

'Illusione' clicks with tony crowd at Onstage Greenbelt
'Illusione' is 'theater in its purest sense'

If you're interested, you can buy tickets online through Ticketworld

Looking for beads, etc...

Hi guys, where can I buy beads, locks, etc (things you need to make necklaces, earrings, bracelets...)? I know I can buy in Divisoria, but if you know any suppliers from here (QC, Makati, etc) please let me know. Someone from PinoyExchange is selling but it's a bit expensive, I think. I'm not planning to sell, I just want to get into something new. I'll probably make a few for myself and maybe even Bunny 'cause I know she likes these things.

:)

Just had to post this...

Bubble Gang's version of the "Laban o Bawi" song of the Sex Bomb Dancers...

"Yabang yabang! O panget panget!
Yabang yabang! O panget panget!
Bakit Mama, yumabang ka na
Eh mas mukha kang lalake sa akin
May buhok sa dibdib..."

The music video shows the face of Diego...

I don't know what comes after that. LOL. Bunny kept on laughing when I told her about the song. LOL.

FINALISTS OF THE PILAK AWARDS ***corrected***

The Pilak Awards were given by the 4 A's (Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of the Philippines) to memorable ads in the Philippines on its 25th anniversary. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong...)

Got this list of finalists from PinoyExchange, from the "tv ads, print ads, billboards - your hatest and greatest" thread. 25 of these ads will be awarded with the Pilak Award.

When I read the list, I couldn't help but smile - some of these commercials I still remember, and most of them were really good ones. Memories!

(*in alphabetical order)
1. Ajax "Maxima Labandera"/ TV
2. Astra "Superman"/ Print
3. Ayala Land "Grass to Glass" /Print
4. Banco Filipino "Subok na Matibay, Subok na Matatag"
5. Bench "richard/Rowing" / TV
6. C U in Cebu "Donut Bai" / TV
7. Camay "Ang Barko...President Roosevelt" / TV
8. Colgate "Sinag ng Fresh Breath/Magie Moran" / TV
9. DBP "Narda" / TV
10. Del Monte Spaghetti Sauce "Novices" / TV
11. Del Monte Spaghetti Sauce "Godfather" / TV
12. Dequadin "Do-Re-Mi" / TV
13. Gold Eagle Beer "Billards" / TV
14. Johnson's Floor Wax "Parachute" / TV
15. Jollibee "Ligaw" / TV
16. Jollibee "Lola" / TV
17. Jollibee "I Love You Sabado" / TV
18. Knorr Chinese Soup "Pu-Yi/Good-ah!" / TV
19. Magnolia Frozen Delights "Mommy" / TV
20. MCDonald's Karen/Lolo" / TV
21. Milkmaid "Grow Tall Little Man" /TV
22. Mr. Clean "Labadami, Labango" / TV
23. Nestle "Sa Mata ng Bata" / TV
24. PLDT "Billy" / TV
25. PLDT "Suportahan Ta Ka" / TV
26. PAL "Shining Though" / TV
27. Palmolive Soap "I can feel it" / TV
28. Petron "Palyado" / Radio
29. Purefoods "Goodbye, Carlo" / TV
30. Royal Tru Orange "Joey-Mantika" / TV
31. Rubie Blades "Ahit Pogi-Harana" / Radio
32. Safeguard "Konsensya/Supermarket" / TV
33. San Miguel Beer "Isang Platitong Mani" /TV
34. San Miguel Beer "Bruno" / TV
35. Sarsi "Angat sa Iba" / TV
36. Spartan Rubber Sandals " Criselda" / TV
37. Sprite "Japorms" / TV
38. Superwheel " Magpatuka na lang ako sa ahas" / TV
39. Super Shell "Zoom Zoom" / TV
40. Tide "Nagkabistuhan na" / TV

FRIDAY FIVE on a Saturday

1. What is your biggest pet peeve? Why?
Probably not the biggest, but it's the only one I can think of right now - stubbles! My guy friends will attest to this! :p

2. What irritating habits do you have?
I bite my nails, the sides/cuticles of my thumbs. Blech noh?

3. Have you tried to change the irritating habits or just let them be?
I just let them be. It's really hard to break this habit. I don't make a conscious decision to do it, so I'm usually unaware that I'm doing it. It's hard to change if it's like that.

4. What grosses you out more than anything else? Why?
I dunno... a lot of things gross me out. Oh yeah, this one --> people eating maggots. Saw this on Survivor and Fear Factor. Super EEEWWW.

5. What one thing can you never see yourself doing that other people do?
Join Fear Factor, because I really can't do most of the things that the contestants are asked to do.

AUSTIN POWERS - GOLDMEMBER

Just watched this recently, and I really got disappointed. The movie, in general, was NOT funny. Sure there were some funny scenes, but if you look at the movie as a whole, it was really BLAH. The only memorable parts were the cameo appearances of the other actors, and some mini-me scenes. That's it. I guess there's really a limit when you try to push ideas too far.

Tom Cruise really looked like Austin! It was so funny! And they were actually able to get Kevin Spacey!

Will there be another Austin Powers movie? I'm not looking forward to it. :(

Capture the moment...

I watched Moment of Impact on Starworld two weeks ago (?) and the pictures they featured were really awesome. The photographers of the pictures were awarded with a Pulitzer Prize. I surfed the net, and I found a website that shows some of the pictures. Amazing. Here's one of the more famous ones:


Old Glory Goes Up on Mount Suribachi, Joe Rosenthal 1945

Some people questioned this picture. It was said that the original flag was smaller, and they had to use a bigger flag for better effect. Basically those people implied that this picture was staged.

Got these from Gina.


© What's your Inner Goddess Color?? © Jen
VIOLET represents the seventh and highest quality a person attains - noble spiritual aspiration. Its planet is Jupiter, rules the metal tin and the jewel Sapphire. In its medical action it approaches the realm of ultraviolet. It cools the nerves, is magnetic and antiseptic. Purple and violet speak of honor, spirituality and self-esteem.


My Little Pony Personality Test
Majesty is a true leader in every sense of the word. She's intelligent, confident and sophisticated. She's comfortable in a variety of social circles and, although she never steals the limelight, she rarely wants for attention. At heart she's a diplomat and tactician, adept at delegation. A real classy lady!

Quote: "Leave it to me!"

SURREAL

I attended a party at Dencio's a while ago. My cousin, Manong Stephen, turned 33. I went there with another cousin, Anton, who stays with us right now. It was such a weird experience. We were the youngest ones there (although there were kids - kids of two of our cousins). Everyone was above 30 years old. The women talked about their families, the helpers, the kids, the house... The men talked about their work and businesses. The women drank margaritas - 1, or 2 glasses each. The men drank San Mig Light. I really couldn't relate to what the people were talking about.

Every 10 minutes the kids would go near us, and my Manang Ging would check their shirts 'cause they were playing and they were very sweaty. When we left, I noticed my Manong Mark holding a really cute Winnie the Pooh bag. He's 32. It was really amusing, seeing a guy in work clothes, holding a cute bag. I guess that's life with kids...

When Anton and I got home we both described the experience with the same word - surreal. It was just so weird being there amidst those people, who are nearing mid-life crisis. I'm still having my quarter life crisis! It was like we could see ourselves 10 years from now. We are going to be like that. Most probably.

(I call my cousins from Davao "Manong" and "Manang".)

I can't watch my favorite shows anymore!

No more CSI and The Agency on AXN! :( AXN launched new Primezone shows starting yesterday. :( CSI was replaced with Seven Days while The Agency was replaced with Beastmaster. Oooh wow.

:(

THE PHILIPPINE BOOKFAIR

The yearly Philippine Bookfair at Megatrade Hall of Megamall started last saturday, August 31, and I've been there twice already! Booklovers really watch out for this event every year. God bless whoever thought of gathering the different publishers and distributors yearly. I think it has everything for everyone - magazines, religious books, children's books, textbooks, encyclopedia's, etc etc etc! I've seen so many go out with so many plastic bags full of books.

Last saturday, I was able to buy children's books for my nephews and godchildren. I got a Disney stories book, a bible stories book, and a classic fairy tales book for P350 each. I saw the Disney book before, and if I remember correctly it was being sold for more than P500. I was most excited about the Atlantis kits that I bought. The kit included the following: an Atlantis container can (could be used for letters), an Atlantis story book, a vertical poster of the sea, fake tatoos, a decoder, and a mini-image book. ALL FOR P50!!! I got 4, 'cause I could only think of 4 kids who I could give them to, and because I didn't have a lot of money that time, (I actually used my credit card.) When I went back earlier, the Atlantis kits were nowhere to be found.

See, the trick is to go to the bookfair on the first day, and the last day. The first day - so that you can get hold of the 'hot' books. The last day - because some stalls really drop the prices. If you find something good on the first day, and you can see that a lot of people are interested in it, buy it right away. It won't be there when you go back.

I think the last day will be on September 8. Try to check it out if you have time. :) To those who have gone there already, how much have you spent? Marami tayong "victims"! Ehehehe!

Eating disorder.

This is about the CSI episode last wednesday. If you're planning to watch it on sunday, please don't read.

The season ender of CSI is very disturbing. I watched the back to back episodes last wednesday. The last episode featured two models who were sisters. One sister became crazy. She couldn't handle the pressures of being a model - especially the part of constantly being conscious about your looks and weight. The other sister was the victim, and during the show the 'crazy' sister actually becomes a suspect. The victim was found on a shopping cart, in front of a very big billboard that featured her. Her sister's fingerprints were on the shopping cart.

The investigators could not figure out at first the motive, and the suspect, to the point that they even went through the garbage of the victim. They also couldn't figure out her diary which were full of symbols. In the end, they found out that the victim had an eating disorder. She noted everything that she ate. An example would be BWC 3, 1580 BC, 90 BF, etc etc. That actually meant burger with cheese (3), 1580 bad calories, 90 bad fat. There were two other entries that I didn't understand, but it was the computation for the sodium content, and the actual weight of the food that she ate. This was listed on the left column. On the right, it said 3 EVO'D, 9g, 2 T'U'P, 8g. This was sick! That meant she moved her bowel 3 times, and she threw up twice. Her computations didn't end there. She actually WEIGHED the, uhm, stuff. "g" stands for grams. Her diary also said "I'm not even". What came out, had to match what she took in. For her, to survive, she had to be beautiful. And being beautiful meant being thin. That was how she 'survives'.

It turned out that the victim killed herself, not an intentional suicide, but she was actually dying slowly for a month. She picked on her face with pins as a 'release' because she had to deal with her problem - since she couldn't deal with it in her mind, she dealt with it physically. Her sister found her dying on the bed, so she placed her on her shopping cart and brought her to the billboard, to show her how beautiful she really was.

An addiction is usually the result of the desire for survival. How many times have we heard that people who drink, smoke, take drugs, believe that they need these things to survive. "Hindi ko kayang itigil." (I can't stop it.) But the thing that you need to survive, eventually kills you. The irony of life...

After 2 weeks (or is it 3?), I was finally able to do my act of kindness!!! It took so long because I didn't have a chance to do it. When I do see some streetchildren, I'm in the car, with no food to give. Last wednesday, I bought food for some streetchildren outside Mercury Drug, Katipunan. I was so excited that I almost bought junk food for them. I ended buy buying crackers, lotsa crackers. I was able to give around 5 kids. I was so happy, especially after hearing one of the kids says "Yehey! May baon na ako bukas!"

Try doing random acts of kindness. It will make you feel good, it will make the other person feel good, and it will make the world a better place, even just for a while. :)

My next act of kindness is to call a friend who I haven't talked to for a long time. I'll tell her that I miss her and that I love her very much. This I got from Jim Paredes. It was part of our TCU seminar. If you have time, maybe you can do it too. :)

FRIDAY FIVE!

1. What's your favorite piece of clothing that you currently own?
A blue Celine dress.

2. What piece of clothing do you most want to acquire?
The ones I posted below this entry - black dresses I found in the Neiman Marcus website.

3. What piece of clothing can you not bring yourself to get rid of? Why?
My gray knitted blouse. I don't know why, I just like it. Very comfy and looks really nice. Goes well with black pants.

4. What piece of clothing do you look your best in?
My black Celine dress (the one with 3/4 sleeves - hehehe I have two black dresses kasi from Celine). I remember - when I wore that, I receive a lot of compliments. Also, two friends thought I got it from Prada, ehehe.

5. What has been your biggest fashion accident?
I don't know, marami rami na rin. Sometimes, when I reminisce, I ask myself "Why the hell did I wear that?"

ILLEGAL VENDORS


I have formed my opinion because I have assumed the following, based on the news. If my assumptions are wrong please correct me.

-These vendors are illegal vendors. They sell their goods in places where vendors are not allowed.
-The MMDA had a dialogue with them already, telling them to leave these places and just get stalls in the market.


This controversy has been going on for weeks already. The vendors are complaining because the MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority) is really on their case. I can't understand it. The vendors break the law by selling in places where they're not allowed to sell (sidewalks, streets); the MMDA does their job by telling these people to transfer to the market stalls; these people don't listen and insist on selling on the sidewalks and streets; the MMDA does their job by pouring kerosene on the products; then these people complain. I compare it to this scenario: people selling pirated CD's, which are confiscated, then these people complain because the CD's were confiscated. It's so obvious that the CD's were confiscated because they're pirated. It's so obvious that kerosene was poured on the goods of the vendors because they are stubborn.

I've seen some footages in the news with vendors selling right under "NO VENDORS ALLOWED" signs. And these are the same people who talk to the reporters to say that "Bakit nila ito ginagawa sa amin? Bakit nila kami inaapi?" My question to these people is "Bakit hindi kayo sumunod sa batas?"

The market has stalls, which they can rent, if they want. I don't know their issues with the market. Some of them just want to get away with paying rent. Is the rent too high? Then raise a complaint against the local government. There aren't enough stalls? Again, raise a complaint against the local government. But don't complain against the MMDA because they're just doing their job. I actually like the idea of pouring kerosene over the products. There's no physical contact with the vendors anymore. Walang agawan, walang sakitan. The pouring of kerosene won't happen anyway if these people obey the law. I am only for this if the people are really illegal vendors.

I really have a problem with the idea that they will be allowed to continue selling on the sidewalk and streets. It's like saying they're above the law. They say that they only want to make a living. I have nothing against that, but they should do it right.

Checked out the Neiman Marcus website - saw their link at E! Online. Waaaaah! I want I want! Check these out!





(Both pictures from Neiman Marcus)

Realized that there are other people out there who use Impactnet accounts... :)

Anyway, here's an email that I received from a TCU batchmate of mine. Really nice. (TCU, or "Tapping the Creative Universe", is the seminar given by Jim Paredes. It's not just for artists, it's for everyone who wants to be creative in their everyday lives. If you guys are interested in attending his seminar just let me know, I can give you the details.)

--------------

Three construction workers were on top of their half-finished skyscraper.

"Rrrrring!" the lunch bell sounded, and the three men sat on a steel
beam jutting out of the 56th floor with their lunch boxes in hand.

The first guy opens his and groans in exasperation, "Tuyo!" There is
not a day that I don't get tuyo for lunch!" He turns to his buddies and announces, "Mark my words. If I still get tuyo tomorrow, I'm going to throw myself from this building."

The second guy opens his lunch box and moans, "Tinapa. Everyday, I get tinapa. He looks at his friends and declares, "Believe me when I say
this. If I get tinapa tomorrow, I'm going to jump and kill myself."

The third guy opens his lunch box and it was his turn to despair. "Galunggong". All I get is galunggong!" I'm telling you, if I still
get galunggong tomorrow, I'm going to jump from this building and die."

The next day, the lunch bell rings and all three men are again seated
on the 56th floor.

The first guy opens his lunch box and starts crying, "Tuyoooooo!" And
so he jumps and crashes on the ground.

The second guy opens his lunch box and wails loudly, "Tinapaaaa!" And he also hurls himself off the building and dies.

The third guy opens his lunch box and screams, "Galunggonggggg!" And so he too jumps off the building and splatters on the ground.

Days later, during the funeral of the three men, their three wives
embrace and weep together.

The first wife cries out, "I didn't know my husband didn't like tuyo anymore! Why didn't he tell me? If only he told me, I would have
prepared something else."

The second wife echoes her statement, "Yes! If only I knew, I would
have cooked something else, not tinapa!"

The third wife, between sobs, speaks up, "I don't know why my husband killed himself."

The two wives look at her curiously. "Why?"

She went on, "Because ... my husband prepares his own lunch
everyday..."

I love this crazy story because it presents a very important truth:
all of us prepare our own lunch. If we don't like our jobs, if we don't like
the state of our relationships, if we don't like what's happening to our
spiritual lives - we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Because God has given us free will.

He has given us the power to prepare our own lunch.

If you want to earn more and be free from debt, if you're sick and
tired of your bad; habits, if we want to put more joy in our marriages, if we want to grow in our; relationship with God - then go back to your
kitchen and prepare yourself another dish.

Because you design your own future.

You create your own destiny.

Ask yourself what kind of future do you want to have?

You decide.

Bunny posted an entry entitled Whatever happened to... ???

I really wonder what the two gay guys who joined Amazing Race 2 have been doing recently. Oswald and Danny's team was called "Team Chachacha". I really wanted them to win. They were so lovable, as compared to the gay guys, Joe and Bill ("Team Guido") in Amazing Race 1. Urgh everyone hated them, they were cheaters!

I still remember these players because they still show Amazing Race 2 in AXN.

The nice thing about Survivor is that they showed the players after the show. At least you get to know little things about them and what they do. You don't get that in Amazing Race.

CSI!

Watched CSI a while ago. This is really just one of the best TV shows, well, at least for me. I guess it's not surprising that I like it, because I've really been interested in forensic science eversince. I used to follow the crime show (real scenarios) of Discovery Channel. (Forgot the title though.) I'm just amazed at what science and technology can do! Also, I find dectective stories interesting. I used to be a big fan of Nancy Drew. I think I was able to read almost all of the Nancy Drew books.

I have a theory related to the show. If ever a person becomes an "obvious" suspect (meaning, evidence clearly points to that person)before the last 15 minutes of the show, that person isn't the real suspect. Everything becomes clear in the last 15 minutes of the show, usually within the last 5 minutes. I follow the show, and so far, my theory has been right.

One of the cases featured in the episode a while ago (they usually solve 2 cases per episode) bothered me a lot. It turned out that it was the little girl (8 years old) who killed the old lady (who was their neighbor). The old lady had a lot of cats. The little girl killed her with a ballpen, because the old lady refused to give away one of her cats. In the end, when she was being questioned, she actually lied and said that it was her mom who killed the old lady! She was such a convincing liar. Thing is, she didn't know about fingerprints, and it was her fingerprints that were found on the ballpen.

If you guys are interested in watching, you can watch the show on AXN, wednesdays 9PM and sundays 9PM. :)

I can't relate but I wanna write about the suspension of classes. I really pity those students and teachers who have to commute to school, only to find out that classes will be suspended anyway. It's not as if it wasn't raining last night. And what's worse, as Rowie mentioned in her blog, classes were suspended when the rains stopped. Too late for others in the low areas, because even if classes were suspended, they couldn't go home. BAHA!

Hmmmm I also pity the workers who have to go to work, no matter what. (I shouldn't forget this, I remember that Bunny was complaining about this last month.