Random Reflections

BEST COMEBACK RESPONSE OF THE YEAR

2009-12-30T12:39:00.000+08:00

If you ever testify in court, you might wish you could have been as sharp as this policeman. He was being cross-examined by a defense attorney during a felony trial. The lawyer was trying to undermine the policeman's credibility...

Q: 'Officer -- did you see my client fleeing the scene?

A: 'No sir. But I subsequently observed a person matching the description of the offender, running several blocks away.'

Q: 'Officer -- who provided this description?

A: 'The officer who responded to the scene.

Q: 'A fellow officer provided the description of this so-called offender. Do you trust your fellow officers?

A: 'Yes, sir. With my life.

Q: 'With your life? Let me ask you this then officer. Do you have a room where you change your clothes in preparation for your daily duties?

A: 'Yes sir, we do!

Q: 'And do you have a locker in the room?

A: 'Yes sir, I do.

Q: 'And do you have a lock on your locker?

A: 'Yes sir.

Q: 'Now why is it, officer, if you trust your fellow officers with your life, you find it necessary to lock your locker in a room you share with these same officers?

A: 'You see, sir -- we share the building with the court complex, and sometimes lawyers have been known to walk through that room.

The courtroom EXPLODED with laughter, and a prompt recess was called. The officer on the stand has been nominated for this year's 'Best Comeback' line!

Time-lapse video of the Northern Lights Boing Boing

2009-12-29T17:08:00.001+08:00

Time-lapse video of the Northern Lights Boing Boing

Kim Peek, Inspiration for ‘Rain Man,’ Dies at 58 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com

2009-12-29T17:02:00.001+08:00

Kim Peek, Inspiration for ‘Rain Man,’ Dies at 58 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com

2009-11-28T23:23:00.001+08:00

SEX AFTER DEATH

A couple made a deal that whoever died first would come back and inform the other of the afterlife. Their biggest fear was that there was no afterlife at all.

After a long life together, the husband was the first to die. True to his word, he made the first contact,

"Marion ... Marion "

"Is that you, Bob?"

"Yes, I've come back like we agreed."

"That's wonderful! What's it like?"

"Well, I get up in the morning, I have sex. I have breakfast and then it's off to the golf course .. I have sex again, bathe in the warm sun and then have s**e**x a couple of more times. Then I have lunch (you'd be proud - lots of greens) another romp around the golf course, then pretty much have sex the rest of the afternoon. After supper, it's back to golf course again. Then it's more sex until late at night. I catch some much needed sleep and then the next day it starts all over again"

"Oh, Bob you must be in Heaven!"

"Not exactly ... I'm a rabbit on a golf course in Arizona .

2009-11-27T05:41:00.002+08:00

AMPATUAN MASSACRE: From the time he gave himself up in Shariff Aguak to the time he landed in Villamor Airbase, massacre suspect Andal Ampatuan Jr. was never in handcuffs. The special treatment begins! Kung ordinary citizen si Jr, may kasamang sampal at tadyak pa yan from the relatives of the victims and covered live over ABS-CBN.

Justice for the Victims of the Ampatuan Massacre!

2009-11-26T16:57:00.000+08:00

Ampatuan charged with multiple murder

2009-11-26T15:18:00.000+08:00

Welcome news! Let's see where this will lead to. With Jr Ampatuan in custody, expect every Juan, Kulas, and Kulaspiro fence-sitters to come out of the woodwork to say their inane pieces. I just pray that the Filipino people will not get lost and confused by all the incoming chatter and forget what this is all about: 57 (and counting) people massacred by the Ampatuans! Oh yes, I forgot to mention that Sr Ampatuan is still free to manipulate things and pull strings to get his Jr free. Me thinks that the Sr is more astute and clever than the Jr! Watch out people!

They even buried the vehicles!

2009-11-26T11:36:00.000+08:00

GMA and her Palace hacks have their work cut out for them. How on earth can they spin the Ampatuan Massacre in way that the Ampatuans are not involved in this carnage? Nothing happens in Maguindanao without their knowledge and approval. The Filipino people will not settle for a few minor scapegoats and sacrificial lambs. We demand the head of no less than Zaldy Ampatuan Jr.

The Ampatuan Massacre

2009-11-26T08:04:00.002+08:00

News and developments of the Ampatuan Massacre gets worse everyday. The last count was 57, I think. And it was not just the killing, which is bad enough, but the mutilation, the rape, the torture. Lila de Lima was correct when she called them animals. On second thought, my apologies to animals because they kill for a legitimate reason.

In the photo are GMA and the Ampatuans praying for divine guidance on how to properly and effectively cover up for the Ampatuan Massacre.

The Professional Heckler

2009-11-24T20:24:00.000+08:00

CNN has named Efren Peñaflorida of the Philippines Hero of the Year. Already a top 10 finalist, Efren was shocked when CNN anchor Anderson Cooper declared him the winner. And he was shocked even more when, while accepting the award, Chavit Singson went on stage and stood beside him.

Beware of the Effects of Beer!

2009-11-24T09:32:00.002+08:00

2009-11-24T09:25:00.001+08:00

Randy has broken his leg and his buddy Mike comes over to see him. Mike says, "How you doin?"

"Randy says, "Okay, but do me a favour mate, run upstairs and get me slippers, me feet are freezing."

Mike goes upstairs and sees Randy's gorgeous 19-year-old twin daughters lying on the bed.

He says, "Your dad's sent me up here to have sex with both of you."

They say, "Get away with ya.... prove it."

Mike shouts downstairs, "Randy, both of em?"

Randy shouts back, "Of course both of em, what's the point of fuckin one?"

2009-11-23T09:36:00.003+08:00

PINOY MATH

A woman says to her mother: 'I'm divorcing Pedro... all he wants is anal sex and my asshole is now the size of a 50 cent coin when it used to be the size of a 5 cent coin.'

Mother responds: 'You're married to a millionaire lawyer ...you live in an 8 bedroom mansion in Ayala Alabang, you drive a Mercedes 300SEL; you get P20,000 a week allowance; you take 6 vacations a year and you want to throw all that away for 45 cents?'

Mother knows best.

2009-11-22T19:55:00.000+08:00

During an IRS audit, the auditor looked at the tax payer and exclaimed...

... "Well, sir, you have an extravagant lifestyle and no full-time employment, which you explain by saying that you win money gambling. I'm not sure the IRS finds that believable."

"I'm a great gambler, and I can prove it," says Ralph. "How about a demonstration?"

The auditor thinks for a moment and said, "Okay. Go ahead."

Ralph says, "I'll bet you a thousand dollars that I can bite my own eye."

The auditor thinks a moment and says, "No way! It's a bet."

Ralph removes his glass eye and bites it. The auditor's jaw drops. Ralph says, "Now, I'll bet you two thousand dollars that I can bite my other eye."

The auditor can tell Ralph isn't blind, so he takes the bet.

Ralph removes his dentures and bites his good eye. The stunned auditor now realizes he has wagered and lost three grand, with Ralph's attorney as a witness. He starts to get nervous.

"Want to go double or nothing?" Ralph asks. "I'll bet you six thousand dollars that I can stand on one side of your desk, and pee into that wastebasket on the other side, and never get a drop anywhere in between."

The auditor, twice burned, is cautious now, but he looks carefully and decides there's no way this guy can manage that stunt, so he agrees again.

Ralph stands beside the desk and unzips his pants, and urinates all over the desk.

The auditor leaps with joy, realizing that he has just turned a major loss into a huge win. But Ralph's attorney moans and puts his head in his hands.

"Are you okay?" the auditor asks.

"Not really," says the attorney. "This morning, when Ralph told me he'd been summoned for an audit, he bet me twenty thousand dollars that he could come in here and pee all over your desk and that you'd be happy about it."

2009-11-22T13:11:00.000+08:00

In the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, the sharing should be AT LEAST 60-40 in favor of Manny. The catch-weight should be at 145, nothing heavier. Let Mayweather sweat and work for his money. He brings nothing to the table except his big mouth. Oh yes, and that of his father.

Marcos entry prompts Left to review alliance with NP

2009-11-22T13:01:00.001+08:00

Satur Ocampo was imprisoned and tortured during the Martial Law regime of Marcos. He was released and politically rehabilitated after the EDSA Revolution led by Cory Aquino. Now, for political expediency, he's thinking of forming a "tactical alliance" with Bongbong Marcos, the son of the dictator who imprisoned and tortured him and shunned the offered alliance by Noynoy "Aquino, the son of the person responsible for his rehabilitation. Why? Marcos (and his NP ally Villar) have oodles of money, something Aquino and the LP don't have. Strange brew indeed - NP - KBL - NDF!

2009-11-21T21:14:00.003+08:00

The National Highway Safety Council has done extensive testing on a newly designed seat belt. Results show that accidents can be reduced by as much as 95% when the belt is properly installed. Please see photo for correct installation.

Oxford Word of the Year 2009

2009-11-20T19:55:00.003+08:00

Oxford Word of the Year 2009: UNFRIEND

UNFRIEND – verb – To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook.

As in, “I decided to unfriend my roommate on Facebook after we had a fight.”

Light Bites

2009-11-20T19:49:00.000+08:00

Light Bites: From Somewhere
Manny Pacquiao: Pacman
Mommy Dionisia: Pacmom
Krista Ranillo: Pacbet (Pambansang Ka__)

2009-11-20T19:29:00.004+08:00

KRISTIE KENNEY bids farewell. She will be missed for the simple humanity and sympathetic energy with which she changed our expectations of what a US Ambassador can be. From "The Ugly American" to "An American Beauty". She has done both our nations proud. As America is in the heart, Kristie Kenney is from the heart of America! (And anyway, millions of Fil-Ams will welcome you Home!): Re-posted from Dean Jorge Bocobo's FB page. Sorry Dean but I couldn't have said it better!

Tony Abaya's Blog

2009-11-20T19:26:00.001+08:00

Yikes! Tony Abaya's blog looks a lot like mine. Of course, the similarity ends there. His is way much better than my amateurish blog of mostly re-posts and commentaries of browsed pages. But it's flattering to see we have similar tastes...

KRISTA RANILLO: Knockout!!!

2009-11-20T19:07:00.000+08:00

This has nothing to do with the Pacman; it's all about Krista! Warning: If your a prude, don't click on the link!

She must be making a bundle with her new-found fame (or notoriety!).

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-20T12:51:00.001+08:00

The day before Thanksgiving, an elderly man in Phoenix calls his son in New York and says, "I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough."

"Pop, what are you talking about?" the son screams.
"We can't stand the sight of each other any longer," the old man says.

"We're sick and tired of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her." And he hangs up.

Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. "Like Hell they're getting a divorce," she shouts. "I'll take care of this."

She calls Phoenix immediately, and screams at the old man, "You are NOT getting divorced! Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?" And she hangs up.

The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. "Okay, the kids will be here for Thanksgiving."

The Moral Imperative Facing Noynoy Aquino

2009-11-20T00:05:00.004+08:00

This blog of Ding Gagelonia includes an in depth chronology of the saga of Hacienda Luisita, from 1956 to September 3, 2005. Read the facts, digest, and synthesize before you pass judgment. Frankly, the HL issue is the only thing holding me back from completely supporting Noynoy's candidacy.

Homos and Hetros

2009-11-19T19:57:00.002+08:00

“The Bible contains six admonishments to homosexuals and 362 admonishments to heterosexuals. That doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love heterosexuals. It’s just that they need more supervision.”

~ Lynn Lavner, an American comedian and musician from Brooklyn, New York. Much of her material is based around the facts that she is Jewish and a lesbian She is frequently billed as "America's Most Politically Incorrect Entertainer."

Hillary's Crush!

2009-11-19T12:38:00.001+08:00

Hillary Clinton has unabashedly admitted she had a "crush" on Britain's youthful-looking, 44-year-old foreign minister David Miliband. Yes, he's definitely much younger than Lolo Bill!

Rotary Zone Institute Manila 2009

2009-11-19T11:54:00.000+08:00

I'm attending the Rotary Zone Institute 2009 at the Dusit Thani Hotel, Makati City. It'll be a good time to renew friendships with Rotarians from other Philippine districts as well as from other countries like Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Expected to attend are delegates from Rotary Zones 6B, 7A and 10B.

RISA for Senator!

2009-11-19T09:10:00.000+08:00

Yup! I'm openly campaigning for RISA HONTIVEROS BARAQUEL for Senator. Hey, that's only 1 of 12 choices. I'm sure you'll find a way to include her in your list.

Whose election frame will dominate?

2009-11-18T11:04:00.000+08:00

This Business Mirror article written by Manuel Buencamino clearly demonstrates that patronage politics still play a major influence on the electorate. Asked why they will vote for a candidate for president, 38% cited patronage politics-related reasons. Ever alert to the nuances of this survey, the hatchet men of moneyed candidates are busy preparing black propaganda issues against their boss's opponents.

INMATE SUES HIMSELF FOR $5 MILLION

2009-11-18T10:47:00.000+08:00

An inmate who claimed he violated his own civil rights by getting arrested filed a $5 million lawsuit against himself - then asked the state to pay because he has no income in jail.

Robert Lee Brock, a prisoner at the Indian Creek Correctional Center in Chesapeake, filed a handwritten, seven-page lawsuit last month in federal court."I partook of alcoholic beverages in 1993, July 1st, as a result I caused myself to violate my religious beliefs. This was done by my going out and getting arrested," wrote Brock, who is serving 23 years for breaking and entering and grand larceny.

"I want to pay myself 5 million dollars," he continued, "but ask the state to pay it in my behalf since I can't work and am a ward of the state."

Judge Rebecca Beach Smith was unimpressed by Brock's ingenuity.

She dismissed the lawsuit Thursday as frivolous.

"Plaintiff has presented an innovative approach to civil rights litigation," Smith wrote. "However, his claim and especially the relief sought are totally ludicrous.

2012

2009-11-17T22:50:00.000+08:00

LEFT vs RIGHT

2009-11-17T22:35:00.001+08:00

A concept-map exploring the Left vs Right political spectrum.

Taint of Corruption Is No Barrier to U.S. Visa for Millionaire

2009-11-17T18:27:00.001+08:00

This is another classic example of the double standard of the US government - spouting holier-than-thou slogans about good governance and human rights while openly violating these principles when it suits them. W Bush brought this duplicity to a new level of arrogance. Let's see what Obama does.

Militant solons, farmer groups intend to keep memories of Hacienda Luisita massacre alive

2009-11-17T11:57:00.003+08:00

Manny Villar must be salivating at the prospect of a "tactical alliance" with left wing politicians like Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza. Fiery statements from this group indicate that they intend to keep the "memories of the Hacienda Luisita massacre alive." That's indeed a very damning issue against Noynoy Aquino.

Villar, with his deep pockets, can now buy high-caliber politicians to campaign for him and endorse him to left-leaning sectors of the electorate with a pleasant bonus - a legitimate issue against Noynoy! Such are the vagaries of Philippine politics where money can buy just about anything, including formerly principled and idealistic people, even whole movements!

This also gives a whole new meaning and perspective to "tactical alliance."

2009-11-17T10:03:00.002+08:00

I'm happy classes have resumed. This should keep me busy and mentally alert. But this means less time for my current passions - FB and blogging.

My Saturdays will also be consumed by my EdD classes at MSEUF. I have to travel to Lucena City (2 hours one way, so total 4 hours traveling time) to attend 3 hours of classes. Whoa! travel time is longer than my classes! But gotta bite the bullet if I really want to be a full-fledged doctor of education.

Hahaha! Still struggling with that endless paper chase even at age 55!

RINGSIDE!

2009-11-16T20:08:00.001+08:00

I thought I saw my favorite FIRST SON Mikey Arroyo at ringside (as in RINGSIDE! as in the first row!) I could be wrong, of course, but maybe it was one of his wedding presents.
Hey, did you notice how young the ubiquitous (he was all over the ring!) Chavit Singson looked? You can damn him all you like about basking in M...anny's glory but he looked young and ready for his next paramour, di ba. Is this an advertisement for Dra. Belo or what?

QUOTES FROM GROUCHO MARX

2009-11-10T11:17:00.000+08:00

Quotes From Groucho Marx (1890-1977)

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

Room service? Send up a larger room.

Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?

Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others.

He may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot but don't let that fool you. He really is an idiot.

I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception.

A child of five could understand this. Fetch me a child of five.

From the moment I picked your book up until I laid it down I was convulsed with laughter. Someday I intend reading it.

Ice Water? Get some Onions - that'll make your eyes water!

You know I could rent you out as a decoy for duck hunters?

You've got the brain of a four-year-old boy, and I'll bet he was glad to get rid of it.

A man's only as old as the woman he feels.

Why should I care about posterity? What's posterity ever done for me?

Why, I'd horse-whip you if I had a horse.

Military justice is to justice what military music is to music.

Military intelligence is a contradiction in terms.

One morning I shot an elephant in my pyjamas. How he got into my pyjamas I'll never know.

There is no sweeter sound than the crumbling of your fellow man.

I must say that I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a book.

I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.

If I held you any closer I would be on the other side of you.

I must confess, I was born at a very early age.

I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members.

It is better to have loft and lost than to never have loft at all.

I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury.

Either he's dead or my watch has stopped.

Remember men, we're fighting for this woman's honour; which is probably more than she ever did.

Women should be obscene and not heard.

After his introduction on a music/variety show, Groucho and the host both sat down at center stage.
Host: "I'm a big fan of yours, Groucho."
Groucho: "If it gets any hotter in here I could use a big fan."

Do you think I could buy back my introduction to you?

Time wounds all heels.

Why was I with her? She reminds me of you. In fact, she reminds me more of you than you do!

Behind every successful man is a woman, behind her is his wife.

As soon as I get through with you, you'll have a clear case for divorce and so will my wife.

Well, art is art, isn't it? Still, on the other hand, water is water! And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like apple-sauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now, uh... Now you tell me what you know.

Marry me and I'll never look at another horse!

I married your mother because I wanted children, imagine my disappointment when you came along.

Whatever it is,... I'm against it.

A woman is an occasional pleasure but a cigar is always a smoke.

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.

Quote me as saying I was misquoted.

The Professional Heckler

2009-11-02T14:02:00.000+08:00

The Professional Heckler
New Pol Ad
Have you seen Sen. Noynoy Aquino’s music video titled “Hindi Ka Nag-iisa?” Well, Sen. Manny Villar is coming out with his own music video titled, “Hindi Ka Nagdodoble.”

2009-10-31T23:18:00.000+08:00

The sun was out the whole day; power was retored about 5pm; people flocked to the memorial park and municipal cemetery to spruce the tombs of their dearly departeds; the weather forecast seems to be favorable. It's all systems GO for Undas 2009!

Philippine Commentary: Banking on stupidity and forgetfulness

2009-10-30T20:07:00.000+08:00

Philippine Commentary: Banking on stupidity and forgetfulness

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on.—George W. Bush, Washington, DC, March 31, 2001

I ENVY MY BROTHER KEVIN

2009-10-30T09:17:00.000+08:00

I envy Kevin. My brother, Kevin, thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night.

He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he said. 'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed...'

I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in.

He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult.

He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.

I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?

Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and- cheese for dinner, and later to bed.

The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.

He does not seem dissatisfied. He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.

He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.

And Saturdays - oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go!' Kevin shouts as he claps his hands.

His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.

And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.

He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.

His life is simple.

He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.

His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.

He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax.

He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure.

He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.

Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.

Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.

In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.

It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.

It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap. I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.

Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.

And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.

Kevin won't be surprised at all!

Geek Quotes

2009-10-29T20:09:00.002+08:00

1f u c4n r34d th1s
u r34lly n33d t0 g37 l41d

Nowhere Man on Kalimba - CollegeHumor video

2009-10-29T19:37:00.000+08:00

Nowhere Man on Kalimba - CollegeHumor video

Research tools: information in depth | The Economist | Economist.com

2009-10-29T17:17:00.000+08:00

Research tools: information in depth | The Economist | Economist.com

Since we're all blogging, we might as well read these tips.

The Playwright Tavern: Bear bar | The Economist

2009-10-29T16:46:00.000+08:00

The Playwright Tavern: Bear bar | The Economist

The Playwright, 75 metres from the bank’s front door, was a time-honoured gathering place for Lehman’s employees. Its restaurant was often completely full at lunch, and after five o’clock the bar would crowd to capacity.

The Professional Heckler

2009-10-29T14:02:00.000+08:00

The Professional Heckler

"Yet another awkward thing happened at the reception. When relatives of the groom conducted a survey and asked guests if they wanted the couple to have a baby before the elections, 30 percent chose YES while 10 percent chose NO. The remaining 60 percent chose Noynoy Aquino!"

Botnets: who's behind them and why? | News | TechRadar UK

2009-10-28T20:22:00.000+08:00

Botnets: who's behind them and why? | News | TechRadar UK
Cisco boffins infiltrate a botnet to find out about online crime

By Jon Thompson

The dark side of the internet!

Classic Cinema Online - Home

2009-10-28T20:04:00.000+08:00

Classic Cinema Online - Home

A ton of old movies watchable in an embedded player.

Iconic Photos

2009-10-28T20:00:00.000+08:00

Iconic Photos

This is for history lovers.

Raissa Robles: Psssssst, Senator Chiz Escudero, is it true you've turned down ONE BILLION PESOS offered to you just to withdraw from the race?

2009-10-28T14:21:00.000+08:00

Raissa Robles: Psssssst, Senator Chiz Escudero, is it true you've turned down ONE BILLION PESOS offered to you just to withdraw from the race?

Whoa! Ze plot thickens!

WHY ENGLISH DRIVES ME CRAZY!

2009-10-27T19:50:00.000+08:00

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

Let's face it - English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England.

We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes,
we find that quicksand can work slowly,
boxing rings are square,
and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing,
grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.
If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them,
what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English
should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.

In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
We ship by truck but send cargo by ship.
We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,
while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language
in which your house can burn up as it burns down,
in which you fill in a form by filling it out,
and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

And, in closing, if Father is Pop, how come Mother is not Mop?

THE BEAUTY OF MATH

2009-10-27T19:41:00.000+08:00

THE BEAUTY OF MATH

1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111

9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

Brilliant, isn't it?

And look at this symmetry:

1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111=123456789 87654321

Now, take a look at this...

101%

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?

We have all been in situations where someone wants you to GIVE OVER 100%.

How about ACHIEVING 101%?

What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help answer these questions:

If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

If:

H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K

8+1+18+4+23+ 15+18+11 = 98%

And:

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E

11+14+15+23+ 12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%

But:

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E

1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100%

THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:

L-O-V-E O-F-G-O-D

12+15+22+5+15+ 6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:

While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, It's the Love of God that will put you over the top!

TAMING A LION!

2009-10-27T17:36:00.000+08:00

A circus owner runs an ad for a lion tamer and two people show up. One is a good looking, middle-aged guy in blue & white, likely in his late fifties and the other is a gorgeous blond in her mid-twenties.

The circus owner tells them, "I'm not going to sugar coat it. This is one ferocious lion. He ate my last tamer so you two had better be good or you're history. Here's your equipment -- chair, whip and a gun. Who wants to try out first?"

The girl says, "I'll go first." She walks past the chair, the whip and the gun and steps right into the lion's cage. The lion starts to snarl and pant and begins to charge her. She quickly throws open her coat revealing her
beautiful naked body.

The lion stops dead in his tracks, sheepishly crawls up to her and starts licking her feet and ankles. He continues to lick and kiss her entire body for several minutes and then rests his head at her feet.

The circus owner's jaw is on the floor. He says, "I've never seen a display like that in my life." He then turns to Mr. Blue and While and asks, "Can you top that?"

The tough old ealge replies, "No problem, just get that lion out of the way!

The Professional Heckler

2009-10-27T14:07:00.000+08:00

NOPE TO THE DOPE!

2009-10-27T14:02:00.000+08:00

NOPE TO THE DOPE!

QUESTIONS TEACHERS ASK

2009-10-26T23:06:00.000+08:00

From the blog of Isagani Cruz

Questions Teachers Ask

Every time I give a lecture to a large group, I give my cellphone number and ask the audience to text me their questions as I talk. That way, I incorporate the open forum into the lecture itself, as I periodically read out the questions from my cellphone and answer them.

Here are some interesting questions asked by the teachers, with my comments. Of course, I have translated the text language into non-cellphone English.

Q: Sir, comment on this: The best English teachers should be placed in the primary years rather than in the intermediate years, so as to establish a strong sense of language.

A: Absolutely, and not only because of language but because of teaching skills. The better the teacher, the younger the students should be. Similarly, in universities, the top professors should teach first-year students or repeaters. The moment I became the highest-ranked professor at De La Salle University, I volunteered to teach the basketball players.

Q: What is more important, fluency or comprehension?

A: I would rather have someone who understands what is going on, rather than one who talks without understanding.

Q: How about if you are handling six sections with 100 students? You don’t sleep anymore or you don’t check their writing ability.

A: Clearly, there is something wrong with having 100 students in one class, but since the government is in denial mode about this common occurrence, we can only hope that the problem will be recognized in order that it can be solved. As far as checking the written work of students is concerned, however, read educational theory about the teaching of writing: all students should write every day, but teachers need not read everything students write.

Q: Can we give our students in high school the very controversial DA VINCI CODE for their book report? What is the DepEd stand about this?

A: I don’t know what DepEd thinks about the book, but I certainly would not require it for high school students. It is, first of all, badly written (and therefore should not be taught as literature), and secondly, misleading to those who cannot distinguish between fact and fiction (and high school students, being very young, are not expected to be mature).

Q: In reading a literary piece, which usually takes place first – understanding before appreciation or appreciation before understanding?

A: Unlike other arts, literature needs to be understood before it can be appreciated. For other arts, such as music or painting, you may be able to appreciate or enjoy a piece without necessarily understanding it.

Q: Can we use the Bible?

A: Since the Constitution separates the Church (any church) from the State, we cannot teach the Bible in order to convert students to the Jewish or Christian faiths, but we can certainly teach it as a literary masterpiece, which is what it is. Similarly, we should teach the Q’uran or Koran as a literary masterpiece, which it also is. But since there may be strong religious sentiments on your part or on the part of the students, you must be extra careful in teaching such religious texts. (I was speaking to public, not private school teachers.)

Q: How about mobilizing parents to train them to teach basic reading?

A: Correct me it I am wrong, but I am sorry to say that most parents are less literate than their children. It would be a case of the blind leading the blind (apologies to the visually challenged).

Q: What shall we do with a principal who, after observing a teacher, insists on what she wants a teacher to do, unmindful of the good things the teacher has done, as if she knows everything and the teacher knows nothing?

A: Fire the principal.

Q: What really is indicated in the law? 6 hours teaching load exclusive of lesson planning and checking of papers, or 6 hours inclusive of both?

A: I am not a lawyer and do not know what RA 4670 (The Magna Carta for Public School Teachers) says. You have to ask my namesake (the one who wrote the famous “Don We Now Our Gay Apparel” column), who knows the law inside out. All I can say is that no one is expected to work more than 40 hours a week. If you are working more than that, your human rights are being violated, unless you are paid for overtime.

Q: Do you agree with the grading system as ordered by DepEd?

A: Whether I agree or not is irrelevant. Every grading system is arbitrary and conventional.

Q: A lesson plan is a guide and gives direction to teachers. Many teachers will be at a loss if there were no lesson plans at all. We can have unified or prototype lesson plans or a weekly syllabus for a guide.

A: The acknowledged best teachers of all time – Socrates, Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad – had no lesson plans. If we are benchmarking, surely we should benchmark with the best. The first thing I would do if I were, by some miracle, appointed DepEd Secretary would be to abolish lesson plans for those teaching five years or more. (This always gets loud cheers from my audience.)

Q: Sir, may we know your second plan if you become DepEd secretary?

A: I would tender my resignation, before I get fired for liberating teachers from senseless work.

Q: Is it okay for a teacher to talk in Taglish [code-switching between Tagalog and English] in order to be understood by students?

A: No. Students can always understand straight Filipino (or Cebuano or Ilocano or Tagalog or whatever) or straight English even if they can speak only in Taglish. There is no excuse whatsoever for teachers speaking Taglish in the classroom, because teachers are role models of language use. The key to being understood as an English speaker is to use the proper register (or type) of English. If you use only the most common 1,000 words of English, you can be understood even by grade school students. (Self-advertisement: my Word of the Day section below uses mostly the 1,000 basic English words, as defined by international linguists.)

Q: What can you say about teachers assigned to handle a certain position or department who are not specialized in the said area? They are there only because the principal likes them. What can they give to or share with their subordinates if they themselves do not know anything about the area they are handling? This has something to do with management, right?

A: Fire the principal, along with the principal’s favorites.

Q: Every time our division achievement test is low, we are blamed by our supervisor and superintendent. Do we deserve to be blamed and not the students? I think there is also a student factor, most especially in public schools.

A: Fire the supervisor and the superintendent for not asking the obvious question, namely, is the test valid? But while you are at it, fire yourself, too. Any teacher who blames students for anything should not be in the classroom. Anything that happens in a classroom is the teacher’s fault.

Q: Why is it that almost all elementary school graduates have not mastered the four fundamental operations of mathematics, but they were able to graduate?

A: I would not say “almost all,” but we definitely have a problem. The idea of flunking students that cannot read, write, or add appears to be repulsive to many elementary school teachers. Maybe they just want to pass on the problem to high school teachers. Here is a radical idea: fire all teachers who do not flunk 10% of their students.

Q: Is the news I’ve heard true that the salaries of teachers would be raised this coming year by 50 percent?

A: Dream on.

Q: Is it right for an observer to butt in while the teaching process is ongoing?

A: Absolutely not! An observer observes. The teacher teaches.

Q: Why is it always the teacher factor that is blamed and not DepEd in terms of the number of students and lack of books?

A: Because Jesus taught thousands at a time and he did not use any textbook except the Old Testament, which he had memorized. It is about time that we get rid of the idea that teachers need textbooks to teach.

Q: What if we do our very best and still my students absorb nothing?

A: You, not the students, have a problem. You think that teaching means giving something to students that they can absorb. You should start thinking of teaching as learning from students. Then you and your students can start communicating. You might want to read up on the wrong method of teaching known as “the banking theory of education.” Bad teachers think that they should deposit something in students’ heads that can later be withdrawn during exams. Good teachers merely point the way to the bank.

Q: What can you say about teachers who pretend to be very good speakers of English? This, I guess, is one major reason why students become poor English speakers.

A: I agree completely. There are not too many Filipinos that can be considered “very good speakers of English,” and most of them are not teachers. Those that advocate changing the medium of instruction to English have obviously not recently been to any of our classrooms. If businesspersons think students can learn proper English in the classroom, they have another think coming.

Q: What if a student can read but he cannot comprehend? Can I consider him as a non-reader?

A: I can read a hundred languages, as long as they are in the Roman alphabet, but I cannot understand them. I mean that I can pronounce the words, because I can read the letters, but I obviously cannot understand whatever it is that I am pronouncing. Here is an example, which anyone can read – chabdemfloking – but no one can comprehend (because I just made up the word out of the letters of the alphabet from A to O, except for J). Reading without comprehension is like wearing a suit or a gown and going to bed: what’s the point of dressing up?

Q: I heard one teacher calling the English used in public schools as Carabao English. And one principal said we can use Carabao English if that’s the only way the pupils can understand the lesson. What is meant by Carabao English?

A: Carabao English is the English used by American President George Bush, who makes all kinds of pronunciation, grammar, and logic errors when he speaks. His English may be ridiculed by his fellow Americans, but when he speaks, everybody listens. As one of the country’s top educators says, there are Filipinos that speak in correct English but have nothing to say, and a lot more Filipinos that speak in broken English but have profound and exciting ideas.

Q: Do you think the quality of education will be uplifted if ChaCha [Charter Change] will push through?

A: The Department of Education has kept improving no matter what the government has been like. Look at what we were able to accomplish during martial law, after the two EDSAs, and even now that the economy is doing so badly. ChaCha will neither help nor hinder the work of educators. We teachers are more important than politicians.

Q: How can we detach politics from education if Secretary Jesli Lapus himself is a politician?

A: Secretaries Raul Roco and Butch Abad were also politicians. Both enjoyed the full trust of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who appointed them, and both eventually went against her. Watch what Lapus does as he starts to fully understand the problems of DepEd and realizes who is really to blame for the problems of education in our country.

Q: Do you think “The Cask of Amontillado” (by Edgar Allan Poe) will feed our students the sinister thought of getting away with murder?

A: That is why this story should not be taught before second or third year high school. It cannot be taught in college, because it is too simple, but it has to be taught. After all, it is one of the best short stories ever written by an American. As for getting away with murder, you can always point out that, fifty years after the crime, the murderer in the story is still troubled by his conscience. That kind of living hell nobody will want.

Q: What is your stand on sex education?

A: The term “sex education” is unfortunate, because DepEd does not educate students about how to have sex, but about health, hygiene, medicine, anatomy, society, morality, marriage, responsibility, and all kinds of other things important to the survival of the human race.

Q: Poor comprehension in English is one of the factors why students fail to solve math problems.

A: That happens only when the math problems are in English, but give students the problems in their own language and see their math scores improve dramatically.

Q: Is it okay to blame primary teachers if incoming secondary students can’t read and comprehend?

A: Unfortunately for primary teachers, there is no one else to blame. That is why non-readers should not be allowed to graduate from grade school. Keep them in Grade 2 until they learn how to read.

Q: What shall we do if we have non-readers as students in first year high school?

A: Since you cannot send them back to Grade 2, give them special remedial classes after class hours and during summer. And don’t send them on to second year high school. Let them stay in first year until they learn how to read.

[Published in The Philippine Star.]

"Hindi Ko Uto-Uto" Movement

2009-10-26T10:42:00.001+08:00

“Hindi Ako Uto-Uto” Movement aims to encourage all Filipino voters to be more discerning in scrutinizing politicians who will run in the 2010 elections.

The discerning voter:... Read More

1. is able to see beyond pandering political statements

2. will ignore politicians who do nothing but criticize other politicians to make themselves appear better

3. will avoid all variety shows masquerading as campaign sorties

4. will not accept gifts whether in cash or in kind from politicians

5. will not be content with campaign promises not backed by well thought out, detailed, and clear plans of action

6. will not support candidates who will run their campaign on the strength of song and dance numbers, pageantry and statements pandering to the public’s anger

7. will vilify political ads that offer nothing but motherhood, feel-good statements

8. will support only candidates who are able to provide well thought out and clear platforms or plans for the country

9. will demand from all candidates a clear plan of action to fight government corruption

“Hindi Ako Uto-Uto” Movement believes that by observing the aforementioned ideas the voting public will be able to force political candidates to raise the level of campaigning in this country.

There is no need to sign up with any group to be part of this movement. Just put the ideas stated above into action.

INTERNET "A TEENAGER" AT 40 YEARS OLD

2009-10-26T10:15:00.002+08:00

Internet 'a teenager' at 40 years old
By Glenn Chapman
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 09:42:00 10/25/2009

SAN FRANCISCO, California, United States—Leonard Kleinrock never imagined Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube that day 40 years ago when his team gave birth to what is now taken for granted as the Internet.

"We are constantly surprised by the applications that come along," Kleinrock told AFP as he and others at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) prepared to throw the Internet a 40th birthday party on Thursday.

"It's a teenager now. It's learned some things but it has a long way to go. It's behaving erratically, but its given enormous gratification to its parents and the community."

On October 29, 1969 Kleinrock led a team that got a computer at UCLA to "talk" to one at a research institute. Kleinrock was driven by a certainty that computers were destined to speak to each other and that the resulting network should be as simple to use as telephones.

"I thought it would be computer to computer, not people to people," Kleinrock said in a nod to online social networking and content sharing that are hallmarks of the Internet Age.

"I never expected that my 99-year-old mother would be on the Internet like she was until she passed away."

A key to getting computers to exchange data was breaking digitized information into packets fired between on-demand with no wasting of time, according to Kleinrock. He had outlined his vision in a 1962 graduate school dissertation published as a book.

"Nobody cared, in particular AT&T," Kleinrock said. "I went to them and they said it wouldn't work and that even if it worked they didn't want anything to do with it."

US telecom colossus AT&T ran lines connecting the computers for Arpanet, a project backed with money from a research arm of the US military. Engineers began typing "LOG" to log into the distant computer, which crashed after getting the "O."

"So, the first message was 'Lo' as in 'Lo and behold'," Kleinrock recounted. "We couldn't have a better, more succinct first message."

Kleinrock's team logged in on the second try, sending digital data packets between computers on the Arpanet. Computers at two other US universities were added to the network by the end of that year.

"We had four-node network and tested the heck out of it," Kleinrock said. "We were able to break the network at will. It was very valuable to shake those things out early on."

Funding came from the US Advanced Research Projects Agency (Arpa) established in 1958 in response to the launch of a Sputnik space flight by what was then the USSR. US leaders were in a technology race with Cold War rival Russia. Kleinrock's team ran a 15-foot cable between an Interface Message Processor device referred to by the acronym IMP and a "host" computer and tested sending data back and forth on September 2, 1969.

"That was the day this baby was born," Kleinrock said.

The National Science Foundation added a series of super computers to the network in the late 1980s, opening the online community to more scientists.

"The Internet was there, but it was not known to Joe Blow on the street," Kleinrock said.

The Internet caught the public's attention in the form of e-mail systems in workplaces and ignited a "dot-com" industry boom that went bust at the turn of the century.

"The original plan was that it should be very creative, basically it should be like a sandbox," British professor Sir Tim Berners-Lee said of creating the World Wide Web in 1990. Kleinrock pegs the launch of "the dark side of the Internet" to the 1988 release of the first malicious software "worm." It was April of 1994 when the first spam e-mail hit, according to the engineer.

"We started sending e-mail back to those folks saying 'Stop it,'" Kleinrock said.

"We sent so much e-mail we crashed their computer. Inadvertently, the first spam e-mail created the first denial-of-service response."

Kleinrock, 75, sees the Internet spreading into everything.

"The next step is to move it into the real world," Kleinrock said. "The Internet will be present everywhere. I will walk into a room and it will know I am there. It will talk back to me."

He also foresees intelligent software "agents" that do people's bidding online. During an on-stage chat at a Web 2.0 Summit that ended Thursday in San Francisco, Berners-Lee said governments and big firms shouldn't meddle with the Web.

"I'm always worried, of course, about anything large coming in to take control," Berners-Lee said. "Web technology itself should not tell you what's right and wrong; humanity has ways of doing that. It isn't the Wild West. The laws apply."

The Professional Heckler

2009-10-25T19:31:00.001+08:00

The Professional Heckler

Loren Declares Bid
Sen. Loren Legarda who has officially declared her bid for the vice presidency is reportedly looking for a presidential running mate. In particular, Legarda wants a partner who is “Beyond 70,” “Married,” and “Adventurous.”

Orosa Beauties

2009-10-25T18:46:00.003+08:00

OROSA CLAN REUNION
Maria Y. Orosa Hall
Old Balara Filters
January 06, 1962

Mayumi Heene Nationality; Filipino? | The Composed Gentleman

2009-10-25T15:30:00.000+08:00

Mayumi Heene Nationality; Filipino? | The Composed Gentleman

Whew, what a relief! For a while, I thought she was ethnic Filipino.

Michelle's Cheap Chic: Do Her Bargain Clothes Look Like A Million Bucks? (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

2009-10-25T15:20:00.000+08:00

Michelle's Cheap Chic: Do Her Bargain Clothes Look Like A Million Bucks? (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

The Obamas bring class and grace to the White House.

BBC NEWS | Europe | Rich Germans demand higher taxes

2009-10-24T19:48:00.000+08:00

BBC NEWS | Europe | Rich Germans demand higher taxes

Very intriguing - the rich asking to pay more taxes!

2009-10-23T22:29:00.005+08:00

PATRICIA B. ELEAZAR
1st Honor, 1st Grading Period

Obama administration slashes executive salaries - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2009-10-23T11:48:00.000+08:00

Obama administration slashes executive salaries - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Hopefully, the beginning of a return to sanity!

Philippine Commentary: Who's sleeping with the enemy?

2009-10-22T16:31:00.000+08:00

Philippine Commentary: Who's sleeping with the enemy?

If the meeting was secret and held without the Arroyo administration’s permission, then the US Embassy not only breached diplomatic protocol—it also committed a subversive act.

TAKE TWO, AGAIN « The Professional Heckler

2009-10-22T16:25:00.001+08:00

TAKE TWO, AGAIN « The Professional Hecklerhttp://professionalheckler.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/erap2010_group1.jpg?w=398&h=269

2009-10-22T16:15:00.001+08:00

"Education is the art of making man ethical." [Die Pädagogik ist die Kunst, die Menschen sittlich zu machen.] ~ Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

John Gokongwei, Jr., Ad Congress Speech, Nov 21, 2007

2009-10-22T16:11:00.001+08:00

Before I begin, I want to say please bear with me, an 81-year-old man who just flew in from San Francisco 36 hours ago and is still suffering from jet lag. However, I hope I will be able to say what you want to hear.

Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. Thank you very much for having me here tonight to open the Ad Congress. I know how important this event is for our marketing and advertising colleagues. My people get very excited and go into a panic, every other year, at this time.

I would like to talk about my life, entrepreneurship, and globalization. I would like to talk about how we can become a great nation.

You may wonder how one is connected to the other, but I promise that, as there is truth in advertising, the connection will come.

Let me begin with a story I have told many times. My own.

I was born to a rich Chinese-Filipino family. I spent my childhood in Cebu where my father owned a chain of movie houses, including the first air-conditioned one outside Manila . I was the eldest of six children and lived in a big house in Cebu 's Forbes Park.

A chauffeur drove me to school everyday as I went to San Carlos University, then and still one of the country's top schools. I topped my classes and had many friends. I would bring them to watch movies for free at my father's movie houses.

When I was 13, my father died suddenly of complications due to typhoid. Everything I enjoyed vanished instantly. My father's empire was built on credit. When he died, we lost everything – our big house, our cars, our business – to the banks.

I felt angry at the world for taking away my father, and for taking away all that I enjoyed before. When the free movies disappeared, I also lost half my friends. On the day I had to walk two miles to school for the very first time, I cried to my mother, a widow at 32. But she said: "You should feel lucky. Some people have no shoes to walk to school. What can you do? Your father died with 10 centavos in his pocket."

So, what can I do? I worked.

My mother sent my siblings to China where living standards were lower. She and I stayed in Cebu to work, and we sent them money regularly. My mother sold her jewelry. When that ran out, we sold roasted peanuts in the backyard of our much-smaller home. When that wasn't enough, I opened a small stall in a palengke.
I chose one among several palengkes a few miles outside the city because there were fewer goods available for the people there. I woke up at five o'clock every morning for the long bicycle ride to the palengke with my basket of goods.

There, I set up a table about three feet by two feet in size. I laid out my goods – soap, candles, and thread – and kept selling until everything was bought.

Why these goods? Because these were hard times and this was a poor village, so people wanted and needed the basics – soap to keep them clean, candles to light the night, and thread to sew their clothes.

I was surrounded by other vendors, all of them much older. Many of them could be my grandparents. And they knew the ways of the palengke far more than a boy of 15, especially one who had never worked before.

But being young had its advantages. I did not tire as easily, and I moved more quickly. I was also more aggressive. After each day, I would make about 20 pesos in profit! There was enough to feed my siblings and still enough to pour back into the business. The pesos I made in the palengke were the pesos that went into building the business I have today.

After this experience, I told myself, "If I can compete with people so much older than me, if I can support my whole family at 15, I can do anything!"

Looking back, I wonder, what would have happened if my father had not left my family with nothing? Would I have become the man I am? Who knows?

The important thing to know is that life will always deal us a few bad cards. But we have to play those cards the best we can. And WE can play to win!

This was one lesson I picked up when I was a teenager. It has been my guiding principle ever since. And I have had 66 years to practice self-determination. When I wanted something, the best person to depend on was myself.

And so I continued to work. In 1943, I expanded and began trading goods between Cebu and Manila. From Cebu , I would transport tires on a small boat called a batel. After traveling for five days to Lucena, I would load them into a truck for the six-hour trip to Manila . I would end up sitting on top of my goods so they would not be stolen! In Manila, I would then purchase other goods from the earnings I made from the tires, to sell in Cebu.

Then, when WWII ended, I saw the opportunity for trading goods in post-war Philippines. I was 20 years old. With my brother Henry, I put up Amasia Trading which imported onions, flour, used clothing, old newspapers and magazines, and fruits from the United States. In 1948, my mother and I got my siblings back from China. I also converted a two-story building in Cebu to serve as our home, office, and warehouse, all at the same time. The whole family began helping out with the business.
In 1957, at age 31, I spotted an opportunity in corn-starch manufacturing. But I was going to compete with Ludo and Luym, the richest group in Cebu and the biggest cornstarch manufacturers. I borrowed money to finance the project.

The first bank I approached made me wait for two hours, only to refuse my loan. The second one, China Bank, approved a P500,000-peso clean loan for me. Years later, the banker who extended that loan, Dr. Albino Sycip said that he saw something special in me. Today, I still wonder what that was, but I still thank Dr. Sycip to this day.

Upon launching our first product, Panda corn starch, a price war ensued. After the smoke cleared, Universal Corn Products was still left standing. It is the foundation upon which JG Summit Holdings now stands.

Interestingly, the price war also forced the closure of a third cornstarch company, and one of their chemists was Lucio Tan, who always kids me that I caused him to lose his job. I always reply that if it were not for me, he will not be one of the richest men in the Philippines today.

When my business grew, and it was time for me to bring in more people – my family, the professionals, the consultants, more employees – I knew that I had to be there to teach them what I knew. When dad died at age 34, he did not leave a succession plan. From that, I learned that one must teach people to take over a business at any time. The values of hard work that I learned from my father, I taught to my children. They started doing jobs here and there even when they were still in high school. Six years ago, I announced my retirement and handed the reins to my youngest brother James and only son Lance. But my children tease me because I still go to the office every day and make myself useful. I just hired my first Executive Assistant and moved into a bigger and nicer office.

Building a business to the size of JG Summit was not easy. Many challenges were thrown my way. I could have walked away from them, keeping the business small, but safe. Instead, I chose to fight. But this did not mean I won each time.

By 1976, at age 50, we had built significant businesses in food products anchored by a branded coffee called Blend 45, and agro-industrial products under the Robina Farms brand. That year, I faced one of my biggest challenges, and lost. And my loss was highly publicized, too. But I still believe that this was one of my defining moments.

In that decade, not many business opportunities were available due to the political and economic environment. Many Filipinos were already sending their money out of the country. As a Filipino, I felt that our money must be invested here. I decided to purchase
shares in San Miguel, then one of the Philippines' biggest corporations. By 1976, I had acquired enough shares to sit on its board.

The media called me an upstart. "Who is Gokongwei and why is he doing all those terrible things to San Miguel?" ran one headline of the day. In another article, I was described as a pygmy going up against the powers-that-be. The San Miguel board of directors itself even paid for an ad in all the country's top newspapers telling the public why I should not be on the board.

On the day of reckoning, shareholders quickly filled up the auditorium to witness the battle. My brother James and I had prepared for many hours for this debate. We were nervous and excited at the same time.

In the end, I did not get the board seat because of the Supreme Court Ruling. But I was able to prove to others – and to myself – that I was willing to put up a fight. I succeeded because I overcame my fear, and tried. I believe this battle helped define who I am today. In a twist to this story, I was invited to sit on the board of Anscor and San Miguel Hong Kong 5 years later. Lose some, win some.

Since then, I've become known as a serious player in the business world, but the challenges haven't stopped coming.

Let me tell you about the three most recent challenges. In all three, conventional wisdom bet against us. See, we set up businesses against market Goliaths in very high-capital industries: airlines, telecoms, and beverage.

Challenge No. 1: In 1996, we decided to start an airline. At the time, the dominant airline in the country was PAL, and if you wanted to travel cheaply, you did not fly. You went by sea or by land. However, my son Lance and I had a vision for Cebu Pacific: We wanted every Filipino to fly.

Inspired by the low-cost carrier models in the United States, we believed that an airline based on the no-frills concept would work here. No hot meals. No newspaper. Mono-class seating. Operating with a single aircraft type. Faster turn around time. It all worked, thus enabling Cebu Pacific to pass on savings to the consumer.

How did we do this? By sticking to our philosophy of "low cost, great value." And we stick to that philosophy to this day. Cebu Pacific offers incentives. Customers can avail themselves of a tiered pricing scheme, with promotional seats for as low as P1. The earlier you book, the cheaper your ticket.

Cebu Pacific also made it convenient for passengers by making online booking available. This year, 1.25 million flights will be booked through our website. This reduced our distribution costs dramatically.

Low cost. Great value.

When we started 11 years ago, Cebu Pacific flew only 360,000 passengers, with 24 daily flights to 3 destinations. This year, we expect to fly more than five million passengers, with over 120 daily flights to 20 local destinations and 12 Asian cities. Today, we are the largest in terms of domestic flights, routes and destinations.

We also have the youngest fleet in the region after acquiring new Airbus 319s and 320s. In January, new ATR planes will arrive. These are smaller planes that can land on smaller air strips like those in Palawan and Caticlan. Now you don't have to take a two-hour ride by mini-bus to get to the beach.

Largely because of Cebu Pacific, the average Filipino can now afford to fly. In 2005, 1 out of 12 Filipinos flew within a year. In 2012, by continuing to offer low fares, we hope to reduce that ratio to 1 out of 6. We want to see more and more Filipinos see their country and the world!

Challenge No. 2: In 2003, we established Digitel Mobile Philippines, Inc. and developed a brand for the mobile phone business called Sun Cellular. Prior to the launch of the brand, we were actually involved in a transaction to purchase PLDT shares of the majority shareholder.

The question in everyone's mind was how we could measure up to the two telecom giants. They were entrenched and we were late by eight years! PLDT held the landline monopoly for quite a while, and was first in the mobile phone industry. Globe was a younger company, but it launched digital mobile technology here.

But being a late player had its advantages. We could now build our platform from a broader perspective. We worked with more advanced technologies and intelligent systems not available ten years ago. We chose our suppliers based on the most cost-efficient hardware and software. Being a Johnny-come- lately allowed us to create and launch more innovative products, more quickly.

All these provided us with the opportunity to give the consumers a choice that would rock their world. The concept was simple. We would offer Filipinos to call and text as much as they want for a fixed monthly fee. For P250 a month, they could get in touch with anyone within the Sun network at any time. This means great savings of as much as 2/3 of their regular phone bill! Suddenly, we gained traction. Within one year of its introduction, Sun hit one million customers.

Once again, the paradigm shifts – this time in the telecom industry. Sun's 24/7 Call and Text Unlimited changed the landscape of mobile-phone usage. Today, we have over 4 million subscribers and 2000 cell sites around the archipelago. In a country where 97% of the market is pre-paid, we believe we have hit on the right strategy.

Sun Cellular is a Johnny-come- lately, but it's doing all right. It is a third player, but a significant one, in an industry where Cassandras believed a third player would perish. And as we have done in the realm of air travel, so have we done in the telecom world: We have changed the marketplace.

In the end, it is all about making life better for the consumer by giving them choices.

Challenge No. 3: In 2004, we launched C2, the green tea drink that would change the face of the local beverage industry – then, a playground of cola companies. Iced tea was just a sugary brown drink served bottomless in restaurants. For many years, hardly was there any significant product innovation in the beverage business.

Admittedly, we had little experience in this area. Universal Robina Corporation is the leader in snack foods but our only background in beverage was instant coffee. Moreover, we would be entering the playground of huge multinationals. We decided to play anyway.

It all began when I was in China in 2003 and noticed the immense popularity of bottled iced tea. I thought that this product would have huge potential here. We knew that the Philippines was not a traditional tea-drinking country since more familiar to consumers were colas in returnable glass bottles. But precisely, this made the market ready for a different kind of beverage. One that refreshes yet gives the health benefits of green tea. We positioned it as a "spa" in a bottle. A drink that cools and cleans, thus, C2 was born.

C2 immediately caught on with consumers. When we launched C2 in 2004, we sold 100,000 bottles in the first month. Three years later, Filipinos drink around 30 million bottles of C2 per month. Indeed, C2 is in a good place.

With Cebu Pacific, Sun Cellular, and C2, the JG Summit team took control of its destiny. And we did so in industries where old giants had set the rules of the game. It's not that we did not fear the giants. We knew we could have been crushed at the word go. So we just made sure we came prepared with great products and great strategies. We ended up changing the rules of the game instead.

There goes the principle of self-determination, again. I tell you, it works for individuals as it does for companies. And as I firmly believe, it works for nations.

I have always wondered, like many of us, why we Filipinos have not lived up to our potential. We have proven we can. Manny Pacquiao and Efren Bata Reyes in sports. Lea Salonga and the UP Madrigal Singers in performing arts. Monique Lhuillier and Rafe Totenco in fashion. And these are just the names made famous by the media. There are many more who may not be celebrities but who have gained respect on the world stage.

But to be a truly great nation, we must also excel as entrepreneurs before the world. We must create Filipino brands for the global market place.

If we want to be philosophical, we can say that, with a world-class brand, we create pride for our nation. If we want to be practical, we can say that, with brands that succeed in the world, we create more jobs for our people, right here.

Then, we are able to take part in what's really important-giving our people a big opportunity to raise their standards of living, giving them a real chance to improve their lives.
We can do it. Our neighbors have done it. So can we. In the last 54 years, Korea worked hard to rebuild itself after a world war and a civil war destroyed it. From an agricultural economy in 1945, it shifted to light industry, consumer products, and heavy industry in the '80s. At the turn of the 21st century, the Korean government focused on making Korea the world's leading IT nation. It did this by grabbing market share in key sectors like semiconductors, robotics, and biotechnology.

Today, one remarkable Korean brand has made it to the list of Top 100 Global Brands: Samsung. Less then a decade ago, Samsung meant nothing to consumers. By focusing on quality, design, and innovation, Samsung improved its products and its image. Today, it has surpassed the Japanese brand Sony. Now another Korean brand, LG Collins, is following in the footsteps of Samsung. It has also broken into the Top 100 Global Brands list.

What about China? Who would have thought that only 30 years after opening itself up to a market economy, China would become the world's fourth largest economy?

Goods made in China are still thought of as cheap. Yet many brands around the world outsource their manufacturing to this country. China 's own brands – like Lenovo, Haier, Chery QQ, and Huawei – are fast gaining ground as well. I have no doubt they will be the next big electronics, technology and car brands in the world.

Lee Kwan Yew's book "From Third World to First" captures Singapore's aspiration to join the First World. According to the book, Singapore was a trading post that the British developed as a nodal point in its maritime empire. The racial riots there made its officials determined to build a "multiracial society that would give equality to all citizens, regardless of race, language or religion."

When Singapore was asked to leave the Malaysian Federation of States in 1965, Lee Kwan Yew developed strategies that he executed with single-mindedness despite their being unpopular. He and his cabinet started to build a nation by establishing the basics: building infrastructure, establishing an army, weeding out corruption, providing mass housing, building a financial center. Forty short years after, Singapore has been transformed into the richest South East Asian country today, with a per capita income of US$32,000.

These days, Singapore is transforming itself once more. This time it wants to be the creative hub in Asia, maybe even the world. More and more, it is attracting the best minds from all over the world in filmmaking, biotechnology, media, and finance. Meantime, Singaporeans have also created world-class brands: Banyan Tree in the hospitality industry, Singapore Airlines in the Airline industry and Singapore Telecoms in the telco industry.

I often wonder: Why can't the Philippines , or a Filipino, do this?

Fifty years after independence, we have yet to create a truly global brand. We cannot say the Philippines is too small because it has 86 million people. Switzerland, with 9 million people, created Nestle. Sweden , also with 9 million people, created Ericsson. Finland, even smaller with five million people, created Nokia. All three are major global brands, among others.

Yes, our country is well-known for its labor, as we continue to export people around the world. And after India, we are grabbing a bigger chunk of the pie in the call-center and business-process-outsourcing industries. But by and large, the Philippines has no big industrial base, and Filipinos do not create world-class products.

We should not be afraid to try – even if we are laughed at. Japan, laughed at for its cars, produced Toyota. Korea, for its electronics, produced Samsung.

Meanwhile, the Philippines' biggest companies 50 years ago – majority of which are multinational corporations such as Coca-Cola, Procter and Gamble, and Unilever Philippines, for example – are still the biggest companies today. There are very few big, local challengers.

But already, hats off to Filipino entrepreneurs making strides to globalize their brands.

Goldilocks has had much success in the Unites States and Canada, where half of its customers are non-Filipinos. Coffee-chain Figaro may be a small player in the coffee world today, but it is making the leap to the big time. Two Filipinas, Bea Valdez and Tina Ocampo, are now selling their Philippine-made jewelry and bags all over the world. Their labels are now at Barney's and Bergdorf's in the U.S. and in many other high-end shops in Asia , Europe , and the Middle East.

When we started our own foray outside the Philippines 30 years ago, it wasn't a walk in the park. We set up a small factory in Hong Kong to manufacture Jack and Jill potato chips there. Today, we are all over Asia. We have the number-one-potato- chips brand in Malaysia and Singapore. We are the leading biscuit manufacturer in Thailand, and a significant player in the candy market in Indonesia. Our Aces cereal brand is a market leader in many parts of China. C2 is now doing very well in Vietnam, selling over 3 million bottles a month there, after only 6 months in the market. Soon, we will launch C2 in other South East Asian markets.

I am 81 today. But I do not forget the little boy that I was in the palengke in Cebu. I still believe in family. I still want to make good. I still don't mind going up against those older and better than me. I still believe hard work will not fail me. And I still believe in people willing to think the same way.

Through the years, the market place has expanded: between cities, between countries, between continents. I want to urge you all here to think bigger. Why serve 86 million when you can sell to four billion Asians?

And that's just to start you off. Because there is still the world beyond Asia. When you go back to your offices, think of ways to sell and market your products and services to the world. Create world-class brands.

You can if you really tried. I did. As a boy, I sold peanuts from my backyard. Today, I sell snacks to the world.

I want to see other Filipinos do the same.

Thank you and good evening once again.

Philippine Commentary: Why Did Gloria Pardon Erap?

2009-10-19T18:43:00.001+08:00

Philippine Commentary: Why Did Gloria Pardon Erap?
Intriguing opinions from Dean Bocobo . . . titillating, if not mind boggling . . .

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The World's Biggest Gold Reserves - Slideshows - CNBC.com

2009-10-18T12:37:00.001+08:00

The World's Biggest Gold Reserves - Slideshows - CNBC.com

. . . all that glitters is GOLD!

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The Professional Heckler

2009-10-17T10:50:00.001+08:00

The Professional Heckler

GMA is Hot!
A foreign blog listed the 172 âhottest heads of stateâ and our very own president, Madam Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo placed 9th. President Arroyo is so hotâ¦ her 20-year-old breast implants melted!

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Slashing the Slashes - Top 10 Internet Blunders - TIME

2009-10-16T17:58:00.001+08:00

Slashing the Slashes - Top 10 Internet Blunders - TIME

Nerds are human too!

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WHAT FISH IS SAFE TO EAT

2009-10-16T17:55:00.000+08:00

This was emailed to me . . .

NARINIG na ba ninyo ang issue tungkol kay KC Concepcion? Mahilig siya sa isda kaya raw nagkaroon siya ng mercury poisoning na nakaapekto sa kanyang mata. Ang mercury ay nakukuha ng isda sa polusyon sa tubig. Masama sa ating katawan ang isda na may mercury dahil nakasisira ito ng utak at kidneys. Ang sintomas nito ay ang pamamanhid ng mga kamay at paa.

May mga guidelines na inilabas sa America tungkol sa limitasyon sa pagkain ng isda. Sundin natin ito.

A.. Mga safe na isda: Maaaring kumain ng 2-3 beses (o servings) bawat linggo. Ang bawat serving ng isda ay may timbang na 180 grams o 6 ounces.
1. Samaral
2. Dilis (anchovies)
3. Hito (catfish)
4. Galunggong (mackerel)
5. Salmon
6. Tilapia
7. Mababa sa mercury ang hipon, pusit at alimango.
8. Bangus (milkfish) ay safe din pero mas mataas ang mercury levels kumpara sa ibang nakalista dito.

B. Medyo bawasan ang pagkain: Kumain lamang ng 1-2 beses (o servings) bawat linggo. Ang bawat serving ay may timbang na 180 grams o 6 ounces.
1. Banak (mullet)
2. Tamban
3. Maya-maya (snapper)
4. Nakalatang tuna (Canned light tuna)

C. Mag-ingat sa pagkain: Pinakamarami ay kumain lamang ng 3 beses (o servings) sa isang buwan.
1. Tuna fresh at sashimi
2. Lapu-lapu (grouper)
3. Sea Bass

D. Huwag kainin ito dahil mataas sa mercury:
1. Marlin
2. Tuna (Ahi)
3. Swordfish
4. Pating (Shark).

Dagdag tips sa pagkain ng isda:
1. Piliin ang maliliit na isda dahil mas bata pa sila at hindi pa nakakakuha ng mercury sa katawan. Ang isdang wala pang 12 inches ay mas safe.
2. Kumain na lang ng gu-lay, prutas at manok. Mas safe iyan.
3. Importante: Ang mga buntis at sanggol ay sensitibo sa epekto ng mercury. Mas bawasan pa ang pagkain ng isda.

The Professional Heckler

2009-10-16T17:10:00.001+08:00

The Professional Heckler

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HP to launch 18.4

2009-10-15T19:33:00.002+08:00

HP to launch 18.4" Core i7-equipped desktop replacement, Pavilion dv8 - TechSpot News

This monster is touted as THE desktop replacement and then some. Of course portability suffers but it's much better than lugging your desktop around. Check this baby out!

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FIVE LESSONS

2009-10-14T20:41:00.001+08:00

Five (5) lessons to make you think about the way we treat people.

1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one:

"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello". I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.

Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached..

It read:
"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away... God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. "Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she
brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies..

You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder
from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood
transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.

I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.

He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away".

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

Most importantly...............

... "Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like you do when nobody's watching."

Take A Trip into the Future on the ELECTRONIC SUPERHIGHWAY - TIME

2009-10-14T20:12:00.001+08:00

Take A Trip into the Future on the ELECTRONIC SUPERHIGHWAY - TIME

Monday, Apr. 12, 1993: they were still dreaming of things we take for granted today . . .

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“If you close your eyes to those in need, you will need Divine grace to open the eyes of your heart.” Shafts of Light, Fr. Guido Arguelles, SJ

2009-10-14T19:41:00.003+08:00

Assurances - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2009-10-14T19:24:00.001+08:00

Assurances - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

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Philippine Commentary - Beavis and Butthead

2009-10-14T19:11:00.000+08:00

Philippine Commentary - Beavis and Butthead

WHAT DOES A TEACHER MAKE?

2009-10-11T17:47:00.001+08:00

WHAT DOES A TEACHER MAKE?

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.

One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"

He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."

To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...)

"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 with out an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental...

You want to know what I make?" (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.)

I make kids wonder.

I make them question.

I make them criticize.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.

I teach them to write and then I make them write.

I make them read, read, read.

I make them show all their work in math.

I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know in English while preserving our unique cultural identity.

I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.

I make my students stand to say the Panatang Makabayan to the Flag, because we are proud to be Filipinos.

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.

(Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)

"Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant... You want to know what I make?

I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make?"

THIS IS WORTH SENDING TO EVERY TEACHER YOU KNOW.

THERE IS MUCH TRUTH IN THIS STATEMENT:

"Teachers make every other profession"

How much did Ondoy cost? For starters, try P23 billion - Special Reports - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News

2009-10-11T17:08:00.001+08:00

How much did Ondoy cost? For starters, try P23 billion - Special Reports - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News

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Can Crocs Be More Than a One-Hit Wonder?

2009-10-11T13:49:00.000+08:00

Can Crocs Be More Than a One-Hit Wonder?

Don't own one; never will.

Costa Rica's President: It's Not Easy Staying Green

2009-10-11T13:46:00.000+08:00

Costa Rica's President: It's Not Easy Staying Green

Costa Rica is also the setting for Jurassic Park.

Off the Interstate: Turning 'Blue Highways' Green

2009-10-11T13:44:00.000+08:00

Off the Interstate: Turning 'Blue Highways' Green

Yup. Going green is thinking out-of-the-box.

Endangered Monuments

2009-10-11T13:37:00.001+08:00

Endangered Monuments

Hooray! I think I've just learned to post links to this blog. Let's see is I can learn more tricks.

Rotary Community Corps of Bangkuruhan

2008-05-17T16:55:00.000+08:00

The RCC of Bangkuruhan, sponsored and nurtured by the Rotary Club of Calauag, is featured in Rotary International's Handbook for Rotary Community Corps. Click on this link to read the full RCC Handbook, or go to page 20 for the article, An RCC Case Study. - http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/770en.pdf

Books Across the Seas Project

2008-05-04T16:20:00.001+08:00

Follow this link to read an article I found about our Book Across the Seas Project with the Rotary clubs of Edgerton, Janesville Morning and Janesville Noon - http://gazettextra.com/news/2008/feb/17/rotary-project-collects-books-philippines/

This project is currently in its fourth year and has distributed about 12,000 story books to impoverished schoolchildren in public schools in the town of Calauag, Quezon, Philippines.

Click on this link to see photos.

My Rotaryo Masbateño Adventure

2008-05-01T19:24:00.000+08:00

My Rotaryo Masbateño Adventure

Many Filipinos don’t know where Masbate is. As a geography teacher, I knew where it was although I’ve never been there. All I knew about Masbate was what I usually read in books, magazines, and newspapers – cows, horses, rodeos, the Espinosas, the Khos, political vendettas, eco-tourism, bi-lingual in Bicolano and Visayan, etc. I also knew that the Korean War hero, Boni Serrano (as in the Quezon City street along Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo) was from Masbate.

So when AG Chuck Ravanera invited me to go with him and lecture about WCS, I immediately jumped at the chance. PP Arnel Rodelas of RC Gumaca was also invited to lecture on the RI website and using the internet as a tool for club administration. Pres. Bobby Matriano of RC Calauag tagged along for the adventure.

April 12, 4:00 AM – we finally arrived at the Pilar, Sorsogon port for the ferry boat transfer to Masbate City. Although tired and sleepless after a whole night of traveling, adrenalin was still flowing in anticipation of that unknown adventure known as Masbate.

Among his tons of baggage, AG Chuck had this gigantic wooden Rotary wheel to adorn the Rotary float during the Rodeo Masbateño parade. Yes, he lugged this all the way from Naga City so if Naga Rotarians are missing one giant Rotary wheel, now you know where it is.

April 12, 7:30 AM – the ferry boat – the puny MB City of Bacolod of Montenegro Lines – finally allowed us to board although it was not so reassuring. It looked like what it really was – a relic of the Japanese maritime industry that should have been relegated to the scrap heap decades ago. I’m still wondering why Bacolod City lent its name to this icon of the 1960s.

But since it was the fastest craft (2 hours) going to Masbate City, we gamely boarded it after paying P380 one way. The airconditioning was as old as the boat but it gamely chugged on and gave us some cool air to comfort us while we tried to grab some precious sleep. The blaring cabin music was not so helpful, though. I ended up singing between my catnaps! Nevertheless, the crew was friendly and helpful. Maybe it was because we looked like tourists out to explore the seldom-visited island of Masbate.

April 12, 9:30 AM – we finally arrive at the Masbate port. There was a large group of Masbate Rotarians to welcome us complete with tarpaulin welcome streamers. 5-6 SUVs were ready to haul us to the city.

We were brought to the Masbate Airport where the Masbate Rotarians had their clubhouse. They rented the airport restaurant and made it their meeting place. Breakfast was served and it was a portent of wonderful things (and food!) to come. Dried pusit, beef tapa, scambled eggs, and fried rice. Yummy! And lovingly prepared by their resident kusinero, Rtn. Jose “Boy” Ataat, who is also the City Health Officer. I’m not so good with names but I usually remember the cook of a good meal. The other Rotarians acted as the waiters, providing all our needs and ensuring our comfort. Pres. Teofi Tambago and rest of the gang provided top class service and no need to tip, too!

After breakfast, it was off to the hotel – the Seablick Hotel. It’s owned by a German expat who married a local lass. He has two hotels so he likes the hotel business, I guess. The hotel and its rooms were cozy, clean, aseptic and functional, a bargain at the quoted room rates. Bed and breakfast too.

The downside was there was a brownout (no electricity) until 4:00 PM that day. Bummer! So, no airconditioning, no water pump (so very weak water pressure), no lights, etc. Apparently, the whole city suffered whole daytime brownouts during Saturdays to enable the local electric coop to make some repairs and maintenance. But no complaints from us since it was city-wide. Quezonians are used to brownouts anyway.

April 12, 1:00 PM – lunch at the RC Masbate Clubhouse; steaming hot and tender Masbate bulalo, sans the commercial restaurant veggie frills – just pure Masbate beef.

April 12 – 3:00 PM – at the Liceo de Masbate, we participated in the project launching of the Biosand Water Filter of RC Masbate and RC Brighton Beach (RID 5330). People from the Pag-asa Youth Association of the Philippines explained the surprisingly simple and affordable concept of the water filter.

Sidebar: If you want to know more about this project, contact AG Chuck Ravanera. Believe me, it’s really simple and affordable (it’s made of sand and cement); ideal for a community-based clean water project.

After the Biosand Project Launching, it was time for CP Vey Abella of RC Virac (yes, Virginia, she crossed two bodies of water to get to Masbate) to talk to a group of young Masbateños about the wonderful world of Rotaract. CP Vey gave a comprehensive overview of what Rotaract was all about and how it molded young people into future leaders.

It was at this time that I met the grand old lady of Masbate City and the de facto patron of RC Masbate. No, she wasn’t a Rotarian but her heart was fully into serving her community. She was a successful business woman many times over and also regular patron of the local Rotary club, contributing to their projects and activities. But true to form, I forgot her name! All I can remember is her mane of gray hair, which enhanced her charm and elegance.

At about 5:00 PM, we were accompanied to the changi to buy dried fish and pusit. Dried pusit was at only P390 a kilo, a real bargain even for fishing towns like Calauag and Gumaca. Lucky was the stall we picked because we bought almost all her dried pusit, daing, and dilis.

April 12, 6:30 PM – back to the clubhouse where it was my turn to help Rotarize our hosts; to share WCS with the Masbate Rotarians. For good measure, CP Vey and Pres. Francis Dabu of RC Naga, joined the discussion group and contributed their own inputs and experiences. It was small compact group so there was no need for a projector or sound system. Pres. Teofi’s laptop was perfect for the intimate setting of the lecture.

April 12, 8:30 – we proceeded to Pres. Teofi Tambago’s majestic residence. He comes from a family of lawyers and most are CPA-Lawyers. How’s that for a group of overachievers! Pres. Teofi is also the manager of the local Metrobank branch, so we weren’t too worried about running out of money. Come to think of it, there were about two other bank managers in the club so we were financially secure.

Dinner was a feast out of a tourist guide book – crabs, shrimps, tapa, native chicken, grilled fish and pusit, the array was endless!

After dinner, it was PP Arnel Rodelas’ turn to earn his keep. He talked about the RI website and its various features. The garden setting of his lecture probably inspired him because his lecture took 3 hours! Anyway, the beer was flowing so by the time PP Arnel finished his lecture, all of us were ready for bed. So back to Seablick Hotel (catchy name, don’t you think?). We were too pooped out to make any sidetrip.

April 13, whole morning – AG Chuck mercifully allowed all of us to sleep late. Anyway, we were waiting for the arrival of DGN Tato Dimayuga and his party to arrive. Like us, they spent the whole previous night traveling overland from Batangas. They kept AG Chuck awake the whole night with half-hour bulletins of their location. Since electricity was resumed the afternoon before, we spent the whole morning languishing inside our airconditioned rooms.

Breakfast at Seablick was the standard tapsilog choices but it was hot and delicious.

At about 10:30 AM, it was suddenly bedlam as DGN Tato arrived with his group, most notable were PP Jenny Salud of RC San Juan, PP Kiks Satin of RC Lipa South, and PP George Dulay of RC Tanauan. Sorry to the other guys but I’m just so lousy at remembering names!

Of course the new arrivals wanted to take a rest after their exhausting travel. So it was back to our individual rooms until lunch time.

April 13, 12:30 PM – lunch was again at Pres. Teofi’s palatial home. Again, it was a buffet right out of a tourist guide book. By now, the early birds were already used to seeing a long table full of food and delicacies. But the new arrivals were, of course, rightly impressed by the wide array of food in the buffet.

After lunch it was off to Bituon Beach Resort, owned by one of RC Masbate’s Past Presidents and only Paul Harris Fellow. Calling Gov. Paeng! These Masbate Rotarians are ripe for the picking of more PHFs and PHSMs!

April 13, 3:00 PM – Bituon Beach Resort was a good 30 minutes drive outside the city. The scenery was just like any countryside in Luzon but without the choking traffic and smoke-belching jeeps and buses. We were grandly welcomed by the resort’s owner and given a quick tour of the facilities in this large resort. Lazy me opted to stay behind in the Grand Pavilion so the other guys have to describe what they saw.

The upside of staying behind was to be the first one to be served merienda – a delicious melt-in-your-mouth budin with buko slices and buko shake. The servedoras were so efficient in serving the snacks that I was able to get to two servings before the main party came back from their walking tour. Being lazy has its advantages, too!

At about 4:30 PM, we had a meeting with the club members in the grand pavilion. First was the standard “introduce yourself, your mother club and your classification ritual” Then it was DGN Tato’s turn to Rotarize the Masbateños.

He talked about the wonderful world of Rotary and TRF and two of their flagship programs – GSE and YEP; also about Matching Grants and WCS, and all the other ways Masbate could benefit from Rotary.

While all of this was going on, I espied three large ducks brought into the kitchen and overheard something about a whole goat to be slaughtered. Sure enough, when dinner was served, adobong pato and calderetang kambing! Of course there were the already standard grilled fish and veggies as pamhimagas!

April 13, 7:30 PM – it was back to the Rotary Clubhouse for a night of beer, wine, fellowship, and, yes, ballroom dancing, with dancing lights and all the other disco frills. DGN Tato, PP Kiks, PP Jenny, and all the other guys and gals burned the dancefloor until the wee hours of the morning. If this were a Cinderella story, we would all have turned into mice and horses because the party ended past 1:00 AM. So back it was to Seablick for our much-needed rest.

April 14, 8:00 AM – PP Arnel, Pres. Bobby and I were going to catch the noon ferry back to the mainland. DGN Tato’s party was staying behind for the rodeo and an island tour. Much as we wanted to stay on, our parental (read as in wife’s) permits were expiring that day.

So, Pres. Bobby and I went to the Masbate port to purchase tickets for the RORO. Nope, not the venerable fast craft, but the large, and therefore, slower – 3 hours instead of the 2 – but hopefully more reassuring RORO.

Then to the market to purchase some of those cool cowboy hats; cheap at P150-170 per depending on the quality and style. When in cowboy country, do as the cowboys do – wear a cowboy hat!

The on to the Fazenda store in the church for our pasalubongs of fresh milk (plain or flavored), beef tapa, and home baked cookies. Too bad, they run out of fresh romaine lettuce from the Fazenda farm.

Sidebar: Fazenda is a unique rehabilitation (drug addicts, alcoholics, etc) center run by Brazilian missionaries. Supposedly, there are no walls or fences. The inmates do all the farming and other stuff hence all the products sold at the Fazenda store in the church come from the center. AG Chuck, DGN Tato and the rest of the Luzon Rotarians were scheduled to visit the Fazenda farm later that day so they’ll have to describe the place and the system.

Finally and sadly, it was check out time and off to the Masbate port. To avoid tearful goodbyes, we opted to take the tricycle instead. Anyway, the Masbate Rotarians still had a handful of guests to host until the rodeo and for the island tour.

The RORO, although much larger hence more reassuring, was as old, if not older than the fast craft ferry. But size has its advantages when crossing the seas. Besides, the fare was much cheaper, P180 only. We were also able to soak in the sights of small islands that dotted the seas back to Pilar, Sorsogon.

Back in the mainland and in the comfort of our bus seats, I couldn’t help but reminisce about my Rotaryo Masbateño Adventure – the people I met (I got lots of calling cards as proof!), the rustic, small town atmosphere of Masbate City, the warmth and hospitality of the Masbate Rotarians (hey, our regular escort was a Provincial Board Member, Bokal Boy, using his Trooper SUV!), the food galore, Seablick Hotel (I really dig that name!), Fazenda, the cowboy hats, AG Chuck and his giant Rotary wheel, the Biosand Water Filter (WCS Project potential!), etc. too many to mention. Isn’t Rotary such a wonderful thing?

It was my first time to visit Masbate but I am sure it won’t be my last!

The intrepid and adventurous 3820-Rotarians who shared this wonderful experience with me were:

From RC Naga - PDS Fortunato “Tato” Mendoza, AG Carlos “Chuck” Ravanera, Pres. Francis Dabu and RS Magda, Rtn Francia “Franz” Canlas, and Rotex Claire Catherinet from France.

From RC Virac - CP Vietriz “Vhey” Abella.

From RC Calauag - PP Vince Eleazar and Pres. Roberto “Bobby” Matriano.

From RC Gumaca – PP Arnel Rodelas

From RC Tanauan – DGN Fortunato “Tato” Dimayuga and Rtn. George Dulay.

From RC San Juan (Batangas) – PP Jenny Salud and Rtn. Rudy Escartin.

From RC Lipa South – PP Thelma “Kiks” Satin.

Click on this link for all the photos.

RCC of Upper Calauag

2008-01-23T23:15:00.008+08:00

ROTARY CLUB OF CALAUAG ORGANIZES ROTARY COMMUNITY CORPS (RCC) OF UPPER CALAUAG AND SPONSORS FARMERS' FIELD SCHOOL FOR YELLOW CORN PRODUCTION

The Rotary Club of Calauag successfully sponsored a Farmers’ Field School (FFS) for corn production at Brgy. Tiniguiban, Calauag, Quezon. This was in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture’s Quezon Agricultural Experimental Station in Tiaong, Quezon. More than fifty (50) farmers participated in the FFS-Corn. They met every Tuesday of the week from June 13 to October 02, 2007 or approximately 18 weekly sessions. The farmers were taught the basics of corn production using a 3,000 square meter field-laboratory they established in Brgy. Tiniguiban, Calauag, Quezon.

The farmers were also organized into the Rotary Community Corps of Upper Calauag sponsored by the Rotary Club of Calauag. The municipal government of Calauag likewise supported the project by improving the 28-kilometer barangay road from the Maharlika Highway to Brgy. Tiniguiban and will also acquire a farm tractor for the use of the farmers.

Click on this link for photos.