Efren Penaflorida's Angel

Have you watched The Bottomline a while ago? Well, a friend of mine called me to say hi, then dropped the phone right after that saying she's about to sleep already. (Tumawag pa! Peace! hehehe) So, since was I up already and cannot go back to sleep right away, I turned on the TV and saw this segment of The Bottomline.

Anyway, the guest was Efren Penaflorida, CNN's 2009 Hero of the year. And for those readers who haven't heard of this before, let me just say that the award is probably the next best thing (or a contender) after Nobel Peace Prize. Google it.

One of the most interesting conversations between Boy and Efren was when the latter was asked who his crush is. And Efren categorically said it was Angel Locsin. A follow up question went like this: "Liligawan mo ba?" (Will you court/pursue her.) And Efren's answer was "Just help me pray for her". (In the latter part of the show, Efren confirmed that he wanted to court her.)

Now, the question is: Do you think these two people can and will hit it off? I mean, that's Angel Locsin right there. (Oops! Should I have said 'That's CNN's Hero of the Year right there!') If or when Efren asks Angel out, do you think Angel will go with him? Please don't get me wrong. It's just that, this is really not something we usually see... a topnotch celebrity and a social worker... di ba?

If the two will become a couple in the future, the CNN's Hero of the Year Award is going to be #1 in my 2010 To Dos. Yeah, and this post will soon become a reality!

PS: Merry Christmas everyone!

Happiness

Happiness is overrated...

...you can be happy without it.

What a Coincidence!

Around this time last year, something happened (details here). For some unexplainable reason, after 365 days, it's happening again...

Bow. :-)

I Want Some Loot!

Now, I once said that KG can beat Pope John Paul in terms of the number of places traveled/visited. I don;t know, maybe she has done that already. You see, KG is the most traveled person I know. (Didn't you get a memo for missing many work-days/weeks at that top secret BPO company? Hehehe.)

Anyone, she has this contest. In case you are interested to join, please visit her site. And yes, this is my entry. :-)

My 3 favorite places.

1. Boston, MA.

This is somewhere in the Boston Public Garden. The picture you are seeing is just like a lagoon (parang sa UP, hehehe) but for some reason, I really loved the place! I promised myself I will be back here soon. (A friend of mine invited me here a year ago but due to financial concerns, I wasn't able to make it -- but I will. Soon.)

I'd say this still part of #1, after all, they are both in the same country as #1. Anyway, let me just say, seeing these two structures that are symbolic of the country that dictates foreign and national policies of many other countries is very satisfying. (That's the PolSci kid in me. :-))

2. Siargao

The dream of seeing this majestic island was conceived when I was in college, and materialized when I was still in KG, mordsith, and Rico's top secret company. Other than the night life (or lack of it), the place is perfect.

See exhibits A (left: the Naked Island -- and the girl is not naked, but gorgeously sexy) and B (right: Cloud 9, the place where the International Surfing Cup is almost always held).

3. EK!

I know this is not really a "travel"destination but hey, this is a place, right? It's not that I really, really loved the place; the circumstances when we were there is just awesome -- I think we owned the place that time.

Hahaha! Just imagine these magnificent rides... plus there are no queues anywhere at all! Saan ka pa?!

Three places I dream of going to (I'll just let the pictures do the talkine...)

1. Switzerland

XXX

2. Cambodia

XXX

3. Bora Bora

XXX

So, that's it! Sana mapuntahan ko man lang kahit kalahati ng lugar na napuntahan ni KG. :-)

I Miss Web 2.0

There are so many things I want to write about: Maguindanao Massacre and/or Ampatuan, 2010 Presidential Elections, GMA running for Congress, the idea of corruption as a privilege, and so many more. But I don't know which one to choose. So, for now, I am leaving you with this:

Have a great day, Guys.

Manny Pacquiao on Time Magazine's Cover

There were only two Filipinos (so far) featured in the cover of Time magazine. The first one was Cory Aquino, and the second one, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao.

Cory Aquino... Manny Pacquiao... Whew!

And on Jimmy Kimmel -- check it on Youtube.

1, 2, 3! Say Chiz!

Chiz Escudero was interviewed last Wednesday (or was it a Thursday?) by Lazaro, and one of the questions that really made me ROFLMAO is this: "Ano po ang maisasagot ninyo sa mga nagsasabing salita lang kayo ng salita, wala naman kayong ginagawa?" Chiz's answer:

Wala ka na ngang ginagawa, hindi ka pa ba magsasalita?

Now, I am not sure if that was a good move. I think somewhere in that sentence was an admission that he really is not doing anything. Problem with Chiz is that his mouth has its own "control room" independent of his brain. Haayyzzz...

Totoo ba na putak lang ng putak si Chiz? I dunno, but some normal people would say: "Magandang gabi po sa inyong lahat. Maraming salamat po sa pagdating ninyo sa pagtitipong ito." Chiz, on the other hand, would probably phrase it this way:

Sa mga kababaihan, kalalakihan, at kabataan, sa mga taong may sariling preperensya ng kanilang sekswalidad, sa mga matatanda na pinagmumulan ng malawak na karanasan, at sa lahat ng aking kababayan, at lahat ng taong nakikinig, nais kong sabihin, iparating, at ipaunawa, mula sa kaibuturan ng aking puso at kaluluwa, ang aking madamdaming pagbati ng isang maganda, matiwasay, mapayapa, at mapagpalayang gabi sa inyong lahat.

Nasi ko pong simulan ang aking maikling talumpati sa pamamagitan ng pagsasabing... Maraming salamat po sa lahat ng taong nandito lalung-lalo sa mga kababayan kong taga Bicol na matatagpuan sa katimugang bahagi ng isla ng Luzon, ang pinakamalaking kapuluan sa Pilipinas, ang Perlas ng Silanganan, o Pearl of the Orient Seas, sa walang pag-aatubili at taso-pusong pagtungo sa gusaling nasa latitude 14° 36′ 14″ Hilaga ng Equator at longitude 121° 2′ 56″ Silangan ng Prime Meridian sa Mapa ng Maynila, na mas kilala rin sa pangalang Club Filipino, isang napakahalagang lugar sa kasaysayan ng demokrasya ng Pilipinas.

The Professional Heckler has got a copy of the original speech of Escudero. Hehehe. Happy Halloween!

(Note: The above material/intro was a slight modification of a post from user "gauss" of Peyups.com and from PH's site.)

Why I Love My Government

In some culture in some not-so-far-away civilizations, valuing the life of its people is considered important.:-) This is why I am so happy that I belong to this country. This government collects billions of pesos from sin taxes and then put a label to these “sin products” like the ones below. Woohoo!

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Sa Mata ng mga Bata

There is this show in ABC 5 (Kiddie Kwela) where Bayani Agbayani asks 3- to 5-year-old children innocent questions and children, well, answer them. (This is somewhat similar to the foreign show Kids Say the Darndest Things.) In this week’s episode, Bayani asks Maritoni, a 4-year-old girl, what kind of house she wants for herself. Maritoni said “malaking bahay”(big house). The follow-up question and her answer is what this post would be about: Sinong nakatira sa maliit na bahay, at sinong nakatira sa malaking bahay? (Who lives in a small house and a big house?)

Let me first share my siblings answer to this question. X Sister said those who live in a small house are those who can’t afford a big house; those who live in a big house are the rich ones. X Brother has an almost similar answer. My answer was that those who live in a small house are those who are already contented with having a small house; those who live in a big house are the ones who are insecure in their lives such that they need to show off their worth by having these material stuff. Of course I am not really 100% convinced with my answer. Hehehe.

Do you know how Maritoni answered this question?

Ang nakatira po sa maliit na bahay ay mga Barbie; ang sa malaking bahay, mga tao.

Wow… the answer reminded me of The Little Prince… The little child saw an elephant inside the boa’s stomach; the adults saw a hat…

Cervantes Apologized; I Won't, Unless...

The post below (Gordon, Dick (Part II): The Politics of Dickery) has created so much fiasco (no, not that it needed barricades or crowd control), or so Martin Cervantes said it. Well, Martin's blog was published by so many people, reached the air waves, sent to emails, etc. Yeah, it did create so much fiasco. I received an email from a certain Daphne saying the Senator was actually not at fault, etc. I won't be publishing it here as it was a private email (probably sent to many people, but private nonetheless).

Martin Cervantes also apologized, and here's his post:

I recently wrote a blog that well I kind of regret writing because I was thinking out of frustration at a situation in a RELIEF effort. I realized after all the mudslinging, the original point of the blog was to inform how things are going and not to create negativity and malign individuals [emphasis mine]. The pictures posted were of course done stupidly in Jest.

If you have a copy of my blog that I originally placed, please take it down for EVERYONE'S well being.

I am TRULY SORRY IF there were names dragged to the picture and of course once again I humbly accept any consequences that come out of it.

Typhoon Ondoy has brought out the BEST and worst in the Filipino but I believe the bigger picture was that it UNITED A NATION that has gone through so much. Maybe my blog was a reflection of how things go and how we shouldn't jump the gun either.

At this point....I'd just like to MOVE On...especially since there's another typhoon on its way that I'm praying will spare our country because we don't deserve this. We are a Faithful people and I know God will provide.

Once again, I am sincerely sorry for the whole fiasco, it was not my intention to present it that way [emphasis mine]. Thank you and God bless us all.

I don't know what really happened that made Mr. Cervantes apologize. (Were stanchions and velvet ropes used? I don't know.) But what made me thinking is, he really did not retract his statements -- he apologized for the fiasco. Very safe... and ball-less! (Borrowing Mr. Cervantes's own words: AND I can only PRAY MR. GORDON that you be granted some sort of WISDOM (OR BALLS) to DECIDE WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO DO.) He's just playing it safe, while trying to sound sincere. If he really thinks he is at fault, then, he has to admit he was wrong -- that there was no "protocol" mentioned by Red Cross staff at all, that he's just hallucinating, etc. Because if he is just apologizing for the fiasco created, then, I'd take it that he (still) stands by his original post.

The quoted material in this blog will remain until such time that Mr. Cervantes exhibits some sort of WISDOM (OR BALLS) to DECIDE WHAT [HE] REALLY WANT[S] TO DO. Is he admitting he is wrong with the "protocol thing" (because he narrated a story -- and very clearly at that -- that the public should know)? If so, then my post below will go to trash. But if not, this will stay here.

---

Regardless of whatever Mr. Cervantes's intention is, I still don't like Dick Gordon. Amnesty to Abu Sayyaf?! What was he thinking?!

Gordon, Dick (Part II): The Politics of Dickery

I have never done a Part II on any of my posts before. I think. Dick Gordon is just someone so special that I believe a sequel to his dickery is necessary. In Part I of this article, Gordon suggested that the Abu Sayyaf be given amnesty by the government. (Dick!) In case new readers are not aware of what the Sayyafs have done before (and this is me hoping you won't get insulted with my play-safe assumption), this group has been involved in beaheading of soldiers, kidnappings, and other terror attacks.

And now, he did it again! Here's the short story (and below it is the long story):


Apparently, some volunteers was made to postpone distributing the goods to many evacuees because Dick is supposed to give a speech first. They waited for hours and the "good" senator did not arrive. Whether he has a good and valid reason why he was not there, well, I don't care. I just hate the fact that the he has to make a speech (or at least planned to) before the goods are distributed to hungry evacuees! What for? I can usually tolerate politicking -- TV commercials like Anak, itabi mo -- but Dick's action is a lot different than these. Lives are directly involved; people are hungry and/or dying; and yet, he's pulling this politicking?! He's such a Dick!

Below is the complete story from a certain Martin Cervantes, a volunteer.

To think the deluge of volunteerism support and the “Bayanihan” spirit of the Filipino has somewhat made me believe that this country is indeed worth figthing for, someone destroys it for me. Here’s my story.... On September 30, 2009, our company decided to volunteer with various efforts around the Metro as a genuine act of helping out those who have been ravaged by Typhoon Ondoy. I was placed under the group to support the mission of the Philippine Red Cross in Quezon City. Call time was at 8 am sharp and we got to the Evacuation center by Novaliches at around 10 am. As we were briefed what to do, we also initiated a system to keep things in order because of the number of people. At around 10:45 we were ready and so was everyone else because they’ve been there since the early part of the morning but we were informed by one of the PRC staff on site, we couldn’t give out the goods yet because “protocol” dictates that the PRC chair....Mr. Dick Gordon was going to visit and deliver some sort of speech or at least hand out the goods. We were infomed by a certain Ms. Torres that this was how it goes...we reasoned out with her that the people were lined up already and OBVIOUSLY hungry waiting for so many hours as it was. We also asked if the goods were from MR. GORDON and we were told it was donations to the Red Cross. So we kinda hinted ….we can give it then! But wait we did, by around noon, no word from the DICK and people were getting rowdy saying “Ibigay nyo na! (Give it already!) The number of people was increasing and we knew the goods provided to us would be gone in an instant. It was only a small container van of Air 21 that housed the goods and I’d approximate there were at least a 1,000 people on site.

At this point, my fellow colleagues were exasperated at what was going on. WE COULD STAY THERE the whole day to help out and make sure the people there would at least be spared from any further hurt (if losing a house wasn’t hurtful enough) by doing something significant, instead we were made to wait doing nothing just because someone wanted to use the program for his political gain. I mean, the bag only contained rice, canned goods and noodles…would it be so DIFFICULT to give this away already??!!! We were wearing our company shirts…so it looked like WE WERE THE ONES DELAYING the damn operation.

The Barangay Captain got a hold of the mic and told the people “Maswerte tayo na tayo ang pinuntahang Barangay, hinihintay lang natin ang mga panauhin natin, kaya’t wag kayong mag tampo” (We’re lucky to be the Barangay that will be visited, we’re just waiting for our guests, so don’t fret).

At almost 2 pm, I don’t know what happened but the Brgy. Captain suddenly asked all Senior citizens and pregnant women to make a new line (from the original lines) and then he started to instruct us to give out the goods…and that’s when all hell broke loose. Obviously the people in the original line weren’t too happy with the situation…even if…the idea was noble.

In the end, the stubs to claim the relief goods were more than the relief goods themselves…and I could see a lot of upset people at what had just happened….oh and the clincher of it all…..DICK MOTHER(*@#$!%^) GORDON DID NOT SHOW UP. He wanted this obviously to be a POLITICAL event for him and then decided that maybe it wasn’t worth showing up for after all.

I can’t believe that a time like this when ORDINARY people are coming together, POLITICIANS REMAIN THE SAME…AND I can only PRAY MR. GORDON that you be granted some sort of WISDOM (OR BALLS) to DECIDE WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO DO. Don’t go on making PROTOCOLS that are STUPID AND INANE especially in times like this….people have lost their loved ones, their houses, basically everything they have and you still have the GALL to use this to YOUR Advantage.

Believe me, if you ever run for office, I WILL NEVER VOTE FOR YOU and I hope everyone who sees this blog does the same thing. It’s funny a week ago on ANC you told viewers that the reason why we’re in a rut is because our government does not have a CLEAR SYSTEM….so please EXPOUND to me how your PROTOCOL of overseeing the distribution of relief goods was more of SYSTEM rather than a POLITICAL STUNT.

DICK. I honestly believe your name suits you quite well.

Dick Gordon, everyone. If he's running again (for whatever position in the government), please, don't ever vote for him.

Twitter of Political Personalities and Controversial Celebrities

I just can't help but laugh. This is from The Professional Heckler's blog.

Several political personalities and controversial celebrities reportedly used Twitter to express their thoughts on this latest tragedy. Here are samples of unverified posted tweets.

President Arroyo: “Sabi nila knee-deep lang!? It was chest-deep! Puñeta!”
about 34 hours ago from web

Sen. Mar Roxas: “Ramdam ko kayo. Promise, totoo na ‘yan.”
about 12 hours ago from web

Sen. Manuel Villar: “I am worried about C5 road.”
4:30 AM Sep 25th from web

Sen. Noynoy Aquino: “Will have to meet with the Pink Sisters before deciding on which evacuation center to visit first.”
about 28 hours ago from twitterfeed

Cebu Rep. Antonio Cuenco: “Half of the members of the Lower House will join Noynoy’s planned relief drive.”
about 30 hours ago from web

Sen. Panfilo Lacson: “God Save the Philippines from typhoon Ondoy!”
5:30 PM Sep 25th from UberTwitter

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada: “Baka akala mo porke’t bumagyo, nakalimot na ako. Hindi pa tayo tapos Mr. Panfilo Morena Lacson.”
10 seconds ago from web

Bro. Mike Velarde: “Baligtarin n’yo ang inyong mga payong! Tikatik, liglig, at umaapaw na… ang baha!”
10 AM Sep 25 from Uber Twitter

Pampanga Rep. Mike Arroyo: “My advice sa mga nawalan ng bahay at gamit: pakasal ulit kayo para may magregalo sa inyo.”
2 seconds ago from web

NPA leader Ka Roger Rosal: “Basang-basa dahil sa bagyo at nanginginig sa sobrang lamig. Ka Joma, kung nababasa mo ‘to, magli-leave ako for one week!”
1900 hrs Sep 25 from mobile phone

Vicki Belo: “Just got home after driving around the metro. Ang daming nagkalat na plastic.”
about 27 hours ago from web

Kris Aquino: “Gosh, did you see Marikina and Cainta? I swear, kailangan nila ng makeover!”
about 30 hours ago from web

Annabelle Rama: “May nagtext sa ‘kin dong. Kasabwat ni Ondoy si Wilma Galvante dong!”
3 minutes ago from web

Korina Sanchez: “Rain or shine, tuloy ang kasal!”
7:30 PM Sep 25th from twitterfeed

Twitter is so kool! :-) mag-Twitter ka na!

Help Victims of Ondoy through Paypal, Credit Card Donations

Fellow bloggers, reposting this from another site:

…one organization who's accepting Paypal donations. Please refer to http://www.txtpower.org/. Inquirer published their story so I would have to take that as an assurance that they are legit. Here's the story: http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view/20090927-227196/Help-Ondoy-victims-via-Paypal.

…

Paypal users, you may send your donations to magbayanihan@yahoo.com.ph or by visiting this Paypal page: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=8484182

Let's try to help in our own little way.

Using Gmail to Update Facebook, Friendster, Multiply, Plurk, and Twitter

Reposting a short article I posted in a tech blog... baka may maitulong sa mga nakablock na Facebook, etc sa offices nyo. :-)

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In this Web 2.0 generation, social networks and microblogging platforms are almost as essential as telecommunications devices. But do you really have to login to all of your networks (Facebook, Friendster, Multiply, Plurk, and Twitter) just to say you are “in a meeting; will check my e-mails tonight”?

I found out a way how you can simultaneously update all these networks just by sending one message to a certain platform — through GMail chat. OK, fine, some of you are probably doing this already, but for those who doesn’t have any idea how to do this, please read on.

I will be assuming, at the very least that you have a Plurk and Gmail accounts. If not, create your own. The first step is to configure your Plurk account such that it can be updated through Gmail. How do you do that? See picture below:

Setting your Plurk Bot

Click the alert icon and a dialog box will pop up. Refer to the tip encircled in the picture above. Actually, you just have to click the link (Get started now) and everything is as easy as ABC. There will be an instruction for you to add the Plurk Bot to your list of friends, and as soon as it’s done, you can now update your Plurk page thorugh Gmail chat. You just have to open up a chat window with your Plurk bot, and send message to it. Your messages will be saved as a Plurk update.

So, once you are done with that, all you have to do is configure your Plurk account so that all your updates in Plurk will be reflected as a status updates in Facebook, Friendster, Multiply, and Twitter. See below:

Your Bot

Isn’t that a convenience?

All About Food

Hi, Guys.

A friend of mine started a blog on food (mostly on her adventure re fastfood, simple food kiosk, etc). You might wannna visit her site.

(I hope she won't mind I am sharing her blog to you, hehehe.)

http://ratedpg247.blogspot.com

Obama, US President, Ate in a Burger Stand

The pictures below are from Raissa Robles's blog. Just want to share them with you. And nope, this has nothing to do with GMA having a 1-million-peso worth of dinner in New York. *wink*

 

  

  

 

Obama is the Man!

Thank You, Ninoy and Other Heroes, Not just for Saving Our Country...

Guys, did you know that two long weekends (well, for those who are working in the corporate world) are fast approaching now? August 21 is Ninoy Aquino Day (so, Friday to Sunday) and August 31 is National Heroes Day (so, Sunday to Monday). This means you should already be planning your trip to that very beautiful beach up north or down south as early as now. In fact it might be too late already.

Well, actually, it's not yet too late. I mean, you still have at least two weeks before the first long weekend, and more than three weeks for the second long weekend. And if you have your own car (unfortunately for me, my budget/savings is only good for a car seat), going out of town is really not that complicated. You just fill your car with gas, choose a destination, and whoala! You're on your way to your destination.

As for me, I am planning to spend those two long weekends watching 24 and House! (Remember that post for Patricia? :-)) Hehehe. But if anyone of you would like to invite me for a joy ride, please, please, do not hesitate to do so.

I'm Getting Married

Well, that was the plan crafted by my two evil siblings the other night. And you know what, save for one important detail, I almost believe it's really going to happen. They made a list of songs, guests (GMA is actually in the list), reception, basically everything you need for the wedding. And my geeky bro (who plays with transistors, capacitors, and circuit boards during his free time -- and plays guitar, too) recorded a musical piece with all the instruments being played by him -- keyboard, guitar, and drums; the vocal part was recorded by my sister. How did  he do that? The bro downloaded an emulator-kind of software, then, he used the PC keyboard as, well, keyboard and drum set. He has a fine guitar. He played and recorded the instruments separately, then, the vocals, then mixed them after that. The result is so beauuuutifful!

I think they were able to cover almost everything except for one thing: Jessica Alba's "Yes, I want to marry you" part. If anyone can help me contact her, please tell her a wedding plan is already in place.

PS: As per the wedding planners (my evil siblings), Ensabahnur, PJVP, The Banana Man, and TheHusband are supposed to render a BSB dance/song performance. You have to watch out for that!

Gordon, Dick

Amnesty (from the Greek amnestia, oblivion) is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent persons. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the offense.

Amnesty to the Abu Sayyaf kids is being proposed by Sen. Dick Gordon. (Read more about it here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090715-215499/Amnesty-urged-for-Abu-Sayyaf-kidnappers.) He really is such a… Gordon. Abu Sayyaf has been involved with kidnapping, beheading, arson, murder, etc. How can a lawmaker even consider giving them an amnesty? (Again, please refer to the definition above -- from Wikipedia, by the way, so, I am not sure how accurate the definition is.)

(Sometimes, I really can't figure out the difference between a terrorist, politician, and idiot.)

Goodbye, 1101

Finally, we were able to move in to our new place. We don’t have much stuff/equipment/appliances but for some reason, it took us four back-and-forth trips using our neighbor’s FX to transfer everything to the new place. Well, good thing is, it’s all over.

Last Sunday, we spent the night just chatting about our experiences from our old place in QC. We lived there for a decade. Yes, a decade… a decade worth of memories –- proximity to Sarah’s (some of you are probably aware how important this place is especially to students like I once was), UP Acad Oval, the infamous UP Lagoon and Sunken Garden, Dencio’s at Capitol Hills, and so many good places... and good memories. I am happy with the new place that we have now. It’s closer to our (mine, my sibs’) offices and closer to malls (woohoo!). But I have to admit: the hassle of moving your things is something you won’t really like. We needed to disassemble computer tables (we have two), pack dozens of books and CDs/DVDs, untangle wirings. And  believe it or not, common household tools are not enough; we had to borrow more complicated power tools and hardware from our neighbor! OK, that’s an exaggeration, but it was really, really so tiring.

But again, as I’ve mentioned already, it’s all over. Oh, and yesterday, my brother bought a two-meter cable for the TV antenna, and when we hooked it up to the existing antenna line, we were so surprised the line is cable TV ready -- as in. Haha! (I’m not just sure if they are going to disconnect it anytime soon. I really hope they won’t.)

(By the way, we don’t have Internet connection yet, that’s why I am not so Web-active lately. :-) )

Angels on a Pin: A Modern Parable

And I thought I am a physics genius! Hehehe.

Angels on a Pin: A Modern Parable
by Alexander Callandra
Saturday Review, Dec 21, 1968

Some time ago I received a call from a colleague who asked if I would be the referee on the grading of an examination question. He was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physics question, while the student claimed he should receive a perfect score and would if the system were not set up against the student: The instructor and the student agreed to submit this to an impartial arbiter, and I was selected.

I went to my colleague's office and read the examination question: "Show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer."

The student had answered: "Take a barometer to the top of the building, attach a long rope to it, lower the barometer to the street and then bring it up, measuring the length of the rope. The length of the rope is the height of the building."

I pointed out that the student really had a strong case for full credit since he had answered the question completely and correctly. On the other hand, if full credit was given, it could well contribute to a high grade for the student in his physics course. A high grade is supposed to certify competence in physics, but the answer did not confirm this. I suggested that the student have another try at answering the question I was not surprised that my colleague agreed, but I was surprised that the student did.

I gave the student six minutes to answer the question with the warning that the answer should show some knowledge of physics. At the end of five minutes, he had not written anything. I asked if he wished to give up, but he said no. He had many answers to this problem; he was just thinking of the best one. I excused myself for interrupting him and asked him to please go on. In the next minute he dashed off his answer which read:

"Take the barometer to the top of the building and lean over the edge of the roof. Drop that barometer, timing its fall with a stopwatch. Then using the formula S = ½at², calculate the height of the building.

At this point I asked my colleague if he would give up. He conceded, and I gave the student almost full credit.

In leaving my colleague's office, I recalled that the student had said he had many other answers to the problem, so I asked him what they were. "Oh yes," said the student. "There are a great many ways of getting the height of a tall building with a barometer. For example, you could take the barometer out on a sunny day and measure the height of the barometer and the length of its shadow, and the length of the shadow of the building and by the use of a simple proportion, determine the height of the building."

"Fine," I asked. "And the others?"

"Yes," said the student. "There is a very basic measurement method that you will like. In this method you take the barometer and begin to walk up the stairs. As you climb the stairs, you mark off the length of the barometer along the wall. You then count the number of marks, and this will give you the height of the building in barometer units. A very direct method."

"Of course, if you want a more sophisticated method, you can tie the barometer to the end of a string, swing it as a pendulum, and determine the value of 'g' at the street level and at the top of the building. From the difference of the two values of `g' the height of the building can be
calculated."

Finally, he concluded, there are many other ways of solving the problem. "Probably the best," he said, "is to take the barometer to the basement and knock on the superintendent's door. When the superintendent answers, you speak to him as follows: "Mr. Superintendent, here I have a fine barometer. If you tell me the height of this building, I will give you this barometer."

At this point I asked the student if he really did know the conventional answer to this question. He admitted that he did, said that he was fed up with high school and college instructors trying to teach him how to think, using the "scientific method," and to explore the deep inner logic of the subject in a pedantic way, as is often done in the new mathematics, rather than teaching him the structure of the subject. With this in mind, he decided to revive scholasticism as an academic lark to challenge the Sputnik-panicked classrooms of America.

Have a happy week ahead, guys!

##

NO TO CONASS!

ConAss is outright stupid. Anyone who have seen these congressmen debate or argue a cause knows how dangerous -- and again, stupid -- it would be to allow them to meddle with our Constitution. It is stupid enough that we allow them to sit in Batasang Pambansa and give them the power to legislate... it would be too much if we allow them to amend the Constitution -- the only guardian that we have against more stupid laws.

ConAss is self-serving. How can the proponents of HR 1109 argue otherwise? If the Constitution needs revision, let it be handled by a Constitutional Convention... and let that happen after the 2010 elections.

If you are against this move, let's speak out. We bloggers have proven not just once that we can make a difference. This is another avenue for us to help our country.

Wondering if your congressman voted for the HB?

List of congressmen who voted for con-ass
POSTSCRIPT By Federico D. Pascual Jr. Updated June 09, 2009 12:00 AM

##

Wanted: Partners for a Multi-million Dollar Business Venture

Now, guys, if you want to be a partner in this business consortium that we are about to start (see below for details), please e-mail me the following information:

• Online Bank Account (please specify bank, username, and password)
  
• Paypal Account (username and password)
  

(PS: Please contact me if you are not comfortable with my partner, John Mukhabe -- I have another Nigerian business partner who can help us. *wink, wink*)

Happy weekend everyone!

From: John Mukhabe
178 Jason Moyo Layouts
Harare-Zimbabwe

Dear Sir,

I got your contact information from a reputable business/professional directory of your country which gives me assurance of your legibility as a business person.

My name is John Mukhabe a citizen of Zimbabwe and a financial consultant. I represent the interest of a client, an investor whom as a result of the sensitive nature of the position he occupies under the present government in Zimbabwe, coupled with the recent political and economic developments in my country wishes to relocate his funds abroad and secure it from inflation through investment.

I am making this contact with you on the strength of this my client s need  for  an individual such as you, who will be willing to receive money on his behalf abroad, and then invest this money for making profit in accordance with the foreign direct investment regulations in your country.Your role as a partner will be to devise the necessary business plan based on your knowledge of the domestic economy in your country. To oversee the day to day management of the business that will be established there in your country with this capital (U.S$10,500,000).

The establishment of this joint business venture with the above mentioned fund will be carried out in a manner consistent with the prevailing international laws and that of your country guiding such an investment.In the event that you are willing to work with me on this project as a partner, provide me with your direct telephone and fax numbers for further detail.

Best regards
John Mukhabe

##

Are You Happy Enough to Win PHP200,000?

If you are updated with what is happening around us -- Alec Baldwin and mail-order brides, Erap and his plan for reelection, De Castro being the top contender in 2010, Lacson and Villar word war, noodles scam, etc (visit my favorite site ) -- and you can still be happy after that, a PHP200,000 tax-free cash prize can be yours.

Cebuana Lhuillier launched this contest called “Search for the Happiest Pinoy” in celebration of its anniversary of something. The mechanics is fairly simple: if you are “constantly cheerful, optimistic, has the ability to rise above life’s challenges, and has a positive impact on other people’s lives,” then you are qualified for this contest. Well, I have to admit, it’s more complicated than just saying that. I mean, how do you exactly quantify happiness, right? Well, the people responsible for this have these specific steps/procedures/mechanics:

• A 50-sentence essay is required for each nomination, describing the life story of the nominee, exceptional traits or character, what makes him or her constantly cheerful and optimistic, events in his or her life that demonstrated inner strength and resilience, and how the person made a positive impact on the lives of those around him or her.
• A screening committee will select the top 20 from all entries received by September 15.
• A selection committee and board of judges will then choose the top five finalists for interview.
• The “Happiest Pinoy” will be named and awarded P200,000 plus a plaque on September 30.
• The four runners-up will each receive P25,000 and a plaque.

So, there. Guys, I know one of you in my sidebars is super qualified to join. And I am sure the 50-sentence essay can easily be done. If you are interested, forms can be obtained from Lhuillier branches nationwide, or downloaded from its website, www.happiest-pinoy.com. Oh, sorry, you cannot nominate yourself. People nominating themselves will automatically be disqualified. Hehehe. So, ask another happy friend to nominate you, and return the favor. :-)

And by the way, this is not a paid post; but if Cebuana Lhuillier people are reading this, I don't mind receiving a percentage of the prize -- Paypal remittance will do. Nyahaha! :-) 

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Case of the $2.13-M Comma

Advanced apology: This is going to be a here-are-the-links-please-read post. :-)

I was reading a United States Supreme Court case (yeah, just one of the things I usually do when I am not hacking government databases, searching new constellations, and mapping DNAs of mutant hybrids) where the court was actually burdened with the task of deciding how much of a sentence does an adverb modify. (Isipin mo nga naman. Rico's top secret BPO company can do this ah?!) The adverb in question is "knowingly" and part of the sentence is "knowingly transfers, possesses or uses, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person." The case? Here's a summary:

Here-are-the-links-please-read Link #1: Supreme Court decides what an adverb modifies

On May 4th, the U.S. Supreme Court decided unanimously, in Flores-Figueroa v. United States, that the word "knowingly" modifies not only the verb, but also the direct object following the verb. In doing so, the Court also decided that illegal aliens cannot be found guilty of Aggravated Identity Theft unless they know their false identification numbers actually belong to someone else. Flores-Figueroa is a Mexican citizen who pled guilty to misuse of immigration documents and entering into the U.S. without inspection. Aggravated Identity Theft provides for two years to be added to the sentence of any such person if he "knowingly transfers, possesses or uses, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person." 18 U.S.C. §1028A(a)(1).

Now, after reading that, a related link caught my attention. It was about a rare case involving a comma (Merriam-Webster's: a punctuation mark, used especially as a mark of separation within the sentence -- yes, THAT comma!) which cost a giant communications company to pay another company more than US$2M. Wow. I think law schools should make Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation (Lynne Truss) a required reading! (I'm sure Mordsith won't have a problem like this case once she's done with her study. We can earn big bucks here!)

Here-are-the-links-please-read Link #2: Comma quirk irks Rogers

GRANT ROBERTSON
From Monday's Globe and Mail
August 6, 2006 at 11:30 PM EDT


It could be the most costly piece of punctuation in Canada.

A grammatical blunder may force Rogers Communications Inc. to pay an extra $2.13-million to use utility poles in the Maritimes after the placement of a comma in a contract permitted the deal's cancellation.

The controversial comma sent lawyers and telecommunications regulators scrambling for their English textbooks in a bitter 18-month dispute that serves as an expensive reminder of the importance of punctuation.

Rogers thought it had a five-year deal with Aliant Inc. to string Rogers' cable lines across thousands of utility poles in the Maritimes for an annual fee of $9.60 per pole. But early last year, Rogers was informed that the contract was being cancelled and the rates were going up. Impossible, Rogers thought, since its contract was iron-clad until the spring of 2007 and could potentially be renewed for another five years.

Armed with the rules of grammar and punctuation, Aliant disagreed. The construction of a single sentence in the 14-page contract allowed the entire deal to be scrapped with only one-year's notice, the company argued.

Language buffs take note — Page 7 of the contract states: The agreement “shall continue in force for a period of five years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.”

Rogers' intent in 2002 was to lock into a long-term deal of at least five years. But when regulators with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) parsed the wording, they reached another conclusion.

The validity of the contract and the millions of dollars at stake all came down to one point — the second comma in the sentence.

Had it not been there, the right to cancel wouldn't have applied to the first five years of the contract and Rogers would be protected from the higher rates it now faces.

“Based on the rules of punctuation,” the comma in question “allows for the termination of the [contract] at any time, without cause, upon one-year's written notice,” the regulator said.

Rogers was dumbfounded. The company said it never would have signed a contract to use roughly 91,000 utility poles that could be cancelled on such short notice. Its lawyers tried in vain to argue the intent of the deal trumped the significance of a comma. “This is clearly not what the parties intended,” Rogers said in a letter to the CRTC.

But the CRTC disagreed. And the consequences are significant.

The contract would have shielded Rogers from rate increases that will see its costs jump as high as $28.05 per pole. Instead, the company will likely end up paying about $2.13-million more than expected, based on rough calculations.

Despite the victory, Aliant won't reap the bulk of the proceeds. The poles are mostly owned by Fredericton-based utility NB Power, which contracted out the administration of the business to Aliant at the time the contract was signed.

Neither Rogers nor Aliant could be reached for comment on the ruling. In one of several letters to the CRTC, Aliant called the matter “a basic rule of punctuation,” taking a swipe at Rogers' assertion that the comma could be ignored.

“This is a classic case of where the placement of a comma has great importance,” Aliant said.

Lazy Thursday... Happy weekend. :-)

The British Monarchy to Confer Knighthood to Pacquiao

Not! But hey, would you actually be surprised if Pacquiao, in addition to his honoris causas, became a knight? Hehehe. Picture this out:

Sir Manny "Pacman" Pacquaio, PhD

Pacquiao won over Hatton in just two rounds. TKO! I didn't expect that. Honestly, I actually doubted if Pacquaio would win... at least during the first 30 seconds. I have no idea how Hatton fights and when I saw him clinging on to Pacquiao (using his left hand to cling to Pacquiao, and his right hand to punch him -- what?!?!), I thought it would irritate Pacquaio, and might cause him to lose this game. But in a few seconds after that, I was convinced: Pacquiao owns Hatton.

Had Pacquiao been alive during the 16th century, I doubt if the Spaniards would have the balls to conquer us.

I lost a bet to a friend of mine 'coz I sided with Hatton. But not because I want Hatton. Nagsigurado lang: Had Hatton won, well, I would have mourned the defeat of a Filipino athlete, but at least I won a bet (Starbucks coffee and cheesecake); but since Pacquiao won, I lost a bet but I have never been so proud of Pacquiao's victory before.

Congratulations, Manny "Pacman" Pacquaio!

For "Patricia"

...whoever you are.

First off, the Patricia story: Believe it or not, someone e-mailed and asked me why I was not updating my blog. She (Patricia is a she, right?) missed me daw (and I quote: "I miss you… please update your blog soon"). Alright, I know "she" is just someone "something-ing" me, but in any case, here's an update. And sorry, this is not even remotely relevant to whatever significant is happening around us -- swine flu is here, Wall Street news here, J-Lo(zada) here, other news here, and this page? This page is about my favorite TV series. Hehehe.

Oh, and Patricia, if you are reading this, you may call me anytime here: (02)531-9001.

I mentioned a while back (in my Silver Screen Favorites post ) that I'll be will be posting my favorite TV series later. Well, this is it.

House MD

This is the best TV series. Ever. While some people claim that the story line is very predictable, well… actually they are, in a way, right. :-) When you are traveling, there are instances during the length of your travel wherein you know at some point, there is going to be a stopover – this stopover could be a new expressway entry point, or exit; this could be a stopover for the bus to refuel, or for the passengers to attend to their natural needs, i.e., bathroom breaks, refreshments, etc.; or some other things. If you are a regular House fan, you know that somewhere in the story line, something will happen – House will present an absurd theory/diagnosis, an unusual symptom or symptoms will present itself, House will have an epiphany, etc. But you do not know, you will never know, what it is. And every time something like that happens, you will just say “Whoa!,” “No way!,” or “That SOB is brilliant!”

Anyway, House MD is my number 1.

24

We are all aware that we are having some problems with Moro rebellion down south. If only we could ask Jack Bauer to help us… The series is airing its 7th season at CS every Tuesday, 10PM, I think. This is the only reason why I make it a point to be at home by 9PM or earlier every Tuesday. Below are some awesome trivia about Jack Bauer (I posted these at my i.PH blog before, please feel free to visit it if you like the list below).

1. Jack Bauer can unscramble an egg.
   
2. Jack Bauer was not born; he forced his way out of his mother’s womb.
   
3. Jack Bauer once stepped into quicksand; the quicksand couldn’t escape and nearly drowned.
   
4. If Jack Bauer had been a Spartan the movie would have been called "1".
   
5. When a convicted terrorist was sentenced to face Jack Bauer, he appealed to have the sentence reduced to death.
   

How I Met Your Mother

I started watching this series just a month ago. And d#mn, this is so funny! This is one of the best TV series that I really liked. Do you remember Neil Patrick Harris of Doogie Howser? That brilliant, genius young doctor? Well, he plays the character of Barney Stinson here. He is a corporate something (he never tells) who is so awesome. (Whenever he feels depressed, he stops feeling that way and be awesome instead. True story.) Well he is not the lead character here, it’s actually Ted Mosby, a 30-ish bachelor and architect. Barney is Ted’s “wingman.” Barney is an authority on awesomeness and the Bro Code. Yeah, there exists such a code.

Prison Break

This is one of the series that can possibly cause cardiac arrest to those with weak hearts. My sister almost experienced a heart attack because the CD she bought, a pirated one, lacks the last two episodes of the season! The story is a thriller! When you thought the plan is almost a success, you’ll find out they missed something in their plan/execution! And when you thought their plan is busted, you’ll realize everything is going on according to plan. Wicked!

Season 4 is airing in the local channel (CS 9). I am not sure though if they can still stretch the story line farther. But who knows, right? I didn’t know a season 7 is still possible in 24. :-)

Heroes

Now, Heroes is one of those TV series that you are not really excited to watch regularly… well, at least for me. But what I like about this series is the intriguing plot that it presents, the very complicated storyline, you know, the many what ifs, the ifs and thens, and the discussion that will transpire between you and other followers of the story.

Others

Some other TV series that I follow (and recommend that you consider watching over the weekend perhaps) are the following: Chuck, Burn Notice, Jericho, CSI: San Francisco, and CSI: Boston.

Good night!

To that Girl from UP

On Awesomeness

As a result of the long break, I have come up with this realization: Awesomeness is a matter of choice. Have a nice week ahead!