New Start for the New Year

Malaking business opportunity na naman ito. Anyone interested? Just send me your bank account details (username and password if you have online banking accounts), and some more. I promise this is not the usual scam (the ones claiming they have certified us coins that you can sell for huge amounts? oh. there's no scam like that? sorry.) you receive from time to time. :-D See details below.

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I am Safia Farkash, wife of late Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, who is presently been killed by the unfaithful opposition leaders in my country. Following the heat as a result of the crises in Libya against my late husband, Col. Muammar Gaddafi, I have been able to escape to a Neighboring country in Algeria with my daughter who recently gave birth to save our lives. I am desperately looking for a foreign reliable partner whom I can trust to handle some funds on our behalf. The deposit was made one time by me in one of the security Companies in the United Kingdom in my name. The UN and the Western world have freezed most of our assets and funds bearing Gaddafi's name anywhere in the world Consequently, our status/position of the present state does not permit us to open an account or run any huge financial business at the moment, hence I contacted you to claim the funds. The necessary Legal documents will be changed to your name to enable the release of the funds to you by the finacial Company.

Your assistance will enable us invest the funds in your country. But before we proceed you will promise me that you will not betray or abscond with the funds when it eventually released to you. Last time the government moved to officially freeze the assets held by the Libyan regime in the UK following sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council Find below the links where some of our assets were freezed.

I will furnish you with more info as soon as I hear your response indicating your interest to partner with me. At present I don't receive or make calls for security reason (s) as it is being monitored. All communication is based on internet. Waiting for your prompt and positive response.

Thanks.
Mrs.Safia Farkash Gaddafi

4 more years!!!

A warrant of arrest was issued hours after tons of documents were submitted. A CJ was impeached without signatories knowing why they are doing this (it's just that they are afraid to be tagged enemies of the regime). A call for CJ replacement in case the CJ will be unseated was made in bad taste (what? rubber stamp Congress and Senate?).

Should I even include how shooting and drinking buddies get protected even f they have committed clear and obvious mistakes? Or the "justified" Macs in the CommGroup? Or the suuuper late (or lack of it) disaster response? Or the partying with some entertainers while people are dying down south?

Is it just my moral compass or there's something wrong with this administration?

Yeah, 4 more years. F%$#!

At the very least, the number 1 guy in Malacañang should seriously be taking online college degrees with a major in good manners and right conduct!

New comment on Superman, Son Goku, and The Hulk

This post was actually a reply of a certain Bryson to a post of mine where I asked who is the strongest between Superman, The Hulk, or Son Gokou.

He believes it's The Hulk and I am convinced. Almost. Here's his reply in its entirety.
~~~
Before reading this you should know this WILL be lengthy. As stated above, it is clearly between The Hulk and Goku. Lets run down both of their powers and abilities. Goku is hands down the BEST martial artist in any universe one puts him into(well aside from Batman, but that's a different debate)when he suffers a near death experience; his strength increases exponentially(like after he first fought Vageta; this also gives Goku in theory limitless strength). He also has the ability to shoot energy projections in multiple forms, and even summon the energies of living creatures into a VERY powerful energy bomb (the spirit bomb, witch can destroy planets). But Goku's greatest martial arts technique is his Instant-Transmission(where he can instantly telaport himself to one location to another). Now for The Hulk. The Hulk, as stated, has limitless strength. He is so strong he can leap hundreds of miles (even into the limits of the atmosphere), he has literally lifted mountains, pulled a planet's tectonic plates back together, and has caused earth quakes from the mere action of putting his foot down. But perhaps some of his most astounding abilities lay within his body's resistance. He can withstand the force of a nuclear blast(and far greater forces), submerge himself in molten magma(and emerge unscathed), and of course his body has the ability to produce its own oxygen (thus giving him the ability to survive in places with little to no oxygen; such as outer space). On top of this, even when he is injured, his body heals itself within seconds(it is even said his healing abilities are better than Wolverine's). So now that we've run down their powers and abilities, lets create a scenario where the two square of in a head to head fight. Goku would absolutely out class The Hulk in his fighting skills and completely dominate the first half or so of the fight. However, any attack that Goku can dish out is NOT enough to stop The Hulk. It may injure him for a time but, this will only make The Hulk madder, and thus STRONGER. It would get to the point where The Hulk's strength would absolutely overshadow Goku's, fighting skills. If the Hulk were to land even one blow, it would end the fight right there. Goku could summon a spirit bomb, [get a claw foot tub and throw it to Goku] and use his Instant-transmission to get some where safe, but this would not be winning the fight as the Hulk would survive the blast, and then latter outer space. Some of you may bring up Goku's ability to get stronger once he recovers from the fight; but then we would just be walking into the same scenario as before, the only difference would be Goku would last a little longer before The Hulk over powered him again and won. Additionally, Goku's recovery time is about that of a normal human being (unless given a Sensu Bean, witch instantly heels him) but lets assume he has none. The fight ends there when he doesn't have any, and when he does it is just prolonged. I hope this explanation helped out. That is why The Hulk is the most powerful out of the three choices.

VOL. I NOS. 3-4

Just wanted to share our baby. We are now working on our 5th. :-)

This is our Issue Nos. 3-4. Merry Christmas everyone! You can find us here.

Merry Christmas!

To all my loyal readers from across the oceans and probably parallel dimensions, may you all have a Merry, Merry Christmas (or its equivalent, hehehe).

Pwede ba namang wala akong greetings sa mga loyal readers ko? :-) (At sabi ng kapatid ko, feeling ko daw ang dami-dami ng nagbabasa ng blog ko. Ang sabi ko naman, talaga!)

Oh, and by the way, in case anyone is interested to know what you can give me this Christmas holidays, maybe you can give me some passes or tickets for a Disney world vacation? That would be great, right? Or if you want to go local, a Boracay or Coron trip will do.

To All My Inaanak

Requirements to claim your Christmas gift:

1. Original copy of your Birth Certificate. (NSO authenticated)
2. Original copy of your parent's Marriage Certificate. (NSO authenticated)
3. Picture of you with me on your baptism.
4. Baptismal Certificate with my name on it. (with official seal from the Parish)
5. Affidavit of at least 3 disinterested persons, duly notarized.
6. Barangay Clearance.
7. Police and NBI Clearance.

The above requirements should be submitted to my mother, on or before December 24, 2011. Releasing of gifts will be from Sunday, December 25, 2011 between 7:00 AM to 8:00AM only until December 31, 2011. You may just check some barcode scanner online just to be sure you are qualified. :-)

(Napulot ko lang sa FB.)

Gmail and Masterchef

[GUEST POST FROM XYZ*]

Google is the best company in the world... Gmail is the best e-mail provider. :-) I remember the time when having a Gmail was a privilege only to some people who were invited by people who have Gmail account. You still remember that year?

Gmail started with 2 GB of free storage. That was a WOW then! I think Yahoo! Mail only offers 500 MB before. Now, Gmail offers 7 GB of free e-mail storage plus some more in their Docs and Picasa Web Album. IAnd I told myself, who would be needing 7 GB of e-mail storage? Hehehe. I guess I made that statement very prematurely. Because as of now I am actually a proud owner of 27 GB storage of e-mail/Docs/Picasa storage.

So, if you are still using other e-mail clients, I suggest you switch now. You can't just find a better deal than Gmail. (You see, if Gmail is a restaurant equipment, this is the one preferred by masterchefs!) And if you are worried about the old mails and contacts that you have, fear no more as Google has introduced more email providers from where you can seamlessly import those information towards your new Gmail. Check this out, hehehe:

Gmail makes email easy and efficient. And maybe even fun.
With Gmail, you’ll get lots of storage space, less spam, fast search and lots more.
-- http://mail.google.com/mail/help/switch.html 

*Ako din pala yun. :-)

Mordsith!!!

oh, and hbd, too!

Contact

I was watching one of the best movies of all time a while ago. And I just love this part:

Panel member: Doctor Arroway, you come to us with no evidence, no record, no artifacts. Only a story that to put it mildly strains credibility. Over half a trillion dollars was spent, dozens of lives were lost. Are you really going to sit there and tell us we should just take this all... on faith?
[pause, Ellie looks at Palmer] Michael Kitz: Please answer the question, doctor.
Ellie Arroway: Is it possible that it didn't happen? Yes. As a scientist, I must concede that, I must volunteer that.
Michael Kitz: Wait a minute, let me get this straight. You admit that you have absolutely no physical evidence to back up your story.
Ellie Arroway: Yes.
Michael Kitz: You admit that you very well may have hallucinated this whole thing.
Ellie Arroway: Yes.
Michael Kitz: You admit that if you were in our position, you would respond with exactly the same degree of incredulity and skepticism!
Ellie Arroway: Yes!
Michael Kitz: [standing, angrily] Then why don't you simply withdraw your testimony, and concede that this "journey to the center of the galaxy," in fact, never took place!
Ellie Arroway: Because I can't. I... had an experience... I can't prove it, I can't even explain it, but everything that I know as a human being, everything that I am tells me that it was real! I was given something wonderful, something that changed me forever... A vision... of the universe, that tells us, undeniably, how tiny, and insignificant and how... rare, and precious we all are! A vision that tells us that we belong to something that is greater then ourselves, that we are *not*, that none of us are alone! I wish... I... could share that... I wish, that everyone, if only for one... moment, could feel... that awe, and humility, and hope. But... That continues to be my wish.  

Ellie, for those who haven't watched this yet, is not just someone with Food Service Manager Jobs, she's an astronomer-physicist, I think.
I just love this movie! Care to read an article about the Higgs Boson?

Apple (iOS) versus Android War Is Over

Let me quote the article from Gizmodo verbatim:

This, my friends, may be the end of the smartphone fanboy wars. I can give my two cents. The rest of the tech community can give theirs. But God Almighty himself, through his appointed papal mouthpiece, has picked a winner.

Hehehe. The article is just outright funny. I didn't go as far as to verify if the Vatican indeed made a press statement about this, but the source is MSNBC... so... I guess they already did their own verification/validation of the news. Here's what Vatican said, according to MSNBC, by the way:

Benedict XVI will activate the illumination from his apartments in the Vatican Apostolic Palace. He will touch the screen of a Sony "Tablet" with an "Android" operating system which, via the Internet, will transmit the command to switch on the electric current to the tree.

Between the green robot and the sinful fruit, the former is closer to my heart. So, here you go:

I guess Jobs didn't go along so well with St. Peter up there.

Android wins!!! Now, All I need some loans preferably with fixed annuity rates so i can buy my next gadget.

What's Keeping Me Busy Lately

Some people are busy trying to jail some ex-president and commissioner, among others; some people are busy preparing for Christmas and their birthdays, and some people are busy doing something else. :-)

Ako? I'm busy preparing my suit for Marvel's The Avengers next year. Take a look at my work area:

Watch out for my Iron Man suit!

Hi, everyone!

Want to win an Ipod, a Nokia, or Starbucks/SM GC?

If you love writing or taking pictures and you want an extra mp3 player (believe it or not, I was tempted to make a Venn diagram from this statement hehehe), then you might want to join our small contest. I needed to mention small because the prices really ain't that much -- mainly because I will be spending and buying the prices on my own. (BUT I M LOOKING FOR SPONSORS, anyone?)

Here's the link: Bagong Taon, Bagong Pag-asa: Isang Patimpalak. This is one of our attempts to invite people to participate in our community newspaper (which I wrote about here). Anyway, just to give you a brief introduction about the contest, we want you to make an article or take pictures (take one) about the theme Bagong Taon, Bagong Pag-asa: Isang Patimpalak. Send them to us, and we'll have it judged according to criteria which we posted in the link above. There is also a Facebook competition where all you have to do is to invite your friends to like you photo. The one with the most number of likes wins that Facebook part of the competition. Prizes at stake are apple ipods, Nokia phones, gift certificates.

Please visit the link above. You are not just getting a new gadget or a free coffee (Starbucks GC) -- your winning entry will be published in our community newspaper. Please invite your friends, too. :-)

Pasko na!

December na! It’s time to make my wish list and have it circulated to people who can make the list come into reality. :-)

My wish list for this year is quite simple because I guess I am very much contented with what happened to me this year (plus I still have many years to come pa naman for the next batch of wish lists).

My 2011 Christmas wish list – and again, these are just simple wishes:

1. My own house and lot in Camaya Coast. I saw a short presentation of that estate and wow! I just got to have a property somewhere there.
2. A new vehicle and perhaps awesome new office for my Central Focus team. Something similar to that of Google’s. Hehehe.
3. And finally, another prosperous year. :-)

And you thought I’ll be writing down simple wishes like Padron cigars, no?

Advance Merry Christmas to all!

Ang Simula

We have been working on a small project since a few months ago and just last week, a major progress happened. The project is about a small, self-funded community newspaper.

Let me share with you our experience on this project.

It was the team's first time to come up with something like this. It was not much of a problem for the writers because it's just that -- writing. The writers in my team are not professional writers... just some fresh grad people who believe it is better to work in a start-up company who has a mission... a vision. One writer was recently scolded by a "professional journalist" just because she cannot wait any longer for the journalist to arrive (she, the journalist, was already late for hours and I instructed the writer to forget the interview and just go back to the office). Being relatively new in this industry, she was not able to "fight" back.

Layouting -- a very crucial part of newspaper publishing -- is a lot different. It requires a technical skill different from that of writing. Our layout artist has no background at all in layout and design when I hired him. So, I crafted a training design for him. The training module I gave him (and I don't have any background in layout as well) is this:

Week 1

1. Here's a sample tabloid. Read and study the layout.

2. Open MS Publisher (yeah, so 90s).

3. Re-create the tabloid format using MS Publisher.

When I realized Indesign is one of the best typesetting applications, I added Week 2 in my Training Module.

Week 2

4. "Purchase" a license for Adobe Indesign. (He's an avid online gamer -- he knows how to "purchase" licenses at great discounts.)

5. Using Adobe Indesign, re-create what you've done in MS Publisher.

6. "Purchase" a license for Photoshop. Play with Photoshop.

7. Create the PDF, and let's have it checked by someone who really knows typesetting.

The night before our press deadline was one of the most energetic hours in our office. Half of the team stayed up for almost 36 hours (probably more) just to finish the issue. And after hours and hours of 80s songs and energy drinks, we were able to complete our first issue, upload it via FTP, and informed the printing press that the file is ready for printing. Whew!

We were able to publish our very first community newspaper. It's just an 8-page, newsletter-sized newspaper. We made 2000 copies and distributed the same to three municipalities in our province (hopefully we'll be able to cover more municipalities soon). The first issue was distributed for free.

My team is now processing our second issue to be released next Monday. :-) And why did we come up with our own newspaper?

Here's our first EDITORIAL, if you are interested. :-)

Kung Hindi Tayo, Sino?

Ang unang isyu na ito ng Central Focus ay simbolo ng napakaraming bagay at pagpapahalaga.

Ang isyu na ito ay ang unang pagsubok ng grupo upang makabuo ng isang mahabuluhang pahayagan — isang pahayagan na hindi makasarili, hindi puro reklamo, hindi puro anunsyo o patalastas, at higit sa lahat, hindi mapang-manipula.

Ang naisin ng pahayagang ito ay makapaghatid ng impormasyon sa mga nangangailangan nito. Hindi man alam ng lahat, nangangailangan tayo ng impormasyon sa napakaraming bagay. Ilang beses na bang nagkaroon ng malubhang epekto ang isang kalamidad dahil lamang sa kulang ang impormasyon na ipinamamahagi ng mga dapat mamahagi nito.

Kailan lamang ay laman ng mga pahayagan at telebisyon ang paglubog sa mga bayan ng Masantol, Macabebe, Apalit, at San Simon. Kinakailangan pa bang salantain ng bagyo at lumubog ang ating mga bayan bago tayo maging  laman ng mga pahayagan? Kinakailangan pa bang magkaroon ng mga patayan at mga karumaldumal na krimen bago tayo maging bahagi ng telebisyon gayung napakaraming magagandang bagay ang dapat nating ipamahagi hindi  lamang sa bayan natin kung hindi sa buong mundo?

Pagkatapos ng bahang dulot ng mga nakaraang bagyo, ang nakikita lamang ng ibang tao kapag binanggit ang salitang Pampanga ay ang walang kamatayang bangayan ng gobyerno at ng dating pangulo na ngayon ay kongresistang Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Ito lang ba talaga ang mga bagay na dapat nilang ipagsigawan sa buong bansa? Bagaman ito ay hindi katanggap-tanggap sa atin, hindi natin maaring sisihin ang mga pahayagang ito. Magiging interesado nga ba naman ang isang taga-Mindanao sa mga nangyayari sa baryo ng Malauli?

Alam natin na hindi sapat ang mga pambansang pahayagan o pambansang telebisyon upang ipaabot sa mga mamamayan kung ano ang nangyayari sa paligid ng sariling komunidad na ito. Gaano ba naman kadalas na ang isang malaking pahayagan o telebisyon ay magbabalita ng nangyayari sa kasuluksulukan ng Pampanga? Mapapansin ba kaya ng mga higanteng pahayagan ang mga makataong proyekto sa bayan ng Apalit? O ang taos-pusong pagsusumikap ng isang guro sa bayan ng Masantol upang matulungan ang kanyang paaralan? O ang magagandang proyektong pangkabataan sa bayan ng Macabebe?

Layunin ng pahayagang ito na maging tulay na magdudugtong sa mga mamamayan at sa mga pangyayaring nakapaligid sa atin… mga pangyayaring tungkol sa ATIN, may kinalaman sa ATIN, at higit sa lahat, mga bagay na pinahahalahagahan NATIN.

Ngunit hindi nais ng pahayagan na ito na tumigil lamang sa pag-aabot ng balita. Kasama ng pagbabalita ay ninanais din ng pahayagan na ito na magsilbing hamon para sa mga mamamayan upang makialam sa mga nangyayari sa ating kapaligiran. Katulad ng isang guro sa isang baranggay sa bayan ng Masantol na hindi lamang naghihintay sa kung anong maibibigay sa kanyang paaralang ng gobyerno natin (silipin ang kaugnay na balita sa isyung ito), na gumawa ng hakbang upang matulungan ang kanyang paaralan sa mga pangangailangan nito, nais naming hamunin ang bawat mamamayan na gumawa ng hakbang upang tulungan ang kanyang sarili, o tumulong sa mga nangangailangan. Nais naming hikayatin ang bawat isa na huwag makuntento sa kung ano lamang ang nandiyan na.

Sa ganang amin, handa kaming maging tagapag-bahagi ng mga mabubuting pangyayari na inyong nagawa o pinipilit na gawin… hindi upang magmayabang, kundi upang magbigay ng pag-asa sa nakararami at magsilbing halimbawa sa mga nagnanais ding gumawa pa ng kabutihan.

'Ika nga ng isang patnugot sa isang sikat na pahayagan: “Kung hindi tayo, sino? Kung hindi ngayon, kalian?”

 ___

I hope the editorial didn't sound as if the towns of Pampanga need a savior as an old vehicle needs rv towing.

Quote: 11042011

The very existence of flame-throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, “You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done.”

-GC

And just like that, it’s a long weekend once again. Have a great weekend, everyone!

99% Is Overrated

Some people tend to blame others for all bad things that are happening or that have happened to them. They lost their job – blame the economic system! They cannot find a job (either first or replacement) – blame the educational system! They cannot find food to eat, blame the political system!

Some people do not actively blame others, but they usually argue – It’s not my fault that I cannot find a job. It’s not my fault that I am poor. It’s not my fault that I am without any decent education.

Some people are not satisfied with blaming others for their problems... they will do things more than just hanging a debt advice for others to see. Some of them would actually call others who have the same situation and make rationalizations why it is not their fault that they are experiencing these problems. Then, they will organize themselves and proclaim to the world that the status quo is evil! … That those who have succeeded in this evil system are, well, evil as well! … That those who are trying to succeed, those who are trying to survive are misguided.

I. Hate. Them.

Where are these people when the evil system is serving them just right? Where are these people when the evil system was still providing them with benefits when they are too lazy to lift their a55 off to look for a job? Where are these people when the evil system is happily benefiting from free trade?

I. Effin’. Hate. Them. I just do. And just as you have the right to blame others for your problems, I also have the right to hate you. Quid pro quo.

Saying NO is just as important as saying YES

It’s actually really obvious, right? No is just the opposite of Yes, hence, whatever value the word Yes has, the same value should be given to the word No.

Wala lang. :-)

Using Windows Live Writer to Update Your Blog

Just want to end my day writing something possibly useful. :-) Did you know that you can use Windows Live Writer to make posts on your blog? Well, you still need Internet connection, of course, but what makes this a bit different is it looks like as if you are doing it offline. The interface is so much better than actual blogger interface. See screenshot below.



It’s as if you are just making a Word document – something we are all so familiar with. Right? You can change the font size, color, add pictures, videos, check spelling, well, virtually everything that you can do in a Word document.

I am not sure if the Windows Live suite of application is automatically included in your Windows 7 installation but in my case, I had to download it separately. There are a variety of applications you can use in that suite. One of my favorite is the Movie Maker.

Anyway, check it yourself. You don't have to go to any depression rehab treatment centers for this. Hehehe. If you don’t have it in your PC, it’s downloadable for free from Microsoft’s website.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Access is my new BFF

I am inlove. Again.


I remember the last time I told Mordsith that I was inlove. She just said, "SQL?" Hehehe, and she was correct then. Now, I am inlove once again, and it's with my new BFF -- Access. I just can't believe how beautiful and powerful Access is. She can almost do anything I want her to do. I am a newbie and she's an experienced -- and really professional -- one, so, there are times when I really have to try a trick for hours before I can get her to do exactly what I want. But it works ok with me because I get to fully understand the nitty gritty stuff of what I am doing. Slowly I am becoming an expert.

Good luck to me. :-)

---

By the way, the key above is not a key to any pop display cabinet. She's Access. :-)

DPWH: My favorite government agency at work

To appreciate the pics more, here's the story behind it, in case you haven't read it yet.

Magandang umaga!

Photo of 'floating' DPWH officials causes uproar in cyberspace
By Karen Boncocan

MANILA, Philippines – A photo release of the Department of Public Works and Highways last Wednesday posted on a social networking site meant to show their officials conducting field inspection after the onslaught of Typhoon 'Pedring' (international codename: Nesat) drew a barrage of criticisms in cyberspace for having been allegedly "Photoshopped".

The photo, which had been pulled down from the Facebook account of the DPWH Central Office, showed DPWH Undersecretary Romeo Momo discussing Pedring's damages with DPWH National Capital Region Director Reynaldo Tagudando and DPWH South Manila District Engineer Mikunug Macud along Roxas Boulevard.

The photo made them appear to be standing over what was left of the seawall which shielded Roxas Boulevard from Manila Bay's waves.

But instead of being appreciated, the photo only gained disapproval from those who saw it, pointing out that the three officials seemed to be 'floating'.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/67533/photo-of-%E2%80%98floating%E2%80%99-dpwh-officials-causes-uproar-in-cyberspace

Now, if you want to do something similar to the above, just find their "official" Facebook account by searching DPWHere. You can easily manipulate anything from a simple metal building to any image of any complex scenery you can find in your hard drive. It's as if you are just copying a text and pasting it to another document. :-)

Steve Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011)

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

From the man, the legend... Steve Jobs

--

Truth is, I think he can be so good that he can even apply his work strategies in Food Preparation Worker Jobs and still make that industry look so hippie and sophisticated.

Carpe diem!

Mayweather and Pacquiao fight at last!

You know how exactly a chicken talks? Yes, they do! Peksman! Read along...

Mayweather hits out at Pacquiao
18 September 2011, 19:37

The prospect of a mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao seems as distant as ever after the flamboyant American's fourth-round knockout of Victor Ortiz.

Mayweather improved his record to 42-0 by taking the WBC welterweight title from Ortiz, but he was reluctant to commit to the showdown most fans want to see.

"I don't need Pacquiao," Mayweather, 34, told reporters after beating Ortiz in Las Vegas. "With or without Pacquiao, every time Floyd Mayweather goes out there, he's going to make over $70 million.

"I don't need him. Where was Pacquiao in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 when I was dominating the game? He never asked me for a fight when I was in my twenties or when I was in my teens."

A duel between the defence-minded Mayweather and the aggressive Pacquiao, the two biggest drawcards of their generation, would decide the mythical title of the world's best fighter, pound for pound.

Five-division champion Mayweather had been expected to meet Pacquiao last year until negotiations collapsed over the American's demand for random drug testing.

Shane Mosley then stepped in to take the Filipino's place but was outclassed by Mayweather in a non-title welterweight bout in May.

Pacquiao is scheduled to fight Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in November and, should he win that bout, there is speculation the Filipino southpaw could finally meet Mayweather next May.

However the American, who made a minimum of $25 million from his victory over Ortiz, repeatedly questions how Pacquaio could have won world titles in an unprecedented eight weight classes.

"Sugar Ray Leonard, we knew he was going to be great from his Olympic days," Mayweather said. "Michael Jordan, we knew from college he was going to be a great professional.

"Floyd Mayweather, from the beginning of his career in the '90s, we knew he was going to be a great professional. Now ask yourself, a fighter just don't get to 25 years old and all of a sudden he becomes great," he added, referring to Pacquaio.

Mayweather also criticised Pacquiao for riding on his coat tails financially and also with the selection of his opponents.

"Pacquiao is famous because he is attached to my name," the American said. "When they say Pacquiao, they say that's the guy they are trying to get to fight Floyd Mayweather.

"When they say Floyd Mayweather, they say the greatest ever. All Pacquiao is doing is fighting my leftovers.

"Before he goes about fighting Floyd Mayweather, he has to get his business in order. We're talking about a guy that gives up, when he fights, 30 per cent of his check to two different companies. I keep 100 per cent of the revenue."

For his part, Pacquiao continually defers any talk of a Mayweather mega-bout to his promoter.

"I'm not going to fight anybody as long as there is a problem with the decision of the promoter," the Filipino said earlier this year. "That's my promoter's job. I'm just a fighter to do my job and train hard for the fight."

---

I say, Mayweather should probably just get some orlando fishing guides and stop those nonesense trash talks. I guess the most realistic fight we could expect from Mayweather is his trash talks.

Miss Universe and "saluyot"

In case you haven't watched it yet, we were not able to bag the crown, but I think our candidate, Shamcey Supsup, did well. I wasn't able to watch the pageant but with Facebook and Twitter, it's almost I got a front row seat -- and also because of my officemates who, as I write this post, are discussing blow-by-blow the just-concluded Miss Universe Beauty Pageant.

Some, however, are saying there's something wrong with how the Q and A was conducted and graded. I wouldn't dwell into that, though, because I am not a Miss Universe expert. :-D Instead, I'll just share with you what my officemates think should be tried in the next round of Q and As in the pageant.

Some of the examples they mentioned:

1. If you were a cactus, why?
2. If you're going to die tomorrow, why not now?
3. Aside from your face, what's your problem?
4. If you were an animal, I pity you.
5. Differentiate auto rubber floor mat. Explain why. (Hahaha . Huwat?!)

Hehehe. Next time, they should get the likes of Conan, NPH, Jim Carey, and maybe Cee Lo as judges.

---

Oh, and the saluyot? Today is my Day 1. :-)

Of healthy diet and coincidences

So, this morning, I was bloghopping and saw this post (Thirty Days of Saluyot and Camote Tops) by Angeli. After reading it, I was so convinced I would try it. But then I thought, were will I get saluyot? Finding free camote tops is a walk in the park. Then, as if the universe conspired to make this thing happen, my mom (after talking to her friend on the phone) told me her friend will be giving us saluyot this Saturday. She said her friend has a lot of saluyot in her backyard. Wow!

Additional reading from Inquirer, click here.

Here's from Angeli's post:

I started the saluyot and camote diet on a whim, unaware of the plethora of nutritional benefits such greens can provide. A few days ago I learned that saluyot and camote tops contain antioxidants and are rich sources of dietary fiber as well as vitamins A and E, calcium, folate, iron, niacin, phosphorous, protein and riboflavin.

Saturday will be my Day 1. :-)

For all of you who might be looking for appetite suppressants that work, well, look no more. Have a great week!

Preventive maintenance

All of us need to rest from time to time. Else, we'll just break down from stress and fatigue without any warning. So, last Friday, I took the day off (good thing my boss is really kind. And very awesome, too!) so my keyboard can take that rest. :-D

Oh, you thought I was the one who needed to rest? Hehehe. I brought my keyboard home with me so I can clean in up. And I really, really enjoyed doing it. Here's a set of pics I took when I dismantled (?) all the keys from board.

 

Pictures from my busy, hectic schedule today. :-)

It's really fun! It keeps your mind away from major stresses in your life. Would you believe that I even played a game while cleaning? After I dismantled all the keys, I jumbled them up and tried to put them correctly back on the board.* I didn't miss a key. ;-)

*My friend said I am sick or something. I think she said I have demodectic mange symptoms, BUT after checking the net, I know that's not what she said. Hahaha! The sick part is the only one I think I remember correctly.

Noynoy and Coca-Cola

Always Coca-Cola!

I really never liked Noynoy... but just for today, I can say I like his sense of humor. I heard in the news that he tried to make a joke while talking to the Filipino community in China. He compared his love life to a popular soda brand:

"My lovelife is like this famous softdrink: before, it was regular. Then, it became light. And now, it's zero."




Hehehe. Because of that joke, I actually wished him well. Hahaha. Happy  September everyone!

UPDATE: Have you heard this rumor that the president is dating Izza Calzado? Wow! From Zero to Jackpot! I mean, Izza is... well, a jackpot, right?

Update to my UPDATE: Izza denied the rumors. Hehehe. Ok. So much for the jackpot. Sayang! Maybe the president should give up his smoking habit (e cigarette would do the trick, I guess?). Maybe it's a no-no to these ladies being linked to him. Just thinking out loud.

You Should Date An Illiterate Girl

By CHARLES WARNKE
JAN. 19, 2011

Date a girl who doesn't read. Find her in the weary squalor of a Midwestern bar. Find her in the smoke, drunken sweat, and varicolored light of an upscale nightclub. Wherever you find her, find her smiling. Make sure that it lingers when the people that are talking to her look away. Engage her with unsentimental trivialities. Use pick-up lines and laugh inwardly. Take her outside when the night overstays its welcome. Ignore the palpable weight of fatigue. Kiss her in the rain under the weak glow of a streetlamp because you've seen it in film. Remark at its lack of significance. Take her to your apartment. Dispatch with making love. Fuck her.

Let the anxious contract you've unwittingly written evolve slowly and uncomfortably into a relationship. Find shared interests and common ground like sushi, and folk music. Build an impenetrable bastion upon that ground. Make it sacred. Retreat into it every time the air gets stale, or the evenings get long. Talk about nothing of significance. [Perhaps about a sexy wedding lingerie or something?] Do little thinking. Let the months pass unnoticed. Ask her to move in. Let her decorate. Get into fights about inconsequential things like how the fucking shower curtain needs to be closed so that it doesn't fucking collect mold. Let a year pass unnoticed. Begin to notice.

Figure that you should probably get married because you will have wasted a lot of time otherwise. Take her to dinner on the forty-fifth floor at a restaurant far beyond your means. Make sure there is a beautiful view of the city. Sheepishly ask a waiter to bring her a glass of champagne with a modest ring in it. When she notices, propose to her with all of the enthusiasm and sincerity you can muster. Do not be overly concerned if you feel your heart leap through a pane of sheet glass. For that matter, do not be overly concerned if you cannot feel it at all. If there is applause, let it stagnate. If she cries, smile as if you've never been happier. If she doesn't, smile all the same.

Let the years pass unnoticed. Get a career, not a job. Buy a house. Have two striking children. Try to raise them well. Fail, frequently. Lapse into a bored indifference. Lapse into an indifferent sadness. Have a mid-life crisis. Grow old. Wonder at your lack of achievement. Feel sometimes contented, but mostly vacant and ethereal. Feel, during walks, as if you might never return, or as if you might blow away on the wind. Contract a terminal illness. Die, but only after you observe that the girl who didn't read never made your heart oscillate with any significant passion, that no one will write the story of your lives, and that she will die, too, with only a mild and tempered regret that nothing ever came of her capacity to love.

Do those things, god damnit, because nothing sucks worse than a girl who reads. Do it, I say, because a life in purgatory is better than a life in hell. Do it, because a girl who reads possesses a vocabulary that can describe that amorphous discontent as a life unfulfilled—a vocabulary that parses the innate beauty of the world and makes it an accessible necessity instead of an alien wonder. A girl who reads lays claim to a vocabulary that distinguishes between the specious and soulless rhetoric of someone who cannot love her, and the inarticulate desperation of someone who loves her too much. A vocabulary, god damnit, that makes my vacuous sophistry a cheap trick.

Do it, because a girl who reads understands syntax. Literature has taught her that moments of tenderness come in sporadic but knowable intervals. A girl who reads knows that life is not planar; she knows, and rightly demands, that the ebb comes along with the flow of disappointment. A girl who has read up on her syntax senses the irregular pauses—the hesitation of breath—endemic to a lie. A girl who reads perceives the difference between a parenthetical moment of anger and the entrenched habits of someone whose bitter cynicism will run on, run on well past any point of reason, or purpose, run on far after she has packed a suitcase and said a reluctant goodbye and she has decided that I am an ellipsis and not a period and run on and run on. Syntax that knows the rhythm and cadence of a life well lived.

Date a girl who doesn't read because the girl who reads knows the importance of plot. She can trace out the demarcations of a prologue and the sharp ridges of a climax. She feels them in her skin. The girl who reads will be patient with an intermission and expedite a denouement. But of all things, the girl who reads knows most the ineluctable significance of an end. She is comfortable with them. She has bid farewell to a thousand heroes with only a twinge of sadness.

Don't date a girl who reads because girls who read are the storytellers. You with the Joyce, you with the Nabokov, you with the Woolf. You there in the library, on the platform of the metro, you in the corner of the café, you in the window of your room. You, who make my life so god damned difficult. The girl who reads has spun out the account of her life and it is bursting with meaning. She insists that her narratives are rich, her supporting cast colorful, and her typeface bold. You, the girl who reads, make me want to be everything that I am not. But I am weak and I will fail you, because you have dreamed, properly, of someone who is better than I am. You will not accept the life that I told of at the beginning of this piece. You will accept nothing less than passion, and perfection, and a life worthy of being storied. So out with you, girl who reads. Take the next southbound train and take your Hemingway with you. I hate you. I really, really, really hate you.

Thank you, Steve Jobs, for being an inspiration to us

Apple will never be the same without Steve Jobs as its CEO. Granted, it has good people within but Apple -- Apple is Steve Jobs! Here is the just released letter from Steve Jobs:

PRESS RELEASE
Letter from Steve Jobs

August 24, 2011

To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know.

Unfortunately, that day has come. I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee. As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple's brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.

Steve

---

If the Apple community is a group or set of metal detectors gold is what they found in Steve Jobs. I really wish the guy well. 

One year after: The Quirino hostage-taking incident

Yesterday was the anniversary of the Quirino hostage-taking bloodbath. Over lunch, we were talking about how inefficient the approach to that disaster was. I made some mental notes on our discussion:

1. They threw a tear-gas inside the bus, entered immediately without even wearing a mask, and went out a few seconds after. Crying (out loud).
2. They tried to break the windows without even checking if they would be able to, ahmmm, break them. Without having access to the bus's blueprint, I can immediately assume that the windows are either fiberglass-made or at the very least, shatter-proof. It's a tourist bus, for effin's sake. 
3. They tried to open the door without even thinking of the physics behind the built of the door. 
4. The national government is nowhere to be found. There were foreign nationals inside the bus, and it should be a national government take by default.
5. The sharp shooters aren't sharp shooters at all. Why did we even hear more than two bullet shots from the "good" camp when they are really sharp shooters? They are not really that far away from the bus. They'd do us more good if they would just replace their high-caliber guns and ammunitions with archery supplies. 

Hay... I can only hope this won't happen again.

Time travel is possible!

I was reading some science jokes just a while ago because my brother told me one yesterday. There was one particular joke that got my attention (because I have no effin idea what it was trying to say. And of course, I have no idea what's funny about it. It's about tachyons. Here's the joke:

To get to the other side. Why did the tachyon cross the road?

For you science nerds out there, you probably are laughing at me and/or the joke already. Pasensya na! Hehehe. When I checked what tachyons are, here's what I found out from Wikipedia:

A tachyon (/ˈtæki.ɒn/; Greek: ταχύς, takhus, "swift" + English: -on "elementary particle") is a hypothetical subatomic particle that moves faster than light. In the language of special relativity, a tachyon would be a particle with space-like four-momentum and imaginary proper time. A tachyon would be constrained to the space-like portion of the energy-momentum graph. Therefore, it cannot slow down to subluminal speeds.

So... there's a hypothetical "thing" faster than the light. I am actually excited! I mean, the article did mention that "despite the theoretical arguments against the existence of tachyon particles, experimental searches have been conducted to test the assumption against their existence; however, no experimental evidence for the existence of tachyon particles has been found." But hey, almost if not all scientific breakthroughs started with a hypothetical assumption, right? Philosophically and logically speaking, dismissing something because you cannot prove it is a fallacy of ignorance, right?

If there's anything science (or scientists) should have realized by now, things change, theories are proven wrong, and "facts" are disputed from time to time. And this is not science's weakness, but more of a strength. Just like band saw blades which need to be sharpen or replaced from time to time, science has to undergo these "corrections" for its own good.

Well, if this tachyon can be proven true in the future, then, hello time travel!

Smoking ban TRO

I'm not sure if you've already heard the news about the smoking ban on street sides in Metro Manila being put on hold per order of a court. Well, FYI: there is/was a smoking ban being implemented by MMDA. Here's a more detailed post on that. The reason cited, I think, was that while it was mentioned in the Republic Act that smoking will be prohibited in schools, hospitals, etc, there was no mention of the ban/restriction along the streets of the metro. I sometimes can't help but -- for the lack of term -- smile at the logic/reasoning behind some of the controversial rulings we hear from time to time. I know that the intention of the ruling is to protect the public by making sure no policies or rules are implemented without a sound and legitimate basis. But -- yeah, I've said it already. I cannot help but smile. :-)

Oh, and I'm sure firms who offer smokers life insurance are more than just smiling right now.

Science jokes to start your week

Oh, yeah, I know you cannot hide how excited you are to see some science jokes to start you week right. I looked for these science jokes because of my brother who tried one on me. He started with, "A neutrino walks into a bar..." Right there and then, I started laughing so hard. Deym. There's something wrong with me.

Here's a list that I got from a Youtube vid:

• A virus walks into a bar. the bartender says “we don’t serve viruses in this bar”, the virus replaces the bartender and says “now we do.”
• An infectious disease walks into a bar. The bartender says “we don’t serve infectious diseases in this bar” and the infectious disease says “well you’re not a good host.”
• A room temperature super conductor walks into a bar. The bartender says “we don’t serve any super conductors in this bar”. The room temperature super conductor leaves without any resistance.
• Schrodinger’s cat walks into a bar. And then doesn’t.
• A Neutrino walks into a bar. The bartender says “we don’t serve neutrinos here!”, the Neutrino says “that okay, i was just passing through.”
• An electron walks into a bar. The bartender asks him what’s up. The electron says “My wife just left me. She took the kids. I just want to die.” The Bartender then says: “Stop being so negative.”

Here's the vid, by the way:

My brother has a collection of these kinds of jokes, and if only there are cheap document scanning services out there, I'll have these scanned immediately and share the happiness (hahaha) to the world.

Anyway, as I've said, have a great week ahead!

Thinking out loud

In honor of Kumareng Grace's Random thoughts, I am hereby making my own segment called "Thinking out loud." :-)

• I'll see a goddess perform a concert later tonight. I wonder if I can help myself and not shout, I love you Solenn!!!
• Tomorrow, I'll pick up some books from a good and kind-hearted family who will be donating books to a school in my hometown. This is a project that I and a former-schoolmate who is now heading the school where the books will be donated.
• I want to buy a new phone that I can give to my friend. Her birthday is just a month from now. I might not have enough time to save for the phone, but thankfully there is personal creations, I can buy something more affordable if ever I fail. :-)
• I am inlove.
• I hope our good mayor will say to a project proposal of mine. Wish me luck, guys.

I guess that's it. KG, thank you. Is there any royalty that I should pay for this? :-)

Why pay when you can have it for free?

Today, a friend of mine called and asked me to give her advice on how she could communicate to her fiance who's working overseas. She asked me to give her, if I can, a conference call price comparison if it won't be too much of a hassle. And being the Google fanboi that I am, I told her to consider free services instead: Google Talk, Skype, and Yahoo! Messenger, in order of preference of course. At this time, I don't think communication should still be a problem. Heck, even rebels use Twitter and Facebook nowadays... :-)

Anyway, she'd be going for Skype. And I am happy for her choice. (Actually, I only suggested Google Talk in case Page and Brin are monitoring my blog. Hehehe.)

It's Friday once again, and well, later tonight, I'm going to be with someone hot, talented, and almost-a-goddess! See you later, Solenn. :-)

Just for today

I really just want to stay at home and think. I want to exhaust all my efforts into thinking. About what?

Well, you see, there's this project of mine, a brainchild of myself and my brother, which I've been putting on hold for quite sometime now because I get distracted by a lot of trivial stuff... trivial but necessary. Yesterday, I had a short chat with an accomplished person in our town and he gave me additional motivation to make sure our project is realized soon. He's even willing to fund it, if I am ok with that.

Anyway, because I cannot afford staying at home while enjoying taking a warm bath in a jetted clawfoot tub (and we don't have one pala, hehehe), I guess I'd just maximize my day and finish everything early so I can focus on what I want to do today.

If only I can have that awesome "medication" in the movie Limitless...

OpFacebook

There are times when you think so much that your physical body can't cope up and does not really know what to do. It's like your neural system goes haywire and it makes these different kinds of signals, good and bad, that your body cannot interpret. But this is normal. In fact, even Google, with thousands of servers (acting basically the same as our brain's neural system), experience this problem. (Try checking equestrian clothes in the Images tab and you'll see funny pictures even on first page of the results! But you can actually skip this one totally -- my brain is just going haywire at the moment.)

What am I trying to say?! Hehehe. You know what, let me just refer you to an interesting article on Facebook Hacking. Click here. I was supposed to write something on this but I really cannot think at the moment.

It's Friday!

House MD, anyone?

I miss watching House MD. This is just one of those few shows where everyone, every artist has a real character of their own. They are not just people in hospital scrubs but  are real character in the sense that they really know how to play the role, the personality, the emotions of their character.



Anyway, one of the most significant characters in the show, Dr, Cuddy, will not be a part of the next season. Cuddy is the only one who can control House, right? Who will be the next Dean of Medicine now?

If there are any House fans out there, any guesses?

Official Statement from Christopher Lao

4 August 2011

The past few days have been very disheartening for me and my family. As you know I have been a subject of a viral video that showed my helplessness during a trying moment. As it stands right now, I have several hate pages in Facebook and Twitter with hurtful and derogatory messages attacking my person. The reputation that I built the past years has been besmirched. A bad day has now turned into wounded feelings and sleepless nights for me and my family.

I have been silent the past few days as I want this to go away soon but not before saying sorry and thank you to people who matter.

I would like to apologize for my behavior that was seen on nationwide television and now on the internet. It was unfortunate that I was caught on camera immediately after an overwhelmingly stressful mishap.

I would like to again sincerely thank those who braved the flood to help a distraught stranger like me. Their selfless act reminded me of how dependable Filipinos are in times of crisis.

Lastly, I would like to thank my family, friends and all of those who showed empathy, consideration and support throughout these trying times. You have given me strength and courage to rise above and be a better person.

Sincerely yours,
Christopher Lao

***

On a not-so related note, some people like to boast about their golf trophies, Me. Lao, I think, needs more than just these kind of trophies or achievements to redeem himself from this mess.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Have you guys heard the news about a certain guy being criticized online due to his -- in the words of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile -- "very rare show of courage”? Ooopsss! I'm not referring to Migs Zubiri. Here's an excerpt from an online article (from Techpinas):

Christopher bravely drove his car to what appeared to be waist-high floods.* And as the laws of Physics... would have it, his sedan (which turned out to be not amphibious after all) fell victim to the waters.
But it isn't so much this misfortune that got everyone talking about Christopher. It's the things he said as soon as he got out of his flood-soaked car that made him the online-sensation he now is.
...
Apparently ... Christopher blames MMDA and everyone in sight during the incident for his mistake. He even said at one point that he 'wasn't informed' of the floods -- even if the water level was already too high not to be obvious.

Christopher Lao became a trending topic worldwide in Twitter -- surpassing yesterday's event re Migs Zubiri's resignation. Now, some people think there's something wrong with the Filipino mentality for two reasons:

1. Why do we make fun of people making mistakes? Don't we commit mistake ourselves?
2. How come we prioritize things like this one over a significant event in our national political history, that is, Migs Zubiri's resignation from the Senate?

I vehemently disagree that there's something wrong here in the first place. In my assessment, it was not the mistake of the person that infuriated the online community -- it's Mr. Lao's attitude after committing that mistake. He blamed everyone else -- the reporter, the bystanders, even the employees of the MMDA -- instead of admitting a miscalculation on his end. For some online people, the hatred is more of a defense for some hardworking and honest people in MMDA (who cannot defend themselves) that Lao has just blamed. 

And as I have said, this news is more than just a person  who "bravely drove his car to what appeared to be waist-high floods" and blamed "MMDA and everyone in sight during the incident for his mistake." If you stopped at that news, then, we should just take Zubiri's resignation from Senate simply as a way of avoiding accountability and saving his a$$. But there's so much more about the news than the actual event -- there's a lot to mention from the most basic survival principle of common sense (no other cars passing, very obvious flooded street) to core values of owning responsibility to our mistakes or being accountable to our actions. (Whether it is unethical for the media/reporter to air that is another question, of course.)

An esteemed professor said “You may be amused by the mistakes or misfortunes of others. But this does not entitle you to degrade their entire character or make conclusions about their whole person. Christopher Lao does not deserve the treatment he is getting from others on Facebook and Twitter." But I think, Mr. Lao is being victimized or bullied (online) right now not because of his mistake or misfortune, but his arrogance AFTER what happened. And as one online character posted in a news portal: "If only for that -- and his lack of personal responsibility and common sense -- he deserves all the ridicule that can be thrown at him."

:p

*What was he thinking? That he has tanzanite rings or something Green Lantern-ish that can make his car float?

Migs Zubiri resigns

Mig Zubiri is reading his privilege speech at the moment. He will announce his resignation anytime now. Hayyy.

Music runs deep within our blood (hehehe)

Last week when we went to the mall, my sister lead us to a certain store. No it was not a women's singlets store, but it surprised us nonetheless. We found ourselves inside a guitar store. And she says she was not really looking for a guitar.

"The guitar called me."

My sister bought a violin a year ago, and it was my brother who got more interested -- he can now play some nice songs. :-) And now, my sister wants to buy a guitar. She says she can feel it -- that this is going to be her "thing", her calling.

Wow. Hehehe. I told her she should try Air Guitar first. But she says she really wants to reignite her passion in music (c/o Johnoy Danao). Oh well. At least I won't have a hard time looking for a gift for her come this Christmas. I will buy her this Air Guitar on sale.

Could music be OUR passion? I should rethink my ambition of being in competition with Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

I rock!

This Sunday, I will be going to the baptism ceremony of my cousin's first-born. This cousin of mine is a close friend from high school. I made his first love letter, gave him advice that resulted to him having his first girlfriend, and told him what to do so his first girlfriend will initiate the breakup (I know!). We've been through a lot of things together. Oh, we were together in our first (wannabe) rockband. He played bass and lead the vocals. I did background vocals and lead guitar. (Beat that, Mordsith! hehehe.)

He, and another cousin and friend of ours, had a bet -- whoever among the three of us will have a child last will win that bet. And the bet is that the losers will sponsor one lechon baboy (and some more) each when the winner's child gets baptized. The other cousin of ours involved in the bet already has a baby as well.

This Sunday, the three of us will have a drink -- not to plan the baby 1st birthday.* We will officially celebrate my being a winner. :-)

*sorry grammar nazis! Tawag ng pangangailangan.

What is 30% of USD 5.6 million?

I asked because that is how much I'd received soon. :-) This is the third or fourth time this year that I became (almost) a multi-millionaire. Hayyy... For your reading pleasure, fellow bloggers and accidental visitors.

---

My Dearest one,

Hi, My name is Sofia Justin Yak, 23years old originated from Sudan. I decide to contact you after my prayers, I really want to have a good relationship with you. My father Dr. Justin Yak was the former Minister for SPLA Affairs and Special Adviser to President Salva Kiir of South Sudan for Decentralization. My father Dr.Justin Yak and my mother including other top Military officers and top government officials had been on board when the plane crashed on Friday May 02, 2008.

You can read more about the crash through the below site:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/ africa/7380412.stm

After the burial of my father, my uncle conspired and sold my father's properties to a Chinese Expatriate and left nothing for me. On a faithful morning, I opened my father's briefcase and found out the documents which he have deposited huge amount of money in one bank in Burkina Faso with my name as the next of kin. I traveled to Burkina Faso to withdraw the money so that I can start a better life and take care of myself. On my arrival, the Branch manager of the Bank whom I met in person told me that my father's instruction to the bank was the money be release to me only when I am married or present a trustee who will help me and invest the money overseas.

I have chosen to contact you after my prayers and I believe that you will not betray my trust. But rather take me as your own sister. Though you may wonder why I am so soon revealing myself to you without knowing you, well, I will say that my mind convinced me that you are the true person to help me. More so, I will like to disclose much to you if you can help me to relocate to your country because my uncle have threaten to assassinate me. The amount is $5.6 Million and I have confirmed from the bank in Burkina Faso. You will also help me to place the money in a more profitable business venture in your Country.

However, you will help by recommending a nice University in your country so that I can complete my studies. It is my intention to compensate you with 30% of the total money for your services and the balance shall be my capital in your establishment. As soon as I receive your interest in helping me, I will put things into action immediately. In the light of the above, I shall appreciate an urgent message indicating your ability and willingness to handle this transaction sincerely. Please do keep this only to your self. I beg you not to disclose it till i come over because I am afraid of my wicked uncle who has threatened to kill me.

Sincerely yours,
Miss Sofia Justin Yak

---

Just to be safe, I guess I can ask her to buy a megameeting web conferencing software so I can be sure I'll have that 50%. Hehehe. Sineryoso? :-)

You think you've got balls?

Wanna know what "having balls" means in real life? Well, research Walden Bello (that's double "l", else, you might find someone involved in the cosmetics/beauty industry). The guy has balls! He, and some other congressmen, landed in a contested island in the Kalayaan Group of Islands, declared the place as a Philippine territory, and uttered these words:

We come in peace, we support a diplomatic solution. But let there be no doubt in any foreign power's mind that if they dare to eject us from Pagasa... Filipinos will not take that sitting down.

Oh yeah, this is The Man!

At first I thought that was too irresponsible of him. I mean, other parties claiming the islands are China and Vietnam. But after seeing the map below, I think Walden Bello should be declared a national hero.

Is China even serious with its claims?! They probably took a bluetooth barcode scanner, and proclaimed:
"Hey, we used  state-of-the-art technology, and we have rights on these shores." Argh!

Check the story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14212130.

Google Country Manager (Philippines)

As I've said before, Google is the best company in the world (next to being in the company of Solenn -- wahahaha!). Yeah, sorry Facebook, you're just second. They are now looking for a country manager here in the Philippines. Now, am I Interested? Of course I am! But I'm am not qualified. Sayang! Imagine these perks*.

Anyway, in case you guys are interested, here's a peak on their requirements:

---

Country Manager (Philippines) - Singapore

You will manage Google's sales and business development operations within Philippines. You have deep sales experience, demonstrated general management capability, and a proven ability to build a team. You will be responsible for developing and executing on the overall market strategy within the country. This includes determining the appropriate channel strategy, support model, staffing requirements, partners, target advertisers, and coordinating with functional teams to achieve desired goals. The primary focus will be on top tier client and agency opportunities.

Responsibilities:

• Manage Philippines operations, including the development and execution of the overall country strategy.
• Build a sales organization to call upon leading advertisers within Philippines, driving revenue growth across different verticals.
• Build and maintain relations with key agencies and Search Engine Marketers (SEMs).
• Build and develop partnerships that will grow the online marketplace in Philippines.
• Coordinate closely with centralized teams to meet the needs of the market.

Requirements:

• BA/BS degree perferred, MBA a plus.
• At least 10 years experience with strong sales management experience in technology and/or advertising and/or Internet as well as general management experience.
• Experience in building strategic partnerships and track record of growing a market is preferred.
• Fluent in English, with fluency in Filipino strongly preferred.
• Ability to focus and prioritize in a fast growing business environment.
• Strong relationships within the advertising and technology spaces in the region.
• Proven record of strategic development of Fortune 1000 client base.

http://www.google.com.sg/intl/en/jobs/singapore/adsales/manage/country-manager-philippines-singapore/index.html

Goodluck!

*I won't be surprised if they allow garden gnomes to be placed in their office areas. :-)

How to get to Taiwan from China without a passport (and vice versa)

I saw a post in Facebook just a while ago and it gives a detailed instruction how one can go to Taiwan from China (or I guess from any part of the world to anywhere at all for that matter) without a Passport/Visa. And the funny thing here is, this is actually from Google.

Are you familiar with Google Maps? Well, that is where you need to go to see the directions. Follow these carefully and you'll be to different places of the world in a matter of days.

1. Open Google Maps (directions)
2. Type in China as starting point
3. Type in Taiwan as destination
4. Read Step 48.

If you want to see what's in Step 48, see screenshot below.

Hide-and-seek: Newton-Pascal-Einstein style!

Up in heaven, three great physicists were playing hide and go seek: Newton, Pascal, and Einstein.

It was Einstein's turn to seek, so Einstein closed his eyes and counted to 10 while Pascal and Newton went to hide. Pascal hid behind a tree, Newton just stood there and drew a 1 meter by 1 meter box around him on the ground.

When Einstein was done counting, he opened his eyes (probably cleaned his heavy-duty goggles first) and said, "Newton, what are you doing? You're supposed to hide! You're out!" And Newton replied, "No, you're wrong, I'm not Newton, I'm Pascal! See, I'm one Newton per square meter! Pascal is out!"

Blogger's new dashboard design/interface

Have you guys noticed the new design of blogger interface/dashboard? It's neat and I like it. I think Google is really making a lot of changes and innovations lately -- this one, Google+ (which I am not yet trying, but have an account already), new stuff in Gmail Labs, etc. I don't know if this is in response to their biggest threat so far (Facebook). Whatever the reason is, I like it!

Here's the screenshot of the new design:

...and she accepted the challenge!

I had an interesting chat with an old friend yesterday. She's a headhunter based in Makati. She was very curious why I did not pursue one and rejected another job offer that she arranged herself for me. They both have decent offers -- so she says. So, she was wondering how rich I am right now (I wish!!!) because I have that conviction to stay self-employed here in the province instead of working back again in Manila.

Of course it's not true; I am not rich (yet! hehehe). With the work I have now, I can say I am just OK -- nothing more, nothing less (actually, it's more "nothing more" than "nothing less").

So, she asked me: What will it take me to accept a job offer back in Manila?

I replied:

1. They have to offer me a just and fair salary (negotiable).
2. They have to promise I'll end my working day watching the sunset. Everyday.
3. They have to provide me with an environment of fresh air all the time.
4. And they need to give me a walking-distance-from-home workplace (so I won't have to buy fat burners anymore).

Items 2-4 are non-negotiable.

Aba! She replied: CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

:-D

Juan, Pedro, at Noynoy

Isang araw, habang kumakain ang magkakaibigang Juan, Pedro, at Kulas sa pinakataas ng 50 palapag na gusali.

JUAN: Anak ng! Tinapa na naman? Kakasawa na. Kapag tinapa pa rin ang ulam ko bukas, magpapakamatay na talaga ako.
PEDRO: Put--! Pritong itlog na naman! Kakasawa na ang ulam na ito. Kapag pritong itlog pa rin ang ulam ko bukas, tatalon na ako sa gusaling ito.
KULAS: Lagi na lang ham! Kapag bukas ham pa rin ang ulam ko, magpapakamatay na din ako!

Kinabukasan...

JUAN: Tinapa na naman? (Tumalon sa gusali. Patay.)
PEDRO: Pritong itlog?  (Tumalon sa gusali. Patay.)
KULAS: Ham na naman?!  (Tumalon sa gusali. Patay.)

Habang kinakausap ng mga reporters ang mga asawa ng mga nasawi, tinanong nila kung nagbabala ba ang mga ito.

Asawa ni JUAN: (Umiiyak.) Wala man lang po siyang sinabi na ayaw niya ng tinapa. Kung sinabi niya na nagsasawa na siya, e di sana iba na lang ang hinanda ko sa kanya.
Asawa ni PEDRO: (Umiiyak.) Wala din po siyang sinasabi na ayaw niya ng pritong itlog. Kung sinabi niya na nagsasawa na siya, e di sana iba na lang ang hinanda ko sa kanya.
Asawa ni KULAS: (Umiiyak.) E hindi ko po alam kung bakit siya nagpakamatay, siya naman ang naghahanda ng baon niya sa tanghalian.

---

Quote from a TOTALLY UNRELATED  news (http://www.manilatimes.net/news/topstories/3-in-cabinet-aquino%E2%80%99s-curse/):

"Sa totoo lang ho, mayroon kasing mga miyembro ng Gabinete—mga dalawa o tatlo—kada makita ko, agad iniisip ko, 'Ano kaya ang bad news ang dala-dala nito?' ... Iyong iba ho, ipinipilit ko na lang po na harapin, dahil talagang, kako itong taong ito, talagang penitensya ko na yata sa mundong ito, kaya ok na lang."

- President Noynoy Aquino