Curb and Gutter

pi

2010-08-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

This computer just calculated pi to a world record 5 trillion digits

The 5 trillionth digit of pi is 2

Depressed or Just Plain Cheap?

2010-08-05T10:14:00.000-07:00

I cut my own hair for the first time in my life today. Needless to say it was a total disaster. What was I thinking? I have been semi-bald twice in my life before... this is only the third time in my life I had a haircut like this.

Haircuts used to cost $15 including tip. I bought a $10 hair clipper yesterday. it sounded like a very good deal. I could have a return on investment with just one haircut!

I know I have been a little depressed lately - the ill effect of being jobless for this length of time, and with not a single prospect or good lead in the job hunt. Could it have been my depression that pushed me to take drastic action on my black velvety locks?

Did I cut my hair out of depression or was I just plain cheap?

Cityscapes

2010-07-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

Sanfo

La-La Land

Free Stuff

2010-07-19T00:22:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been hooked by a new addiction - freecycle.org. This site connects people with free stuff they want to give away and people who need stuff, for free. The site encourages members to think twice about throwing away used but otherwise still usable items with the goal of recycling (the more accurate term is re-using) items and keeping our landfills from becoming bigger. The site prohibits the selling of the stuff.

Since joining the site, I have given away one bistro set composed of 1 high table and 2 high chairs. I have received 1 old but fully functional desktop computer which I gave to my 3 year old son. He uses it to access online educational tools. I'm currently waiting to receive a once-used rechargeable hand-held vacuum for our car.

There are a lot of stuff offered on the site for free! Unfortunately I don't have a pickup truck to get bigger items such as sofas, cabinets, bicycles, beds, etc. My wife won't let me buy a pickup for fear that I might become a hoarder like those featured on cable.

Although Freecycle is for a worthy cause, it highlights one disturbing fact about life here - people have so much useless stuff (useless to them anyway). People park on their driveways because their garages are filled with stuff bought, used once, and then "put away" in the garage never to see the light of day again. Stuff such as "revolutionary exercise equipment" with dubious claims of 5-minute workouts are peddled by the home shopping network and QVC.

Consumerism has encouraged people to buy stuff they don't need with money they don't have. This has contributed to the great recession we are experiencing now.

This reminds me of an old George Carlin stand up routine.

The Jedi Path

2010-07-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

In ancient times, students of the force possessed a most valuable book passed from master to padawan. After the destruction of the temple, only one copy survived...

The Jedi Path

coming in September

19 Facts You May Not Have Known About Star Wars

2010-07-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

This from asylum.com...

19 Facts You May Not Have Known About Star Wars

Random Photos

2010-07-17T21:40:00.001-07:00

Cheap Thrills

Guiding Light

Bridge to Nowhere

The Thinker

We are all prisoners of our own desires.

Restarting (or at least trying to...)

2010-07-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

It's been more than a year since my last blog post. Life has changed dramatically over the past year that I found little time to think and write down my thoughts. I don't know if this is a blessing or not but I now have PLENTY of time on my hands. So here I go again.

I'm starting a new life in a new city and under new circumstances. It's an exiting time as I navigate my surroundings, getting used to the new ways of dealing with the same old routine... surviving.

I can't say that I am entirely happy with this new situation. There are a lot of things I desire that I have yet to accomplish. But I can say this for sure, I'm doing this for and with the most important people in my life, which makes all the difference.

How Many balloons Would It Take to Lift a House?

2009-06-06T02:05:00.000-07:00

Slate Magazine's take on the Physics of Pixar's Up!

http://www.slate.com/id/2219775/

How to file an income tax return, Philippine style

2009-04-08T02:10:00.000-07:00

Background: I had 2 employers for the fiscal year 2008. The company I left decided they wont bother submitting my tax deductions to the BIR and promptly returned the money they originally withheld. I was thus forced to file my own Income Tax Return.

Following is the harrowing detail of how I filed and paid for my Tax Return today...

9:45 - A quick stop at the ATM to get money for my tax payment

10:00 - After breakfast and doing a bit of chatting with my wife, I promptly left the house and proceeded to the city hall to file my tax return. Upon reaching city hall, I was barred from entering the premises by the guard on duty because he said I was not wearing proper attire (shorts and sandals)

10:20 - Upon being refused entry to city hall, I decided to proceed to Riverbanks Mall where I had seen a satellite BIR booth the day before. I thought the mall woudn't mind me dressed in board shorts and sandals. The guy at the booth looked at my tax return form (1700) and told me that he only accepts returns without paayment. Since I will need to pay taxes, I should proceed to the nearest bank (PNB) that accepts tax payments.

11:00 - I arrived at the nearest PNB Branch.. which is across the street from City Hall!!! The guard gave me a form to fill out and a number (48) the bank was serving number 15 at the time. I waited... and waited for more than an hour.

12:15 - Finally the teller called my number... and was told that they were offline and couldn't accept my payment since they cannot credit the money to the BIR Account. I was told to proceed to the next nearest PNB Branch.. in Masinag, Antipolo.

12:35 - As I proceeded to PNB Masinag, I passed by Veterans Bank. Knowing that they accept BIR payments, I stopped, only to be told that they only accept BIR payments on Tuesdays and Thursdays... and it is a Wednesday. Blood pressure at this point: 120/90

12:45 - Passed by a BDO branch. I didnt know if they accept paayments but as i was starting to get frustrated, I tried asking. Nope, they dont accept BIR payments.

12:55 - Passed by a Landbank branch. I was sure they accept BIR payments, being a government run bank. I drove around the U turn slots near Sta Lucia to get to the other side where the bank is. The guard told me they were offline. Grrr (blood pressure: 125/95. I decided to drive all the way to PNB Masinag branch where the original bank teller told me to go.

1:00 - I arrived at PNB Masinag Branch and was told to fall in line at the "new accounts" desk. "Same bank, different procedures?" I thought to myself. After waiting for 20 minutes, my turn had finally arrived. The teller promptly stamped "received" on my form and told me to wait my turn at the teller counter to be able to pay. .. and oh by the way, they are offline too so I would have to wait until they get back online. ARGHHHHH.

1:35 - I decided to try my luck at the UCPB Branch right beside the PNB branch. They told me they accept BIR payments. And there was no line at the counter! Nirvana!! or so I thought. The teller told me that my form was already stamped "received" by PNB. I was told to go back and have them cancel the "received" stamp. so I went back.

1:45 - I returned to UCPB with the cancelled stamp over the received stamp on my form only to find that there was a new client.. and he was depositing... COINS!!!!! I swear I am not making this up. I took them forever to count the coins and accept the deposit.

2:00 - Finally, it was my turn. The teller took my form, took my money, stamped something, counted my change and then done, it took 2 minutes. That's it.

No wonder so many people evade paying taxes!

Guys have nothing left to live for..

2009-01-27T05:50:00.000-08:00

News article from popsci.com:

"Drop that Sock! Masturbation May Cause Cancer"

New study links ejaculation frequencies to rates of prostate cancer; but the jury's still out.

http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-01/drop-sock-masturbation-may-cause-cancer

A Geek's Dream Come True...

2008-11-17T21:32:00.000-08:00

This is happening as I am writing this piece...

I am in a Netopia Branch near my former office whiling away the time waiting for an appointment when the ultimate geek dream happened (is happening as I write this).

A beautiful, tall, model-like lady just entered Netopia wearing a white skimpy short (and I mean Short!) dress and sat next to my computer terminal. Her perfume wafts over me as if enticing me to introduce myself.

This would have been the luckiest day of my life if I weren't a) married and b) a total geek!

Assume for a moment that I am still single and have the liberty to pick up chicks, this perfect situation would still be a total disaster because I am a *refer to item B above*. I was a total shy-type dude when I was single it's a miracle I ever got married in the first place.

I guess this wouldn't be a Geek's dream after all... more like agony when I think about it.

*Disclaimer* - I believe married dudes should be allowed to "look but don't touch". And thats just what I am doing, honest dear!

George Carlin 1937 - 2008

2008-06-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

George Carlin died today. In my humble opinion, the greatest stand-up comedian ever!

The following excerpt from one of his monologues best describes the man:

"Quality, style, service, selection, convenience, economy, savings, performance, experience, hospitality, low rates, friendly service, name brands, easy terms, affordable prices, money back guarantee, free installation, free admission, free appraisal, free alterations, free delivery, free estimates, free home trial, and free parking, no cash no problem, no kidding, no fuss no muss, no risk, no obligation, no red tape, no down payment, no entry fee, no hidden charges, no purchase necessary, no one will call on you, no payment on interest until September... but ... limited time only though so act now, order today, send no money, offer good while supplies last, two to a customer, each item sold separately, batteries not included, mileage may vary, all sales are final, allow six weeks for delivery, some items not available, some assembly required, some restrictions may apply, so come on in for a free demonstration and free consultation with our friendly professional staff. Our experienced and knowledgeable sales representatives will help you make a selection thats just right for you and just right for your budget. And say, don't forget to pick up your free gift, a classic, deluxe, custom, designer, luxury, prestige, high quality, premium select, gourmet, pocket pencil sharpener, yours for the asking, no purchase necessary. Its our way of saying thank you, and, if you act now, we'll include a extra added free complimentary bonus gift, a classic, deluxe, custom, designer, luxury, prestige, high quality, premium select, gourmet, combination key ring, magnifying glass and garden hose in a genuine, imitation leather style carrying case with authentic vinyl trim, yours for the asking, no purchase necessary. Its our way of saying thank you."

We will miss you.

Here we go again!

2008-06-14T02:44:00.000-07:00

It's been a loooong while since i last posted a blog; almost a year in fact. What a year it has been. I've been preoccupied with a lot of things... been busy running around the great hippodrome we call the rat race.

Let's see.. what has happened since my last blog... hmmm.... gasoline is now Php 56.57 per liter! A sack of rice costs Php 2,000.00! The world is continuing its relentless march towards climate change; terrorism, famine, anarchy.... you know, the usual stuff.

Dad died last March. We're still very much affected by the loss.

But hey! since I last blogged, some good things happened as well.

My kid turned 1 year old this year. I got a new job that pays well (although I don't know how good it will remain given our runaway inflation rate).

Interesting times!

Have you seen the Philippines?

2007-06-25T06:22:00.000-07:00

My Lakbayan grade is C+!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out atLakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

The map above shows the places I've been to.

10 Peso Poop

2007-04-10T05:07:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've been to those fancy smanzchy lounges inside fancy smanzchy malls otherwise known as bloody loos (toilets! increase your vocabulary please!)... (ok, ok, for the uninitiated pinoys - CR!).

Anyways, for the price of admission (10 Pesos) they provide you with a cleaner toilet complete with the rarest commodity inside Philippine toilets - toilet paper! Yup, they even provide liquid soap and cheap body cologne and generic lotion. Oh, and the toilet smells oh so fresh and fragrant as well.

These perks and privileges worth 10 Pesos are considered freebies, nay, requirements even, in more developed countries and even lesser ones all throughout the world. But no! Those money grubbing mall operators have the gall to charge our brown Pinoy butts the price of a small soda drink for "services" they ought to provide for free!

For those of you who feel as shortchanged as I am, I do offer a suggestion. But I wont suggest you boycott these establishments, I'd even encourage you to take out your 10 pesos and please go to those "lounges" and use their facilities.

But don't just pee!

Do the number 2!!! not only that, pass gas so hard that it will negate the effects of the air freshener. Use up all the toilet paper and the lotions, spray the whole bottle of body spray onto your shirts to remove the smell of fart you just exuded and dont forget to lather your skins with lotion.

If enough people do this, we can clog up their sewer lines for weeks!

Disclaimer: I am by no means associated with Malabanan pozo negro sipsip co.

Travelogue Part 2 - San Fernando La Union

2007-02-21T01:19:00.000-08:00

Took a trip to San Fernando, La Union... (actually we went to Bacnotan but stayed in San Fernando). The trip was supposed to last for seven hours.....

You know how long seven hours is while sitting in the passenger seat of a car?!*@#%!&^!!

Down the Drain

2007-02-17T04:56:00.000-08:00

Have you ever watched that TV show "My name is Earl"? It's about one man, worried about Karma tries to right everything that he did wrong in life... and he got a list.

I too am prone to believe in karma. And in my case, Karma is usually quick in reminding me of what I've done. It doesn't usually take too long for karma to bite me in the ass.

This time, it took a few months. I accidentally bumped my car into the passenger side door of my neighbor's car a few months back. I tried settling it then but my neighbor just let the thing hang as if he isn't keen on having me answer for the faux pas.

Karma took its time. It finally came knocking on the door today.. Literally. I got a bill for the body repair for that small dent on my neighbor's car door.

There goes three thousand pesos down the drain.

Hayyy life! You can't win.

Travelogue Part 1 - San Carlos

2007-02-14T22:09:00.000-08:00

Going to San Carlos (Negros) for my latest project was fairly easy enough at the beginning, although I had a lot of work done in the office on the morning of my trip. There were a lot of loose ends that I had to tie up. I also had a lot of work delegated to workmates before I was able to leave.

The plane ride was a breeze. I had a bad cold which made popping my ears for the pressure change quite a difficult ordeal. Then came the highlight of the trip – the car ride from Bacolod to San Carlos. The trip was fairly short – about an hour and a half for a trip of about 85 Kilometers. We passed through endless sugarcane fields and up the mountainous pass. Kanlaon volcano was to our right.

The ride took place at about 6pm to 730pm. This is where it gets interesting. I was always psychologically affected by twilight. Twilight always depresses me. The view of endless terrain with nary a soul in sight, not even a lamppost – made me all the more anxious. For all intents and purposes, I was on the brink of panic.

And that was just the beginning.

Upon Getting to San Carlos, our host provided us with accommodations smack right out of a Shake Rattle and Roll movie. We were billeted in an old hacienda manor reeking of “haunted house” aura. The house was located in the middle of sugarcane fields with only a dirt road as access to the highway. Except for a housekeeper who stays in a small house behind the manor, my companion and I were all alone inside the manor.

The décor of the house reeked of old Spanish era ambience. I swear I could just imagine old lola Basiang sitting on the wooden rocking chair in the living room. Every old urn looks like something a monster would call home.

I slept soundly though.

No Title

2007-02-06T06:27:00.000-08:00

I'm depressed.

I'm at the crossroads of my life.

I know I have to move forward. I know I have to take the step - to take control of my destiny. I have to live the life I chose.

But I also want, for one fleeting moment, to go back to the way it was, not to dwell on the past but to savor it for one last time. Just one last hurrah. Is that too much to ask? Will the world stop spinning because of that? Am I a bad person for wanting it?

Just one, one fleeting moment to save and cherish and remember. That's all I want - memories.

Wait

2007-01-24T02:41:00.000-08:00

I know, I know... I've been slacking on my blog posts. I just don't have the inspiration right now... busy too.

Wait for my inspiration... and my posts

Back to Work

2007-01-01T23:27:00.000-08:00

It's back to work after the holiday break.

Back to the old grind...
Keep your nose to the grindstone..
The rat race...
Work to live, dont live to work...
Work like you dont need the money...
Sariling sikap...
Sipag at tiyaga...
Dignity in labor...
Putting food on the table...
Hi Ho! Hi Ho! it's off to work we go...
be thy labor great or small, do it well or not at all...
Rest is the sweet sauce of labor...

I need a vacation!!

When you get what you want, try not to look surprised.

2006-12-29T03:56:00.000-08:00

Be careful what you wish for...

Don't ask me how or why the gods conspired to give me something I wished for this Christmas but I did. Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies.

I got an xbox 360 for Christmas!!!!

Now I have problems. Lots of them. My brother in law told me that to be able to get the very best out of the xbox, i needed at least 150, yes 150 thousand pesosesoses...
You see, to be able to appreciate the video/audio quality, I needed, my bro-in-law says, an HDTV flat panel LCD television; at least a 5.1 surround audio system; ... and a La-Z-Boy.

Well, why not kick it up another notch?! Better set up an entire room with sound insulaton all around, wall to wall carpeting, air conditioning, a snackbar with soda dispensers... oh and I want to win the lotto so that I dont have to go to work anymore.

Random Yuletide Thoughts

2006-12-20T16:56:00.000-08:00

I've all but completed my Christmas shopping save for one gift. Ant it's probably one of the hardest thing to decide... what to give my mom. Any suggestions?

My wife and I decided to postpone our own Christmas celebration until the end of February when our gift will arrive. The gift is tenatively named Richard Sebastian. Trina still thinks the name is too long, fearing that the child will still be writing his name on the paper when pop quiz question number 3 is already being asked. I find the name destined for greatness.

I took the liberty of buying generic gifts for my friends. One gift to rule them all. Shopping with my sisters, i found a gift good for one, asked the price and finding that the price is resonable, I ordered 12 - 1 each for all my friends. Talk about thoughtless gifts.

The past weekend was supposed to be the last weekend before the xmas celebrations. I dreaded going to the malls for fear of being suffocated. I didn't know if I was glad or sad at what I saw at the malls. First, we got a parking space quite fast (my sis says she has a personal parking angel)... then the malls seem normal. One could amble, sashay, trudge or whatever kind of walk one wants and it would've been ok since the malls were not quite full. I saw people with nary a plastic bag in tow. Either they have completed xmas shopping early, or all that talk about economic progress is juat a lot of hot air from an embattled presidentita.

I was supposed to be on an extended vacation after xmas due to a company-imposed office shutdown. I was looking forward to 10 glorious days of lying around the house unbrushed, unkempt, unshowered and uncaring. Lo and behold, a client wants my presence for their pre-bidding conference on the 27th in Iligan City no less! There goes the party. No more 24-seasons-1-to-5-DVD-marathon for me.

Con Asses

2006-12-12T22:03:00.000-08:00

From Conrado de Quiros' column in the Inquirer today...

Joe de V and company themselves did not ask for a permit from the Constitution, or the source of the Constitution, the one thing that animates it -- the people -- to perform sodomy upon Inang Bayan [Mother Land]. What else call "Con-ass" [constituent assembly] but that? At the very most, it’s time we showed that we do not exist at their sufferance, they exist at ours. It’s time we stopped suffering from them. It’s time we stopped suffering them.

further...

I can’t understand why we should content ourselves with being at the receiving end of every iniquity or abuse this government, in whole or in part, foists upon us.

de Quiros rubs it in

Classic

2006-12-03T05:38:00.000-08:00

I was trawling through the internet and came across this gem of a classic video of The Doors. I hope you enjoy this. By the way, I was thinking of naming my first born child Jim Morisson. What do you think?

Dear Santa,

2006-11-27T18:42:00.000-08:00

All I want for Christmas is an XBox 360. Thank you.

24

2006-11-18T22:00:00.000-08:00

The following takes place between 8:00PM and 2:00PM on the day of the Manny Pacquiao fight....

I suffered a hook right on the temple... or in other words, I got hooked to the most talked about TV series in recent years.

My sister finally bought DVD's of 5 seasons of 24. Needless to say, I got addicted. I haven't had sleep for the past 16 hours trying to satiate my ever increasing hunger for every plot twist and turn in the life of Jasck Bauer, agent of CTU.

For the longest time, I've been told by friends about this TV show but I've resisted for God know's what reason. I've tried to be different from the rest of the population. But my will is weak.

I dont know how long i can keep my eyes open. I dont know how I'm ever gonna be able to go to work tomorrow.

I have vegetated in my room the whole weekend. I have had my dinners brought to my room in order to save time. I've eaten rice dinners in my bed and presumably shared my pillow with a cockroach or two.

Right now, the cops are after Bauer for being implicated in the attempted assasination of the first Black presidential candidate while the real bad guys hold his wife and daughter hostage.

The only thing that irks me is the multiple screen shots employed by the director. But then, I'm an addict. I have no right to criticize this addiction.

Before this, I just finished watching the 5 seasons of Alias - also on DVD's - and finally put to rest the saga of Sydney Bristow and the prophecies of Rimbaldi.

I'm going back to watching 24 now.

William Shatner "Rocket Man"

2006-11-16T03:57:00.000-08:00

Found this on YouTube. This is hilarious!

Tapa Heaven

2006-11-05T03:25:00.000-08:00

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon. I was lounging around the house after lunch trying to cherish what's left of the weekend and trying not to think of work. I was watching a rerun of Treasure Hunters, that reality game show where teams go out on a treasure hunt (go figure) when my sister asked if I could accompany her to UP to buy gardening stuff at CP Garcia. I said ok.

After buying pebbles and three huge rocks to use for her project - a zen garden - we decided to drive around the old haunts of our dear campus for a trip down memory lane. Passing by the Shopping Center, my sister had a brainstorm of an idea.

We headed for the direction of Rodic's! That small eatery inside the shopping center that serves (to my mind and lots of others) the best damn tapsilog in the whole wide world. Savouring those delicate tapa flakes that melt in your mouth (or jam between your teeth), I was instantly transported to back to the halcyon days of college.

Ahh tapa heaven..

Beware

2006-11-01T00:45:00.000-08:00

During a recent trip to Brisbane, I encountered what perhaps could be the most vile, most insiduous (spellcheck please), most cruel invention ever devised by man! Let me explain...

I took a Singapore Airlines flight that spanned a total of 18 hours (given a 3-hour layover plus delays and a change in timezones). I spent most of that time cooped up in coach, squeezed in between a window and a horizontally-challenged Aussie mom with her 4-year old daughter in tow. This made me think twice about asking for beer or wine for relaxation because getting up to pee would be a challenge after that (not to mention a great inconvenience to the mom and kid). The flight was scheduled to span all night and arrive at my destination at daybreak the following morning.

The vile invention kept me up all night with nary a wink of sleep! This insiduous gadget prevented me from willfully shutting my eyes and resting for a long day ahead. This vile contraption is...

Video-On-Demand!!!

With the vast amount of resources in its library, I was hooked, lined and sinkered to spending the entire trip scanning for the latest movies, TV shows, music, and video games from its arsenal of weapons designd to deprive lowly travellers of much needed sleep!

Needless to say, I was grouchy the next day.

Flight of Fancy

2006-10-25T04:15:00.000-07:00

SINGAPORE - I have about 2 hours layover here at Changi before my flight to Brisbane (it would have been 3 hours if the plane hadn't arrived late).

Coming into Singapore, I was apalled by the extent of the haze from the Indonesian forest fires.

Coming in, the pilots had to abort the landing due to wind shear at about 300ft altitude. That raised my heartbeat a couple of notches.

more notes soon...

Just Plain Sick

2006-10-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

I was trawling through the net and came across this. Just plain sick.
Jollibee Scandal

In Case You Were Wondering

2006-10-16T03:42:00.000-07:00

In case you were sitting at work today wondering, “Gee, I wonder how the ten dimensions of string theory could be displayed in a two-dimensional animation,” this site attempts that very thing to promote a book about the same topic.

www.tenthdimension.com

A Salute

2006-09-10T06:58:00.000-07:00

A few minutes ago, I watched in utter disbelief as Michael Schumacher announced his retirement from Formula 1 after the end of this season. Michael was fresh off his 90th career victory in Monza. Furthermore, with only 3 races left, he trails Fernando Alonso by a mere 2 points for the championship.

Schumacher has earned the right to join the ranks of the greatest racecar drivers in history along with the likes of Mario Andretti, Nino Farina, Juan Manuel Fangio, Niki Lauda and Alain Prost.

We will miss Schumi.

In Memoriam

2006-09-04T23:12:00.000-07:00

Space, the final frontier...

PLDT Sucks

2006-08-28T05:53:00.000-07:00

PLDT Sucks!

Our broadband service was interrupted last Saturday. I thought it was just because of the heavy rains. Power was also interrupted at home so I didn't worry too much about the internet service interruption.

On Sunday evening, we still didn't have internet connection.

So I called Smart Bro to check. This is where it gets interesting...

I hate those friggin' idiots! The first thing they asked was If I had paid my account! They always assume that it was the customer's fault - that customers do not pay their bills so they get cut off. Presumptious little pricks!

It turned out that yes, they indeed cut off our connection on the ASSUMPTION that we haven't paid our bills. It just so happend that we pay using credit cards and that the payment goes to some other office of theirs and that it's their internal communications that's inutile. But we have paid our bills in advance - one month in advance and we were still treated that this way.

The saga isn't over at this point... not by a long shot.

Smart Bro finally gave us an activation key to be able to reconnect to the service. We were able to look at our transaction history.

To our surprise, we found out that for the last 2 months, we were being given Plan 999 with 354Kbps internet speed. This wasnt what we applied for when we got the service from myDSL (before they transferred us to a subsidiary, Smart Bro). We were supposed to get the plan 1995 with 700+Kbps from myDSL! We were cheated out of valuable bandwith! That's not the worst of it. All this time that Smart Bro has relegated us to plan 999, we were still being billed for the plan 1995!

We were cheated out of bandwidth and were being billed for the higher plan!!! Our contract says we are to get plan 1995 but we got only 999 for the past 2 months. Plus, we were billed for plan 1995 even though they gave us plan 999! This isnt only breach of contract, its also fraud!

Having established these though wasn't even half of the story. Having pointed these out to the guy on the phone (presumably a call center representing Smart Bro) we were given the run around as per usual call center tactics. (I also hate call centers!)

We are demanding that the 2 months in question be reversed in terms of money paid since we were getting only plan 999. Plus, we wanted the plan reverted back to 1995 as per contract.

Good luck to us on that one. We are just customers, they're a big conglomerate. What power do we have?

At least I can say F**K YOU PLDT!!!

.... oh and we are now in the process of applying for Globelines Broadband internet.

The Modern Man by George Carlin

2006-08-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

I'm a modern man. A man for the millennium, digital and smoke-free, a diversified, multicultural, post-modern deconstructionist, politically, anatomically and ecologically incorrect; I've been up-linked and downloaded; I've been inputted and outsourced; and all the upside of downsizing and all the downside of upgrading. I'm a high-tech lowlife, a cutting-edge, state-of-the-art bi-coastal multi-tasker and I can give you a gigabyte in a nanosecond.

I'm new wave but I'm old school, and my inner child is outward bound. I'm a hot-wired, heat-seekin’, warm hearted cool customer, voice activated and biodegradable. I interface with my database and my database is in cyberspace. I'm interactive and I'm hyperactive and from time to time I'm radioactive.

Behind the 8-ball, ahead of the curve, ridin’ the wave, dodgin’ the bullet, pushin’ the envelope; I'm on-point, on-task, on-message and off drugs. I got no need for coke and speed. I got no urge to binge and purge. I'm in the moment, on the edge, over the top but under the radar; a high-concept low-profile medium-range ballistic missionary; a street-wise smart-bomb; a top gun bottom feeder.

I wear power ties, I tell utter lies, I take power naps, I run victory laps. I'm a totally on-going big-foot slam dunk rainmaker with a proactive outreach. I'm a raging workaholic, a working rage-aholic - out of rehab and in denial.

I got a personal trainer, a personal shopper, a personal assistant and a personal agenda. You can't shut me up, you cant dumb me down coz I'm tireless and I'm wireless. I'm an alpha male on beta blockers.

I'm a non-believer and an overachiever; laid back but fashion forward; up front down home, low-rent, high maintenance; super sized, long-lasting, high-definition, fast-acting, oven-ready and built-to-last. I'm a hands-on, footloose, knee-jerk, head case; prematurely post-traumatic.

But I'm feeling, I'm caring, I'm healing, I'm sharing; a supportive, bonding, nurturing, primary-care giver. My output is down but my income is up. I take a short position on a long bond and my revenue stream has its own cash-flow.

I read junk mail, I eat junk food, I buy junk bonds, and I watch trash sports. I'm gender-specific, capital intensive, user-friendly and lactose intolerant.

I like rough sex, I like tough love. I use the F word in my email and the software in my hard drive is hard core - no soft porn. I eat fast food on the slow lane. I'm toll-free, bite-size and ready to wear and I come in all sizes.

A fully-equipped, factory authorized, hospital tested, clinically proven, scientifically formulated medical miracle. I've been pre-washed, pre-cooked, pre-heated, pre-screened, pre-approved, pre-packaged, post-dated; freeze-dried, double-wrapped, vacuum-packed and I have an unlimited broadband capacity.

I'm a rude dude but I'm the real deal; lean and mean; cocked, locked and ready to rock; rough tough and hard to bluff. I take it slow, go with the flow I ride with the tide, I got glide in my stride. Drivin’ and movin’ sailin’ and spinnin’, jivin’ and goovin’, wailin’ and winnin’. I don’t snooze so I don’t lose; I keep the pedal to the metal and the rubber on the road. I party hearty and lunch time is crunch time. I’m hangin’ in, there ain’t no doubt, and I’m hangin’ tough, - over and out.

Doldrums

2006-08-13T03:13:00.000-07:00

For the last three weekends, I've been cooped up at home with nothing to do. I haven't been to the movies in ages. I've never been to the mall except to park my car for a long time (I work near a mall and park the car there every workday). You could say, I have no social life right now.

I've been trying to rationalize this phenomenon for some time now. Does this mean I have no friends? Well, at least no friends that are physically able to meet me. They're all galivanting all over the world.

The few friends I have here in Manila are too busy with their lovelives to even bother having drinks. One even told me that he has changed (he no longer drinks to get drunk. He's now a social drinker) due no doubt to his new girlfriend's rules. Why do women fall in love with us and then try to change us? Doesn't that defeat the purpose for which they fell in love with us in the first place?

The last drink I had was last Thursday, but I don't consider that as real "drinking". It was work afterall since it was a company sponsored cocktail reception (My boss' rule #1 for the cocktail - don't get drunk).

I've also exhausted all possibilities of online interaction (purely for chat purposes, nothing else). I've managed to antagonize the few remaining people demented enough to chat with me. Hey, can I help it if i'm opinionated? I also relish the fact that I can disagree with anyone, whatever his or her position is given any topic under the sun.

So nowadays, I spend weekends cooped up in the house, surfing the net, trawling for porn on which I've lost any semblance of sensation, physical or otherwise. I am afraid I might not regain the full use of this desensitized piece of anatomy.

I also watch a lot of TV nowadays. I've yet to succumb to watching koreanovelas or pinoy superhero serials. I'm desperate enough to try. But I try to stick to Discovery channel and JackTV.

On weekends, I don't make up my bed anyomre since I'm spending too much time in it. It's so comfortable watching TV and surfing the net with one's feet up and a comfortable pillow under one's neck and head.

Maybe I'll start crocheting next weekend.

Un-Christian

2006-08-04T23:11:00.000-07:00

I got this from the August 7 special issue of Time Magazine...

In an article titled "Keeping the Faith" by Tim McGirk writes,

Wajeeh Nuseibeh has one of the world's more unusual jobs: his business card reads: 'Custodian and Door-Keeper of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.' The Sepulcher, in Jerusalem, is Christianity's holiest shrine. Believers say it houses Golgotha, the site where Jesus Christ was crucified, the Stone of Unction on which Christ lay, and the tomb from which he rose again. Yet, for centuries, the guardianship of the Sepulcher has lain with a Muslim family whose latest representative is Wajeeh. "Nobody in the whole world" he says, "is alloweded to open the church but me."

Imagine that! a Muslim is the only person allowed to be custodian of the holiest shrine in all of Christendom. McGirk further writes,

Roman Catholics, Greeks and Armenians own 70% of the property. Each group professes to be the rightful heir to the shrine. They loathe one another in a most un-Christian fashion, contesting every angel's hair-breadth of holy space inside the cavernous basilica. A few years ago, some 500 Greek and Franciscan monks brawled for hours, tossing benches and clubbing each other with giant candlestick holders, all because one sect might have tresspassed on another's sacred property. Centuries of suspicion and envy have made it so only a Muslim can be trusted with the Sepulcher's keys.

Think about it.

Flux

2006-07-23T05:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since i last posted anything on this blog. I know i should write something.

The only problem is, I dont know what to write about. It's not that i don't have anything to say. I'm not in a rut or anything. In fact, my life has been quite eventful lately. Things are happening left and right. My plate is full. Yet I dont have anything to say.

Maybe its because my plate is full that I dont have anything to say. I'm living in a sort of flux that I have no time to dwell on any one subject long enough to write about it.

I could just write about what I did today but that would be too boring a piece for even myself to read about. (though from the number of comments I get, it seems that I'm the only one reading this anyway). So anyway, here are some Random Thoughts:

I hadn't realized it but the UAAP season is under way sans La Salle. now UP has a 1 in 7 chance of winning the Basketball championship instead of 1 in 8. Better odds!! Dream on!
Saw this on the news.. Israel is speeding up the purchase of missiles from the US. No wonder the US isn't too keen on joining the rest of the world in calling for an immediate ceasation of hostilities.
I had the chance of buying the maiden issue of Maxim Philippines when I was in Cagayan de Oro last week but I didn't. Angelica Panganiban and her 36Ds are on the cover! Now I can't find a copy anywhere in Manila.
Saw this on TV... Filipinos do not know how to dress for the rainy days. They mix up rain gear with indoor cold weather gear. So you see people inside office buildings wearing nylon water resistant raincoats and people wearing cotton or wool blazers outside. Something the Fab Five would want to discuss.. they're in-country for I don't know why.
This one is for the expectant dad in me... I started looking at cribs this afternoon. one Chicco brand crib that has automatic rocking effect and built-in intercom costs 12,000.00!!!! a rear-facing baby car-seat from the same store costs 11,000.00!!!!! I need to win the lotto if i want my future child to have a decent crib.

Congratulate Me

2006-07-04T06:23:00.000-07:00

I just found out my wife is pregnant. I'm gonna be a dad!!!!

Keys Me

2006-06-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

Alyssa Alano on GMA.. Nakakahibang!

Farewell to Summer 2006

2006-06-13T17:07:00.000-07:00

The wind has shifted. Amihan has gone and Habagat has blown in. You can see it in the sand. The wind has blown debris onto the shores of white beach. The Eastern beaches have become calmer and more ideal for swimming. The afternoons have become muggy and heavy with moisture. The skies darken and threaten to burst with thunder and lightning. It isn't all that bad. The promise of rain brings with it the anticipation of cooler evenings and cold beer on rainy nights.

Below are photos of my last hurrah for summer 2006

I'm a Frustrated Lawyer

2006-05-29T07:39:00.000-07:00

The company I work for was commissioned to design the structure as well as interiors of some of the new courthouses planned to be built by the country's Judiciary. In order to familiarize ourselves with what the space planning requirements of the courts are, we held a site tour of current facilities this morning.

We visited the Manila Regional Trial Court at the upper levels of the Manila City Hall. To say that the condition of the courthouses was apalling was to me the biggest understatement of the year! And we are talking here of the MTC of the premier city of the country!!! I'm hard pressed to describe the squalid state of our judiciary.

The rooms were all cramped and dingy. The benches were falling off, the wall paint looks dirty. The clerk's office was just as bad. Reams and reams of documents were stacked to overflowing along the corridors (yes!! legal documents just lying on the corridors for lack of storage space) One court, the IPR court was half buried in documents (from all those illegal dvd cases i would imagine).

The worst part was when we entered a courtroom with live deliberations going on. We saw our judiciary in action. And boy what action!! One dumb lawyer was questioning an affidavit of a policeman who arrested his client (the plaintiff). The lawyer de campanilla (who was wearing a suit inside the stifling hot and unventilated courtroom) questioned the validity of the policeman's affidavit of apprehension questioning about the statement "subscribed and sworn to before me" of the notary public. Was he trying to question a notary's legality??? Should congress rewrite the law??? How stupid can one get? (am i in danger of contempt by publishing these?)

Anyway, the best part of the day was when we toured the plenary session hall of the Supreme Court in the afternoon. As I entered the chamber, I got the feeling that I was on hallowed ground. I was in awe of the grandeur of the place. At that point in time, for a split second I wanted to be a lawyer and I wanted to be presenting oral arguments to the highest court in the land; the final arbiter of justice; the final say, so to speak.

The Da Vinci Conspiracy

2006-05-20T20:13:00.000-07:00

I haven't watched the Da Vinci Code.

It's not because the movie represents an affront to my religion - I don't have one! It's not because I fear that the movie will change my belief - I don't believe in anything.

It's because the movie sucks. The book sucks. It plagiarized a lot of myths and conspiracy theories and melded them all into a James Bond plot. And James Bond sucks! I do not see any redeeming value in the film to merit a trip to the cineplex. Which is why I watch with amusement at all the brouhaha about the film.

So why all the fuss? The Presidential Spokesman had something to say, the city council of Manila tried to ban it. SM cinemas would have wanted all that profit except that they tried to ride on a high horse and banned all R18 movies from all their malls. a cachophony of congressmen and senators had their photo/video op for the news cameras. And for what?

If you ask me, all this brouhaha isn't about blasphemy, it isn't about the erosion of moral fabrics, it is about thought control. It is about power. It is about keeping the status quo.

Of course the Catholic Church doesnt want the dogma questioned. They dont want people questioning their teachings. Faith is about belief without question. Should people start questioning their belief, thats the ballgame!

The politicos and the government doesn't want the movie because they dont want the masses to learn "critical thinking". They want as meek and subservient like lambs being led into slaughter.

Now thats a conspiracy theory!

Why

2006-05-19T15:40:00.000-07:00

Why is it that whenever you are at the head of a line at an intersection, the next car always sees the light go green a split second before you... and honks his horn insessantly to remind you to get moving?

Why is the other lane always faster... and when you do decide to change to the faster lane, the one you just left becomes faster?

Why is grass greener on the other side? (because they use more manure)

Why is it that when you hit two keys on your keyboard, the one you dont want always get prosted on the screen?

Why is it that when you think you've finally hit bottom, someone always tosses you a shovel?

Why is it that the toast never pops up when you are standing beside the toaster?

Why is it that no matter which train you are waiting for, the wrong one arrives first?

Why do we ignore the ones who adore us and adore the ones who ignore us?

Operation Pretzel

2006-05-06T02:39:00.000-07:00

I now believe that law enforcement does work in this country... sometimes.

Last month, our beloved pet Pretzel, a purebred shih tzu was dognapped in broad daylight right in fromt of our house. A neighbor saw the suspect fleeing with Pretzel in his hands.

Naturally, our first course of action was to report the matter to the police. The police, upon hearing the testimony of our neighbor started a search for the suspect. My sister was so distraught about the incident that she even printed leaflets and flyers promising a reward of three thousand pesos for any information leading to Pretzel's recovery.

A few weeks have gone with no leads. Then in an unfortunate (but lucky) turn of events, someone living in the same community also lost shih tzu dogs - two of them!! The same suspect was spotted by the village guard a few minutes before the dogs disappeared. A pattern was emerging. The police redoubled their efforts in searching for our suspect.

This morning, we were summoned by the police who finally got the suspect in custody. Upon arrival at the precinct, our neighbor positively identified the suspect as the one who carried Pretzel away on the date of her abduction. The suspect, a thirteen year old boy who has been in and out of juvenile detention for years, promptly admitted to crime. Case solved.

But we still didnt have Pretzel.

The suspect confessed to have sold Pretzel to a shopkeeper in the public market for one thousand pesos. He also identified the recepients of the other two dogs. The police asked us to join them in an operation to recover the dogs.

I boarded a police van with the precinct chief, four police officers and the suspect. We sped off to the public market with sirens blaring! If any of you saw me and though I was an apprehended criminal in a police van, sorry to disappoint you. I even felt like I was in a TV cop drama while riding in that van. It gave me rush!

The suspect pointed to the direction of the shopkeeper who upon realizing he had been fingered as a buyer of stolen goods, promptly surrendered the dog. I did my role to the best of my ability - identifying the dog as indeed ours. I got pretzel back.

The police advised us to file charges against the suspect or he walks away free. They said that the boy needed rehabilitation in a juvenile facility like Boy's Town or else, he will grow up to a life of crime. We have got to file charges if we wanted the boy reformed.

My dad will do that on Monday - with a plea not to try the kid as an adult. He needs reform, not punishment. If for anything, it's the parents that should have to answer to society.

ho hum...

2006-04-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, 26 April 2006 was my birthday.... ho hum...

Money

2006-04-12T00:02:00.000-07:00

I once heard "poverty" defined as "too much month left at the end of the money".

Having returned to the head office of our company after a long stint out of town, I suddenly realize how apt that definition - and that word itself - is for my predicament.

You see, being assigned out of town meant I was getting so many perks aside from my base salary at work. Also, I was fortunate enough to have been assigned someplace where I didn't need money (that is, there wasnt anything worth spending on in that godforsaken place). Furthermore, the "perks" as one would have it was actually more of a "bribe" given by the company to anyone foolish enough to take on that job.

Now that the work has finally been completed, I am happily back to where life is sweet; where life is beautiful; where you see beautiful people in skirts, hot pants and plunging necklines walk down the street everytime you step out of the office and into the nearby mall. Or so it seems.

Little did I realize that being back in Makati meant that I'd be back to getting only my base pay - in a place where every action meant having to part with legal tender. Gas, parking, beer! Everything is so expensive! And me without my "perks".

Yesterday was payday. Today i'm in debt.

Sharks

2006-04-02T04:51:00.000-07:00

I swam with sharks today... literally!

Ok, ok.... so we were swimming in a controlled environment -a tank 9ft deep and 5 by 10 meters (if you consider swimming in a pool of sharks a "controlled environment"). I wasn't inside any sissy device like protective cage or something. I could touch the sharks if i wanted to.

Ok, ok.. so they were 3ft long baby black tip sharks. Still, 3ft is long considering it is more than half my height. Also, the fish I'm used to (the ones I eat) are usually as big as a plate.

Ok, ok.. so they were (according to Poks) non-meat eaters. They know better than to eat me. I've been known to cause indigestion to many.

Ok, ok.. so they were harmless enough that a lot of swimmers were there in the pool with me. The line "they were more scared of you than you are of them." could be true.

Ok, ok.. i'm a sissy

Quotations I love

2006-03-28T05:06:00.000-08:00

Can't find a topic worth blogging about. In the meantime, here are some quotes I love.

Karate is a form of martial arts in which people who have had years and years of training can, using only their hands and feet, make some of the worst movies in the history of the world. - Dave Barry

If you really want something in this life, you have to work for it - Now quiet, they're about to announce the lottery numbers! - Homer J. Simpson

Bart, with $10,000, we'd be millionaires! We could buy all kinds of useful things like...love! - Homer J. Simpson

NASA spent 8 years and $12 billion developing a pen that could write in space. It needed to be able to work in zero gravity, at a range of temperatures, and be able to write on any surface. The Russians used a pencil. - Anonymous comic

After a time, you may find that "having" is not so pleasing a thing, after all, as "wanting." It is not logical, but it is often true. - Spock, stardate 3372.7

People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid. - Soren Aabye Kierkegaard

Ramblings

2006-03-13T06:49:00.000-08:00

Here's another conversation I had with someone from chat...

antonette> hi
Ritsard> hi
antonette> asl mo pls
Ritsard> why po?
antonette> y d ba pwd malaman?
Ritsard> y kailangan ba malaman?
antonette> cge nevermind

Lets not dwell on the fact that I'm a nasty sonofabitch when it comes to chatting. I'm not going to apologize for my behavior (I still get a kick from being rude in chat). I was minding my own business when "antonette" started bugging me. I even lost some hands in lastcallpoker.com while she was bugging me.

Anyway, I hated the fact that people like "antonette" feel entitled to the information she was asking... as if I am bound to answer her. I get the impression that people in today's society have gone "soft" from living a very comfortable life. They grew up believing that everything is there for the taking. They didnt have to go up a guava tree to get a snack like our grandparents, they just have to open the fridge. They didnt have to go to the library to do research, they just have to go online. They didnt have to explain why they needed my ASL (age/sex/location for the uninitiated), they just have to ask.

here's another string...

cute19> hi
Ritsard> hi
cute19> asl
Ritsard> why po?
cute19> 18f cebu
cute19> you
Ritsard> why?
cute19> nothing
Ritsard> ok
cute19> ok
cute19> how old are oyu
cute19> you
Ritsard> why?
cute19> im just asking
cute19> ano kaba
cute19> hindi kaba nakaintindi ng ask ko sayo
cute19> ang hirap mo ka talk
Ritsard> alam ko na nag aask ka
cute19> yep
Ritsard> ang tanong ko, bakit mo kailangan malaman
Ritsard> why?
cute19> bakit hindi ka sumasagot
Ritsard> obligasyon ko bang sumagot?
cute19> dahil yun ang question ko sayo
Ritsard> bakit?
cute19> ang hirap mo kausap bye now

:)

Dilemma

2006-03-11T12:09:00.000-08:00

How do I tell a friend that said friend is about to make a mistake without hurting said friend's feelings, without alienating aforementioned friend, without becoming the bad guy in the process? What are the the limits of civility? At what point can one say that you've done enough to counsel a friend and its time to stop and let that friend decide based on the person's own set of beliefs and values?

As friends, isn't our role limited to just supporing our friends regardless 0f whatever decisions they make? But what if a friend is about to go off a cliff? Are we just allowed to stand by and support and cheer for the friend as he/she hurtles into space, accelerating at 9.81 meters per second per second,for an inevitable crash? Are we just allowed to get the ambulace ready afterwards?

Aren't we allowed to hit the friend on the head with a hypothetical newspaper?... make said friend stop and smell the coffee... nail said friend's feet to the ground to prevent him/her from leaping in the first place?

What should a friend do?

Man! This is gonna take more than a cup of caramel macciatto and a few hours of counselling to figure out.

Life Lessons From Texas Hold `Em Poker (part 1)

2006-03-08T05:19:00.000-08:00

Life lessons from Texas Hold`em Poker

Know your opponents - In life, you have to know the people you are dealing with. Know their "tells", study their moves, know when they are ernest and when they are bluffing.

Be consistent - In poker, you have to be consistent in order not to show your own tells.

Dont expect to win with the river - dont expect too much, dont expect to win the lotto. Make decisions (to fold or not) based what you have (your own cards)

Know when to fold - life is unfair, you must know how to cut your losses. Know when to fight; know when to run to fight again another day.

Dont be greedy - even when you've got a good hand, bet or raise modestly.

Three 2's beat two aces every time - sometimes, the little things add up... better stock up on the small things that matter rather than wish for big things that you will discard sooner or later anyway.

When you get lucky, dont brag - people hate lucky people who brag.

Stack your chips in order - neatness counts

Money is just a way of keeping score - `nuff said.

In poker as in life, be like a duck - calm above water even if you're paddling like crazy beneath.

Even when you lose, you get to eat the nachos - your friends will give you some for sure.

Go Figure

2006-03-03T23:30:00.000-08:00

From msnbc.com..

PITTSBURGH - A man and woman were cited Friday in connection with a bizarre incident that resulted in a fake penis being microwaved at a convenience store last week.

Leslye Creighton, 41, of Wilkinsburg and Vincent Bostic, 31, of Pittsburgh were both cited for criminal mischief and disorderly conduct in the Feb. 23 incident at the Get Go! gasoline and convenience store in McKeesport, about 10 miles east of Pittsburgh.

Bostic had filled a fake penis with his urine that Creighton, a friend, planned to use to pass a drug test she was taking to get a job, Police Chief Joseph Pero said.

Creighton asked a store clerk to microwave the device so the urine inside would be body-temperature and fool those giving the drug test, Pero said.

Police still aren't sure why Creighton chose to use a device that mimics the male sex organ to pass her drug test.

The total amount of Human Intelligence in the universe is constant; the population is expanding.. Go figure!

Pet Peeve of the Week

2006-03-02T19:46:00.000-08:00

I hate those gaddamed scooters.... and mountain bikes too.

I used to drive every morning through Antipolo via Sumulong Highway (thankfully, I only have to do it once a week nowadays) and would often get annoyed by reckless scooter riders. They weave in and out of regular (meaning car) traffic like knitting needles. They don't use signal lights so one has to guess where they will turn to next. Worse, the often remove their side view mirrors to make their rides "pimped up" or cooler but sacrificing safety. Imagine the scenario... you're driving and encounter a scooter going the same direction on a zigzag road... the scooter rider cannot see you without a pair of side mirrors. He swerves to the left and into your lane. Recipe for disaster.

Once i saw a melee along Marcos Highway. An ambulance was parked beside the island. Lots of people uzi-ing about. A scooter can be seen scattered into many small pieces on the highway. Turns out there was an accident involving a scooter rider. The ambulance wasnt going anywhere fast because there was no need to - a lifeless mass of human flesh is skewered to a small tree on the highway island.

There are scooter gangs infesting the roads on weekends complete with Hell's Angels type leather jackets. They create traffic mess wherever they go. Can you imagine all that precious gasoline wasted on such joyriding activities?

It is enough to make me want to buy an SUV and run over every scooter that decides to block my way... If only they can decriminalize murder...

Leave Us Alone

2006-02-26T02:23:00.000-08:00

Administration...
Military and Police Chain of Command...
Military Adventurists...
Communist Insurgents...
Street Parliamentarians...
Civil Society...
Erap Loyalists...
Makati Business Club...
Catholic Bishops...
Bro. Eddie Villanueva's JIL...
Urban Poor/Labor Groups purporting to represent the poor...

I SAY, KILL `EM ALL AND LET GOD SORT `EM OUT!!!

Apathetic

2006-02-25T03:16:00.000-08:00

To paraphrase Ninoy Aquino, "All it takes for evil to triumph is for the good people to do nothing."

Below is a conversation I had with someone in chat. Hers is typical of the mindset of the so called young urban professionals who worry more about the calories they ingest with their grande mochachino lattes than the welfare of the country. God help us all.

MsMontero> from UP ka ba?
Ritsard> yup
MsMontero> okei
Ritsard> i graduated 10 years ago
MsMontero> ok
MsMontero> wat cours?
Ritsard> civil engineering
MsMontero> k
MsMontero> <+Ritsard> where have all the iskolars ng bayan gone?:
MsMontero> korni mo din noh
MsMontero> hahahahah
MsMontero> sorry.. jk
Ritsard> this is no time for being cool... our liberty is in peril
Ritsard> heheeheh
MsMontero> oh yeah?
MsMontero> i don't care
MsMontero> :)
MsMontero> liberty in peril
MsMontero> im sorry ha
MsMontero> i just find it disgusting mga liberty in peril
MsMontero> ahhahahahahaha
MsMontero> dont get offended
MsMontero> i just hate mga pretense of being nationalistic or patriotic or whatever it is you call it these days
MsMontero> hahhaahhahaha
MsMontero> osha.
MsMontero> babush!
Ritsard> its ok, we'll gladly sacrifice our blood to guarantee that you enjoy your life
MsMontero> sows
MsMontero> potang inang arte nyo
MsMontero> ahahahahahahahahahahahhahahah
MsMontero> ang dumi nyo tingnan sa edsa.
MsMontero> hahahahahahah
MsMontero> sumasama ka ba sa ganun?
MsMontero> demmet.
MsMontero> do you even know what you're there for?
Ritsard> to fight for liberty
MsMontero> or is it just something that you do for the sake of having an identity?
MsMontero> haahahahha
Ritsard> in case you dont know, your libert has just been killed by PD 1071
Ritsard> liberty
MsMontero> ay ewan
MsMontero> sige na
MsMontero> that's a cliche
MsMontero> whoever fed you that shit.. should be dead.
MsMontero> YOUR liberty siguro
MsMontero> hhehehhehe
MsMontero> wag na
MsMontero> aawayin lang kita eh
MsMontero> babush
Ritsard> i'm not convincing you
Ritsard> time will tell
Ritsard> be safe
MsMontero> time will tell your ass
MsMontero> hehhehehe
MsMontero> bye

BLOG ON!

2006-02-25T02:46:00.000-08:00

The Chinese have a proverb, "may you live in interesting times".... ok, that's a curse - not a proverb... Don't you feel like we are in the midst of "interesting times'? Why cant this country be boring and uneventful for a change?

As we have shown the world 20 years ago, it is again time again for us as a people to assert our rights.

BLOG ON!

Drink Bacardi Like Its Your Birthday

2006-02-22T07:04:00.000-08:00

Forgive my ignorance, but I went to a friend's house the other night and was treated to my very first taste of Bacardi Rum (Superior)! Ok, so i'm a neanderthal when it comes to good liquor. Now I see why 50 Cent (for you non-gangsta types, the name is pronounced as fitisent) made such a fuss about it; even writing it into his song.

The rum was so smooth that i didnt need any chaser or mixer with it. I drank straight shot after shot. It may have helped that our pulutan was Mussels Lombardi (Italianni's style) and the best beef siomai I've ever tasted. The food must've dulled my senses against the kick of the Bacardi.

(couldnt think of a topic for today.. thats why i just posted this.. less mental exercise needed)

Changes

2006-02-19T04:15:00.000-08:00

I found out last friday that I would soon be coming back to our head office in Makati after 2 years of being on remote assignment....

Culture Shock!!

After living the simple life, I will again be confronted by the sights, the sounds, the smells.... and the costs of the central business district. Let's enumerate the changes I'll be going through.

1. No more free lunches - At the project site, I always have buffet lunches free! In Makati, I'd have to shell out more than a hundred bucks if I want a side order of vegetables aside from the dry, bland, fried chicken swimming in polysaturated fat.

2. Parking fees - for 2 years, i never had to worry about where to park. I never had to worry about possible carjacking too.

3. Clothing - for the last 2 years, i've accumulated clothes that suit my environment - jeans, t shirts, sports socks. Now I find that my business clothes dont fit anymore and I have to spend good money on Makati-appropriate clothing. I dont feel comfortable anymore wearing ties or long sleeves. I dont even know what the fad is nowadays. Oh the humanity!

4. Traffic - need I say more?

5. Snotty Makati People - The past 2 years have seen me acquire a rather "provincial" disposition towards everything. I've got this feeling that the snobby set over at greenbelt would laugh at my rather simplistic view of things.

6. Soup #5 - Not all changes I'll be going through will be negative though. Already, I'm starting to salivate for my eventual reunion with kabayan's soup #5, bulalo, etc. over at my friendly jolly jeep stand. The downside? My cholesterol level is going to hit the roof!

7. Pollution - I've been subjected to a different type of pollution at my old project site - dust. Now I will have to contend with carbon monoxide, garbage, etc.

8. iPod - I have the feeling that most everyone I encounter in Makati will be wearing his own iPod or other MP3 player. Should I buy one to be "in"?

9. Yellow Boys - I'll be dealing with Makati's finest again. Have to remember the traffic rules in the land of Binay again.

10. And.. the top 10 thing I would definitely encounter when I go back to Makati - girls in minis!! Yey!!!

Diaspora

2006-02-18T09:12:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine is leaving tomorrow... for good. She just got married and is about to migrate to the US to be with her husband. I've got 2 friends currently abroad. One lives in Belgium and comes home maybe twice a year. The other is working with the rehab team rebuilding last year's tsunami ravaged island of Banda Aceh. Another friend has frequent trips to parts of asia.

One friend is waiting to be deployed to Australia for a 2-year work/training stint. Another is scheduled to follow my other friend in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

Worst of all, my wife works in the US and comes home only once a year.

Life sucks.

One for the road

2006-02-16T03:16:00.000-08:00

Whilst I prepare my next blog (doing some research) let me post these first. I posted these in my MySpace blog but nobody seemed to notice.. anyway, I'm posting them here so that more people will FAIL to notice them.

Who Do You Say That I Am?

Jesus said unto them, " Who do you say that I am?"

The apostles replied, "You are the eschatological manifestation of the ground of our being, the ontological foundation of the context of our very selfhood revealed."

And Jesus replied, "What????"

Psychiatric Clinic Answering Machine

"Hello, the doctor is busy at the moment, however, if you would like to be transferred to another correspondent, please press the number that best fits your personality:
- if you are an obsessive compulsive, press "1" repeatedly.
- if you are codependent, please ask someone to press "2".
- if you have multiple personalities, please press "3", "4" and "5".
- if you are paranoid delusional, we know who you are and what you want, just stay on the line so we can trace your call.
- if you are schizophrenic, isten carefully and the little voice will tell you which number to press.
- if you are manic depressive, it doesn't matter what number you press, no one will answer."

From Calvin and Hobbes, Something to Think About

Calvin: "Do you believe in the Devil? You know, a supreme evil being dedicated to the temptation, corruption and ultimate destruction of man?

Hobbes: "Im not sure man needs the help."

Curb and Gutter

2006-02-12T05:07:00.000-08:00

I got the name of this blog from one of me and my friend's bright ideas from way back (sorry Poks, i appropriated the name for this blog. It seems our plans won't push through anytime soon anyway). Curb and Gutter should have been the name of a business that my friend and I was supposed to be setting up.

There is a saying among drinkers.. "one for the road".. meaning the last drink before leaving. Well, as it usually goes, we dont stop drinking after finishing off the "one for the road" drink. We normally end up ordering more. So what do we call those drinks that come after the road?... Well there's the curb, then the gutter, then the storm drain, so on and so forth... (Its an insider joke among civil engineers. I dont expect non-engineers to get it)

And thats what we planned to call our future bar. Apparently there is already a bar named one for the road... so we had to do them one better... we shall name our bar Curb and Gutter.

After some thoughts though, we decided against starting a bar. With all the friends we have expecting free drinks, we'd be out of business even before you can say "heineken".

So a bar? Bad idea. Blog? Hmmm good idea.

Ultra Stampede Rant

2006-02-09T19:07:00.000-08:00

Much has been said about the Ultra Stampede, about ABSCBN, about poverty, etc. It gets tiresome just to watch the same old issues fly like... well, flies on turd.

What about the structural design? Nobody seems to be interested to know whether the venue was properly designed for such an event. How many pedestrian entrances does the the Ultra have? Are they adequate for a venue of such capacity? At full capcaity, how long does it take to fill the stadium? how long does it take to empty the said stadium in an emergency?

We have a national building code that guides builders and architects on such matters. We have laws such as the fire code of the philippines mandating the number of entry and exit points for all types of building. Were these followed by the builders (in the case of Ultra, wasn't it Imelda Marcos who commissioned the building of the then University of Life?)? corollary to that, was the stadium originally designed for such events in the first place? Wasn't it originally intended for a school gym?

From what I gathered, the stampede happened at the vehicular entrance going into the open field. Why was that gate used when it was clearly for vehicles only and not for pedestrian traffic? There were no turnstiles there, no ticket booths, no ticket checker personnel - only a gate and a driveway that inclines 30 degrees downslope. Clearly, the organizers fumbled the ball here.

I envy other countries that can easily mount huge gatherings. the UK's Wembley Stadium, the Houston Astrodome (not to be confused with the Cuneta Astrodome - another crowd unfriendly venue), LA's Staples Center (where Kobe lords it over during Lakers games) - these are only some of the great venues that accomodate upwards of 20,000 people on any given night. They also have dozens and dozens of pedestrian entrances with hundreds of turnstiles and barriers that segregate people, that make their passage orderly, etc. And after the event? ultra-wide exits that can accomodate the rush of people.

My First Blog

2006-02-09T04:45:00.000-08:00

Cool!

This is my very first real blog.

Yes i do post "blogs" in my MySpace.com page but that's different, right? I mean, MySpace is great and all but it just seems a bit too cutesy for me. Furthermore, everybody knows that MySpace is good only for stalking underaged colegialas.

I'll post a real blog next time.. this is just a test broadcast