12.23.2010

Out Liquid Soap. Enter Soap Flakes.

While browsing through my Tumblr, I chanced upon this awesome post about a very innovative and green invention by a Nathalie Stampfli.

Introducing Soap Flakes.



Here's a write up of that from Nathalie Stampfli's website:

Soap Flakes


Soap Blocks instead of liquid Soaps
Today, most of the soap we use is liquid soap, which contains a lot of water. Block soap instead is more concentrated and therefore has some ecological benefits: You don’t transport unnecessary water around. In place of plastic bottles you can simply use paper for packaging. The solid blocks can easily be piled and allow a greater space efficiency in a truck.
But what about the usage of soap bars? I don’t like the weird slippery feeling when I use them. It gives me goose bumps. And under the shower, it always slides out of your fingers. Hand soap also often gets dirty and accumulates bacteria when more than one person is using it.
I designed two dispensers that turn block soap into beautiful little flakes. They offer you a new comfortable sensation when they are falling on your hands and easily dissolve in water.
The first version needs to be attached to the wall. You can easily use it with one hand; while you are pushing the grater, you are capturing the flakes. With its open shape it lets the soap block evolve its fragrances into the room.
The second version is a grater that can stand by itself. Therefore it’s more flexible in usage. It could be placed in the same way as a shower gel or shampoo.


12.21.2010

The Armed Forces

So my Introduction to Journalism, Opinion Writing, and Journalism Ethics professor Luis Teodoro has written again another awe-inspiring and thought-provoking opinion column about the Armed Forces of the Philippines which I am elated to share to the rest of you, my readers (assuming that there are, LOL). But before that, let me share with you some things I realized about the AFP.

I know for a fact that I have two relatives who served for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and both of them are now six feet underground in Fort Bonifacio. As a child, this was how I was introduced to the world of the AFP. I know that because of their positions, they could easily access help or aid in any form from their compadres who are also in the service. I know therefore that the AFP reeks of nepotism. I cannot vividly recall moments when the invisible yet formidable presence of the Badge had either saved us or gained us quicker access to a service. Apart from that, I have not been directly positively affected by the presence of the AFP in our country. My friends and I were even harassed by the AFP officers doing routine inspection in a checkpoint in the South Luzon Expressway.

Anyway, here are words of enlightenment from my idol Luis V. Teodoro:

Clear and present danger

by Luis Teodoro

 

WE CAN all sleep soundly each night in the certainty that the Armed Forces of the Philippines is on guard and watching over us. Regardless of such technicalities as due process and human rights, it is at this very moment protecting us not only from explosives experts pretending to be health workers, pregnant mothers and nine-year old girls able to carry and even fire M-16 assault rifles taller than themselves, but also from trade union leaders, community activists, lawyers, church people and even a botanist or two.

Like that other model of selfless, honest and efficient public service, the Philippine National Police, the AFP’s job is also to serve and protect. Neither always says who they’re protecting and serving, but they do occasionally mention something called “the people,” by whom we can reasonably surmise from their near-common histories and current actions they mean the hacenderos, the warlords, the foreign mining companies and the other worthies who have made this country such a heaven for themselves by making it hell for the 90 million others who have to live in this archipelago of fear. After all, there’s a rumor that even your friendly local warlord and hacendero are human, too. Think Ampatuan. Think local officials who mastermind the assassination of journalists. Think certain Philippine presidents.


Since the AFP was founded by the United States at the turn of the century, allegedly as an offspring of the Katipunan but in truth to hunt down its remnants, it’s been doing a great job of serving and protecting not only local worthies but also its primary foreign patron — the one that keeps it in arms and provides its chosen officers the training they need in, among others, the fine arts of torture and mayhem.

Recall the campaign against the Huks, and how certain units of the the AFP under the benign guidance of the Central Intelligence Agency did their bit for God, democracy, country and the United States by impaling on poles the severed heads of peasant leaders it had captured and parading them through the country’s villages to impart to the peasantry the signal lesson that it doesn’t pay to rebel, neither hunger nor oppression being reason enough to challenge the democratic order.

Recall the martial law period and how the officer corps defended democracy by serving and protecting Ferdinand Marcos, and how, later — much, much later — some of its members’ reinvented themselves as secret Marcos opponents, took credit for his downfall, and, by using the logic taught them in that magnificent wellspring of intellectual excellence, the Philippine Military Academy, they then condemned the release of Marcos political prisoners. Think Rex Robles. Think Gregorio Honasan.

Think of others such as Trillanes, who believe that launching a putsch overnight is on the same level of patriotism as years of fighting injustice. Think PMA Class of 1978. Think “the fist of martial law” (Alfred McCoy’s phrase in his book, Closer Than Brothers), and remember the brightest and the best sons and daughters of the Filipino people — poets, social workers, cancer surgeons among others — the AFP killed between 1972 and 1986 in furtherance of the democratic ideal. Think of the coup attempts from 1986 to 1989, and the bodies they left behind. Think Lean Alejandro; think Rolando Olalia. Think of the over 1,000 victims of extrajudicial killings between 2000 and 2010.

Now segue to the present, and think Morong 43. Listen to the AFP as it unashamedly announces to the world its conviction that due process, and by implication the very law itself, is a mere technicality. Thus did an AFP spokesman wave aside the Department of Justice’s findings — on which President Aquino III based his order to drop the charges against them — that the arrest of the 43 was flawed. Declaring that they would respect Mr. Aquino’s decision — suggesting thereby that the AFP had a choice in the matter — he also said in the same breath that the AFP “stands by” the “legitimacy” of the so-called operation that, armed with a warrant of arrest for a fictitious person, went on to blindfold the 43 men and women they found in an address the warrant did not specify, took them to one of their camps, and proceeded to psychologically and physically torture, humiliate and subject them to various indignities.

Many people have condemned not only the AFP’s violations of the human rights of the Morong 43, but also the statements the AFP made following the Aquino government decision to withdraw the charges against the health workers. But think national security. Think of clear and present danger; think dangerous tendencies — and think AFP.

Why should this great institution conceal its historic dedication to the defense of democracy, which it believes consists of short circuiting its own processes (or “technicalities”)? Why should it conceal its core principle that might is right — that being in possession of guns endows it with a power far above and beyond that of the courts and the Constitution? Shouldn’t we instead be thankful for the AFP’s most recent statements for being as candid as its communication skills allow, and for coming so close to declaring its true sentiments as it pursues its mission of defending democracy from itself?

Why should it pretend to a logic it doesn’t possess and to which it is immune, its officers having been indoctrinated, from their very first day at the PMA, that only the logic of violence is real, as upperclassmen demonstrate when initiating lowerclassmen into the values of the officer corps? And why should the AFP be made to fret over the fact that the health workers, during the months of their captivity, could have otherwise been serving the health needs of the neglected communities, since these very same communities are the infinite sources of the political and community activists, human rights workers and other malcontents whose very existence so offends their democratic sensibilities they’ve had to rid the country of hundreds of them?

Those who fear for the future of human rights, who’re alarmed by the violations of due process committed supposedly in the service of national security, need a reality check. They should stop expecting too much of an institution that, by serving and protecting, has been the force most responsible for keeping things the way they are in the country of our despair.

12.20.2010

After Pilipinas, Kay Ganda now comes the error-filled new Peso bills


It seems like the Aquino administration in its first six months has managed to commit mistakes and errors that hopefully would not define how the rest of the 66 months left would be.

After the frenzy over the redefined marketing and tourism of the country through the slogan Pilipinas, Kay Ganda - which sparked rumors after its alleged plagiarism of Poland's slogan (read news stories here: 'Pilipinas Kay Ganda' logo lifted from Poland logo?  No ‘wow’ factor in tourism’s new slogan ) - the administration is now being grilled by several experts on Philippine geography after several errors appeared in some banknotes newly printed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

I am hoping that those working under the president review and proofread anything before releasing it. Thank you.

Here is the news about this issue from www.inquirer.net:

Error-filled peso bills spark uproar
(Philippine Daily Inquirer)


MANILA, Philippines—Geographically challenged Philippine maps and a rare parrot with the wrong-colored beak have perturbed the country after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) rolled out error-filled new editions of its peso bills.
The new banknotes, scheduled to be rolled out this month and containing the signature of President Benigno Aquino III who took office this year, bombed spectacularly in the graphics department, according to critics.
 The reverse side of the new 500-peso bill features a rare native bird—the blue-naped parrot, with its red beak incorrectly rendered in yellow and its tail feathers underneath colored green instead of yellow.
A map on the same bill—which also carries portraits of Mr. Aquino’s late parents—mislocates Palawan’s Saint Paul’s subterranean river that has been designated a UNESCO world heritage site.
“Yes, they have made a very big booboo on the parrot,” said Jon Villasper, a cartographer who is also a member of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines.
“Aside from that, they misplaced Tubbataha Reef by around 400 kilometers and Batanes is not on the map. I believe they also misplaced Saint Paul’s subterranean river,” Villasper told Agence France-Presse by e-mail.
Printed on the 1,000-peso bill is a map locating the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, another prized Philippine UNESCO world heritage site, on or near Malaysian territorial waters.
The map of the Philippines featured on six different bills redraws the country’s territory, places its northern limit 150 kilometers south of the actual line and excludes the Batanes island group.
Lawyer Ghelynne Avril del Rosario said the mistakes echoed a rebranding campaign by the Department of Tourism that was withdrawn last month amid charges that its slogan was forgettable, it plagiarized Poland’s campaign and the URL of its website resembled that of a pornographic site.
Space constraints
Like the campaign, the bills are now fodder for ridicule on Internet social networking sites, Rosario said.
“Just like scrapping the ‘Pilipinas Kay Ganda (Philippines What a Beauty)’ slogan, let’s scrap the new peso notes as well!” Del Rosario said.
BSP spokesperson Fe de la Cruz acknowledged the criticisms, but said space constraints limited the artist’s room for maneuver.
“In choosing the design, we are always guided by our commitment to enrich the appreciation and knowledge of the Filipinos we honor on our banknotes, as well as the unique sites and species our country should be proud of,” said De la Cruz, director of the BSP corporate affairs office.
“For our banknotes, we used an artist’s rendition of the Philippine map that by virtue of space and aesthetics does not reflect all of our islands and the precise coordinates of each site,” she said. “Nevertheless, we appreciate constructive comments and we will take these into account moving forward.”
In the redesign of the new banknotes, the BSP tapped the services of Design Systemat and Studio 5 Designs.
BSP Governor Amando Tetangco earlier said the central bank decided to feature the country’s top tourist destinations in the new banknotes to attract more visitors to the country.
It was not the first time the central bank has been left red-faced over currency design. In 2005, it was forced to withdraw bills that misspelled President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s name as “Gloria Arrovo.”
In the 1980s, the central bank issued a 50-centavo coin that misspelled the scientific name of the Philippine eagle as Pithecobhaga jefferyi, instead of Pithecophaga jefferyi. Reports from Agence France-Presse and Michelle V. Remo

Officially Published

I am now officially published. After waiting for more than a month for the copies of the magazine to come out, I finally was able to get hold of copies of the November issue of Forbes In Touch and The Village Gazette.

Seeing my work published is so rejuvenating.


This is one of the best gifts I received this year. I am hoping to get more writing assignments from Hinge Inquirer Publications or HIP.

Thanks so much Steph Asi for this wonderful opportunity.

I shall forever be grateful.

Of course, apart from being published, I was also paid for it. Though the remuneration is not a treasure chest, the worth of being published is priceless.

This is happy-ness. LOL

More pictures here.

12.16.2010

To support or not to support the RH Bill?

Several students, faculty, and alumni of my Alma Mater University of the Philippines Diliman has recently released a position paper on the Reproductive Health bills being pushed for approval by both Houses of the Congress and supported by the Aquino administration.

After reading the position paper below, I must say that my previous position on this issue has been shattered.

The position paper is below. After reading it, you may click the link that will lead you to the page where you can sign the petition.

POSITION PAPER ON THE RH BILLS


by individual faculty, students and alumni of the University of the Philippines*


As faculty members, students and alumni of the University of the Philippines, we state here the bases of our objection to the Reproductive Health bills (HB 96 and its related bills) that are being deliberated under your supervision.


Given the secular background of UP education, we put forward arguments from reason, to wit:


1. Population is not an obstacle to development. The bills assume that a nation’s population hinders its development that is why they push for the promotion of a two-child policy, massive distribution of contraceptives, sex education (to acquaint young people with contraception), and sterilization, all of which make use of taxpayers’ money. However, as early as 1966, Nobel Prize winner Simon Kuznets’ research has shown that there is insignificant empirical association between population growth rates and output per capita (economic growth). Rather, it is the rate at which technology grows and the ability of the population to employ these new technologies efficiently and widely that permit economic progress. Kuznets saw that the basic obstacles to economic growth arise from the limited capabilities of the institutions (political, social, legal, cultural, economic) to adjust. He argued instead that a more rapid population growth, if properly managed, will promote economic development through a positive impact on the society's state of knowledge. His findings have been confirmed by similar studies by the US National Research Council (1986), the UN Population Fund Consultative Meeting of Economists (1992), Eric Hanushek and Ludger Wößmann (2007), among others.


2. The government has to channel limited funds to job creation and education. The latest report of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) entitled Key Indicators for Asia and the Pacific 2010 notes that the “middle class has increased rapidly in size and purchasing power as strong economic growth in the past two decades has helped reduce poverty significantly and lift previously poor households into the middle class.” Two factors were reported to drive the creation and sustenance of a middle class: a) stable, secure, well-paid jobs with good benefits, and b) higher education. And so, why not create more bills that will strengthen these two factors instead of channeling our limited funds to contraception and sex education?


3. Fertility rates in the Philippines are progressively decreasing. Our Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has declined by more than 50% in less than 50 years: from an average rate of 7 in 1960 to an average rate of 3.1 in 2008. Our TFR is expected to reach the replacement level of 2.1 in 2025 without massive government intervention like the passing of a population control or RH bill. The passing of an RH bill will only accelerate this. The latest November issue of The Economist entitled “Japan’s burden” spells out the effects of an aging population and it would be foolhardy for us as a nation to push ourselves deliberately towards that direction. In 2004, Joseph Chamie, Director of the UN Population Division, reported that 60 countries have TFRs below 2.1 which means that they will eventually experience decline and aging. He asserted that the efforts of these countries to raise fertility rates will not be enough to bring them back to replacement levels. Many of these countries are now asking their people to have more children. Why then are our legislators thinking of cutting down our best asset, our people? Should this push through, future generations of Filipinos will be forced to pay for the mistake of government’s intervention to manipulate a decrease in our population and suffer its ill effects as already experienced by other countries.


4. The government has to channel limited resources to address the leading causes of death. In the latest available Mortality Country Fact Sheet (2006) of the World Health Organization on the Philippines, the following were listed as the main causes of death: lower respiratory tract infections, ischaemic heart disease, tuberculosis, hypertensive heart disease, perinatal conditions, cerebrovascular disease, violence, diarrhoeal diseases, diabetes mellitus and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Can we not channel our limited resources towards curbing these diseases—and violence—instead of using them for contraception and sterilization?


5. Condoms are not a wise investment. We have the lowest incidence of HIV cases after Bangladesh in the ADB report mentioned above, whereas Thailand, which has been regarded as the model in condom promotion, has the highest. European epidemiologist Dr. Jokin de Irala refers to “risk-compensation” as the reason for higher HIV-AIDS incidences when condoms are promoted. Moreover, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, by far the most common STD and a risk factor for cervical cancer among other diseases, is not prevented by condoms. HPV spreads through skin-to-skin contact, unlike AIDS, and condoms cannot cover all possible infected skin—a fact that is not commonly known. Why spend millions to buy condoms when they are shown to increase incidences of STDs? A government-sponsored nationwide condom distribution will only fatten the pockets of condom manufacturers.


6. Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCPs) have been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as Group 1 carcinogens. OCP use has been associated with an increased risk of premenopausal breast cancer in general (an increment of 19%) and across various patterns of OCP use, with the highest risk observed among those who use OCPs for 4 or more years before their first pregnancy (an increment of 52%), according to a 2006 meta-analysis of over 34 studies dating back to the 1980s. Corroborating these data was the landmark 2002 randomized controlled trial by the Women Health’s Initiative which pointed to a 26% higher risk of breast cancer for post-menopausal women who had received hormone treatment in addition to 41% more risk of cerebrovascular disease, 29% more risk of myocardial infarction, and 112% more risk of pulmonary embolism. Another study by Moreno et al. in the Lancet also points to an increased risk of cervical cancer with OCP use. And lastly, OCPs have also been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, especially venous thrombosis and ischemic stroke. Will our government legislate a bill that will use taxpayers’ money to further expose women to all these risks?


Our main argument boils down to this: that it is the State’s duty to order society by promoting the well-being of its citizens. Thus, it is a disservice to legislate what constitutes harm to its people. We pointed but a few of the studies showing the harmful effects of contraception to society, the family, the youth and women’s health. While it is true that the State cannot stop people from using contraception, since they may personally choose to expose themselves to its risks, it is not the State’s job to facilitate access to what is harmful.


What the government should do is craft laws that prevent people from harming themselves or more positively phrased, help them develop themselves and society. We urge the legislators to dump the contentious and flawed Reproductive Health bills and to pass more bills strengthening the Filipino family, protecting its citizens against the risks of contraception, defending the scientific fact that conception begins at fertilization, providing essential medicines for the main causes of death, making quality education more accessible to Filipinos, and providing more jobs.

Click this link if you want to sign the petition.
And if you support the cause for information dissemination, please do share my blog entry. Thank you guys.

12.14.2010

Crazy News about Christmas Songs

Wham win most annoying Xmas song award with 'Last Christmas'


Agence France-Presse

Close this SOFIA, Bulgaria—British pop group Wham!'s 1984 hit single "Last Christmas" was voted most annoying Christmas song in a poll in Bulgaria, beating Mariah Carey's "All I want for Christmas," organizers said Monday.

A total of 28,110 Bulgarians said the Wham! hit was the song they least wanted to hear this year in the ballot on the campaign's website http://www.nohohoho.org/.

"Every song gets disgusting when you hear it for the 172,395th time," one voter, Bambi, commented.

"I think these songs are the reason for Christmas depressions and suicides," added another pollster, Yordan Stamenov.
Not everyone agreed.

This campaign is imbecile. It is these songs that make Christmas," said another pollster, Sasho.

Despite the vote, the two picks were listed by the website www.gigwise.com as the most downloaded Christmas songs this year, judging by figures collected by OVI music stores.

12.07.2010

The Blair Bitch Project: scandalous video

Here is a scandalous video of a wife who caught her husband red-handed with the mistress.



In agreement with the point raised by my colleague David Sta. Maria, the video is titillating and fascinating because of any of the following reasons:

1. mistress and husband were caught red-handed enjoying the day with wife-y as an audience
2. wife-y got fed up being a non-participant observant so she attacked mistress using her two able arms to pull sexy mistress's long black hair.
3. wife-y's friend who was supposedly there to give moral support turned out to be a frustrated director and had filmed this scandal and would use the video for her gradual rise to stardom.

Just kidding.

But this video is very telling of the kind of society that we have now. I am sure in our heads, after watching the clip, we feel sorry for both women - the wife and the mistress - because this imbecile man will run away with banners of male chauvinism proudly flying above his head.

While the women are left battered, harassed, and humiliated over such predicament they now find themselves in.

I halfheartedly shared this video because of fear that I might cause uncalled for stress to the women in the video. But I guess this is a reminder for all of us to keep to our societal norms and value systems.

Yeah, rules suck sometimes. But hey, before we get to taste what we want, we have to limit ourselves to the boundaries set by the culture and society that we are living in.

But that's just one way of looking it.

After reading a commentary from Jacques Palami about this commentary, I do have to agree that I have created a pretty predictable and stereotypical story where the damsels are always in distress.

But what if that husband turns out to be a battered husband, then I guess there should be another way of looking at this.

Again, there is no truth. There's only what you believe in.... Until we hear the versions from those involved in the scandalous video.

12.01.2010

World AIDS Day Campaign Posters

Here are some campaign posters for the World AIDS Day which I screen captured.


Spread the word. not the virus.

World AIDS Day 2010

Spread love and the word. Not the virus.
May the World AIDS Day remind us to be more responsible about our reproductive health!

This year's commemoration of World AIDS Day is themed Universal Access and Human Rights.

From Avert:

An estimated 8,700 people were living with HIV in The Philippines in 2009.47 The country has traditionally had a very low HIV prevalence, with under 0.1% of the population infected. Even in groups such as sex workers and MSM that are typically associated with higher levels of HIV, prevalence rates above 1% have not yet been detected.48 In the case of sex workers, this is possibly due to efforts to screen and treat those selling sex since the early 1990s. However, there are reasons to believe that this situation may not last. In early 2010 the Department of Health in the Philippines stated the country was now on the brink of a "concentrated epidemic", due to a rise in prevalence.49 Condom use is not the norm in paid sex, drug users commonly share injecting equipment in some areas, and among Filipino youth, there is evidence of complacency about AIDS.50 51 National HIV prevalence among the most at risk populations which includes sex workers, men who have sex with men and injecting drug users, has increased more than five fold from 0.08 % in 2007 to 0.47 % in 2009. 5

Here are some answered common myths from World Aids Day.org:

1. Myth: You can’t have a baby if you or your partner is HIV positive.

If someone with HIV decides to have a child, there are options available to them to enable them to have a baby without infecting their partner and steps that can be taken to ensure their baby is not HIV positive.

2. Myth: If you get HIV you’ll die soon.

Treatments have come a long way, and although there isn’t a cure for HIV, it is not a death sentence. People diagnosed with HIV today can have a normal life expectancy and live healthy and productive lives.

3. Myth: It takes months before you can have a test for find out if you are infected with HIV.

An HIV test, that gives a reliable result, can be taken within a month of possible exposure to the virus.

Check some other facts by clicking the link above, or by simply googling.


You may also read the website of World Health Organization.


Be safe.

11.27.2010

i've succumbed

siklo

nagpaikot-ikot
sa mga kanto ng kalye mong
sala-salabit
liku-liko

nagpaikot-ikot
di natigil sa pagkakauntog
tuluy-tuloy
liku-liko

nagpaikot-ikot
'lang pagod ang kandirit
paulit-ulit
liku-liko

nagpaikot-ikot
nanatili sa ganitong estado
umay na umay
liku-liko

nagpaikot-ikot
'lang tapos ang lumbay
sukang-suka
liku-liko

nagpaikot-ikot
di huminto sa pagtangis
hilung-hilo
liku-liko

nagpaikot-ikot
sa kaduluduluhang dulong
sanga-sanga
liku-liko.


Creative Commons License
Siklo by Tim Decano is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

11.22.2010

SPCP's Terpsichore Clinches 3rd Place in Skechers Streetdance Battle 6

Congrats to the Terpsichore, the varsity hiphop dance troupe of St. Paul College Pasig.

What an awesome performance. The varsity members next year have big boots to fill in.

Here is a recording of that breathtaking performance.

11.18.2010

(my) 2011 Starbucks Limited Edition Planner

After cursing in my head the driver who left us in Meralco, forcing me and my colleague EJ Pagulong to commute back to St. Paul Pasig, I realized that we could stop by a near Starbucks branch (the one in Metrowalk) and buy Caramel Frappucino in order to complete my first set of collection of stickers for the Starbucks Planner.



Velvet

I was eager to get the Velvet one because it feels soft and it really looks elegant. Aside from those, the barista who gave me the planner said that the Velvet version was the least chosen among the three because of its texture - very easy to dirty and wet. Nonetheless, I chose this version because it is very soft (duh, kaya nga Velvet) and because it is the color of my university.

Anyhow, the 2011 planner compared to its 2009 and 2010 predecessors, looks the most elegant and most artistic; also the fact that the inside pages of the Starbucks Planner is back to its horizontal orientation, makes it more friendly for writing and taking down notes (or doodling for most students). It is also lined compared to the 2010 edition.

But compared to the 2008 planner, the 2011 planner will succumb to its elegance and style. Until now, my 2008 planner is in use. The leather binding really looks classy.

The Starbucks cup bookmark pendant is also sassy.

Nevertheless, the planner is a work of art.

Aside from these things, the 2011 edition carries on the tradition of giving the owners several discounts and promos throughout the year.

This edition particularly offers the following:

1. complimentary upsize of any Starbucks Espresso beverage
2. a free tall beverage upon purchase of a Starbucks Kape Vinta or a Philippine Collector Series merchandise such as a mug, a tumbler, or a Bearista bear
3. free Frappuccino beverage for a purchase of any Frappuccino beverage
4. complimentary Top Pot Doughnuts for every order of a Coffee Carrier
5. a 10% discount when purchasing a tumbler

Bookmark pendant

6. complimentary Starbucks Via Stick for a purchase of promotional Starbucks Via Ready Brew
7. free Espresso beverage or Tea Latte upon purchase of an Espresso beverage or Tea Latte
8. complimentary beverage for a purchase of a beverage in any new Starbucks branch this 2011

Each promo is valid during a certain period of time only except for the last one which can be used from Jan. 1, 2011 to Dec. 31, 2011.

Santiago: Aquino execs bunch of lightweights - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

I adore and worship Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago for her witty and no holds barred remarks about the Cabinet members of the PNoy administration.

This is what she has to say it and I think I would have to agree with her at a certain degree and level.

MANILA, Philippines—Calling members of President Benigno Aquino III’s official family a bunch of “lightweights,” Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago Wednesday vowed to block the confirmation of “half a dozen” of Cabinet members.

“I’m going to massacre these people,” Santiago said at a press conference where she questioned the credentials of Cabinet members in general.

“This is a very lightweight Cabinet. Boy, they are so lightweight they are able to float off their own delusions of grandeur,” she said.

Continue reading the rest of the article in the link below:

Santiago: Aquino execs bunch of lightweights - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

11.14.2010

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 website

I am so excited for the first part of the "epic finale" of the Harry Potter Series. This Monday, November 15, the first set of HP fans may get a taste of the movie during the premiere night that will be held in a PowerPlant mall cinema.

Regular showing of the movie is on November 18, 2010. If I were, I'll buy a ticket a day earlier than your desired time and date of seeing the movie (that's possible, right?)

Anyhow, while we are all eagerly dying to see the movie, you might want to check the official site of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 1.

You can download here images and screencaps from the movie itself, which you can also use as your twitter skin.

Here are some sample pics from the site:







The welcoming video will make you go gaga more over the movie.

Moreover, as you explore the site, a clip from the movie "welcomes" you to the page.

Can't wait to explore?

Go and check out the official site of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 1.

See you in the cinemas.

11.12.2010

Dole-outs deny human dignity

Just a little background before I comment.

Clinton backing cash dole-outs for poor—Palace

By Norman Bordadora
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines—Former US President Bill Clinton personally expressed his support for President Benigno Aquino’s conditional cash transfer program as a means to reduce poverty, a Malacañang communications official told reporters on Wednesday afternoon.

Continue reading the news here.

What I think:

Spoonfeeding in school never produced students who can think for themselves and who can do things for themselves. The same goes with the way this country is ran.

I found myself this morning talking with two colleagues about the current state of poverty in this country. One colleague, EJ Pagulong, mentioned that he is not in favor of the dole-outs that shall be given by the PNoy administration to poverty-stricken famlies. We share the same sentiment about this because we feel that this move to "reduce poverty" is not at all effective.

Giving these families a certain amount of money to supposedly alleviate their poverty-strewn lives is a denial of the very essence of humanity. By giving them dole-outs, you have removed from them the power to change and improve their lives in their own initiative and capacity.

The dole-outs are a welcoming of the fact that these families can no longer sustain their human capacities to lead their own lives and direct it the way they want it to be directed. The dole-outs, instead of uplifting their self-esteems, have only worsened things for these families. It is a derision, a mockery of their human capacities.

Instead of spoonfeeding them, we can boost their morales if the administration and the nation can provide arenas and media through which they could help themselves alleviate the dire state they are currently leading.

Human dignity and self-respect can only be enhanced if we will allow them to find their own way up. WE need to respect them as adults who can think for themselves and who can take care of themselves the way they want it to. The reason why they are stuck in this state is because of the lack of channels through which they can begin chaning their lives.

If we will not give them these channels, then there probably is no more hope for them really.

15 Authors

If you are reading this now, then you are considered tag. So you have to do this in your Facebook account.

The Rules: Don't take too long to think about it. You don't want to turn in your Facebook homework too late! Fifteen authors (poets included) who've influenced you and that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. Tag at least fifteen friends, including me, because I'm interested in seeing what authors my friends choose. (To do this, go to your Notes tab on your profile page, paste rules in a new note, cast your fifteen picks, and tag people in the note.)

1. Og Mandino
2. Paulo Coelho
3. Margaret Atwood
4. Pablo Neruda
5. Sidney Sheldon
6. Jordan Sonnenblick
7. Dante Alighieri
8. Khaled Hosseini
9. Isabel Allende
10. Danielle Steel
11. Tami Hoag
12. J. K. Rowling
13. J. R. R. Tolkien
14. C. S. Lewis
15. John Grisham

11.10.2010

Another upcoming holiday

Aquino declares Nov. 16 holiday


By Norman Bordadora

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 12:56:00 11/10/2010



Filed Under: Religions, Public Holidays





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Close this MANILA, Philippines—President Aquino has declared November 16 a national non-working holiday in observance of the Muslim holiday Al Adha.

11.09.2010

...

Watery tall Toffee Nut Latte Frappucino sprinkled with a dash of cinnamon powder and nutmeg.
Empty white cup.

Billie Holiday or some old Western movie actress singing in the background.

Normal Tuesday night buzz of friends, co-workers. Chit chatter. Almost soporific.

The whizz of water cleaning the beverage blenders.

Spicy, citrusy aroma of Christmas blend coffee. Extra bold.

The clacking of metalwares. I can taste it in my mouth. Galvanized steel. Bloody, metallic taste.

Like this morning, as I brushed my tooth. I gargled. Slightly red. Then, that taste. Metallic.

Now, the aftertaste of coffee overly infused with whole milk and water.

Predictable... after awhile.

After all:

coffee is coffee, milk is milk, water is water.

Parallelisms.

Routines.

Patterns.

Almost lovely. Almost perfect. Almost wanted.
Almost comforting. Almost panacean.

Nothing but.

11.03.2010

Starbucks Limited Edition 2011 Planner now out.

courtesy of kahitanoito.blogpsot.com
And so the race begins as several coffee aficionados complete the collection of stickers for this year's Starbucks 2011 Planner.

The 2011 edition Starbucks planner boasts of three cover designs in white, brown, and red. The brown cover design feels like wood, the white one is just plain board, while the red cover is velvety. Only the cover differs. The lined inside pages is back to the horizontal layout.

Starbucks planner maniacs need to collect a total of 17 stickers: 9 stickers for the featured beverages and 8 for the other core beverages or for purchasing Starbucks Via Ready Brew. However, there are two kinds of sticker collection cards that will be given out to the public. The limited edition white version has a bonus "sticker" already, while the red version does not have. If you get the white card (same as the one in the picture) you only need to collect 16 stickers.

Starbucks offers the following Christmas Beverages: Praline Mocha, Toffee Nut Latter, and Peppermint Mocha. All three featured drinks can be ordered hot, iced, or as a Frappuccino blended beverage.

Apart from the core beverages of Starbucks, customers may also complete 8 of the 17 stickers by purchasing the new Starbucks Via Ready Brew. Buying a 3-pack will earn you one sticker, and 3 stickers for a 12-pack.

The promo begins today, November 3, 2010 and concludes on January 5, 2011.

All other mechanics from the previous years still hold true.



Enjoy collecting, fellow addicts.

11.01.2010

20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words from Around the World

Found this article linked in my friend's Facebook wall.

And I agree with Bianca Consunji that "kilig" should be part of this list.

Well, anyway I personally like wabi-sabi.

20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words from Around the World

10.20.2010

You are my Atlantis

your lovely voice, i long to hear
oh that faint voice

heaven hath blinded my sight
and now, no reason exists.

the scent of the flower's bud lingers
and i desire and desire not
for my olfatory to sense them.

you are bermuda triangle and atlantis
for the boundaries that divide us
no bridge can ever connect them.

10.19.2010

service is what Filipinos need

Here is an excerpt of a commentary that I replied to:

No, Winnie, Filipinos who go overseas are not traitors
By JOY ANTONELLE DE MARCAIDA M.D.
Share I am a Filipino. I live and work in the United States. I have established myself as a physician of some stature in my community. American physicians acknowledge me as an esteemed colleague, students look up to me as their mentor, patients respect me as their doctor. They do not question the color of my skin. They do not treat me any differently from any other respected member of their community. I have been integrated into their lifestyle and have adapted to their culture. I speak as they speak. But I am Filipino. And I am proud of it.
Read more...
Here is my commentary:


There is a difference between a Manileño choosing to work in another part of the country and a Filipino choosing to work in another country. I guess I don't have to explain the surface difference.
 
Transgressing the obvious, it is clear that serving other nationalities differs immensely from serving our countrymen. This is especially true for those who studied in SCUs. Part of our tuition fees comes from the taxes that our countrymen pay without question to the government. But more than the money they have given, it is the trust that students of SCUs will serve Filipinos directly. It is true that the remittances of OFWs and immigrants had made the economy survive. But let us take a look at the fact that the so-called economic growth does not properly translate to economic development. Economic growth and sustainability do not translate to a better served Filipino citizenry.
 
One doctor less in a hospital would create a change in the working hours of other doctors in that hospital. One teacher less in a school would mean teachers handling more classes that he/she should normally handle. And the same goes for the rest of the other professions. And the timeline does not end there. If these doctors, teachers, and other professionals become overworked, at a certain point in time, the delivery of services to the Filipino people will not be as earnest as the service they could deliver if they are working under normal conditions.
 
So there is a difference. And it is not just the distance nor the location.
 
More than money and a stable economy, service to a fast growing Filipino nation is what is needed by this country.

10.16.2010

first writing assignment

My first writing assignment with Forbes In Touch was pretty easy to cover yet very enjoyable.

Looking forward to having my work published.

*keeping my fingers crossed.

10.13.2010

WISHLIST NO. 2

In four more days, I'll be 25. And I am excited to celebrate it. Hopefully, I'd get to have some wishes come true. I posted a previous wishlist, but below is another one. LOL

1. State U hoodie available in Stall 35 at the UP Shopping Center





















2. State U Running Shirt also available in Stall 35.

























3. New running shorts
4. Starbucks Tumbler
5. Journal notebook
6. Drawing materials

Daming hiling. Well, dreaming is free.

10.12.2010

25 everyday random stuff that make me giddy

1. ice candy fresh from Manang Sari-Sari Store
2. ice cream fresh from Manong Sorbetero
3. isaw in UP
4. my three dogs who welcome me home
5. buko juice
6. peanut butter spread over banana
7. Oreos
8. coco jam spread over banana
9. pan de sal dipped in Coke or Sarsi
10. Spanish bread
11. Hany or Chocnut
12. Flat tops or Curly tops
13. strawberry sundae from McDo
14. good hair day that comes once in a blue moon
15. light, cold breeze
16. the rustling of leaves
17. the scent of the Ilang-Ilang tree which I get to smell every morning from the neighbor's front yard
18. Crepeman Kisses
19. students' smiles and greetings
20. hot taho placed inside my tumbler
21. corny jokes from students and the one that I come up with during lessons
22. a 45-minute run around the village (not done on a daily basis)
23. a witty remark or thought from a friend
24. smell of my moisturizer on my face
25. a promise that every day is going to be better (emo \m/)

10.08.2010

my soul cries

the stillness of the night comes

but the rage inside continues to hum
like a subway train runnning along crooked metal tracks
at 100 miles per hour.

the body wants to rest
but its soul is keeping it alive.

the wheels unceasingly run along the tracks,
never stopping for a breath's time.

the body struggles to hurdle the cries of the soul.
the body pains. the body cries. the body responds.

it looks for a way to cork and silence the whines of the hurting soul.

the body looked for sharpness around.
and it saw. yes, it saw. and it felt;
and let the soul feel that sharpness.
the taste of metal against skin.
the taste of blood against metal.

the speeding train halts
but the impact follows through
in a resounding screech of metal against metal,
a defeaning cry of wheels scratching against a stronger surface.

the body wins as it slowly fell.

the soul loses as it cries.

the soul cried.

10.07.2010

You ought to watch this

Whether or not you are a graduate of UP Diliman, you have got to watch this lecture of Prof. Solita Monsod. Kudos to you Ma'am.


taking a step back


A co-teacher a few hours ago told me that PNoy received a failing mark of 70% as 7 out of 10 Filipinos are satisfied with the first 100 days of the new administration.

Hearing that after seeing online different protesters from the various sectors of society condemning the outcome of the first 100 days of the Noynoy Aquino administration, I can't help but ask myself (and I did ask several co-faculty), well it's more of an imperative statement, will the Filipinos be ever satisfied?

Let us ask ourselves that question one more time: WILL WE EVER BE SATISFIED WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PRESIDENT OF OUR COUNTRY?

But before we can answer this question with ardor and with all honesty, let us ask ourselves as well: HAVE WE EVER TRIED MANAGING A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE?

If your answer is yes, then answer this question with all honesty: HOW MANY OF THIS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN 100-PERCENT SATISFIED WITH YOUR PERFORMANCE AS A LEADER OR MANAGER?

I am confident to say that at a certain point, a certain percentage of these people who you manage or lead would feel a certain amount of dissatisfaction. And I am sure as well that this does not mean that our leadership skill is ineffective.

Now, let us magnify that small group into a community, then into a country. Imagine if we were given 100 days to become the president, what shall we do? What shall we prioritize? What shall we eradicate? What shall we keep?

As I said previously in another blog entry, many of our country's youth, professionals, and middle-class have been good at doing either of the two things: 1) remaining mum and uninterested or 2) criticizing all negative outcomes, no matter how minute they are.

We need therefore to look into ourselves, introspect. What have we done to ourselves that all we see is the tiny dot on the clean and crisp white sheet of paper? What has happened to our minds that we have failed to find out the whole story first before we choose a side on any issue?

Have we become so immersed in our sector's principles and advocacies that we have forgotten about the concerns of other sectors of society? Has the plurality of voices emanating from the various sectors of society only made us more individualistic and exclusive? Are we becoming more selfish by just simply fighting for our sectors' rights without looking at the bigger picture?

I wish not to mean that airing our concerns is deplorable for ours is a democratic society. But let us contemplate on those questions and answer them with all honesty and sincerity.

I remember a story related to love one friend of mine shared with me.

When we are in love, it feels and looks like writing words on the blackboard. You only get to see immediately what your eye can span. But when you step back, you will realize that there are so many other things and words that have drawn or written on the board.

Let us take a step back, or two. Let us contemplate.

my Idol

The PNoy administration and the Catholic Church are in tight row because of the overwhelming support of the current administration of the Reproductive Health Bill, which the latter so openly dismisses.

I can't say anything about it yet but let us read what my idol, my former professor Luis Teodoro has to say about the issue.

Better than nothing

Question: What do you call people who use the rhythm method?
Answer: Parents.

IT’s an old joke that in the context of the country’s many problems wasn’t funny even when first heard decades ago. Thanks to a reproductive health program that for all practical purposes doesn’t exist, and Catholic Church encouragement of so-called “natural methods,” the Philippine population is growing at the rate of 2.2 percent per year, which compares to Thailand’s and Singapore’s .8 percent and Malaysia’s 1.9 percent.

Read more here.

25 Random Things About Me

1. I am one of the students who experienced the many changes in the DepEd curriculum: I became valedictorian even though I was a transferee from a private school; our batch did not take the NSAT, and; my batch in UP was the first to experience the RGEP.

2. I had lived in 22 different houses and apartments.

3. I used to be really addicted to Math.

4. I love the smell of rugby and muriatic acid. But I despise the smell of chlorine and alcohol.

5. I don't like hospitals. In fact throughout my life, I have only been in hospitals 10 times.

6. I have a very short attention span which explains why I sometimes have difficulty maintaining a character or an emotion.

7. I love Snickers and any thing sweet.

8. I also love the smell of pen markers, especially the Pilot Whiteboard marker.

9. Travelling is a luxury and a hobby I would want to afford.

10. I have performed in front of hundreds of people for 6 consecutive shows at the Meralco Theater.

11. I am vain. No explanations needed.

12. I have a low level of spatial intelligence. Up until this day, I still get lost in SM Megamall.

13. I loathe Ateneo because they refused my application to transfer when I was in Grade 4, though I passed the exams with flying colors, because I was financially incapacitated.

14. I am the first Decano in our side of the clan to become a UP graduate.... I know.

15. I used to weigh 220 pounds and used to have a 40-inch waistline.

16. I hate my hair. I don't know what to do with it. And now it's slowly hating me back.

17. I love photography. And I am saving money so I can buy a DSLR this year.

18. When I was in grade school, I ate paper when I get bored.

19. I used to believe that Storm of X-Men was in control of weather.

20. When I was a kid, I thought that the sun needed to rest whenever it would suddenly become dark.

21. I want to know who composed the following game songs: Langit, Lupa; Monkey, Monkey; Shake Shake Shampoo and Si Nena. I think they are very creative.

22. I used to be a goth.

23. I get satisfaction out of picking my nose even when in public.

24. I don't like watching movies in movie houses.

25. I still dream of becoming a ramp model.

10.06.2010

25 songs

Here is the list of the Top 25 Most Played Songs in my iTunes. This statistics is inaccurate because I have not transferred all my songs from Happy to Apollo.


Tadhana 3:42 Up Dharma Down Tadhana OPM 100 122
Miss You Love 3:10 Maria Mena Apparently Unaffected Folk 100 26
Your Guardian Angel 3:49 The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Don't You Fake It Screamo 100 25
Sorry 2:55 Maria Mena Mellow 100 22
I Am In Love 2:59 Maria Mena Mellow 100 21
Just Hold Me 4:26 Maria Mena Mellow Pop 100 18
Why Georgia 4:29 John Mayer Room for Squares Pop 15
Love At First Sight 4:00 Kylie Minogue Fever Pop 15
Im With You 3:44 Avril Lavigne Let Go Pop Rock 12
Hands 3:55 Jewel Spirit Blues 11
My Stupid Mouth 3:45 John Mayer Room for Squares Pop 100 11
Fantasy (remix) 4:42 Mariah Carey Butterfly 11
You Were Meant For Me 4:14 Jewel Spirit Blues 10
Oo 3:59 Up Dharma Down Fragmented OPM 100 10
Fall To Pieces 3:29 Avril Lavigne under my skin Pop Rock 9

Again 3:47 Janet Jackson Classics Slow Jam 9
It's Over 4:09 Jesse McCartney Departure Pop 9
Right Where You Want Me 3:06 Jesse McCartney Right Where You Want Me Pop 9
Freeze 4:09 Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks Pop 9
I Will Remember You (Acoustic) 4:54 Sarah Mclachlan 9
The Girl You Lost To Cocaine (Stonebridge radio edit) 3:07 Sia The Girl You Lost To Cocaine House 9
Silent All These Years 4:11 Tori Amos Tales of a Librarian: A Tori Amos Collection Classical 9
Head Over Feet 4:27 Alanis Morrisette Jagged Little Pill Alanis 100 8
One Hand In My Pocket 3:41 Alanis Morrisette Jagged Little Pill 100 8
Innocence 3:52 Avril Lavigne The Best Damn Thing Pop/Rock 8