Lights Out

This place used to be one of the liveliest places in the Metro. People come here not just enjoy the Manila Bay breeze, but also to dine, unwind, booze out, cuddle, jog, and to sum it all up, enjoy. Now, all that's left are the overpriced colorful lampposts and the lovers who could not afford a more "private" place.

Hello Pappy (?!) scandal

I may really be a Joey de Leon fan, but in this feud between the warring networks regarding the alleged Wilyonaryo scandal over ABS-CBN's Wowowee that rocked the noon-time show scene over the past week, I would have to side with him. Clearly, what Willie Revillame has done (all that crying, rebutting and putting shame on Joey de Leon) was a ploy to "unkill" the show.

As Filipinos we may already know that the only way to soften a heart of the public is to appeal to his/her emotions. Filipinos very much love the "api" (underdog) and would take the side of the person/ group in distress. That explains why the likes of Judy Ann Santos, Nora Aunor, or Julie Vega rose to stardom. Or why them telenovelas with "kawawa" lead stars skyrocket the Mega Manila TV ratings. Willie Revillame obviously was advised by ABS-CBN to appear in the show, cry, apologize, act as if he was the one persecuted, and hit on the other network. now, here's another person in distress in a "reality" variety show. Starring: Willie Revillame as himself. This formula has long been a very good controversy-killer. A very good skirter of issues. A very good persuasion technique. This time, Willie's acting skills made the tables turn. Now, he is the one in distress. Now, the issues have been covered up. The masses now have someone to support. The kaawa-awa at inaaping si Willie Revillame. Wowowee's ratings were saved. Bravo.

Another trick in the book that was released by ABS-CBN to save their own asses is to blow up the issue by giving Willie enough air time. And if they said that ABS-CBN did not plan the whole scenario, why were the cameras panning on the people crying in the audience? It just is confusing as it is...

Joey could just be simply focusing on issues pressed against Willie. He was not just hitting the guy personally. Well, if he wants to be really personal, he could have hit other aspects on Willie's life that are much more personal (e.g. domestic violence charges, etc.) than this one. As what other rivals would do, he could just be capitalizing on the fact that the show was caught cheating (allegedly). Perfect opportunity to boost credibility of Eat bulaga since they have no track record of "Cheating." That's just the way it is.

If there's one positive thing that arose from this scandal, it's that some people have been jaded by the incident. They will now think that game and variety shows are rigged anyway, so why waste time and money to wait in a studio and take a chance. Hopefully Filipinos would think it this way and not just look for other game show avenues to take their chances on. Sigh...

"Explain before you complain." These were the words uttered by Joey de Leon in response to Willie's words on him. I couldn't agree more.

Wet Spell

So much for the dry spell of July. The water has returned. Back are the days of wet socks, España River, suspended classes, opportunist taxi drivers and catchy nicknames in alphabetical order. The heaven's truly favor Filipinos. They did not let Juan de la Cruz's untilled lands to dry up.

Now, the dams have been refilled, the farmslands have been showered, the umbrellas given companies in Christmas have been used... Thanks for the rainy days. Hopefully not too much though.

I just don't understand the fact that after an extended summer vacation, authorities have not even bothered to look at the drainage systems and see if they are cleaned up and free from garbage. Well, we can't blame them... It's election time.

Surfing La Union

Truly exhilirating...

It felt so good to be standing on my board the first time.


But not on this attempt...

Surf's Up brah!!!


The Surfsters with the Real Surfer Dudes...

Mabuhay ang Los Gimikeros. :)

Lakbayan

Ayos, C. Passing grade. Kailangan pang pag-ibayuhin ang paglalakbay.

My Lakbayan grade is C!

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

Created by Eugene Villar.

Salamat kay panyero Mikko sa link.

White Rabbit

I was saddened and awfully frightened by the fact that our favorite White Rabbit Creamy Candy has a formaldehyde component, a famous chemical to restore cadavers. I just bought the candies last month to replenish the candy supply in our jar... Whew. Good thing I did not buy it again.

I remember White Rabbit Creamy Candy since time immemorial. When I was a child, my friends always get amazed by the candy's edible wrapper. A wrapper that is oftenly described as "having the ingredients of the host bread for masses." Well, looks like the manufacturers really needed to make wonders so that they could create a brilliant idea like an edible wrapper. Too bad the formaldehyde ingredient is a part of that wonder.

Some facts about formaldehyde:

What Is It?
Formaldehyde is a colorless, strong-smelling gas. It is widely used to manufacture building materials and numerous household products. Its most significant use in homes is as an adhesive resin in pressed wood products. There are two types of formaldehyde resins: urea formaldehyde (UF) and phenol formaldehyde (PF). Products made of urea formaldehyde can release formaldehyde gas; products made of phenol formaldehyde generally emit lower levels of the gas.

Where Is It Found?
Formaldehyde is an important industrial chemical used to make other chemicals, building materials, and household products. It is used in glues, wood products, preservatives, permanent press fabrics, paper product coatings, and certain insulation materials. Building products made with formaldehyde resins can “off-gas” (emit) formaldehyde gas. These products include particle board used as sub-flooring or shelving, fiberboard in cabinets and furniture, plywood wall panels, and foamed-in-place urea-formaldehyde insulation. Some sources that previously contained formaldehyde are either no longer used or have been reformulated to contain less formaldehyde. Incomplete combustion, cigarette smoking, and burning wood, kerosene, and natural gas also release formaldehyde.

What Are the Health Effects?
Formaldehyde is normally present at low levels, usually less than 0.06 ppm (parts per million), in both outdoor and indoor air. When present in the air at levels at or above 0.1 ppm, acute health effects can occur including watery eyes; burning sensations in the eyes, nose and throat; nausea; coughing; chest tightness; wheezing; skin rashes; and other irritating effects. Formaldehyde affects people in various ways. Some people are very sensitive to formaldehyde while others may have no noticeable reaction at the same level of exposure. Sensitive people can experience symptoms at levels below 0.1 ppm. The World Health Organization recommends that exposure should not exceed 0.05 ppm. Colds, flu, and allergies can cause symptoms similar to some of those produced by exposure to formaldehyde. Formaldehyde has caused cancer in laboratory animals and may cause cancer in humans; there is no known threshold level below which there is no threat of cancer. The risk depends upon amount and duration of exposure.

Taken from US National Safety Council (www.nsc.org).

I don't understand how imported food like this infiltrate the market without approval from the Bureau of Food and Drugs. From what I knew, in order to obtain license to distribute and sell food products, the Bureau should do a routine check on the food's "eatability" and quality. So does this mean that there are more foods like these selling in the market?

Usapang pulitika lang...

From Garci to Lintang Bedol... When will the cheating stop?!

Congratulations to the new batch of Star Circle, este, Senators on its Centennial opening on June 30:

1. Loren Legarda-Leviste (Welcome back! Whatnow with the PET?)
2. Francis Escudero (No smoking in Senate halls, please. :))
3. Panfilo Lacson (More Jose Pidal scandals?)
4. Noynoy Aquino (Lagot ka sa Nanay mo...)
5. Manny Villar (Sipag, tiyaga at Boy Abunda)
6. Francis Pangilinan (Lucky You...)
7. Edgardo Angara (Angara talaga ng Buhay...)
8. Joker Arroyo (Still the coolest at 80)
9. Alan Cayetano (Pepito could have been the better one...)
10. Gregorio Honasan (Rebel... recant... rebel... recant... ano ba talaga, Kuya?)
11. Antonio Trillanes IV (I, II, and II must be really proud. All you have to do is find a way to get out of the cells)

It's still a tough contest between Koko Pimentel and Migz Zubiri. And probably Bedol could be the key...

God bless the Philippines...

Finally, a decent Car stereo!!!

After months of listening to the "almost-static" sound of my busted car stereo, thank God for the far much cheaper remedy of having it repaired to our nearest audio repair shop. The shop's located near Frisco. Whew!

My journey to a decent car sound system was never an easy task. For the longest time, we thought the problem of my car's radio is the speaker system. Being the original speaker since we bought the car in 1991, my stereo's 25-watt stock car speakers are very much overdue for retirement. My dad and I finally decided to replace the speakers one Sunday morning. We initially traversed the suburbs of Banawe just to find a decent-priced speaker system. We were not contented with the price and the quality of the cheap speakers we found so we decided to look for it in the sounds capital of the Philippines, Raon. :)

We finally found a decent and cheap speaker system. We found a Konzert 150-watt speaker system for P550! Our elation was suddenly halted upon turning on the radio after we put the speakers ourselves. We heard the same quality of sound as if we were using the old speakers. So it turned out that the problem was not just the busted speakers, but also the stereo. Dismayed and tired, we headed back home that day...

The following week, a Saturday, we decided to have the radio fixed. So my Dad and I decided to drive around to look for a decent repair shop to get the stereo fixed. We saw a repair shop near Muñoz and stopped by to ask for a quotation. They said that it will cost around P600 to repair the radio. However, they will not guarantee that the problem will be fixed. For the utter lack of trust to the repairman, whose eyes were so yellow you'd think he's using mustard as eye drops, we looked for another repair shop. I was about to lose my patience and was beginning to think of buying a new car stereo. Until suddenly, my dad remember a shop near Frisco. We decided to take the stereo there to have it checked. And finally, that was our final pit stop. The owner quoted P550 as the price for labor and spare parts to be replaced. So we decided to take the risk.

Voilah! After 3 days of wait, we got the radio. We tested it and then... The same problem exists!!! We left it there again and again waited for another 3 days to get it fixed. My Father then retrieved the radio and found that it was already working properly. Half of it, that is! After several tests, he found out that the radio's right speaker was not working properly! Damn, another problem! We were thinking it was the wiring to the speakers this time...

He decided to take the radio to Banawe (right where we started) to have the wirings checked. The repairmen found out that it was still the radio's problem. It had a balance problem. So my dad brought the radio back to the repair shop in Frisco...

After a few more days, we got a call from the repair shop, telling us that the radio was already working properly. Dad texted me the good news, so I hurriedly retrieve the radio, straight from work.

Hallelujah! The angels must have possessed the radio!!! It was working perfectly! Whew! After all the hard work, my driving life is back to normal. Now I can once again listen to "Tambalang Balasubas at Balahura" to rev up my early morning driving! NOT!

Then I decided to purchase the MP3 FM modulator I was longing for in CD-R King. After that, driving in the metro has never been this beautiful. Thank God for my newly-operated radio...

Whew... That was a long one...

Election Blessings

We have seen news of vote-buying, school burning, murders, shaving and padding, and all other election-related controversies over the past week after the recently-concluded May 14, 2007 elections. Indeed, a lot of people were hurt, a lot of people committed various crimes. However, looking at the bright side of the elections, we also saw that there have been positive outcomes of the elections, amidst all the controversies.

Here are a few things we can be thankful for in the recent elections:

1. Manny Pacquiao took a beating from Darlene Antonino-Custodio in the Congressional race in South Cotabato. It was a win-win scenario for these two politicians and the public. For one, the Philippines did not lose a hero in Manny Pacquiao. Now he can concentrate on his boxing career and continue to inspire young boxers, help his kababayans financially and morally, and become the world champion. At the same time, the public will still be awed by the charms of the youthful-looking Congresswoman Darlene Custodio. It's good to see a few fresh faces in Congress.

2. Garci bids "goodbye" in his Congressional dreams. Thank God the people of Bukidnon did not vote for this guy. If he did win, our politics will again become the laughing stock of the entire world.

3. Our Actor senatoriables are miles away from the "Magic 12." I have absolutely nothing against actors running for public office. It's just that actors have an important place in this country already and they no longer need to enter into public office in order to prove anything. Just like Manny Pacquiao, they can already help make the country a better place not by running for Senators, but by engaging in socially relevant activities. Be a Tony Meloto. Enough said.

4. Pampanga chose one of the Lord's flock to be their next Governor. Thank God Fr. Ed Panlilio emerged as a competitive candidate in the Pampanga gubernatorial race or else, Cabalens are left with either an allegedly corrupt incumbent, or an alleged gambling lord's wife. Also, thank God for the people who volunteered to guard Fr. Ed's votes, and the lawyers who helped him for free. There are still good samaritans out there, and Fr. Ed's candidacy just exposed a lot of them. Let's just hope he could carry his newly-found cross until the end.

I hope the end results of the National Elections will turn out relatively positive...

May 14, 2007

My vote has been casted...