Sari-Sari Blog

Arroyo to ‘2010’ prayer: ‘Oh my God’

2008-11-17T23:41:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was caught off guard, when her press secretary prayed that she would continue to lead the nation "even beyond" the end of her term in 2010.

"Bless the President so we will have forbearance, good health, the tolerance to lead this nation up to 2010 and perhaps who knows even beyond," Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said at the end of the opening prayer he led at the start of a Cabinet meeting in the Aguinaldo State Dining Room on Tuesday.

Arroyo, looking embarrassed, covered her face and said: "Oh my God."

After regaining her composure, Arroyo told cameramen and photographers: "That prayer was off the record, so why don't we get everybody seated. Please, tama na, tama na [that's enough]."

Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said to the media, "Naguluhan lang ako, nagka-vision kasi ako habang nagdadasal."

He likewise prayed for newly-installed Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile, whom he described as a "man for all seasons."

ALL you really need to know...

2008-11-03T08:57:00.000-08:00

You are poor. You are a suspected thief. You get locked up.
You are rich. You are a suspected thief. You get a check up.

A contingency fund, a cash advance, and an intelligence fund. They are one and the same.

If you’re a police general and you couldn’t attend an Interpol conference abroad, send your wife instead.

Catholic bishops and nuns - the staunchest critics of the proposed bill to curb population explosion do not actually contribute to population growth.

Impeachment is a numbers game. Winners usually take home a seven–figure jackpot.

History tells us that it takes decades to build states and nations. Today, it only takes a MOA to create one.

When an economic adviser calls her president a “bitch,” something is wrong with the adviser. If he doesn’t get fired, something is wrong with the president.

Double budget insertions are perfectly legal. Unless discovered.

The surest way to get appointed in a government post is to lose in a national election.

When an executive clemency is granted shortly before midnight on a Friday, better check on the list of convicts to be released. You might be in for a surprise.

Relatives of murder victims who oppose the granting of an executive clemency to a murder convict must learn how to swim first before they appeal their case to the Justice secretary..

There are only two genuine groups of oppositionists in the country: the Communist Party of the Philippines, and ABS-CBN.

And thanks to the Commission on Human Rights, I have learned that when a suspected NPA or Moro rebel is tortured, that’s human rights violation. When a government soldier is killed by the suspected NPA or Moro rebel, that’s life.

Have a great week ahead!

Joc Time!!!!!

2008-10-29T22:26:00.000-07:00

Jocjoc Bolante is Back
Former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante is back in the country. Upon his arrival, the very prompt eight-member team from the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms read the Upper Chamber’s order for his arrest. The first line of the arrest order reads, “We, the Senators of the Republic of the Philippines, fooled by Eliseo De La Paz last week, vow not to be fooled for the second consecutive week.”

Former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante arrived Tuesday night. In his arrival statement, Jocjoc said, “Now that I am back, I assure you that I will answer any and all accusations at the proper forum. I am ready to face the issues and all the malicious accusations against me.” He then denied rumors that ex-PNP comptroller Eliseo De La Paz wrote that statement for him.

When he is discharged from the hospital, Jocjoc Bolante will be detained at the Senate. A Philippine Star report says the detention room has air-conditioning unit, a bed, cable TV, electric fan, conference table, book shelf, white board, single bed, and two sofas. Nope, we’re not describing Claudio Teehankee Jr’s cell at the New Bilibid Prisons. The Quezon City Police District has deployed its personnel to provide round-the-clock security for former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante. The Senate has also sent eight men to protect him. Can anyone please check if there’s any security guy left for UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon?

An Inquirer report says former agriculture undersecretary Jocjoc Bolante’s house in the posh Ayala Alabang village showed no sign that his homecoming would be festive. The uninhabited 80 million peso-mansion of the alleged architect of the “fertilizer fund scam” is adorned by ornamental plants, palm trees… and a couple of scarecrows.

Unconfirmed reports say the St. Luke’s Medical Center has released its latest medical bulletin on the health condition of former agriculture undersecretary Jocjoc Bolante. His blood test showed unusual quantities of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N-P-K).

Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada and his nun friends from La Salle wanted to visit Jocjoc Bolante at St. Luke’s Medical Center but the security was really tight. So tight that it’s reportedly even tighter than Lozada’s nun friends.

Like Hollywood’s notorious paparazzi, dozens of media men and women swooped in on former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante when he arrived at the NAIA last night. Next to Chris Tiu, Bolante is perhaps the most talked-about Atenean at this moment.

Finally
Jocjoc Bolante has finally been returned. We have waited so long for this event to happen. To give you an idea how long we have waited, when Bolante fled the country, he looked like First Gentleman Mike Arroyo. When he arrived, he looked more like Joker Arroyo.

Jocjoc Bolante is finally back. We have waited so long for this event to happen. To give you an idea how long it was, lawyer Harry Roque’s waist line was still 27 when it all started.

Jocjoc Bolante is back guys. Finally, he’s back. We have waited so long for this event to happen. To give you an idea how long it has been, the price of gasoline was at 35 pesos per liter level when he left.

Jocjoc Bolante is finally back. We have waited so long for this moment to happen. To give you an idea how long it has been: when Jocjoc Bolante left the country, Jose De Venecia was still GMA’s caddie when she played golf in China.

Jocjoc Bolante is finally back. We have waited so long for this moment to arrive. To give you an idea how long it has been: when Jocjoc Bolante left the country, Rustom Padilla was still straight.

Top 20 Movie Casting Choices That Were Meant to Be 2

20: ex-Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr.: Staying Alive

19: Vicki Belo & Ellen Lising: House of Wax

18: DOJ Sec. Raul Gonzales: The Jerk

17: Sen. Antonio Trillanes: Chasing Liberty

16: Tim Yap/DJ Montano: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

15: Mrs. Rose Flaminiano: Super Size Me

14: The Gucci Gang with the special participation of Ms. Nora Aunor: Romancing the Stone

13: Shell, Petron, and Caltex: Liar Liar

12: ABS-CBN News’ Maria Ressa: The Punisher

11: Nadia Montenegro: Grease

10: Doña Mary Ejercito: 10,000 BC

9: Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada: The Man Who Knew Too Much

8: Sen. Lito Lapid: Artificial Intelligence

7: ex-Sen. John Osmeña: Girl, Interrupted

6: (tie) MILF’s Kumander Bravo and Umbra Kato: Psycho and Jose “Joey” De Venecia III: V for Vendetta

5: Panfilo Lacson and Jamby Madrigal: Sister Act

4: Sen. Manuel Villar: Two for the Road

3: Sens. Loren Legarda & Edgardo Angara: An Inconvenient Truth

2: Claudio Teehankee Jr.: While You Were Sleeping

And the No. 1 movie casting choice that was meant to be…

1: Sen. Francis Pangilinan: Unfaithful

The Google Conspiracy Theory

2008-10-13T03:01:00.000-07:00

The Master Plan [2007]

What do you think?

MEGA Di-nial [8-mcdo]

2008-10-12T02:20:00.000-07:00

Impeachment and GMA
Losing National Broadband Network contract bidder Jose “Joey” De Venecia III said he would lead the filing of an impeachment complaint against President Arroyo. Personally though, I can think of a hundred and one reasons why this particular complaint would fail… and Joey De Venecia is all of them.

Impeachment and GMA II
Three-term congressman and now a Bise-Gobernador ng Iloilo strong message to the president that one cannot steal and get away with it.” If that’s true, then why is he still at large?

Noli for Presy?
Asked about his plans for 2010, vice president Noli De Castro said, “I don’t know.” And then added, “Ako, ‘di naman ako nangarap maging senador pero naging senador ako. ‘Di naman ako nangarap maging vice president, pero naging vice president ako. ‘Yong destiny na ang masusunod.” Apparently, De Castro and the Filipino people have similar fates: Ang mga Pilipino, hindi siya pinangarap maging senador, pero naging senador siya. Hindi siya pinangarap maging vice president, pero naging vice president siya. Kasalanan ng destiny ‘yan eh!

Not True!
Sen. Francis Pangilinan and megastar Sharon Cuneta have both denied reports their marriage is over. Ironically though, they issued the denial… separately.

Top 5 Signs Sen. Francis Pangilinan and Sharon Cuneta Have Separated

5: Angeli Pangilinan stops sending daily Biblical text quotes to sister-in-law Sharon Cuneta.

4: Senator Pangilinan starts going out with the very single… Mommy Elaine! (’Sing laki, pero ‘di ’sing mahal)

3: A special episode of the talk show “Sharon” talks about the secrets of being hot and handsome and will feature as guests Robin Padilla, Gabby Concepcion, and Richard Gomez.

2: When news of the separation reached the Senate, members of Senator Pangilinan’s staff as well as the Senate press corps all shouted, “Burger! Burger! Burger!”

And the No. 1 sign Sen. Francis Pangilinan and Sharon have separated…

1: Sharon changes her Myspace status from “Married” to “It’s complicated” while Senator Kiko Pangilinan modifies his Friendster status from “Married” to “Just Looking Around.”

The TAGALOG Facts

2008-10-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

The TAGALOG is the official language of the Filipinos. Pero, naitanong niyo na ba sa inyo mga sarili kung saan at paano nabuo ang TAGALOG? Tuklasan!

In the case of the Philippines, colonialism added another dimension to language, the dominant cultures bringing in or even imposing new words.

Let your imagination run wild now. Think how 16th century Tagalogs would have expressed their sorrow over a shattered relationship.

A commoner would have sighed, "Kay lungkot!"--lungkot being a hoi-polloi Kapampangan-Tagalog word. A datu’s daughter would have etched out a poem on bamboo, expressing her sorrow in Malay-tinged Tagalog: "O dusa! O dukha! O dalita! O dalamhati!"--all four words derived from Malay.

A datu’s daughter could have visited Brunei, with which Manila’s aristocracy had close ties, and picked up words from Malay, considered a high-status language at that time. "Dalamhati" was only one example, the intensity of sadness expressed by two Malay words: dalam (inside) and hati (heart, although it can also mean liver).

Note that luwalhati, a feeling of euphoria, is generated from the Malay luwar (outside) and again, hati.

Words have a life of their own, sometimes changing meanings as they move from one culture to another.

"Dalita" was originally derived from the Sanskrit dhrta (borne), becoming the Malay derita (to endure) and dalita in Tagalog, where it means great suffering.

The association with suffering produced extended meanings in Tagalog: dalita and dukha, both Malay-Sanskrit words for suffering, are also used to refer to poverty and the poor.

The Malay and Sanskrit words that entered Tagalog related to philosophy and religion. They were also languages of learning, as we see in the borrowing of the numerical terms I mentioned earlier.

Terms like lacsa and yota suggest that we conducted a lot of trading with our neighbors in what are today Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

Later, Arabic traders entered the region, bringing in not just material goods but also Islam, and new words. To give just one example, aqala, Arabic for intelligence, was transformed in Tagalog into "a concept, a notion, a hunch."

Curiously, some Arabic words may have come to us from the Spaniards, who themselves were once colonized by the Arabs.
Thus, the Arabic kafir, for an unbeliever, became the Spanish cafre for a savage and eventually became kapre, a mythical giant.

The Hokkien Chinese, who didn’t just come in as itinerant traders but often stayed on, introduced hundreds of other terms into Tagalog covering more mundane items and activities from food (siopao, tokwa, petsay) to household products (bakya, siyansi) to gambling (huweteng) and trading (suki, pakyaw).

Under colonial rule of the Spaniards and the Americans, Tagalog went through even more modifications. Hundreds of Spanish words entered Tagalog, their system of counting (uno, dos, tres, as revived recently by singer Ricky Martin) often displacing the earlier Tagalog system.

Some Spanish words we adapted as is but many others mutated, both in form and in meaning. Como esta became kumusta; hacer caso (de), to pay attention to, became asikaso.

We borrowed the Spanish pobre, meaning poor, but spinned off another word, pulubi, to mean a beggar, to whom we give alms or limos, originally alimos in Spanish.

Then there’s English, which we’ve been using in the last 100 years because of the American colonial period and, today, because it is a new global prestige language.

Listen to people speaking Tagalog in the streets and you’ll hear many English connectors--"so," "but" "and then"--as well as the occasional "shit" (or "syet") when discussing our senators’ latest "gimik."

People sometimes complain that we are captives of a colonial mentality, relying too much on English. But another perspective, often expressed with alarm by Americans and English, is that we’re colonizing the Queen’s English, gobbling up words and regurgitating them in new forms.

Just look at how English nouns have been transformed into Tagalog verbs, complete with conjugation (nag-text, mag-che-chess, makikipag-Internet).

Languages evolve because of cultural contacts, people meeting as tourists, traders, teachers, whatever. It’s not just a matter of the Tagalog language borrowing words from the world. You just wait and see.

Courtesy of the many Filipina yayas caring for the children of the world, someday we just might hear a British prime minister ordering Parliament to come to "votation"--but only after very properly offering a 10-minute break for people to go to the ‘‘See Ah.’’

2009 Badyet

2008-10-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

SOURCE: Da BigBlog

2009 BUDGET
Pinabulaanan ni Speaker Prospero Nograles nitong Sabado ang mga hinala na may plano ang liderato ng Kamara de Representantes na madiskaril ang paghahain ng impeachment laban kay Pangulong Gloria Macapagal Arroyo dahil umano sa pagsusulong nito ng kontrobersyal na 2009 budget na pinuyat and mga secretariat officials dahil sa budget deliberation. “I do suppose it's always a game of numbers (impeachment complaint). But when the House gets back to work by November 10, by the time, but I hope not, we would start feeling the effects of the financial crisis," ayon kay Gonzales. In which Gloria said, "Feeling mo lang yun, ikaw kasi eh may pa impeach-impeach ka pa nalalaman."

LACSON
Itinanggi Sen. Panfilo Lacson nitong Sabado na bumoto siya pabor sa pagpasa ng Japan Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa) kapalit ng pag-imbestiga kay Senate President Manny Villar sa Senate ethics committee. "Napaka-petty na issue para ma-constitute ang ethics committee para diyan," pahayag ng senador sa panayam ng dwIZ radio. Sinabi ni Lacson na pinaboran niya ang kontrobersyal na kasunduan ng Pilipinas at Japan dahil naipangako n’ya kay Philippine Ambassador to Japan Domingo Siazon Jr na susuportahan ito. Sabi pa ni Lacson, "Na-address naman so sunod ko salita ko. Sabi ko my word is my bond, with a bond of cash" aniya.

TAGALOG QUEST
LAST Thursday, we began a tour of Tagalog through the centuries, tracing its origins and evolution. Toward the end of the article I asked readers to guess how a 17th century Tagalog would say "722 million dollars"--the amount allegedly salted away in overseas bank accounts by Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Estrada. While several readers wrote in asking for more specific information about Tagalog’s evolution, no one attempted to answer the 722-million-dollar question.

Song Tao FareWELL
Habang mainit pa ang usapin tungkol sa kontaminadong gatas mula sa China, nagpaalam na sa Malacanang ang embahador ng China na si Song Tao sa patatapos ng kanyang tour of duty sa Pilipinas nitong Biyernes. "China is very important to us in terms of diplomatic, socio-economic as well as political relations," pahayag ni Gng Arroyo kay Song. "So sorry to see you go. This is a very sad day for all of us. I hope you enjoyed your stay here," pahayag ng Pangulo kay Song sa kanilang pag-uusap sa Music Room ng Palasyo na tumagal ng 15-minuto para sa tinatawag na "farewell" call. Pag-labas ni Song sa Malacanang ito ay sumigaw ng "Wahoo! at last, maka-alis na nga dito!"

Sana na Kornihan kayo. Leave a comment na lang :D

Mega Isplit?

2008-10-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

Source: The Professional Heckler
Jamby vs. Villar
Earlier this week, Sen. Jamby Madrigal filed an ethics complaint against Sen. Manuel Villar… but the Ethics Committee immediately dismissed it after reading the portion of the complaint that stated, “If the Senate President is ousted from the Senate, the complainant, Sen. Ana Consuelo Madrigal-Valade will be entitled to a portion of Villar’s wealth acquired through the development of the C5 road.”

Kiko, Sharon Split Up?
Unconfirmed reports say the 12-year marriage of Sen. Francis Pangilinan and megastar Sharon Cuneta is over. Kiko’s close friends were shocked by the report; Sharon’s closest friends were even more shocked the marriage lasted that long.

Kiko, Sharon Split Up? II
Makeup artist Fanny Serrano who’s currently in Hong Kong with his friend, Sharon Cuneta denied rumors that his megastar friend and husband Francis Pangilinan have separated. But showbiz insiders believe otherwise considering that Cuneta has been spending more time now with Fanny than with Kiko.

Kiko, Sharon Split Up? III
Rumors say Sen. Francis Pangilinan and megastar Sharon Cuneta have called it quits. Mrs. Rose Flaminiano is blaming Gabby Concepcion.

For Everybody
At the height of the alleged “double budget insertions” controversy, Senator Villar’s S&T slogan has spawned a variety of meanings. There’s Singit at Taga (coined by Senator Lacson, I believe), and C5 at Taga (I first read in Neal Cruz’ PDI column).

But there’s more. I’ve come up with S&T meanings for other local personalities. Enjoy reading!

What started it all… Sen. Manuel Villar: Sipag at Tiyaga

President Arroyo: Suka at T*e (If you know what I mean...)

Sen. Panfilo Lacson: Salvage at Tingga (Bang!)

Joseph Estrada: Sugal at Toma (Hik!)

First Gentleman Mike Arroyo: Sumpa at Taba

DOJ Sec. Raul Gonzales: Sira at Tanda

Nora Aunor: Sha*u at Tungga

SEX, a 'hassle,' says 105-year-old virgin

2008-10-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

Chaste Clara Meadmore has NEVER bothered with a bit of the other — and reckons it could be the secret behind her long life.

She said yesterday: “I’ve just never been interested in or fancied having sex.

“I imagine there’s a lot of hassle involved.”

Retired secretary Clara, who turns 105 tomorrow, says she knew she would live a celibate life from the age of 12.

Sex in her youth meant getting married — and she made up her mind as a schoolgirl that she would always remain single.

She said: “I’ve never had a boyfriend and never been bothered about relationships.

“When I was a girl you only had sex with your husband — and I never wed.

“I’ve always had lots of platonic friendships with men, but never felt the need to go further.

“I made my mind up at 12 never to marry and I’ve not gone back on that.”

Clara added on sex: “I’ve always been too busy doing other things. People have asked if I’m a homosexual — the answer is no.”

The sprightly OAP, a keen walker who mowed her own lawn until she was 97, was born in Glasgow in 1903 — just two years after the death of Queen Victoria.

She can remember the Titanic sinking in 1912 when she was eight, and the outbreak of World War One.

Her family emigrated to Egypt, Canada, then New Zealand when she was seven, but independent Clara returned to Britain alone in her twenties.

She served in Egypt with the Women’s Royal Army Corps during World War Two then lived between London and New Zealand before retiring to Cornwall.

She worked as a secretary and a housekeeper, but despite “several” offers of marriage she turned them all down.

Clara added: “I grew up in an era where little girls were seen and not heard so I had to learn to stand up for myself and earn my own living.

“Some men don’t like that in a woman and before long I was too old to marry anyway.”

Clara now lives in a nursing home in Perranporth, Cornwall.

She has never owned a TV, loves cats, the radio and reading — and plans to celebrate her birthday with a drop of wine.

Her closest friend Josie Harvey, 72, said: “Maybe never having a man to get under her feet has kept Clara young.

“She has her hobbies and her friends and those are all she needs.”

Arts festival features the Philippines’ dance, music

2008-10-10T00:03:00.000-07:00

TAIPEI, Taiwan –– The 2008 Asia-Pacific Traditional Arts Festival kicked off yesterday, featuring a string of performances by famous musicians and dancers from the Philippines.

The festival, organized by the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) and the Council of Cultural Affairs, will span from Oct. 10-19 at the National Center for Traditional Arts in Yilan County.

The Council for Cultural Affairs opened the National Center for Traditional Arts (http://www.ncfta.gov.tw/) in January 2002 with the aim of keeping alive traditional arts that have been dying out in modern societies.

Speaking at a press conference, Minister of Cultural Affairs Huang Pi-twan said the festival will give Taiwanese the rare opportunity to better understand the traditional culture of the Philippines, which is one of Taiwan’s closest neighbors.

She noted that several historical sites in the country have become UNESCO world heritage sites, under the government’s effort to protect and showcase the rich culture of the Philippines.

“It is a golden opportunity for us to learn about the treasures of the Philippines,” she added.

Among others, the festival will feature the Bayanihan National Folk Dance Company and the Banda Kawayan, as well as demonstrations of traditional Philippino craft.

The Bayanihan National Folk Dance Company has been committed to passing down various types of Philippino music and traditional dance elements to later generations and abroad for over half a century.

The troupe will perform dance numbers that accentuate both the styles of the central Philippines and of the former Spanish colonialists, including Mantones de Seda (from Spanish bullfighting) and flamenco.

The Banda Kawayan is famous for its unique and creative music performance styles that depict love songs, sleeping songs and pop dance numbers that include lively bamboo pole dances. Their basic instruments are the marimba, traditional Islamic instruments such as lira gabbang, the low-toned bumbong and panpipes, as well as melodic angklungs.

Philippine Representative Antonio I. Basilio acknowledged that the Philippines are Taiwan’s closest neighbor, but their country’s rich culture still remains unknown to the Taiwanese.

“We hope the festival will help promote a better understanding with the Taiwanese,” he said.

DICK n' more

2008-10-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

Source: The Professional Heckler

Gordon for President?
A Philippine Daily Inquirer report says Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon has thrown his hat into the ring claiming there’s a clamor for him from some sectors to seek the presidency. Gordon vowed to identify those sectors as soon as they’ve been informed of their supposed clamor.

Top 3 Rejected Slogans for a Richard Gordon Presidential Campaign T-Shirt

1: Wala sa size ‘yan. Nasa performance. Just DICK it!

2: Laging buhay at nakasaludo: DICK sa pagka-pangulo!

3: Puwedeng pisilin. Puwedeng himasin. ‘Wag lamang gagalitin. That’s my DICK!

The Teehankee Clemency Anders Hultman, Maureen Hultman’s adoptive father has slammed President Arroyo’s granting of an executive clemency to Claudio Teehankee Jr., the man convicted of the killing of Maureen and her companion in 1991. In an email sent to the Inquirer, Anders said, “Why this president does this only God knows,” to which President Arroyo said, “Don’t drag an innocent being into the controversy. I haven’t talked to Him for a long time."

The Teehankee Clemency II
Of Teehankee’s release, an irate Sen. Loren Legarda said, “Are we turning into a country that does not respect the law, that abuses its powers of executive clemency?,” to which former president Joseph Estrada said, “So anong problema mo?!?”

Oil Price Rollback?
Oil companies refused to implement a price rollback despite a huge drop in world crude costs citing the “still, fluid situation.” But the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan demands an “immediate, substantial oil price rollback” insisting that the drastic drop in oil prices worldwide “undoubtedly” warrants a pump price reduction of at least 7 pesos per liter for diesel, 2 pesos and 30 cents for gasoline, and 8 pesos for kerosene. Gathering those figures was a remarkable effort on the part of Bayan… considering the fact that most of its members actually spend more time marching than getting a ride.

Postscript to a Showbiz Fight In its online survey, the Philippine Entertainment Portal asked, “Sino ang pinapaniwalaan mo: Cristy Fermin o Nadia Montenegro?” As of 1pm, Wednesday, 67% answered Nadia; 10% answered Cristy, the remaining 23% answered, “Anybody but the oil companies.”

Postscript to a Showbiz Fight II
The Philippine Entertainment Portal asked, “Sino ang mas pinapaniwalaan mo: Cristy o Nadia?” As of 1pm, Wednesday, 67% answered Nadia and 10% answered Cristy. ABS-CBN believes GMA 7 is rigging the survey.

Lessons on buying PIRATED Milk

2008-10-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

Mengnui Milk, Yili Fresh Milk Tested Positive for Melamine

I'm watching a press conference with the officials responsible for food safety. Two products have tested positive for melamine, the contaminate which has caused so many health problems in China.

Before you panic, these before-mentioned products were apparently smuggled into the Philippines. They are sold in containers with only Chinese characters (no English). The Philippines requires products which are sold here to have English labels.

Lessons We Should Learn:

Don't buy Milk if there's no English on the container's label
Buy your milk at legitimate grocery stores.
In relevance to #2, avoid as much as possible buying milk from Tabi-tabi, Divisoria, Quiapo, and ChinaTown.

The Confusing English Language and more

2008-10-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

Did you ever think of the English language and its some funny defects. Well here's some. I've got this from an e-mail about those words and other things that sometimes makes you and me confuse.

If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?
Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks?
If olive oil comes from olives, where does baby oil come from? Hmm...
If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes?
Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?
Why the man who invests all your money called a broker?
If horrific means to make horrible, does terrific mean to make terrible?
Why is it called building when it is already built?
If a book about failures doesn't sell, is it a success?
If you're not supposed to drink and drive, then why do bars have parking lots? Interesting...
If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several times, does he become disoriented? Now that makes me think...
If vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?? Human?!?
If working hours are meant for working, then why are you reading this??

NOW! GET YOUR ASS BACK TO WORK! loz!

Nintendo DSi Will Come Loaded With Extra RAM

2008-10-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

Nintendo's DSi will be loaded with more RAM than the DS Lite, according to Opera CEO Jon von Tezchner. In an interview with TechTree, the man responsible for web surfing on Nintendo's handheld said that Opera would be sure to use the memory boost “efficiently.” That's great and all, but what does this mean for games? While the possibility of a completely DSi-only game is probably pretty low, maybe the next Nintendo creations take advantage of the new hardware for some DSi-exclusive features (like picture taking or music making). What do you think the RAM will be used for?

For me, RAM will be used for everything

1) To boost Web Surfing speed
2) To decrease load times in games, applications, etc.

I thought they were planning on making games that utilize the camera's features (aka DSi exclusive games)?

One user comment said...

Well, the built-in web browser could handle caching of flash movies or something. Video recording/uploading/sharing, maybe an improved pico chat thing? with pics/video. I've never had "load lag" or anything similar on a DS game, but they might be able to squeeze out a higher throughput or something! I'm pretty excited!!!!!

Mindanao 2028

2008-10-09T03:45:00.000-07:00

Source: The Professional Heckler

Newspaper Headlines From the Independent State of Mindanao, Year 2028

Al Haj Murad seeks fresh term as Mindanao president,
Christian minority calls for boycott of polls

New government inaugurates police and military camps in Cotabato;
Osama Bin Laden is guest speaker

Commander Bravo sworn in as new chief of the Armed Forces of Mindanao

Abu Sayyaf Party wins big in local elections

Murad ignores pleas to release Piñol, 14 other political prisoners

President Escudero vows to block Mindanao’s bid for Asean membership

Fundamentalist cleric renews call to reclaim Sabah, invade Manila

Didagen Dilangalen named new Mindanao envoy to the Philippines

Suicide bomber attacks Lanao public market, suspect identified as Catholic

December 25 declared as a special working day, Christians cry foul

Ailing Joma Sison hits Malacañang, to seek asylum in Mindanao instead

Mindanao adopts “kudarat” as new currency unit

Government issues list of new national symbols:
Durian is national fruit; tuna, nat’l fish; airsoft, nat’l sport and Fernando Poe Jr., national hero

Nokia unveils latest cell phone unit, new feature can detonate 10 bombs simultaneously

RP-Mindanao Friendly Games seen to ease tension between the two states

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Philippines Renewable Energy Bill Passed!

2008-10-09T03:23:00.000-07:00

The energy committee of the House of Representatives on Wednesday lauded the swift passage of a common version by Congress on the Renewable Energy bill that is expected to help the country's energy security, yield huge economic benefits, and boost effort to safeguard the environment.

Second District Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo, chairman of the committee
on energy, said the approval by the bicameral conference committee of a common version on House Bill no. 4193, which he co-sponsored, together with Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte, and Senate Bill no. 2046, should hopefully pave the way for a similarly swift approval anytime this week by the House plenary of the final version of the proposed Renewable Energy Act of 2008.

He said the joint Congressional approval "was a landmark achievement, considering that it had taken more than 20 years or since the 8th Congress for such a measure to be approved."

"We are justly proud of this landmark measure's passage, as it demonstrates the political will of this Congress to set aside politics and work as one in helping solve the problems besetting our nation," he said.

Arroyo said that aside from a "basket" of fiscal and other financial incentives to encourage investors to go into renewable energy development, the proposed measure also directs the Department of Energy (DoE), National Power Corporation (Napocor), and other government agencies to develop and institute a framework for propagating renewable energy and seamlessly interconnecting these sources into the national power grid.

He said the bill would also help the government achieve its goal to boost the country's energy self-sufficiency from 56.6 percent in 2005 to the desired level of 60 percent by 2010.

This can be achieved by tapping renewable energy resources like solar, wind, hydro-power, ocean and biomass energy, he said.

Based on the DoE projection, if renewable energy sources can supply an additional 2,500 megawatts (MW) of total power supply in the next 10 years, then the country could stand to gain some US$ 1.2 billion in energy savings over the same period.

Arroyo said the bicameral conference committee agreed to use the Senate version as the working draft of the reconciled measure, and incorporate the salient provisions of the House version with some minor amendments.

In the reconciled bill, carbon credits generated from renewable energy projects will also be exempted from all taxes.

A 10 percent corporate income tax versus the regular 30 percent, is also provided once the income tax holiday expires.

Renewable energy facilities are also given a 1.5 percent realty tax cap on original cost of equipment and facilities to produce renewable energy.

The bill also prioritizes the purchase, grid connection and transmission of electricity generated by companies from wind, solar, ocean, run-of-river hydro-power and biomass resources.

For consumers, electricity generated from renewable energy sources will be free from value-added tax (VAT). A net metering scheme will also ensue, giving capable consumers the option to generate their own power, which, in turn, will give them the possibility of being paid by their power distributor or given discounts for the power they give back to the grid, the Pampanga solon said.

Arroyo explained that net metering uses a special electricity meter so that renewable energy producers earn money from the power they contribute to the grid, and are also charged for electricity that they draw from the power grid. (PNA)

Greenpeace Statement:
On the approval by the Bicameral Conference Committee of the Renewable
Energy Bill yesterday, 7 October 2008, Greenpeace Southeast Asia
executive Director, Von Hernandez said:

Greenpeace congratulates the Philippine Senate and the House of
Representatives for finally coming together in moving the country a step
closer in legislating a much-needed energy revolution. We expect
malacanang to sign the Renewable Energy bill into law very soon.

"Once enacted, this landmark legislation is expected not only to end our
dependence on climate changing fossil fuels, but also help propel the
Philippines towards a low carbon path of economic prosperity and
genuine sustainable development. Through this law, we hope to see less
and less development of dirty coal power plants and more investments in
clean, renewable energy systems.

Greenpeace's Philippine Energy Revolution scenario, has calculated that
it is possible for the country to generate as much as 70% of its
electricity needs from renewable energy by 2050 with wind, biomass,
geothermal and solar energy contributing 58% of its capacity.

"We now call on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to immediately sign
the bill into law and ensure that the law's Implementing Rules and
Regulations (IRR) to be developed by the Department of Energy and other
affiliated agencies, do not, in any way, weaken the spirit and intent
of the law."

Discovering Drugs, Biofuels In The Philippines.

2008-10-09T00:54:00.000-07:00

The National Institutes of Health has awarded $4 million to a group of Philippine and American scientists led by Oregon Health & Science University to aid in the discovery of new molecules and biofuels technology from marine mollusks for development in the Philippines.

The project will concentrate its research in the Philippine archipelago whose waters are inhabited by an estimated 10,000 marine mollusk species, or about a fifth of all the known species, and are regarded by marine biologists as the world's epicenter of marine biodiversity. Mollusks are among the most diverse of marine animals and include shelled creatures like snails, clams and slugs.

The wide-ranging Philippine Mollusk Symbiont International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups, or PMS-ICBG, project aims to provide new information to catalog and preserve these diverse mollusk species while providing scientific opportunities for the Philippines. U.S. scientists will work closely with colleagues from the University of the Philippines to uncover interactions between mollusks and their bacterial partners. The project is expected to yield leads to potential central nervous system, cancer and antimicrobial drugs as well as enzymes for cellulosic biofuels production.

The National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy are also sponsors of the grant. The NSF supports basic research in marine science and biotechnology, and the DOE sees relevance to national energy needs because the shipworm, one species of mollusk the OHSU project will focus on, harbors bacteria that hold the promise of economically converting plant biomass into cellulosic ethanol, one of the holy grails in the quest for viable biofuels. The five-year PMS-ICBG grant is administered by the Fogarty International Center, with additional support from the National Institute on Mental Health, both of the NIH. The lead investigator is Margo G. Haygood, Ph.D., professor of marine and biomolecular systems in the Environmental and Biomolecular Systems division of the Department of Science and Engineering, OHSU School of Medicine. The team includes scientists from the University of the Philippines, the University of Utah, the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, and Ocean Genome Legacy in Ipswich, Mass.

"This is a truly unique effort," said Edward Thompson, Ph.D., chairman of the Department of Science and Engineering, OHSU School of Medicine. "Looking at microbes in the ocean has enormous potential. It could contribute to the development of alternative fuels while at the same time opening a path for biomedical research in largely uncharted territory." Thompson's department is where environmental science and biomedical research come together at OHSU.

ICBG grants are designed to guide the discovery and development of pharmaceutical and other useful agents from the earth's plants, animals and microorganisms in such a way that the communities and the countries where those biological resources are found can benefit and, at the same time, promote development of the scientific capacity and economic incentives for conservation and sustainable harvesting of those resources. An estimated 40 percent to 50 percent of currently used drugs originate in natural products.

Haygood, a scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography for 18 years before coming to OHSU, has worked on the microbiology of symbioses – the interaction between different biological species – for three decades and played a major role proving that bryostatin, an anti-cancer agent, is made by bacterial symbionts living in a marine animal. She will manage a collaborative effort with some of the world's leading authorities on mollusks and marine drug discovery.

The PMS-ICBG project has three research aims. The first is the methodical collection, identification and cataloging of mollusk species from the Philippines, and making this information freely available on the Internet. This effort will be led by Gary Rosenberg, Ph.D., curator and chairman of malacology (the study of mollusks) and an evolutionary biologist at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, who already has developed a biotic database documenting more than 25,000 species of Indo-Pacific marine mollusks.

The second aim is discovery of biologically active molecules from bacteria associated with marine mollusks. One target is bacteria isolated from gastropod mollusks, or snails, particularly the highly venomous cone snails found in Philippine waters. Leading this part of the project will be Eric Schmidt, Ph.D., a biochemist at the University of Utah. Noted neuroscientist Baldomero M. Olivera, Ph.D., also of the University of Utah and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute professor known for his groundbreaking research on neurotoxins produced by cone snails, will participate as well. Although based in the United States, Olivera maintains a laboratory in the Philippines. He contends that at least 700 compounds with potential medical efficacy can be found in each cone snail species. Named the Harvard Foundation's 2007 Scientist of the Year, his work led to development of Ziconotide, a commercial drug considered more effective than morphine in blocking out extreme pain.

Shipworms, the marine equivalent of termites and the scourge of wooden structures in estuarine and marine habitats worldwide, are the focus of the third aim. A relative of the clam, these animals host bacteria inside their gills that produce enzymes to help them digest wood and may prove useful for converting cellulosic biomass into biofuels. Cellulosic ethanol can be produced from cheap and abundant sources such as agricultural residue, fast-growing prairie grasses, lumber mill waste, and even municipal garbage. Food grains, mainly corn, are currently the primary source of ethanol, and its production requires almost as much fossil fuel as it saves while squeezing the food supply. But researchers have yet to find an enzyme that can rapidly and efficiently break down cellulose that can be relied on for industrial production of cellulosic ethanol. Haygood will lead the shipworm component of the project with the support of Daniel Distel, Ph.D., a marine microbiologist and executive director of the Ocean Genome Legacy Foundation, who has been studying shipworms for more than two decades.

The specimen collection, cultivation of microorganisms isolated from wild mollusks, screening and assay development, and chemical identification of compounds are activities that are interwoven throughout the project and will be performed at the Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, under the direction of Gisela P. Concepcion, Ph.D., a marine natural products chemist who was a key figure in establishing the Philippine PharmaSeas program, which facilitates collaborations focusing on natural products research.

Image Courtesy NOAA

Touchscreen BlackBerry Storm finally unveiled.

2008-10-08T23:34:00.000-07:00

After months of rumors, the Storm—the first-ever touchscreen BlackBerry—is finally official, and it's set for Verizon Wireless (exclusively, for now) later this fall. Read on for the details.

Verizon hasn't coughed up a hard-and-fast release date for the Storm—nor any pricing details, for that matter—but this much we do know: It'll pack in dual-mode CDMA and GSM radios for full-on world calling, 3G access (both EV-DO Rev. A and HSPA), GPS (along with turn-by-turn directions), Bluetooth (including the A2DP profile for stereo Bluetooth headsets), and a 3.2-megapixel camera with flash and autofocus.

Measuring 4.4 by 2.4 by 0.55 inches and weighing in at about 5.5 ounces, the Storm (which is also set to arrive in Europe through Vodafone) looks to be roughly the same size as an iPhone or the upcoming T-Mobile G1, so it should be reasonably pocketable.

The centerpiece, of course, will be the Storm's 480 by 360-pixel, 3.25-inch glass display, which will support multitouch (good for two-finger gestures, a la the iPhone). Even better, though, is a feature that RIM calls "ClickThrough": a design that lets you "distinctly feel the screen being pressed and released with a gentle click" for a "highly intuitive experience." Sounds promising, but whether the Storm's display actually delivers the tactile experience that's missing on the iPhone and the G1 remains to be seen (or felt, I guess); I look forward to trying it out in person. Update: Click here for initial ClickThrough impressions from the Web; so far, so good.

In addition to the multitouch display, the Storm will also come with an ambient light sensor, along with an accelerometer that'll automatically turn the screen when you hold the phone sideways. Speaking of which: When it comes to entering text, holding the Storm in a landscape view will give you a full QWERTY touch keypad, while in portrait mode you'll get a SureType keypad (or the same layout as on a BlackBerry Pearl).

Naturally, messaging will doubtless be one of the Storm's strong suits. Expect full-on BlackBerry e-mail support, complete with push e-mail and access to POP and IMAP e-mail servers. Also on board: SMS, picture and instant messaging.

The Storm will also come with full-on Office document editing—including support for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents—courtesy of DataViz Documents to Go. Of course, plenty of other BlackBerry applications are already available, and there's word that a branded BlackBerry store is on tap, similar to Apple's App Store and the Android Market.

Besides its 3.2MP camera, the Storm is set to arrive with full HTML Web browser (double-tap to zoom, tap and slide to scroll), a video and music player, with Verizon promising smooth, full-screen video playback. There's also a 3.5mm jack for your earphones, 1GB of internal storage, and a microSD expansion slot for another 16GB of flash memory.

All in all, sounds like a formidable package, although something's missing if you look carefully: Wi-Fi. Ugh.

MyGMA's FREE 7-day Trial!

2008-10-08T23:23:00.000-07:00

The country's leading media company is optimistic with the success of a new website aimed at providing locally-produced entertainment, news and public affairs content to overseas Filipinos.

GMA Network, Inc. and its subsidiary New Media, Inc.'s (NMI) www.mygma.com.ph goes online on Wednesday. The website gives Filipinos abroad an alternative to watching GMA shows, which are currently available through direct-to-home cable and satellite services.

"The aspiration has always been to reach a market that we couldn't reach," GMA Network Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Gilberto Duavit Jr. told GMANews.TV.

NMI shelled out $1 million to establish the infrastructure for MyGMA. Another P100 million has been earmarked for product development and marketing until the end of the year, NMI President and Chief Operating Officer Judd I Gallares said.

GMA President Felipe L Gozon in August said NMI's first half growth was dragged by a major investment for the subsidiary's new venture.

Gallares said, however, that the return on investments for MyGMA is seen in 12 to 18 months.

"We already reached the subscribers' revenue quota for three months," Gallares added.

MyGMA is currently offering a free trial period of seven days for the use of the website.

Subscriber fees start at 99 cents for a day pass. The Sulit Package costs $7.99 a month for current GMA shows, including episodes in the past three months; while the Bongga Package costs $12.99 a month for current GMA and QTV shows, including three months' worth of past episodes, and archived telenovelas dating to as far back as 2006.

Sign up now and get your free 7-day pass www.mygma.com.ph

BBC’s "Harry and Paul" Racist Remarks - No Apologies from British Embassy or from BBC

2008-10-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

Source: Pinoy Big Blogger

If you havent seen the infamous Harry & Paul episode yet, specially those who typed in different keyterms to look for the video in Youtube (yep I cant find it too).

Here’s a brief recap of the show: comedian Harry Enfield told a postman that he was “shouting at his Filipino maid” to get her “to do her job and get his friend Paul Whitehouse to mate with her.”

The young Filipina househelp was portrayed wearing a grey uniform and an apron, “gyrating and dancing lasciviously.”

“He kept ordering the girl to gyrate and dance in front of Paul and even instructed her to hump him,”

You should see the video (preferably in Youtube, LOLZ) and tell me how desperate the show was to gain TV Ratings.

Meanwhile, just got this update:

The British Embassy in Manila said today that the United Kingdom continues to recognize Filipinos as important part of the British society for their contributions to the scientific and service sectors. However, it did not issue an apology for the portrayal of Filipino women in a popular comedy show as sex objects.

“The UK respects freedom of expression and the free exchange of ideas. The BBC has editorial independence, and views expressed/portrayed by the BBC are completely independent from those of the UK government,” the embassy said.

If I expressed freedom of expression through a blog, by posting insensitive and disgusting issues about Brits, will it qualify me as a highly civilized person? I thought so… hehe

“We are not asking BBC to be politically correct. What we want them to recognize is that the exploitation of women should not be used as an object of ridicule. The media should be a partner against human trafficking, and not an unwitting promoter of abuse because of insensitive and racist portrayals of women in trafficking.” - Delon Porcalla (Philstar News Service)

Get even? Just for fun, let Cristy Fermin & Lolit Solis write an article about them. Do I hear a “yay” from Congresswoman Risa Hontiveros? Hahaha.

I think that’s how far they’ll (Harry & Paul) run to pull off a “hilarious” skit and their ratings, bloody rude if you ask me. That’s ok, we’ll wipe the dirt off in a few days… oops I forgot we dont wipe… we bathe! *cough*cough*

Well, I've seen that episode on YouTube. I'm calling all Filipinos to HELP ME FLAG THIS VIDEO and be REMOVED. And also please FLAG the USER.

Youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL9KrTGx28E

The Holiday Shocks & More

2008-10-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

A Click helps a lot.

Source: The Professional Heckler

Ramadan Ends
The Holy month of Ramadan officially ended Monday evening with the appearance of the new moon. Apparently, Malacañang miscalculated and erred in the declaration of a holiday. So while Muslims rejoice in celebrating Eid’l Fitr today, Christians will rejoice over another non-working day tomorrow.

Ramadan Ends II
Instead of Tuesday, Malacañang declared Wednesday a holiday in celebration of Eid’l Fitr. When it comes to declaring holidays, palace officials never run out of surprises. So watch out! We might just celebrate Christmas on November 1!

The POC Elections
Art Macapagal is seeking to replace Jose “Peping” Cojuangco as president of the Philippine Olympic Committee. Art who? He’s the half-brother of President Arroyo. Or to be more precise, the president is his half sister.

Chinese Milk Scare and Chocolates
Mars, maker of M&M and Snickers chocolates, insists that its products are all safe. It has also denied rumors that M&M actually stands for Milk & Melamine.

Tax on Text
House Speaker Prospero Nograles wants to revive the proposed tax on text messaging to generate funds for, listen to this: “education and health care.” Education and health care. Wow, he must be following the US presidential campaign religiously.

Ces Drilon Returns
After completing her three-month suspension for disobeying her superiors, newsreader Ces Drilon will return tomorrow, October 1 as anchor of ABS-CBN’s “Bandila.” Nope she was not alllowed to resign. Why would the network let go of someone they bailed out from the Abu Sayyaf for millions of hard-earned pesos?

Bb. Pilipinas-Wold Resigns
Controversial Bb. Pilipinas-World titlist Janina San Miguel has reportedly resigned citing as reason her grandfather’s recent death. She will no longer compete in the Miss World pageant in December. Asked if the death of her lolo is putting pressure on her right now, Janina replied, “Yes, the death of her lolo is putting pressure on her right now! It’s a tough dead.”

Pinoy Films Win
Three Filipino films won in the recently concluded Bangkok International Film Festival: Francis Xavier Pasion’s “Jay,” Brillante Mendoza’s “Serbis,” and John Torres’ “When I Was A Child Outside.” In the Philippines, they are referred to as Indie… Indie pinapanood, Indie kumikita.

MVP and Basketball
PLDT president Manny V. Pangilinan is celebrating two victories in two weeks: The Ateneo Blue Eagles’ UAAP championship, and the San Beda Red Lions’ NCAA win. He’s a proud alumnus of both schools. In a few days, San Beda’s top playmaker John Paul Escobal (in photo) is reportedly joining Pangilinan’s Talk ‘N Txt team in the PBA. Sought for a confirmation, Pangilinan said, “Yes he is! And that’s win No. 3 for me.”