The Lonely Vampire Chronicles

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Last Fridays, several bloggers had an informal meeting with Senator Mar Roxas at Annabel’s in Tomas Morato. The talks covered the much-reviled value added tax to governance to The Dark Knight. As many bloggers have already shared their thoughts on the meeting, I will point out one thing that nobody has bothered talking about, plus some points that should have been asked the senator.

Someone asked about Charter change, and the senator said he is fundamentally opposed to it. He will oppose it at the Senate, and he thinks that if all else fails, the proposed charter will be defeated in a plebiscite. Here is where I disagree with the senator. If there is one thing you should never do about Gloria Arroyo, it is underestimating her.

After all, the Comelec is in tatters. Second, the system that produced a Garci and a Bedol is still in place. And what if the people is forced to vote for it if it will bring peace to Mindanao?

I feel that he’s a pro in answering questions - he answers by staying safe, without sharing much that might damage his chances, little concrete and more on the abstract. And he has to work on delivering his message: his metaphor confused some of the bloggers (though The Jester-in-Exile liked it). Maybe his examples worked for the current audience, but I am not sure if it would work somewhere else.

There were questions on VAT, on why Roxas wanted to lift VAT on oil, and should the income tax be removed instead? His explanation on the last question made sense, but I think most middle class people would find it hard to accept. Let me start by sharing the senator’s answer. He said that income tax is theoretically imposed with a redistributive effect - what is taken is to be given back to the people through infrastructure, government services, the works. It is graduated according to one’s income - the higher your income, the higher is the tax assessed on you. As for the VAT, it is a consumption tax. That means, everyone is being taxed, regardless of income. So the poor is the biggest loser in VAT.

And, with what I am hearing from co-workers and other middle class people, the regime’s Katas ng VAT has a negative impact on people. From what I am hearing, the people argues that since this regime is getting a windfall from VAT, and only the poor benefits from it, why not remove it entirely? At the way it is being spent, it appeared to them that the regime does not lack the money, so the VAT is unnecessary.

Anyway, I digress. On questions of his running at 2010, he categorically stated that he was not announcing his intention, but as Jester said, he is not categorically denying, either he he.

How I wish the question about family planning was asked. There are more questions that need to be asked, like who does his hair or his plans on restoring people’s trust on political institutions. And there were no questions about his ideas on IT.

Here are some reports from other bloggers:

Senator Mar Roxas and New Media
Blogger Meet up with Senator Mar Roxas
Up Close with Senator Mar Roxas
An Encounter With Mar Roxas
Mar Roxas Asks: What Do We Have To Show For P7-Trillion?
Marocharim Meets Mar Roxas
Sen. Mar Roxas blogs, for real
Mar Meets the Bloggers
Dialogue with Senator Mar Roxas
Mar Roxas, The 2010 Elections, and The Internet
The Bayong and the Floppy Hat: Mr. Palengke Meets The Jester-in-Exile (et alii heh heh)

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Our Lord Prime Syncophant, the Right Honorable Lord Chancellor, Our lords and members of the House of Reprehensibles, the Right Honorable MisChief Magistrate:

We are facing the crucial moment in history, wherein Our kingdom’s greatest generation has faced and has hurdled many obstacles. But now We are facing what is probably the greatest challenge Our government has ever faced. The economic crisis that grips the world is probably the worst since ancient times, a roller coaster of high economic growth and increasing number of poor. It is like a tsunami that is threatening to drown this kingdom.

But with Our foresight and wisdom, We have softened the shock of the economic crisis. We have enough funds to sustain Our lavish lifestyle; the royal barn is full of grain, and the royal motorized vehicles will never run out of gasoline. We thank the Heavens for giving Us the guts to institute reforms to weather this crisis. We thank the Parliament, specially the House of Reprehensibles, for its groveling support to Our glorious reign. We thank all the foolish people who continuously support Our royal lifestyle through levies and taxes and their apathy. We don’t care if Our royal reign is disliked, for We know that we get the job done - to sustain and maintain the status quo.

We have not lived with the poor. We do not care about the miserables lives they live. We are mostly concerned with our privileged life and the maintenance of Our glorious reign. It is the prime duty of the House of Miserable Lords to live with the poor, to care for them, of course, with Our royal blessing.

We praise the lowly citizens for their undying loyalty and support to Our glorious reign. While the enemies of Our glorious reign may continue maligning Our royal character, the miserable poor will continue living their miserable lives, paying no heed to Our glorious satisfaction and happiness. They will pay no heed to Our enemies.

We praise the apathetic people who do not care about Our glorious reign. For their apathy has sustained Our glorious reign, through their prompt and complete payment of taxes, while paying no heed to the activities of Our glorious government. They are truly enlightened, who see that Our actions and decisions are not in their purview. They are wise to leave the running of the country to Our royal government.

We have instituted several goals to sustain the status quo. We wanted to make sure the Our glorious reign continues till forever, and for that We have set goals. Most of these goals might have been unpopular, but We remain steadfast in our decision to levy additional taxes. The imposition of the Vulture-like Asinine Tax has been so unpopular, but We remain adamant that this imposition is important to maintain sufficiency of the royal funds to sustain Our glorious reign. Take this tax away, and see the status quo crumble. Lifting this imposition is like abdicating Our royal prerogative.

Leadership requires necessary decision, and We have firmly resolved to maintain this tax.

We have resolved, further, for the betterment of the status quo. We will continue taxing the apathetic people while lifting the tax burden of the poor. This will lead for the poor to live decadent lives, which will lead to a robust population growth. We have made this decision to satisfy the charlatans of the temples.

We will build new roads, new dams, new irrigation systems, nautical highways, village halls, basketball courts; We will improve existing drainages, roads, school buildings. This will keep the members of the House happy and content. This is also Our token of gratitude for the House’s blind loyalty.

We believe that we can do better to improve the status quo. Join Us as We lift this kingdom to Great World Status. We will not let anyone stand in Our way to glory and richness. We will not let anyone’s agenda to derail our plans. We are one kingdom under Our glorious reign.y Lords and

We are forwarding for the Parliament’s perusal Our annual budgetary requirements for the coming year. We expect that this Parliament will comply with Our royal requirements.

Lords and members of the House of Reprehensibles, may Mammon’s blessing rest upon your counsels.

Originally published at the other site. You can comment here or there.

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It’s been a while since the last JPop post. So here’s Koike Teppei and Eiji Wentz, aka WaT, singing Toki Wo Koete - Fantastic World. This is a large video, smaller version at the end of the post. I have included the lyrics in Romaji. An English translation of Toki Wo Koete-Fantastic World is also included below.

Toki Wo Koete-Fantastic World
WaT

Ima o ikiru koto ga
Mirai tsukuru no nara
Asu ni kakeru hashi ni narou
Woh woh woh

Asa no hi ni somaru machi
Hajimari o utau kimi
Kizamareru toki no naka
Kimochi wa kasanariau

Nagare yuku hito no nami
Sono naka de bokutachi ga
Meguri au kakuritsu ni
Omoi o hasete mita

Sure chigau hito sorezore ni
Taisetsu ni omou hito ga ite
Boku mo mata (boku mo mata) Kimi to iu(kimi to iu)
Kizuna ni deaetan da

Itsuka tadori tsukeru
Haruka tooi risou e
Kimi to tsunaida te wa hanasainai yo
Hashire! Toki o koete
Egao afureruhodo
Sekaijuu ga kagiyakidasu
Woh woh woh

Sugite yuku nichijo wa
Nareru ma mou nai kurai
Itsudatte ichido kiri
Yarinaoshi wa dekinai kara

Guuzen mo hitsuzen mo
Koeta you na meguri ai
Kimi wa mou kizuite iru
Sono toki ga ima nan da

Kokoro kara wakariau nante
Deki wa shinai to shitte iru kedo
Sou negau (sou negau) Boku ga ite (boku ga ite)
Kimochi wa tomerarenai

Ichiban daiji na mono
Sore ni kizuita toki
Kimi ga ima made yori mo chikaku natte
Hashire! Toki o koete
Egao afureruhodo
Sekaijuu ga kagiyakidasu
Woh woh woh

Itsumo wasurenai de
Itsumo tayasanai de
Kimi no egao ga sekai gaeru kara

Itsuka tadori tsukeru
Haruka tooi risou e
Kimi to tsunaida te wa hanasainai yo
Hashire! Toki o koete
Egao afureruhodo
Sekaijuu ga kagiyakidasu
Woh woh woh

English translation of Toki Wo Koete-Fantastic World by ndhaa

If being alive now
Creates the future
Then I’ll form a bridge to tomorrow
Woh woh woh

The morning sun colors the city
You sing praise for the day’s beginning
As time ticks away
Our emotions are as one

The crowd keeps moving on
Within it we try
To turn our thoughts
To the probability of meeting each other

Every person that passes by
Has someone dear to them
And I too have found
The bond that is you again

*Someday we’ll be able to reach
That faraway ideal
I won’t let go of your hand
Run! Last for all time
The whole world starts to shine
As if it’s overflowing with smiles
Woh woh woh

Each day passes by so quickly
We don’t have time to get used to it
We only get one chance
Because there’s no way to do it over again

Meeting you was more than coincidence
It was more than inevitable
You already know
That moment is now

I know it isn’t possible
To understand each other from the heart
But here I am, wishing for it
And my emotions can’t be stopped

When I realized
What was most important to me
You were closer than ever before
Run! Last for all time
The whole world starts to shine
As if it’s overflowing with smiles
Woh woh woh

Don’t ever forget it
Don’t ever stop it
‘Cause your smile will change the world

(Repeat*)

Originally published at blog @ AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

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Let me allow Owen Meany to express my opinion on the Gloria Arroyo-Roman Catholic Taliban’s stand on family planning:

AND LOOK AT WHAT WE CALL ‘RELIGION’: TURN ON ANY TELEVISION ON ANY SUNDAY MORNING! SEE THE CHOIRS OF THE POOR AND UNEDUCATED - AND THESE TERRIBLE PREACHERS, SELLING OLD JESUS-STORIES LIKE JUNK FOOD. SOON THERE’LL BE AN EVANGELIST IN THE WHITE HOUSE; SOON THERE’LL BE A CARDINAL ON THE SUPREME COURT. ONE DAY THERE WILL COME AN EPIDEMIC - I’LL BET ON SOME HUMDINGER OF A SEXUAL DISEASE. AND WHAT WILL OUR PEERLESS LEADERS, OUR HEADS OF CHURCH AND STATE… WHAT WILL THEY SAY TO US? HOW WILL THEY HELP US? YOU CAN BE SURE THEY WON’T CURE US - BUT HOW WILL THEY COMFORT US? JUST TURN ON THE TV - AND HERE’S WHAT OUR PEERLESS LEADERS, OUR HEADS OF CHURCH AND STATE WILL SAY: THEY’LL SAY, “I TOLD YOU SO!” THEY’LL SAY, “THAT’S WHAT YOU GET FOR FUCKING AROUND - I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO IT UNTIL YOU GET MARRIED.” DOESN’T ANYONE SEE WHAT THESE SIMPLETONS ARE UP TO? THESE SELF-RIGHTEOUS FANATICS ARE NOT ‘RELIGIOUS’ - THEIR HOMEY WISDOM IS NOT ‘MORALITY.’

THAT IS WHERE THIS COUNTRY IS HEADED - IT IS HEADED TOWARDS OVERSIMPLIFICATION. YOU WANT TO SEE A PRESIDENT OF THE FUTURE? TURN ON ANY TELEVISION ON ANY SUNDAY MORNING - FIND ONE OF THOSE HOLY ROLLERS: THAT’S HIM, THAT’S THE NEW MISTER PRESIDENT! AND DO YOU WANT TO SEE THE FUTURE OF ALL THOSE KIDS WHO ARE GOING TO FALL IN THE CRACKS OF THIS GREAT, BIG, SLOPPY SOCIETY OF OURS? I JUST MET HIM; HE’S A TALL, SKINNY, FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD BOY NAMED ‘DICK.’ HE’S PRETTY SCARY. WHAT’S WRONG WITH HIM IS NOT UNLIKE WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE TV EVANGELIST - OUR FUTURE PRESIDENT. WHAT’S WRONG WITH BOTH OF THEM IS THAT THEY’RE SO SURE THEY’RE RIGHT! THAT’S PRETTY SCARY - THE FUTURE, I THINK, IS PRETTY SCARY.

(Taken from A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.)

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Those who are expecting this Supreme Court to overturn Neri v. Senate should wake up. It will never happen.

In a 10-4 decision, the Supreme Court upheld executive privilege, this time on the issue of JPEPA. This decision (not yet available online) comes right after the same court dismissed the case Suplico v. NEDA.

According to the news report, Chief Justice Reynato Puno dissented once again, citing that the public has the right to know.

So what is next for us? Will comment on this when the decision is online. As for me, JPEPA is a treaty, and all its annexes (except for security-related ones) should be open for scrutiny. So is this regime hiding something, again?

Originally published at blog @ AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

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Integrity is one of the words that is hard to define at first, yet it is a word that means positive, a value that most of us wanted to have. It is so abstract that we can’t define it on the first go.

M. Scott Peck defined integrity by contrasting it with the opposite. He cited an example called the Sunday-morning Christian (best exemplified by that Yano song, “Banal na Aso, Santong Kabayo”). He said that our brain is like a cabinet with a lot of drawers, and we tend to open a drawer only when needed. He also said that maintaining one’s integrity is hard because it is a conscious effort and most of the time it causes us pain.

Integrity means sticking to what one believes; it means walking the talk. This is hard, for it can lead to inflexibility. But sacrifice it, and see your principles crumble, see your reputation crumble.

You might say that integrity can’t feed you. True, but that’s the problem, actually. Why sacrifice integrity so that you can eat? Hence we see our politicians switching parties like switching underwear just to win elections; we see officials eating their words just to save their comfortable office seats; we see religious leaders discreetly abandoning their morality to increase their church’s coffers.

And the most unfortunate part of this: we are teaching our children the same.

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Most people think political bloggers are stiff, serious all the time, aloof, ivory-tower-dwelling persons who don’t know how to crack jokes, and who won’t laugh at any jokes. They don’t have the time for frivolous things; they only talk about politics and social issues (and the occasional gossip). The political bloggers have this reputation that somehow turns off (well, not really turn off) some people, and some even shout “nose bleed!” when talking with political bloggers.

But. They are human beings too. They laugh, they cry, they agonize, they take a bath, they eat, they visit the crapper when needed, they breathe the same polluted air.

And to prove that political bloggers are human beings, too, just invite them to videoke. Nothing beats a microphone and a loud sound system blaring YMCA.

So that’s what Ria Jose found out last night when we went to Red Box Greenbelt 3, together with Juned, Fritz, Poyt, Billycoy, Marcelle, Arpee (who went home agad, ander kasi), Markku (with girlfriend), and Jayvee (with girlfriend). Unfortunately for you (and fortunately for me), there are no incriminating evidence. Yet. Anyway, it was a fun night, which was definitely a concert by Marcelle, with occasional assist from anyone. And for the first time, I came home super duper uber late. Lagot ako sa nanay ko.

And thankfully, by mutual consent, there are no videos. Ay, meron yata. Yari ako. Huhuhu.

So there. No wonder a noted political blogger avoids videoke like SARS. I now understand.

Originally published at blog @ AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

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This resignation of SSS President Corazon dela Paz, and the appointment of Romulo Neri as her replacement, gives me the shivers.

The official Fortress line on why she resigned was the usual health reasons, old age, and desire to go back to the private sector - those three, politically-safe reasons for resigning. But this being the Arroyo regime, a resignation is always politically suspect. While she reiterated the reasons for her resignation, dela Paz also cited “confluence of reasons,” which she’d rather keep to herself “at this point.”

Mystery, mystery.

Anyway, the Social Security System is the state-controlled pension fund for private employees. It handles billions of pesos and invests them into several revenue-generating avenues, and pays out retirement pension to its members. It also provides loans to its members.

My problem is Neri’s character. In a PR parlance, he is easy to handle. Remember how he buckled during the NBN-ZTE hearings? He already saw corruption in the eyes, and what did he do?

SSS is a good target for raiding. Remember that during Estrada’s time, Equitable Bank bought the larger PCI Bank with the help of SSS and GSIS funds. And after Estrada’s aborted impeachment trial (no thanks to conspirators), the merged Equitable PCI Bank got into hot water, seeing its stock price dive, making a paper loss to both pension funds. So when Banco de Oro broached the idea of buying EPCIB, some people balked, since both pension funds would have to sell at a price much lower than the price when these funds acquired stakes in EPCIB. And the BDO acquisition was not without controversy, with both fund playing key roles in the deal.

Neri had been director general of the National Economic Development Authority. It is a sensitive and powerful position; the position has the power to doom a big ticket project. As such, it is a prime target of opportunists. On this, Neri had failed. Now, we should expect the same thing to happen when he becomes SSS president.

Ms. dela Paz’s “confluence of reasons” is interesting. I am not ready to buy the health-and-old-age reasons. If it was the case, why did she have to say “confluence of reasons?” Maybe she had enough of Arroyo’s micromanagement skills. And here enters Neri. I will not speculate anymore; I am just afraid that my father’s and my contributions to the fund would be used for nefarious means.

Originally published at blog @ AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

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The Jester-in-Exile was once annoyed by a comment made a reporter, wherein the reporter said that the press (pertaining to the mainstream media) is the gatekeeper of information. It was said matter-of-factly, which reeked of arrogance to some people. Well, if the gatekeeper keeps on goofing up, we should look for a new gatekeeper, no?

Just take a look at this. Information about a murder, massacred by two gatekeepers.

(Click on the image to enlarge, just in case the pages are removed.)

UP prof found dead in Quiapo

High school teacher found dead in Manila apartment

The gatekeepers had just chosen to present us with conflicting information. So much for being gatekeepers.

—

And has the Roman Catholic Church changed its stance regarding family planning?

Just look at this news report. I quote (emphasis mine):

“The life of a person is important, from the moment of conception. The mother’s womb is a sanctuary of life and the mother should fight for the life of her child,” Santos said.

So it is OK to use condoms now, Father Santos?

Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

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Last Thursday, HTC Southeast Asia (HTC SEA) unveiled HTC Touch Diamond to reporters and bloggers at the Renaissance Hotel in Makati. Some pundits dubbed this as HTC’s answer to Apple’s iPhone, and a reporter asked if this is HTC’s iPhone killer. Kevin Hou (pictured, right), Managing Director of HTC SEA answered this question by saying that they are not out to kill anyone or anything. HTC Touch Diamond is being differentiated from the iPhone through its impressive specifications contained within a small phone.

I had an opportunity to touch (bad pun, I know) this phone, and indeed it is small. With dimensions of 102 mm x 51 mm x 11.35 mm (LxWxT) and weight of 110 grams (with battery), it is definitely smaller, thinner, and lighter as compared to Sony Ericsson P1i (my current phone). As I had no camera that day, I wish I could have taken a picture of the two phones side by side. But trust me, it is lightweight, and it is easy to handle (another bad pun).

The back cover has geometric designs on it, shiny, and fingerprint magnet. The front is smooth, shiny, and fingerprint magnet too. The screen is bright in its glorious VGA resolution - an edge against other phones.

This phone incorporates the latest version of HTC’s Touch user interface (UI). Called TouchFLO 3D, I think it is a nice UI to supplement Windows Mobile’s UI. Some people might call the music interface of TouchFLO 3D as CoverFlow ripoff. I haven’t tried CoverFlow though I had seen it, but TouchFLO 3D is a bit different.

Speaking of the UI, it will take getting used to. I have been using touchscreen mobile phones since 2006, and no two touchscreen phones are alike. You will need some time to get used to TouchFLO 3D. It’s intuitiveness is not very apparent at first look, but once you get the hang of it, it works. There’s some lag time at certain places, like viewing a picture full screen. Also, when scrolling on the certain places (like Music or People - the phonebook), the UI seemed to be unresponsive. Maybe that’s just me, or maybe I should have used the stylus. BTW, I like the way the stylus is kept - there’s a magnetic mechanism wherein when you return the stylus, it snaps in.

Quick Specs:

Processor: Qualcomm MSM7201A 528 MHz
Operating System: Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
Memory: ROM: 256 MB, RAM: 192 MB, Internal storage: 4 GB, no external memory slot
Network: Tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, dual band HSDPA/HSUPA/WCDMA
GPS: Internal GPS antenna
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR, A2DP, AVRCP; WiFi 802.11 b/g; mini-USB port
Camera: Back: 3.2 megapixel with autofocus; Front: VGA
Battery: rechargeable Lithium-ion or Lithium-ion polymer
Talk time: up to 270 minutes for WCDMA, 330 minutes for GSM
Standby time: up to 396 hours for WCDMA, 285 hours for GSM

For such specifications, this phone is not cheap. The suggested price is Php 41,800. When asked about the price, Hou said they believe there is market for a phone like this. When someone suggested that HTC should use open source, Hou replied that they do have plans for that (HTC Dream, anyone?), but they also believe in the partnerships that they have forged through the years, and he reiterated their belief that Windows Mobile is a good operating system.

I think HTC Touch Diamond is a good phone, but it is not for your grandparents. However, I am a believer in touchscreen/QWERTY keyboard combo, so if I have the money, I’d rather wait for HTC Touch Pro. Or Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1.

Originally published at blog @ AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

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Typhoon Frank is a PR nightmare for Gloria Arroyo.

She, together with several of her cabinet officers and congressional members went to the United States for a scheduled meeting with US President George W. Bush, plus the usual woo-the-investors and meet-Fiipino-community gabs. Unfortunately, on the eve of her departure, Frank was threatening the country. On the first part of her trip, Frank has already ravaged some parts of the Visayas - Iloilo, for example.

Many people have criticized the regime for the handling of the disaster. Everything went into a mini-frenzy with the MV Princess of the Stars incident, and the outcry over the regime’s action (or inaction) grew. The call for her and her entourage to cut short her trip intensified.

Gloria was in a bind. Should she go home, and see all the goodwill-building meetings go to waste? Or should she stay behind and appear not to care?

Her officials’ handling of the disaster, and their pronouncements, was a disaster in itself.

Just look at Jesus Dureza. He is fast proving to be better than his predecessor Toting Bunye - he can speak/lie with a straight face. The President is very hands-on, he said. Hands-on via teleconference. Yeah, we saw how that went.

That teleconference was another. Desperate to prove that she was doing her job, her publicists opened a teleconference to the media, and it was a disaster. The media had to be shown the door before the fiasco grows.

Here’s what I think. She should hire a good PR agency in the Philippines.

Seriously, she should have went home. GMA cares, remember?

This is a DigitalFilipino.com Club sponsored post.

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Being a Makati boy has its advantages and disadvantages. The biggest disadvantage is that I live in the lakes of Caloocan; travel time is at least an hour if it isn’t rush hour yet. I have to leave at 6:30 AM if I want to arrive at 8 AM. And then there’s the MRT. And then the rush home.

I had been hoping not get employed at Makati, since the cost of working here is high - the food, the travel fare, the costume, the works. So when I got a job offer here, I was consoling myself that I would be lucky enough if the company would match my salary from the previous employer. While the offer did exceed the previous one, the increase was eaten by inflation already. And the EVAT.ha

It has been a week. I think I got the hang of the travel. Mornings: take the MRT. Afternoons: take the bus. Bus is slower, but at least I get to sit, and not engage in wrestling. And smelling arm pits. Yeah, I do get bombarded by fumes, but that’s way better than smelly arm pits, IMHO. And I get to avoid entering Trinoma, which saves my wallet from impending bankruptcy.

The food is very expensive. The cheapest is fifty pesos, delivered to your building in styro. Your food choices are limited by your budget; the smaller, the limited choices you have. Good thing my mom sees the philosophy in bringing packed lunch. She’s the ultimate cheapskate, and I got that from her.

Going back to food: there’s McDonald’s, 7-11, and Mini-Stop downstairs; Starbucks several buildings away; Krispy Kreme, another McDonald’s, and another Starbucks across the street. And I have never been into any of them. Wait. I had been to McDonald’s downstairs and Starbucks several buildings away.

I don’t like smart casual. I like casual. I like going to work in shirts and pants. My morning dress up ritual is simple: just grab what’s on the cabinet. But smart casual has changed that. I should be thankful, though; unlike that rock star who always appears to be selling insurance (kidding, but you get the point).

The irony of my Makati life (so far) is that I know some bloggers who work here, but we haven’t met yet for coffee or merienda. It should be a small world, but we are separated by tall buildings and heated underpasses and US time. And also, Glorietta nor Greenbelt is my tambayan. I don’t get to tambay, since like most grunts, I join the mad rush towards home.

There’s a certain belief than when you work in Makati, you have arrived. Heaven knows what a lie it is. It is an airconditioned purgatory, where men in ties and women in heels (or vice versa) atone for their mistake of even thinking that there is glamor in Makati work.

What I like about Makati is that everywhere you go, there is a bank. Paying bills has always been a good excuse to get off the office. And Smart Tower’s just across Rufino; that’s where I had applied for Smart Bro, and that’s where I had paid my cellphone bill for last month. And The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is just a block away, so spending my GC is not a problem (how to spend it, that’s the problem).

Also, I am forced to walk. I must admit that a month of inactivity (plus eating) has led me to high blood pressure. I am glad to have my forced walk back; it is my online exercise.

Anyway, I am not sure how I will fare as a Makati boy. Indicators are not good at the moment. Seeing people go and hearing others talk about leaving, all at your first week is I think too much for my morale. But people come and go, as they say. But we’ll see.

Originally published at blog @ AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

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Last year, I blogged my choices for the 2007 Top Ten Emerging Influential Blogs at Arbet .LOG (formerly known as The Lonely Vampire Chronicles). I was glad that one of the blogs that I cited made it to last year’s top ten, and now look at him, everyone knows him.

Also, I noted the absence of political blogs in the top ten, and made several conclusions out of the writing project. I also noted that Manuel L. Quezon III is an influential blogger, but his top ten list came in late into the writing project, making little impact. Janette Toral made an interesting tweet, wherein she said that “if MLQ submitted earlier, blogs he cited might got more support.”

So when The 2008 Top Ten Emerging Influential Blogs writing project was announced, that twit came into my mind, and I immediately informed MLQ3 about it. So on week 1, he made his list. Looking at the overall ranking as of week 9, two of the blogs that he cited remain in the top ten. So somehow, Janette’s inference is validated in a way.

There are five more weeks into the project. There are two political blogs in the list, and it is time to add some more to it. Who will be that next influential blogger to cite political blogs?

While I will cite political blogs, I AM NOT THAT INFLUENTIAL BLOGGER. I have no illusions of being an influential blogger, but I do aspire to influence others through blogging. Perhaps Filipino Voices can weigh in? Or some other influential blogger?

Anyway, here is my list, in no particular order (and with no explanation whatsoever):

1. Filipino Voices
2. Fritzified
3. The Mount Balatucan Monitor
4. Smoke
5. The Marocharim Experiment
6. New Philippine Revolution
7. Vera Files
8. Mon Casiple
9. Food Blog for Hungry Bachelors
10. Manila Foodistas

Honorable mention: Teknostik (but it’s goners, sorry)

In case numbers 4 and 5 are disqualified, here are the replacements (in order of preference):

1. Teknostik (if it ever gets back to its feet)
2. You Got Tech
3. Davao Delicious
4. Visit Sagada

PS: If you plan to join this writing project or if your list is incomplete, can you please consider Food Blog for Hungry Bachelors? KTHXBAI

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If you find yourself charged with a crime, it is best that you know what to do, what your rights are, and how to protect yourself.

First, know what to do. It helps to be calm at all times, and be logical. It cannot be helped if you feel afraid when the law enforcers knock at your doors - that feeling may give the false impression that you are hiding something. When cops ask you questions, stick to what you know, and don’t add anything else. This applies if you are not being arrested. If that is the case, see the next paragraph.

Second, know your rights. Ask for a warrant of arrest. Let them state the Miranda doctrine. Ask for a lawyer before you start answering their questions.

Third, protect yourself. You can do this by finding a good lawyer. If you live in Los Angeles, you can look for good Los Angeles Criminal Lawyers | California Criminal, DUI Defense lawyers.

Remember, always keep your cool.

Originally published at blog @ AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

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Here are the news:

Pacquiao KOs Diaz in 9th round, wins fourth world title
Pacquiao stops Diaz at 9th, wins WBC belt

Chavit Singson must be happy now. And the presidential junket should go home now and attend to their constituents.

Biggest winners:

* The government officials who couldn’t cancel their trip to go home because they bought expensive tickets to the boxing fight
* Those who bet for Pacquiao - that mayor who built his fortune on betting on Pacquiao must be quite happy
* GMA 7 for the sheer number of ads
* Gloria Arroyo (I will not be surprised if one of these days, we would see Gloria and Manny touring the places devastated by Frank)
* Manny Pacquiao

Biggest losers

* The victims of typhoon Frank, who couldn’t be attended to by government officials who wouldn’t cancel their US trip, all because it was scheduled long ago, and Frank wasn’t scheduled to come
* David Diaz (better luck next time)
* Those who bet on Diaz

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Attended last Friday’s Buhay Coke ng Blogger’s Party at Taste Asia, which is at the SM Hypermarket, SM Mall of Asia. Before that, I took a walk, savored the cool breeze, and saw my attempts to find a network attached storage fail miserably. The tech shops at MoA were disappointing and uninviting.

One queen famously said “After us, the deluge.” Well, I dunno if there was a queen before the event, but indeed there was a deluge of Coke Zero. For the record, I had two cans that night, a personal record. I dunno, I find Coke Zero to be lacking in sweetness. Maybe that’s just me, since another blogger told me that he found Coke Zero to be sweeter than regular Coke.

Memorable moments:

* For the first time (finally), I get to be a volunteer for Marcelle’s magic. Either I am not a good liar, or he’s a shaman.

* Shari’s “scary moment” turned out to be an elaborate Punk’d. So says Marcelle. BTW, go read her blog post about the youth’s involvement (or non-involvement) in politics and governance.

* The Jester-in-Exile’s attempts to appear as an angel. MONUMENTAL FAIL, translating Dra. Tess‘ comments in LOLspeak. And their attempt to make me violate my own curfew. Me=fail.

* Jeff almost slumping down, due to being awake for 24 hours. Seriously, you should see it. Like this one.

* Fritz making good his promise to be whoop-ass P&S photographer. Seriously, just take a look.

* Juned’s bad-ass, it-could-kill lense. Which played well with his scary mask. Take a look at the casualties. Fritz is partly to blame for some of the casualties.

* The Manila Foodistas came in full force. Tiff was mighty proud of her figure. Jeff, Josh, and I saw no difference, really. Kidding!

* Loads of Bloggers Da Who moments, but I’ll leave that for AJ to chronicle.

Kudos to self-confessed Coke addict Aileen Apolo for a blast of an event. You can find other blog posts about the event listed in her blog.

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Last Tuesday, June 24, bloggers trooped to The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf at Bonifacio High Street for a workshop about Flash Creativity. The workshop was divided into three topics - creative writing, photography, and short film - and bloggers were allowed to choose what topic they could attend.

The subject matter experts are all respected and known in their fields:

Dean Francis Alfar
If anybody can teach you about writing it’s Dean Alfar. With nine Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature under his belt - including the Grand Prize for his novel Salamanca as well as the Manila Critics’ Circle National Book Awards for the graphic novels Siglo: Freedom and Siglo: Passion and the Philippines Free Press Literary Award – Dean’s writing can express something truer than the truth which is the story.

Mike Cabardo
Explaining to someone what having an eye means is to show them the works of Mike Cabardo. This director, producer and owner of Salt Lab Creative - a motion picture and video production company specializing in creative broadcast video, film, animation and graphic design – is the visionary behind the lens of ADJECTIVE music videos Sabihin Mo by Hemp Republic, Kitchie Nadal’s Run and TL Ako Sa’yo as well as Drip’s In-Between Live.

Jay Tablante
His images will amaze you, but his passion will inspire you. Jay Tablante started out as a photographer tagging along his high school magazine’s editor with a throwaway camera, but now thanks to his tireless perseverance and unique style and inventiveness that suffuses his work, Jay quickly found himself an accomplished photographer that he fervently describes as someone who will live and die by the camera for the rest of his days.

After thirty minutes of lecture and iced tea, the bloggers were let loose in the Boni High Street expanse to put what they have learned in practice. Those who attended the short film workshop made funny videos using mobile phones and point-and-shoot cameras, and with little to no editing, the videos were funny and creative. Budding photographers were to take ten pictures using any camera - mobile phone, point-and-shoot, and DSLR. While the two groups were busy milling around for their shots, those who attended creative writing were seated and hunched at their tables, some staring at nowhere, trying to compose words and put them into writing.

At the end of frantic flash creativity sessions, the fruits of the bloggers’ flash creativity were read or viewed, and three written works, three photos, and all the videos were awarded prizes.

The host took this opportunity to invite everyone to join its What’s Your Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Story? contest. What’s your coffee bean and tea leaf story? Log onto www.whatsyourcoffeebeanandteafstory.com for more information.

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After the medical exam last Friday, I was distraught. For the first time, I have high blood pressure.
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I had a medical exam last February, and my blood pressure was 130/80. Last Friday, three different nurses took my BP each: 140/90, 150/90, and 150/80. I got a sermon from the doctor who made the physical examination (valid excuse for molestation he he), telling me to avoid oily, salty, sweet food - basically all of them. The doc wanted me to starve to death!

Anyway, I am distraught. After all, I have just started delving into food blogging, and then this.

What a one month hiatus can do to your health.

Tomorrow, I will be a Makati boy officially. That means more MRT woes, and double them (since I would be taking the MRT both ways now). As exercise, I promise to walk from the PBCOM Tower to the Ayala MRT Station.

Oh well, wish me luck.

Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

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So last Friday I went to the Microwar