Today is National Coffee Day

I'm still wondering why is there an even such as this one =P. But anyway, read below especially to you coffee lovers like myself XD.

Taken from Google

Rejoice Coffee Lovers!!! Today is the day that all coffee lovers do enjoy, The National Coffee Day as 111 million of coffee drinkers around the world consuming more than 440 billion cups of joe every year. And the numbers keep increasing. In the Philippines actually, some would consume at least two cups of coffee a day (at times, I drink 3 cups in a single day). The constant sprout of coffee shops from each corner of each mall from different municipalities is a living proof that we do really love the good taste of coffee.

Want to know more about this event, Check some details here, here, here, here, here and here

Let have a cup shall we? XD

The greatest sacrifice a mother could give

Ive seen this post several times in facebook and everytime I read this post, I couldn't help it but feel like crying. I couldn't recall when this event had happen. It could be last March 2011 during Japan was hit by a strong tsunami, who knows. As a parent, I'll will do anything to ensure my daughter's survival even if it would cost me my own life and I know all parents would do the same thing to protect their child.

This is a true story of Mother’s Sacrifice during the Japan Earthquake.
 

Taken from Google

After the Earthquake had subsided, when the rescuers reached the ruins of a young woman’s house, they saw her dead body through the cracks. But her pose was somehow strange that she knelt on her knees like a person was worshiping; her body was leaning forward, and her two hands were supporting by an object. The collapsed house had crashed her back and her head.

With so many difficulties, the leader of the rescuer team put his hand through a narrow gap on the wall to reach the woman’s body. He was hoping that this woman could be still alive. However, the cold and stiff body told him that she had passed away for sure.

He and the rest of the team left this house and were going to search the next collapsed building. For some reasons, the team leader was driven by a compelling force to go back to the ruin house of the dead woman. Again, he knelt down and used his had through the narrow cracks to search the little space under the dead body. Suddenly, he screamed with excitement,” A child! There is a child! “

The whole team worked together; carefully they removed the piles of ruined objects around the dead woman. There was a 3 months old little boy wrapped in a flowery blanket under his mother’s dead body. Obviously, the woman had made an ultimate sacrifice for saving her son. When her house was falling, she used her body to make a cover to protect her son. The little boy was still sleeping peacefully when the team leader picked him up.

The medical doctor came quickly to exam the little boy. After he opened the blanket, he saw a cell phone inside the blanket. There was a text message on the screen. It said,” If you can survive, you must remember that I love you.” This cell phone was passing around from one hand to another. Every body that read the message wept. ” If you can survive, you must remember that I love you.” Such is the mother’s love for her child!!

Lunch at Bertings

Last Sunday after my wife picked-up her dress for her friend's wedding last Monday, we head straight to Tomas Morato cor Sct Rallos to have lunch at Berting's Grill. For a change, we wanted to sample some unique Filipino food and at the same time, spend more time with my family. Though there is also another branch located in Ortigas, being closed on a Sunday, we made a good choice in going to their other branch. 

Bertings Grill

We got there at around 12:00pm or so though I noticed that the place wasn't jam-packed on a Sunday noon. That's a good thing for me because I prefer to have the place to ourselves and take good pictures without annoying anyone =P. After placing our order, we made ourselves comfortable and took out my camera to take pictures (again XD).

Food was served just in time and they served everything at once. Our empty table turned into a fiesta with the four dishes we ordered.  

A feast for two adults and a baby. XD

Our baby got busy XD

First off, we had Baked Tahong (240 pesos). First, I never knew they would serve as much tahong as they could as I only imagine we would get 10-12 pieces. But we had 500 grams or more than 20 shells of tahong that took us a while before we emptied our plate. For beer lovers and hard drinkers, this one is highly recommended. 

Baked Tahong

Crispy Dory (225 pesos) was served next to our table. I like the way it was cooked and its pretty crunchy on the outside. The extra sidings and the dip really helped in making this dish excel. For its price, it can feed two to three people but I don't think they are willing to share it with one another. XD

Crispy Dory

Then, the Crispy Kare-Kareng Pata (485 pesos for regular) was served next. This is my first time to have a kare kare which I had to assemble from the veggies to the meat down to their peanut sauce. It has the crunch of a crispy pata most would agree which was complemented with steamed vegetables.  If only their peanut sauce had more generous servings, this would have been my top dish hands down.  

Crispy Kare-Kareng Pata

Krispy Kare-Kareng Pata from another view

And lastly, the Hero of the day, our one-half Lechon Manok (180 pesos). I'm not sure if its just me but I didn't taste any special with the chicken. Yes it tastes good even without dipping it in liver sauce but that's the way I like to eat my lechon manok. My wife noticed it too as we didn't touch much of the portion. 

Lechon Manok

At the end of our meal, we got really full with the amount of food they served us and we had to take some out. Their food is really good and servings were pretty much okay though there is really nothing much about it to brag about (probably its what we had ordered). But still, we will visit Berting's anytime of the day for some chow and grub and to try their other dishes as well.

The week that was (September 18 - 24)

Sunday: I got up at past 9:00am as my body felt so weak after a weeks work. But still, I got to pack my things and head for San Pedro. I got there after 2 hours and started putting my stuff from my bag to their respective cabinets. For lunch, I went to Tudings to enjoy the old porkchop meals I used to have a few years back. I was able to get some rest and sort thigs before going back home to Manila. I got back after 2 hours and started helping my wife online. Then my wife told me that Migmig was running out of milk. So I head out and buy milk for her so her supply would be available. I went online until past 1:00am.

Monday: I got up at 7:00am as my mom texted me saying she's at our place. My mom got to our place pretty quick but Migmig was still sleeping. We went upstairs to see her and she got awake. She was in a good mood to play with her grandmother for a few minutes before my mom left to attend a meeting in the office. Then they went back to sleep as I prepared our things since its our baby's check-up at the hospital that day.We left at past 11:00am and got there at probably almost 12:30pm. When we got there, we were #34 and they have just finished patient #17. We decided to have our lunch at CBTL located at the next building (I might create a separate blog for this). When we got back an hour later, they have finished patient #26. We waited inside the clinic instead and just goofed around. Thank God Migmig was at her most cheerful mood as her check-up went very smooth. She just gained 0.2kg. but it was just normal as what her doctor said. After her check-up, we went home right away as we spend almost 4 hours at the hospital. I took a few minutes rest before going to SM Manila to buy Migmig's cake. When I got back, I helped my wife and at the same time, take Migmig's picture with her cake. I went online until past midnight before going to bed.

Tuesday: I got up at 8:00am and set-up our laptop to edit Migmig's pictures. while editing, I noticed some of the pictures were missing but I was able to do something about it. By 10:30am, I did some errands before getting ready for work. I left at past 12:30pm as I got to spend some more time with Migmig. An hour later, I got to the office. Work was quite steady as I got to answer several emails to process as well as two calls. Work was quite steady until my shift ended at 11:00pm. I got home an hour later and spend more time with my family before hitting the sack. 

Wednesday: At 6:00am, my eyes were already open but I still wanted to get 2 more hours of sleep but unfortunately, I wasn't able to get some more. I lift my butt at 8:00am as I started editing pictures again. I got to do some quick fixes and so far, most of Migmig's pictures got better after doing some global enhancements. By 10:30am, I went out to have brunch as there was no food cooked at home. Then, I prepared my things for work as I left early at 12:00pm. I got in the office early but the bad news was, our phone lines were down as were using a temporary phone (good news for me XD). Still, we got to work on some emails but there were few to almost no calls during my shift. I left the office at past 11:00pm and got home a few minutes past midnight. Migmig was at her crib playing while her mom was online. I got to spend some more time with them before going to bed.

Thursday: Got up at 8:00am even if I still feel sleepy (I slept at past 2:00am). Instead of editing pictures, I went online as well as transfer newly edited pictures from our laptop to my USB. Migmig got up early and in a good mood as she played with her parents. Her mom put her to sleep only to get up an hour later. Then it was off to work for me as I got in the office in the nick of time. I checked some of my online pages before going to work. Well work was quite slow as I got to watch some documentary films on youtube. By 11:00pm, I logged my PC off and went straight home. But before that, I stopped by Mercury Drug in Shaw Blvd to buy milk for my wife. When I got home, my baby was still awake and cheerful. We spend some time before putting her to sleep (and so are we).

Friday: I got up at almost 8:00am. Still sleepy, I went to my mom at Harrison Plaza to hand some stuff to her. I got back home an hour later to watch TV. It was a pretty lazy morning that I was moving at a slow pace. My wife and baby got up at past noon thinking it was only 8:00am XD. I left home early but I got in the office 10 minutes late    I've been too pre-occupied with a lot of things in the office which prevents me to compose my thoughts and put them here. Work and non-work related things kept me at bay in updating here plus thinking of entries to put in here. My PC crashed all of a sudden so I had to boot it up again for almost 30 minutes O.O. Work was quite steady by night time falls. I went out to have lasagna from Banapple which tastes good.After my shift, I went straight home but not without passing through the drugstore again to buy some vitamins for my wife. When I got home, my baby was wide awake as she just got up a few minutes past midnight. I told my wife the details of our possible transaction this coming Sunday for my soon to be 24-105 lens from Canon. I'm so excited I can't wait for that day XD.

Saturday: I got up at past 8:00am which I was suppose to get up 2 hours early. I got myself ready, took my camera bag together with some stuff and went to SM Megamall to check on the exhibit which is a tribute to former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. I got there early so I took a quick bite at Jollibee. Then there was an old couple who wanted to share a seat with me and I obliged. It seems that she's hungry while her partner kept on telling her to eat-up. After my quick meal, I went to SM Megamall which was about to open. I passed by National Bookstore to get some envelopes for my stuff before going to the exhibit. To my disappointment, I didn't see that exhibit anywhere. Probably it has already ended and moved to a different location. Before going to Makati, I bought a new umbrella since I've been wanting to buy a bigger one for a long time and its raining outside as well. When I got to Makati, I went to World Topps to have my early lunch there but the guy said that they wont open until 2:00pm. I guess I had to go to the office early again and went online early. By 2:30pm, I went back to World Topps to have my late lunch there (I'll create a separate blog for this). It was a long lunch I went back in the office at almost 4:00pm (being a Saturday). I got two calls during my shift and both of them were password resets (piece of cake! XD). I made reservations at Berting's Grill for lunch there the next day and we were well taken care of. At 9:30pm, I went out to but some Zinger meal for me at KFC before my shift ended. I went home right away but I took the bus instead of taking a cab to save me some money. I got home an hour later and got to spend time with my family before going to bed.

Celebrating FaMEALy day 2011

Taken from Google

When I was a kid, I remember my dad calling us for dinner. Everyone must be on the dining table by dinner so we could share our day to day experience with one another. Every dinner back then was really fun was we share laughs while we enjoy our meal cooked by my mom with tender loving care. We usually enjoy it best during weekends as all of us contribute to make our dinner/lunch more memorable. Dinner won't start in our home unless all of us are seated on the table.

Also, whenever we go out shopping back then, we make sure to have dinner together outside (we choose the restaurant) and enjoy those moments. My dad usually takes us out to Shakey's to enjoy a whole pizza and a few pieces of chick n' chips to cap our day before going home. During holidays (Christmas, New Year, Fiestas), we get to eat with our other relatives as we share our stories to one another.

Now, since we have our own lives now, its very seldom we eat together (the last time was during Migmig's baptismal party at Max's). I felt a bit sad because I missed having dinner with my family. Even now that I live with my in-laws, they hardly (or probably not at all) eat all at the same time during dinner. Almost all the time, work is the main reason why we don't eat dinner all at the same time.

For generations, the family meal has been an essential human ritual. This is the time when members of the family sit around the same table, eat the same food and listen to one another. It is a sad fact that many Filipino families are now taking mealtimes for granted. All kinds of social, economic, and technological factors contributed to the decline in the frequency of family dining. With both parents working, longer commutes, and the children shuttling between school and after-school activities like sports or choir practices or attached to their screens or phones at home, family members have to eat at their own time, with no routine, with no rules.

Through the untiring efforts of Lucky Me!, the first National FaMEALy Day – Araw ng Pagkilala na Kainang Pamilya Mahalaga was launched in 2008. FaMEALy Day became a nationwide call to celebrate family dining every 4th Monday of September as supported through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed between the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the National Committee for Filipino Families (NCFF). Last September 30, 2009, Presidential Proclamation 1895 was issued declaring the commemoration of the Filipino Family Day every 4 th Monday of September. Coincidentally, National FaMEALy Day coincides with the first day of DSWD’s National Family Week.

While Lucky Me! has embraced the advocacy as its own, through the annual celebration of National FaMEALy Day, it also envisions for the advocacy to have a “life of its own”, able to ground and spread itself more and more, even independently of the brand.

Though me and my wife won't be able to have dinner with Migmig on that day (we'll attend a wedding that day), We will make sure that as she grows up, we will have dinner altogether one way or another. Thank God someone created the Famealy Day for us to spend some more time with our loved ones over dinner.

20 Things You Didn't Know About Nirvana's Nevermind Album

On September 24, 1991, Nirvana’s album, Nevermind, was released. One of the most influential albums of the past two decades, it ushered in a new sound that shed the gloss of the 80s, and singlehandedly defined a generation. I was only in grade 6 back then as well as I wasn't musically inclined that time until I got to listen to their songs back in 1994.

The Album Cover 20 Years Ago

The success of Nevermind paved the way for Seattle grunge bands like Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, and Soundgarden, and its influence can still be felt to this day. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of this seminal album, we’ve compiled a list of things you might not know about the album that changed it all.

1. Nevermind wasn’t Kurt Cobain’s first choice for the album title. It was actually supposed to be called Sheep.

2. Dave Grohl wasn’t the only drummer on the album. Ex-Nirvana member Chad Channing, who was Nirvana’s drummer for their previous album Bleach, played the drums on the song “Polly.”

3. Inspiration for Nirvana’s biggest hit came from a line of graffiti Bikini Kill frontwoman Kathleen Hanna wrote on a wall, which read “Kurt smells like Teen Spirit.” It was meant to tease Kurt who was then dating Tobi Vale, also from Bikini Kill, who used Teen Spirit deodorant. 

4. Sales of the deodorant Teen Spirit skyrocketed after the album was released.

5. Cobain said that playing "Molly's Lips" with The Vaselines at the Reading Festival, which was a few days after shooting the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video, was one of the greatest moments of his life.   

6. Kurt brought Frances Bean’s (his daughter) toys for the recording of “Drain You.”

7. The opening lines, “One baby to another said I’m lucky to have met you” in the song “Drain You” were actual words then-girlfriend Tobi Vail had spoken to Kurt Cobain.

8. Most of the songs in Nevermind were written about Tobi Vail. Although “Lithium” was written prior to meeting Vail, he re-wrote the song to reference her.  

9. There are only three chords used in the song “Territorial Pissings”: A5, F5, and D5. 

10. The baby on the cover of Nevermind is Spencer Elden, and has since joked that he’s “the world’s biggest porn star” since so many people have seen his penis. In 2008, Spencer recreated the cover image, although this time he kept his shorts on. 

11. Cobain’s original idea for the album cover was a photograph of a baby’s head as it began its exit from the vagina but was rejected when he tried to get the license for the photo.

12. The song “In Bloom” was written for Cobain’s best friend Dylan Carson, lead singer of the band Earth, and who, three years later, would buy Cobain the shotgun he'd use to end his life.  

13. The song “Breed” is a re-write of the song “Imodium”, which was inspired by Tad Doyle of the band Tad, who had intestinal problems. 

14. There are two versions of the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video. You can watch the original cut of the video here:

15. They hired photographer Michael Lavine for the band photos. Before the shoot, Kurt hugged Lavine and showed him his gum infection, which was the unfortunate result of infrequent toothbrushing. Lavine is also known for having photographed other grunge-era bands White Zombie, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Monster Magnet, Sonic Youth and The Flaming Lips, as well as the cover for Notorious B.I.G.'s Life After Deathalbum.

16. Before performing “Smells Like Teen Spirit” on a live British television show, Cobain declared, “Courtney Love, the lead singer of the sensational pop group Hole, is the best fuck in the world.”  Check it out at the 1:00 mark of the video below.

17. Three months after Nevermind’s release, on Christmas Eve of 1991, Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love were still living in a tiny room at their friend’s apartment. 

18. A week before Nevermind hit number one on the charts, Cobain overdosed on drugs. Courtney Love found him lying on the floor at 7 AM, the morning after he performed on Saturday Night Live, and revived him by splashing him with water and punching him in the stomach. 

19. The album’s only F-bomb can be heard, though barely, on the song “Lounge Act”. 

20. After performing “Territorial Pissings” on Saturday Night Live, Cobain and Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic began french kissing. Needless to say the network refused to air the footage on reruns.

If you want to watch some of its video (where I got this), you may check FHM's website.Also, MTV has its say with Nevermind 20 years later.

Late Lunch at World Topps

I just got here after my late lunch at World Topps in Valero and I must say its worth every cent that I spent. I got there at around 2:30pm as my voucher from Ensogo states I could only get the deal between 2:00pm to 6:00pm. I am the only customer inside as its a Saturday (most people are having their rest days).

While waiting for my order, I tried taking some snaps of the place (though it was dimly lit) to have my wife see it. One by one, my food came and I can't wait to chow them down but not after taking some decent photos of them.

First that came to my table was the World Topps Nachos (160 pesos). Probably you think that its just your usual nachos but its loaded with melted cheese and ground beef. It can be a meal itself. While taking my time on the nachos, they have already served me my Sisig Topps (150 pesos). Though it tastes good, I find it a bit ordinary for me. But it still tastes good XD.

For dessert, I had both The American Mango Crumble (95 pesos) and Turon ala mode 95 pesos). I liked them both as both of them have ice cream on it. The sweetness of turon was just right though the mango crumble was a little bit on the sourish side.

 

On a budget, I would recommend World Topps to anyone especially those working in Makati.

The Baby is now a Lady (The life of Frances Bean Cobain)

Have you ever wondered how Kurt Cobain's daughter look like years after his death. I had no idea as time passed by and life goes on. Not until now. 

Kurt, Courtney and Little Frances Bean

Frances Bean, now 19 years old

A friend of mine posted an article regarding Kurt Cobain's daughter all grown up. Time really flies so fast that I remember Kurt carrying little Frances Bean on his arms before his untimely death in 1994 (I was only 15 years old back then). More than fifteen years have past, she surfaces as a young fine lady (Frances Bean Cobain, 19 years old) taking little step at a time. 

She has a resemblance of her dad Kurt

Born August 18, 1992, to Kurt and his wife and fellow grunge rocker Courtney Love, Frances Bean's name was a tribute to the singer/guitarist of an obscure Scottish rock band the couple adored (Frances McKee of the Vaselines) as well as stemming from Kurt's impression that his daughter looked like a "kidney bean" in ultrasounds.

 Little Frances all grown-up

No longer resembling a kidney bean -- but eerily evoking both of her famous parents simultaneously -- the rock 'n' roll daughter is just beginning to step into the limelight as a model. Her piercing eyes, striking dark looks and tattooed back were highlighted in a recent series of black and white photos taken by renowned fashion photographer Hedi Slimane. 

An artist in her own right

Ms. Cobain's interests extend well beyond fashion, though. In keeping with the philosophy inked across her back ("Art is the solution to chaos"), Frances Bean premiered a collection of drawings last year in Los Angeles. She also provided backup vocals on a track recorded by the unusual indie band Evelyn Evelyn (a male/female duo who pretend to be conjoined twin sisters onstage). She even interned at Rolling Stone during the summer of 2008.

Photo: Courtesy of Hedi Slimane's Diary

To read the entire article, you may find them here, and here . 

Is there a possibility that she would do a remake of her dad's songs in Nervermind? Who knows.

Benefits of Drinking Water on an Empty Stomach

Ive found this article while waiting for my photos to upload. I might try it one of these days as aside from I would benefit from it physically, I could save money for food XD. 

Anyway, just read below as I got it from here.

It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven  its value. We publish below a description of use of water for our readers. For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases:
 

Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningitis, kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT
 

1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml glasses of water
2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minute
3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.
4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours

5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day.
6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.

The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure/control/reduce main diseases:
 

1.      High Blood Pressure (30 days)
2.      Gastric (10 days)
3.      Diabetes (30 days)
4.      Constipation (10 days)
5.      Cancer (180 days)
6.      TB (90 days)
7.      Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in the 1st week, and from 2nd  week onwards – daily.

This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.

It is better if we continue this and make this procedure as a routine work in our life. Drink Water and Stay healthy and Active.
    
This makes sense … The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals …not cold water. Maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating!!! Nothing to lose, everything to gain…

For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you.
It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal.  However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion.  

Once this “sludge” reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine.
 

Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.
  
A serious note about heart attacks:

·         Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting,
·         Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.
·         You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack.
·         Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms.
·         60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up.
·         Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let’s be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive…

Now, lets drink to that... on an empty stomach. XD

Martial Law: 39 years after

While today is the International Day of Peace, it was also the day former President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law. It was an of military rule by military authorities meant to maintain national order and security. It was also a time that no one is above the law and anyone who oppose were dealt with to the full extent of the law. Prominent people from the media, and politics who were against martial law were not spared. Thousands have died and more have gone missing.

Some may say that life became better after martial law, but others say it has gone for the worse. Saying its economy was the result of the post martial law era.

Taken from fhm.com.ph

Depicted from the picture above, you should know by now that there is no right or wrong here. Its up to you what to believe in.

BAD for Peace (International Day of Peace)

Taken from Google

Well actually, its good to have peace here especially if its BAD (Blogger's Action Day) for peace. First celebrated in September 21, 1981, its aim is to bring peace throughout nations, regions and to everyone. Since its inception, Peace Day has marked our personal and planetary progress toward peace. It has grown to include millions of people in all parts of the world, and each year events are organized to commemorate and celebrate this day. Events range in scale from private gatherings to public concerts and forums where hundreds of thousands of people participate. 

 

Taken from Google

Let spread peace and love to one another. Its free anyway XD. 

Learn more about the International Day of Peace here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

The week that was (September 11 - 17)

Sunday: Got up a bit late as I cancelled all of my supposed to "lakwatsa" and stayed home to be with my wife and baby. We did some aircon maintenance before going to mass at 5:00pm. After mass, my wife went online as I went out to buy her some vitamins. As I got back home, I took our laptop down so my wife could watch TV and go online at the same time and help her in any way I can. We slept at past 1:30am as I got tired and weary XD

Monday: Me and my wife got up early as we need to go to my wife's couturier for her fitting. We left home at 10:00am as we took Migmig with us We were able to hail a cab quickly and got to the place earlier than expected. My wife's session was pretty quick as I hold Migmig with me while she's sleeping. After her fitting, I took them to Il Terrazo to have our lunch at The Real Thing Diner (I'll create a separate blog for this). After more than 2 hours, we took a cab and head home. By 2:00pm, were back as my wife and baby took a nap while I'm transferring some of our pictures from my camera to our laptop. I wasn't able to do some editing as I felt a bit sleepy as well. Instead, I watched TV before going out to go online at a nearby internet cafe for two hours to update some of my games on facebook and update my blogs. Later in the evening, I got to assist my wife with all her needs as she took care of our baby fully. I slept at almost 2:00am as I went online again XD.

Tuesday: I got up at almost 8:00am and started my day by editing some old photos that I took of Migmig and from my 2010 pictures. At 9:30am, everyone was tuned in to the Miss Universe 2011 Live at Sao Paolo, Brazil with a special delayed telecast from ABS-CBN channel 2. After the pageant, it was rush mode for me in getting ready for work. I had lunch at food extreme which I got full, plus I ordered viands to go so I could eat it at night. I got in the office with plenty of time to spare as I even passed by Watson's to buy my wife's need. Work was a bit slow as I got few emails and some calls from the US. I logged-off at 11:30pm and I got home at past midnight as my wife and baby were still up. Then my baby cried all of a sudden as it turns out she's hungry (last feeding time was 10:00pm). We fed her before all of us went to bed.

Wednesday: I got up at around 8:00am to edit some of the pictures I took more than a year ago XD. I was able to have lunch at home before preparing for work. I got to the office at around 1:30pm as I was able to do other things aside from work. By 4:00pm, I went out to do some transactions for my wife after doing another request from LatAm (Latin America). I answered several email requests as I browsed some of the websites I usually visit. For dinner, I had Lechon Kawali and Munggo. It was a satisfying dinner as work is beginning to get light (phones are already with the US team). After work, I went straight home to be with my wife and baby which were still up when I got home. I went online for a few more minutes before finally joining them in bed.

Thursday: I got up at almost 8:00am as I went to Harrison Plaza to meet my mom there and hand her some stuff. I took a cab going back home as I feel dizzy. When I got home, I was able to watch TV before doing some errands for my wife. I left early for work and had lunch outside. For some reason, I didn't have the appetite to eat lunch as I ordered a cup of rice and meatball soup (my usual order consist of a cup and a half of rice, a serving of vegetable and a serving of either meat, chicken or fish). When I got to the office, my body still feel distant with me as I tried my best to concentrate. Thank God work wasn't that heave as I got to do other things I left the office at almost 11:30pm and got home an hour later. Migmig was at her cheerful self and I got to spend more time with her before going to bed.

Friday: I got up at past 9:30am as Migmig was already awake and playing. My wife asks me to take her down with me so she could have fresh air. We went down and spend some quality time. After feeding her, I took her back to her mom and I went out to buy vitamins for my baby girl. When I got back, I prepared for work as I fixed my 2 bags. My wife told me that the sales rep from canon called her and told her that the of the lens that were planning to purchase was higher than the one agreed upon. I left home at 12:30pm and got in the office 15 minutes before 2:00pm. Work was quite steady as I got some emails to attend to. Our temporary helpdesk member just signed a 6-month contract which means our shift won't fall short of man power. At 4:00pm, I went to the Enterprise Center to do some bank transactions for my wife (deposit) My wife was convinced that we should look for another seller for the lens that we're planning to buy. All I need now is to review the feedback given to the online seller that I discovered. I left the office at around 11:30pm and took a cab to get home as soon as I can. When I got home, I gave the passbook to her but she got a little bit upset. She was expecting that our account should be more than what she was expecting but it was a few thousand pesos short. She got mad at me telling that I don't know how to budget. She should have realized that I've been the one taking care of our finances for the past few months since Migmig was born and everytime she needs something, I make sure to buy it no questions asked even if I don't have money left (from my salary). I really hate it when we argue about money. I know its a necessity but for every money spent, money will be earned from diligence and hard work. We went to bed early but it turns out that Migmig still wants to play until 2:00am.

Saturday: I got up a bit late at almost 8:00am. With little energy left, I prepared myself to have breakfast at Sugarleaf at around 9:30am. I took the next bus bound for Ortigas and got there early (I'll create a separate blog for this). Then, it was off to SM Megamall for me until I changed my mind halfway though. My spirit is willing but my body is weak as I don't feel 100 good. I got in the office at around 12:00pm as my colleagues were surprised I got to do some updates and upload an updated picture of Migmig that I shot a few houurs earlier. Still, I didn't feel well that I decided not to attend the autograph signing of Lovi Poe at Robinson's Galeria. Its the 5th time I didn't attend FHM's Autograph Signing and for some reason, I didn't feel any regret. I went out to have my early dinner at World Topps but it happened to be closed when I got there so I went to NSG (National Sports Grill) instead and used my other voucher. For my second visit, I was full and satisfied as their servings were really huge. I got back in the office at almost 7:00pm and was able to fully cover the 2nd half of the shift while doing other things XD. I got a call about an update of an outage in one of the sites in the US. At almost 11:30pm, it was time for me to go home to be with my family. Both my wife and my baby were still up and we spent more time before going to sleep.

Today is Software Freedom Day Philippines 2011

Taken from Google

Today is Software Freedom Day here in the Philippines. It is a yearly event that promotes software freedom or the use of free and open-source software ranging from your operating system to applications that are used everyday at work and at home for business and educational purpose.

Thie event is organized by the Computer Professionals' Union (CPU), a nation-wide organization of ICT professionals, students and advocates united in Advancing ICT for the People. Its primary mission is to  promote FOSS as an alternative to proprietary software solutions in the industry. In 2010, SFD Phils promoted SFD as a tool for social change in education, advocacy and entrepreneurship.

For a country like ours, the affordability viability of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) is very much important as more than half of the IT population don't have the resources to buy licensed software (hence some resort to piracy). The event also showcase to the world that IT can exist event with the absence of patents and monopolistic copyrights (that sometimes cripple ones finances).

As years pass, the number of participants increase as it expands to as high as 700 (and still growing). It is proof that more and more people are becoming aware and educated about software freedom and open-source software.

I may not have attended today's event. But my support for a free and open-source software will always be there. And besides who doesn't want free software right? XD.

For more information about the Software Freedom Day, you may visit their link.

An Organic Breakfast at Sugar Leaf

Healthy is the new Cool! XD

Up to this point, I am still full even hours after I had late breakfast at Sugarleaf. I have been planning to start eating healthy even way back. However, I couldn't do it constantly as my impressions of having organic diet into my system were expensive and tastes bland. However, my perception on organic diet changed after trying some of their food on the menu using my voucher from Cashcash Pinoy. Located at the heart of Wilson Street, Sugarleaf offers healthy alternative to eating as they practice organic.

 Cozy interiors

It took me a while to locate this place as it was partially hidden. When I got in, I was invited to a surrounding that is not stressful and not tiring to the eyes. Instead, I was surrounded with greens. From their products, up to what was written on the board, The surroundings already nourished my eye. The question was will my mind and body be nourished as well?

See my bag? XD

My food took at least 10-12 minutes as the prepare it from scratch. I took out my camera and try to take some snapshots as quietly as I can. The first that came to my table was the free-range chicken wrap (free-range chicken with herbs and dijon mustard) paired with Goody Kefir dressing (composed of dressing, organic lettuce and cucumber). The wrap (150 pesos) was sliced into smaller portions for easier eating. Perhaps, this was one of the best wrap I've ever tasted and I'll tell you, I almost got full after only four small portions. It is a meal itself but much healthier.

Free-range Chicken Wrap

Next served was the Muesli (apple) with Acai (120 pesos) and organic soy milk. Again, its somewhat a cereal but again, much healthier. This small cup of cereal packs with lots of nutrients with acai (as an anti-oxidant) included in the cereal. I might go back there again to buy organic muesli.

Apple Muesli with Acai

Third served was the pumpkin soup (60 pesos). At 60 pesos, this soup was rich, thick, creamy and warm. Paired with their organic bread, it nourishes the body mind and soul. Not to mention its rich in Vitamin A and Lycopine which helps improve and maintain good eyesight XD.

One of the most affordable Pumpkin Soup

For dessert, Cashew San Rival (50 pesos) was served. This Sansrival used suchero (a natural sweetener extracted from organic coconut sap) as its sweetener. For me, it tasted just fine as its sweetness is good especially for diabetics.

Cashew Sans Rival

To quench my thirst and cleanse my palate, I had Piña Colada Smoothie (100 pesos). With Goody Kefir included, I know that I would be having a healthy, thirst-quenching drink as it has 40 different species of GOOD bacteria.

Piña Colada Smoothie

My total bill was only 480 as I used my 600 voucher for my breakfast (I got 4 energy bars @ 30 pesos each for me to take).

Their interior has an organic hint of green don't you think? XD

My morning was somewhat energized as my mind, body and soul was nourished organically. Defenitely, I'll be going back to buy some organic produce to improve my health.

100 Days before Christmas

Today, we only have exactly 100 more days before Christmas. As the -ber months progress, people are now in thought of what presents to buy for their loved ones. By now, some of the people would be getting their mid-year bonus (not applicable in where I work LOL) and plan their Christmas shopping in advance. 

People are in frenzy when it comes to doing countdowns like this. But when the day itself comes, its like nothing happened (LOL). Now I have to think what to give to my loved ones this yuletide season. 

I still have 100 more days so I don't have to worry for now XD.

Bloggers BAD vs Budget Cuts

Taken from their website

Today marks another event as Bloggers will be having the Blog Action Day (BAD) against Budget Cuts. In a nutshell, Blog Action Day (or BAD) is a cyberspace-wide event where bloggers show their support for a certain cause and issue by, what else, blogging about it. We want the BAD to have hundreds, and even thousands of Filipino netizens talking about the issue of budget cuts to social services: what do you feel about it, how will it affect you, what can we do about it, etc.  And by talking about it, we hope we will influence more into making a stand and taking action!

I hope you may find time reading these topics here, here and here.

Missing another Oktoberfest

Taken from Google

Its the time of the year when everybody drink beer and be happy because its -ber months. For the 6th straight year, I won't be able to attend San Miguel's Oktoberfest kick-off party to my deepest regret. The usual suspect was my work schedule which Its really hard to make some time. Oh well, better luck nest year for me. XD

By the time I'm done with this article, some of my friends could be drunk already as beer would be overflowing at the event. XD

My September To-Do List (First Update)

As of September 15, here are the things I've accomplished so far ^_^

1. Settle all bills for the month (Meralco, Broadband). Done

2. Complete all Men's Magazine for September.(Only the latest UNO issue left)

3. Attend The Ultimate Taste Test 6.0 at Rockwell Tent (Done).

4. Attend the 22nd Philippine Travel Mart at SMX (Done). 

5. Pay my 3rd Quarter SSS contribution (Done).
6. Accompany my wife on her friend's wedding on the 26th (Awaiting my 24-105 Lens).

7. Accompany my baby on her check-up (2nd Rota-Virus Vaccine).
8. Attend the Otaku Expo on the 4th at SMX (Unable to attend)
9. Attend the Manila Ocean Park's Biggest Food Fest on the 8th (Contemplating if I could attend)
10.Try to schedule a photo editing session in the morning (from 8:00am to 10:00am). So far, so good

11. Attend the Sanmig Oktoberfest on the 16th. 

12. Attend the FHM Signing of Lovi Poe on the 17th.

13. Attend the Best of Anime 2011 on the 18th. 

14. Try to visit home in San Pedro to drop-off some stuff.

Final update would be on the 30th. ^_^

Major-Major Jump from 4th to 3rd (Miss Universe 2011 Coronation Night)

Photo By Reuters/PAULO WHITAKER

This morning, all those at home were glued at channel 2 as we all await who would be the next Miss Universe 2011. My photo-editing session this morning was abruptly disrupted as my eyes were switching between the TV and my laptop. It was really hard to focus on which to watch so I had to close my laptop and get hooked on the TV XD. 

At exactly 9:30am, the delayed telecast has already begun as they started it with introducing each beautiful women who represented their own country. Everyone was awaiting Ms. Philippines introduction until she was shown on TV. A few minutes after, I was thinking if she can match the accomplishment of Venus Raj's ranking last year (She placed 4th Runner-Up on last year's Miss Universe 2010). As the top 16 was being called out one by one, I was hoping that Ms Philippines would be included via online votes. But when the name of Ms Portugal was announced as the winner of the online poll, I felt, Shamcey's chance went slim all of a sudden. Then, her name was announced as one of the top 16 contestants which made everyone jump for joy. I went out for a while and news was already spread like wild fire. Most people outside already knew that Shamcey was included in the top 16. 

When I went back, it was the swimsuit competition (my favorite XD). Again, Ms Philippines stand out among the crowd through loud cheers placing her 2nd on fan votes (1st was Venezuela). Then the top 10 was announced. Again, Ms Philippines' name was called to the delight of her Filipino fans from Sao Paolo and the rest of the world. It was followed by the evening gown competition. Shamcey displayed elegance and poise as she do her walk on stage placing her 1st on fan votes. After the evening gown, I know she'll be at the top 5, but the question is what would be her final ranking after all has happened. 

At the question and answer portion, Vivica Fox was the one who asked Shamcey her question. The question was Would you change your religious beliefs to marry the person you love? Why and why not? Her answer was "I would not change my religion because… I love my God who created me and if that person truly loves me, should love my God too.” I don't know if that answer was convincing enough for me to conclude that she can win the coveted crown and I was hoping that Ms Lea Salonga would be the one to ask Shamcey the final question. But Oprah Winfrey said via BBC News that "I have reservations with the results. If the only basis is the Q and A portion, after having been trimmed down to 5, Ms. Philippines deserved to win. What made her different from the rest is that she had no seconds to rethink of her answer as she had no interpreter to break the ice. The rest had their interpreters and having breaks on seconds to think about their answers. Hands down, Ms. Philippines answered straight to the point." For one, she was the only contestant that did not use an interpreter to interpret her answer should she decide to answer in our native language which I found it amazing. 

When the final verdict has been given, All (I) were anxiously waiting who will be 4th runner-up. When Ms China's (Luo Zilin) name was announced, I was one of those who were delighted as Shamcey has outdone her predecessor. Though her name was announced as the 3rd runner-up, there is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, we should rejoice and celebrate as we move up one notch from last year. Maybe next year we move up one more notch or even higher, who knows. 

Photo By Reuters/PAULO WHITAKER

Anyway., here are the complete list of the top 16 candidates of the Miss Universe 2011. 

*Top 5
Angola – Leila Lopes: Miss Universe 2011
Ukraine – Olesya Stefanko: 1st runner-up
Brazil – Priscila Machado: 2nd runner-up
Philippines – Shamcey Supsup: 3rd runner-up
China – Zilin Luo: 4th runner-up
 

*Top 10
Australia – Scherri-Lee Biggs
Costa Rica – Johanna Solano
France – Laury Thilleman
Portugal – Laura Gonçalves
Panama – Sheldry Sáez
 

*Top 16
Kosovo – Afërdita Dreshaj
Colombia – Catalina Robayo
Puerto Rico – Viviana Ortiz
Netherlands – Kelly Weekers
USA – Alyssa Campanella
Venezuela – Vanessa Gonçalves 

Copyright Law: 12 Dos and Dont's

Taken from Google

As I was browsing for interesting websites, I got this one from dailyblogtips.com and I gave it some time in reading it. I think I could share it to you guys but credit goes to the author.


Copyright Law: 12 Dos and Don’ts
by Daniel Scocco


As the blogging phenomenon expands, copyright concerns become quite important. Technology makes it really easy to copy, modify and share information, whether we talk about text, images, audio or video. The problem is that the vast majority of people do not have a clear understanding of the Copyright Law, which might result in illegal and costly mistakes. Below you will find 12 Do’s and Dont’s that will clarify what you can and what you can not do as an online publisher:

DO's


1. Do use material under public domain: you are free to use any work that is in public domain. This includes federal government documents, materials produced before 1923 and materials produced before 1977 without a copyright notice.

2. Do quote something you find interesting: the Copyright Act defines that short quotations for the purpose of criticism, commentary or news reporting are considered “fair use”. Notice that the quote should involve only a small portion of the work, and it should not replicate the “heart” of the material.

3. Do use facts and ideas: Copyright Law protects the expression of facts and ideas. That is the form, combination and structure of documents and not the facts themselves. You are free to use facts and ideas reported on articles or websites.

4. Do use other materials that are not subject to copyright: apart from facts and ideas there are many other classes of materials that can not be protected under the Copyright Law. Those materials include names, familiar symbols, listings of ingredients or contents, short phrases, titles, slogans and procedures (notice that some of those materials might be protected by trademark, though).

5. Do use a company name or logo if you are talking about it: trademarks should protect a company from people trying to use its name or logo to deceive customers. If you are criticizing or analyzing a company, however, you can use its name or logo under a “nominative fair use”.

6. Do use a company name on your domain: as mentioned on the previous item you can use a company’s name as long as you are not trying to deceive people that you speak on behalf of this company or that you are related to it in any way. This right applies to domain names. Someone could create a website to complain about a company, say Microsoft, and use a domain name that contains the name of this company, say microsoftsucks.com.

DON’Ts


7. Don’t assume that if you credit the author there is no copyright infringement: a lot of people wrongly think that if they credit the author of an article or image they are not violating the copyright law. You can only use copyrighted material if you have explicit permission from the author to do so (or if you make fair use of it, as explained before).

8. Don’t copy material just because it does not show a copyright message: the Copyright Law required a copyright notice to protect works until 1977. In 1978, however, the law changed and abolished the requirement for copyright notice. This means that every published work (be it on paper or digital media) automatically gets copyright protection, whether expressed with a notice or not.

9. Don’t equate Creative Commons with “free for grab”: while Creative Commons licenses are less restrictive then standard copyright they should not be interpreted a “free for grab”. In order to understand what you can or can not do with Creative Commons material you should check what kind of license it is using. Certain licenses will require you to credit the original author, while others will require that you release any modifications of the document under the same license.

10. Don’t copy material just because you are not making a commercial use: while making commercial use of copyrighted material might make it easier for the author to claim damages against you the commercial use per se is not a requirement for copyright infringement. Even if you are not making a commercial use of the material you are still infringing the law if you do not have a permission from the author.

11. Don’t assume that if you remove the copyrighted material you will be out of trouble: a lot of people copy images and text around the Internet thinking that in the worst of the cases they will receive a take down notice from the author and remove the material from the website. The removal of the copyrighted material will not remove the copyright infringement at all. Should the author decide to go after you in count you will be in trouble all the same.

12. Don’t copy material just because you can’t find a copyright holder: the fact that a copyright holder can not be identified does not imply that the material can be freely copied. Similarly if you locate the copyright holder, email him asking permission and receive no answer back you would still be infringing the law if you use the material.

This article was not written by a lawyer and it does not intend to constitute legal advice.