HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

The Philippine Olympic Committee

"...When the Philippines joined the International Olympic Committee in 1918, a requisite for its entry was a solitary participation by MR. DAVID NEPOMUCENO in 1924 who competed in Athletics in Paris, France. He was a runner..."

And up until now, we still have yet to win a gold medal in the Olympics.

Anyway, this is the Philippine Olympic Committee official website. If it's about Philippine Olympics, it's gotta be here.

Angelina Jolie's Butt Reserved for Brad Pitt

This is fast becoming an Angelina Jolie Tattoo watch. As of this week, she has eleven tattoos so far. Anyway, I was wondering, which butt cheek is reserved for Brad again? I say the left one...

Top 25 Highest Grossing Domestic Horror Films of All Time

"Hollywood.com’s Top 25 Highest Grossing Domestic Horror Films of All Time..."

I can't believe number four and number eight are horror movies....

Amazon.com: DVD: Eraserhead

"Availability: This title will be released on December 31, 1969. You may order it now and we will ship it to you when it arrives "

Just like the movie, the amazon message is also bizarre!

Random thoughts the day before Halloween....

Ahhh... to be a child again. If only I could.

Have you seen the latest? Is it me or what? I mean;

1. We have a paranoid President who doesn't even trust her guards with guns.LINK
2. A Presidential ex-adviser-now-senator advising her to fire her advisersLINK
3. More money gained by government. Why not just minimize stealing and corruption? They'll gain more that way. LINK
4. President orders to shut down ILLEGAL mines. Ummm... what's wrong with that statement? LINK
5. President needs anti-terrorism law to arrest more terrorists. LINK

Angelina Jolie's latest tattoo spells out 'rights'

"'Know Your Rights' are the latest words etched across the back of stunning Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie..."

To paraphrase the 1991 remake of Cape Fear, I don't know whether to look at her or to read her...

Remote Control Works on Humans

"...A special headset was placed on my cranium by my hosts during a recent demonstration at an NTT research center. It sent a very low voltage electric current from the back of my ears through my head - either from left to right or right to left, depending on which way the joystick on a remote-control was moved..."

Remote control other people. Technology is surely growing leaps and bounds. Think of all the possibilities here. I mean, help handicapped people, controlling criminals, porn, and... ummm... did I say porn?

This beats the hell out of putting a bug up your ear like in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

I'm gay, 'Star Trek's Sulu says

"George Takei, who as helmsman Sulu steered the Starship Enterprise through three television seasons and six movies [of Star Trek], has come out as a homosexual in the current issue of Frontiers, a biweekly gay and lesbian Los Angeles magazine..."

If you think about it, the Star Trek crew would have been the first show to have an almost balanced set of racial and sexual demographics. All they're missing now is a lesbian.

Filipino Business Students Beat U.S. Ivy Leaguers

"A pair of senior marketing students from the Far Eastern University did what representatives from such “glamour” schools as the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University could not – win the Battle of the Business Plans at the Spangler Auditorium of Harvard University..."

This is my third post today about Filipino achievements that we may have overlooked. And this happened last April!

I'm running out of things to say.

UP Math prof proves Princeton man wrong

"...Escultura went on to overhaul the real number system and reconstructed it without these false axioms using only three simple axioms instead of 12. The result is a new real number system that is free from defects and contradictions, finite and enriched with new numbers that have important applications for physics..."

Where's Edgar's ticker tape parade? How about our physicist on the post below? Where's his accolades? And this happened last May!

Not to sound elitist or anything, but if we want to be really proud of our culture, people, and heritage, why not give more attention to these kind of people who used their brains to show the world what we are capable of.

No offense but I'd pick them over a beauty pageant winner, a boxer, or even a bit-player in a TV series.

Philippine Physicis'st Space Experiment

"...scientist Rommel G. Bacabac, crafted the Soyuz test for disturbed bone metabolism seen in astronauts returning from space. "Jawbones got special attention.

...Bacabac is developing what scientists call an "optical tweezer set-up"--a device to test what happens to chemicals that bones use to sense loads when gravity disappears."

Wow! A Philippine Physicist got to conduct experiment in space. He didn't get to go but it's still his experiment. How come we didn't get to hear about this?

I mean, Filipino Physicists are rare to get the media spotlight. And now that one has, I have to dig it up from the archives.

I had a dream once that I was the top philippine physicist. Too bad I woke up.

Pinoy Big Brother Rigged?

Link is to a news post in filipino (tagalog). It's supposedly a taped conversation between PBB officials with Uma and Cass before the launch of Pinoy Big Brother. According to the article, the two of them are already chosen to win.

Excerpt:

"Director Dyogi (talkin to Uma and Cass): As what Ms. Tan said a while ago, If ever na ma-nominate kayo, kami na ang bahala. Pero sure na hindi kayo matatanggal, kayong dalawa ang maiiwan sa bahay [you won't be removed, the two of you will remain] and after that kayo rin ang maghahati sa money [you two will share the money], ang risk lang you need to give that 40% of the Total Cash Prize. Yung house and lot and car sa inyo na rin yun, who know's baka ma-dagdagan pa ang prize diba linggit [the house and care are yours too, who knows, there may be more prizes, right linggit]..."

The director, Dyogi, has denied these rumors and showed the audition tapes of the three (including Sam's). But this PBB Blog has this valid comment:
"In Sam’s final interview, he mentioned that he would be the youngest housemate. He already knew the composition of the housemates during the final audition?..."

I don't really watch this show but with this going on, it's getting mighty interesting....

Police won’t spare officials involved in murders

"SECURITY officials will not spare any member of the armed forces who will be found involved in the rash of killings of militant leaders in Central Luzon..."

This just means one of two things.

1. They're dead serious.
2. They just won't arrest them.

And it just occured to me that a group of killings is called a rash of killings.

What do you call a group of Philippine politicians?

Mostly corrupt...

TagCloud

"...TagCloud searches any number of RSS feeds you specify, extracts keywords from the content and lists them according to prevalence within the RSS feeds...It's a list of keywords taken from the news feeds you specify. Larger fonts indicate a higher prevalence for an individual keyword..."

In a nutshell, Tag Cloud searches the RSS feeds of a site or a group of sites and tells you the most popular keywords in it. It takes awhile to get it started but it's worth the wait. And the interface is kind of confusing, the code to plug into your site template can be found under "Implementation Guide".

But then again, this is really helpful if you have targetted ads on your site and want to know why Prison Rape Safe Prison Cells are coming out on your ad links...

Simply Recipes: Apple Chutney Recipe

"Chutney is a perfect accompaniment to roast chicken. We usually buy ours, but with our bountiful crop of apples I decided to try my hand at making some from scratch. It's easy, actually, much easier than I expected. Though cooking up chutney will make your kitchen, and house, smell like vinegar for a bit..."

This post is more for me than anyone else.

Philippine Webcam Feed

I posted this site two years ago and maybe it's time to revisit it. It's a realtime webcam stream of the EDSA Ortigas Flyover in Metro Manila.

I think you have to hit the refresh button to get the latest pics...

Sex ID

"The BBC collaborated with a team of psychologists to create Sex ID, which brings together a series of separate psychological tests related to brain sex differences for the first time..."

Cool test. If you have time on your hands, why not mozy a try?

Jollibee completes purchase of Red Ribbon

"Jollibee bought Red Ribbon for 1.8 billion pesos, and expects the acquisition to boost the group's annual sales by 2.5 billion pesos.

...the Jollibee group's worldwide network comprised 1,200 restaurants, which include Chowking, Greenwich and Delifrance outlets, as well as 88 Yonghe King stores in China...."

The Philippine fast food giant is still eating up everything in site.

Oh, and to non-Philippine visitors, Jollibee has constantly surpassed McDonalds in sales and brand recall here in this country.

I like McDonalds better. Eating a burger endorsed by a bug gives me the weelies. And let's not forget their other mascot who has spaghetti on her head.

Google Web Accelerator Download

Google Web Accelerator is...
• Designed for Broadband – Web pages load even more quickly on DSL and cable connections
• Easy to use – Simply install and enjoy faster web browsing in secondsKind of late for this post since it has been available for some time now. Google took it down before but now, it's available for download again.

Counterfeit appliances seized

"...'If you see an appliance from a known company, and it's being sold way, way below the standard price, then you should be suspicious...."

But what if it was on sale?

Net users told to get safe online

"Widespread ignorance about basic computer security is putting millions of people at risk from net-savvy criminals, a survey suggests..."

You think the Philippine Government is ignorant about the world wide web? I mean, they are proposing a bill making computer hacking an act of terrorism!

Next thing you know, hanging anti-GMA posters would be an act of sedition.

Oh wait. It already is.

Government TV

The Collective Noun Page

You know what they call a group of programmers? Yes, computer programmers...

What about groups of caterpillars, mobile phones, managers, and goons?

After a round of drinks and converstaion with a rhyme of poets, I can imagine the annoyance of mobile phones ringing at the same time asking me the same question.

Bill Watterson on the end of "Peanuts"

"I've never met Charles Schulz, but long ago his work introduced me to what a comic strip could be, and made me want to be a cartoonist myself. He was a hero to me as a kid, and his influence on my work and life is long and deep...

Bill Waterson is the creator of Calvin and Hobbes.

Oh. And if you're curious... Will Watterson ever resume drawing and writing "Calvin and Hobbes"?

Eastwood's Longest Food Rumble Part Two

"...Kevin Tan, director for commercial services, clarified that 'many patrons coming from the provinces still kept coming long after [organizers] had stopped selling tickets to the buffet.'

But to make sure only patrons who were not served in the buffet get the refund, Eastwood said it would only refund tickets that were not yet torn, as well as those signed by the organizing staff on the night of the buffet.

According to Eastwood, it laid out the 'longest documented buffet to date, beating France's 286-meter record by a wide margin with 350 meters.' A total of 36 restaurants in the high-end commercial complex contributed to the menu that featured cuisines from 10 countries. Soriano said the project was a fund raiser for impoverished children..."

Questions:

1. If only ticket holders can join the buffet, those hoards of patrons from the provinces couldn't enter the buffet. Unless of course they were sold tickets. Right?

2. Sources abound that ticket sales exceeded 8,000. Now, it's down to just 5,000. What's the real story?

3. So, if most everyone has expressed failure in the whole attempt, would they still be awarded the World Record?

Maybe they can apply for the world record for the most number of patrons hungry in one area?

Up until now, there's no news report (aside from the Inquirer link) about what really happened there. The only accounts I get about it are thru Philippine bloggers posting their experience that night.

Hacienda Luisita union president shot to death

"The leader of striking workers at the Hacienda Luisita sugar estate owned by the family of former President Corazon Aquino was shot dead last night in his house in Tarlac City..."

Why kill him? Who could benefit from his death? This will stump authorities for years to come. Just like with what happened to Ninoy Aquino.

Hmmm... maybe he was singing Sinatra's My Way. You think?

Mango joins Guess

"RETAILER Eddie Tekeli has sold 80 percent of Mango to Victor Siasat of Guess, keeping only 20 percent of the Spanish clothing franchise..."

So does this mean that Mango would also be manufactured locally?

Past Life Analysis

Who were you in your last life?"

100 Best Known Global Brand Names

"These are the brands that you just know and recognise. In many cases you probably have no idea who the companies are and what they sell. Its all to do with the power of advertising..."

It's aranged alphabetically. It sure would have been nice if it was arranged by ranking...

There are other lists on the right side too. I mean, LEFT, left side. I forgot my kindergarden and nursery school lessons. Sorry.

De Castro: I’m not an option

As the next leader of this country? He's right.

...more of a last resort...

How much is your blog worth?

My blog is worth $14,113.50.
How much is your blog worth?

You too can find out how much your blog is worth. Well, given that I have advert thingy above, that value is manageable, in a couple dozen years or so...

(via The Presurfer)

Anne Rice turns Born Again?

"In two weeks, Anne Rice, the chronicler of vampires, witches and—under the pseudonym A. N. Roquelaure—of soft-core S&M encounters, will publish "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt," a novel about the 7-year-old Jesus, narrated by Christ himself. "I promised," she says, "that from now on I would write only for the Lord..."

And she plans three sequels to it too. I wonder what she'll do at the end of this series? Will she go the way of the Da Vinci Code, or will she end it New Testament style?

PurePwnage WoWisafeeling

World Of Warcraft is a Feeling. The music video.

Computer hacking Terrorists

"If Congress approves the controversial anti-terror bill that Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is eagerly pushing to become a law, hacking or cracking would soon be considered as an act of terrorism.

What does this mean? It basically raises the penalty for hacking or cracking as provided for in RA 8792, or the E-Commerce Law, from a fine of P100,000 to a whopping P10,000,000 — a 100-fold increase..."

We are one step away from having our computers registered as a deadly weapon.

Velarde, Hyatt 10 push snap election

"The Black and White Movement (BWM) has given De Castro until Nov. 30 to withdraw support from Ms Arroyo and to accept the proposal to take over the government as her constitutional successor.

If he agrees, a "welcome prayer rally" awaits him on that day..."

Wow! A Welcome Prayer Rally! Who would pass up a chance to have one like that?

To non-Filipinos, our Vice President used to be a TV news anchor who bankrolled his popularity to become a senator. Now, he's our Vice President.

During the SARS epidemic, he proposed that all doorknobs be removed from the senate building to avoid spreading the dreaded disease.

Now, he's one prayer rally from the presidency of the Philippines.

Vin Diesel is The Hitman

"Fox has tapped Skip Woods ("Swordfish") to adapt its feature version of vidgame "Hitman," with Vin Diesel toplining.
...The story centers on an international assassin, known as Agent 47, who works for a mysterious org dubbed the Agency..."

Another videogame turned movie. Hope this one turns out as cool as the game.

What Was That Movie

"Have you ever walked into a video store after a classic movie, but been stumped when you tried to remember what it was called? Have you ever tried to piece together the title from small memories and gone crazy in the process? Ever said something like "You remember the movie with the guy that was in that other movie that came out this year..."

This is a very useful site.

The thing is, when I remember the title of the movie, I forget the reason why I brought it up in the first place.

No bail for sons of Flor Contemplacion - INQ7.net

"The three sons of ill-fated Filipina maid Flor Contemplacion are still detained at the San Pablo city jail without possibility of bail after they were arrested for drug trafficking last Thursday in San Pablo City..."

From what I gathered years ago, the mother died supporting her kids, her husband, and his mistress. This just blows.

Things People Said: Courtroom Quotations

" Lawyer: "Now sir, I'm sure you are an intelligent and honest man--"
# Witness: "Thank you. If I weren't under oath, I'd return the compliment..."