Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Justin does Stevie



He is so adorable.
For real, Bill.
Don't judge me.

Diabetic much?


Kitkat recently came out with a dark version.
My favorite break time buddy is healthier and yummier and keeps me alive at 5 PM in the office.
Three more hours to go and I can jauntily bounce off to wherever I want to go.
Which is usually home.
But honestly I don't really want to eat anything sugary.
I'm kind of psyching myself to be allergic to sweets.
Or anything or anyone sweet.
Is that even possible?
If I had a better option I would ditch this biatch.
But right now it's the best wake-upper the convenience store.
Give me a break.

Monday, April 26, 2010

I've been on the internet scavenging information about Jesse James's mistress Michelle McGee.
And it is not worth it.
I can't see one single thing in her that would make me say, "Okay, I can see why Jesse hit on her."
Wow. He would trade Sandra Bullock for a dumb stripper?
The more I know about men, the less I understand.
Dissecting a guy's brains is as good as trying to untangle a ball of yarn that a mean cat has been playing with.
The more you try to figure it out the more screwed you get.
I am afraid that I still don't know the answer.
So best to say no until I find a reason to say yes.
Ok you bombshell. I wish I could cyber slap you for my fellow Leo Sandra.

Cougar Town is funny. Full stop.


Cougar Town is funny.
And scary.
I guess I got hooked because the kind of humor the show has is something that makes me want to stay home after a long day at work, and not wander in some mall praying for something exciting to happen after business news got the best of my Monday.
But also, each episode rubs in my face the realer-than-real realities of aging, and even though I am only approaching 30, it is a touchy subject for me.
But then I snap out of my foolish thoughts and go back to laughing at the harsh truths the characters lash out throughout the show.
So Cougar Town is funny again.
And hello I am not yet a Cougar.
But once dated a much younger guy and both our heads exploded.
So that was a premonition.
Nah.
Cougar Town is funny.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

10 Little Things OFWs, Balikbayans and Pinoy Expats Could Do To Help by Atty. Alexander L. Lacson

a) Spend your vacation, your dollars, in our Philippines

It is understandable for our OFWs, balikbayans and Pinoy expats to spend vacation in other countries. The world is truly beautiful and majestic. But please do spend some of your vacation, and some of your dollars, in our Philippines. Every dollar that you bring into our country will help build our Philippines. It will help our tourism industry. It will mean more sales and more jobs for our local industries. It will mean an increase in our country’s international dollar reserves. It will help stabilize the Peso. And ultimately, it will help stabilize our economy.
{mosgoogle}b) Teach your relatives back home to be good citizens & good Filipinos

Whether or not you are sending money to your relatives in the Philippines, you are one of their heroes. They look up to you as models. They listen to every word you say, to whatever you tell them. Please teach them to become good Filipinos, to become good citizens. They can start with my book - 12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country. Please ask them to help me spread the message of the book. In particular, please ask them to “Buy local. Buy Pilipino.” In an article in one of the recent issues of TIME Magazine, it was said that the most crucial factor for economic progress is not foreign investments, but economic nationalism, i.e., when people learn to support their own country’s products.

c) All OFWs, Balikbayans and Pinoy Expats should do more during elections in RP

In the next and all future elections, the OFWs and Balikbayans and Pinoy expats should do more by helping your relatives back home in choosing the right leaders - “the national ones especially" - for our country. Your relatives at home will surely listen to you. This means that as OFWs and expats, you need to surf the internet and read the news so you’ll know the candidates who should be elected to office. There are organizations and websites which can help you on this.

If is true that there are at least 8 million OFWs all over the world now, and if it is also true that every Filipino has at least 4 family members or relatives, then the 8 million OFWs have at least 32 million relatives back home in the Philippines. This means that the OFWs and their families, by their own numbers, can already change and transform the political leadership in the Philippines, our government, and eventually our nation as a whole.

d) Buy Pilipino, wherever you are in the world

If you look at the Japanese and the (South) Koreans, wherever they are in the world, they buy and patrionize their own products. They are like that too in the Philippines. That’s why there are so many Korean stores sprouting all over the country now. The Chinese, Thais and Malaysians are almost like them too, but in a less passionate manner.

We Filipinos have a trait of preference for imported products - the so-called “colonial mentality” - because we were ruled and controlled by the Spaniards for 333 years up to 1898, and by the Americans thereafter up to 1946. Truly, while they ruled us, they made us believe that only the Spanish and American products, ideas and ways were better and superior. And that ours were inferior.

But that’s history. Our Philippines today is different. There are many good Filipinos now, with equally good Filipino products or bands. Look at Bayo, Kamiseta, Bench, Penshoppe, Jollibee, among others. In fact, some of the best branded products you see in New York, London and Italy are made in our Philippines.

Please be an ambassador of the Filipino, by wearing Pilipino. Show to your foreign spouses and officemates and to the world, the elegance of our culture and beauty of our people. All these things begin with us, with each one of us.

e) Adopt a poor child as a scholar back home

According to government sources, around 40% of our people are poor. But according to our bishops from CBCP, the figure is much higher than that, possibly at 63%. Since we have a population of almost 86 million now, please imagine how many is 63% of that. And most of the poor are children, young children a great many of whom are out there in the streets, because their parents cannot afford to send them to school. Is there something that we, in the private sector, can do to help the many poor around us, particularly the children?

My proposal is this - let’s adopt as scholars our poor children in the streets.

There is this group called World Vision. It is an international foundation which does scholarship for poor children in different areas of the Philippines. It is also operating in more than 100 countries around the world today. Under World Vision, you can adopt a poor child as scholar for only P450 per month. Yes, for only P450 a month. If P450 is expensive for you, convince your best friend to pay half of the P450 monthly. You and your best friend will be partners in adopting 1 scholar.

If you wish, World Vision can give you the name, address and personal profile of your scholar so you can talk or write to your scholar.

Can you imagine if we are able to convince 5 million Filipinos (including OFWs, Balikbayans and Pinoy expats) today, each one wiling to sponsor 1 scholar each under World Vision? It means that 5 million poor children will be taken out of the streets – where they are exposed to all kinds of criminality – and sent to school as scholars. This means that 5 million poor children are given the chance to have a better future.

This could be one of the fastest paths to progress and social transformation in our country. And this is a very Christian way. Even Jesus Christ, who was born very poor in a manger, had to be adopted by Joseph.

f) Support a charitable organization

There are many good charitable organizations that truly help build our Philippines to become a better place for all of us. Gawad Kalinga, Pondo ng Pinoy, Caritas Manila, World Vision, among others. These groups are beyond the dirt and mirth of politics.

Like most of us, you too are busy. Often, you will have not the time and skills to help others. Charitable organizations are there to allow us to help others while we are busy. So please seriously consider this. Every little help that you send will help one poor Filipino, often one poor child, in our country.

g) Teach your children about the Philippines, and to love it and its people

Teach your children and your foreign spouses, wherever you are in the world, about our Philippines - the home of the Filipino, and the birthplace of our race.

Let your children and foreign spouses hear it from you - that you appreciate and love our Philippines. Because if they hear and see it from you, their beloved, they too will appreciate and love our Philippines. Or they will find a way, sooner or later, to appreciate and love it, because, as I said, you are their beloved. I see that all the time, everywhere, in practically all the fathers and mothers in this world. Their sons and daughters often carry and continue their parents’ loves, causes and advocacies.

If you make your children see and hear that you love our Philippines, believe me, someday your children would grow up with love and admiration for the Philippines in their hearts and minds.

h) Speak positively about our Philippines and our people

Surely, there are things that will disappoint and dishearten you in the Philippines, especially if you look at our government and the politicians who run it and those businessmen whose companies earn so much but pay very little to their employees.

But there are also many good things in our Philippines. We are a race capable of greatness and excellence, and you see this in the likes of Lea Salonga, Dr Josette Biyo, Diosdado Banatao, Efren Reyes, Ninoy Aquino, Jose Rizal, among many others. Except for our leaders, we are essentially a breed of honest people, and you see this in the likes of Nestor Sulpico, the Filipino driver in New York who, on 17 July 2004, drove 43 miles from New York to Connecticut, USA to return the US$80,000 worth of rare black pearls to his passenger who forgot it at the rear back seat of his taxi. We are a people of truly good hospitality even to strangers, and a people who are very forgiving, and very caring of our olds. There is so much humanity and Christianity in us as a people. I really believe that, someday, we can be the most, if not one of the most, beautiful peoples on earth.

We just really have to learn to elect our leaders properly. If we learn to do that, we can be a great people and a great nation.

What I am saying is this. Let us focus on our beauty and strengths, and build from there. If we have beauty and strengths as our foundations, we can only get beautiful and strong from there. You and all the Pinoy expats and OFWs should be, and could be, the best ambassadors for our home country and people. Rafael Salas, the founder of the United Nations’ Population Fund, said that every Filipino is an ambassador of our country.

i) If you are remitting funds to your relatives in the Philippines, teach them to save 15% or 20% of the funds

If you are remitting funds to your relatives in the Philippines, please teach them to save at least 15% or 20% of the funds. Please teach your relatives the importance of savings. These savings seem small at the start, but even only after 2 years of savings, they would already see the growth of their savings and how fast these are growing.

Teach them also to take their savings away from their reach, and invest them in high-yielding investments like mutual funds or treasury bonds. There are many good financial advisers in this area. Teach your relatives to consult one on a regular basis. The book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” of Robert Kiyosaki is very good on this matter. The book “Pera Mo, Palaguin Mo” of Filipino author Francisco Colayco is also a very good here.

These savings, if handled and invested wisely, could mean the financial independence of your relatives from you in the future, or even from themselves.

Teach your relatives too to live simply, and not to spend so much on consumer items that are unnecessary. There is so much beauty in simplicity. There is so much elegance in modesty.

j) Invest in the Philippines

Finally, if you have extra funds and are looking where to invest them, please invest in our Philippines. There are good investment advisers who can help you in this regard. Philippines is a growing market - an emerging market in the language of international banks and financial institutions. Almost 86 million in population. If you have investment ideas that can cater to the basic needs and desires of these 86 million Filipinos, you will make it big in our Philippines.

But more than that, every cent or dime that you invest in the Philippines will certainly help our people and our country. And when you do it, you become our partner in building our nation. You become a good Filipino. You become a hero of our country.

******
Atty. Alexander L. Lacson is the author of the Book “12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country .” He wrote the article “10 Little Things OFWs, Balikbayans & Pinoy Expats Could Do To Help Develop Our Philippines” as a reply to the request of PinoyExpats Magazine (May 2006), an online magazine based in Europe.
I spent the morning taking up Noynoy 101 at my desk. Time Magazine's vivid recollection of the people power days sparked something inside me . All of a sudden I got goosebumps and tears streamed down my face. And I suddenly wish I had registered to vote to proclaim my support for Noynoy Aquino.

His platform, found on his website, promises to take Filipinos....

"From a government that treats its people as an export commodity and a means to earn foreign exchange, disregarding the social cost to Filipino families... to a government that creates jobs at home, so that working abroad will be a choice rather than a necessity; and when its citizens do choose to become OFWs, their welfare and protection will still be the government’s priority."

AMEN.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Noynoy

I was born on the first death anniversary of Benigno Aquino.
For decades after his wife's term as president, the Aquinos have kept a low profile, except for Kris.
Noynoy has been quietly serving the country as a senator, and now he is in the center of the Philippine's political arena, exposed and obliged to reveal a little more than what the public already knows.
It's barely two months before elections and I hope that more people will see what this man is all about.
More importantly, if he does win and take his oath as the next president of my country, I pray to my God and yours that he will make our nation a better one.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Ever heard of sulphur burps and farts?
That is the grossest form of flatulence that exists.
It's like farting from the mouth and the butt.
And it smells like death and makes you wonder what you could have done to deserve it.
You're basically a walking fart machine.
Belch here, belch there.
It's like your stomach suddenly developed a mechanism for converting freshly inhaled air into rotten eggs.
I had it last weekend.
Recovering from it was like a second chance at life and being a woman.

Leslie Knope? Nope.



Before going to bed the other night Fifi said I was like Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation.
What exactly did she mean by that?
Leslie is thirty something and her biggest pleasure is her delusional dream of becoming the first female president of the US of A.
Also she is super positive about anything and everything.
She is also cute and funny and generally nice to everyone.
But she has really stupid ideas.
So I don't know which dimension of Leslie Knope's persona resembles me.
I guess I am really unique.
I could have easily been Anne.

Monday, April 12, 2010

This is the shizzle!
I mean, it's one thing to have an amazingly smooth and powerful voice, but to have lived in Taiwan and actually sing an English song without the chingchong accent?
I bet my blisters this dude has been practicing since he was a little chubby boy in a small town in Taiwan.
As he improved, he decided that the town was too tiny for his voice and his dreams, so he set out to the city to brave one of the country's largest auditions.
Still chubby.
Oh who cares.
Also I like his haircut.
I kind of know how to it.
When I was a kid my mom told me that hair style was achieved by placing a bowl on your head and cutting the fringes across the forehead just below the bowl.
Anyway.. the hair, the voice, the size, and the obvious charm this boy has will take him places where noodles aren't a staple food, but maybe even some kind of last resort for takeaway cooking is just too tiring.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw8QK2w2EH0
What's more gross than discussing the details of explosive diarrhea?
Actually suffering from it.
And man am I suffering.
I'm on a crackers and banana diet, plus the occasional Gatorade.
I was super weak yesterday but oddly enough when I entered the office, I began to feel better.
Is work the answer to everything?

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

I'm Rob Huebel's friend!
On Facebook, only the biggest social networking site in the world!
Hmmm our connection could go either way.
I could drown in his 3,800-strong group of friends, or I could be considered lucky that I'm in his Facebook friends group and not some loser site like FilipinaHeart.
Yeah maybe I'm lucky.
Worked my sore butt off today and it feels nice to retire at home and just lounge around like a retired businessman.
I am in my PJs that I haven't washed in months.
Fifi and I have made plans to watch a documentary about Coca Cola.
Also challenged myself to finish a liter of water before I go to bed.
Fifi and I are also writing a song about yogurt.

We're collaborating on a lot of creative things at the moment.
Songs, videos, comments on Roy's Facebook page.
We go waaaay back.
We wrote a rap song in high school in an attempt to survive Algebra class.
It's basically about why a mother should breast feed her monster baby.
So now the yogurt song.
It's going to be a measure of how much we have matured.
It will show in out lyrics and the rhythm.
We've written an awful lot, but my favorite lines are:
Hey fat but healthy man, watcha eatin'?
Well I'm eatin' a bug tub of Yogurberry!
We're still waiting to be further inspired.
Maybe our next visit to Yogurberry will allow us to come up with an awesome third verse.

Monday, April 05, 2010

Nanay Tuneng's sweet and chili tamarind + Happy garlic peanuts = toilet explosion


Whoa Jason I don't mind dialing your digits!
He's funny and a great musician and he looks really nice.
No, nothing to do with the nude scene in Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Oh no God.

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Roy greets me on Facebook chat with an Ang Pagbabalik ni Leon Guerrero video and news that he is once again in love.
That is disgusting.
Not because it's Roy trying to share his soft side with me, but because he's been saying that every month.
He's always in love it's a joke.
What happened to that girl he claimed was his high school love?
He dumped her by not replying to her text messages simply because it was taking a toll on his mobile card spending. What an ass.
And that singer at some bar in Ajman?
Well, he used the office phone to shamelessly flirt with her for a whole week.
Then he quit her cold turkey and said she was a slut.
Whoa whoa whoa.
And now he is in love again.
With a woman he will probably dump before seeing her for the second time.
Roy, you don't do that.
You don't claim you're in love with a girl for shits and giggles and then drop her like a hot tamale.
And spit out her name to your friends like sour milk.
I would prefer if you said you were just in it for the cookie.
And that you didn't have the patience to woo her for more than a week before she puts out.
Good thing I am Roy's friend.
If Mama Becky by any chance became his, she would really let him have it.
Before I sleep I spend ten heavenly minutes in the bathroom bathing in self-love.
And yet in the morning I always wish I had a bigger rack.
These things won't even fill a tiny shirt.
This morning was a bit different though.
At least I thought so.
I threw my insecurity in an ocean of denial and used lots of safety pins to tighten my dress in the front a little bit.
Still no cleavage. Really.
Might need to spend a couple of hours in the bath tonight.

Thursday, April 01, 2010

Paul Scheer is my new favorite

"I have learned, as a rule of thumb, never to ask whether you can do something. Say, instead, that you are doing it. Then fasten your seat belt. The most remarkable things follow."
– Julia Cameron