Natutuwa ako pag nakakakita ako ng mga bulaklak. Wala akong time para magtanim o mag-ayos ng garden, pero kung meron lang time at $, siguro botanical garden ang gagawin ko. ;)

Last week, nung dinalaw ko'ng tita ko na katatapos lang dumaan sa laser surgery sa throat niya, binigyan ko siya ng pink roses. Sign of good health and vigor kasi ang color pink para sa akin. Kaya habang inaayos ng florist 'yung bouquet, kumuha ako ng ilang pics ng flowers nila.

Camera phone lang gamit ko kaya hindi maganda ang quality ng pics. Pero pwede na 'yon sa akin kaysa wala. Meron pa akong ibang kinuhanan ng pics, pero 'yan lang kasi yung extraordinary sa paningin ko.

Ang pangalan nga pala ng mga bulaklak na 'yan... Itinanong ko 'yon sa florist, pero nakalimutan ko na 'yung names. Pag bumalik ako sa Greenhills, tignan ko kung mai-interview ko uli ang florist.

First episode is the July 13, 2008 show.  It will not be the whole show because the vids are limited and in parts.   Thanks to Sarah Geronimo fanatics and ASAP fanatics for these vids, uploaded by them but of course ABS-CBN has all the rights to the vids, and the songs and music are credited to the rightful owners, international and local.  You'll probably see more of Sarah here.

Opening - Erik Santos, Mark Bautista, Sam Milby, Billy Crawford (Give It To Me by Nelly Furtado, Timbaland and JT), UD4 (dancing) and Sarah Geronimo

Sarah (higher quality in youtube) - Give It To Me by Madonna  (cleaner version LOL!)

Billy and Vhong Navarro showdown

Jed Madela - I Don't Want To Miss a Thing (B-Day)

Diether Ocampo

Sarah Geronimo - I'll Be Here (B-Day)

Tribute to Daboy -LT with Sarah G. and Gary V.

Wu Chun and Calvin Chen of Fahrenheit promoting Romantic Princess

Ronni Liang and Mark Bautista

Clauding B-Day

Finale (just talking)

----

Till next time....

Apparently the oil companies have caught on. Since oil prices have been rising every week, Filipinos have turned to diesel engines since they have always been cheaper at the pump. But starting this weekend, the prices will rise up by 3 pesos which brings it closer to regular unleaded gasoline.

Unleaded will go up by P1.00 to once again break the P60 mark to P60.57. This brings the price of Manila gasoline beyond the $5.00 mark once again.

If the tons of endosulfan on the MV Princess of the Stars wasn't bad enough. It turns out that the media barely noticed another sunken ship off the Island of Panay.

Probably because this is a cargo ship. Containers have already washed ashore but the contents of the ship is still somewhere under the sea. And this time it's dangerous cargo.

It took almost 3 weeks after the typhoon for media outlets to report on this. Probably because of the lower death toll compared to the other ship. But still, the long term effects of the marine pollutants that these ships were carrying is something to be concerned of.

This just infuriates me. The question is what is going to happen to the poacher? I wouldn't even want to call him a farmer since he's supposed to be farming things and not poaching and hunting things for food?!?!

Punishment should be harsh. They just deprived the future another Philippine eagle.

Sunday Revue - Bulletin Today
Sunday, September 29, 1985

[DanielDingel.com Note: This is a text-encoded version of an original newspaper article as depicted in the photograph.]

Here's the story of one man's struggle to find a niche in motoring history - changing motor fuel from gas to water - only to find frustration most of the way

IT WAS one of the smoothest car rides we ever had. The shifting of gears was flawless, the acceleration was effortless and the ride as a whole as normal as you can get from a well-tuned, well-maintained luxury car except that this was not an ordinary car.

From the outside, however, the Lancer Super Saloon was like any of the thousands turned out by the assembly plant. The body, the tires, the suspension system, the cooling system, even parts of the engine. The main difference, however, is that this car runs on water. Yes, ordinary, tap water which you and I get from our faucets.

The car is owned by Daniel Dingel, a 52-year-old inventor who claims to have perfected the world's first water-powered car.

The car generated so much interest and inquiry that Dingel at one time or another had to explain the concept to representatives of American and Japanese car companies, top government officials, Filipino scientists at the National Science Development Board, Philippine Inventions Development Institute, mechanics, car buffs and many others and almost singularly, all agreed that the thing works.

The Bulletin chief mechanic, Rolly Salazar, also had doubts in the beginning. But when he observed the system, he too, joined the ranks of believers.

The car, by no means, runs on water alone. Gasoline is also needed but only to start the engine. Once the engine starts, the gas supply is automatically cut-off. This was attested to by BT mechanic Salazar who himself blocked the fuel line leading to the carburetor.

Dingel says that an engine powered by water becomes very efficient and more powerful. "A drop of water," he says, "is equivalent to SS drops of gasoline."

What about rust? Isn't it that water causes rust? Dingel says that his research showed that gasoline shortens the life of an engine because of carbon formation. This formation, he adds, serves as a grinding compound on the parts of the engine and contaminates the oil. True water causes rust, but rust burns along with water and that burning of water reduces wear, tear and friction.

Dingel also claims that the car is a proven fuel saver. From Manila to Laguna, a distance of 147 kilometers, he said he consumed 15 liters of water and half a liter of gasoline.

He said he also tested the car in America and run it from Detroit to Florida. He used up 60 liters of water and two liters of gasoline during the travel. It was also there that some American experts viewed his invention. He said they were satisfied with the results.

Someone from BMW, the German car firm, also came to visit and though satisfied with the car, he wanted to be convinced some more and requested that Dingel dismantle the car.

Dingel refused. He has always been wary of people wanting to open up the engine because he is afraid that someone might steal the concept and use it for their own benefit.

Dingel says that the secret of his car is in the innovations he put in the engine which was a product of 14 years of research.

It was, at first, a hit-and-miss thing, he recalls. Sometimes the engine would overheat, other times, the compartments would be flooded, on occasions the sparkplug would malfunction or some important part would rust.

Finally he corrected all the flaws and the engine now works perfectly.

Dingle says that the benefit from a water-powered car, once it is mass-produced, is so staggering that it simply will bogle the mind.

For instance, he said, if the Philippine government would invest into it, which he, however, doubts, there will be a big drop in the consumption of oil and therefore a giant saving in foreign exchange.

The money saved will then be plowed back into the economy, creating more jobs and so forth and so on.

What then is stopping Dingel from producing it in a joint venture with other interested persons?

Dingel says "I don't want to think ill of anybody. I just want to make sure that these inventions get into hands who will not use them for their own selfish motives. I didn't work 14 years day and night to come up with someting for rich businessmen. I was able to come up with this car because I have always wanted to make life better for the people, especially the poor. I don't want to see hungry people anymore. We've suffered enough."

Atty. Eduardo Tan, assigned by the Filipinas Foundation Inc. as counsel to Dingel while the scientist was under a seven figure FFI grant for three years, reveals that he and Dingel have approached people in the government who tested the car and saw it work. They all congratulated Dingel, says Atty. Tan and that was the last time Dingel heard from them.

Why these government people haven't done anything about the water-fueled car is a puzzle to Atty. Tan, who has tested the car on a 500-km. run from Makati to nearby provinces in the South. Why this is happeneing, I don't know. Who can say what their motives are? But I do know that no private company would be in a position to manufacture the car here. The investment would run into hundreds of millions or billions of pesos. Only the government has that money.

What happened to the proposals of foreign investors? Dingel says flatly that he was not pleased with any of the proposals. "They all wanted to make big money out of it, just that, at the expense of the common people. I am looking for selfless, honest investors. I haven't found any." Dingel adds he wants the car to be priced within the reach of common people and no potential investor has considered that. (JDG)

SOURCE:  danieldingel.com

So people? Are you with me in supporting this great inventor? I think he is not crazy, the people who are criticizing him are the ones who are crazy. With his brilliant mind and hands, he have came up with this invention! That is really awesome!

So come on! LET US SUPPORT THIS GUY! A man for the welfare of the Masses! Daniel D. Dingel! I salute you!

But I make light of things people are actually scared of. I apologize. But there are a couple of things I realized today. I think some of my classmates who supposedly was not to attend class actually forgot about it. Or maybe they didn't..? I don't know.

All I know is this: the world's not going to stop with rumors. The world never stops. Not for a heartbreak nor for a death in the family. The world apparently doesn't care if your house burnt down the night before your exam, too. It just imposes these realities on you. It imposes time on you. Fight as you will, in the end, we all succumb to it.

And so, tonight I am scheduled to meet J's friends because according to him, it was specific instructions [to him] to invite me. Unfortunately, I'm still hermity. Unfortunately. Nonetheless, I am bound to play nice and try to enjoy myself. I tell myself that since I'm getting tired of feeling this... emptiness that I can't seem to fill up with memories nor friends who mean the world to me.

In other news, my best friend and life companion has been admitted to the hospital this morning for dengue. Do pray for her quick recovery since I don't think I'll be sane to grow old in this lifetime without her in it. I need her, World. I need her.

Also, since you're already going to be in the praying mode, include another friend in your petition for her eyesight to become 20/20. She recently underwent a Lasik procedure as well.

Let's go, World.

Heal them.

Back in the day, you couldn't get cold cuts and the Pang Pang market meats were like playing Russian Roulette with 5 chambers loaded, so Bretto's thrived.  In recent years, Monterey Meats has upped it's meat selection and quality, while upstarts such as FreshOptions have quietly arrived on the scene.  A few months ago Roadside Deli opened shop.  But largely, Bretto's has remained unchallenged for the expat community because it was consistent in it's meat selection (though high priced) and it was really the only game in town for sliced meats.  Still pretty much is.

Sadly, Bretto died and his wife followed shortly after in the space of just this past year.  Now Bretto's is up for sale, reportedly for P28,000,000!  A friend of Bretto has supposedly taken over, reopening the business when it closed after the wife's death. 

All of that would be well and good, if not for two things.  Thing number one.  The friend promptly put the place up for sale for a ridiculous price.  Bretto's (the business) reportedly doesn't own any of the land for it's three outlets, located in Angeles, Barrio Baretto, and Puerto Galera.  If true, this means that upwards of $600,000 would buy the new owner an established business name, a lease transfer, and a bunch of equipment.  That's it.

Some might consider this a fair price, depending on how the balance sheet looks.  If you could trust the balance sheet, since this is Philippines and, last time I checked, the local Yellow Pages doesn't even have a listing for accountants.

What sticks in my craw about the price, however, is that it looks like another case of RFP.  RFP, meaning in this case, Ridiculous Filipino Pricing.  It's a common tactic here in the Philippines where you set a ridiculously high price for anything you sell, hoping for a drunk sucker to stumble along, then eventually settle for far less.  It's most often employed by foreigners selling bars as well as virtually every breathing Filipino in the country.  It's a collossal waste of everyone's time.  I have no doubt that the only reason I haven't seen any item for sale, say a used owner jeep, for the "low price of $1 trillion cash, your kidney, your first born child, and a missile silo in Utah--or best offer" is that I don't think anyone has thought of it yet.

Thing number two.  The last two times I've picked up Rib eyes to grill from the post-Bretto Bretto's, they haven't been Rib eyes.  They've been either an inferior sirloin cut or some mysterious rump cut:  tough as a petrified shoe extracted from the La Brea Tar-pits.  If there's one thing I know, I know a ribeye, and I've got the 8 lb ball of undigested tendon in gristle lodge in my stomach to prove it.

A few years back, I recalled hearing about a scam the very same Bretto suffered at the hands of one of his dishonest butcher boys.  They'd prep inferior cuts of meat to make them look like tenderloins, then stash the real tenderloin until a confederate showed up and ordered, say, 20 kilos of sirloin.  He'd get the real tenderloin at a discount and would split the proceeds from a side sale with the butcher boy.

Perhaps something like this is happening.  Then again, perhaps a couple of butcher boys are just eating very well.  Who knows?  What I do know is this:  whoever is selling Bretto's at the moment better hope that rich, drunk sucker staggers into town quickly.

Sidebar:  the cold cuts, wursts, and cheeses are still fine.  It's kind of hard to sell phoney head cheese.

These are the questions that we always ask ourselves, the question that Lizzy keeps asking herself, until the day she met a 12-year old boy named Keenan.

It all started in 1996, when Keenan was born. Keenan was born into a family of mystics. A family whose origin is a mystery, whose powers are unknown, and said to be unparalleled, and yet have been unseen for 200 years. Keenan's mother died at child birth and his father had already passed away 6 months before he was born. He was left to the care of his grandfather, Morris, who had another son.

It has been said that for every generation, Keenan's family bore an heir to the family's true powers, and the child's true powers only surface when he or she turns 12 years old. It is during that time that the family must keep the child until he or she turns 18, in order to keep the child from turning evil.

Twenty-four years earlier, on his twelfth birthday, Keenan's uncle was found missing from their house. It was only on Keenan's birthday when Morris would see his son again.

Kaka-forward lang sa akin ngayon ng isang message, ang sabi:

I am giving you 600 Million Angels to take care of you. Give them to 9 close to ur heart, You will have good news in 10mins.

Siyempre, lahat ng tao gusto ng good news, lalo na kung matatanggap mo agad 'yon sa loob lang ng ilang minuto. Although hindi naman talaga ako nagpapaniwala sa mga chain texts at chain letters. Pang-amuse lang, saka curious din ako kung ano'ng mangyayari pagkatapos.

Magte-thank you sana ako sa contact ko na nagforward nun, tapos ifo-forward din yun sa 9 na close sa akin (though iisipin ko pa nang husto kung sinu-sino ba 'yon, dahil mukhang hindi aabot  ng 9 yung close sa akin). Kaya lang bigla kong naalala, barya na lang nga pala ang load ko.

Kuna  ni  Villalobos  ti financial assistance nga ipaay ket naggapu iti pondo iti city government.  Ti panggep iti programa ket tapno maguyugoy dagiti aaggradduaar ti elementarya a sumrek iti secondaria.  Daytoy kan metten ti maited a tulong  kadagiti nagannak iti daytoy kinarigat iti panagbiag.

Maikaddua daytoyen a tawen a panagiwaras ti city government kadagiti sumrek iti umuna a tukad iti sekondarya.

Inbilin metten ni Villalobos kadagiti principal nga idatagda ti listaanda kadagiti fist year student a sumrek iti pagadalanda.

Jeff Barredo

MJC, PRC, Pinenahan!

Mahigpit na ipinatutupad ng Philippine Racing Commission ang mga alituntunin sa karera kaya't pinenahan ng Philracom kamakailan ang dalawang racing clubs sa bansa, ang Manila Jockey Club at Philippine Racing Club.

Ang MJC ay pinagbayad ng multa dahil sa paglabag sa start-time rules noong kanilang nakaraang raceweek. Gaya ng iniulat ko kahapon, may delay na hanggang 14 minutes ang haba, kahit wala namang aberyang makakaantala sa pag-umpisa ng karera tulad ng pag-alma ng kabayo o pag-puslit nito sa gate. (Noong isang karera ng July 9 na may kabayong lumabas ng gate ng di-oras, ang delay ay 16 minutes.)

Minultahan rin ng Philracom ang PRC dahil sa "negligence" sa pagpapatupad sa ilang handicapping rules.

Ayon kay Philracom chairman Atty. Jose Ferdinand "Joy" Rojas II, "Philracom is strictly monitoring the two racing clubs with regard to their adherence to racing rules and regulations."

Samantala - handa nang umarangkada ang Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Maiden Race sa Linggo! Gaganapin sa Santa Ana Park ang 1500-meters na karera na dating tinaguriang "Sweepstakes Race".

"Kay Go Air Force tayo," sabi ni Repang Tipster, "kasi hindi pinuwersa ang takbo niyan noong trial." Mr. Sutter-Stifled ang lahi nito, mula sa Herma Farms and Stud ni Mr. Hermie Esguerra, may-ari din ni Go Air Force.

Panegundo ni Repa ang Alisha's Gold ni Ric Aquino. "Lahing Wind Blown si Alisha's Gold, at Herma-bred din." aniya. "Ang nanay niyan ay ang kampeong si Magical Mark, ang nanalo ng 2002 Triple Crown third leg at palahi ng Mr. Sandy Javier."

Si Windbeneathmywings, ang nanalo ng trial, ay kay Mr. Sutter galing sa racemare na si Baby Lite. Ang iba pang declared entries ay sina Love You By Heart, High Energy, at Rosa's Success.

 Mga anunsiyo: nakalipas na noong May 31 ang deadline ng nominations para sa 2008 MARHO Breeders' Cup sa November. Abangan sa website (www.marho.org) sa susunod na linggo ang official list of nominees, nang malaman ang mga posibleng magkita-kita sa pinakamasayang taunang racing festival!

Samantala, ang deadline ng MARHO nominations para sa weanlings na ipinanganak nitong 2008 ay sa 31 December. Ang nomination fee ng weanlings ay P10,000 para sa MARHO member, at P20,000 para sa non-member.

Karera lang, walang personalan!   ***

Traditionally, most East Asian countries have had few scruples with regard to extramarital sex as far as males were concerned, but before 1900, Japan was remarkable in the development of commercial prostitution on a grand scale.

In this regard it was different from Korea, where in old times only the rich and famous could afford to buy expensive sexual services from gisaeng girls, while the "low orders" usually had no access to commercial sex whatsoever.

The Korean nationalists love to stress this fact, explaining it as another indication of the alleged "spiritual purity" of Koreans. Well, less lofty explanations are more likely, but it is difficult to deny that the large-scale prostitution industry was created by the Japanese presence.

In the 1850s, Japan was "opened" to the world, but for decades afterward it remained a very poor place, so "export-oriented" prostitution became a major industry there.

The Japanese working girls, known as "karayuki-san" ("those going overseas"), plied their trade across Asia, from Sydney to Vladivostok, from Shanghai to Singapore, usually supervised by Japanese brothel owners.

A Japanese prostitute and brothel remained ubiquitous components of urban life in the Asia-Pacific for the decades between 1870 and 1920, and remittances from these girls, who duly sent their earnings back home, were said to be the third biggest foreign currency earner for Japan at the turn of the 20th century.

Of course, neighboring Korea became one of the areas where Japanese prostitution flourished. Contrary to the now common misperception, typical commercial sexual encounters in Korea before 1900 did not involve a poor Korean girl serving some lusty Japanese male.

If anything, the situation in which a Korean male purchased sex from a Japanese female was probably more common. Until the 1910s, the vast majority of prostitutes operating in the country were Japanese.

Koreans may want to blame Japan for commercializing prostitution in Korea, but Japan can hardly be blamed for the growth of prostitution everywhere else in East, Southeast, and South Asia, except insofar as it led the way in creating a model of economic growth that spread the wealth beyond a narrow elite.

via The Marmot

1.    Every street has a basketball court.
2.   Even lawyers and engineers are unemployed.
3.   Physicians study to become nurses for employment abroad.
4.   Students pay more money than they will earn after.
5.   School is considered the second home
      and the mall considered the third.
6.   Call-center employees earn more money than teachers and nurses.
7.   Everyone has his personal ghost story and superstition.
8.   Mountains like Makiling and Banahaw, are considered holy places.
9.   Everything can be forged.
10. All animals are edible. (UHG!)
11.  Starbucks is still more expensive than gas.
12. Driving 4 kms can take as much as four hours.
13. Flyovers bring you from the freeway to the side streets.
14. Crossing the street involves running for your dear life.
15. The PC at home is mainly used for games and Friendster or Myspace.
16. Where colonial mentality is dishonestly denied!
17. Where 4 a.m. is not even considered bedtime yet.
18. People can pay to defy the law.
19. Everything and everyone is spoofed.
20. Where even the poverty-stricken get to wear
       branded clothes and come home to an empty fridge.
21. The honking of car horns is a way of life.
22. Being called a bum is never ever offensive. In fact, said with pride.
23. Floodwaters take up more than 90 percent of the streets during the rainy season.
24. Where everyone has a relative abroad who keeps them alive.
25. Where wearing your national colors make you baduy.
26. Where even the poorest of the poor have the latest cell phones.
       stolen or snatched or pick pocketed from those who can afford.
27. Where insurance does not work.
28. Where water can only be classified as tap and dirty.
29. Where bottled water is sosyal.
30. Where the government makes the people pray for miracles. Harharhar!
31. Where University of the Philippines where all the weird people go.
32. Ateneo University is where all the nerds go.
33. La Salle University is where all the Chinese go.
34. College of Saint Benilde is where all the stupid Chinese go
35. University of Asia and the Pacific is where all the irrelevantly
       rich people go and Cebu Doctors’ University aka Cebu Dollars University, where the wannabe-rich go.
36. Fast food is a diet meal.
37. Traffic signs are merely suggestions, not regulations.
38. Where being mugged is normal and happens to everyone.
39. Rodents are normal house pets.
40. The definition of traffic is the 'non-movement' of vehicles.
       Harharhar. Very true!!!
41. Where the fighter planes of the 1940s are used for military engagements.
42. The new fighter planes are displayed in museums. Lol!!!
43. Where cigarettes and alcohol are a necessity, and where the lottery is a commodity.
44. Where soap operas tell the realities of life and where the news provides the drama.
45. Where actors make the rules and where politicians provide the entertainment.
46. People can get away with stealing trillions of pesos but not a thousand.
47. Where being an hour late is still considered punctual. Harharhar!!! Grabe!!!
48. Where the squatters complain (even if they do not pay their tax) than those employed and have their tax automatically deducted from their salaries.
49. And where everyone wants to go to another country even to war-stricken ones

I like to look at archival photos every once in awhile. There’s something about seeing images from the past that grips me. The long dead faces, and old--almost foreign--landscapes tell stories.

I was interested in this photo from 1909 instantly, two Filipino indigenous men, captives of colonized Filipino soldiers working for the Americans. One of the bound men had a look that seemed to me fearful, while the other seemed proud and defiant. The caption under the photo only told me that they were the killers of Dr. William Jones.

Who was this Dr. Jones? What was he a doctor of? What was he doing in the Phils and, presumably indigenous territory? And, of course, why was he killed?

I found more photos:

Note that they are already in chains. I presume they are posed by one of their homes. The caption under the photo reads "Igorot warriors responsible for taking Dr. William Jones' head."

[*these sepia images courtesy of the University of Wisconsin]

The guy to the right (with the shorter hair) really draws me in. He looks so proud and strong--despite the injuries he seems to have sustained to his arm and ankle.

If you’ll endulge me, I discovered an interesting story when I followed the trail left by these photos.

I googled Jones and found a description of him on the Minnesota State University site (http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/information/biography/fghij/jones_william.html).

Apparently he was the first Native American to get a PhD in anthropology in the States. Jones was an Oklahoman Fox native. Pretty amazing, I thought.

"Jones was said to be a student of the Indian and Filipino races, and a friend to all indigenous peoples despite the conditions surrounding his premature death."

According to this site he died because of "a dispute over transportation... Jones was [apparently promised a number of boats], but despite his efforts, the balsas came in late and in insufficient numbers, which wore his patients thin. An angry Jones yelled and screamed at the Ilongots for not going through with their agreement. One day William exploded with rage and he did the unthinkable. He grabbed the arm of Takadan, the respected elder, and threatened to detain him until the promised balsas arrived. Soon after he was visited by 3 native men, Palidat, Magueng, and Gacad who approached him in a friendly matter about the balsas. Without warning Palidat struck Jones over his left eye with a bolo, Magueng pierced his right arm with a spear, and Gacad speared him in the abdomen. Romano, Jones' assistant, fended off one of Palidat’s bolo blows, and Jones pulled out his revolver and fired some shots, scaring off the assassins. Jones was thankful and as a token of his appreciation he gave Romano his wristwatch and gave instructions for the preservation of his notes and specimens. Jones took medicine for his wounds and he even bandaged the hand of Romano. Despite the effort, he died four hours later."

WTF?!?

First of all that's really shitty writing. Minnesota State University. Wow.

Something about that article didn't ring true to me. Why would a "friend" to indigenous people be killed over a transport dispute? The tone of the piece is also insanely one sided and makes Jones seem like a saint. But despite the problems, the little info really started to help flesh out those individuals in the photos.

So I googled some more and found: http://www.okara.com/html/headhunting.html

"Born of mixed parentage, 'more white than Indian' as Jones was heard to say while a student at Hampton University." With a good bit of self hate he earned his PhD. Soon afterward however he discovered that "more White than Indian" still made one an 'Indian' in American society. He failed to find work in his field in the US and was forced to work in the Philippines.

The following is a journal entry written about Dr. Jones about the Filipino natives he studied,

"Since the foul weather set in (October 10, 1908), this house has
been a general gathering place for the greater part of Tamsi.
The people come out of their shelters and lounge about in here
until after the morning meal. When their bellies are filled they
depart. Their aspect is most repelling. Hands, faces, and their
bodies are smeared with blotches of various kinds of dirt; and
their stiff hair is disheveled. As they sit and scratch their lousy
(a reference to lice) selves they seem more like beasts than
human beings. (Jones 1908, VII: 52 )"

This page concludes that,

"In terms of biography, while William Jones's stellar success in educational achievement was touted as an affirmation of the U.S.'s Federal Indian educational policy, his failure to distinguish between his highly judgmental moral views of his Ilongot hosts and that of purely scientific observation as an ethnologist reveal character flaws in the scientist that eventually cost him his life."

An interesting character this Dr. Jones eh? A Native that made good, but was still rejected, so he in turn goes and becomes a coloniser in mind and action in another land. All this results in his death from other natives who just couldn't tolerate his disrespect of their culture.

It says alot about what self-hate, and denial of cultural realities, can do to a man.

* * *

Now what became of the captured men you might be asking? Well... they escaped. The Americans of course hunted after them.

"It was the uneasiness of the colonial administration about Jones' death that goes to the heart of American-tribal relations. It came down to an uneasy equation of how to balance the apparent insult to American national pride in the slaying of Jones against American policy objectives of retaining the loyalty of Non-Christian groups. News of Jones's death was widely reported in the American press and consequently resulted in a swift retribution by the Constabulary. In a reign of terror characterized by pillaging and burning numerous Ilongot villages and their granaries, the Constabulary not only reinforced its pacification agenda (which included the cessation of headhunting) but also forced the eventual recapture of the escaped Jones' assailants by pitting one village against another."

As far as the story reads they were originally sentenced to death, only to be commuted to a lifetime of hard labour because their being "savages" did not give them enough moral competency to judge right from wrong.

* * * * *

For more archieval images during the American colonial period, check out my earlier blog entry: Post Independence Day.

* * * * *

Interested in learning more Philippine history?

Kapisanan will be starting up a series of Critical History Workshops (with a curriculum by Erik Tigalee) soon. Send us an email for more info: info@kapisanancentre.com and/or join our facebook group for updates on KPC events and workshops: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2337642503

Watch me in action!!!

It's me, [GM]Extasiege playing in GONG! - the hilarious new casual mmo soccer game from mobiusgames and TOSE Shanghai. It's the biggest online soccer game craze sweeping all over the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia in a virtual "World Cup" of cute characters, wacky skills, funny items, and hours and hours of intense gameplay!

Play for Kicks!

GONG!!!!

Tuesday, 08 July 2008--Eight of the country’s poorest provinces are exposed to multiple natural hazards, but they, like most localities in the Philippines, lack the capability to prepare for disasters.

Vinod Thomas, director-general of the World Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group, today said that lack of resources is a major constraint to the ability of local government units (LGUs) to perform its role in minimizing the damages of disasters to lives, properties, and the economy.

Outdated policy frameworks, and the mismatch between planning and budgeting, also prevent LGUs, even the national government, from having responsive and effective disaster risk management (DRM) plans, Thomas said at a seminar on natural disasters and environmental protection held Monday in Pasig City.

He identified the eight of the poorest provinces that are hazard-prone: Tawi-tawi, Zamboanga del Norte, Maguindanao, Surigao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Northern Samar, Masbate, and Misamis Occidental.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

I'm all set for the Milo Manila Eliminations marathon this coming August 3, 2008. The Manila registration is at #51 Annapolis st. Greenhills, San Juan. It's actually just a nice lady manning a table right beside the National bookstore and a sari-sari store. Nothing fancy - nice thing about Milo is they kept it straight and simple. You only have to go to one place to register for the marathon. The Milo people can easily organize all the participants because of the central registration.

I may be all set with the singlet and race bib. But am I ready for this 10K? The farthest I've ran so far this year is 6K in 35mins. Doing a 5K is more of a sprint than a marathon. A 10K however is the beginners level of the marathon hierarchy. I have two more weeks to prepare myself both physically and mentally.

The lady at the booth said that the start-off point will either be at the Quirino grandstand or by the carabao in Luneta Park along Roxas blvd. Everybody is however required to go to the Quirino grandstand at 0530H of August 3, 2008. And FYI, the registration in Greenhills is from Monday to Saturday from 0900H to 1700H and Sundays until 1200H only. Don't forget to bring an empty 300g pack of Milo!

By Jesus F. Llanto
Researcher, Newsbreak

Tuesday, 15 July 2008--The Philippines competitiveness ranking in the World Competitiveness Yearbook improved and climbed five notches in 2008 but the country continues to rank low in infrastructure and education.

The Philippines ranked 40th out of the 55 countries in the World Competitiveness Yearbook survey of the Swiss-based International Institute for Management Development. This year’s ranking was an improvement from last year when the country landed on the 45th spot.

The survey studied 55 countries using 331 criteria grouped into four categories: hard economic performance, government efficiency, business efficicieny and infrastructure.

Of the four categories, the Philippines ranked highest—31st—in business efficiency but lowest in infrastructure (48th). It landed on the 42nd and 41st spot in economic performance and government efficiency, respectively.

The Philippines, however, ranked very low in infrastructure and education indicators. It ranked 52nd in education, 54th in basic infrastructure, and 53rd in basic infrastructure. (abs-cbnNews.com/Newsbreak)

Click here to read full article.

This was the opinion expressed by local governance experts and local officials at the recent launch of the 2007 Philippine Cities Competitiveness Report (PCCR) of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in Makati City.

Done every other year, it was the fifth time that the AIM measured the business-friendliness of select cities in terms of infrastructure, cost of doing business, dynamism of the local economy, human resources and training, responsiveness of the LGUs to business needs, and quality of life.

The study classified this year 90 cities into three categories: Metro cities, or those comprising metropolitan areas in Manila, Davao, and Cebu; mid-sized cities, or non-Metro cities with population more than 200,000 residents; and small-sized cities, or those with less than 200,000 residents.

Wholesale conversion

Experts and local officials said the almost wholesale conversion of municipalities into cities in the past two years has reduced the old cities’ share in national taxes or the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA), which is used by LGUs to finance their operation and deliver basic services.

The direct effects of less IRA on infrastructure development, and consequently on the cities’ general competitiveness, may show in the next round of surveys to be conducted by the AIM Policy Center. (abs-cbnNews.com/Newsbreak)

Click here to continue reading the story .

I was browsing around Plurk through Interesting Plurkers. One of them caught my attention because,yes, you're right. - she mentioned something about something called WordCamp. Thank goodness she knows how to embed links in plurks, which then enabled me to click and not open a new tab and open Google and type 'WordCamp' on the 50 or 90 or-so-size texbox in the middle. Instead, I right-clicked on the link, pressed 'Open link in new tab' and voila! There goes the start of something unpredicted.

The link took me here (I'll take you there too, and I'll make it so that it will open itself on another tab if you're using Firefox). The site is pretty straightforward.. and needless to say attracting (in my OWN opinion). I have always preferred darker colors because.. white font and black background always appears more to my senses than the old-school black on white.

So, what is it then? WordCamp is (I quote)

WordCamp is the premier event for WordPress users and developers. WordPress is arguably the #1 blogging platform in the world today. Apart from the fact that it is feature-packed, highly customizable and flexible, WordPress is open source, and therefore has a large community dedicated to advancing its development. And so, WordCamp is the best venue for WP enthusiasts to come together and get updated on the latest.

So.. it's like a gathering, get together, 'gig' for Wordpress bloggers and open source enthusiasts who contribute to the Wordpress development. One of it's main objectives include broadcasting the use of Wordpress to a wider audience so that.. yes.. everyone will know about it and what it can do and make the.. err.. jump like I did (I used to blog over with Blogspot/Blogger).

Aside from WordCamp is a site called Mindanao Bloggers which 'aims to be the home' of bloggers based in Mindanao. Like a counterpart, yes?

And now, I must admit.. that I did not read the About section thoroughly. I thought that by completing the online registration form, I am automatically registered. Of course I am wrong.. which then brings me to...

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Why am I writing this?

Because.. registration is free of charge. They don't require that you have Paypal or Globe Gcash for you to join. They don't quite need you to be a blogger either. So.. since they' re not charging you (or us) for joining, this is what they asked for in return which is pretty easy if you really have good intentions (I do, don't look at me like that!).

I know you might be asking how they manage to organize such an event if they don't charge members for joining. They of course, have sponsors that includes but are not limited to the following:

• i.PH : the Domain for Individuals

• Free Online Flash Games

• Wazzup Manila Philippines

• Real Estate CRM

• Real Estate Web Designers

• Orange County Real Estates

• Auto Insurance Quotes

• Lane Systems Inc.

• Red Meda

So, like I mentioned, in exchange for the free registration, they require that you make a post about why you want to join WordCamp in the first place. Which, then brings me to...

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Why do I want to join?

In this section of this post, I can bore you out by reciting (err, writing?) the all natural mantra about why you want to join an organization. I can go on and on about 'I want to meet new people' and 'learn tips and tricks from other people' but I won't because I know better. Besides.. those aren't just the reasons I want to join. I'll be completely honest.. because.. I don't need to sugarcoat myself.

I honestly have no idea how I can explain the real reason. All I know is that...

- the concept of uniting the Wordpress community here in the Philippines to promote it's use appealed to me more than anything (not even the blog itself).

- I'm a programmer/web developer by profession. I'm not an outward supporter of open source solutions but I do like the idea that there is always an alternative to all the proprietary riffraff that some software companies punch out. And joining WordCamp is like another step further for me.

- Well.. yes.. I actually do like to meet some new people. You know how programmers seem to be locked in that same world they're moving around in. But these days, being a programmer should mean much, much more than knowing your way around Windows or Linux or OS X. This is.. yet again.. another step forward toward that goal.

- I'm a blogger. I blog because I want to share. I want to share because.. I don't know.. I just got used to sharing whatever I have. It always feels better that way compared to keeping something or a piece of information to yourself. Joining WordCamp will, no doubt about it, give me more things to blabber about on my blog. It will also expose me to people better than me.. that will add even more to the stock knowledge, especially in programming.

And that's.. just about it. I'm a sucker at endings. So I'll leave it as it is. :) If you want to join, here's the link to the online Registration form.

Folks around the world were greatly affected by the soaring gas prices, especially the people in the  third world countries.  Take Philippines for example; jeepney drivers in Manila had to sleep in their own jeepney just to make sure that at the break of dawn they will be the first in line to pick up passengers and fill the seat of  their source of income. Jeepney (picture above)  is the  widely used public transportation in the Philippines, you will find them in every island of the archipelago.

Jeepney is a good ride except when you are packed like sardines inside the vehicle (one way for drivers to cash in more money in one trip). Most of the jeepneys,if not all,  have reconditioned engines or have refurbished parts, therefore it is definitely not equipped with high tech gadgets; not even the had-been-around-for-ages-technology called  cruise control.  It makes sense though because jeepneys make frequent stops, therefore cruising will be a useless option. Aside from that, streets and highways especially in Manila are just flat out congested ( maybe almost the same as or as worse as New York City traffic).

Too bad.

Cruise control is the best technology  man ever invented. It can save you gas and of course money. Using cruise control can save you and me around 25 to 30 percent of gasoline consumption.  Do you know what 25%-30% means to me? It means $90- $100 savings a month.

I refused to use cruise control in the past because I thought it was useless and dangerous (cowardice) but since I used it on my last trip to the beach and saw how much gas I saved, I am now a fan of cruise control.

Driving  on cruise is such a relaxing thing. I don't have to worry about cops or troopers clocking me in because I stay on one speed (yeah, the speed limit) and I don't have to strain my [lead] foot from stepping on that tempting accelerator.

Yeah, driving on cruise control is the great alternative for people like me who can't afford a hybrid vehicle [yet]. However, there's only one thing to remember when your cruisin': stay on the slow lane or else people will be honkin'.

It will just be brief and short...

Hi I'm Lourdes Arroyo (oh, easy lang d ko kamag-anak si PGMA noh!) anyways.. I'm very much known as Dyoza sa net world... it all started way back 2003 when I came across a group of bicolano chatters who became my friends. Anyways, I am married to a wonderful man, and was blessed with a healthy, chubby, super cute na baby boy which we named after his daddy. Currently working my beautiful ass at USAutoparts Network Inc, (Philippines) for almost 5 years na, as a researcher....(nang ano? blogsites? pornsites? hahaha wh@tev@h!!!). Sidelines??? Ofcourse madami ako nyan as a mom it is a compulsary now a days... I am affliated with the following:

> Freelance Real Estate Agent

> Chinatrust (Your personal loan assistant)

> oDesk.com (Online part-time Job)

> Avon and Boardwalk (Hulugan Apparels and beauty churva)

> Breeder of Mini-Pin's (sell the puppies ofcourse)

Yun lang and ...

Wh@tev@h!!!