AIDS and Condoms

Note: Today is World AIDS day and I'm sharing an article regarding this topic. I got this from a Catholic blog

On a personal note, I firmly believe that abstinence and upholding of moral truth is still our best defense against the dreaded disease. Quick fixes simply aren't good enough to solve the AIDS crisis. Educating oneself about the disease is another powerful means to combat it. We simply cannot afford to be ignorant.


Briefing: Condoms are an easy but false solution to AIDS, since they encourage the behaviour (promiscuity) which spreads the disease while only reducing, not eliminating, the risk of infection. This simple point is apparently incomprehensible to the condom-pushers, but that is because they think promiscuity and contraception are good in themselves.

From LifeSite, via CFNews: Following the report that an official of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) had told media, in defiance of established Catholic teaching, that the use of condoms by HIV and AIDS-infected spouses is morally permissible, this position was soundly trounced in an article in the Vatican Newspaper L'Osservatore Romano by a member of the Pontifical Council on the Family. Msgr. Jacques Suaudeau slammed the idea of condoms for AIDS prevention, saying it cannot be proposed as a model of humanization and development.' Msgr. Suaudeau also pointed out the danger of relying upon latex condoms to prevent the transmission of the AIDS virus: 'We are asked to believe that the HIV virus, 450 times smaller than spermatozoa, can almost always be magically blocked by a condom, without taking into account that spermatozoa themselves can pass through the latex barrier in 15 out of 100 completed sexual acts.'

The condom-for-AIDS theory, while directly contradicting the teaching of the Catholic Church as repeatedly reiterated by Vatican officials, also flies in the face of recent statistics showing a correlation between increasing rates of AIDS infection and the spread of condom use in the Philippines. In 2006, the Philippine Health Secretary reported that the number of HIV/AIDS cases almost doubled in three years from about 6000 in 2002 to 11,168 in 2006. This was the same period in which private companies and UN-funded international NGOs began bringing condoms into the country. In 2004 alone, DKT, a private organization run by a well-known US pornographer, with the support of the Packard Foundation, distributed 27.8 million condoms as well as chemical abortifacients and contraceptives in the Philippines. Indeed, in many countries, statistics have shown that far from reducing the transmission of AIDS, the use of condoms has greatly exacerbated the problem.

The relentless push by foreign 'experts' for condoms is being increasingly condemned by local governments in the developing world who have seen successful AIDS prevention programmes undermined by the western obsession with latex. The first lady of Kenya said in 2006 that the western programmes pushing condoms in her country were the primary culprits in the spread of AIDS. Lucy Kibaki spoke to Kenyan schoolgirls at an awards ceremony, telling them, 'The condom … is causing the spread of AIDS in this country.' Mrs Kibaki said the rapid spread of AIDS in Kenya could be put down to pressure from abroad to use condoms instead of practising self-control. 'I am not telling you to use condoms. I am not in favour of condoms.' Officials in charge of the most successful AIDS prevention programme in Africa have recently condemned the efforts by western advisors to undermine their programmes promoting abstinence and marital fidelity.

A Ugandan official wrote a piece last week for the Washington Post, saying that the western obsession with casual sex was killing the people of his country. The spread of artificial methods of contraception in the Philippines has long been one of the major goals of the international population control movement, funded through agencies like International Planned Parenthood and the United Nations Population Fund. The Philippines was one of the countries specified in a 1974 US government document, the National Security Study Memorandum 200 (NSSM), authored by Henry Kissinger, that re-directed the work of such international organisations as UNICEF into population control in order to protect US economic interests by lowering fertility rates in the developing world.

In 2002, the Catholic bishops conference of the Philippines issued a statement condemning the attempts by various international organisations to implement the NSSM 200 programme by pushing artificial contraceptives. Currently the attempt has been made again and the Church is vehemently opposing two pending pieces of legislation in the Senate and House of Representatives that will allow 'family planning' organisations to begin their contraceptive programmes in the strongly Catholic country. [LifeSiteNews]

Boycott Pepsi

Forwarded email: I got this email about Pepsi supporting the gay agenda. Please read the entire email.

EVIL THRIVES WHEN GOOD MEN DO NOTHING.

Please help us get this information into the hands of as many peopleas possible by forwarding it to your entire e-mail list of family and friends. Pepsi Company gives $500,000 to promote the gay agenda in workplace. Company ignores two requests from AFA to discuss Pepsi's support of gay groups. Take Action! E-mail Chairman Indra K. Nooyi. Tell her that you expect Pepsi to stop supporting the gay agenda. After sending your e-mail, please call Pepsi (914-253-2000)(800-960-3602) and ask the company to remain neutral in the culture war. Forward this e-mail to your friends and family so they will know about Pepsi's support of the gay agenda.

Pepsi's products include Pepsi soft drinks, Frito-Lay chips (800-352-4477) , Quaker Oats (800-367-6287) , Tropicana (800-237-7799) and Gatorade (800-367-6287) . On November 14, 2008, Pepsi has given Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) a half-million dollars to help push the homosexual agenda in the workplace. PFLAG is a political advocacy group that promotes radical homosexual political causes like same-sex marriage, hate-crime laws, and gay adoption. Pepsi has a long tradition of financial support for homosexual groups. According to Jacqueline Millan, director of PepsiCo CorporateContributions, "We are delighted to continue our partnership with PFLAG...(in) promoting the necessary message of inclusion to untapped groups...and that is a crucial step toward building a healthy working environment. "Despite the fact that 30 states have passed constitutional amendments defining marriage as being between a man and a woman, Pepsi continues to support the efforts by same-sex groups pushing for homosexual marriage. AFA wrote Pepsi on October 14 and again on October 29 asking the company to remain neutral in the culture war. Pepsi didn't care enough to respond to the AFA letters. Pepsi's lack of response indicates the company plans to continue support for the homosexual agenda.

Thank you for caring enough to get involved. If you feel our efforts are worthy of support, would you consider making a small tax-deductible contribution to help us continue?

Sincerely,
Donald E. Wildmon
Founder and Chairman American Family Association

Papaya

Three days ago dad bought 9 or 10 pieces of papaya fruit. That's great. But the bad news is I am the only one who devours papaya here, so I just hope I won't get bloated and diarrheic for doing so. This prompted me to research some of the benefits one can get from eating papaya and much to my surprise there are many. Aside from being used in skin whitening products, my personal experience in eating this delectable fruit is that it regulates my bowel movement well. For other benefits of papaya, visit this site for more.

Adversity Quotient

I encountered this AQ term while watching TV this morning. First there was IQ (intelligence quotient), and then EQ (emotional quotient), and now comes AQ (adversity quotient). AQ in a nutshell simply pertains to an individual's ability to cope and survive during times of adversity and stress. They say AQ is a strong determinant of one's overall success in life besides the IQ and EQ. Hmmm...interesting. I guess I will need to read more what this AQ is all about.

It's A Guy Thing - Coming Soon

Just this morning I thought of blogging and featuring articles about improving one's looks and that includes grooming tips, men's fashion, men's health, fitness, etc. I'm not trying to promote vanity here (I think gay guys are naturally vain - like me), but I do believe that looking your best and being in style can boost your flagging self-esteem and improve your sense of well-being. Being an average-looking guy or just another face in the crowd for me is not a legitimate excuse to neglect personality development. It's not the most important thing but I believe it can make you feel like a million bucks in the process and no one's going to do that for you but you. It's like undergoing a makeover one step at a time and whether you admit it or not it's something that you subconciously want to be accomplished in your New Year's resolution list right? Definitely, no "kikay" stuff here. Years ago, I used to read this magazine that is all about guy stuff - from basic grooming tips to the latest techno gadget to dating women. I'm missing Kian Douglas already - this guy is my favorite in terms of giving impeccable grooming advice to straight guys (who never learned the art of shaving their beard properly) among the five queer gay guys of QESG (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy) reality show. Don't you think he's too cute to be in that queer show? Don't you find it strange that there are not too many "straight guys" around to teach these things?

Nominated!

Somebody just nominated me for the Filipino Blog of the Week (123) Thank you so much! Vote for me! vote for me! Visit The Composed Gentleman's blog for more details.

Wonderful Sacrament Sunday

Last Sacrament Sunday was a wonderful day for me - I went to Confession after two months of living a "sinful" life. I felt great afterwards after receiving God's love and mercy once again. Fr. D was back from his US trip. He asked me during Confession why it took me two months to confess my sins, most of which were serious ones and I jested in reply "because you were not here" and he smiled somewhat surprised and replied, "don't make me an excuse" and we both laughed a bit. It was kinda like an ice breaker in an otherwise serious conversation we were having.

During the mass the room was quite full and we had two unexpected guests. I will get to that a little later. Fr. D's homily on the Gospel account of Peter walking on the water and sinking later was excellent. Fr. D reminded us to keep our focus on the Lord no matter how great the storm so that we will never falter and sink in the deadly waters of sin, despair, and hopelessness, and if ever we do we need to pray the same words that Peter said when he was sinking: "Lord, save me!" Wonderful homily as always.

At the end of the mass, Bro. R called upon Bro. V in front for a short speech. We were all clueless at the beginning. All eyes were fixed on this guy in front of us. Later on as he was speaking we were amazed and inspired. You see, our dear brother is going to tie the knot very soon and he brought the two guests - his parents - to this mass to introduce our group to them. It was so brave of you Bro. V and I really admire you for that. How I wish I could also bring my parents to attend a Courage mass, but for now that still remains a farfetched dream. Bro. V also announced that he would be leaving soon to work in Singapore as a cook. Lucky guy! After his speech, I was beaming with happiness and pride for what this guy has accomplished so far in his journey of healing, and I am sharing this to everyone to remind us that dreams do still come true. Kudos to Bro. V and I wish you happiness and success in this new chapter of your life. After the mass, Bro V. and his parents went to his fiancee for the traditional "pamanhikan".

The fellowship was a joyful moment too as there were lots of food, and the older members were given a chance to introduce themselves to the newer ones. So much laughter and fun as always. It did not stop there though as most of us went straight to the biggest mall on the other side of Redemptorist Church - SM Mall of Asia of course - and we ate a little more for a little get together and chitchats.

(Sidebits: Bro. J was a revelation to me. While in the car on the way to MOA, he was like a livewire inside. We were very noisy and very giggly inside the car. We were having a little great time. People outside seeing us may think we were having some party - all because of Bro J! He was so "makulit" as in! We were virtually laughing nonstop along the way and I felt I lost all my belly fats in 10 minutes flat doing just that.)

08-08-08

Lucky Date: Wedding Frenzy on 08/08/08 .

What's gonna happen on 08/08/08 at exactly the eighth hour eighth minute and eighth second in the evening? What else but the most anticipated Beijing Olympics 2008. I don't care much about the Olympics really but I'm just quite fascinated with the 08-08-08. I know it's a lucky day for the Chinese and it seems Filipinos too are jumping in hoping to get some kind of luck. Hmmm...is it a good day to get married? to propose? to open a business? to apply for a job? How about betting in the lottery? But the pot money should be P88 million - no less.

(Did you notice the time I posted this blog? That's 8:08 in the morning and that means I'm gonna be lucky the rest of the year! haha! Good luck to the Pinoy athletes. Let the games begin!)

Going 100

You are reading my 100th post! No fireworks exploding just a blog facelift. It's brighter and eye-friendly this time with a white background. It's less somber and I love the new look. I also got this wonderful picture of a tree standing beneath a majestic rainbow (awesome isn't it?) and a calendar widget as well. Well, I have nothing much to say. I'm speechless. I'm going to change my playlist as well when I have time to. Thanks to all who drop by and read my blog.

Quotable quote:
"As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back. Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin."

Cheers!

Go Natural

What is this brouhaha about contraceptives all about? Do these pro-artificial contraceptive advocates really know what they are talking about? I have no family yet but I can see that this is a critical issue being debated upon for quite some time now and Church's stand is still the same as far as the encyclical Humanae Vitae by Pope Paul VI first came out 40 years ago. To begin with, I sincerely believe that the politicians advocating contraception as a method of curbing population growth are really not concerned with the poor at all. It's all about publicity and money. Once the reproductive health bill is signed into law they'll definitely get something from the companies who manufacture contraceptives. Easy money for 2010 eh? Well, what can you expect from morally corrupt politicians? But of course the Catholic Church will never ever consent to their schemes. Not in a thousand years. It's like asking the great physicist Isaac Newton to repeal the law of gravity. Good luck!

Now here is where my confusion comes from. Why insist on artificial birth control when there is a safer and acceptable alternative which is the Natural Family Planning method? Isn't natural more acceptable than artificial? Hey ladies do you want your boyfriends to give you artificial red roses on your first date? For example, when a man and a woman or a man and another man perform anal sex, that is unnatural. It does not serve any legitimate purpose. It does not accomplish anything. In the case of a man and woman doing that, I bet you the sperm cells won't be able to reach the ovaries via the rectum even if it can swim like an Olympic swimmer, because the rectum is a passageway for feces and waste materials and you won't ever get pregnant by doing that. In the case of a man and another man engaging in anal sex, you're just merely pushing whatever feces there is inside further up the intestine which might cause a fecal impaction later. I'm sorry for being gross but Im trying to drive home a point here.

When a woman deliberately terminates her pregnancy, that is unnatural (that's the nicest thing I can substitute for saying that abortion is a very grievous sin). Mammals don't do such a horrible thing. It is something so unnatural for a mother - whether she is a human being or an alligator to harm her offspring purposely and so you see anything that is unnatural, like artifical contraception for this matter, merits a severe consequence. In that regard, I hope you can read a commentary on Humanae Vitae , the prophetic encyclical of Pope Paul VI on the issue of contraception.

The natural family planning method is the only moral acceptable alternative the Christian couple has at their disposal. You married couples out there should be responsible enough for yourselves to know how this thing works. The problem with artificial contraceptives is that it does not promote self-control and respect towards your spouse. It makes you think that your partner is just an instrument for your sexual enjoyment and that taking responsibility is completely out of the picture. It's the easier alternative and people in general like quick fixes. The problem with us Catholics is that we impose our own relativistic and personalistic view of morality and make it fit our situations. We don't want to subject ourselves to the Catholic Church's teaching, who alone can direct us with authority regarding everything moral and upright, with a view that the teachings are somewhat outdated, passe, and out of touch with reality. We don't see the bigger picture do we? Sometimes, I even wonder why the matter of contraception is such an issue in a predominantly Catholic nation such as ours. Neither do I subscribe to the opinion that overpopulation aggravates poverty. More likely the culprits are social injustice, corruption, and bad governance.

I also want to share this Commentary on Family Planning for a deeper spiritual insight on this highly controversial topic.

Go NATURAL. There is just really no other better option.

Geography of a Woman

Forwarded e-mail:

Between 18 and 22, a woman is like Africa, half-discovered, half-wild, naturally beautiful with fertile soil.

Between 23 and 30, a woman is like America, well-developed and open to trade, especially for someone with cash.

Between 31 and 35, a woman is like India, very hot, relaxed and convinced of her own beauty.

Between 36 and 40, a woman is like France, gently aging, but still warm and a desirable place to visit.

Between 41 and 50, a woman is like Great Britain, with a glorious and all conquering past.

Between 51 and 60, a woman is like Yugoslavia, lost some wars, won some great battles but haunted by past mistakes, still very strong and proud.

Between 61 and 70, a woman is like Russia , very wide and borders are now largely unpatrolled.

After 70, she becomes Tibet. Off the beaten path, with a mysterious past and the wisdom of the ages...still desirable but only those with an adventurous spirit and a thirst for spiritual knowledge and true love, dare visit there.

Codename: Shaider

While youtubing the other night I found this very nice music video of Shaider, the Space Sheriff, who was played by Japanese actor Hiroshi Tsuburaya along with his female space sheriff sidekick Naomi Morinaga. In the Philippine version they are better known as Alexis and Annie (still remember this pretty lass with yellow/brown miniskirt?) Do you still remember Fuuma Lei-ar and his minions with their Fuuma dance? Babaylan Ida, I learned lately, was a transvestite. All the while I thought she was a woman! gosh! I think the final episode of Shaider is on youtube again. This was deleted months ago for copyright infringement so to those who did not watch the ending go check it out.

I'm sure people my age can relate to this stuff. When I was in grade school I imitated this space sheriff very much - kicking and punching some of my classmates during our recess and exchanging playcards. But instead of calling me 'Shaider', they labeled me as "SHYder." Too bad the lead actor of this metal hero series died in 2001 apparently of some liver disease and Annie had since appeared in some smutty magazine and softcore porn. Its local remake, Zaido, was a far far cry from the original. I didn't watch that thing because it was done in such poor taste! Can you imagine remaking a sci-fi action flick like this one into some sort of melodramatic telenovela complete with love teams and all that crap!? (Grrr!)

But for old time's sake, here is the music video of one of my favorite Japanese metal heroes - Shaider ang Pulis Pangkalawakan.

After The Storm

I woke up yesterday morning feeling colder than usual. Outside, I could hear the strong wind blowing at 100 mph or so. The clouds were dark and everything was soaked wet by the heavy rain. It was Sunday but it didn't feel like one. "Frank" is finally here I thought. The night before, as early as 10 in the evening, the weather forcasters have already raised the warning of an impending disaster approaching - signal no. 3, and true enough, as I'm reading the news today about the aftermath of the storm, the devastation and the number of people missing from a sea tragedy left behind by typhoon "Frank" are astounding - 700 persons .

What a horrible way to die! - a slow and painful death. It is one of my primal fear. The thought of myself drowning in the middle of the sea and the sight of a hungry tiger shark circling around you is enough to make me die of terror. It is the kind of death I would not want for myself or for anyone. This makes me think twice about riding a ferryboat in the future and if ever I will have to travel by sea I will bring with me a colorful inflatable floater just in case so I can be seen and rescued immediately. What a paranoid thought. Okay, seriously, I just want to enjoin everyone to pray for the victims of the ill-fated ferry mishap. Tragedies do happen unfortunately and at this moment no amount of pointing fingers and blaming who is responsible will ever bring back the lives of the hundreds still missing until now.

Do you still recall a scene in the Gospel where Christ and His disciples were caught in the middle of a storm and the disciples were all freaking out, afraid that they all might go down with the boat? How about Christ? There he was in a corner of a boat sleeping soundly as a babe. What a contrast! - Christ sleeping in peace amidst the fury of the storm. "Be still", Christ said, and the winds and waves obeyed Him. Ah, how I wish I have the same pacifying effect on the storms going on in my life right now. I wish I have that tremendous amount of faith and conviction that Someone is in total control of all things.

There will always be "storms" in our life - some we can anticipate, others catch us totally unprepared. A storm, no matter how furious and destructive, does not stay for too long. After the dark clouds have been cast away there is always the sun to brighten things up, and no matter what kind of storm we're all going through right now - it will come to pass. It may wear us down physicall but not spiritually.

Be strong.

Give Your 101%

101%

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What equals 100%?

What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who says they are giving more than 100%?

We have all been in situations where someone wants you to GIVE OVER 100%

How about ACHIEVING 101%?

What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help answer these questions:

If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26


If:

H - A - R - D - W - O - R - K

8 + 1 + 18 + 4 + 23 + 15 + 18 + 11 = 98%


and


K - N - O - W - L - E - D - G - E

11 + 14 + 15 + 23 + 12 + 5 + 4 + 7 + 5 =96%


but


A - T - T - I - T - U - D - E

1 + 20 + 20 + 9 + 20 + 21 + 4 + 5 = 100%


then, look how far the love of God will take you:


L - O - V - E - O - F - G - O - D

12 + 15 + 22 + 5 + 15 + 6 + 7 + 15 + 4 = 101%


Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:

while Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, it's the Love of God that will put you over the top!

You've Got Messages

Do you have some nice texts that you cannot delete because they just feel good to read once in awhile or pass around to your new text mates? I just thought why not share them here so I can delete them at last to give way to other messages. In case I need those messages again, I will just copy them here and send it. Some of these text messages have been around for eons already and I want to share them now with you. (Grammar edited for clarity and consistency).

I saw an old painting of two friends holding hands.
I wonder how long it will stay intact?
It is old yet never fading.
I wish we were the painting...
Getting older yet never changing.

People are like stained glass windows.
They sparkle and shine when the sun is out.
But when darkness sets in,
Their true beauty is revealed
Only if there is light from within.

If you don't go after what you want,
You will never have it.
If you don't ask,
The answer is always no.
If you don't step forward,
You are always in the same place.
Take risks for life goes on...

Love is a noble act of self-giving.
The more you love, the more you lose a part of you.
Yet you don't become less of who you are,
But you end up being complete.

Lately, I have learned that friendship is the best relationship.
We may go separate ways, live different lives, believe in different aspects...
But as long as we believe we are friends, we will forever be.

Eight rules to be happy:
1. Never hate.
2. Don't worry.
3. Live simply.
4. Expect a little.
5. Give a lot.
6. Always smile.
7. Live with love.
8. Best of all be with God.

Do not spoil what you have
By desiring what you do not have;
But remember that what you have right now
Was once among the things
Others hoped for.

Let me share with you a beautiful prayer:
"Lord when I lose hop because my plans have come to nothing,
Help me to remember that your love is always greater than my disappointments,
And your plans for my life is always better than my dreams. Amen."

Beautiful lives don't just happen.
They are made every single day
With much love, prayer, and sacrifice.
The many tasks we face each day can burden and oppress;
But spending time with God each day can bring relief from stress.
Let us be reminded that IN THE END, only three things matter:
How fully you lived,
How deeply you loved,
How gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.

In life, you may feel tired of fighting for the same reason every day.
You may feel that everyone is moving so fast leaving you far behind,
And you may feel that there is no point in moving on...

There is no certainty in life, it is not how fast you get there...
It's how you played the game.
Put in mind that at times it is better to be like a turtle,
Who patiently moves on and enjoys every step of the way
Rather than a rabbit who runs so fast and missing every vital details in life.

Sometimes we must be hurt to grow.
We must fail in so we can know.
We must lose in order to gain.
Some lessons are learned best only through pain.
Sometimes our vision clears only,
After our eyes are washed with tears.

If you want to be happy,
Don't do whatever you like!
Instead, like whatever you do...
Because happiness comes not from having much to live on,
But having much to live for...

Happiness is like peeing in your pants...
Everyone can see it,
But only you can feel the warmth.

I walk and I see lovers.
I turn my head and I see lovers.
I sit on the bench, and beside me are lovers.
An old woman came and asked me,
"Are you contented to sit alone?"
I answered, "I know at the right time
God will send that person to sit beside me forever...
Someone who is worth the wait..."

Life is like posing for pictures,
We pose the way we want to be seen by others
But stolen shots are better...
They capture who we really are.

God's ways are far different from ours.
In Him, we must learn that we must:

SURRENDER to WIN
LOSE to GAIN
SERVE to REIGN
GIVE to RECEIVE
SCATTER to REAP
and DIE to LIVE

In WEAKNESS, we are made STRONG.
In HUMILITY, we are LIFTED UP.
and in EMPTINESS, we are made FULL.

Narnia Mania

C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian will be shown in theaters on June 4. I'm definitely going to watch this movie.

14 Ways to Shock Your Boss

Here are 14 Ways to Shock Your Boss which I copied word for word while sitting inside a recruitment agency waiting for my friend to get interviewed for some serious "stuff". I showed this list to my friend who just resigned from his work. His comment? - 14 ways to make "sipsip" to your boss. Haha!

1. Show up to work early.
This means you should wake up as early as 5 in the morning to beat the morning traffic and long queues in LRT and MRT stations.

2. Take the initiative to ask questions.
When will I get a raise?

3. Ask for advice, use it, then thank your boss.
Hey sir, how about allowing us to use cellphones inside the cubicle? We'll just put it in a silent mode so nobody will get disturbed.

4. Speak well of your boss behind his or her back.
Hey, you look good in your barong suit matched with jeans and sneakers.

5. When necessary, willingly stay late to finish an important project.
You need to do this some times - having to sleep inside your office that is.

6. Do more than your share of work.
Who told you homeworks are just for students?

7. Be willing to work odd shifts.
10 pm to 7 am? Yeah sure!

8. Every morning, come prepared to work hard.
Oh, I thought I'm working the odd shifts. Now, you're confusing me.

9. Continue to grow professionally.
More seminars, team-building activities, out of town business trips - now this one is fun - at the company's expense.

10. Read whatever you can about your field.
This should give me license to browse the internet at work. You don't expect me to "read" books do you?

11. Suggest new ideas that will save the company time and money.
Please don't take home office supplies for your kids' school needs - that's a lot of savings!

12. Stick around - don't always look for greener pastures.
Huh? Are you kidding me? Isn't job hopping part of professional "growth"?

13. Pray for your boss.
Who among you prays for your boss, raise your hand please.

14. Invite your boss to church.
This one is the most shocking of all the list I suppose. Good heavens! Hallelujah!

Summer Is Over Now??

Last night, while listening to evening news, PAGASA declared officially that the summer season is over because of the advent of typhoons. What?? Rainy season is already here? in May? Noooo!
This morning I woke up feeling a little cold. I was supposed to get up early to do my morning jog, but when I looked outside the window the sky was gloomy and dark. It was windy and a little rainy. No jogging for me of course. I just went back to my bed, turned on the AM radio for the news (I told you before I listen to AM radio), and curled up hugging my pillow trying to sleep again. It's that lazy feeling you get when the weather is wet and cool. It's when taking a bath in the morning sends down a chilling effect in your spine - literally. Perfect.

This should not be thanks to climate change. Way back a few years ago, May is still a summer month - a time to enjoy the sun, the sand, and the sea. I haven't even been to the beach yet! I want to go to the beach to frolic in the waters without a care in the world, get wet (and wild?), build a bungalow-type wave-proof sand castle far away from the shoreline, collect beautiful sea shells that I can put inside an aquarium, and find Nemo. It's what summer is all about, right? Oh, and one more thing. I want to enjoy the "sights" too (wink!). I'm really looking forward to our group's overnight beach outing at the end of this month in Batangas. It's going to be a fun weekend getaway and great bonding time too with the brothers. At least I've got something to look forward to before the "summer" really ends.

I am about to make an official announcement here. The SUMMER season is extended until the second week of June! Yipeee!

Food Trip

I was malling around the other day when I saw a familiar and appetizing sight - delicious, mouth-watering balls! Hey, it's not what you're thinking dude. I was a little hungry at that time and I could not resist to sink my teeth in this yummy dish. I'm talking about Takoyaki. If you're craving for something Japanese besides sushi and maki, try Takoyaki.

Takoyaki is a popular Japanese dumpling made of diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, konnyaku, and green onion topped with okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, and fish shavings. It is cooked using a special takoyaki frying pan with small cup-like molds to give it a perfect round shape.

For P22/3 balls at Kuya Chito's Takoyaki stand, it's definitely a treat. When you take a bite of this yummy Japanese snack, the inside is hot as hell. It can sizzle your tongue if you're not careful. But when I'm hungry who cares? I like it "hot" anyway. Get over your usual shomai and fishballs, this one is definitely worth a bite. Oishi!

To have an idea how Takoyaki is prepared, watch this .

Vote for Tubbataha Reef

Hey guys, please vote for Tubbataha Reef as one of our bets to the New Seven Wonders of Nature. Please click here to vote.


Geography

Tubbataha is a reef ecosystem made up of two atolls located in the middle of the Sulu Sea. It is a sanctuary for marine life. The reefs lie on the Cagayan Ridge, a line of extinct underwater volcanoes which starts from the north at the Sultana Shoal and ends in the south at the San Miguel Islands. It is located 92 nautical miles southeast of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan and 80 nautical miles southwest of Cagayancillo, the municipality that exercises political jurisdiction over it. It was proclaimed as a National Marine Park on August 11, 1988 and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage in 1993, in recognition of its outstanding universal value in terms of marine life species diversity and richness.

The name Tubbataha comes from the dialect of the Samal, seafaring people of the Sulu region, and means 'long reef exposed at low tide'. Tubbataha consists of two atolls made up of roughly 10,000 hectares of corals and many other forms of marine life. There is very little land in Tubbataha. Each atoll has just one islet, the highest of which is only two metres above sea level. The atolls have shallow lagoons and are surrounded by 200 to 500 metres of reef flat which ends in a steep drop off into deep water. The reef crests, which mark the atolls' edges, are exposed above the water's surface at low tide.

Tubbataha is well known among the fisher folk of the southern Philippines. It was called 'Gusong' by the islanders of Cagayancillo, literally meaning 'coral reef.' Until the late 1970s, Cagayanons were the primary users of Tubbataha's resources. During the summer months, they would make month-long fishing trips in fleets of locally built wooden sailboats called pangko or balangay.

For most of its existence, Tubbataha's remoteness has been its greatest protector against over exploitation. It is open to the shifting winds that affect the Philippines - the habagat, amihan and daplak which bring rough seas, fierce storms and brief periods of calm. The safest months for travel to Tubbataha are during the summer months, from March to May.

The first recorded visit to Tubbataha was made by naturalist Dean Worcester in 1911. He described the north islet - called Bird Island because of its role as a nesting ground for thousands of seabirds - as 'a low, flat, sandy island…some 400 metres long and 75 metres wide.' Seventy years later, when ornithologist Robert Kennedy visited the island, he noted that it had shrunk in size by almost 70 per cent. Today Bird Island is a mere 23 per cent of the area recorded in 1911, just one indicator of how dynamic the forces of nature are at Tubbataha.

Tubbataha reef is currently at the seventh spot so please keep the votes coming in. =)


(Source: Tubbatahareef.Org)