I Support The Worldwide Protest Against SOPA / PIPA
Many websites today around the world are blacked out to protest against the proposed U.S. legislation that threatens internet freedom: the Stop Internet Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA). As a sign of my support, I have placed a black ribbon at the top right portion of my site.
Let us not allow corporate interests censor the Internet!
Please watch the video above to learn how this legislation will affect internet freedom, then click any of the appropriate link below to take action:
My Two Cents: Pacquiao vs. Marquez III
After watching the replay and reading the tweets, I think it is very unfair to say that Pacman didn’t deserve to win and that Marquez was robbed of a win. Pacman gave Marquez one heck of a fight. It was just unfortunate for Marquez that he wasn’t able to put Manny down. And this just clearly showed that Manny is THAT good. I can say that Pacman was a victim of pre-conceived outcomes that when a close win was declared, everybody doubted it. It was just so sad to see that instead of being happy and proud, Filipinos saw the fight as one big question mark.
Disappointed over iPhone 5′s No Show
October 4 has been one of my most anticipated dates this year. The rumor mill has it that Apple would unveil an iPhone 5 at the scheduled event. I have work the following day but I stayed up late just to follow live blogs by tech sites that have representatives covering the event. Every blog post, every picture taken at the event I followed and ardently read. And the moment came when Apple’s new CEO Tim Cook unveils the latest iPhone. I even got up of my bed to give the announcement my full attention. Then I heard the inevitable.
No iPhone 5, only iPhone 4S.
A Grief That Can’t Be Spoken
Brother Eraño G. Manalo, Executive Minister of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, passed away last August 31, 2009, he was 84. He was laid to rest today at the INC Tabernacle inside the INC Central Complex in Quezon City.
His passing gave me a sense of emptiness inside me. I felt a loss I have never felt before in my life. I was very sad.
Since I learned of his death I have wanted to write about him and his great achievements for the church, but words fail me. An unexplainable grief engulfed the whole of me that even thinking of writing about his death is unbearable. My sadness even deepened as I watched his wake which was held at our Central Temple in Quezon City. Thanks to our website Gemnet.tv I was able to update myself of the things happening through the live streaming feed provided by the site. More…
“Sorry, you can’t go for vacation…”
These words rang like bell in my ears when me and my immediate manager were discussing about my chances of going for a vacation this year. Sadly, I can’t go because of our upcoming Rosetta 2 website project. Just last month, I was assigned as a team leader of our team and because of this I became responsible for all the project requirements pertaining to the website. According to my boss, initial testing and deployment are all due this coming month of May, so my presence in the office is critical for the smooth workflow.
I was devastated. Everybody back home is already expecting to see me this May, but I guess we all have to wait for another year to see each other. Hopefully, if everything goes well in the project and deployment from testing to live goes according to plan, I can again talk to my boss about my chances of going for vacation before the year ends (maybe October or December), but I don’t want to put my hopes up high, projects like this take not less than a year to stabilize and run smoothly. For sure issues will arise after the website is deployed and more will appear as we go along the testing.
Just wish me luck, I hope I can still conquer the longing of seeing my loved ones again.
Eraserheads “The Final Set” Concert
After the Eraserheads’ last concert was unexpectedly cut short because of Ely Buendia’s health problem, “The Final Set” reunion concert of the band was held today at the SM Mall of Asia concert grounds. Thanks to MTV Philippines, the Filipino’s (and my) fab four was seen again on stage singing all their hits. Unfortunately according to Ely himself, this would be the last time the four of them would be seen performing as the Eraserheads.
Again, I was not there to witness this momentous event which for me is a must see for all Eheads diehard fans (well um, like me!). So I promise myself when I go for my vacation on May I would collect all their albums as a tribute to this great band.
Long live the Eheads!
The Feeling of Being Betrayed
I have always put an utmost importance on trust. I have always been a very trustworthy person and friend. I am devastated to know that the people to whom I entrusted my trust, shared my secrets and called friends, betrayed me; stabbed me behind my back. No words can describe how angry and disappointed I am.
Well, sorry for them, they just lost a very good friend and earned a very irreproachable enemy.
Is It Really A Happy New Year?
I don’t know if I should still call 2009 a “HAPPY NEW YEAR”, well at least for me.
It’s the 31st of December and still I went to work, up to 8 pm! Imagine that! As far as I know this is the only part of the world that doesn’t give any importance in celebrating a coming new year. Our church locale here in Sharjah just had our year-end celebration socializing, I was supposed to be a part of a chorale competition, and because I stayed late at work and there were no taxis to be found, I wasn’t able to make it. I reached our flat at 11, just 1 hour to go before the new year.
The worst part of it was I was all alone in our flat when I arrived. As we all get accustomed in the Philippines, new year celebrations are a family gathering. I am used to having all my loved ones with me during this moment, but now I’m all alone. Now tell me, is there any reason to be happy?
A Rant on the Stench in Dubai’s Buses
My office mate Ali, who also happens to be my car lift to and from the office, has an errand to run for his wife to Deira tonight. And because I want to reach home early, I decided to take a bus to go back to Sharjah.
As expected, the bus station near Al Ghurair Mall in Deira is jam packed with passengers waiting in line for the iftar to be done with and the station officials start giving the orders to board the buses. After paying the driver, I found myself sitting beside an Indian guy who smells like a dead rat, literally. I can almost say the stench of a dead rat maybe an understatement, but it’s the closest comparison I can think of. Forgive me for the description, I know it’s a bit harsh, but if your were in my position, I am very sure you would certainly agree.
Much as I hate it, I covered my nose with my hanky throughout the duration of the ride. I know it’s untoward to do that but I was left with no choice, or else I would certainly puke. I don’t understand why do they have that kind of stinking smell. Is it because they don’t take a bath? Or is it because of the food they eat? Don’t they smell themselves and realize how stinky they already are? Hygiene plays a big part on this. I’m sure they have poor hygiene habits.
Me and my Filipino office mates always notice the bewildered look in the faces of our Indian colleagues whenever they see us brushing our teeth after eating lunch. An elderly Indian from the accounting department wasn’t able to help himself and even commented and told us that we shouldn’t be brushing our teeth more than ONCE A DAY! Duh? So, It means that they only brush their teeth once a day, or maybe not at all. That explains it, that explains their hygiene.
Going back to the bus ride. I was already feeling nauseous when finally the Indian guy beside me stood up and disembarked from the bus. Finally, I was able to breath normally again. This is not the first time I experienced this, but definitely this is the worst. When I got down from the bus, I can’t walk straight because of dizziness that I opted to ride a cab just to reach home.
I’m still cursing Ali up to this very moment.
The Act of Defecation
While in college I swore to myself never to sh-t using a public toilet. But all things changed when I became a member of the so-called working class. And because I am now an office-based employee, I know I can no longer keep that promise. There were numerous times that I have given up my poise to the common inidoro. I released instead of retained, sit and didn’t squat. Until the supposed privacy of defecating became very much of a public act.
Yup, this topic is too appalling to talk about. Being part of the corporate world, it has been an unwritten understanding to keep bowel issues among ourselves. It can be compared to discussions about salary. You always think about it, you want to talk about it, yet it was not spoken of.
I know most of you would agree to just flush this topic down the toilet than discuss it publicly. But I believe that the subject is worthy to be blogged about. Pooping is very much a part of our natural life, especially for us employees who are basically spending more than half of our lives in the office, an occasional trip to the CR cannot be avoided.
Yep, those trips to the CR: The nature of taking a pee to relieve our bursting bladder. The gross releasing of brown submarines in the bowl and fervently wishing there won’t be any MacArthur experience.
The office CR has always been a very awkward place to defecate. Once we’re on the throne, we want to immediately get it over with. Why? Because the place itself presents a lot of opportunities to produce very embarrassing moments.
Just this morning, I was in the CR at the same time with our Sales Director. What if I heard him make a very loud, disgusting farting sound? What if he forgot to flush the toilet and I got a bird’s eye view of his load because I followed him next to the cubicle. Will I think of him differently? Wil I look at him the same way again? No doubt about it. Luckily, none of these happened.
In the Philippines, a building in Makati, 6750 if I’m not mistaken, provides separate CRs for executives, besides the usual gender segregation. Maybe the building planners recognized the inherent awkwardness inside the rest room. By creating separate CRs for bosses, awkward moments between subordinate and superior are alleviated.
As for me, I have already adjusted to the office CR situation. What I do is I go out of my way and proceed to another floor’s CR, where I am a stranger and there is very low traffic.
