Inside The Mind of a Single Guy

MOVED......

2006-03-19T21:30:00.000+08:00

This blog has moved to http://snglguy.com . Just click on the link....

Moving Day.....

2006-03-08T07:28:00.000+08:00

My worries were unfounded, turns out that moving all my posts and comments from blogger to my new address was a breeze with Wordpress. It took me less than 20 minutes to move everything... and I thought I was gonna stay up all night. Whew! Anyways, starting today I will start posting on my own site at http://www.snglguy.com . Hope to see you guys out there.

I'm Moving..... my blog

2006-03-07T07:25:00.000+08:00

I guess this is a good time as any to tell everyone what's going on. For a few weeks now, I have been thinking of getting my own domain name and have my blog hosted. So for the past few days, I have been shopping around in cyberspace for a host. And after checking out a couple of local hosting services, I ended up with NoKiAHOST.com . Don't let the name fool you though, they are NOT in anyway connected with Nokia. It's just an acronym for Network of Known internet Addicts Hosting Solutions... quite a mouthful. But at USD $3.95 a month for a standard webhosting, they're quite cheap and they'll also register your domain name for free. Oh and on top of that, they have a promo wherein you'll get twice the disk space (100MB) and data transfer (5 GB) if you sign up this March.... sounds good enough for me. I've paid up half of the year's hosting fee yesterday and will be paying the balance after everything's set up. They've already registered my domain name and the site will probably be up by this morning. There's still a lot of work to do before I move in to my new address though.... For the new site, I plan on using Wordpress instead of Blogger as suggested by the guy at NokiaHost. He says it's better and I've read a lot of bloggers praising it. Anyway, for me, am just hoping that transferring all my files from Blogger won't be a hassle/nightmare. Why am I doing this? Well... why not? It'll be cool to have my own domain name and site. But in the meantime, I'll still be posting here while I set up house....

Guys day out.....

2006-03-06T08:27:00.000+08:00

Last Feb 21, I posted my disappointment at a Smart Wireless customer service rep, for her lack of enthusiasm and stupidity in her work. But even after that experience, I am still seriously considering making a switch to wi-fi connection, since I've just about had it with PLDTdsl's lousy service. So, last Saturday, I went to a Smart Wireless branch in another mall to make a similar inquiry regarding their wi-fi service. This time however, I was fortunate enough to talk to a better trained customer service rep, and was able to get some straight answers with regards to their services AND policy about having an existing dsl account with another provider. Much ado about nothing really, turns out that while they don't exactly encourage applicants with existing subscriptions (esp. with PLDTdsl) to pre-terminate their account, they don't discourage it either. Which is just about right, since that is OUR problem not theirs. "That customer service rep probably wasn't very familiar with our policy"she said.... Oh geez, ya think? Anyways, now I gotta find a way on how to weasel my way out of that stupid contract. I still have one more year to go.... With that taken care of, I proceeded to the Italian resto where I was to meet my best friend for lunch. No it's not Chef d'Angelo again, but it's another one of my favorite pasta place. This one's owned by an Italian guy and his Filipina wife, offering honest to goodness Italian dishes. Instead of my usual spaghetti al pesto and piadina (which btw, is also the name of the place), I opted to try their pizza. Authentic Italian pizza is radically different from the Americanized pizza that we're used to ( Yes, the ones that Pizza Hut and Shakey's serve are bastardized versions). The Margharetta (cheese pizza) that I ordered for example looked more like a flat pita bread topped with herbs and olive oil, larger, and as thin. Dang! We were so busy talking and eating that I forgot to take a shot of the pizza. Tsk, so I guess you'll have to settle with mine.....

Toilet humor...

2006-03-04T07:25:00.000+08:00

Anybody interested in this toilet fixture? I wonder if anyone out there is crazy enough to buy one of these....

Aquariass - Aquarium toilet

Add a little life to your bathroom with this live aquarium. The fully functioning tank fits American Standard bowls. Custom bowl installation is available.

3/8" acrylic tank 1.6 gpf. (federal standard) 22" x 14" x 9" deep

One question: What happens to the fishes after you flush?

Pushy vendors....

2006-03-03T07:10:00.000+08:00

Yesterday over lunch, a friend recounted to me how she was 'coerced' to buy an item from a pushy street vendor when all she was doing was asking if the price was still negotiable. Me: Why did you let him bully you into buying? She: I got so nervous when he gave me THAT stare after I said I changed my mind... Me: What kind of stare? She: You know, the I'mgonnaslapyousilly kind of stare.... like I wasted his time or something. Me: Oh, I thought it was one of those Iwannaf**k you kind of stare..... *sniggers* She: *whacks me* Shuddup you asshole.... I'm still traumatised y'know. Me: Just kidding, ok? Anyways, that reminded me of a similar situation I was into many years ago. It was in 1998 I think, at the time I had to go up north in the 'city of pines' on company business. I decided to take one of those airconditioned buses instead of driving for 5 hours alone, and grab some sleep along the way. Departure time was still 30 minutes away but rather than wait inside the lounge, I opted to wait inside the bus where it's cooler, while I go through my schedule on my Palm Pilot ( Yes, I used to have that too) . I chose myself a window seat, got comfortable and started fiddling with my PDA when I noticed a woman approach me. She was carrying a basket full of ice cold coke in cans, must be one of those vendors I thought, when she suddenly dumped a can on the empty seat beside me. ( Conversations/arguments were in Tagalog) Me: (What the hell?) What's that for? Vendor: *nodding* It's ok .... Me: It's ok??? What do you mean it's ok? Vendor: *still nodding* Just take it... Me: (WTF??) I'm not buying it, I'm not thirsty..... *Starts fiddling with PDA again* Vendor: Don't worry about it... Me: I'm not interested... Vendor: It's ok, I'll just leave it here.... Me: *Shrugs* *Still fiddling with PDA* Fine, fine you do that.... After that, she left and I continued with my work and forgot about it. Around 10 minutes later she came back. Vendor: That'll be xxx pesos. Me: WHAT??? I didn't even open the damn thing! Vendor: But you accepted it... Me: (WTF??) I never accepted it, you left it here on the empty seat beside me.... Vendor: * Getting angry* But you said fine.... Me: Yeah, just to get you off my back! Vendor: Then that means you brought it! Me: No, that means you're STUPID!!! Vendor: Are you going to pay or not? *Giving me THE stare* Me: You threatening me?? Vendor: I'll call the cops on you.... Me: Yeah, you do that. Go ahead and call the cops on me. Don't worry, I won't go anywhere..... After that I continued with what I was doing, trying to keep myself busy. She promptly took it and left in a huff, yelling "putang ina mo!" (Roughly translated, " You son of a whore") as she was getting off the bus. To which I replied; "Yeah yeah go find some dumb shmuck to cheat, you bitch!". Geez, she must have thought she could use that 'hard-sell' technique on me..... I slept peacefully all the way to Baguio City after that.........

A (Jolli) Bee in a Yank's Bonnet....Part 2

2006-03-02T00:05:00.000+08:00

And so the story continues. Blogger duke gave me a link to a follow up post from that nice American blogger who trashed Jollibee in her blog ( check out yesterday's post). As expected, her post elicited a lot of negative reactions from Pinoys all over and hate mails began to follow. Way to go gurl! Ok, instead of providing you guys the link like everyone does, I decided to just republish her post here:

January 26, 2006 adventures with jollibee, continued. Hi. I know some of you read this at work and would get in trouble for severe language, so don't click the little "continue reading" after this sentence if you're in ("urine!") that kind of situation. I'm just going to post an email with some uniquely adult language. Before I do, I should mention that I've been getting lots of nice email about Jollibee, its place in Filipino culture, why it's better than McDonald's (or McDo, as I've learned), and why it tasted so damn sweet. In fact, I've learned so much about the Philippines over the past week (including why I should be happy I didn't have to try dinuguan or balut), that I'm really glad I had my Jollibee experience and wrote about it the way I did. Especially when I woke up this morning to find the following: Subject: Hi you ignorant bitch i dare you to open me!! Hey bitch cocksucking idiot did you know jollibee was the only local company that trashed Mc Do...putang ina mo BOBO....you obviously lack class and think of us filipinos as dirty half naked natives....well FYI at least we take a bathe thrice a day while you fucking bathe only when you cant take the crust forming on your CUNTS....at least you could have shown some respect but being an american you think the world is your doormat.....well anyway fuck you and eat your motherfucking red eye gravy........JOLLIBEE FUCKED YOUR MOM...9 months Later you were born.....SO Shove MC DO and wendys up your ass......Your just angry because you lost your jobs when companies outsourced here in the PHILIppines!!!!!! gaga gago lintian ka....... You have a bounty on your head bitch....and you closely resemble my dog who's butt fucking ugly!!!!! and PAMIE is a really ugly name...ill name my next TURD in your honor.... "Jollibee fucked your mom" is my new favorite insult in the world. Well, the entire thing was meant to be an adventure in my backyard, as the Jollibee is about a mile from my house. And sure, I've exaggerated. You can tell by the pictures that nobody's looking at us. It's not like we Johnny Knoxvilled over there, Steve-O'ed creamy macaroni soup and then vomited all over the table. We ate a few bites out of curiosity, and then were disappointed to find we hadn't discovered our favorite new fast food joint. Laura and I were talking about this the other day. "You're just like me," she said. "When you see a place that most people would go, 'What? What is that? I don't want to try that.' You go, 'But what if ox-tail soup in a peanut butter pot is the best thing I've ever eaten in my life, and I don't know it? What if it's my favorite food, and I've never tried it and all that's stopping me is being a little scared of the fact that I can see a meat bone in some peanut butter?'" "That's exactly what I think," I said. "I used to think I didn't like fish. Because my mother told me I didn't like fish. I hadn't eaten fish. Once I tried it, being nice at stee's mom's house, I found out I love fish. I also didn't know I liked sushi, Indian food, or Vietnamese food." "So why wouldn't you think Jollibee was going to have the best cheeseburger in Eagle Rock? Look at the line outside!" "That's what I'm saying. And if I liked bananas in my ketchup, then Jollibee would have been the best cheeseburger in Eagle Rock." I went on to tell her about the history of Jollibee, and why it's more popular than McDo over there. "You have really learned a lot about your neighborhood." "I got an email from someone telling me that the next time I fly into her country, eat her food and leave, she'll kick my ass." "She thought you went to Manila--" "--to buy some folders." "Yes. She thought you flew there, ate at a Jollibee with your friends, and then flew home?" "To which I say: 'Thanks for reading. Your comprehension skills are amazing.'" Tonight we're going to a raw food restaurant. Look out, veggies. I might just bring my camera again. Do you think vegan hate mail will talk about my cunt? My glorious, free-range, semi-bathed cunt? [You can learn everything you ever might need to know about Jollibee over at the forum.] Posted by pamie at 08:35 AM

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Actually, there was no need for that foul language in the hate mail. But I was kinda like, laughing and shaking my head at the same time while reading it....

A (Jolli) Bee in a Yank's Bonnet....

2006-03-01T12:05:00.000+08:00

I read bw's entry about this blogger who posted a rather scathing, but honest review of the foods that a US branch of Jollibee was offering. The foods mentioned in her post are actually the very same ones that's being offered locally.... sweet tasting hambugers and hotdog filled sweetened spaghettis. Oh and don't forget the ever popular chickenjoy. Ok, I'm not a big fan of Jollibee ( so sue me), though a lot of Filipinos seem to be. I never liked anything on their menu except their chickenjoy. But that doesn't mean that I agree on how this blogger (see pic) and her friends acted inside the joint, which made them look more like idiots rather than ugly Americans (more pics in her blog). One of her friend who seem to have an aversion to a lot of foodstuff kept whining like a brat... Sure, she had every right to post her culinary misadventures... freedom of expression remember? It is after all her blog, and their initial reaction to the unfamiliar foods are... umm, normal. But for someone who claims to be a writer/screenwriter, she (and her friends) seem to be displaying a rather myopic view about the foods of other cultures. One can only wonder what she and her friends' reactions would be if they stepped foot in a Malaysian, or even an Indian resto... As for Jollibee... well, I was kinda surprised when I learned that the local fastfood giant was branching out to Hamburgerland, otherwise known as the US of A. The thought that came into my mind was that the management had become cocky after beating McDonald's at their own game in the local fastfood market. And now they wanted to bring the burger war to McDonald's home turf... wtf were they thinking? Is the Filipino community ( presumably the target market) in that city sizable enough for it to survive the fastfood war? Well, that's assuming that the Fil-Ams would eat there everyday and stopped patronizing McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Jack in the Box, and White Castle. And that the Americans suddenly develop a taste for those sweet hamburgers.... then, maybe. If Jollibee was thinking of giving the Yanks a run for their money with their own version of an American invention, then they haven't really done their homework... So what's next with this company? Set up a Greenwich Pizza joint in Italy perhaps? MAMA MIA!!! Note: Greenwich Pizza is a subsidiary of Jollibee

Political Soap.....

2006-02-28T00:18:00.000+08:00

I have lost my confidence in this government, as do a lot of people. But that doesn't mean I'd trust those anti- Arroyo groups either. And with personalities coming from the different political spectrum, theirs is an alliance of convenience.... with their own selfish political agenda. I really doubt if these folks can work effectively together once they (hopefully not) set up a junta. I mean, come on... get real. Representatives from the right, left, and center working together? If I remember it correctly, former president Aquino tried that after she assumed power in 86, and it failed miserably. The internal squabbling never ceased.... strange bedfellows indeed. Well, so far they haven't succeeded in setting up a junta, yet. Their call for people power last week went pfft! Not surprisingly, it was largely ignored. I guess the old Cory magic has lost it's luster after all. They tried again without success last Sunday , after a disgruntled Marine Colonel, who was also implicated in the attempted coup, decided to commandeer a fully armed battalion to show his dismay at the sacking of his commanding officer ( tsk! there goes discipline). He then surrounded himself with civilian 'volunteers' ( who looked more like goons to me) and called on the people and the clergy for support. WTF does he need the priests for anyway? Confession? Oh he's probably just covering his sorry ass since he was about to be detained for treason. And now comes this article in Time Magazine Asia about that recent coup attempt by the military that would coincide with the 20th anniversary of the EDSA revolution. As expected, the principal players are now denying their involvement... yeah, right. After 20 years, the public is getting tired of these calls for people power. They have become numb and cynical... like yours truly. But I doubt if these people will stop though, the lure of power (and money) is so strong that they will stop at nothing to bring down this government. And the current resident in the palace sure ain't gonna give it to them on a silver platter... Personally, I don't believe that these so-called saviours will be any better than the one we have sitting in Malacanang calling the shots. So while the nation is in a political whirlpool, it's business as usual for us working stiffs. And why not? We all have to bring home the bacon and pay the bills don't we? Those opposition guys calling for people power aren't gonna pay it for us... and neither will this government.

Monday humor....

2006-02-27T07:16:00.000+08:00

Just thought I'd share this for a laugh or two this Monday to start off another week of rat race and political turmoil (If you happen to live here that is). God knows how much we need to keep our sense of humor in these turbulent times. But be warned, if you're one of those sensitive, politically correct individual who'd easily get offended, go read something else... like a children's book. Many thanks to azlynne1972 for this joke: How Moses got the 10 Commandments.... God went to the Arabs and said, "I have Commandments for you that will make your lives better. The Arabs asked, "What are Commandments?" And the Lord said, "They are rules for living." "Can you give us an example?" "Thou shall not kill." "Not kill? We're not interested." He went to the Blacks and said, "I have Commandments." The Blacks wanted an example, and the Lord said, "Honor thy Father and Mother." "Father? We don't know who our fathers are." Then He went to the Mexicans and said, "I have Commandments." The Mexicans also wanted an example, and the Lord said "Thou shall not steal." "Not steal? We're not interested." Then He went to the French and said, "I have Commandments." The French too wanted an example and the Lord said,"Thou shall not commit adultery." "Not commit adultery? We're not interested." Finally, He went to the Jews and said, "I have Commandments." "Commandments?" They said, "How much are they?" "They're free." "We'll take 10."

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Oh btw that wasn't the only one I snitched from lynne, I also got this link and generated myself a word cloud based on my blog. Can you see your name/blog nick in there somewhere? Ok, now I guess it's back to the rat race and political crisis. Have a nice day everyone...

Interesting times....

2006-02-25T08:00:00.000+08:00

Sitting here in front of my computer pondering about this day and the events that are happening around me. Well, except for the fact that I AM using a computer and blogging, I feel like I was back in 1986 during the first EDSA people power revolution. It's deja vu actually, like I've seen this before... damnit, I have. Crap! Has it been 20 years already? I have to look for the old pictures that I took when I went to the Malacanang Palace (out of curiosity) with a couple of friends a few days after that historic day. At 25 years old, I was then full of hopes and dreams for this country... should have known better than to trust politicians. 20 fucking years, and we're back on the street trying to unseat an unwanted and unpopular president... looks like we haven't really moved on since 86'. Malcontents in the military are starting to get creative again no thanks to that former coup plotter turned ex senator, and now this guy is in hiding after being implicated again in this latest coup attempt. Geez, they should've buried this bastard decades ago but instead, those stupid voters elected him to the senate. Whatever happened to the hopes and dreams of the people for this country after they kicked out a dictator and his family? Are we just recycling tyrants now? In a speech in Cape Town, South Africa, on June 7, 1966, Robert F. Kennedy said, "There is a Chinese curse which says, "May he live in interesting times." Like it or not, we live in interesting times..." Well, he could have been referring to this country because we sure are living in an interesting time, and the fact that this country seems to be cursed with stupid/corrupt politicians, petty tyrants, and equally stupid voters. We'll see what happens next.....

The next AI?

2006-02-24T07:20:00.000+08:00

And now for the lighter side... Last year, on American Idol 4. I predicted from the very beginning during the auditions that Carrie Underwood would be the next AI. Well, what do you know.... I was right. So this year, I'm making another bold prediction (As if I am a psychic). This early, ( yeah, yeah I know it's too early) I have a gut feeling that Katharine McPhee will be the next AI. Why not? Even the judges and especially the usually acerbic Simon Cowell can see it. But, that's just me.... so who's your bet? Note: Crap! I hope I didn't jinx her with this post....

More on the cartoon controversy....

2006-02-23T07:17:00.000+08:00

The issue about those caricatures hasn't died down yet. In fact, it is still raging in the Muslim world and it looks like a line has been drawn. On one side, the Danish government standing firm on its principle. And on the other, an upset... no, angry hordes of Islamic fanatics calling for blood to be spilled. If you think that there have never been any images depicting the prophet before all this brouhaha, well think again. I found this while surfing the web for more articles on the Mohammed cartoons.... Mohammed Image Archive Depictions of Mohammed Throughout History Controversy over the publication of images depicting Mohammed in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten has erupted into an international furor. While Muslims worldwide have called for a boycott of Denmark and any other nation whose press reprints the cartoons, Europeans are trying to stand up for Western principles of freedom of speech and not cave in to self-censorship in the name of multiculturalism and fear. While the debate rages, an important point has been overlooked: despite the supposed Islamic prohibition against depicting Mohammed under any circumstances, hundreds of paintings, drawings and other images of Mohammed have been created over the centuries, with nary a word of complaint from the Muslim world. The recent cartoons in Jyllands-Posten are nothing new; it's just that no other images of Mohammed have ever been so widely publicized. This page is an archive of numerous depictions of Mohammed, to serve as a reminder that such imagery has been part of Western and Islamic culture since the Middle Ages -- and to serve as a resource for those interested in freedom of expression. (Please note that the Arabic name "Mohammed" has over the years been transliterated into Western languages with several different spellings -- some of which you'll encounter on this site -- including Mahomet, Muhammad, and Mohamed.) The images in the Mohammed Image Archive have been divided into the following categories; click on these links to view the images in each section: Islamic Depictions of Mohammed in Full Islamic Depictions of Mohammed with Face Hidden European Medieval and Renaissance Images Miscellaneous Mohammed Images Book Illustrations Dante's Inferno French Book Covers Satirical Modern Cartoons And for those who haven't seen the infamous cartoons.... The Jyllands-Posten Cartoons

Oldies but goodies?

2006-02-22T08:00:00.000+08:00

Have you ever wondered how some celebrities would look like in say.... 30 0r 40 years from now? Assuming that the scientists still hadn't come up with a formula for the fountain of youth (I'm sure these guys will be the first to snap it up, IF it comes out) in the year 2040, this is what they would look like.... theoretically. Thanks to my cousin in San Diego, CA for sending me these lovely pics.

Customer Dis-service...

2006-02-21T08:22:00.000+08:00

I don't know where some companies get their people who man the customer service counter. Either they lack training or just simply... ignorant. Like last Saturday, I went to one of Smart communications branches in a mall in order to inquire further about their wi-fi broadband internet services. I was thinking of switching to wireless and I need to know the pros and cons of their services. Anyways, here's how it went: Me: Good afternoon Miss, is this where I can inquire about your wireless internet? Customer service: Yes sir, how can I help you? Me: I just need to know about your monthly rates and how much I need to pay upfront. And also, how long it will take before you install the wi-fi antenna, so I'll know when I can discontinue my present dsl connection. Customer Service: Oh, you already have a dsl connection? Me: Err, yeah I'm not happy with their lousy dsl service that's why I'm switching to wireless. Customer Service: But sir, we don't accept applications from people who already have dsl connections from other providers. Me: What??? What's wrong with already having one? Customer Service: Sir, don't you have a lock-in period in your present account? Me: Yeah, so? what's that got to do with my applying for another one? That's my problem, not yours. It's between me and the provider.... Customer Service: As far as I know, we don't allow that... Me: (WTF???) That's crazy! I have never heard of such thing even with other providers... Me: Besides, I've already talked to one of Smart communications' sales rep when they were having a promo about a month ago in the mall's lobby, and they were even trying to encourage me to switch services and sign up (I almost did btw). They didn't say anything about any restrictions... Customer Service: Umm, well if you really want to, then you can discontinue your dsl services with the other company first before you apply for the wi-fi services. Me: Then what... Customer Service: Then in 3 days a contractor will go to your place and check if your area is in a 'hot spot'. If it is, he can already install the wi-fi antenna. Me: Let me get this straight, you want me to discontinue my dsl account with pldt before Smart can tell its contractor to come to my place... and check if it is in a 'hot spot'? Customer Service: Yes sir... Me: So if the contractor finds out that it isn't.... I'm screwed, I won't have any more internet connection??? *visibly irritated* Customer Service: Ummm..... Me: *Standing up* Thank you for your time..... THIS IS REALLY STUPID!!!! And to think, this company is aggressively promoting its wi-fi services...

A day at the cemetery....

2006-02-20T07:08:00.000+08:00

Sometime late last year, I promised hedonistics anonymous that I'd post some pictures of the famous (or infamous?) mausoleums and 'mansions' for the dead inside the Chinese cemetery after I posted this article. I was able to take some pics but unfortunately, stupid me accidentally deleted the pics even before I could save them in my blog. I recieved a nasty whipping from hedo for my mistake (just kidding!). Anyways, we went to the cemetery last Saturday to visit my Dad as it was the first anniversary of his passing. I took that opportunity to shoot some pictures with my cam phone after we finished paying our respects to my Dad. Well hedo, here are the pics.... The unit above is a typical one storey 'apartment' for the middle class, although it's not exactly middle class since each of these 'townhouses' can set you back half a million minimum (in pesos). The ones below are the 'mansions' for the, umm.... rich ones. You'll have to shell out a couple of millions for these heavenly properties.... whoever says you can't take your money with you when you croak, huh?

These 'mansions' can either look like a Chinese temple.....

Or a mini mall.

This one looks like a suburban home (except for the cross) complete with a driveway and garden...

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust"- The crematorium (no explanation needed here)

I got curious with this particular unit not because it's newly painted, but because of this....

Unless you're a Filipino/Fil Chinese, that name won't ring a bell. Because that's the name of a former Senator, Manila city Mayor, Director of the National Bureau of Investigation, and Chief of Police. Nope, that's not his resting place, the guy is STILL alive and kicking! It's just his namesake.... quite amusing though, seeing your own name in someone else's mausoleum. I would have taken a lot more pictures of the place but the weather didn't cooperate that day (it's obvious in the pictures), it started to drizzle after I took that last pic so I headed back to my Dad's resting place and to my waiting Mom. Time to go home.... As we made our way out of the cemetery, I saw a couple of tourists who are either Americans or Europeans taking pictures and videos of the place. Yep, this place is also a top tourist attraction, tourist buses packed with camera toting visitors oftentimes come in the cemetery (for a fee, of course) as part of their itenerary... believe it or not. For more about this place and the Fil-Chinese click on this.

Stupid or What.....

2006-02-18T00:12:00.000+08:00

This guy must be the stupidest Mayor in the world. He doesn't even know there was a huge 'drug market' in his own backyard. A mere half kilometer away from his office in the Pasig City Hall is a 600sqm. lot with 40-60 makeshift shanties selling/serving drugs, like restaurants, complete with the days menu and prices (Heh, even drugs are subject to price changes). He only found out about it after the police conducted a raid on the 'market'. And what did the stupid Mayor do after the drug market was raided and dealers arrested? He had the whole place demolished even before the police can finish collecting evidence. WTF?? Tsk, tsk... either he made a rash and stupid decision out of anger (or embarrassment), or he's covering up for some well known personalities who are regular customers. It's no big mystery how an operation that big could go on for 2 years (some say 3) without catching the attention of the authorities. IT IS BEING PROTECTED. A witness says that a patrol car comes by often and leaves immediately after someone hands them a 'package'. Big expensive cars and SUV's have been seen going in and out of the compound at night, which adds to the credibility of reports that the place has some high profile clientelle. The whole operation was exposed only after a disgruntled client reported the existence of the place to a reporter. And guess what, among those arrested were a couple of pregnant teenagers who sometimes act as gofers or couriers for the dealers! This clueless mayor should either be jailed or shot for destroying evidence and obstruction of justice, if not for his stupidity.

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Gawd! How time flies...... on this very same day a year ago, my Dad passed away. I can still recall the SMS message from my sister that morning: "Papa is gone". Geez, seems like it's only been a few months since he left us. Anyways, we will be visiting him later today at the cemetery and there will be a mass offering for him early in the morning. I'm sure he's at peace now and in a better place. But honestly? I feel that I have disappointed him... and I'm still carrying that guilt up to this day.

More pics.....

2006-02-17T00:18:00.000+08:00

Note: I was supposed to post these 2 pics last Monday but I kinda screwed up while installing the infrared adaptor on my PC. I was only able to work on it last night but finally, I was able to transfer the pictures from my cellphone to the computer. So I went to the mall last Saturday with the intention of watching "Fun with Dick and Jane". But it was almost noon when I got there and I decided to have lunch first at one of my favorite Italian resto. I like this place, and I've been a regular diner here since they opened 3 years ago. And while they have a lot of goodies to choose from (which I'm sure are very good), I have only ordered one, and only one pasta dish from this place...

And this is what makes me want to go back again and again..... Spaghetti al pesto

Oh btw I decided not to watch the movie, I thought I'd just wait for the DVD to come out.....

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Remember the 'unwanted bimmer' post last January 23? Well, Yesterday I passed by that place again coz I wanted to see how it's doing. It's still there, and although the passenger side window was replaced, the car itself still looked like shit.... fading paint and all. I tried out my new cam phone on the pic above, notice the difference from the pic below taken by my old phone. Even the color is more accurate.

A day in Chinatown....

2006-02-16T07:41:00.000+08:00

You guys remember my "Screwed Signs" post last Jauary 11? Well It looks like I missed one because I saw another sign the other day when I went down to Chinatown for lunch. Ok so the pic is a little blurred (hey, I just used my cam phone) but you can make out what the sign says: Screw Kingdom Hardware I wanted to take a closer shot of the signage but I was almost sideswiped by that delivery van. #$@$%^ Stupid driver.... didn't he see me standing in the middle of the street? Ahh, the risks I take for the sake of blogging....

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Yeah, that is a cop inside that outpost in the middle of Chinatown. Kinda weird to be putting all those bars on a mini police outpost, I never thought I'd see a cop behind bars... Oh and the cop was eyeing me suspiciously as I was taking this picture, so I pretended to talk to someone on the phone after taking the pic.... and scurried away.

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So I had lunch that day at a hole in the wall place known for their 'Cha Mee' (fried noodles) and I ordered their house specialty.... Yummy Ummm, the pic didn't come out quite nice though. It looked like a lump of sh*t with some green noodles doesn't it? But believe me it's was yummy...

Post Valentine's Day post.....

2006-02-15T00:05:00.000+08:00

Oh the interesting things you find on the internet, just look at what I found at snopes last night...

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Claim: Photograph shows couple copulating in the front seat of a car while a child sits in the back seat.

Is this photo for real? If so where did it happen, was the woman arrested?

Origins: We don't yet have information about the origins and authenticity of this photograph, other than to note that the yellow sign on the fence behind the car belongs to the Australian company Temporary Fence Hire (TFH), which would place the scene of the picture somewhere in that country. (This observation fits the car shown in the photograph, which is a right-hand drive model — the supposedly amorous couple appears to be perched in the passenger seat, not the driver's seat.) There are several possible explanations for this picture: * The photograph is real (possibly taken by police surveillance as part of a prostitution investigation) and depicts what viewers assume (i.e., a couple engaging in sex). * The photograph has been fabricated by manipulating and/or combining portions of other images. * The photograph is real but depicts something other than what is assumed by viewers (e.g., the woman in the picture was simply captured in the act of trying to reach something stowed in the back seat of the automobile).

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Ok, call me ignorant, but I never knew that was possible unless the woman is a contortionist or a gymnast (maybe she is?). Geez, couldn't those two just get a room? Now I know why some women like big cars... What better way to spend a Valentine's evening.... surfing and blogging. *yawn*

A Valentine's Meme.....

2006-02-14T07:22:00.000+08:00

Ok, I just got my sorry ass tagged by my fav dominatrix hedonistics anonymous again... for a Valentine's Day meme of all things! *scratches his head* Haizzz, oh well here goes: 1. What did you do for last Valentine's Day? Stayed home, pigged out, and watched TV ( I wasn't blogging yet) 2. What are you planning to do for the next Valentine's Day (today)? Bloghop and try to look for stupid, mushy, lovey dovey posts... 3. What would be the ideal place to celebrate Valentine's? Somewhere private where we can indulge in our kinkiest sexual fantasy. 4. What qualities in a person would make an ideal Valentine's date for you? Someone who would actually go out with me on Valentine's Day.... 5. What gifts would you buy/have bought for your partner? Brought for my ex: watch, jewelries, crystals, clothes, cellphones etc. etc. *checks out the holes in my pocket* For my (future) partner: Umm... I'll cross the bridge when I get there. 6. What gifts have you received/would like to receive from your partner? From my ex: Watch, clothes, gadgets, boxer shorts etc. etc. BUT, I would REALLY like: A Mercedes SLK Kompressor..... 7. What's your all-time favourite romantic movie? For the classics: "Casablanca" Contemporary: "You Got Mail" (I know it's lame but I love that song by Carol King at the end of the movie) 8. If you could choose any person on earth to be your date on Valentine's, who would it be? Umm... Monica Bellucci? (Yeah yeah, I know...dream on) 9. People I wanna send my love to this Valentine's Day: azlynne1972 categorically imperative abaniko hera Happy Valentines Day to everyone.... especially to the dateless guys and gals.

The 2 sides of Freedom of Expression....

2006-02-13T00:01:00.000+08:00

With all that fury and anger raging in the Muslim world over the controversial cartoons, the subsequent death threats and the call for the 'execution' of the 12 artists by those lunatics. It's no wonder cartoonists everywhere now live and work in fear, as this funny cartoon shows...

Why shouldn't they be scared? Just look at what's in store for them for speaking their minds....

Check out that sign that says: "Freedom go to Hell". Geez, what hypocrites.... and they had the gall to use that freedom to publicly issue death threats. Curiously, these fanatics were exercising freedom of expression that they so despise, in the streets of London without being harrassed by the police. Crazy, huh? Note: The drawing above, which I got from the internet, IS one of the 'controversial' cartoon that is the source of all that 'hullabaloo' in the Muslim world. The photos were snitched from Michelle Malkin.

I'm a Cassanova?

2006-02-12T15:20:00.000+08:00

This is what my name stands for, great huh? Wanna know what's yours? Just click on the image...

I also posted this on The Bored Single Bloggers Club. Many thanks to azlynne1972 for the cool link....

So, where are the cops?

2006-02-11T08:45:00.000+08:00

The cops at this particular outpost ought to be shot.... with their own guns. Why? These lazy-ass cops couldn't even keep their own surroundings free from those pesky illegal street hawkers (see pic). The last I heard, selling of wares in the middle of the street is considered ILLEGAL. If you ask them, they'd tell you that it's none of their business and it's the City Halls' job to rid the streets of these pests. WTF??? And we pay for the salaries of these guys?

Would you believe that's a POLICE OUTPOST?

Oh maybe they're just in there scratching their balls watching tv while those street hawkers take over the streets. No need to drive away their source of income eh?

Bad boys is it?

2006-02-10T12:00:00.000+08:00

Women oftentimes tell you that they like, or prefer 'bad boys' over 'nice guys'. I don't know, maybe it's a phenomena or a woman's warped logic at work here. And it's been done to death in romance novels and in Hollywood films: Nice girl falls for bad boy who in the end turns into a prince charming with of course, a little help from nice girl. And where does the nice guy fit in all this? He gets left behind, and being a nice guy that he is, the dork even wishes the both of them lots of luck. And they both live happily ever after.... romantic, huh? Personally, I think it's all crap.... this bad boy infatuation I mean. They almost always regret that stupid decision in the end, after they find out that living with Mr Bad Boy isn't at all that was cut out to be. Now she had to put up with his irresponsibility, womanizing, and God forbid, physical abuse. But does that stop them from falling for these love em then leave em type of guys? Nah! On the contrary. They'd still choose the bad boys over the nice guys anytime, it just shows you how screwed up women can be sometimes....