tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502Fri, 05 Dec 2014 03:14:05 +0000politicsdebatelifepoempersonalreviewBoratbible versesjob huntmoviesAnd I'm telling youAristocratBIRCannery RowG-HotelI am LegendIphoneLoveMarikinaPenis TalksSize MattersSteinbeckTailor of Panamaeconomicsentertainmenterrol flynnessayliteraturemichael douglaspublic administrationsextantric sexvajayjaythe life and times of Ramillav <br><a href="http://ramillav02.blogspot.com">Personal Literary Compositon</a>//<a href="http://www.villamar.wordpress.com">MY WORDPRESS</a>//<a href="http://www.ramillav.multiply.com">MY MULTIPLY</a>http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)Blogger161125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-5213333702977947554Fri, 05 Dec 2014 03:02:00 +00002014-12-04T19:14:05.025-08:00 A World Without Critics and Criticism This week, Washington Post published a  piece on the backlash experienced by Leslie Brenner, a “tough” food critic from the Dallas Morning News. The article reported on the lack of mutual respect among group involved, noting how Dallas is a “hot bed”.  Brenner’s predecessor has indirectly warned her, that the job requires “thick skin.” And it proved true.http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-world-without-critics-and-criticism.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-8742389748535010896Tue, 29 Jul 2014 02:13:00 +00002014-07-28T19:13:16.170-07:00By 2006, the lower middle class (defined internationally as those families with daily income of $2-$20) in the Philippines has grew to comprise 54% of the population (this is far greater than 38% in India or 43% in Indonesia) as cited in a 2013 paper from NSCB. I could extrapolate that the middle class (since the same paper noted the difficulty in generating statistics for upper middle class)hashttp://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2014/07/rising-middle-class.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-4634594293458313782Sun, 20 Jul 2014 23:48:00 +00002014-07-20T16:48:44.025-07:00You are in good hands with Cathy Garcia Molina. She knows how to tug your hearts. The plot is nostalgic, especially for those who lived through the '80s. I did feel that it was bogged down by the framing device best handled by Joel Lamangan in the notable "Blue Moon". It borrowed a lot from other films and it is cinematically literate enough to reference Gomez-Zulueta starrer "Hihintayin Kita Sa http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2014/07/movie-review-shes-dating-gangster.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-8514208740080629393Mon, 26 May 2014 02:41:00 +00002014-05-26T19:16:11.775-07:00Tagaytay is the closest destination getaway from the heat of Metro Manila. The climate in this mountain city is relatively cooler. I swear, during the dry season in April-May, the food court in Robinson’s Magnolia could be a lot cooler. Wear tanks and comfortable clothing because it could still get hot at noon. Opt to wear a light jacket if you go there during December up to February. I like to http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2014/05/tagaytay-what-to-do-where-to-eat-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-1486158212997942704Sun, 03 Feb 2013 05:14:00 +00002013-02-02T21:22:49.959-08:00moviesreviewI thought the characters were well developed (except for Zanjoe's. I really didn't get what his beef was.)  The story is neatly tied. It's one of those well plotted (and at the same time had a big emphasis on character development) movies you see in the Philippines from time to time. The plot and progression wasn't absurd.  Although some supporting characters I felt were stereotypical, http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2013/02/one-more-try-tests-how-far-mother-could.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-2233488137663417752Tue, 13 Nov 2012 07:41:00 +00002012-11-12T23:43:25.725-08:00I like this short story for its simplicity in language, tackling an emotionally complex relationship. If you survey Asian-American literature, this one strikes a balance between being an expository of the cultural nuances of Asian culture, and its "exoticism" or "otherwordliness".  Murakami and Amy Tan are two authors in the extreme. Ken Liu hits a sweet spot. His short story, "Paper http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2012/11/ken-lius-paper-menagerie-leaves-readers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-5611837696275665385Sun, 11 Nov 2012 02:13:00 +00002012-11-10T18:17:29.271-08:00I watched "Suddenly, It's Magic" yesterday. The film has an airy feel, sort of thin adaptation of "Notting Hill" and also reminded me of "Becoming Jane" especially when Jane freed Tom Lefroy half-waythrough their elopement   You'll appreciate the restrained and subtle acting here from Mario Mauer, that his fans had come to love since "Love of Siam" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love". http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2012/11/suddenly-its-magic-lots-of-kilig.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-3865909055004311278Fri, 09 Nov 2012 22:17:00 +00002012-11-10T18:25:18.449-08:00 Here's a sample photo taken with Nokia Asha 311 (3.2 MP).  http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2012/11/32-mp-camera-for-nokia-asha311.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-6549999794737267651Wed, 31 Oct 2012 23:49:00 +00002012-10-31T17:04:57.847-07:00I watched "SkyFall" last night. It's hard to explain why I watch James Bond films.  I couldn't really follow the plot, but I thought the first few minutes was fundamentally sound, although it labored establishing the state of things in the movie.  According to the synopsis from Sony Pictures, in this film "Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2012/10/skyfall-weakest-in-james-bond-films.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-3462079588247979523Fri, 19 Oct 2012 23:00:00 +00002012-10-19T16:00:34.691-07:00 There's something in beholding beauty that makes men (and women) desire immortality, a sense of permanence of things. Art, I suppose, has a function of conquering the temporal on this Earth. This is literally the case, when our national hero Dr Jose Rizal made his sculpture "Triumph of Science Over Death". While he intends the sculpture to be metaphorical, it is art, ultimately, that blows thehttp://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2012/10/art-and-permanence.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-1579948978592215780Fri, 19 Oct 2012 22:24:00 +00002012-10-19T15:24:55.234-07:00 Just found this post at Legally Blunt. It's so sweet.  Dear Future Me – 48 years old,   I have not much to do today.  Kesa naman mag-braid ako ng nostril hairs ko dito sa opisina, okay na ‘yung sulatan na lang kita.  I hope I made the right decisions today to make you what you are in your own time.  ‘Yung pagpupursige ko at paggi-gym ko araw araw.  Sana di ka pa obese. Ilan na ba ang http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2012/10/dear-future-me.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-3786350057805582420Mon, 08 Oct 2012 01:31:00 +00002012-10-07T18:31:05.439-07:00 A donation to an NGO is an allowable deduction from a taxpayer's gross income. Generally, NGOs perform services that falls through the crack between the public sphere and the private sphere.  But sometimes, it also performs a function already performed by the government i.e. education.  I think this multiplicity of efforts is a challenge for NGOs to performs these services better than its http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2012/10/installing-kpis-on-ngo.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-8007054171074810668Fri, 21 Sep 2012 21:30:00 +00002012-09-21T14:30:49.449-07:00Just sharing my experience with Blackberry Curve 9220 I acquired from Globe Telecom (Philippines). A Newbie's Experience with Blackberry Curve 9220 - International Business Times "I had never really fully understood why tech columnists consistently described RIM as a “dying company”. That is, until I owned a Blackberry Curve 9220. But first, let me dwell on what induced me to acquire the http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-newbies-experience-with-blackberry.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-8511910709417260324Tue, 18 Sep 2012 02:45:00 +00002012-09-17T19:45:09.189-07:00Here is my Storify post about the lecture on judicial affidavits by Justice Abad streamed online by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. The video recording of the lecture, as well as the presentation of Justice Abad, will be available on the Web site of the IBP. [View the story "Lecture on Judicial Affidavits by Justice Abad" on Storify]http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2012/09/lecture-on-judicial-affidavits-by.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-2812905281796766745Sun, 16 Sep 2012 10:35:00 +00002012-09-16T03:35:44.404-07:00The enrolled bill of  R.A. 101751 otherwise known as the Anti-Cybercrime Law of 2012. The copy was obtained from the Web site of the Official Gazette, Anti-Cybercrime Law of 2012http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2012/09/anti-cybercrime-law-of-2012.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-3839579107290889035Sun, 16 Sep 2012 09:44:00 +00002012-09-16T17:18:51.381-07:00The movie's great! Way better than "Miss You Like Crazy" because at its heart is a good story and telling it good. Bea Alonzo owns the screen. It's a wonder she's not noted for her acting talent. The nuance in her facial expression. Here, she reveals herself as a true movie star.  Every John Lloyd film, by the way, follows a certain porn theory. He's not handsome, but very relatable. A must-see!http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-mistress-bea-alonzo-owns-screen.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-8778528061152879548Fri, 07 Sep 2012 00:54:00 +00002012-09-06T17:54:03.382-07:00politicsIn the book "Outlier," Malcolm Gladwell remarks on the cognitive bias of the people towards the "self-made" narrative. He cites as an example, the successful campaign of Jeb Bush in Florida in a narrative that describes him as "self-made", notwithstanding that he is the brother of George W. Bush and son of George H. Bush, former American presidents. This puts in context why Mitt Romney tries to http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2012/09/mitt-romneys-self-made-narrative.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-1239919213710562755Thu, 30 Aug 2012 10:59:00 +00002012-08-30T04:05:06.852-07:00 I'm trying to explore the correlation between government consumption and corruption.  How ASEAN Countries Performed in Corruption Perception Index (Source:  World Bank; No data on  Brunei) ASEAN Government Expenditures as Percentage of GDP  (Source: World Bank; No Date on Cambodia) Irregular Payments and Bribes in ASEAN (Source: World Economic Forum; No data on Laos) http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2012/08/correlation-of-corruption-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-4798499061809403497Thu, 26 Jul 2012 06:01:00 +00002012-07-25T23:01:50.868-07:00 (I originally encountered this open letter on Jessica Zafra's site. This was posted by the Palanca-awardee Miguel G. Alcazaren on the Facebook wall of  iMax). The ManagementSM Cinema Greetings. I just finished watching the event movie Dark Knight Rises at SM MOA Imax this afternoon with my family. The purchase of 4 movie tickets cost us PHP 1,800. A cost I did not mind paying because of thehttp://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2012/07/miguel-g-alcazaren-goes-to-sms-imax.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-8041281114918967939Wed, 16 Feb 2011 06:57:00 +00002011-02-15T22:57:31.384-08:00A student leader from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines characterizes joining subversive and illegal organization Communist Party of the Phillipines and its militia arm New People's Army as a "normal thing" and "up to the individual".http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2011/02/pup-student-leader-thinks-joing-cpp-npa.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-4424343109426783856Thu, 25 Nov 2010 06:32:00 +00002012-07-25T23:03:15.935-07:00 "Ugly Betty" actor Michael Brea said that he murdered his mother mistaking her for the devil. Brea was arrested for killing his mother in Brooklyn, New York, using a sword used for Masonic rites. Brea was then taken to Bellevue Hospital for psychiatric evaluation. (via iENTERTAINMENT: 'Ugly Betty' actor Michael Brea murdered, mistook ...) http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2010/11/ientertainment-ugly-betty-actor-michael.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-7636081279565779231Thu, 18 Nov 2010 08:04:00 +00002010-11-18T00:04:20.964-08:00entertainmentmichael douglasmoviesThe lawsuit of Michael Douglas' ex wife for half of the Hollywood actor's paycheck for his latest film Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps has been dismissed by a Manhattan judge.Diandra Douglas argued that she is entitled to Michael Douglas' earning from the Wall Stree sequel since Michael had starred on the original as the greedy banker Gekko while they were still married.Wall Street: Money Never http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2010/11/michael-douglas-ex-wife-diandras.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-8221748623170136080Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:26:00 +00002010-10-04T01:26:11.836-07:00Below is a presentation made by then Naga City Mayor and now DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo back in 2008 about the paradigm shift from Government Bureaucracy to Customer-Service Administration.New Public Management by then NAGA City Mayor Jesse Roberedo http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-public-management-by-jesse-robredo.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-1353293402762157265Thu, 23 Sep 2010 15:49:00 +00002010-09-23T08:49:06.174-07:00politicspublic administrationI like to push for more transparency in local government. In the Philippines, reforms for transparency often develops top-bottom. What makes my hometown (San Jose, Occidental) peculiar is it approaches the problem through the initiatives of citizens. And what makes it even peculiar is the antagonistic relationship it has with the local government which isn't really being responsive by coming up http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2010/09/thoughts-on-transparency-participative.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640147994315130502.post-8344868272216606166Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:55:00 +00002010-08-29T05:55:51.183-07:00The Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) reports that the Office of the Solicitor General lost a a declaration of nullity case because it cited Wikipedia as a source. Reporter Nikko Dizon failed to properly contextualize the news.  The news has important repercussions of the decision of the Court in rules of evidence, legal research and legal citations. It's difficult to opine if the Courts http://hereinthiscorner.blogspot.com/2010/08/legal-citation-wikipedia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lawrence Villamar)0