J U S T I F I E D

The Reconciliation of Government Transaction Statistics

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 22:14:00 +0000

www.scribd.com/Reconciliation of Government Transaction Statistics: National Accounts, Commission on Audit and Office of Budget and Management Reports

“The Global Recession and the Philippine Economy: Implications on Educational Institutions”

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 21:57:00 +0000

www.scribd.com/The-Global-Recession-and-the-Philippine-Economy

Microfinance: Focusing on our Nation's Wealth

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 23:54:00 +0000

www.scribd.com/Microfinance: Focusing on our Nation's Wealth

Muzzic and Laffter in Dezember feat. POOH

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 09:08:00 +0000

public domain photo

WHAT: MUZZIC and LAFFTER in DEZEMBER

WHEN: December 6, 2013 @ 7 pm

WHERE: AB AMATONG CIVIC CENTER (aka ABC GYM)

WHO: POOH

For Sponsorships and Tickets call/text Mr. Al Abule @ 09283860168. Ticket Prices: P100, P200, P500.

Here's a sampling of POOH's comedic chops and what you'll be missing:

public domain video

Midway along the yellow brick road

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 17:26:00 +0000

Here’s the usual anecdote that passes around every time there’s a State of the Nation Address (SONA), whether of the current president or previous presidents, that would serve as an ice-breaker to President Noynoy’s (PNoy’s) long speech crammed with facts and figures: The president cleared his (or her, as the case may be) throat and opened his speech folder, signaling the commencement of his speech. He quickly closed the folder. The audience stared in disbelief and incomprehension. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the true state of the nation.

The true state of the nation the above exaggeration may not be, but PNoy’s speech appealed more to the head than to the heart: both as to the length and to the figure-laden reportage-style format. His economist-background (or maybe that of his speechwriter) showed true to form in his 2013 SONA.

Personally I have no argument with facts and figures, having an Economics background myself. But it may not have the same effect on the ordinary listener , the Juan or Juana dela Cruz on the street who is more likely to be persuaded by the emotional tugs of a persuasive speech, SONA or otherwise.

Beyond the emotional effect of a SONA though, the real-life effects on the lives and livelihood of Filipinos are what weigh most heavily in favor of or against PNoy. More than three years into his term, the collective expectation on everybody’s mind is whether PNoy has delivered his promises; also whether the numerous facts and figures he quoted in his speech have trickled to the hoi polloi, the intended beneficiaries, his “bosses”. Already midway along the yellow brick road of daang matuwid, by now results should have been apparent.

The change we may have been hoping for may not be that apparent at this point. Matching Pnoy’s SONA figures with the figures of the National Statistical Coordination Board’s (NSCB) recently-released triennial report, the poverty incidence of the Philippines has not changed. The quarter for quarter 2006, 2009 and 2012 analyses showed that the Philippine poverty incidence remained relatively unchanged: the percentage of extremely poor Filipinos was 13.4 in 2012, 13.3 in 2009 and 14.2 in 2006, statistically insignificant changes.

Figures for figures, the big change that everybody was hoping for under President Aquino’s term has yet to be felt.

That being said, he still has more or less three years to finish his term and fulfill his promises to the Filipino people, whom he endearingly calls his “bosses”. By then, history will judge whether President Aquino will be a farce or a first-rate; a heel or, like his father, a hero.

My Dewey Decimal Number

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 11:55:00 +0000

Googled public domain photo

I've been catalogued at the Rizal Library of the Ateneo de Manila. This is for the book 100 Essays: Voices of the Tamaraws published by the FEU Press of which I am one of the credited co-authors (among many others).

Pinoy burger / Terence Eyre Belangoy.

Added Entry - Personal Name Belangoy, Terence Eyre. Classification NumberPS9992.5 .O64 Note:In: 100 essays : voices of the Tamaraws. Item NumberRLML PS9992.5 .O64 Item NumberRLFIL PS9992.5 .O64

This item has been checked out 0 time(s)
and currently has 0 hold request(s).

rizalls.lib.admu.edu.ph

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NASA Investigates: Beyond 2012

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 14:36:00 +0000

From the NASA website:

Frequently Asked Questions

Beyond 2012: Why the World Won't End

Dec. 21, 2012, won't be the end of the world as we know, however, it will be another winter solstice.

Contrary to some of the common beliefs out there, the claims behind the end of the world quickly unravel when pinned down to the 2012 timeline.

Below, NASA Scientists answer questions on the following 2012 topics:

› View larger

A 'Blue Marble' image of the Earth taken from the Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA's Suomi NPP satellite. This composite image uses a number of swaths of the Earth's surface taken on January 4, 2012. Credit: NASA/NOAA/GSFC/Suomi NPP/VIIRS/Norman Kuring

Question (Q): Are there any threats to the Earth in 2012? Many Internet websites say the world will end in December 2012.

Answer (A):The world will not end in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012.

Q: What is the origin of the prediction that the world will end in 2012?

A: The story started with claims that Nibiru, a supposed planet discovered by the Sumerians, is headed toward Earth. This catastrophe was initially predicted for May 2003, but when nothing happened the doomsday date was moved forward to December 2012 and linked to the end of one of the cycles in the ancient Mayan calendar at the winter solstice in 2012 -- hence the predicted doomsday date of December 21, 2012.

Q: Does the Mayan calendar end in December 2012?

A: Just as the calendar you have on your kitchen wall does not cease to exist after December 31, the Mayan calendar does not cease to exist on December 21, 2012. This date is the end of the Mayan long-count period but then -- just as your calendar begins again on January 1 -- another long-count period begins for the Mayan calendar.

Q: Is NASA predicting a "total blackout" of Earth on Dec. 23 to Dec. 25?

A: Absolutely not. Neither NASA nor any other scientific organization is predicting such a blackout. The false reports on this issue claim that some sort of "alignment of the Universe" will cause a blackout. There is no such alignment (see next question). Some versions of this rumor cite an emergency preparedness message from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. This is simply a message encouraging people to be prepared for emergencies, recorded as part of a wider government preparedness campaign. It never mentions a blackout. ›Watch the Video

Q: Could planets align in a way that impacts Earth?

A: There are no planetary alignments in the next few decades and even if these alignments were to occur, their effects on the Earth would be negligible. One major alignment occurred in 1962, for example, and two others happened during 1982 and 2000. Each December the Earth and sun align with the approximate center of the Milky Way Galaxy but that is an annual event of no consequence. › More about alignment

"There apparently is a great deal of interest in celestial bodies, and their locations and trajectories at the end of the calendar year 2012. Now, I for one love a good book or movie as much as the next guy. But the stuff flying around through cyberspace, TV and the movies is not based on science. There is even a fake NASA news release out there..."
- Don Yeomans, NASA senior research scientist
Q: Is there a planet or brown dwarf called Nibiru or Planet X or Eris that is approaching the Earth and threatening our planet with widespread destruction?

A: Nibiru and other stories about wayward planets are an Internet hoax. There is no factual basis for these claims. If Nibiru or Planet X were real and headed for an encounter with the Earth in 2012, astronomers would have been tracking it for at least the past decade, and it would be visible by now to the naked eye. Obviously, it does not exist. Eris is real, but it is a dwarf planet similar to Pluto that will remain in the outer solar system; the closest it can come to Earth is about 4 billion miles.

Q: What is the polar shift theory? Is it true that the Earth's crust does a 180-degree rotation around the core in a matter of days if not hours?

A: A reversal in the rotation of Earth is impossible. There are slow movements of the continents (for example Antarctica was near the equator hundreds of millions of years ago), but that is irrelevant to claims of reversal of the rotational poles. However, many of the disaster websites pull a bait-and-switch to fool people. They claim a relationship between the rotation and the magnetic polarity of Earth, which does change irregularly, with a magnetic reversal taking place every 400,000 years on average. As far as we know, such a magnetic reversal doesn’t cause any harm to life on Earth. Scientists believe a magnetic reversal is very unlikely to happen in the next few millennia. › More about polar shift

Q: Is the Earth in danger of being hit by a meteor in 2012?

A: The Earth has always been subject to impacts by comets and asteroids, although big hits are very rare. The last big impact was 65 million years ago, and that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. Today NASA astronomers are carrying out a survey called the Spaceguard Survey to find any large near-Earth asteroids long before they hit. We have already determined that there are no threatening asteroids as large as the one that killed the dinosaurs. All this work is done openly with the discoveries posted every day on the NASA Near-Earth Object Program Office website, so you can see for yourself that nothing is predicted to hit in 2012.

Q: How do NASA scientists feel about claims of the world ending in 2012?

A: For any claims of disaster or dramatic changes in 2012, where is the science? Where is the evidence? There is none, and for all the fictional assertions, whether they are made in books, movies, documentaries or over the Internet, we cannot change that simple fact. There is no credible evidence for any of the assertions made in support of unusual events taking place in December 2012. › Why you need not fear a supernova › About super volcanoes

Q: Is there a danger from giant solar storms predicted for 2012?

A: Solar activity has a regular cycle, with peaks approximately every 11 years. Near these activity peaks, solar flares can cause some interruption of satellite communications, although engineers are learning how to build electronics that are protected against most solar storms. But there is no special risk associated with 2012. The next solar maximum will occur in the 2012-2014 time frame and is predicted to be an average solar cycle, no different than previous cycles throughout history. › Video: Solar Storms › More about solar storms

www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features

Yes your Honor, Santa Claus exists

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 06:13:00 +0000

                      Legal arguments for the existence of Santa Claus.

                 Yes, indeed, your Honor: Santa Claus exists!

                 Objections overruled!

from Miracle on 34th Street; Youtube vids/Christmasfellow2008

I need to be in LOVE

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 11:11:00 +0000

So here I am with pockets full of good intentions But none of them will comfort me, tonight I'm wide awake at four a.m. without a friend in sight I'm hangin' on a hope but I'm alright

Read more: THE CARPENTERS - I NEED TO BE IN LOVE LYRICS

So here I am with pockets full

Of good intentions

But none of them will comfort me

Tonight

I'm wide awake at four a.m.

Without a friend in sight

Hanging on a hope but I'm alright

from Youtube/aboumoussa711

I Need To Be In Love lyrics/Carpenters

[ My thoughts exactly on this date. Not necessarily at 4 a.m. but thereabouts.]

What's a "fiscal cliff"?

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 19:58:00 +0000

Fiscal cliff. Fiscal cliff. Fiscal cliff. Obama said it. Romney said it. I heard it. Everybody has probably heard it.

Given my Business Economics, MBA background, among others, my interest was

piqued since the term was quite new to me; or maybe I was daydreaming when this was discussed in school.

So what's a fiscal cliff? Let's hear it from a Time magazine economist. At least now, everytime you'll mouth off that phrase, you actually know it and not just trying to impress.

Zac that Baluuuuut!

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 03:56:00 +0000

Zac Efron on the Philippines, and on eating balut. I haven't eaten balut; and I'm Filipino; tried but can't take the smell and taste. R E S P E C T.

Babangon ako't dudurugin kita (I'll rise and crush you)

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 20:50:00 +0000

For now that famous movie line by Ate Shawie will just have to remain part of cinema lore.

She was not able to crush the tabloid editors against whom she filed a libel case.

The Supreme Court junked her case against the tabloid editors on a procedural defect. (With her millions, she shoud've gotten a better lawyer.)

The case stemmed from at least two articles written by a tabloid writer in at least two rags . As is the case in a libel suit, the editor (s) were also impleaded. The purportedly libelous articles read thus:

MAGTIGIL KA, SHARON!
Sharon Cuneta, the mega-taba singer-actress, I’d like to believe, is really brain-dead. Mukhang totoo yata yung sinasabi ng kaibigan ni Pettizou Tayag na ganyan siya. Hayan at buong ingat na sinulat namin yung interview sa kaibigan ng may-ari ng Central Institute of Technology at ni isang side comment ay wala kaming ginawa and all throughout the article, we’ve maintained our objectivity, pero sa interview sa aparadoric singer actress in connection with an album launching, ay buong ningning na sinabi nitong she’s supposedly looking into the item that we’ve written and most probably would take some legal action.
x x x
Magsalita ka, Missed Cuneta, at sabihin mong hindi ito totoo. Ang hindi lang namin nagustuhan ay ang pagbintangan kaming palagi naman daw namin siyang sinisiraan, kaya hindi lang daw niya kami pinapansin, believing na part raw siguro yun ng aming trabaho. Dios mio perdon, what she gets to see are those purportedly biting commentaries about her katabaan and kaplastikan but she has simply refused to acknowledge the good reviews we’ve done on her.
x x x
Going back to this seemingly disoriented actress who’s desperately trying to sing even if she truly can’t, itanggi mo na hindi mo kilala si Pettizou Tayag gayung nagkasama raw kayo ng tatlong araw sa mother's house ng mga Aboitiz sa Cebu more than a month ago, in connection with one of those political campaigns of your husband.

NABURYONG SA KAPLASTIKAN NI SHARON ANG MILYONARY[A]NG SUPPORTER NI KIKO!

FREAKOUT pala kay Sharon Cuneta ang isa sa mga loyal supporters ni Kiko Pangilinan na si PettizouTayag, a multi-millionaire who owns Central Institute of Technology College in Sampaloc, Manila (it is also one of the biggest schools in Paniqui, Tarlac).
x x x
Which in a way, she did. Bagama't busy siya (she was having a meeting with some business associates), she went out of her way to give Sharon security. So, ang ginawa daw ni Ms. Tayag ay tinext nito si Sha[ron] para mabigyan ito ng instructions para kumportable itong makarating sa Bulacan. She was most caring and solicitous, pero tipong naoffend daw ang megastar at nagtext pang “You don’t need to produce an emergency SOS for me, I’ll be fine.”

Now, nang makara[t]ing na raw sa Bulacan si Mega nagtatarang daw ito at binadmouth si Pettizou. Kesyo ang kulit-kulit daw nito, atribida, mapapel at kung anu-ano pang mga derogatory words na nakarating siyempre sa kinauukulan. Anyhow, if it’s true that Ms. Pettizou has been most financially supportive of Kiko, how come Sharon seems not to approve of her?

“She doesn’t want kasi her husband to win as a senator because when that happens, mawawalan siya ng hold sa kanya,” our caller opines.

Pettizou is really sad that Sharon is treating her husband like a wimp.

“In public,” our source goes on tartly, “pa kiss-kiss siya. Pa-embrace-embrace pero kung silang dalawa [na] lang parang kung sinong sampid kung i-treat niya si Kiko.”

My God Pete, Harvard graduate si Kiko. He’s really intelligent as compared to Sharon who appears to be brain dead most of the time. Yung text message niyang “You don’t need to produce an emergency SOS for me,” hindi ba’t she was being redundant?

Another thing, I guess it’s high time that she goes on a diet [again]. Jesus, she looks 6’11 crosswise!
x x x
Kunsabagay, she was only being most consistent. Yang si Sharon daw ay talagang mega-brat, mega-sungit. But who does she think she is? Her wealth, dear, would pale in comparison with the Tayag’s millions. Kunsabagay, she’s brain dead most of the time.

Here are the pertinent provisions of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) on libel:

Art. 353. Definition of libel. — A libel is public and malicious imputation of a crime, or of a vice or defect, real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status, or circumstance tending to cause the dishonor, discredit, or contempt of a natural or juridical person, or to blacken the memory of one who is dead.

X X X

Art. 355. Libel means by writings or similar means. — A libel committed by means of writing, printing, lithography, engraving, radio, phonograph, painting, theatrical exhibition, cinematographic exhibition, or any similar means, shall be punished by prision correccional in its minimum and medium periods or a fine ranging from 200 to 6,000 pesos, or both, in addition to the civil action which may be brought by the offended party.

Art. 360. Persons responsible. — Any person who shall publish, exhibit, or cause the publication or exhibition of any defamation in writing or by similar means, shall be responsible for the same.

The author or editor of a book or pamphlet, or the editor or business manager of a daily newspaper, magazine or serial publication, shall be responsible for the defamations contained therein to the same extent as if he were the author thereof.

The legal side of this saga can be summarized as follows: Ms. Cuneta filed a libel case against the writer and editors of the tabloid. The respondents (writer and editors) filed a Demurrer to Evidence, that is, insufficiency of evidence by the plaintiff (Ms. Cuneta) against them. The Regional Trial Court (RTC) Mandaluyong dismissed the case. The CA (Court of Appeals) reversed the RTC decision and remanded the case for reception of evidence. The Mega (Ms. Cuneta) filed a certiorari with the Supreme Court (SC). The Supreme ruled in favor of the respondents (writer and editors) on the ground of procedural infirmity: In respect to appeal in criminal cases, the OSG (Office of the Solicitor General) is vested with that function, and not the plaintiff herein (Ms. Cuneta). It was Ms. Cuneta who filed a certiorari with the SC questioning the decision of the RTC. It was a procedural infirmity according to the SC as, in appeals of decisions in criminal cases, it is the OSG which has that function.

The Supreme Court here in essence reinstated dismissal of libel cases due to procedural defect.

And since the basis of the writer and editors' motion for dismissal in the RTC which was granted was a demurrer to evidence (insufficiency of evidence), the dismissal of the case was tantamount to acquittal for which the proscription on double jeopardy applies.

In this case, the writer and editors are actually who got away mouthing Ate Shawie's quotable movie line: "Babangon ako't dudurugin kita!"

Bautista and Alcantara v. Sharon Cuneta-Pangilinan

www.interaksyon.com/sc-reverses-ca-decision-junks-sharon-cunetas-libel-case-vs-tabloid-editors

Epaliticians/Epalitikos

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 15:07:00 +0000

Portmanteau (a new word formed by the combination of two or more sounds and/or words) of the season: Epalitiko/epaliticians.

The Five People You Meet At Bar Review

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 20:27:00 +0000

Based on the immensely popular book by Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, we would like to present a guide to those who are taking the Bar this Summer (or who want to re-live the Bar experience) to the folks you are already meeting and how to best deal with them:

The Harvard Person/The Law Firm Bag Person – There is at least one person, and most likely more than one person, in your bar review class who has managed to wear a Harvard t shirt to every class. Close by (or sometimes the same person) is their related cousin, the person with a bag embroidered with their white shoe, soon-to-be-employer. Really? You made it through college and law school without a law firm logo on your bag, but all of a sudden you can only find your law firm bag for bar review? Secretly we like that intimidation factor, but it still makes you sort of a douche.

The Front Row Gunner – This is the guy or gal (or 40 of them) that gets to 9 am class at 805 am to get the front row seat for the video lecture. It is good for focus so we respect that, but just know that law school is over and now you are just making strangers, instead of just classmates, dislike you.

The Latecomer – By week 3 of Bar Review it is going to be clear that this person has no intention of ever being on time.

The You Went To Law School ? Person – For ladies this is the legally blond looking woman who still believes that bar prep is a chance to impress with her fashion or begin/continue husband/boyfriend hunting (the official policy of CAL is “If you Got It, Flaunt It”). For guys it is the shaggy haired, hemp necklace guy who seems far too earthy and granola for law school (but it is most likely a last front of desperation before he starts working for Big Law to pay off his crunchy loans).

The Person Who Wants to Re-Do Law School and Make More Friends At Bar Review – This guy or girl is going to want to have a standing lunch appointment with you by week 2 because law school did not work out as college 2.0. This is their last chance to forge a friendship before life-consuming work begins. So what the hell – be nice to them. Odds are they are social misfits because they were too busy getting kick ass grades. In 20 years, sharing a few sandwich breaks now may pay off for you.

comediansatlaw.com/the-five-people-you-meet-at-bar-review

The Things You MUST Know Before and After the Bar Exam

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Thu, 31 May 2012 17:00:00 +0000

(from Comedians-at-law)

To all of our fans and friends that recently said goodbye to the nonstop party of law school we offer our condolences as you battle sweltering heat and endless hours of BARBRI lectures for the next several weeks. But look on the bright side: you will be done with the exam at the end of July and then you get to go off to work, possibly conduct more job searches and if you are fortunate enough to be employed this fall, it will only be three nerve wracking months til you know if you passed. We at Comedians At Law would like to offer you some tips on how to cope with this grueling 6 month process from studying all the way to finding out your results.

PART 1: STUDYING TIPS

Pay Attention. Back in our day (which was only 7-8 years ago for some of us) there was no Facebook and no Twitter and no sexting. We recommend that you shut down the first two til the end of July and only do the third if you are very attractive, even after the bar is done.
Find a Comfortable Place to Study. When this writer was studying for the bar it took going to three different public libraries in NYC until finding one that did not have a homeless man washing his genitals in the bathroom sink. But discovering that perfect library made all the difference.
Take this time to be extra rude to your family and friends. This will be one of the few times you can be irritable and rude and it will be forgiven, so ham it up. This one was mainly for the gentlemen. Ladies, continue to do so every four weeks. HEY-O!
Still get a good tan (if you tan) going for the Summer. It may seem like a waste of time, but if you fail and find out in November you still want to look decent when you have to study all over again.

PART 2: EXAM TAKING

When in doubt make stuff up. Seriously, rather than leave an essay blank just start acting like Brick from Anchorman if he had gone to law school. Just throw out how many legal terms you love in a paragraph. You may get a point or two and that may make all the difference.
Wear adult diapers. Only losers take bathroom breaks. Or are you vomiting like Eminem in the beginning of 8 Mile? Either way it is never too soon to separate yourself from the lawyers who will become middle management or stand up comedians.
Get drunk after day 1 of the Exam. Nothing psyches your fellow exam takers out like seeing you let loose halfway through. It is the legal equivalent of calling your Babe Ruth shot.

PART 3: POST EXAM

Apologize to people for following Part 1 of this strategy.
Tell everyone that you thought everything was easy.
Get to the gym ASAP fatty.
Continue job searching if applicable.

PART 4: WHEN THE RESULTS COME OUT

Check them by yourself. Important for step 2
Tell everyone you passed, even if you did not and ESPECIALLY if you do not have a job lined up.
If you did pass – congratulations. Make someone buy you drinks at the end of the day.
If you did not pass – still say you passed and then disappear for about 4-6 months as you do it all over again.

comediansatlaw.com/the-things-you-must-know-before-and-after-the-bar-exam

The business of a business plan

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Mon, 07 May 2012 07:10:00 +0000

cartoonstock.com photo

Aaaah, the business of making a business plan for a prospective business. I guess it has relegated into planning the business of making a business plan for a prospective business. It has been roiling in my mind all these years; YEARS, mind you. Not months, but years. Plan, plan, plan. I now got to writing about it but not yet executing it: the writing of the business plan itself; don't even get me started about turning that plan into reality. That would take a whole new different universe of problems all its own. And perhaps more time, hopefully not years. (Toink, jeez, gee whiz, haler, whatevah: these are the voices I'm hearing in my head right now.)

                  For now, i'll put under wraps what type of business i'll get into (no, it's not monkey business smart ass , wink; also not show business), although i'll hazard to divulge as far to say that it involves media services. But if you're interested in financing it, i'll give you a presentation, with handouts de rigeur, cocktails, dancing lights, background orchestra optional. Please keep in touch with me in Comments. Or let's do lunch. I'm not being facetious.

                 For now cryptic information will suffice, lest my ideas might be stolen ha-ha.

      Ideas, or more appropriately, facts and figures are what I have been scouting around in a local library. But the information I'm looking for is very specific and localized; by specific I mean hard numbers, by localized I mean something that applies to this part of the world. I haven't found the exact information and data that I really need. All the more the writing of my business plan gets delayed.

     I have actually started writing it, now on my second page. There is no expected number of pages I have in mind: I just want all the information I need to be there, and supported by figures and projections.

   If you have to get down to it, business plan consists mostly of projections, whether assumptions, surmises, or future figures. This is where it gets tricky. It's really creating on paper what might be; putting into words and figures a yet-to-happen reality. This involves creative imagination, analysis, and perhaps, alchemy. My Business (and Legal) background may help, but I probably need more than that.

                  And that more than that is what I need to fast track this endeavor: a spark, an inspiration, a stoke of genius! Where are theeeeeeese?!

   In my future blog post, I'll share my own business plan template (the parts, structure, what to include, what not to include, and all that stuff) and the how-to once I got mine going beyond this amorphous jumble of paragraphs and figures.

                    Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some thinking and writing to do.

businesspinoy.org photo

Living textstory

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:58:00 +0000

The woman who should've been POTUS (President of the United States); admired her more than Barack Obama, for her experience and no-nonsense approach. And admired her even more after reading her memoir "Living History," the first memoir I've read about a politician (. . . for somebody aka me who's not interested in politics at all).

I think the Americans are having regrets now.

These are the popular memes from the Textfromhillary in Tumbler started by publicists Adam and Stacie.

Hillary Clinton's memoir, "Living History"; american memorabilia photo

* all photos, unless credited, are from the Textfromhillaryclinton Tumbler memes

textsfromhillaryclinton.tumblr.com/

JennaTal's genitalia: Discrimination or differentiation?

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 20:01:00 +0000

Transgender Jenna Talackova; sportsbetonline photo

And the discussions, some heated, some civil, rage on. . . . Below is one I had on Facebook with a friend. There are also lots of discussions in other online fora, including the link below with one Ron de Vera and Ms. Universe runner-up Miriam Quiambao. Sometime, I'll write a post about my arguments. . . for my arguments embodied below. For now, these are my thoughts.

Emxee Marguerite Page It's not about her. It's about what she ultimately represents and champions: equality for one and all. She doesn't have to win for me. She may not be as beautiful as those trannies, Terence, but she's definitely NOT cheap.

April 11 at 4:16pm · · 5
Emxee Marguerite Page and definitely NOT dumb, either. :)

April 11 at 4:17pm ·
Terence Eyre Belangoy I'll be the first one to champion her rights if need be, but her concept of equality is misplaced. Equality in law and in life admits of distinctions. The distinction being there are rules for these kinds of contests, AND she has an alternative: she could join those equally prestigious Miss Transexual pageants or whatever they're called. For sure she's aware or should be aware of these rules as any reasonable human being should before joining these contests. Her fight is not the fight of those in the LGBT community where the areas are "gray" and rules affect life and living: non-discrimination, equality in employment, civil unions---very legitimate concerns versus winning a crown in a pageant. in the vernacular, "dapat marunong siyang lumugar." "Kumilos siya ayon sa kanyang ganda, or the lack of it." Joining a pageant is not a right granted by law or even by anybody's moral standard, but right to non-discrimination in employment, to love , against psychological and physical duress are legitimate concerns of the LGBT community, protected in life and championed by our forefathers.

April 11 at 5:27pm ·
Emxee Marguerite Page I don't quite understand why her cause should be construed as any different from those espoused by those in the LGBT community; and why she has to be confined, per your suggestion, to joining the less prestigious contests when she can actually join Miss Universe and be seen and heard, not necessarily, accepted by people who have your own particular opinion in the world.

She couldn't have just won Miss Canada for nothing.

Like Ive said, she's not only in it to win the crown. Her participation is championing the right to non-discrimination. Why should joing a contest like that be any different than equality in employment, like you have mentioned above? Is there such a thing like an office only for the transsexual that she should restrict herself to, just as she should only limit herself to competing in a contest for the transsexual? Duh.

The world has gone a long way since Hitler thought the Aryan race was superior over the Jews; or that whites are superior over colored people. There is no such delineation now. There are people though who choose to limit their understanding to what is conventional, and traditional, but I respect their opinion.

After all, your university's chairwoman of the student council is Heart Dino, and a transgender. Do you think your school , or the people who put her there, make a terrible mistake because kailangan din dapat siyang lumugar?

Let's not focus on her as a 'character'. Let's focus on the issue that she represents and the world needs to finally liberate. :) Peace, Atty. Belangoy.:)

April 11 at 6:05pm · · 2
Terence Eyre Belangoy She hasn't won Miss Canada-Universe, yet. Emphasis on the word "hopeful", per news reports. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2126033/Jenna-Talackova-Transgender-Miss-Canada-Universe-hopeful-Grade-8-boy-called-Walter.html) That is, she/he/it/whatever is joining the pageant to have the CHANCE to win, and to (be able) to represent Canada in the Miss U, knowing fully well the rules and regulations of such contest, which she (for purposes of brevity) should. This alone is hypocrisy at the very least, stupidity at the worst. If she/he/it/whatever didn't know the rules, that's plain stupidity; at the very least, if she can't abide by the rules, she has no right to enjoy the (would-be) privileges.

Non-discrimination does not mean free-for-all, going by this statement of yours:"Her participation is championing the right to non-discrimination." She has not been discriminated in any way, precisely because NOBODY has any vested RIGHT, as opposed to JOINING OR PARTICIPATING which underlies a concept of "privilege", to join or participate a pageant; whereas every person has a vested RIGHT to find means of living (that is, work), RIGHT to love, RIGHT to live peacefully without duress,subjugation, as contemplated in slavery, Jewish genocide, etc.--- all these WITHOUT regard to race, color, gender, sex. Non-discrimination is a concept applicable to RIGHTS, not to privilege which a pageant or contest is one. If you want the "privilege" abide by the rules, if not, then you have no place fighting for it if it's not a vested right in the first place.

Jenna Talackova: Transgender Miss Canada Universe hopeful is a Grade 8 boy called Walter
www.dailymail.co.uk

The first picture of the transsexual beauty queen as a Vancouver schoolboy has emerged - and she's a 13-year-old boy called Walter.

April 11 at 10:19pm · ·
Terence Eyre Belangoy Same argument applies even if she already won Miss Canada-Universe, and will be joining Miss Universe. If it's a right, which it is not, I'm all for it; it's just a "privilege", truth be told. (Cross references to all my essays on Non-discrimination.)
http://justifiedmaster.blogspot.com/2008/03/courage.html

J U S T I F I E D: Courage
justifiedmaster.blogspot.com

April 11 at 10:41pm · ·
Terence Eyre Belangoy http://justifiedmaster.blogspot.com/2007/11/unbroken.html

J U S T I F I E D: Unbroken
justifiedmaster.blogspot.com

April 11 at 10:41pm · ·
Emxee Marguerite Page First, she couldn't have represented Miss Universe had she not won Miss Canada in the first place, which explains why her qualifications for the Miss Universe pageant are legitimate. Not to mention that in Canada, she has been legally considered a Female. I am not a lawyer, so I can not argue with you, a lawyer, on the latter, but you can choose to debate with her lawyer, Gloria Allred.

Secondly, and then again, you have terribly missed my point by confining your innumerable arguments around JENNA, the person, and around speculative arguments about whether she'd win the contest or not. In the off-chance you're not abreast of the news, Donald Trump has already scrapped the 'woman should be naturally born' ruling that originally disbarred Miss Talackova from joining the up & coming Miss Universe. As of April 2, she can now represent Canada in the Miss Universe. That alone is a first in Miss Universe, a milestone in the history of pageants; one small step for a transgender, one giant leap for the whole LGBT humankind. It's another structural discrimination being taken down. I won't therefore have to argue with you as to whether she'd win or not. Although that possibility is never far-fetched, that's beside the point for now. The point here is she has already won. A transgender is allowed to compete in the most prestigious pageant, for the first time. She can compete in the Miss Universe. And unless you can reverse that, then you could only wish the Miss Universe organization, or the progressive world in general, hear you.

And that's that. So many off-tangent arguments when TOLERANCE could have simply required an open mind, and that's all. I wonder why people go through such great lengths justifying their homophobia when they could just choose to open their minds.

Thursday at 7:37am ·
Terence Eyre Belangoy I am well aware of Trump's decision, in fact very well aware of what he's been doing for several years now being a fan of the guy, having watched all seasons of The Apprentice, being subscribed to his updates, aware of his books, etc.: that being told, his decision is not founded on forwarding transgender/LGBT rights, not even on legal grounds as he has admitted in interviews ( gee, what could it be? HINT: hear the soundtrack to The Apprentice).

This statement of yours:"I wonder why people go through such great lengths justifying their homophobia when they could just choose to open their minds." is quite general, and I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt that I'm not included in this term homophobia and/or homophobic because that's the last thing anybody would accuse me of, as you should know; besides I have written several essays on non-discrimination published nationally (or you could say internationally, this being a digital world), which could not be said of people who just say their opinions without knowing what discrimination is or is not, and/or what Non-discrimination ought or ought not to be.

Thursday at 8:30am ·
Emxee Marguerite Page If there are actually those techinicalities about discrimination, then that I am not aware of. What I am pretty aware of is the fact that discrimination- is discrimination. No grayline.

Of course, I didn't imply that you are a homophobe. :) But your stance is in one way or another, shared by those who are.

Thursday at 8:43am ·
Terence Eyre Belangoy My point is, among many others, people should know/analyze/realize what discrimination is and what it is not. And what happened to Ms. Talackova is not discrimination, whether legally-speaking or morally-speaking. Her joining/participating the Ms. Canada- Universe and Ms. Universe is NOT a right, for her to be crying/weeping that she has been discriminated because joining/participating in a pageant is precisely merely a choice or a "privilege" even, never a RIGHT, for which there are rules to be followed. Lastly, homophobia sometimes exist only in the mind when those in the LGBT community thinks that EVERY encroachment on their "pagkatao" is already discrimination when in fact they are not aware where their rights end and where their choices begin. And in this particular case of Talackova, it's a choice not a right. IF your RIGHT is discriminated,I"ll be shouting with you or with that person to "STOP discrimination!", but makes sure it's a right, not a choice.

Thursday at 8:43am ·
Terence Eyre Belangoy Anyway, it has been a good discussion Emxee. Keep well. ; )

Thursday at 8:46am · · 1
Emxee Marguerite Page Hahahah. Im actually loving it, Atty. I appreciate your opinions and arguments, though, but not necessarily agree with them. For me, there's birth, and then there are rights and norms that come with it. But then, there's a choice. Ideologies, choices and the right to make them, knows no gender nor color nor such norms. :)

Please be assured that Ive learned a lot from your considerable inputs. Ill find time to read your blogs. :)

Thursday at 8:49am · · 1
Terence Eyre Belangoy This is a dangerous belief, Emxee: "But then, there's a choice. Ideologies, choices and the right to make them, knows no gender nor color nor such norms. " I just hope you don't get in trouble or get mugged for this. LOL. Keep well.

Thursday at 9:10am ·
Emxee Marguerite Page Well, Ive been subscribed to this belief for 30 years and counting now, and hey look, Im still alive. LOL :) You keep well. :)

Thursday at 9:16am ·
Emxee Marguerite Page Atty Terence:

Just a point to consider, though from a certain Sass Rogando Sasot:

"I think female pageants should only be for naturally born women." The term "naturally born women" needs careful unpacking. 1) what do you mean by natural? 2) where do you base that naturalness; 3) what do you mean by woman? Let me begin by offering an often cited quote from the French feminist Simone de Beauvoir: "No one is born a woman, one becomes one." To say that someone is "naturally born a woman" is of cours misleading: You are born a baby, then you grow up and acquire a gender identity which develops (according to studies) between the ages of 3 or 4. And then you become a woman during adulthood.

Of course one would say that vagina=woman. That of course is a view that favors the vagina over the brain, which is the seat of identity. Now, let us play with the assertion that there is such a thing as "naturally born woman". How do you determine who is naturally born a woman? By considering who is born with a vagina or not? Or by considering the configuration of the brain when one is born? According to research, the sexual differentiaton of the body does not end when you are born. The brain undergoes sexual differentation as well and this sexual differentation happens independently of the differentiation of the genitalia, and after one is born. ALL these processes are natural. Jenna is a "natural woman" for she is born with a brain that sexually differentiated into a female brain. Unless of course you want to confine femaleness to the vagina - which of course is not a scientific decision but a social decision based on a genital centric tradition.

Thursday at 9:45am ·
Terence Eyre Belangoy Weak arguments. No basis in FACT and in LAW. Totally unresponsive. hahaha.

Thursday at 10:15am ·
Terence Eyre Belangoy It's getting tedious. None of what I raised above mentioned "natural-born" woman or anything to that effect. Whoever that Sass is or shares his/her views should talk to his/her/its God, not me . ahahaha This thread comes to a close in my books. ; )

Thursday at 10:23am ·

Talackova, lawyer Allred, Trump; radaronline photo

filipinofreethinkers.org/ An open letter to Miriam Quiambao

Shut-eye shut out

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

does sleep deprivation do this to you? ; Googled photo

I'd like to think that I don't have problems with "sleep" ---because I practically don't, uhm, sleep. I've been surviving on five (5) hours/day or less of sleep for sixteen (16) years now.

In fact right now, I'm writing this at 4: 42 a.m., sleep-deprived retinas, groggy head, shaky hands, all fueled by caffeine (2 sachets of 5-in-1 coffee, 2 bottles of Cobra energy drink: that's a grand total of 6 sachets of coffee, 6 bottles of energy drinks in a day, each day), my preferred addictive upper regardless of whether I actually need it or not.

But way back in college, I ACTUALLY needed caffeine, and coffee was ( still is) easily the cheapest and most accessible; I did have other choices, though: Red Bull, Lipovitan, Korean Ginseng, and canal water, I mean, Brand's Essence of Chicken. The latter are a luxury.

I'd like to believe i still look like this despite sleep deprivation

                    Luxury of time was what I didn't have in college, and even through law school. I had to maintain a scholarship in college. It was a crazeee, pressure-cooker world and I was the chicken. That's why I needed Brand's Essence of Chicken to fuel me through those sleepless nights. Or other caffeine kick, for that matter; coffee being the least expensive, and even tasteful: at least you have a choice of flavors, especially if you are fond of going to 24-hour cafe's. Which could not be said of other caffeine drinks. Ditto in law school. What with all those pages and cases to read. You have been reading for eight straight hours, and you still can't finish everything. Que horror! Un montón de café al rescate! (Lots of coffee to the rescue!) It didn't help, too, that I was a crammer extraordinaire. I seem to have the motivation to do something at the last minute, literally. (A habit I'm trying so hard to break.) I can go on without sleeping through the night (and dawn) and go to exams or series of exams the next day.

                  And the next day. And the next. And the cycle of coffee consumption continues (is that an alliteration, or what. . .).

        Which cycle continues up to this day. I can't seem to live without coffee: from the time I wake up (2 sachets/2 spoonfuls, with sugar and cream please) to midday (another mug please) to after-dinner (mug number three please). All of these supplemented by energy drinks, also coffee-infused beverages. I can't keep track of how much coffee, in milligrams, I consume everyday. Or whether my consumption is still within "legal" limit. (This just in: the safe amount of coffee consumption/day is 300 mg; equivalent to three cups, not mugs or large paper cups. What is a safe amount of caffeine?) If that's not addiction, I don't know what is!

                   And there goes the sleeplessness. And if I can't sleep, I write; and come up with blog post like this. Oh well, it couldn't be that bad after all.

Yes, it's the "hot" coffee replacing my blood; or it could be me

Holy week conversations with God

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:48:00 +0000

Googled photo

In the form of, what else . . . reading!

Must-read/reread: Conversations with God

Already read this book , but I plan to read it again. Much more so because it's apropos for the Lenten season.

" Suppose you could ask God the most puzzling questions about existence---questions about love and faith, life and death, good and evil.

Suppose God provided clear, understandable answers.

It happened to Neale Donald Walsch.

It can happen to you.

You are about to have a conversation. . .

For those with an open mind, a limitless curiosity, and a sincere desire to seek the truth, this book is stunning.

[From the back cover of the book.]

Googled photo

Side read: Faking it in America

I bought this book at an unassuming bookstore in UP Diliman. It appealed to my Business and Economics background.

I haven't started it yet, but from the title I can glean that it is one of those business success-to-business scam stories, business hero to business heel real-life drama. Hmmm, despicable, evil schizo Green Goblin in me: How about faking it in my province of Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines? Wink wink, nudge nudge.

books.google.com photo

To-be-concluded read: Pharaoh

I already started this but could not get around to finishing it. Maybe the 5-day Lenten season staycation might remedy it. My bad. Not the book's fault. Quite an intriguing plot.

The plot in a nutshell: One of the greatest religious figures of one of the world's greatest religions turned out not a believer in his own God. He might have led his own people out of slavery and bondage of men and idols but he himself was torn between his faith and his heathen, royal, Egyptian upbringing.

What if at the time of his death he chose the latter: buried as a pharaoh and not a man of God. That in fact in his heart and mind, he died a non-believer; that there were no "Chosen People".

Such discovery could create chaos and upheaval among the world's competing religions. It could forever change the landscape of the world's geopolitics. Or maybe it could restore peace in the Middle East and the Arab world.

Have a blessed Holy Week everyone!

wikipedia.org/Conversations with God

2011 Bar Exam MCQs

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:12:00 +0000

www.scribd.com/2011 Legal-Ethics MCQs

www.scribd.com/2011 Remedial Law MCQs

www.scribd.com/2011 Criminal Law MCQs

www.scribd.com/2011 Commercial Law MCQs

www.scribd.com/2011 Taxation Law MCQs

www.scribd.com/ 2011 Civil Law MCQs

www.scribd.com/2011 Labor Law MCQs

www.scribd.com/ 2011 Political Law MCQs

Thank you for smoking

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 04:40:00 +0000

Lately, I chanced upon anti-smoking slogans like the one to the left posted on social media; this particular one on Facebook. Seems like there's a resurgence of anti-smoking drives which have seen an all-time high (pun intended) in the days of the "Yosi Kadiri" campaign of the DOH.

Yet just like their predecessors, most anti-smoking slogans, especially those that give us, the public---smoking or non- smoking---a Science lecture pregnant with jargons and gobbledygook, would end up in smoke (pun intended, again).

Faced with facts and figures about the bane of smoking, a smoker---addicted to the smell and taste and effect of nicotine, not to mention the "coolness/sophistication" factor surrounding it---can easily justify his actions. Add to that the ads, jingles, and TVCs (TV commercials) of tobacco companies: the smoker is persuaded to continue the habit, even with overwhelming evidence of cigarette use to the contrary.

Yes, smoking kills. So does the air we breathe. If inhaling naturally kills, inhaling nicotine with its concomitant relaxing effect couldn't be worse.

Yes, cigarette kills. So does everything else you put in your mouth: the disease-ridden beef that makes you mad; the pork that clogs your arteries; the insecticide-laden vegetables; the arsenic and mercury-spiked galunggong; and whatever else anyone puts in his or her mouth, chemical-treated prophylactic included.

Yes, smoking kills. So does sex. Or walking at night alone. Or texting and driving. Or using your cellphone in public, with snatchers and robbers more than eager to stab you at the slightest defensive move.

Yes, smoking kills. So does excessive drinking, excessive eating, excessive piousness and religious fervor, excessive prescription drugs, excessive stupidity, and excessive anything for that matter.

Yes, smoking kills. But for smokers, if you can't get to enjoy life while you can, any way you can, you might as well die or get killed.

The reason anti-smoking drives that bludgeon people with data and do's and dont's is that it's easier to counter them with other facts and figures: "Rise in sea levels will inundate Cities A,B, C in 2015"; "China's and Iran's nukes could wipe out Asia and the Middle East"; "Drunk driving kills scores daily"; "Terrorists blow up cathedral; hundreds dead";" Cellphone signals cause brain cancer"; "Mercury in fish poisoned village", just several of the number-crunching headlines we read and hear everyday. Of course I made all these up, but they can't be further from the truth.

Smoking kills. So does many other activities. It's just a matter of choosing one's poison or manner of death. But to a smoker's mind, you might as well relax and enjoy with a puff on your way there.

No Angel but still a hero

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

file photo

“THE world’s battlefields have been in the heart chiefly; more heroism has been displayed in the household and the closet, than on the most memorable battlefields in history.” - Henry Ward Beecher

Recent decades have witnessed the rise of Philippines in the world’s stage. Thanks to the creativity and patriotism of these heroes who have contributed to the diverse history of this country.

Their records reveal that this nation has a lot of potential and that the younger generation has an enormous talent waiting to be utilized for the betterment of the country.

If based on a hero’s extraordinary definition, not every life born is destined to tread a hero’s journey. In the past years, war and strife have declared heroes, and deaths have proved heroism.

But today it’s easier to make a difference.

The alleged romance between 2009 CNN Hero Efren Penaflorida and actress Angel Locsin; pep.com photo

                 Nowadays, much of the struggle a hero may suffer is subtle. Today’s battle is about what can be done with one’s limited resources -- about compromises made to live.

As the country remembers this nation’s heroes, we are again reminded of how the life and work of these idolized individuals set a standard on how Filipinos can propel this nation in building a better future.

Doing the right thing exemplifies heroism. Being true and courageous under adverse conditions, having a life put together to aid those in need and taking a chance, can make anyone a hero in his or her own way.

". . .nothing between Angel and me. "

[Saw this inspiring interview of 2009 CNN Hero Efren Penaflorida, I was compelled to make a post about it. Text are excerpts from "Ordinary Heroes", Asian Journal. Title of the post: about alleged romance between Efren and actress Angel Locsin which was a side topic in the interview in the video above. ]

www.asianjournal.com/Ordinary heroes

Madonna: Still hot or stale hoe?

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 20:19:00 +0000

photo from girlgonewild domain

Her Madgesty's recently-released single Girl Gone Wild has this accompanying publicity photo/cover circulating the net.

Many tongues are a-wagging: some believe she's too old to be doing all these risque', provocative poses; others say she's still got IT at 53.

What do you think? Does Madonna still got it?!

I think she still got the oomph, but your views may be diagonally opposed to mine. Share what you think in Comments or the Chat box to the right, if you feel like it.

Facts I've learned from the movies

noreply@blogger.com (TERENCE EYRE BELANGOY) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

photos from 9gag.com

1. In the movies, if a woman is alone and hears a noise, she will go and check it out in her most revealing underwear.

2. In the movies, the ventilation system of any building is the perfect hiding place. No one will ever think of looking for you in there and you can travel to any other part of the building undetected.

3. In the movies, the Chief of Police will almost always suspend his star detective---or give him 48 hours to finish the job.

4. In the movies, a man will show no pain while taking the most ferocious beating, but will wince when a woman tries to clean his wounds.

5. In the movies, the Eiffel tower can be seen from any window in Paris.

6. In the movies, all police investigations will find it necessary to visit a strip club at least once.

7. In the movies, if you are being chased through town, you can usually take cover in a passing St. Patrick's Day parade any time of the year.

8. In the movies, you are very likely to survive any battle in any war unless you make the mistake of showing someone a picture of your sweetheart back home.

9. In the movies, all grocery bags contain at least one stick of French Bread.

10. In the movies, all bombs are fitted with electronic timing devices with large readouts so you know exactly when they are going to go off.

11. In the movies, police departments give their officers personality tests to make sure they are deliberately assigned to a partner who is their polar opposite.