Attending my son’s recital, I heard Bruno Mar’s “Just the way you are” being played by the music school’s string ensemble. I was impressed with the performance that I told myself, if only classical musicians would play more contemporary songs, I’m sure a lot of young people will be interested in classical instruments. So I began to search online for contemporary songs played by classical instruments and stumbled upon The Vitamin String Quartet. Luckily no need to claim for workmans comp insurance as there were no injuries hehehehe.

The Vitamin String Quartet or known as VSQ is a group of Los Angeles based musicians who are known for its series of tribute albums to rock and pop music. The group’s musical philosophy is to apply rock n’ roll and pop attitude to classical technique. As of to date they have recorded about 261 albums already.

Here are some of their most popular recordings with them playing some of the most popular songs to date. I’ve chosen three of my favorite and most familiar modern songs performed by the VSQ these are Bruno Mars “Just the way you are,” Aerosmith’s “Don’t want to miss a thing” and Madonna’s “Crazy for you.”

Since that time I’ve watched all Star Trek Movies. Watched almost all T.V shows except for Star Trek Deep space Nine which until now, I still don’t have an idea where to get a copy of said T. V series. I even choose not to buy Dunlop but instead have my own little Star Trek action figure collection.

My friend Wimle Go again introduced me to another component of the Star Trek universe, Star Trek games online!. I’ve only played one Star Trek Game before and that is bridge commander. I played it a couple of times, but didn’t have time to master it.

Star Trek Online is the latest Star Trek Game that Trekkers had been crazy about. It is massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Cryptic Studios based on the popular Star Trek series created by Gene Roddenberry. It is the first MMORPG in the Star Trek franchise. Originally released in February 2, 2010, it used to be that you need to pay to play the game but last January 17, 2012, everybody can now play it for free!!!

The game is set in the 25th century, 30 years after the events of Star Trek Nemesis. You rise through the ranks in the game starting off as ensign. The first missions make you familiar with moving around and piloting a starship. I’ve still logged in probably only about less than 10 hours as of now since I still don’t have time to play the game. But if I do get the time, I certainly will spend a lot of time playing it !

So watcha waiting for? Click here to register now for free at Star Trek Online!

They are said to be first shown and heard in the movie “Amnesia Girl” starring John Lloyd Cruz and Tony Gonzaga. It is popularized in television by the original “Boy Pick-up,” Ogie Alcasid, in the comedy gag show “Bubble Gang.” The witty Senator Miriam Defensor utilizes pick up lines as part of her speeches. Pick-up lines have now become a fad among Filipinos especially the young. The following are my favorite Pinoy pick up lines. None of these are my creation but these are pick up lines I came across from various sources through vonage plans.

“Miss, I forgot your name. Can I call you…mine?”

”Keyboard kas ba ? Kasi type kita”

” Boy: “Sana magkasama tayo sa isang pila!”
Girl: “Bakit?”
Boy: “Para kapag tinawag na tayo at hindi mo marinig, ikaw na mismo ang magtatanong, ‘Tayo na ba?’”

”Pwedi ba natong patayin ang ilaw para tayong nalang ang mag on”

“If they ask me to choose between,YOU AND GOD, I choose God because….GOD GAVE ME YOU!!!”

“Ang buhay ko parang nakasakay sa seesaw…Kasi pag wala ka, Down ako!”

“MAY KULAng Ang PAngalan mo ano, aplyedo ko!”

“Para kang dictionary, kasi you give meaning to my life”

“Sana facebook status na lang ako…Para kahit papano pwede mo ako ilike”

Boy: Anong height mo?
Girl: 5’6, bakit?
Boy: Ang tangkad mo pala. Paano ka nagkasya sa puso ko?

Rappler.com, the Philippines latest social news network new site has presented a short seven minute documentary on who is Renato Corona before he joined the Supreme Court of the Philippines. I would call this a short documentary on the rise and fall of Renato Corona as the video presents his glorious ascension and his fall from grace in a nutshell.

The short documentary reveals how the former Chief Justice quickly rose from the ranks of government service. He started as an unknown palace bureaucrat, served under several presidents and was later on appointed to the highest court of the land. The documentary also gives a snapshot of his multi-million wealth.

Was the Senate right in ousting Renato Corona as Chief Justice of the highest court of the land? Of course, I would say that with a big resounding YES and I’d bet my pentair pool pump on it any day.

Watch the short documentary below.

Equally important as well is not only foreign tourism but domestic tourism as it also gives more or less the same effect as foreign tourism. Years ago, the Department of Tourism has come up with several slogans and campaigns to encourage domestic tourism and I believe the best one they come with is “Biyahe Tayo” or in English “Let’s go travel.” The song is performed some of the Philippine best recording artist. As you all know some of the best singers and song writers in the world are Filipinos so it wouldn’t be a surprise that the song is of such superior quality and has a very catchy tune especially that it is performed on a TC Helicon guitar center. Click here to view the first version of the song “Biyahe Tayo.”

The “rebooted” version of “Biyahe Tayo” has three versions, performed by different artist. You decide as to which one is the best. See the youtube videos below.

I’ve been promoting the Street Strategist accounting and finance seminar in several post for the past few week. I’ve personally attended the seminar and I can assure you that it is as good as advertised. Anyway let me friend, Thads Bentulan, seminar speaker invite you to his seminar in his own words:

Greetings!

Do you want your supervisors and managers to begin thinking strategically? How can they meaningfully do that if the do not even know whether a capital expenditure is found in the income statement or not? They should become financially-literate managers and leaders before they get promoted to even bigger tasks.

We can teach a 10-year old how to do debit and credit in one morning with perfect accuracy and he will not forget it for the rest of his life! Our resource speaker is the inventor of the world’s fastest, most effective, most efficient way to learn debit and credit with perfect accuracy.

With zero financial knowledge, whether you are a nurse, an industrial psychologist, or a lawyer, you can learn debit and credit and basic accounting principles on Day 1 and you can learn how to analyze financial statements and the financial performance of a company on Day 2. They will be able to make informed judgments on whether certain aspects of the business is doing well or not.

Before, you say, “we have our own seminar!” I hope you will view the attached info on what makes this workshop tremendously different. The “Street Strategist’s Financial Management Program” is an intensive, comprehensive and case-study oriented workshop for non-accounting executives, managers, and supervisors from a manager’s standpoint, not from an accountant’s.

We know you are saving on costs but with a very productive seminar like this, you will be assured that each of your employees is synchronized in terms of financial literacy. You will be assured they know what the accountants are talking about, and how their respective jobs, whether operations and sales, are contributing to the financial health of the company. You will be assured too that they understand the financial reports that they are preparing in their own divisions. Most of all, you will have peace of mind that they speak the same language of finance without having to worry whether or not they understand what you are saying.

The Street Strategist’s Financial Management Program consists of two modules:

1. The Street Strategist’s Accounting Wizard Seminar Workshop
(Module 1, Day One; participants will be doing debit/credit and accounting principles)

2. The Street Strategist’s Basic Financial Analysis Workshop
(Module 2, Day Two, participants will learn to analyze financial statements from a strategic manager’s viewpoint)

Here are the seminar details:

When: May 29 & 30, 2012* (8am to 7pm; yes, 7pm)

Where: Sacred Heart Center* Cebu City

Cost: P6,720 per pax

Group: Buy 3 + 1 Free

Early Bird: P1,000 off (if fully paid by Fri May 18)

Lunches, snacks, CDROM, seminar kit

*subject to change

Very sincerely yours,

Thads Bentulan
Mobile: 0932 49 888 99 (sun)
streetstrategistNOSPAM@gmail.com (Please remove NOSPAM to reveal the true email address)

So what are you waiting for ? Enroll now instead of buying a welch allyn.

20.) Comprehensive two-day coverage of 5 years of accountancy and 2 years of MBA finance

i) In just two days, the participants are exposed to the accounting ideas and concepts that are normally spread out over 5 years in Accountancy and 2 years of MBA.

ii) On the second day, the participants will be analyzing the financial ratios of a company’s financial statements including their management implications. This FLP is the only such comprehensive two-
day program.

21. ) Cost effective

The training consultant has reduced his professional fee to match the fees being offered by the other
trainors.

CONCLUSION:

i) We can teach your employees how to do debit and credit in one morning with perfect accuracy and he will not forget it for the rest of his life!

ii) Our resource speaker is the inventor of the world’s fastest, most effective, most efficient way to learn debit and credit with perfect accuracy.

iii) With zero financial knowledge, whether you are a nurse, an industrial psychologist, or a lawyer, you can learn debit and credit and basic accounting principles on Day 1 and you can learn how to analyze financial statements on Day 2.

iv) We know you are saving on costs but with a very productive seminar like this, you will be assured that each of your employees is synchronized in terms of financial literacy. You will be assured they know what the accountants are talking about, and how their respective jobs, whether operations and sales, are contributing to the financial health of the company. You will be assured too, that they understand the financial reports that they are preparing in their own divisions.

v) Most of all, you will have peace of mind that they speak the same language of finance without having to worry whether or not they understand what you are saying.

Interested to enroll ? Email the Street Strategist for the schedule of the latest seminars at streetstrategistconsultingNOSPAM@gmail.com (Please remove NOSPAM to reveal the true email address) In house company seminars are also accepted. Enroll now instead of buying hot tub spa covers.

12.) Deepening of management bench

At what time do you prepare your managers for empowerment, confidence, and knowledge to help in
planning innovations, improving systems and designing efficient procedures for their divisions? Do you prepare them at the exact moment that you need their ideas, or do you prepare them months or years beforehand so that they will have time to practice, apply, and contemplate on their new skills? To deepen then management bench, the sooner you equip them, the better.

13.) Morale

Trainings, seminars, and skills development boost the esprit de corps of the company. The employees develop a strengthened sense of loyalty, dedication, and passion. (Please read the written feedback of the Area Managers and Regional Managers who felt grateful to the company for making them attend the FLP seminars in Feb.)

14.) Reducing manpower turnover

Manpower turnover is a reality. Take the case of the call centers. They pay high but the turnover is
still rapid. How do they address this issue? Their HRD design a series of skill enriching seminars and workshops to improve the employees skills, to reduce boredom, to boost morale. And this FLP course is one such value-added skill enrichment that gives them a mental challenge and making them feel the that company also cares about their personal growth.

15.) Strategic Planning Sessions

Strategic planning should not only come from top management. Ideas should also rise from the
bottom to the top. But how can line managers contribute if they have no idea what the overall process
of planning is all about? This FLP course provides illustrations of what they could be doing if they were the CEO or CFO of a company. The financial analysis segment illustrates what the different aspects of running a business (inventory, cash flow, operating expenses, depreciation, and many more..)

16.) Long term benefits: Training today for tomorrow’s benefit

This FLP should be not evaluated on any instant result alone. Of course, there are instant results: In just two days, they will know how to debit and credit with (perfect accuracy!), they will know the three basic financial statements, they will know how to analyze the Statement of Cash Flow, how to identify source and uses of cash, to analyze the financial ratios etc.. But in addition to these core skills, there is a long term benefit. Over the next few years, they will be able to apply or enhance their financial analysis skills, they will have a better understanding of how a business is run, and therefore they will be able to contribute to the planning process. These are long term benefits.

17.) Future diversification

What will be this company five years from now? And where will you get a loyal and trusted management team? The company may diversify and yet the core skills of financial and accounting literacy will be the same in the new business.

18.) Listing on the stock exchange?

If the company plans to list on the stock exchange in the next five years, when do we start to improve
the quality of management? Today? Or, only on the year of listing?

19.) Designed for the non-accountant

This Financial Literacy Program (FLP) was designed from the ground up for the non-accountant by a
non-accountant.

Interested to enroll ? Email the Street Strategist for the schedule of the latest seminars at streetstrategistconsultingNOSPAM@gmail.com (Please remove NOSPAM to reveal the true email address) In house company seminars are also accepted. Enroll now instead of buying Arai helmets. 

5.) Financial services firm whose managers have zero education on finance?

A financial services firm whose managers have no education in accounting and finance is
incongruous. They do not even know the difference between an operating expense and a capex, or debit from
credit. Our line managers come from different backgrounds some are Psych majors, some are nurses, some
are engineers. The financially literate branch managers are a minority. Besides, the FLP is only for two days.
Such a very short two-day course with a value-added financial education is a small but long-lasting act of extending the skills of our line managers.

6.) Professional Company Image building

A massive financial literacy campaign for the company’s line managers will enrich the company’s
professional standing. Are we planning for a listing on the stock exchange? Entering into joint ventures with foreign firms? Are we sending a message to the customers that we are a strong company with quality management and quality delivery of services?

7.) Managers without knowing what is debit or credit, or how to analyze financial statements

In merely two days, political science graduates will be analyzing financial statements, and that is why
it is very beneficial that our managers, at least, will have this kind of exposure to improve their skills
and confidence in running their branches and also in thinking of new ways to improve existing
systems.

8.) Imparting Core Skills

Financial analysis and accounting knowledge are core skills of any manager of any company. We
need to impart these core skills to our managers, sooner or later. The sooner, we impart these skills, the earlier we can strengthen their managerial skills.

9.) Matching of skills and the nature of the business

In other companies, accounting and financial skills for managers are necessary for the latter to acquire
business sense even if those managers are in the factories or in the sales divisions. But for our company, this is a matter of matching the skills of our managers to the nature of the business itself. This is a greater impetus to empower them with financial literacy.

10.) Basic minimum knowledge

Aside from being a core skill that any manager should have, accounting and financial literacy is basic
minimum knowledge for any supervisor in any company. We all have chemical literacy, geometry literacy, science literacy and mathematical literacy which have no direct bearing to running a business. And yet we have no financial literacy at all despite the fact that any business is plan, operated, and
evaluated from the financial viewpoint?

11.) Synchronized and uniform knowledge

There is a need to have a common language, a common reference point so that top management and
the finance department can implement new accounting systems and procedures without having to
worry whether or not the line managers really understand what you are talking about. What is the
difference between an operating income from a one-time gain or loss? You will be assured that each of your employees is synchronized in terms of financial literacy. That assurance is very beneficial to top management.

Interested to enroll ? Email the Street Strategist for the schedule of the latest seminars at streetstrategistconsultingNOSPAM@gmail.com (Please remove NOSPAM to reveal the true email address) In house company seminars are also accepted. So enroll now instead of buying gifts for guys. 

1.) Essential component of any wholistic Management Development Program (MDP)

This Accounting and Financial Literacy program (shortened to Financial Literacy Program or FLP)
is an essential component of any MDP, in the same manner as we provide them training for customer
service, team building, or salesmanship.

2.) Preventing problems vs. solving problems

Is your manager solving problems? Or, is he preventing problems? This is very important. The manager who does not see the entire picture will solve the problems as they come. This is what happens when people with no financial background operate a complex financial system. However, the manager who has a better perspective of what is going on, thinks differently. He is more likely to prevent problems from happening.

3.) More than solving operational problems.

Why are there many operational problems with respect to the financial system? Usually, it is because they do not know what they are doing. More than a mere tool to reduce operational incidents or to reduce financial errors, this FLP is tool for overall wholistic development of our line managers as current and future human resource talents that will define the way our company plans and performs its business in the next years to come.

4.) Avoid the situation of the Blind men of Hindustan

In the story, each of six blind men of Hindustan describe the elephant in a completely different way
and yet all of them are correct. To one, the elephant is a rope because he touched the tail, to another, it is a fan because he touched the ears, and so on. With managers who do not know how to analyze operating costs how can he contribute to the future of the company? These managers will have to be promoted to even higher positions that require business decisions. How can they offer to help if they do not have the basic training?

Interested to enroll ? Email the Street Strategist for the schedule of the latest seminars at streetstrategistconsultingNOSPAM@gmail.com (Please remove NOSPAM to reveal the true email address) In house company seminars are also accepted. Rather than buying dr dre beats headphones why don’t you enroll now !