What's on My Mind

Bones - TV Series

2010-03-03T04:36:00.000-08:00

Here I am again, featuring yet another TV series which I believe is one of the best, if not the best I've seen. Created for TV by Hart Hanson, "Bones" is based on the based on the life of forensic anthropologist/novelist Kathy Reichs.

Starring
Emily Deschanel as Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan
David Boreanaz as Seeley Joseph Booth
Michaela Conlin as Angela Pearly Gates Montenegro
Tamara Taylor as Dr. Camille Saroyan
T. J. Thyne as Dr. Jack Stanley Hodgins
John Francis Daley as Dr. Lance Sweets
Eric Millegan as Dr. Zackary Uriah Addy

Booth calls the team of Bones as "Squints" with the exception of Angela being the only normal person. The stars are funny. prortraying their role very well. The cast's chemistry is perfect! You also gotta love the humor on this show. This set this procedural drama apart from rest like CSI and Law and Order (of course, NCIS is another story. I'll discuss that on my next post).

WHY I WILL VOTE FOR NOYNOY - WINNIE MONSOD

2010-03-02T16:48:00.000-08:00

This email was sent to me by a colleague. Although I am not sure of it's authenthicity, I would still like to share this thought-provoking article. I am sorry for the Manny Villar fans out there but I would really like to vote for a president who is not business minded. Read on...

Monsod's Musings
- Winnie Monsod

Villar still refuses to attend the Senate to face questions, and it only reminds me of how GMA used the privilege of her office to avoid questioning. What will happen if Villar wins and more corruption scandals surface?

With Villar catching up to Noynoy in the polls, I am honestly quite terrified of the prospect of him winning. There is a clear case of graft in this instance, and instead of delving into the issues, his allies in the legislative are simply brushing off the allegations as "politically motivated". As a citizen, we should not accept this. If there is smoke, we must see if there is a fire that needs to be put out. Yes, the timing of the allegations seem a bit off. ( Joker Arroyo was pushing these issues as early as 1998). A known crook and political opportunist, Juan Ponce Enrile, is the person leading the censure. However, when the facts are presented, it is clear as day that something is amiss. It just further builds on my strong suspicions that Villar is a businessman simply looking to control the political arena to make a boat load of money.

I have never trusted Villar since day one. I never trust businessmen who enter politics, because in the end, their core value is and always will be profit maximization. It is well documented that Villar's real estate empire ran into some serious financial problems when his overexposure to the real estate market and the Asian Financial Crisis made him unable to pay debts he took out to expand his real estate business in the early 1990s. After the Asian Crisis hit, Capitol Bank, owned by Villar and heavily exposed to his real estate investments was essentially ran to the ground and needed to be bailed out. In 2005, Villar tried to solve his debt problems by hiring a group of investment banks to advise him on how he can consolidate all his assets into one company (Vista Land). With the local and foreign investment bankers, Villar came up with a growth story for investors: "Invest in my company because we need it to fund all these wonderful project!" However, what was downplayed during the IPO roadshow was that instead of financing growth, resources from the offering would be used to finance his debt. To appease creditors, Villar even had his investment bankers pitch some form of a debt-to-equity conversion that raised skeptical eyebrows of many. In 2007, the IPO of Vista Land did not do as well as planned, in part because many investors and brokers were the same people who were burned by Villar's inability to pay back his loans.

Now, as part of a corporate growth (or should I say corporate restructuring) plan, Villar is lusting for the highest position in the land. This scares me because Villar already has a track record of using his political position to gain the upper hand for his businesses. To save his empire and increase shareholder value of his business, Villar used his influence as Senate Finance Chair to shrewdly derail a Cavite road project that was supposed to be BUILD, OPERATE, and TRANSFER. Villar built a longer and more expensive road, the C-5 extension, adjacent to it; subsequently forcing the private investor in the initial project to pull out. The fishy thing is that this new road, longer and more expensive than the previously planned project, passed through all of Villar's land in Cavite. It is a clear case of graft, pointing to Villar use of influence and government funds to substantially improve the values of his real estate properties. To add insult to injury the right of way the government would have to pay in order to complete the project was substantially higher for the land that Villar owned. These funds could have easily been used to build needed schools.

This scandal should be a red flag for all voters. However, the scary part is that Villar is spending billions to keep this out of the picture as he continues his attempt to brainwash our masses that he is their saviour. He convinces the masses that he is one of them. A poor boy from the slums of Tondo. In actuality, he is more like the 5-6 and syndicates, slum dwellers themselves who make a profit out of their poor brethren. Villar's ad agencies are doing an excellent job of maintaining this image as well as doing damage control. TV and radio continues to churn out Parokya Ni Edgaresque jingles that compete with "Nobody, Nobody." Dolphy is Villar's new spokesperson and Wowowee is one giant ad for him. In this process of brainwashing, the masses are not cognizant of how Villar conducts business as a politician. What they do not see is a man hell bent on turning our archipelago into his own personal piece of real estate.

It is sad that the efforts of Juan Ponce Enrile, who is leading the censure for Villar, is actually giving Villar more sympathy votes. People do no trust Enrile, and when Enrile pounces on someone, it is usually met with a high degree of skepticism. I do not blame people for feeling this way. I also think Enrile is a crook who should be jailed for conspiring to implement Martial Law, for coup attempts, and for the human rights abuses during the Marcos regime. If someone with a more respectable reputation were to level these charges on Villar, I am sure the surveys would tell a different story.

I also fear from some credible reports that Malacanang has actually made a deal with Villar (under the table). Essentially, GMA's goons said, "We will help you, in return, leave us alone when you win". Villar's behaviour in recent forums further adds credence to these reports as Villar has been very tame and quiet when it comes to how he will treat GMA after the elections. Appealing to common sense, it makes ALL THE SENSE for GMA to support someone who has a chance of winning, not a person rating at 4% in the surveys. GMA tried to reach out to Noynoy after Tita Cory died. All she got was rejection.

Who can stop Villar in his quest for the presidency?

I am known to be a Noynoy supporter, but to those skeptics and to those who are still undecided, I do concede that he is not perfect. His record as a politician is average and unspectacular at best. He does not have the charisma of his father. Before the death of his mother, he did not get much mileage. But I am going all out in support for Noynoy in 2010 because he stands for clean governance and appear willing to accomplish this. In addition, he has the best chance of preventing a opportunistic businessman, the assured next President of our country before Cory died, from using the Office of the President as a personal growth asset to his business empire.

Noynoy's clean record is a big plus for me. It is a trait that I think should be the most important quality that we should look for in our next president. His appeal is that his track record is not tarnished by corruption scandals and his political debts are minimal. I know that many critics are trying to make an issue over his involvement in Hacienda Luisita, but Noynoy is not even heavily involved in the company. As a shareholder, Noynoy only owns .04% of Hacienda Luisita, a drop in the ocean and hardly in any position to do something about it. The case of the Hacienda does not have the substance that the C-5 extension controversy has a lot of.

In addition, Nonoy also has an incredible legacy to live up to. All the pressure is on him to be clean and stay clean. He can't afford to tarnish the Aquino name and the immense legacy that his parents left behind. Cory and Ninoy practically sacrificed their family for their dream of a better Philippines. For Noynoy, to know that your father and mother went through so much hardship to improve our country is a heavy burden to think about if you do decide to become a crook and destroy everything that they fought for.

We all have to make a choice. In my opinion, it has to go to the presidentiable who has an independent mind, stands up for what he believes in, is clean, and has the legacy his parents to live up to and maintain. For me, Nonoy, with all his flaws, is that candidate. For what thiscountry needs is a clean president who can set an example top-down for the entire state; it needs a president with the will to change things and stamp out corruption; it needs a President who can set an example and is willing to perfect our dysfunctional democracy.

I want someone who stands for being clean. He does not need a degree from Harvard. He does not need to have a multi-million peso business to show me he can make us all rich. He does not have to speak well. He just has to be clean. Nothing else should matter. He has to prioritize a platform of clean and effective governance and make sure that it delivers on that promise. Policies on the economy, education, energy, environment and health can all follow after the fundamentals are taken cared of. So far, the only candidate who promotes my vision with a clean record to back it up is Noynoy.

Our urban landscape is replete with political slogans that attempt to convince people of certain candidate's ability to lead our nation.

Galing at Talino? Sorry Gibo, those were the supposed qualities of GMA, rubber stamped with a Phd in Economics. And what happened? She only worsened our economy. To GMA's credit she did balance our budget at one point, but it has again ballooned to the level where the next president will have to deal with the same economic issues she faced in 2005. During GMA's watch investment in infrastructure was insufficient, poverty incidence worsened, public education deteriorated, our nautical highway is still incomplete, goons like the Ampatuan's flourished in the south, and a culture of corruption flourished in our institutions. Instead of creating jobs, GMA focused on a policy of exporting labor without measuring the social costs of such a policy- thousands of broken OFW families and children of OFW's who do not have the proper parental supervision to teach them the differences between right and wrong. In effect, our next generation is left on their own to figure out how to become empowered patriots who love their country and will fight to defend it. In effect, whatever statistics in GDP growth GMA and her allies love to advertise, non of it trickled down and benefitted the poor..and none of it accounts for the social costs to her policies.

Good speaker? Sorry Gibo, Marcos had that quality and he did nothing good for our contry. In fact, Marcos squandered the opportunity to be our Lee Kuan Yew and Dr. Mahatir. If I want a good, charismatic, and eloquent speaker, let's just run down the list of effective public speakers and vote them in.

Para sa mahirap? Sorry Erap, you had your chance and failed miserably. Your only accomplishment is in convincing our masses that movie roles do not carry over into the political area.

My only concern with Noynoy is how deep he might be in the Liberal Party and whether he has accumulate political debts to Liberal trapos. The Liberal PArty, like any party, has its own share of crooks (including those bandwagon trapos who jumped off GMA"s boat to ride on Aquino's popularity). How much will Nonoy have to give back to the Liberal trapos (and bandwagon Liberals who jumped GMA's ship) if elected? We will never know. However, I am willing to live with that unanswered question if it means preventing someone like Villar from turning the Philippines into Vista Land's next subdivision development. I am also reassured by the fact that he has that "Aquino" name and the ghosts of his parents to answer to if does decide to go down the immoral path.

Nonoy will not solve all our problems. One person can't. But we need a start somewhere and it should be with someone who pushes honesty, reform, and good governance. It will be a tough battle, but I want to give Noynoy the chance to build on what his mother tried to accomplish. And I hope that if Noynoy wins, he will have the courage to make tough decisions and go after crooks, even if it means hurting a lot of friends and colleagues in government.

To give you a better sense on how Villar conducts business, here is also a link to Joker Arroyo's 1998 privilege speech: http://www.malayang halalan.com/2010/01/ 26/joker- arroyo-raises-issue- of-accountability-of-public- officers-against-manny- villar/

Actual notes scanned: http://www.scribd. com/doc/22789941/Joker- Arroyo-Privilege-Speech

I guess "if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck.." Well, as the saying goes......

Vote wisely Philippines. And continue to work towards uplifting the masses and freeing them from their state of hopelessness. Defend them from opportunists. DEVELOP THEM (FIRST) SPIRITUALLY AND BEHAVIORALLY; THEN ECONOMICALLY! When we lift up the poor and ween them off the mentality of hopelessness, our country will become first world. Only then will we have the powerful middle class that our young democracy is screaming for.

Winnie Monsod

Pilipinas... YOU decide

New Amsterdam - TV Series

2010-03-01T20:25:00.000-08:00

NEW AMSTERDAM centers on a brilliant and enigmatic New York homicide detective unlike any other. And he has a profound secret -- he is immortal.

In 1642, JOHN AMSTERDAM (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), then a Dutch solider in the colony of New Amsterdam â€“ later to become New York City -- stepped in front of a sword to save the life of a Native American girl during a massacre of her indigenous tribe. The girl in turn rescued Amsterdam, weaving an ancient spell that conferred immortality upon him. Amsterdam will not age, she told him, until he finds his one true love. Only then will he become whole and ready for mortality.

Amsterdam has found this to be a mixed blessing. Over the course of three centuries, he's experienced endless adventure and honed his many talents. But everyone Amsterdam meets must leave him in time; friends, lovers and children grow old and eventually die, while he remains young. The exhilaration of eternal life has given way to emotional isolation and loneliness; the blessing has become a curse. His sole confidant and current lifelong friend is the sage jazz club owner OMAR (Stephen Henderson), the keeper of Amsterdam's secret, as well as a few of his own.

Having witnessed its entire history from colonial outpost to mega-metropolis, John Amsterdam is the living embodiment of New York City. He and the island of Manhattan are joined -- part and parcel. Bringing to bear the unorthodox techniques and unique knowledge gained from his vast life experience, Amsterdam today is one of the NYPD's best homicide detectives, sparring with his vibrant, strong-willed partner EVA MARQUEZ (Zuleikha Robinson) as they solve difficult murder cases.

But when Amsterdam suffers and then recovers what appears to be a massive heart attack while chasing a suspect, and DR. SARA DILLANE (Alexie Gilmore) pronounces him dead in the ER, he realizes that the prophesy may have come true -- he felt the pain in his heart foretold so long ago. His soul mate must have been nearby. As he works to bring closure to the lives of others, Amsterdam also seeks closure of his own.

From executive producers David Manson ("Saved," "Thief," "Nothing Sacred"), Allan Loeb ("Things Lost in the Fire," "21"), Lasse HallstrÃ¶m ("Chocolat," "The Cider House Rules," "The Hoax"), Leslie Holleran ("Chocolat," "The Cider House Rules," "The Hoax") and Steven Pearl ("Untraceable"), this intriguing series invites viewers to explore the enduring mysteries of life, death and true love.

-http://www.fox.com/newamsterdam/showinfo/

This show is awesome! The plot and the actors, specially Nikolaj, were great! I am not sure if the story is original but there has been some claim that it was copied from other sources - 2003 novel, Forever by Pete Hamill.

Other recent stories with similar foundations are the 2007 film The Man From Earth (written in 1998), the ongoing Highlander franchise, which began in 1986 and Forever Knight, a Canadian 1992 show about a vampire detective (which includes in each episode a flashback to previous years).

Too bad the series was short lived. I don't know why but I'm pretty sure there are other viewers like me looking forward to seing season 2 (if there ever will be one).

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars :)

Corporate Social Responsibilty (CSR)

2008-10-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

Lately, we've been hearing complaints from civil society (non-partisan organisation - really???)about businessmen who does nothing but fill their pockets with wealth. Sometimes, we even lambast them for getting rich while the rest of us our staying in our current social status.

It's easy to point a finger and blame the rich corporations/companies for your current financial situation. But have you thought about these companies' effort to help the society? Let's see...

1. JG Summit Holdings, Inc. (Digitel, Sun Cellular, Cebu Pacific, Robinsons Bank, RobinsonsLand, UIC, Universal Robina Corporation)

Born from JG Summit’s commitment to social responsibility, the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF) was set up in 1992 to help uplift the socio-economic condition of Filipinos through the funding of educational projects.

- The Children’s Library
- Gokongwei Brothers Foundation Technical Training Center
- Gokongwei Brothers Foundation China Scholars
- JG-ILED

For details of their social projects, visit: http://www.jgsummit.com.ph/csr.html

2. Lopez Group of Companies (Meralco, ABS-CBN)

"To survive, any business or corporation must be useful to the society it serves."
— Oscar M. LopezChairman of the Lopez Group

The company has providing help in different fields - poverty alleviation, education, environment and health. For a complete list of their projects, visit: http://www.lopezgroup.org/lgfi/csrIndex.asp

3. Ayala Group of Companies (BPI, Ayala Land, Globe Telecoms, Manila Water, IMI)

“Corporate Social Responsibility is a natural impulse to help those in need. It is a spirit of goodwill, expressed in activities that promote social development.”
- Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala

You can check their latest activities on this link: http://www.ayalasocialinitiatives.com/

Yes, they do earn millions. Wouldn't you want that if you own that company? The thing is, before we judge them being greedy, let's think about where they share these millions :)

The Evolution of Lancer

2008-10-10T02:29:00.000-07:00

I've been a fan of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo as long as I can remember! The positive reviews from car enthusiasts, owners and experts are simply amazing. Even non-technical car lovers (ahem - me!) will enjoy watching the Evo go head-to-head against competition and see them eat dust! Of course, I have to admit, I am bias in MMC's favor haha! Now hear comes (drum roll please....) EVO X!!

Just some of the experts' comment:

"The Evo has the best version of this kind of transmission to date. The 135i's auto isn't bad. Probably the best currently in a BMW, but the Evo's TC-SST is just amazing."

— Motor Trend, August 2008

"Thanks to the MR's paddle-shiftable six-speed Twin-Clutch Sport Shift Transmission (TC-SST), the Evo always seems to be in the right gear as well."

— Motor Trend, April 2008

"Whether manual tabbed or left in auto, S-Sport gear changes are brutally quick with the kind of shift violence seen only in Italian exotics."

— Motor Trend, November 2007

"It flat spanked the $85,000 Porsche and walked all over the little Lotus."

— Edmunds' Inside Line, May 2008

"Bottom line: It's drive-by-the-seat-of-your-pants, four-wheel fun."

— Popular Mechanics, December 2007

For more information about this Monster of the Road, check out this website:

http://www.mitsubishicars.com/MMNA/jsp/evo/insider/index.do

The next question would now be: Which is faster and the meanest sports sedan? The Evo X or Subaru's Impreza?? (It's EvoX of course... hehehe)

The Joy of Sharing

2008-10-06T18:06:00.001-07:00

I was blessed with a great job that allows me to share more (financially) to my family. Surprisingly, I could also support a child to go to school!

No- she is not a relative. I signed up for a sponsorship program of World Vision (http://worldvision.org/). Imagine changing the lives of very unfortunate children. Not only that. The program also helps our sponsored child's family and community by providing livelihood programs.

I would like to invite you guys to be a "blessing" to others. Your help will not only transform the lives of your sponsored child. It may also help transform our world.

God bless! :)

Anti-Cigarette Campaign in the Philippines

2008-10-06T03:13:00.000-07:00

I read this article from the internet and this is a portion I want to speak my mind out:

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance of the Philippines (FCAP) was quoted as saying that (Congressman) Singson “should be made responsible for the death of 65,040 Filipinos because of tobacco-caused diseases since the bill was filed on Dec. 20.”

House Bill 3364 requires the printing of picture-based health warnings on the pack of cigarettes. The picture would portray various diseases caused by smoking in an attempt to influence smokers to quit the habit and for the uninitiated not to start smoking.

... Singson earned the ire of FCAP and related groups when he led a group of congressmen-members of the House committee on Health in trouncing HB 3364 at the committee’s technical working group hearing recently.

- source (Philippine Star - http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?&aid=2008092095&type=2&)

The idea of placing vivid images on cigarette packs that shows the effect of cigarette smoking is something I would place my vote on. However, I think it is unfair to blame the death of cigarette smokers to the representative of Ilocos Sur (province north of Luzon).

Don't get me wrong. I admire FCAP's effort to bring down the number of fatalities caused by cigarette smoking. But come on, whether you put a morbid image on the pack, it is still the individual who would decide if he will smoke or not - not Rep. Singson.

I had an acquiantance who smoke. One time, he took menthol candy while smoking his cigarette. I asked why take candy while smoking. He said he didn't like the taste of the cigarette! I wanted to ask "why in the world is he smoking that cigarette if it doesn't like its taste!!". But I held myself back.

What's my point? If I were a smoker, and there are scary images in my cigarette pack which bothers me, all I have to do is put them in these fancy tin cans which you can buy from the supermarket - vices section.

In addition, don't you think smokers don't know its ill effect? They do!! They just don't care!

2nd point of argument: why didn't they blame the tobacco farmers for the death of millions of people who used their produce???

Trust me, I don't want to blame them. It's their livelihood. Want to eradicate cigarette smoking? Stop the source - tobacco farming. But then, what will happen to these farmers and their families???? Wow... we are in a deadlock.

To conclude, here is my message to FCAP:

Guys, I am very proud of your efforts. For standing firm in your conviction in helping people - two thumbs WAAAYYY up! If I may suggest, instead of pushing for this scheme, let's try something else. In Davao City, I think there is a local ordinance that prohibits smoking in places where there is a roof (waiting sheds, walk ways etc.)! Genius! Maybe this will work in other provinces! That is a different approach - protect the non-smokers.

As for the tobacco farmers, maybe we should also consider them when presenting proposals to congress like offering alternative jobs or produce.

Hold on... I was thinking about those people working for tobacco companies. If you were successful in cutting down the number of cigarette smokers, any plans for them who could lose their job? I don't have one - at least for now.

What about you? Any thoughts?

P.S.

I don't smoke. It's my choice :)

My favorite Slippers

2008-10-06T02:47:00.000-07:00

when i was younger, i had this pair of slippers..
it's neon green and it was my favorite!
normally, my slippers would last for a month or two..
it’s either i lose it or break it then throw it away..

But the slippers i’m talking about; it endured me for i don’t know how long but it was quite some time!
it was SPECIAL..
it is not that strong or sturdy.. it was just that it is my favorite, that every time i break it, i’ll fix it!

i’ve made a lot of stitches on the 1-inch wide strap to keep it from splitting or falling apart! i even reinforced the strap with synthetic leather!

you know the circle whatchamacallit that holds the strap at the bottom of the slippers? due to excessive use, eventually, it will wear out. right?

you know what i did at that time?
i replaced it with a carpenter's nail! SERIOUS!

well.. eventually i have to let go.. because the strap (because of its relatively old age) became so brittle that it was beyond repair..

Have you ever felt that you have been broken that you thought you were beyond repair?

broken because you hurt someone or you were hurt by someone?

broken because you didn’t meet other people’s expectation of you?

broken because of failures?

Guess what? you may be that slipper i’m talking about!
broken, yet repaired, cared for.. even loved..

No matter how many times you "break", there will always be that caring Hands who will repair you and love you even more..

Heads up!!

see Him?

i know you do..

remember: you are SPECIAL in His eyes… ALWAYS…