1. He amassed and failed to declare about P16.6 million in wealth and assets.

2. Property and businesses (grocery store, computer shop, etc) under his family's ownership, and no corresponding tax returns.

3. His family allegedly took trips abroad costing roughly P3.7 million. (Did you like the Disney cruise?)

On the downside, this is most likely small fry. Pleyto, all too ready to admit he got caught, claims in his defense that the lifestyle checkers "selectively applied" their witchhunt. Crab mentality, as they say, even in defeat.

"There are others in the Cabinet who are really corrupt," but the graft complaints and charges filed against them are being ignored by the Lifestyle Check Coalition, he said in a phone interview.

Sure, but right now, you're it. And, you're scum.

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 07:39 PM | Permalink
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As with any public works project in Manila, there are several layers of wrong here:

1. How can you have an existing budget without it's creators having specified such a crucial parameter as cement or asphalt? Wouldn't that dictate the budget in the first place?

The administration's answer:

"There has not been any Cabinet decision on the cancellation, although there was a consensus reached among the DENR Secretary, NEDA Secretary, MMDA Chairman, and DPWH to 'recommend' its cancellation," said director Julian D. Amador of the Environment and Management Bureau in a memorandum for Environment Secretary Elisea G. Gozun.

Honey, it's a consensus only if it means that you can act based on it. I guess this whole double-presidency thing has got you thinking twice about "majority opinions". A case of too much democracy and twiddle-your-thumbscracy.

2. Because it's such a big pie, there are four executive departments involved, whose decisions are of equal weight. No wonder nothing gets done in Manila.

3. The project is actually part of the Metro Manila Air Quality Improvement program of the ADB. Hmmm... rehabilitating the roads to improve air quality. This could be the only reason why the DENR, who should be ought protecting our forests, instead gets its director to weigh in on road projects in Manila. Someone explain this to me.

4. The last layer of wrong is, again, the curse of the elections: nothing gets done until after the casino parties and the "destabilization efforts" have faded away. In the meantime, we live with the bad roads, the traffic delays, and console ourselves with the fact that somewhere out there, some government official's relative has the purchase order of his life.

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 09:08 AM | Permalink
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Here is the excerpt. See if you can beat 43.66 seconds. You might find your name in the Guiness Book.

Contestants had to type this message: "The razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human."

The article adds:

Using the cell phone's predictive text function -- which guesses words as letters are typed in -- was not allowed, and the target phrase's punctuation needed to be accurate, as well.

We ought to defend our title as "The Text Capital of the World".

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 06:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Beginning at about 6 p.m. Wednesday, Yahoo changed its instant messaging language to prevent third-party services, such as Trillian, from accessing its service. Like previous statements, the company said the block is meant as a pre-emptive measure against spammers from its Yahoo Messenger service.

"Spammers are being aided by entities that are abusing our systems, where they effortlessly gain knowledge of pathways and back-alley access to send spam," Yahoo spokeswoman Mary Osako said.

So, if you're on my Yahoo buddy list, I might be out.

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 10:41 AM | Permalink
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But we made good time thanks to a dedicated freight elevator, one loatheful carpet, and three of the nicest people there are in Philadelphia.

The new digs has a great view and twice the space we used to have, plus more closet space than we might ever need; there is a hall closet, a small kitchen closet (where the washer and dryer is), a linen closet (floor to ceiling, we have a grand total of three sheets and two towels in them) a bedroom closet (which is twice the size of our old closet) and a 10 foot deep walk in closet! (Maybe I can finally get that FTP Anime server going, hmmm...)

Still in the process of unpacking and moving in (need to put the Dirt Devil to work) but the internet, cable and Vonage is up and the router lamps are blinking, usual signs that there is a weblog entry waiting to be posted. More later.

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 09:55 AM | Permalink
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Of course the sore losers will continue to "destabilize" the government, because that's just the Filipino thing to do, you know, civil disobedience and that People Power thing. At least the government has someone to blame -- others -- if they can't get things going this time around. Better than scattering spikes on EDSA.

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 05:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Now, the BIR is set on taxing the internet. This is something worth lobbying against. They want to slap on VAT, although exactly how is unclear. It will kill any hopes for local industries looking to expand their market by selling on the internet.

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 03:01 PM | Permalink
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Thank you Ping Lacson! Keep them coming!

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 02:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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And, if that isn't strange enough, a new virus spreads via Bluetooth in your cellphones. It's not malicious yet, but it only takes a matter of time.

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 07:29 AM | Permalink
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1. Swam under the noontime sun. Less crowded, which was necessary to get the most of number 2.

2. Rode a water slide. Since there wasn't a long line, I had fun sliding, climbing, sliding, climbing, sliding. I did all the variations: sitting, lying on my back, sitting then lying on my back, sitting with my arms stretched forward, lying on my back with my arms to the side, well, you get the picture.

3. Saw Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba. I strongly urge anyone to go see the nearest Cirque show in their region, or never miss one that comes your way. It's worth every penny you put into it: gravity-defying acts, awesome art and stage direction and overall one brilliant visionary act after another. Get mid-level seats (not front stage) so you can easily see the trapeze acts and the stage without cramping your neck.

4. Learned how to make an origami lily (and stem) by heart. Now I have a trick to amaze friends!

5. Went to the beach! It was one of those Spring Break type beaches with a few holdovers from, you guessed it, Spring Break. On our way home, the paramedics had to attend to some lady who passed out in one of the bars -- just to complete the whole experience.

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 09:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Here's a form letter (cut and paste) that you can use to email your favorite HR Manager or headhunter about Freelance Philippines.

And, thanks to all those who have helped spread the word: we're getting some good hits and some new users everyday. Soon, we will have a big enough directory for potential clients to take seriously.

So, there's more to be done! (A nice blog entry would help!) Or, a Friendster Bulletin message. Anything to get the word out will be appreciated by every member. Thanks.

Dear, XXXXXXXX

DELETE EVERYTHING BELOW THIS LINE

(Insert the greetings, anecdotes and introductions here.)

DELETE EVERYTHING ABOVE THIS LINE

Have you ever had the need for a parttimer or freelancer in your company? A short project that needed a creative professional on board? Are you finding the search for the right person difficult?

I'm helping build something that might help: an online directory of creative professionals in the Philippines, from graphic designers, writers, editors, and photographers. It's called Freelance Philippines and it's currently in its development stages.

It's a website where freelance creative professionals from the Philippines look to meet with potential clients who post details of their projects and receive bids online.

While still in its development stage, there's a lot of potential for you and your company:

1. The potential to meet hundreds of professionals and choose the one that's best for you.

2. Post your project details and have members bid on your project.

3. Save the cost of advertising, or even worse, the cost of hiring someone who may end up not being perfect for the job.

4. And, using the service is FREE!

Imagine a place where you can look for a qualified parttimer to do your website or brochure, without going through the expensive process of hiring an advertising agency or placing an ad!

Here's the link:

http://blog.622design.com/phpBB2/index.php

Sign up (quick and easy) and talk about your company and shop around. Maybe in the future you will have a project and you'll find the right person in Freelance Philippines!

And, while the project is still in its development stage, it would greatly benefit from your comments and referrals in growing a community, so please tell everyone you know about it . The website's vision is that in time it will become a one-stop shop of creative professionals and clients exchanging work and ideas.

Please visit the site at your convenience. Your comments are valuable and most welcome.

Best,

XXXXXXX

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 10:29 AM | Permalink
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DELETE EVERYTHING BELOW THIS LINE

(Insert the greetings, anecdotes and introductions here.)

DELETE EVERYTHING ABOVE THIS LINE

Also, I wanted to share a small side project with you, in hopes that it can help your (business/career). I just recently became part of a beta test of Freelance Philippines, a service that's long overdue for the freelancers in the Philippines.

It's a website setup to be a place where freelance graphic designers, art directors, programmers, writers and editors from the Philippines meet with potential clients who post details of their projects and receive bids online.

The beauty of this system is that it takes out the cost of marketing and advertising and passes those savings on to the client and contractor. Imagine an Ebay-like community where Filipino independent contractors can meet with potential clients, expand relationships, build reputations, and do what they do best without having to leave their desks (and deal with the traffic!). A place where a small or medium sized company can look for a qualified parttimer to do their website, or their brochure, without going through the expensive process of hiring an advertising agency or placing an ad.

Here's the link:

http://blog.622design.com/phpBB2/index.php

As someone who is intimately involved with (print and editorial design/graphic design/publishing/marketing/advertising), this project would greatly benefit from your comments and referrals in growing a community. You know very well that there are many talented writers and designers in Manila who find it difficult to further their careers because they don't have the venue for it, or they simply don't know where to start. I feel this service is a good beginning.

The website's vision is that in time it will become a robust meetingplace of contractors and clients exchanging work and ideas. That will have to wait, because, for now, it needs to reach a critical mass of contractors and clients by relying on word-of-mouth, and clicks from people like you and me.

Please visit the site at your convenience. Your comments are valuable and most welcome.

Best,

XXXXXXX

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 06:15 PM | Permalink
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I have looked high and low for one website where freelance graphic designers, art directors, programmers, writers and editors from the Philippines meet with potential clients who post details of their projects and receive bids online. The beauty of this system is that it takes out the cost of marketing and advertising and passes on those savings to the client and contractor. Imagine an Ebay-like or Guru-like community where Filipino independent contractors can meet with potential clients, expand relationships, build reputations, and do what they do best without having to leave their desks (and deal with the traffic!). A place where a small or medium sized company can look for a qualified parttimer to do their website, or their brochure, without going through the expensive process of hiring an advertising agency or placing an ad. And, I couldn't find one.

Something like that is long overdue.

Well, here's my stab at it. Lord knows others might follow, but at least there's something out there. The caveat is that the system can't, at this stage, verify contractors and contractees. It's like Craigslist -- use at your own risk. There should be a way, like Ebay, to rate the freelancers and invite them to closed bids. But that comes much later.

My plans are to eventually migrate the system to its own domain and maybe, just maybe, make a little on the side by asking for a small fee for registration (once the site gets really busy). I would also like to eventually get in touch with large companies that use independent contractors all the time, and employment agencies who handle these folks, and have them all come to one address. My goal from the very beginning is to create a community, and help those starving freelancers (like me).

I have enough experience to know that someone with a little bit of capital can create a larger, more feature-rich website. But no one has. Maybe the market is too small for them. Maybe they're just waiting for a sucker like me to create a market, so they can swoop it off right under my feet. Well, it has to start some place.

So Vesters, this is where your grassrooting will come in: if you know people who can benefit from something like this, pass it on. Use the power of your keyboard: BLOG ABOUT IT. Or, if your company has a project looking for a freelancer, try using this website. It's free, and non-committal, and it can help. If you want, message it out on your Friendster account. Or email your old undergrad org. Whatever support you can extend, extend it.

Here's the link to Freelance Philippines Beta once more. Many, many thanks. All you freelancers out there, help is on the way.

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 08:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)
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In our radio program " Salitang Buhay " last Sunday on DZMM, ABS-CBN wherein we interviewed Manila Archbishop Gaudencio B. Rosales, proponent of the project, the archbishop said that Pondong Pinoy is inspired by the Theology of the Crumbs drawn from the gospel parable of St. Luke (Luke 16:19-31). Jesus relates of Lazarus, the poor man covered with sores, begging at the gate of Dives’ mansion, longing to eat the crumbs that fell from his table. Later in the story when both died, Lazarus went up to heaven while Dives ended up in the "torment of Hades

"What’s important is the motive behind the giving, which is love for our less fortunate countrymen," the archbishop said. How will the proceeds be used? Archbishop Rosales replied: "One way is through a micro-lending program that will help the jobless start a small business. Also, a lowcost housing project will be considered."

The mechanics of the program are not yet clear. For instance, how will the 25 cents from each individual be collected? Who will do the collecting? I asked the archbishop what the Church will do if a parishioner won’t give because he can’t afford [it]. "If the purpose of the project is explained well," Archbishop Rosales said, "I believe the parishioner won’t refuse to give." "If he will still not give," he added banteringly, "where will he go but there?" (referring to Hell where Dives went).

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 02:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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What's going on with the Philippine Star's website? For quite a while now, it's been showing an eerie Hal-like "hello" on it's index page. Are they revamping? Or did they get DOS'ed? I miss my Ricky Lo!

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 08:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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A warning to my future child: don't make me do this. (A mother sells her son's "beloved" Playstation on Ebay as punishment.)

It was a glory day when my son received his Play Station 2. This beloved machine was his prize (sic) possession. He played [it], if not for hours at a time. When he would not [do] anything else, but (sic) he took care of this little treasure of his. Ground him, take away phone privileges………….anything but this PS2.

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 02:34 PM | Permalink
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If this isn't a Friendster moment... I just found out that a friend from Los Banos is now behind the stuff that powers my blog. It's the lady in the red sweater. Hey, Maile, reprazent!

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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The old part of New Orleans, the Garden District as it is now called, has a vast number of homes dating back to the Confederacy and well beyond. Homes previously for tobacco magnates, ship builders, governors and generals have now become postcards for curbside enthusiasts looking for a free walking tour. They offer interesting studies in both architecture and New Orleans history.

Walking around the area, we met up with Anne Rice's old home (topmost, where she wrote most of her novels), the former President of the Garden District's Preservation Society selling lemonade beside her previous house, which is across the street from Nine Inch Nail Trent Reznor's current address (second from top). Mr. Reznor is said to be a most gracious neighbor. The bottom picture shows a typical turn of the century home with white-washed Greek columns and an Azalea garden.

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 09:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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When visiting New Orleans, Top 10 Things to bear in mind:

1. People drink Margaritas in the middle of the day. That means by 9:00 PM, you should have vomited your 7th and you're ready for some whiskey.

2. The best place to eat, for taste, authenticity and value for money, is the Acme Oyster House. Have Jambalaya, fried catfish and oysters if you're not allergic. No lines for lunch, but a 30 minute wait for dinner.

3. Never ever give attention to a man who makes balloon art for a living.

4. New Orleans has the most hot sauce bottles per capita than anywhere else in the world.

5. When visiting Cafe du Monde, have the beignets, but never use the restrooms. Of course, if you want a memorable experience, do visit the restrooms.

6. Giant lobsters are real.

7. Wearing beads when it's not Mardi Gras tells everyone that you're a tourist, which will lead you to #3 above.

8. There's really not much to see at the French Market.

9. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band is the single best reason to come to New Orleans.

10. Never ever pay 5 bucks to see someone's living room. You can use it for #1 instead.

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 09:13 AM | Permalink
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It had been more than 10 years since I had last walked along Waverly Ave., up the steps into Newhouse One and along the crest of Clarendon and Summer's Hill. All in all, it was a nervous, exhilirating and altogether lonesome revisiting. I ran into an old Constitutional Law Professor, who obliged me with a chat and told me she had jettisoned the old 300-page hardbound text book for a lighter, more penetrable paperback.

The campus was empty, but stroll down to Marshall Square and you'll find Alladin's packed. I never ate there, always thought only snobs had the stomach for organic food. I would much rather get a 2.50 cheese sandwich and soda from Acropolis next door -- a Greek sandwich and pita place run by Asians -- or even Archie's, who used to give you a slice of pizza (cheese, of course) and a soda for a buck twenty five. "Used to" because now it's a Starbucks.

Found out Hungry Charlie's, an old undergrad bar with cheap beer, is no longer there. I remember watching the fuzz storm the place and seeing undergrads, likely under 21, trying to squeeze their way out of restroom windows only to be tugged back in and disappear.

But Faegan's was still around, and I walked inside, browsed the menu and glanced at our favorite tables. Old, beaten and suffering from indigestion, these tables bore witness to pitchers of LaBatt's and us swinging our arms around to "Mr. Jones". Didn't get to go to Armory Square, where Styleen's and TOTS used to be. Both places had eighties poser bands and, yes, cheap beer.

Drove into Carousel Mall and had a Bourbon Chicken Combo from Cajun Cafe. Then turned around to see that they have a Hooters next to the kiddie Carousel.

Wait 10 years to do something again, and you're never the same person you were. But, Syracuse, like so many things, remained frozen in time. And, I'm happy to know that I can return.

Posted by Bulletproofvest at 08:52 AM | Permalink
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