There’s this new blog on the web for Filipinos. All bloggers are encouraged to join for a chance to showcase their sites on its pages. I’ve recently joined and submitted a few posts. Don’t be left out. [Visit The 1Pinoy Blog]

Pinoy Market Review takes a look at the recent warning issued by Apple to Hackers.

Hacking into its system and changing carriers will harm it.

More here….

I’m taking this with a big, grande, venti grain of salt

read more… 

Here’s another musical and emotional high point from “Miss Saigon”-Manila: Kim’s confrontation scene with Thuy (Robert Sena) and The Engineer (Leo Valdez) leading to “You Will Not Touch Him,” Thuy’s death and “This Is the Hour.” Three incandescent Pinoy talents burning up the boards. Keep your hankies ready.

See video clip and read complete post here

I remember that day as clearly as a screaming vagina. Meaning to say, if ever I do see a vagina actually screaming I can pretty much bet both my testicles that I’ll never forget it until the day I die. A sight like that would probably ruin my sexual appetite so thoroughly that the mutilation of my reproductive organs wouldn’t be a big issue anymore. Might as well tear out the horrible little thing and be done with it.

As I was saying: I remember that day clearly. There he is– little Squid– coming home from gradeschool one November afternoon in 1987, all snip and snails and puppy dog tails. Little Squid is in the mood for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a treat he plans to devour in his room while he reads Moby Dick. So far, he doesn’t understand half of what he’s already read in that lumbering beast of a novel since he’s only eleven years old, but at that age he already recognizes that what he’s reading is really crazy shit.

Little Squid enters the house humming the theme from the Transformers. He doesn’t see anyone in the house but knows his mother is somewhere around. He goes to the refrigerator for the peanut butter and passes by a window overlooking the backyard. There’s something strange going on there. Little Squid sees his mother crouched on the ground like a heathen idol, burning a pile of oddly familiar scraps of paper. Then little Squid recognizes the green plastic envelope with the He-Man stickers melting atop that pile…

OH YES SHE DID

Why I still want an iPhone now despite its apparent “lack” of features?

Read more… 

How Blogging Started in the Philippines

Maybe you’ve already read this article. It’s one of the articles at Ms. Annalyn’s Blog-o-Rama. It’s really nice to read such articles about blogging in the philippines. We’re glad that we’ve been given permission to add this very informative article to the Pinoy Blogopedia.

If you want to add more information to this article, by all means please do so. We’d highly appreciate it.

Let’s build the Pinoy Blogopedia!

Atin ‘to

There are all talks about the integration of ASEAN, politically, economically, socially, geographically, and any other *ally you can think of. But with all that talk (and media hype), one is not getting much attention (partly due to it being still a proposal) – the ASEAN Common Time or ACT, which some companies, websites, blogs, and forumers are already using.

So what is this “ASEAN Common Time” (ACT) all about? Read more by clicking here….

I am a martial law baby. I was four years old when martial law was declared in the Philippines by President Ferdinand E. Marcos. I can still hum and sing from memory parts of Bagong Lipunan song: “May bagong silang, may bago nang buhay…sa bagong lipunan. Magbabago ang lahat tungo sa pag-unlad. Ating itanghal: Bagong Lipunan.” Whenever I hum and sing said song, I feel a rush of patriotism and pride. I am proud to be a Filipino. No, I will not brush aside the atrocities and the human rights violations commited by the Marcos regime (the irony of it all is that one of the chief implementors of martial rule, Juan Ponce Enrile, is a senator of this Republic) but I will also not swallow hook, line and sinker that Martial Law was totally bad for our country. History is always logical by hindsight and the kind of path Martial Law took in our country was for the worse but in another time and given our learnings, the imposition anew of martial rule might be good for this country. Only this time, martial rule should be used to improve our economy, get rid of monopolies and fight crime. Human rights must be upheld at all times but some freedoms must be limited and regulated, especially the freedom of the press and the freedom of expression. We are an unruly people. We do not follow the law. Blood is thicker than water and everything else (how else do you explain the irrational attacks of Luli Arroyo on the hapless Joey De Venecia just to defend her father? do you see a possibility of Luli Arroyo, if confronted by overwhelming evidence that his father intervened and interfered in government contracts, denouncing his father? no way.) Power is the only currency as much as the Filipino is concerned. Wonder why the Filipino is law-abiding in other countries? Its because he or she has no power and when you are powerless , you better be obedient. Another Martial law might be good for us but definitely not under or during Gloria’s Administration. She has proven herself too weak, too narrow, too compromised and too self-interested to be granted such vast powers.

Why are we poor? Why is it that, inspite of our teeming natural resources, of our warm and intelligent and English-speaking people, of our strategic geographical location, and of our much vaunted democracy, we continue to be poor? How come we continue to be the “basket case of Asia” and a country of laggards? Why? We are poor because Catholicism is the predominant ideology in our country today. Catholicism is the single biggest cause of our underdevelopment because it is an ideology that imprisons the Filipino in a mindset that impedes, rather than promotes, development. What are some characteristics of this collective ideological mindset of the Filipino?

1. Attitude towards Self. The Filipino sees himself as a “sinner” and an imperfect person. And because of he is taught to hate himself and the world, he is constantly battling his demons, constantly checking and always punishing himself. This kind of perpetual war inside of him saps him of his energies and creativity. It makes him a docile person. A country of docile persons will not move.

2. Attitude towards the World. The Filipino sees the world as “evil” and therefore, hopes to “save himself” by escaping from it. Furthermore, the Filipino sees the world as a “vast entity in which irresistible forces manifest themselves”. This attitude breeds a people with escapist mentality and a sense of powerlessness. They do not consider themselves as the masters of their destinies but as victims (which they celebrate also).

3. Concept of Salvation. One’s concept of salvation is important because such concept defines the raison d’etre of life. Building on the attitude of the Filipino that the world is evil, “salvation” for the Filipino consists of “saving oneself from the world” and to prepare for the “world to come”. Development requires a concept of salvation that seeks to transform this present, real world so that there can be justice, freedom and abundance.

4. Attitude towards Life. The Filipino sees life as something that happens to him (not something that he can make happen). He is resigned to his fate or to the fate that God deigns him to have. (Bahala na ang Diyos).

5. Attitude towards Riches. The Filipino believes in the so-called “preferential option for the poor.” This attitude of exalting the poor makes the poor justified in their poverty (makes them laggards) and condemns the rich as “sinners”. Thus, no development happens. The poor are morally content to remain poor as Christ was poor, and the rich, harboring guilt feelings because they are rich, sees no need to make himself further rich.

Those are some of the reasons why we continue to be poor. And it is all because of Catholicism.

Randy Pausch, an innovative 46-year-old computer science professor, has the incurable pancreatic cancer kind. Last week, he was given a chance to tell his story in a farewell lecture.

read more…>>

Bago na ang panahon ngayon kaya naman lahat na lang ay nag-e-evolve na. Dati ang kahayupan at mga living things lang ang mga nag-a-undergo ng evolution pero ngayon pati mga soap dramas naapektuhan na rin. Basa lang

Read more in Toe’s Kurokuroatbp.

Do you find that your facial hair is starting to spread past your face? Are your knuckles a few inches closer to the ground than normal? Do you feel like you’re spending more and more time climbing trees and throwing feces at your friends?

Well these are the classic signs of what is known as De-Evolving. Don’t be afraid, a lot of people have gone through this phenomenon, and they are now settling fine in their respective zoos.

Continue Reading

Feel like watching a movie? Here’s a few reviews I’ve written to help you out:

1. I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
2. Rogue Assassin (aka War)
3. Disturbia
4. 1408

Relax! Watch a movie!

British novelist Martin Amis on literature as a “war against cliches:”

“Whenever you write, ‘The heat is stifling,’ or ‘She rummaged in her handbag,’ this is dead freight. People who use these moldering novelties like ‘Seen it, done it,’ ‘Got the T-shirt,’ ‘He went ballistic,’ ‘I don’t think so,’ ‘Hello!’–these are dead words. They’re heard words.”

Read complete post here.

Many history books state that martial law was declared by Ferdinand Marcos on 21 September 1972, the date that appears on Proclamation 1081. Those who lived through those times (not me!) will say, however, that the anniversary of martial law falls on September 22, if they were arrested on that day; or September 23, the day when Marcos appeared on TV to announce the imposition of martial law. More…

Some groups and individuals abroad are claiming that Romulo Kintanar was killed by an arresting team of the New People’s Army (NPA) of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) for no reason other than leaving the CPP and dissenting against it. They completely obscure the fact that Kintanar had become an intelligence agent and combat asset of the Manila government and had resisted his arrest with force.

Read More 

A “rewards program” fiasco is brewing!  Globe gives free load, then revokes it.

Read more… 

I’m back to being a kid again!

A few weeks ago I bought the GAT-X252 on a whim. Nina and I were at the Podium. We were supposed to go to THE SPA. See, one of my bestest friends gave us two gift certificates for Executive massages for our wedding (nope, the wedding post is still being completed, so no article yet). Unfortunately, due to some complications, we weren’t able to avail of it, so we settled for a snack at Lord Stow’s instead. While, Nina was munching on her Chicken Supreme sandwich, I lazily browsed through the toys on display at the Toy Kingdom. Only one thing caught my eye: The GAT-X252 kit priced at only 400 pesos. Normally, I’d stray away from these types of hobbies. Not only are they expensive, but they also take up time, effort and patience. Seeing as I couldn’t resist the urge to spend on something that I can see everyday, I hastily purchased the kit. read more…