Pala-isip

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer. ====================== MANILA, Philippines—Within hours of her declaration that she was running for Congress in May, a firestorm of criticism swirled around President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, with one critic accusing her of being drunk with power and others saying her aim was to shield herself from “a landslide of lawsuits.” The criticisms, as well as concerns, came both from her well-known political enemies and from some Church leaders. The biggest worry of Ms Arroyo’s political foes appeared to be that she might use a seat in Congress as a launching pad to become prime minister, in case of a shift to a parliamentary government. Roman Catholic Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz, for so long a vocal critic of Ms Arroyo, said the framers of the Constitution did not think of imposing a ban on an outgoing president running for a lower office simply because it was unthinkable. “There appears to be no reasonable cause for such a constitutional prohibition as ...

Now that is what you call a beer belly!

Got this from a friend that 13 days after a Pacquiao fight, there will be a national disaster. I wonder if it's true. Paquiao Vs Morales - Wowowee Stampede Paquiao Vs Larios - Mayon Volcano Erupted Paquiao Vs Barrera - Glorietta 2 Bombing Paquiao Vs Marquez - Rice Shortage Paquiao Vs Cotto - Maguindanao Massare

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer . ===================== (Editors note: This story appeared Thursday on the website of the Qatar-based Arab news organization Al-Jazeera) A man who says he was a witness to Monday’s massacre in the southern Philippines has told Al-Jazeera how he was ordered to kill members of a rival political clan—including women and children—and to make sure no evidence was left behind. The witness, who identified himself only as “Boy,” said he was among more than 100 armed men who held up a convoy of political campaigners and journalists before taking them to a remote mountainous area where they were then killed. Speaking to Al-Jazeera’s correspondent Marga Ortigas, “Boy” said the orders had come directly from Andal Ampatuan Jr., a local mayor and a member of a politically powerful clan with close ties to the Philippines president. “Datu Andal himself said, he said to us: Anyone from the Mangudadatu clan—women or children—should be killed … We don’t ask why, we just...

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer . ====================== MANILA, Philippines -- Now that Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. has been taken into custody, the Philippine National Police faces the daunting task of building up cases against close to 400 armed bodyguards of his father, Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. The authorities led by the military have disarmed 347 members of the Special Active Auxiliary (SCAA) of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) under the employ of the Maguindanao provincial government, and seized their government-issued firearms. ====================== Holy crap! 400 bodyguards!?! That's not a bodyguard, that's a small army!

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer . ==================== MANILA, Philippines—Energy Undersecretary Datu Zamzamin L. Ampatuan has appealed to the public to respect the due process of the law as Andal Ampatuan Jr. has voluntarily submitted himself to the government. "This is the most important thing that happened today—that Ampatuan Jr. had submitted himself to a voluntary investigation," the Energy official said via phone. His second cousin, Ampatuan Jr., has already submitted himself to presidential adviser Jesus Dureza in General Santos City Thursday. "From the understanding of the Ampatuan family, this (submission) is voluntary, just to clarify the allegations on (Ampatuan Jr.'s) participation. We're still not sure, not clear on what the Department of Justice will do. The lawyers are already discussing how they're going to handle this situation," Zamzamin Ampatuan explained. The energy official said he could not provide more details. "The most im...

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer. ==================== GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Andal Ampatuan Jr. was in denial and even tried to hide his face behind a scarf under a barrage of questions from reporters asking if he masterminded Monday’s massacre of 57 people. “There is no truth to that,” said Ampatuan, mayor of Datu Unsay town in Maguindanao, ruled by his family that is a close ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. “The reason I came out is to prove that I am not hiding and that I am not guilty.” Ampatuan was placed in government custody after his brother, Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, turned him over to Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza Thursday morning. But as Mayor Ampatuan stepped out of the helicopter that transported him from Shariff Aguak town to the airport here, the scarf was gone. He was sporting a red and blue putong, a headband usually used by Moro warriors. Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera waited two hours for...

Real or fake? Here's the video from several angles. Here's a compilation of what Dude Perfect calls "Summer Camp Edition".

You've probably seen a folding bike. But this concept bike folds down to the size of one wheel and a handle to pull the bike along with you. Currently it's a prototype. It might go into production in the near future.

Neil Young can make any song sound mournful.

The Filipino-Canadian boy who became a victim of racial discrimination in Canada for using spoon and fork while eating in school will finally have his day in court. The Quebec Human Rights Tribunal will hear the case of Luc Cagadoc on Nov. 23 and 24 against the Marguerite Bougeoys School Board and two other school staff members, according to Fo Niemi, executive director of the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations, a Montreal-based human rights advocate group. The hearing, which is open to the public, will be heard at the Quebec Human Rights Tribunal at the Montreal courthouse (Palais de Justice) at 1 Notre Dame East, Montreal. Full story at GMA News .

Here's the controversial performance of Adam Lambert on the 2009 American Music Awards. Lambert shocked viewers with his sexually suggestive dance sequence that included simulated oral sex as well as Lambert kissing his male keyboardist. If you recall, Adam Lambert was the second place finisher at last season's "American Idol. Here's the video.

A Japanese man known as "Sal9000" and Nene Anegasaki, a character in the Nintendo DS dating simulation game "Love Plus" was married last Sunday. The wedding took place during a Make: Japan meet-up held at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. In attendance were a live audience, an MC, the bride's virtual video game girlfriend — who made a speech — and a real human priest. The event was livecast on Nico Nico Douga , a popular video sharing web site. Nico Nico Douga is home to thousands of video projects by anonymous users — mashups of original art, pop music, anime, and web memes that only an insider to Japanese web geek culture can completely decipher. I guess the advantage is, if you don't want to hear your wife nag, you can just shut her off. Here's the video of the wedding. Full story at http://www.boingboing.net

Several Thankq commercials compiled by someone who's into cute Asians. You know this because the person put in the vital stats of the women in the commercials. The women are Hwang Mi Hee (황미희), Lee Ji Woo (이지우), and Gu Ji Sung (구지성).

Nice commercial by Pocky. If you don't know Pocky, it's those long thin biscuits flavored with strawberry, chocolate, etc.

How true...

Real or Photoshopped?

Efren Peñaflorida of the Philippines, who started a "pushcart classroom" in the Philippines to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership, has been named the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year. For the past 12 years, Peñaflorida and his team of teen volunteers have taught basic reading and writing to children living on the streets. Their main tool: A pushcart classroom. Stocked with books, pens, tables and chairs, his Dynamic Teen Company recreates a school setting in unconventional locations such as the cemetery and municipal trash dump. Peñaflorida knows firsthand the adversity faced by these children. Born into a poor family, he lived in a shanty near the city dump site. But he says he refused to allow his circumstances to define his future. "Instead of being discouraged, I promised myself that I would pursue education," he recalls. "I will strive hard; I will do my best." In high school, Peñaflorida faced a new set of challenges. Gang...

Kobe Bryant baby!

Manny Pacquiao even has a music video made about him!

Here's the homecoming concert of Manny Pacquiao at SM Mall of Asia called "Pitong Panalo ni Manny Pacquiao" after he defeated Cotto. The man can do no wrong.

This is how you go to a sushi restaurant and eat sushi in Japan.

I've been reading some news stories about Manny Pacquiao and one name always seems to come up lately, Krista Ranillo. So who is Krista Ranillo? Turns out she was a was the cover girl of the March 2009 issue and was chosen as the resident sex columnist of the magazine. A simple Google search came up with these photos.

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer . ================= By Raul Pangalangan THE ELECTION commissioners belong to homo sapiens, yet they are so homogeneous in their homophobia that they might think I have actually insulted them by using any word that can pass for a homonym. By the Comelec’s backward logic, anything homo can’t be good. What amazes me is the gall of Nicodemo Ferrer, Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusuph in citing the Bible and the Koran to curtail a right of political participation guaranteed by the Constitution. What was going on inside their heads? Were they brown-nosing the fundamentalist clergy of both religions? Were they pandering to the hardy machos in the gallery? Or could they actually have been serious in rejecting the gay and lesbian rights party-list group Ang Ladlad? The Constitution says it loud and clear. “The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable.” “No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights.” Yet the Comelec ci...

1. Hot dogs - Because they are high in nitrates,the Cancer Prevention Coalition advises that children eat no more than 12 hot dogs a month. If you can't live without hot dogs, buy those made without sodium nitrate. 2. Processed meats and bacon - Also high in the same sodium nitrates found in hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats raise the risk of heart disease. The saturated fat in bacon also contributes to cancer. 3. Doughnuts - Doughnuts are cancer-causing double trouble. First, they are made with white flour, sugar, and hydrogenated oils, then fried at high temperatures. Doughnuts, says Adams , may be the worst food you can possibly eat to raise your risk of cancer. 4. French fries - Like doughnuts, French fries are made with hydrogenated oils and then fried at high temperatures. They also contain cancer- causing acrylamides which occur during the frying process. They should be called cancer fries, not French fries, said Adams . 5. Chips, crackers, and cookies - All are usu...

Many food additives have been studied and linked to various diseases. Becoming informed about the additives in everyday food items can make for an easier shopping experience and healthier food for everyone. Here’s a list of some of the most medically questionable and harmful additives in everyday foods: Sodium nitrite BHA & BHT Propyl gallate Monosodium glutamate Trans fats Aspartame Acesulfame-K Food colorings (Blue, Red, Green, Yellow) Olestra Potassium bromate White sugar Sodium chloride (salt) Since some of these may not be familiar to you, sodium nitrite is a preservative added most commonly to bacon, ham, hot dogs, sandwich meats, and smoked fish. BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) are other preservatives added to foods like cereal, gum, potato chips, and vegetable oils. Propyl gallate is found in meats, chicken soup base, and gum. All of these preservatives have been linked to cancer. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) can cause migraines and other adv...

Is the rumor true that R2-D2 was in the new Star Trek movie? It turns out the rumor might be true. Someone posted a movie still from the DVD release of Star Trek. R2-D2 apparently appeared for only 1 microsecond in a battle scene. Where the photo is real or Photoshopped, I leave that up to you to decide. More details at http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/buzz-log-r2-d2-star-trek.html

Fish was fried, but it's still alive. Undercooked?

I found this awesome blog for math lovers. Lots of fun ways to use math and science. The blog was created by Kerry Cue who studied Science/Engineering at Melbourne University and taught maths and science for 10 demanding years before becoming a best selling author of 18 humorous and thought provoking books including Life On a G-String, Australia Unbuttoned, I Left My Heart in Chinkapook and my knickers in New York and her most recent book, Forgotten Wisdom. Kerry’s columns have appeared in newspapers across Australia including The Australian, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The West Australia, The Advertiser (SA), the Herald Sun(Vic), The Courier Mail (Qld) and The Canberra Times (ACT) and more. She says this about Maths Pig. "This blog is about maths. It’s about FUN maths, MEDIA maths and especially DUMB maths. Anyone can tackle these problems. You don’t have to understand squiggly, complex equations scribbled all over a black or a whiteboard. This blog simply encourages cl...

A madam opened the brothel door in Winnipeg and saw a rather dignified, well-dressed, good-looking man in his late forties or early fifties 'May I help you sir? she asked. 'I want to see Valerie,' the man replied. 'Sir, Valerie is one of our most expensive ladies. Perhaps you would prefer someone else', said the madam. 'No, I must see Valerie,' he replied. Just then, Valerie appeared and announced to the man she charged $5000 a visit. Without hesitation, the man pulled out five thousand dollars and gave it to Valerie, and they went upstairs. After an hour, the man calmly left. The next night, the man appeared again, once more demanding to see Valerie. Valerie explained that no one had ever come back two nights in a row as she was too expensive. But there were no discounts. The price was still $5000. Again, the man pulled out the money, gave it to Valerie, and they went upstairs. After an hour, he left. The following night the man was there yet ...

This is an interesting game, it's called "Where Are Your Keys". It's an open source game of high-speed language learning using sign language as a bridge to learn any spoken language. Watch. A Brief Introduction to the "Where Are Your Keys?" Fluency Game from Willem Larsen on Vimeo . Here's the website at http://whereareyourkeys.wordpress.com/ Here are some more videos about the game http://vimeo.com/7296431#embed

The economy is so bad that I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail. The economy is so bad I ordered a burger at McDonald's and the kid behind the counter asked, "Can you afford fries with that?" The economy is so bad that CEO's are now playing miniature golf. The economy is so bad if the bank returns your check marked "Insufficient Funds," you call them and ask if they meant you or them. The economy is so bad Hot Wheels and Matchbox stocks are trading higher than GM. The economy is so bad McDonald's is selling the 1/4 ouncer. The economy is so bad parents in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their children's names. The economy is so bad a truckload of Americans was caught sneaking into Mexico. The economy is so bad Motel Six won't leave the light on anymore. The economy is so bad Exxon-Mobil laid off 25 Congressmen .

Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) This is an inspirational speech by Laz Buhrmann to a graduating class of 97.

Hilarious interview of Manny Pacquiao.

Interesting way to learn about history and decline of empires made by Pedro M Cruz. He should have added the US to this. Visualizing empires decline from Pedro M Cruz on Vimeo .

It's like watching UFC in slow mo.

When the Duke of Milan is brutally murdered, Giovanni Auditore an Assassin - is dispatched to investigate the crime. His mission: determine who is responsible and why. The answers he uncovers implicate Italys most powerful families reaching all the way back to the Vatican itself. As Giovanni draws closer to the truth, he becomes hunted himself. He must expose the conspirators before he joins their ever growing list of victims This is the Prequel to the Assassins Creed 2 Story.

I find it depressing that countries like Columbia, Rio de Janeiro and Brazil comes up with new innovations almost every year that makes it better for their citizens to live in their cities such as having a better environment and alternative energy resources. While these countries move forward, the Philippines seems to be moving backward in innovation and environment. So when is the Philippines ever going to have someone who is forward looking enough to do something like this?

Saw this list of best commercials in the 2000s. List includes several from Budweiser, Nike and Levi's These are my favorites Watch the rest and vote at http://www.bestofthe2000s.com/creative1.html

Watch the video of Floyd Mayweather talking about Manny Pacquiao. So are we going to see a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.?

Here are some photos of Pacquiao vs Cotto. Photo credits Francis Malabanan and Efren Penaflorida Jr.

I'm sure by now you've all seen the fight between Pacquiao and Cotto. It was an amazing fight and this is the first time I've actually seen a fight from start to finish for Pacquiao. I thought the first round was kind of iffy for Pacquiao where he was hit by Cotto a lot. At the end of the fight though, Pacquiao said he purposely let Cotto hit him to test how hard he punches. Pacquiao is one crazy guy. First, the Philippine National Anthem by sung by La Diva. Here's the punches Manny Pacquiao took from Miguel Cotto. See those punches to Manny's body and face? He just wanted to test Cotto's punches. Of course, who can forget the 3rd round fall of Cotto. When Cotto fell on the 4th round, it was all downhill for Cotto from there. He pretty just avoided Pacquiao's punches as long as he could. Here's the post fight interview. And here's the report from GMA TV. This page requires a higher version browser For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, vi...

Here's another great ad. To promote their exhibition stand at the Franfurt Book Fair, Eichborn the publisher with the fly prepared 200 flies with an ultra light banner. The banner was attached with natural wax. After a short time the banner dropped off by itself. And the flies were not harmed. Credit: Likecool.com

Look at this great ad by the International Vegetarian Union using vegetables as your internal organs.

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer . ==================== Former socio-economic planning secretary Ralph Recto reasserted that fuel pump prices early this year were overpriced by as much as P8 per liter. Recto issued the statement Friday in response to claims by his successor, National Economic Development Authority (Neda) Director General Augusto Santos, and Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes that his claim of an overprice in fuel prices was without basis. Recto said it was the technical staff of Neda itself that had formulated the method of approximating at least a benchmark in the cost of fuel to compute the overprice to about P8 in April of this year. At the time, oil companies were charging as much as P40.85 per liter of premium plus unleaded gasoline, P39.71 per liter of premium unleaded gasoline and P39.07 per liter of unleaded gasoline, said Recto. This was about P8 more than the estimated gasoline price of P32 based on Neda computations, he said. “My contention is not without basis...

Very true.

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer . =============== The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has dismissed a petition of Ang Ladlad, a gay organization seeking congressional representation in the May elections as a party-list group, saying it “tolerates immorality.” In an eight-page resolution dated Nov. 11, the Comelec’s Second Division said Ang Ladlad’s petition “must fail” despite the group’s fulfillment of poll requirements, because the practice of homosexuality offends morals. Homosexuality is also against Christian and Muslim faiths, it said. Citing the teachings of Lehman Strauss, an American Bible teacher, the Comelec said the principles of Ang Ladlad were a threat to young Filipinos. “Should this commission grant the petition, we will be exposing our youth to an environment that does not conform to the teachings of our faith,” the resolution said. “As an agency of the government, ours too is the state’s avowed duty under Section 13, Article II of the Constitution, to protect...

Highlights from Manny Pacquiao's fight so far. Great editing!

The male club-winged manakin—a tiny bird of the Andean cloud forest—was vibrating a club-shaped wing feather against a neighboring, ridged feather to "sing" when trying to attract females. Nature is just amazing isn't it? Watch the video. How about this moonwalking bird?

First, some of us survived being born to mothers who did not have an OB-Gyne and drank San Miguel Beer while they carried us. While pregnant, they took cold or cough medicine, a te isaw, and didn't worry about diabetes. Then after all that trauma, our baby cribs were made of hard wood covered with lead-based paints, pati na yung walker natin, matigas na kahoy din at wala pang gulong. We had no soft cushy cribs that play music, no disposable diapers (lampin lang), and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, no knee pads , sometimes wala pang preno yung bisikleta. As children, we would ride in hot un-airconditioned buses with wooden seats (yung JD bus na pula), or cars with no air conditioning & no seat belts (ngayon lahat may aircon na) Riding on the back of a carabao on a breezy summer day was considered a treat. (ngayon hindi na nakakakita ng kalabaw ang mga bata). We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle purchased from 7-11 (minsan straight from the ...

Have you noticed the girl in the background? Noticed her bum? Well look at the picture carefully! If your answer is YES then go and see an OPTICIAN! What you see is the shoulder of the girl taking the picture!

How To Stay Young 1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them'. 2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. 3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever.. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's. 4. Enjoy the simple things. 5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. 6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive. 7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. 8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. 9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the ...

Mathemagician Arthur Benjamin races calculators to figure out 3 digit squares. Watch his amazing show from TED.

We've all been there but don't like to admit it... We've all kicked back in our cubicles and suddenly felt something brewing down below. As much as we try to convince ourselves otherwise, the *WORK POOP* is inevitable. For those who hate pooping at work, following is the Survival Guide for taking a dump at work. *CROP DUSTING* When farting, you walk really fast around the office so the smell is not in your area and everyone else gets a whiff, but doesn't know where it came from. Be careful when you do this. Do not stop until the full fart has been expelled. Walk an extra 30 feet to make sure the smell has left your pants. *FLY BY* The act of scouting out a bathroom before pooping. Walk in and check for other poopers. If there are others in the bathroom, leave and come back again. Be careful not to become a *FREQUENT FLYER*. People may become suspicious if they catch you constantly going into the bathroom. *ESCAPEE* A fart that slips out while taking a pee or forcing a p...

A few sample of the 60 voices of Mark M on Wowowee. Here's more.

Brilliant ad by Colgate reminds you to brush after you eat. More details at Ads of the World .

This is an amazing piece of 3D animation work. Hilarious!

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer . ================== MANILA, Philippines—Angered by a bill in the United States Congress seeking to strip the Philippines of $2 million in US military assistance due purportedly to the country’s dismal human rights record, Sen. Joker Arroyo wants the issue taken up by Filipino officials during the two-day visit to Manila this week of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “We should ask her (Clinton) directly, why is it that you’re removing the military assistance that is not even a big amount—because you say that the Philippines is a human rights violator,” Arroyo said in an interview over dzBB radio. Arroyo said America had a worse human rights record than the Philippines. “If you look at yourselves in the mirror, you will see that you are even a worse violator, because it’s a state policy sanctioned by the (US) government,” he said. Arroyo said that in the case of the Philippines, it was possible that human rights violations were being committed by...

School: A place where Papa pays and Son plays. Life Insurance: A contract that keeps you poor all your life so that you can die Rich. Nurse: A person who wakes you up to give you sleeping pills. Marriage: It's an agreement in which a man loses his bachelor degree and a woman gains her masters. Tears: The hydraulic force by which masculine willpower is defeated by feminine waterpower. Lecture: An art of transferring information from the notes of the Lecturer to the notes of the students without passing through "the minds of either" Conference: The confusion of one man multiplied by the number present. Compromise: The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece. Dictionary: A place where success comes before work. Conference Room: A place where everybody talks, nobody listens and everybody disagrees later on. Father: A banker provided by nature. Boss: Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are early. Politician:...

I wonder if this is true. ================== In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu. Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it and many died. The doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different the wife replied that she had placed anunpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy. Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser in AZ. She said that several years ago many of her employees were coming down with the flu and so were many of her customers. The next ye...