Sunday, March 30, 2008

Earth Hour

There was a scheduled of turning off the lights for Earth Hour last March 29, and I've missed it. It was schedule for 8 to 9 in the evening. That was the guy with the megaphone in our subdivision was shouting a few hours prior to the event. I thought the guy shouting was announcing that there will be a scheduled brown out/black out around our area (well.. that is how it is here in the Philippines when it comes to electricity) . And I was a little bit surprise that night there were no brownout. Not that I'm complaining that is. And then a few browsing that I came across with this video and article.
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On 29 March 2008 the Philippines will join countries around the world as we literally “turn the lights out” for Earth Hour - an event that will fuel awareness on climate change and prove that when the people of the world work together, they can make a difference in the fight against global warming.

Earth Hour will take place throughout the Philippines from 8 to 9 in the evening on Saturday night, 29 March 2008. WWF invites you to participate by shutting off lights for 60 minutes, organizing your own “lights-out” event or by forwarding this mail to your friends, workmates
and family.

Launched in Australia on the 31st of March 2007, Earth Hour moved 2.2 million people and 2100 businesses in Sydney to turn off their lights for one hour. This massive collective effort reduced the city’s energy consumption by 10.2% for one hour. With Sydney icons like the Harbour Bridge and Opera House turning their lights off and unique events such as weddings by candlelight, the world took notice.

Inspired by the collective effort of millions of Sydneysiders, many major global cities are joining Earth Hour in 2008, turning a symbolic event into a global movement.

YOUR participation will go a long way in spreading the message that we, as individual droplets working collectively – can create an impetus far more powerful than the mightiest of rivers.

For more information, log on to the WWF Earth Hour page at: www.earthhour.org.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Chikka just got better

If you are a chikka user. This is a good news.

Chikka now has a new web-based texting service without installing any additional software on your machine(except for the web browser of course). All of your existing chikka contact nos. will displayed automatically once you logged on. I had a problem at our office on logging in, because we use a proxy server pc there. But here in our house, I logged on without any problem. But from time to time, I was getting this message that I was disconnected from their network.


But since that this is very new for them, I expect this kinds of problem. Every kind of system that maybe a software or hardware always has a few bugs when it first comes out. That is why I am a little conservative kind of person when it comes to technology. I only hope that chikka wouild fix this right away.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

American Idol Review

Because of my busy busy work, I do not have any chance to watch The American Idol for a few weeks. Thank God for the internet and Thank God for YouTube, I was able to catch up. And who else I want to watch in this show? Who else than our very own kababayan Ramiele Malubay.



Ramiele singing - In My Life
In my opinion, this is one of her best performance ever. Her voice here just stunned me and I just want to fell in Love all over again. But all of that enjoyment and happiness was short lived when the judges thought that it wasn't that good, and they said it was boring. WHAT THE F@$K.. What the hell do you guys want? I totally disagree with those comments. Her song here was PERFECT from beginning to end. And the way she executes it is way beyond her past performance.



Ramiele singing - Alone
Now this one, I agree with the judges. It didn't sounded what I was expecting to hear. It sounded like an ordinary karaoke sound. The intro was ok, but the middle and ending was not really that impressive. Her voice was way louder than the background music. This is probably because that she was a little bit sick. I hope that she get better on her next performance.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Top Blogs

I just recently joined the TopBlogs web-site. It is a site which monitors and ranks Filipino bloggers. I got this idea from Gilbert's blog when I recently went there. The people behind this site is also the one is responsible for the Philippine Blog Award. I can only wish someday I will be included on their list of winners.

Thank you very much to those who quickly voted for me by clicking the TopBlogs button. I was kinda surprise that there were already a few people voted for me with only a few hours that I have installed the button. Thank you very much. And those have not yet voted... pls. vote for me.


Sunday, March 23, 2008

Weird Cartoons Today

I don't know if it is me, or is the cartoon show today are getting weirder and weirder. I was a little bit concern this past few days of holiday on my youngest daughter Catherine with an age 4. She is having fun watching these new weird cartoons that they have. When I tried to change the channel, she had her tantrum over me. Rather than having this small channel fight with her, I just simply let her be as I shake my head watching this weird cartoons.

1.) The Grim Adventure of Billy and Mandy.
How could any person have the Grim Ripper to be his best friend?
The irritating voice of Bill isn't funny at all which is driving me crazy.
Mandy is the tough little girl that never smiles, acts like a boss, think she know it all, very arrogant, no sense of humor bitch. I just wanna SMACK this character and say... "see who's though now hah".
And Grim... the most awful grim ripper that I ever seen. His dialog is boring and he is not funny. Aside from that, the scene is weird. One time Grimm dated a Gothic girl and they eat on a diner. And every body acts as if they are a normal person. Where is the logic in that. If that was to happen on real life. People will run screaming for they life once they see them coming from a mile away.



2.) Courage the cowardly dog.
At first, I thought that this would be a funny cartoon. A dog named Courage as coward ... right?
I guess not. The story line and plot of this cartoon is just darn weird. Image a grumpy old man and her wife lives on the middle of no ware with their dog. They live on a middle of a desert, with miles and miles of sand. I can only visualize a movie version of this with a real person on it with a title "The Twilight Zone".


3.) CatDog
Every time I see this cartoon, I always get an impression that the creator of this character are on DRUGS. It is clearly that they live on a different weird dimension. Not in my wildest dream that I would see such character.

Call me old fashion, call me and old guy. But these cartoons are damn weird for me. What happened to the old friendly Saturday fun machine? If these cartoons were shown to me when I was a kid, It would traumatized me and I would probably be a serial killer by now.

I know that time has change, but I think it has change for the worst and not for the better.


Thursday, March 20, 2008

Incredible Hulk



Ohhhhh yeah.. the new Incredible Hulk movie is coming this June 12. By the looks of the trailer, this will be another blockbuster. With one of my favorite actor in the world, Edward Norton as Bruce Banner. I first notice the acting prowes of Edward on the movie "The Score" with Robert De Niro. And I became a fan when he team up with Brad Pitt on the movie "Fight Club". Even as a villain in the "Italian Job" with Mark Walhberg (also one of my idol) he is still very admirable. And now, he is Bruce Banner? The Hulk.... wow, I could rip my shirt off just to watch this movie right now.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Kalayaan - Sanduguan crossover



Ok, here it is. I just could not control my self anymore when Gener Pedrina posted this "Sandata and Kalayaan" piece at DeviantArt. And yes, there will be a Kalayaan - Sanduguan crossover in an up coming issue of Kalayaan. I am still a little bit hesitant on announcing this, because it is still on a few more months in the future. I already created a plot but not yet created a script for it. I think I will be very busy creating that script this coming holiday. This crossover will probably be issue number 6. That is, if every thing goes according to plan.

But the long months is just ok, because that will create a little or no pressure to Gener. Which I thank very much for sharing the work load with me. We will actually be dividing the number of pages in this issue. It is truly a joint venture. And with that said, I would like thank Gener Pedrina again. I just could not emphasize enough how grateful I am with this person. I owe you BIG TIME.


Friday, March 14, 2008

What defines you?

What defines you?
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE By Rod Nepomuceno
Monday, March 10, 2008

Every so often, a movie comes along with a great, memorable line or bit of dialogue that eventually becomes part of pop culture. And whenever you quote the line at a party or a gathering, the people who hear it will immediately blurt out the title of the movie from whence the line came. Recently, I was giving a talk about leadership and towards the end of the session, I said, “In conclusion, I’d like to quote a very famous man who once said, ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’” The faces in the audience immediately lighted up and they all shouted in unison, “Spider-man!” I smiled and said, “Uh ... not quite. But you’re close. It was actually Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben who said it. But I’ll let you get away with it.” The audience laughed.
And then one time, I was kidding around with a client who was asking for a favor. When she asked me if I could help her out, I told her, “No problemo. You got me at hello.” My client laughed and immediately said, “Ha, ha! Jerry Maguire!” I said to her, “Well ... not really. It was actually Renee Zellweger’s character, Dorothy Boyd, who said it. But that’s okay … close enough!”
I don’t know what it is, but there is something about strong and powerful movie lines that seems to captivate all of us. I guess deep inside, we all wish we were the ones who came up with the famous quote — or that we could have that one special moment in our lives where we could actually blurt out a line for the first time (and not quote it from a movie). Personally, I sometimes wish that I proposed to my wife with powerful lines like, “You complete me” (Jerry Maguire) or “How about coffee, drinks, dinner, a movie … for as long as we both shall live?” (You’ve Got Mail), or “Yo, Adrian! I did it!” (Rocky 2). Sometimes, when giving my staff a pep talk, I wish I could come up with awe-inspiring, hair-raising lines like “Seize the day!” (Dead Poets Society), or “May the force be with you” (Star Wars), or “Do not say ‘try.’ Do … or do not. There is no try.” (Return of the Jedi). And sometimes, when someone really ticks me off, I wish I could come up with a really nice closing remark like, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn” (Gone with the Wind) or “You are nothing but a second-rate, trying-hard copycat!” (Bituing Walang Ningning).
But such is life. The best lines in the world are usually thought of — and scripted — then placed in nice political speeches, books, or movies. Rarely do quotable quotes come out of everyday talk. Like the line, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” That certainly wasn’t spontaneous. And that’s okay. Because sometimes, we are only able to absorb the greatest, most inspiring lines when we are in a listening, absorbing mode. And that normally happens when we watch movies, read books, or when we listen to speeches (well, some speeches anyway — like those of Barack Obama).
Thus, when I watch movies, I don’t care much about the digital effects and the stereo surround sound. I care about the dialogue — the lines. Recently, on my way to Oman for a business trip, I had a chance to sit back and relax and choose from a slew of movies that were available in the in-flight entertainment console (it was a long trip). I chose to watch a movie entitled Across the Universe, which is a musical inspired by Beatles songs. I love the Beatles — and Beatles music in general — so I thought I’d turn it on. It was a mushy love story — a little too mushy for my taste — but it was great because all the Beatles songs (interpreted by the characters in the film) were interwoven in such a way that they created a movie plot out of totally unrelated songs. The characters were all named after Beatles songs – Max (Maxwell’s Silver Hammer), Lucy (Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds), Prudence (Dear Prudence), Sadie (Sexy Sadie), and Jude (Hey Jude). And of course, the lyrics of the songs are so powerful. The Beatles are considered great because of their catchy tunes. But for me, their legacy is in their words. It’s their lyrics that captivate my attention. The song Across the Universe is one of my favorites because I find the lyrics so intoxicating: “Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup, they slither while they pass, they slip way across the universe / Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my open mind, possessing and caressing me / Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes, they call me on and on, across the universe / Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box, they tumble blindly as they slip away across the universe.” Sheer poetry. Inspiring lyrics are what define John Lennon’s genius. It’s hard to imagine he’s the same guy who wrote, “She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah.”
In a way, the reason I decided to watch Across the Universe was because I thought it would have some interesting dialogue. And indeed, it did. There was a portion in the movie where one of the movie’s characters, Jude, was arguing with his father regarding his decision to drop out of school and “explore the word.” Jude’s best friend, Max, was present during the argument. The dialogue went something like this:
Father: Jude, what are you going to do the rest of your life?
Jude: Why are you so obsessed with what I am going to do?
Father: Because what you do is what defines who you are!
Jude: No! Who I am defines what I do! Max, what do you think?
Max: (Pausing for a while to think) Er … umm … I think it’s not so much what you do that defines who you are, but how you do what you do.
When I heard that, I was stunned. I had to rewind the film and listen to the exchange all over again. It was, as Oprah would define it, an “aha moment.” And in this day and age of jadedness, skepticism and cynicism, having an “aha” moment should always be cherished. I was inspired.
I think there is a big nugget of wisdom that we can pick up from that exchange. Let’s face it, in this world, we are constantly defined by what we do and what we achieve from what we do. Parents often tell their kids, “Be a doctor,” “Be a lawyer,” or “Be a nurse” because “yayaman ka.” In business, when people go to cocktail parties to do a little networking, they often start their conversations with “What do you do?” or “Where are you connected?” When we introduce ourselves to someone, it’s always about what we do: “Oh, I am in advertising,” or “Oh, I’m a financial planner.” And when people talk about other people, they talk about what they’ve achieved from what they do, e.g. “That guy started with a small shop. Now he’s got 100 stores and is about to go public.” Or “Wow, that girl was just weaving bags for a hobby and selling to friends. Now she’s a brand!” Everything is focused on what we do — and all our achievements.
Yet no one talks about the “how” so much — that is, how we work, how we deal with people in the workplace, how we treat our staff, how we conduct business, how we make a profit honestly. To me, there’s something not right. There’s too much emphasis on the “what” and not much emphasis on the “how.”
I think we should change our mindset. When we size up people, we shouldn’t be too engrossed in what they are … or what they do. Rather, we should be more aware of how they do things. Because it is in knowing the “how” that we truly get to know “what” or “who” a person is.
So, when interviewing someone for a job, don’t be too focused on what the applicant’s CV says. Rather, be focused on his attitude, how he talks, how he conducts himself. In doing business with someone, check out how the person deals with other people. Is he the type who blows up all the time? Is he known to be fair? Is he reputed to be shrewd? Does he treat his people with respect and dignity? Remember, attitude is always better than aptitude. Which is another way of saying the “how” is better than the “what.”
How about you? What defines you? Think about it. And think hard. Because you know what? While “how you are” will never be on your resume, it is ultimately what people will measure you by. Because when we’re all long gone, people won’t talk about what we did. They’ll talk about how we did things — and how we were to other people.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Flashlight with a nasty surprice

Now this is a flashlight that I would like to have. Watch this video boys, and I am sure your jaws will drop. Now only if people that makes guns in Danao has a chance to see this.

Monday, March 10, 2008

American Idol

Ok, heres the deal. I have been following the American Idol latest season since the beginning of season. Just like any other viewers, I also have my favorite. And I am a little happy that my 3 favorite contestant has not been eliminated yet (as of this writing). And yes, I do not have only one, not two, but three favorite. And they are....

I like this girl so much because she is so cute, very likable personality and the best of all, a Filipina. Now, the only problem so far (in my opinion) is her song choices. For the past 2 to 3 songs that she has sung, she did not show what she is capable of. Which is to show her powerful voice. At her very first audition, she already had shown that. But as of late, she has not follow through on that. Come on Ramiele, show them what we Filipinos can do.


Now this kid has a real great voice. Plus a good looks and good personality equals super stardom. This is the rare occasion that I agree with Simon when he says the other contestant should be afraid of this guy.


This guy is a real pro. The way he sings and the way he moves on stage is like a real professional singer. He is one of the contestant that I immediately appreciated the quality of the voice. I will not be surprise if this guy wins all the way.



Saturday, March 08, 2008

Kalayaan #3 Pages

I have been busy with my office work lately that I didn't have any chance to draw. I have this little voice on the back of my head that is saying that I must step it up in order for me to finish Kalayaan #4 deadline this June.

But for the mean time, here are the preview page of Kalayaan #3 pages 6,9,10 and 11. These are still currently available at all Comics Odyssey.

Thursday, March 06, 2008

Google mail

Google just mailed me. And nope, it is not an electronic one. And as you can see from the picture above, it is an old fashioned mail. It contains the PIN of my google adsense account. My adsense account is realy not that big. In fact, its is freakin small even after 3 years of putting the ads on my blog. Well at lease google was kind enough to mail me an update.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Remembering the past


I got this scanned image from the Philippine Komiks Message Board (PKMB).

I can still remember my father buying me an issue of this every week. I was anxiously waiting at our door step for my father to get home, knowing that he has the newest issue of Funny Komiks. That was way back in the 80's when I was still in elementary. It is one of my sweetest childhood memory.

It is a shame that the kids generation today will not be able to read this. If only I still have a copies of this old (or any vintage Filipino komiks) komiks, I will scan all of them and create a digital comics that is in a .cbr file so that the generation today can still enjoy them.


Sunday, March 02, 2008

I asked, and I received.

I asked for Strength
And was given Difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for Wisdom
And was given Problems to solve.

I asked for Prosperity
And was given a Brain and Brawn to work.

I asked for Courage
And was given Danger to overcome.

I asked for Love
And was given Troubled people to help.

I asked for Favors
And was given Opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted.
I received everything I needed.