Manuel's Amazon Wishlist
Secondthoughts [ PastThoughts | rss/xml ]
11.12: FreshLook Cosmetic Contact Lenses
10.21: Samsung Galaxy S3 and Grocery List
09.30: Holly's Milk Philippines
09.08: Truly Rich Club Update
09.05: Is Your Apple iPhone Secure?
08.27: Forzudo Maca Powder
08.15: GNC Vitamins and Supplements
07.04: InstantPresenter Meetcheap Alternative
06.30: Samsung ML-2525 Toner
06.24: ViralMate Online Marketing Tool
06.23: VMobile TechnoUser Registration
05.17: Supreme Wealth Alliance and Cebuano
04.12: Truly Rich Club and the Stock Market
03.31: Better Eyesight Without Glasses - Bates Method
03.18: Ametta Place Pasig Townhouse
03.12: Elaro Nuvali House and Lot
~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, 21 November 2024 02:34 pm
If you're looking for updates similar to the year 2002 entries below, please check out Secondthoughts, or use the links above. Thanks! :-)
Apr 11, 2002
Dear Anonymous@anon.com
Feb 08, 2002
The Book of Sand: A Hypertext Puzzle introduced me to Jorge Luis Borges. Maybe I'll check out The Library of Babel and Labyrinths; Selected Stories and Other Writings.
(I can almost hear Angel breathe: "Pa-weirdo!")
Feb 07, 2002
Know what can easily turn timidity into driving confidence amidst a pack of recklessly driving taxicab drivers in Manila? Workshy (The Golden Mile).
I no longer remember how many times I've played that tape, but it is only (gasp) now that I finally bothered to know the people who formed Workshy in 1986: Michael McDermott, Kevin Kehoe and Chrysta Jones. I think my favorite song in The Golden Mile is Limbo Years.
(Found a Workshy Fanpage in Japan, and this Workshy Biography.)
Now excuse me while go I find a keyboard and oido away...
Feb 06, 2002
Mothers-in-law are quite powerful in the Philippines. Especially in the Philippines.
Once, when my Dad traveled to the States, he was asked by Customs (or someone over there) why he packed lots of winter clothing, when it was SUMMER at that time.
He just smiled and said: "In the Philippines, when your mother-in-law tells you to pack heavy coats..."
That's why I love my mom-in-law. That's why I happily run errands for her. And that's why I will never ever tell her to invest $8,000 of her money in a company my administration (if I were president) knew was going belly-up. [Oh, that's an open letter by Michael Moore to President George Bush.]
Feb 04, 2002
They posted my review of Sandra Boynton's A-to-Z online. Huwag sana magalit masyado sa akin ang ibang magulang...
Hmmm...the blogs I recently linked to are teen or high school blogs. So that's the next challenge for me. Where can I find Pinoy webloggers or online diarists who are at least college students or older? Please help me out by suggesting sites (use the form on the upper right corner). I mean, aside from:
(I've often wondered who
Tiffany was. All I previously knew was this VOICE in between classical music at dzFE 98.7, "the Master's touch." Turns out she's the love of BrownPau's life.)
Hmmm. Isn't it about time YOU put up your weblog or online diary or whatever? Well look who's talking -- I'm planning to shift away from this format to posting only articles (350 words or less). We'll see....
Feb 02, 2002
A friend of mine texted me (SMS) that today is a special day, it being 02/02/02. Well, today is special for me because I've come across quite a few Pinoy Webloggers. Or blaggers. Whatever.
For those interested, here's a historical perspective of weblogs.
Back to Pinoy webloggers... It's February so I'm not surprised to find quite a few "senti" blogs or journals out there such as Blueheaven by Ramona Ria Morales. I'm also quite inspired by those who written in Pilipino, such as Guniguni by "Kris."
Sigh. Simply cannot escape that February feeling. Check out Christine Mabini's "Boyfriend" in the 5th Issue of Ang Aming Katha: The Filipino Literary Ezine.
Jan 28, 2002
Did you know that YOU can write a poem, too?
Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life With Words
(by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge)
contains practical, step-by-step tips on how to quickly come out with a poem of your own. Sometimes, I'm tempted to introduce this to my son, but I decided to give it a try first before he easily outshines me. Cough, cough. Ahem.
Here's my attempt at one of the exercises mentioned in the book:
Yesterday, my name was Dolphin.
Today, it's burbling halcyon leaves.
Inside, my name is
nicked knuckles,
sanguine fuzz,
and ghost white scars.
In the next lifetime, it will be
sable ink,
eggshell paper,
and thinly-sliced apples.
Want to give it a try?
Click here to get more info from Amazon
or Click here to get a used copy from Half.com
Jan 07, 2002
Happy New Year and Happy Three Kings!
If you visit my friend Dindin's family web site and Dinsworld, and look at the upper-righthand corner, you'll see a pink stamped design from a Chinese Chop. It shows her name.
If you don't have one, you can get your Chinese name online.
My Chinese name (in Mandarin) is: Liu Wen Le --
(Click on each of the above characters to see the larger version.)
Those three characters, reading from left to right, are: Liu Wen Le (Liu being my surname based on the Chinese name given to me by Xavier School many years ago).
Liu refers to those whose surname is Lao -- Please don't ask me how Xavier School determined that my Filipino surname Viloria is actually "Lao" in Chinese. Wen means "literature / writing" while Le means "happiness."
If you want to learn more, here's how Chinese names are given.
Dec 27, 2001
Mathom -- There's so much stuff around the house: books unread, dustbunnies unswept, toys grayed with neglect. But my son refuses to give away some of these seemingly forgotten presents. How hobbit-like of him to keep mathoms lying around.
I'm eagerly awaiting the LOTR movie here in Manila, so I've picked up "The Hobbit" which is the prelude to "The Lord of the Rings," and am amused by the (mis)adventures of Bilbo Baggins, hobbit extraordinaire. So how'd I hear about mathoms when those were first mentioned
in The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien?
Blame it on John Bailey's June 1, 1998 entry in Wild Apples: The Journal of a Writing Man.
* * *
Attention TAHO lovers: Sago Banned by DOH. (Link via kantogirlblues) The Philippine Urban Legend Archive, however, allays sago fears in Pearl Shake Panic. Oh well. Don't believe everything you read in your email, 'kay?
* * *
Still on Philippine urban legends, is Jose Rizal the father of Adolf Hitler? Although the timing suggests that it is possible, the Pula.ph article mentions Prof. Glen Garfield Ang and a CD about Jose Rizal, the Renaissance man. It seems that it is impossible for Rizal to be Hitler's dad because Rizal was in London and not in Austria nine months before Adolf was born.
"But this is contradicted by the fact that Rizal was in London in July 1888 and remained there until September 1888. Therefore, it is completely impossible for Jose Rizal to have been the natural father of Adolf Hitler."
Perhaps they assumed that Hitler's mother was totally incapable of traveling some 1,135km from London to Austria. If you consider the chances of a particular sperm fertilizing a particular egg given the astronomical numbers, you'd probably find that "completely impossible," too. Hehehe.
* * *
Cheesedip.com -- Lia Bulaong cites Helen Highwater's "Do you love America? Do you?" and writes about how proud she is of the Filipino people.
My extremely casual interest in winning a Palanca award almost disappeared with one of Lia's wishes:
"I wish all the self-appointed giants of the literary scene who wouldn't know a good book unless it pissed in their mouths or first won a Nobel/Booker/Pulitzer, etc would read their own works objectively; I hope they realize the reason the reading public will never come to love Filipino literature in English is not so much the colonial mentality but because 95% of it so far is formulaic poorly-written pretentious sh..."
(oops, this is a family site) ;-)
Dec 19, 2001
Keeping Christmas (by Henry Van Dyke)
Funny how this stuck in Angel's mind. Comes from waaaay back (some Speech teacher at the university). I'm surprised this didn't make the email forwarding rounds. Anyway, I'm putting a link here so I remember to read this every now and then.
Dec 18, 2001
Study Finds Pregnancy Makes Dads Gain Weight
Ah... so that's why I've been gaining a few pounds here and there -- I'm pregnant! Waitaminit...
Flash fiction is alive and well on the web. That refers to stories which have a plot and contain less than 500 words (see a 78-word sample.) Who knows? You might someday win US$1,000 for your short story.
Dec 12, 2001
Why We Take Risks. -- "When it comes to evolution, survival of the fittest is only half the story. The handicap principle holds that humans make showy and sometimes dangerous displays of courage to increase their status and attract mates." (Hmmm... It's a miracle I'm still alive. Wooing my wife isn't easy, but it's quite enjoyable.)
2001-11-26 Security Note: File extensions spoofable in MSIE download dialog. -- Or in plain English: "Opening a file type previously considered safe, e.g. plain text or HTML file isn't safe with IE."
Dec 07, 2001
Monkey Business On Cellphones
It's not what you think. Learn why gossiping via text messages is considered ape-like behavior. Maybe that's why I go bananas over Angel...
I remember when Angel first told her close friend about me. That woman astutely observed that I was very much attracted to Angel. Well, you know what they say: When It Comes To Romance, Listen To Your Friends. Now if only male friends were just as accurate...
Dec 06, 2001
Wow. The Secret of E-2-Door.com's Online Success - P20,000 (US$363 or 50%) price difference for a digital camera? Drool, drool.
Nov 26, 2001
Do you have the WORM_BADTRANS.B virus or worm? If you use Outlook and Internet Explorer, check this out.
Nov 23, 2001
I intend to live forever. So far, so good.
If you found that funny, you might want to check out some more Steven Wright quotes.
Had merienda with some friends in IT. Turns out one of them is taking care of cichlids. No, those have nothing to do with sore eyes. Maybe Adi would like to have some indoor pets. Who knows? He might even learn a few parenting tips from these creatures, some of which are called tilapia in the Philippines...
The Nida Blanca case has grown increasingly bizarre. You know what they say: "Onli in da Pilipins..." Oh well.
Nov 21, 2001
I'm starting to have a hard time trusting someone... Why subject yourself to repeated hurts? And then when people explain, you simply reject them and wallow in your own hurt? Then again, some people like to wallow in pain. Sigh.
Nov 20, 2001
Been attending too many funerals and burials lately. Some have voiced their regret over not telling someone how much they loved them... while they were still alive. But then, when you think of it, some adults feel extremely queasy when it comes to verbal affirmations. But let's turn the tables...
Can you tell others how much you care for them while YOU'RE still alive? Do you ever wonder if those who have gone ahead regret that they did not speak out while THEY were still alive?
It's difficult, isn't it? Sure, you can write if you don't want to speak out. But handing the letter or mailing it won't change the fact that in a few days you'll see each other and feel... uncomfortable.
Well, an enterprising group has thought of the perfect solution for the verbally shy: Timeless Mail, delivery with a twist.
Nov 19, 2001
Fly Me To Polaris and hand me a hanky, too. Sniff. Never thought that a simple plot could coax all those emotions. Blame it on the convincing acting of Cecilia Cheung (some photos), and the quaint montage effects done by Director Jingle Ma Chor-sing. Here's a quick plot. If you don't like soggy popcorn, don't hold the bucket while you watch this DVD.
English site - Cecilia Cheung
Nov 16, 2001
Dazzling Leonid Meteor Storm: If I'm still awake between 1:00 and 3:30 in the early morning hours of Monday, Nov 19, I'll go out and video the meteor showers using a Pencam 2 here in Manila. Wish me luck!
Nov 14, 2001
Tito Faustino (b. Sept 26, 1912) passed away this evening at around 10:45 -- I'll miss his cigar, bellowing laugh, and sharp wit.
Nov 13, 2001
Woman Gets Pregnant Twice... At The Same Time. Hah! Maybe there's a reason why "drives" wane during pregnancy. Some call that reason a fear of superfecundation, which is the ability to ovulate even while pregnant.
Nov 8, 2001
Liar, Liar, Keyboard on Fire!
I was furiously typing away at the keyboard when my five-year old son Adi asked me to help him ride his scooter.
Me : In a ten minutes...
Adi : (12 minutes later) Can we play now, Daddy? Help me ride my scooter?
Me : Uh... in two minutes, ok?
Adi: Okay... 10 minutes is too long. Two minutes is better.
(After another 5 minutes)
Adi : Daddy, do you know what a liar is?
Me : (Ulp) Uh... a person who does not tell the truth?
Adi : Nope. It's someone with a long nose. (Grins)
Me : Okay. Uh, where's your scooter?
Adi : Right here, Daddy! (Grins like a politician)
What happens when you add water to a solution? Does it become diluted or more concentrated? You REALLY sure about your answer? Call a friend or ask the homeopathic audience.
How Did United Flight 93 Crash? Was it a case of heroic travelers? Or something/someone else? Creepy.
NY Times: Cambridge Students Find Way to Hack Into Banks. Yipes... is anyone safe anymore?
Aug 24, 2001
Philippine politics is fun, but some senators are not alone when it comes to mangling the english language. The last time I looked, there were 47 web pages that contained the word propesterous. 'Course, Google takes a subtle dig with "Did you mean..." Hehe.
Aug 17, 2001
Cruithne: Earth's Temporary Moon.
Scientists discover another solar system similar to ours.
Are you tired of pop-up windows? Try Pop-up Stopper (for IE users) and Popup Killer ("the original and most powerful popups-destroying machine ever created")
Aug 16, 2001
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Before you start reviewing trivia and science books like crazy, you'd better be sure of your information. It seems that some of the laws of physics may have already changed.
Aug 14, 2001
Should I trust you? You read a small snippet of something in the past. You don't realize the context nor the circumstances, and then you jump in and judge me. Without asking for my side, without hearing me out. Thank you, ha?
Some people hurt themselves. And then, when they start hurting, they turn their focus outward and hurt others. What's the saying again? "Hurt people hurt people."
Aug 01, 2001
Whatta guy -- he's fighting cancer, he's 30 years old, and he's won the Tour de France. For the third time. Everyone, meet Lance Armstrong. Too bad we no longer have the Tour of Luzon. (Is this true?)
July 30, 2001
Wow, the powers of sms texting and TV. Perhaps one day, people won't have to madly rush home to catch the latest telenovela; they'll just rely on their cellphones. Then again, Pinoys tend to be very visual...
July 18, 2001
I'm reading this free ebook entitled Millennium Babies by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Remember all the hoopla about those babies born at the turn of the Millennium? Well, what if being a millennium baby--or NOT being one--actually affected your relationship with your mom?
Naturally, people will find that topic intriguing, so I decided to try the free ebook. Click here to give it a try today! :-)
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