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A whole year has passed...and here we are on the eve of a new one.

Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous 2010, full of love and blessings.

Took delivery of a new small city car less than two weeks ago. It's a silver Hyundai i10 5-door hatchback with a 1.2 DOHC 16 valve engine and a 5-speed manual transmission. It's not going to win any drag races, and the looks may take a little getting used to, but it's cheap, easy to drive and park, reasonably comfortable, and most importantly, frugal on gas, a big deal nowadays given the rising cost of oil and concerns regarding global warming.

Specifications:

Variant: 2009 1.2 GLS M/T
Type: Front engine, front wheel drive, 5-door hatchback
Engine: Hyundai Kappa, Inline-4, gasoline powered
Displacement: 1197 cc
Valvetrain: DOHC, 16-Valve
Fuel induction: Multipoint fuel injection
Bore x Stroke: 71×75.6mm
Compression ratio: 10.5:1
Power: 74.9 ps@6000 rpm (local spec)
Torque: 11.8 kg-m@4000 rpm (local spec)
Power-to-weight ratio: 84.6 ps/ton/11.8 kg/hp/25.9 lbs/hp
Rated Fuel Economy: 5.0l/100km/47 mpg
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Dimensions: 3565mm x 1595mm x 1540mm
Wheelbase: 2380mm
Curb weight : 885 kg
Coefficient of drag: 0.32
Front Suspension: Independent, MacPherson struts, gas shock absorbers, stabilizer bar
Rear Suspension: Coupled Torsion Beam Axle, gas shock absorbers
Brakes: 9.2" ventilated front discs/9" rear drums/7" brake booster
Wheels: 14"x5"
Tires: 165/60R14
SRP: P538,000.00
Warranty: 5 years/100,000 km

Links:

The Hyundai i10 City Car
Review: Hyundai i10 1.1 AT
Do it the ‘i’ way

The message goes:

As you know, we have plenty of Koreans currently studying in the Philippines to take advantage of our cheaper tuition fees and learn English at the same time.

This is an essay written by a Korean student I want to share with you. (Never mind the grammar; it's the CONTENT that counts) Maybe it is timely to think about this in the midst of all the confusion at present.

MY SHORT ESSAY ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES
Jae Youn Kim

Filipinos always complain about the corruption in the Philippines . Do you really think the corruption is the problem of the Philippines? I do not think so. I strongly believe that the problem is the lack of love for the Philippines.

Let me first talk about my country, Korea. It might help you understand my point. After the Korean War, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. Koreans had to start from scratch because entire country was destroyed after the Korean War, and we had no natural resources.

Koreans used to talk about the Philippines, for Filipinos were very rich in Asia We envy Filipinos. Koreans really wanted to be well off like Filipinos. Many Koreans died of famine. My father & brother also died because of famine. Korean government was very corrupt and is still very corrupt beyond your imagination, but Korea was able to develop dramatically because Koreans really did their best for the common good with their heart burning with patriotism.

Koreans did not work just for themselves but also for their neighborhood and country. Education inspired young men with the spirit of patriotism.

40 years ago, President Park took over the government to reform Korea. He tried to borrow money from other countries, but it was not possible to get a loan and attract a foreign investment because the economic situation of South Korea was so bad. Korea had only three factories. So, President Park sent many mine workers and nurses to Germany so that they could send money to Korea to build a factory. They had to go through horrible experience.

In 1964, President Park visited Germany to borrow money. Hundred of Koreans in Germany came to the airport to welcome him and cried there as they saw the President Park...They asked to him, "President, when can we be well off?" That was the only question everyone asked to him. President Park cried with them and promised them that Korea would be well off if everyone works hard for Korea , and the President of Germany got the strong impression on them and lent money to Korea . So, President Park was able to build many factories in Korea. He always asked Koreans to love their country from their heart.

Many Korean scientists and engineers in the USA came back to Korea to help developing country because they wanted their country to be well off. Though they received very small salary, they did their best for Korea. They always hoped that their children would live in well off country.

My parents always brought me to the places where poor and physically handicapped people live.. They wanted me to understand their life and help them...I also worked for Catholic Church when I was in the army...The only thing I learned from Catholic Church was that we have to love our neighborhood. And, I have loved my neighborhood. Have you cried for the Philippines? I have cried for my country several times. I also cried for the Philippines because of so many poor people. I have been to the New Bilibid prison. What made me sad in the prison were the prisoners who do not have any love for their country. They go to mass and work for Church...They pray everyday.

However, they do not love the Philippines. I talked to two prisoners at the maximum-security compound, and both of them said that they would leave the Philippines right after they are released from the prison. They said that they would start a new life in other countries and never come back to the Philippines.

Many Koreans have a great love for Korea so that we were able to share our wealth with our neighborhood. The owners of factory and company were distributed their profit to their employees fairly so that employees could buy what they needed and saved money for the future and their children.

When I was in Korea, I had a very strong faith and wanted to be a priest. However, when I came to the Philippines, I completely lost my faith. I was very confused when I saw many unbelievable situations in the Philippines. Street kids always make me sad, and I see them everyday. The Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia , but there are too many poor people here. People go to church every Sunday to pray, but nothing has been changed.

My parents came to the Philippines last week and saw this situation. They told me that Korea was much poorer than the present Philippines when they were young...They are so sorry that there are so many beggars and street kids. When we went to Pagsanjan, I forced my parents to take a boat because it would fun. However, they were not happy after taking a boat. They said that they would not take the boat again because they were sympathized the boatmen, for the boatmen were very poor and had a small frame. Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed it. But, my parents did not enjoy it because of love for them.

My mother who has been working for Catholic Church since I was very young told me that if we just go to mass without changing ourselves, we are not Catholic indeed. Faith should come with action. She added that I have to love Filipinos and do good things for them because all of us are same and have received a great love from God. I want Filipinos to love their neighborhood and country as much as they love God so that the Philippines will be well off.

I am sure that love is the keyword, which Filipinos should remember...We cannot change the sinful structure at once. It should start from person. Love must start in everybody, in a small scale and have to grow. A lot of things happen if we open up to love. Let's put away our prejudices and look at our worries with our new eyes.

I discover that every person is worthy to be loved. Trust in love, because it makes changes possible. Love changes you and me. It changes people, contexts and relationships. It changes the world. Please love your neighborhood and country.

Jesus Christ said that whatever we do to others we do to Him. In the Philippines , there is God for people who are abused and abandoned. There is God who is crying for love. If you have a child, teach them how to love the Philippines. Teach them why they have to love their neighborhood and country...You already know that God also will be very happy if you love others.

That's all I really want to ask you Filipinos.

An 85-year-old man was requested by his doctor for a sperm count as part of his physical exam.

The doctor gave the man a jar and said, 'Take this jar home and bring back a semen sample tomorrow.'

The next day the 85-year-old man reappeared at the doctor's office and gave him the jar, which was as clean and empty as on the previous day.

The doctor asked what happened and the man explained,'Well, doc, it's like this. First I tried with my right hand, but nothing. Then I tried with my left hand, but still nothing.

'Then I asked my wife for help. She tried with her right hand, then with her left, still nothing. She tried with her mouth, first with the teeth in, then with her teeth out, still nothing.

'We even called up Arleen, the lady next door and she tried too, first with both hands, then an armpit, and she even tried squeezin' it between her knees, but still nothing.'

The doctor was shocked! 'You asked your neighbor?'

The old man replied, 'Yep, none of us could get the jar open.'

Found this in my inbox. I don't have any personal knowledge regarding the events described, so I can't vouch for its truthfulness. but I really wouldn't be surprised if this e-mail is indeed genuine, as it reflects the sentiments of many following the tragic events of two weeks ago.

HOW FRUSTRATING TO HAVE A GOVERNMENT THAT IS UTTERLY USELESS!

Very heroic.

Yesterday, at the height of the floods, my sister's husband Rey whose family lives at Provident Village in Marikina, got a call from his brother. They were already at the roof of their 2-storey house -- his brother, his wife, 2 kids, his sister, and their 85-year old dad who just got out of the hospital last week.

Not wanting to rely on our USELESS government to rescue them, Rey went to Makati and scoured the stores for a motorized boat that he can buy. At around 6 p.m., he finally found a store at Reposo Street selling a 6-seater motorized boat for over 100k. But since water at Reposo was lagpas-tao, he persuaded the store owner to just ride the boat and bring it to Greenbelt where he was.

Immediately after, Rey put the boat on his pick-up and drove as far as he could en route to Marikina. The nearest dry land was the Sta. Clara Church which was still way too far from Provident. Suffice it to say that for somebody who was maneuvering a motor boat for the first time in his life, Rey arrived Provident at 12:30 a.m. When he entered the village, everyone was screaming thinking that it was already the government's rescue team.

REY WAS THE FIRST TO BRAVE PROVIDENT ON A MOTORIZED BOAT with just SHEER WILL steering him. Meanwhile, our USELESS GOVERNMENT was holding a press conference announcing their relief operations as they kept on saying that they could not get into Provident just yet to save people hanging on to their dear lives on top of their roofs because the currents were too strong for them!! HELLO!!! Please tell me why they can't and my private citizen brother in law who does not even know how to drive a boat before he purchased it could???

Rey had to turn a deaf ear to people screaming for help as he entered their village because he had his family, especially his 85-year old dad in mind. The waters were too high that he was actually holding on to the Meralco wires! He was shouting for his brother's name as he could not even locate where their house was amidst the sea of mudwater. When he finally found them, he had to hold back from breaking down as he saw his dad at the apex of their roof holding to a string of blankets just so he will not get swept by the currents! He "parked" his boat on their roof gutter and first loaded his dad and 8-year old nephew who by that time was already chilling from the cold. They have been atop the roof since 1 p.m. with wet clothes on and no food or water to even drink.

It took Rey 2 hours to navigate back to Sta. Clara church to drop off his dad and nephew, came back for his sister in law and another nephew. It was 3 a.m. by the time Rey reached Sta. Clara church again, with his sister in law and nephew, before making a final trip to get his sister. By this time, media were there and NDCC people assisting his sister-in-law to get off the boat. GIDO TEODORO had the gall to tell media that government rescue operations are now on-going, alluding to the footage of my brother in law rescuing his family!!! And these stupid NDCC people were even asking Rey's sister in law to remove her life jacket and return to them! Hello, everything was theirs, from the boat, to the life jackets, to the sheer will and determination to keep their family alive!!!

He wanted to keep coming back to save his other neighbors but his tired body could not anymore. So he decided to take a rest at his sister's house at Valle Verde till around 9 a.m. today. Then they went back only to find how cars were piled up like matchboxes. His brother's Patrol, Camry, and Galant were supposed to be safely parked at the village main avenue as historically this was the highest point of the village. Sadly, the cars were nowhere to be found, washed away like toy cars... but what was even worse was seeing bodies already floating around, including the body of a 3-month old baby stuck in a car windshield!

As it was too devastating a sight for them to take already, they decided to just lend the boat to for others to use to save more lives.

Meanwhile, we see our government making all these excuses why they cannot save people faster... Meanwhile we hear of Devil Gloria Arroyo spending the PHP 800 m emergency contingecy fund to finance her recent foreign trips... Meanwhile we hear of Mikey Arroyo shamelessly admitting how his net worth ballooned within the few years that his family have been in power! SUCH SHAMELESS GREED!!!

I love the Philippines and I do wish for a better Philippines for my children's sake. But during times like these it makes you wish that you were living in another country where you dial 911 and help will be forthcoming.

Rey had the presence of mind, sheer will, and financial resources to buy a boat on the spot and put matters into his own hands. But what if it were the other way around and he had to wait for our USELESS GOVERNMENT to rescue his dad? We only shudder at the thought of what would have happened to his family, especially Lolo Manny, if and when rescue finally comes --which for many less fortunate souls, until now have not come!

O God, Who knowest us to be set in the midst of such great perils, that, by reason of the weakness of our nature, we cannot stand upright, grant us such health of mind and body, that those evils which we suffer for our sins we may overcome through Thine assistance. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

- for those who have suffered loss at the hands of tropical storm Ondoy.

Lord, let this feast of my birth be a reminder to me of all the gifts and blessings I have received from You this day and all the days of my life. On my day of celebration, I thank you for my life and all of my blessings and ask for another year filled with Your presence in my life that I may continue to grow in your love.

Gracious God, I thank You for enabling me to celebrate my birthday. Lord You have been good to me all these years and I thank You for all the blessings I have recieved but especially for life itself.

Creator God, I do not know what lies ahead for me this year. Yet I know that You are holding my future in Your hand. Let my ways be pleasing to you. As You have promised, be with me, Lord. Grid me with Your strength and grace so that I can live for Your light. Enable me to draw closer to You that I may walk in your peace and be the creative and loving person that you intend for me to be. I ask this and all things in the sure and certain knowledge of your love for me and for all your people. Amen.

Just a repost. You never know who might notice.

Anyone here interested in purchasing a plot of commercial land located along Commonwealth Ave. in Quezon City? It's my father's property, and it has a lot area of 2,844 sqm., with a number of residential improvements. The frontage is a bit on the small side, at 14 m., but it directly faces Commonwealth Ave.

The lot has been on the market for quite a while, but since the real estate market has been down for some time now...well you know how it is.

Just in case you're interested, or know someone who is, please feel free to leave a comment or to email me at ronallandottk@yahoo.com. To cut the hassle, would prefer to deal with direct buyers only. Sometimes it can be quite hard dealing with a multitude of brokers and middlemen...you know how that is too. :-)

You can also call 9315575 if you have any inquiries.

Siteplan of the property.


Aerial view. The road at the top of the photo is Commonwealth Avenue.


Here's a tighter aerial shot. The improvements are clearly visible from this distance.

And just in case you're wondering, no, I didn't hire an airplane or a helicopter. Used Google Earth instead. :-)

Hi everyone. I'm currently in the middle of something, so I may not be able to post updates as often as I would like to.

My thanks to those who persist in visiting, even though I haven't come up with anything new in quite a while now.

I'll still post from time to time though. Regular updates will resume in a few months or so, once I'm done with what I'm doing.

Until then, or at least until the next update, take care. :-)

Notice anything?


I've always enjoyed having a nice bowl of soup while inside a restroom. And in case you're wondering, "Albatross" is a deodorizer. We don't actually keep seagulls in restrooms. :-)

These Philippine govt. officials !

The stories below probably explain why the Philippine government is in the shape that it's in now !!!

In case you haven't read this, it is too good not to be passed on to all. Enjoy !!!

A friend has been a Travel Agent for 30 Years. She says her 30 years of taking reservation requests from government officials explains why we are all in trouble.

Here's a few choice reservation questions from these bright people:

1) Senator Tessie Oreta asked for an aisle seat so that her hair wouldn't get messed up by being near the window.

2) I got a call from ex-Mayor Joey Marquez, who wanted to go to Capetown. Explaining the length of the flight and passport information, he interrupted me with, 'I'm not trying to make you look stupid, but Capetown is in Massachusetts. ' Without trying to make him look like the stupid one, I calmly explained, ' Cape Cod is in Massachusetts, Capetown is in Africa .' His response.... (click).

3) Congressman Mark Lapid called, furious about a Florida package we did for him and tv star Kris Aquino. I asked what was wrong with the vacation in Orlando . He said he was expecting an ocean-view room. I tried to explain that was not possible since Orlando is in the middle of the state. He replied, 'Don't lie to me. I looked on the map and Florida is a very thin state!' (so he expected to see the ocean on both sides of the hotel !)

4) Sen. Ralph Recto's wife (actress Vilma Santos) asked, 'Is it possible to see England from Canada ?' I said, 'No.' She said, 'But they look so close on the map.'

5) Senator Lito Lapid asked if he could rent a car in Dallas . I noticed he had only an hour lay-over in Dallas . When asked why he wanted to rent a car, he said, 'I heard Dallas was a big airport, and we will need a car to drive between the gates to save time.'

6) Senator Jinggoy Estrada (son of Erap) called last week. He needed to know how it was possible that his flight from Detroit left at 8:20 a.m. and got into Chicago at 8:33 a.m. I tried to explain that Michigan was an hour ahead of Illinois, but he could not understand the concept of time zones. Finally, I told him the plane went very fast, and he bought that !

7) Congressman Ronaldo Zamora asked, 'Do airlines put your physical description on your bag so they know whose luggage belongs to whom?' I said, 'No, why do you ask?' He replied, 'Well, when I checked in with the airline, they put a tag on my luggage that said FAT, and I'm overweight. I think that is very rude!' I looked into it and explained the city code for Fresno, California is (FAT), and the airline was just putting a destination tag on his luggage.

8) Former presidential candidate, now tv star Eddie Gil inquired about a trip package to Hawaii .. After going over all the cost info, he asked, 'Would it be cheaper to fly to California and take the train to Hawaii?'

9) I just got off the phone with Senator Bong Revilla who asked, 'How do I know which plane to get on?' I asked him what exactly he meant, to which he replied, 'I was told my flight number is 823, but none of these darn planes have numbers on them.'

10) VP Noli De Castro asked, 'I need to fly to Pepsi-Cola, FL. Do I have to get on one of those twin engine planes?' I asked if he meant to fly to Pensacola , FL on a commuter plane. He said, 'Yeah, whatever!'

11) Congressman Dilangalen called and had a question about the documents needed to fly to China . I reminded him he needed a visa. 'Oh, no I don't. I've been to China many times and never had to have one of those.' I double checked and sure enough, his stay required a visa. When I told him this, he said, 'Look, I've been to China four times and everytime they accepted my American Express !'

12) Senator Miriam Defensor called to make reservations, 'I want to go from Chicago to Rhino, New York .' The agent said, 'Are you sure that's the name of the town?' 'Yes, what flights do you have?' replied the lady. After some searching, the agent came back with, 'I'm sorry, ma'am, I've looked up every airport code in the country and can't find a Rhino anywhere.' The lady retorted, 'Oh, don't be silly ! Everyone knows where it is. Check your map!' The agent scoured a map of the state of New York and finally offered, 'You don't mean Buffalo , do you?' 'That's it ! I knew it was a big animal,' she said.

Now you know why the Philippine Government is in the shape that it's in now.'

No wonder we are in a mess !

MABUHAY ANG PILIPINAS !!!

From my inbox. Too amusing not to share. :-)

First and foremost, I admit it. I am a fan of Manny Pacquiao the boxer. Whatever you say, Pacquiao has to be the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world today, and he has proved it many times over, the last time via a scintillating victory over the Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya.

But I have never been a fan of Manny Pacquiao the person. Take away the impressive boxing skills, the millions of dollars/pesos of winnings/endorsements/earnings, and you don't really get much left.

I wasn't really surprised when I heard the news that Pacquiao jumped shipped over to ABS-CBN with regard to the rights to air his succeeding fights, starting with the match with Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton scheduled to take place this May 2.

For one, he has never really struck me as a man of his word.

It doesn't seem to bother him that he has an existing contract with Solar Sports lasting until May 2011. He also has an exclusive contract with GMA, which, in essence, prohibits him from appearing on other networks. Despite this, he has jumped ship to GMA's main rival, ABS-CBN.

This really isn't the first time that Pacquiao exhibited a seeming inability to live up to his commitments. A couple of years ago he signed contracts with two promoters, Bob Arum's Top Rank Promotions and Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, leading to a tug-of-war of sorts between the two promotional outfits.

What is it with this person anyway? He signs contracts, accepts huge sums of money, then turns his back on his commitments.

According to the grapevine, he opted out of Solar Sports because it failed to pay him P60M in fees accruing from his last fight with Oscar De La Hoya on time. It was also reported that he wanted ABS-CBN to cover his congressional run in 2010 because allegedly "ABS-CBN has a better signal in Sarangani". Even if true, it doesn't seem to justify entering into a contract with another entity when he still has a valid and subsisting contract with another for what amounts to be the same subject. He should first terminate his prior contracts before entering into another. If there was a breach and he felt aggrieved, he should have given notice first to the other party.

And now he (and ABS-CBN) are facing a P150M lawsuit from Solar Sports. A pittance perhaps, compared to the totality of his earnings, but it doesn't really speak well of his integrity.

Frankly, I don't really give a damn which network airs his fights. Regardless of whichever network airs his fights, I would have known the outcome hours before via the internet because local airings tend to be extremely delayed and filled to the brim with tons of commercials. Pacquiao could win via first round knockout and you would only be able to watch it several hours later due to the huge volume of advertising.

Secondly, I don't really care to watch Pacquiao if he's not wearing trunks and boxing gloves and beating up some hapless Mexican or other. So what if he appears on this show or that show? Pacquiao was never an actor to begin with, cashing in only on his fame to appear on primetime television.

But I grew up knowing and believing that a man's word was his bond. If you say something, mean it. If you promise to do something, do it. It's simply of matter of honor. I guess it's different with him.

I never really liked the way he turned his victories, which should be a matter of national pride, into political sideshows by snubbing victory parades and parties hosted and organized by the City of Manila in favor of events organized by the current Mayor's former political rival who is now the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Yes, I understand that utang na loob or gratitude has something to do with it, but to alienate what amounts to be an entire city, the nation's capital at that, to let himself be used as a political tool just because of politics is something which escapes my comprehension.

I have also never liked it when people think they can do anything simply because they're rich or famous. Like when he decided to record an album, or run for Congress, or delay a flight just because he's a VIP.

And now, he's bent on winning a seat in Congress in 2010. What gave him the idea that he would be a good legislator? Does he really believe he has what it takes to author laws or engage in debates? If he really wanted to help people, why not run for Mayor or any other local office instead?

I'm inclined to think that there are only two reasons why the ruling party bothered to recruit him at all...his money, and his fame.

Whether he runs for Congress or City Hall or whatever, Pacquiao has shown to us that 1) He doesn't know how to keep his word; and 2) He's always out looking for a better deal. These are the two traits that I really don't want to see in any politician. Ironically, it may also be these two traits that make him a shoo-in for whatever post he chooses to run for.

Just some friendly advice, though I doubt it if he needs it. He can't box forever. And money doesn't last forever either. At the end of the day, what will matter most is how he is as a person. And so far, he isn't looking all that great.

I still hope he wins against Hatton though. Despite everything, this country can still use a hero. As a boxer, he certainly deserves our adulation. As anything else...well, that's up to you.

Found this in my inbox. I can't vouch for it's veracity, but it makes for an interesting read. To be honest, while some claims are at the very least plausible, I sincerely doubt it if the World Bank would actually be going around sending anonymous emails. :-)

THIS IS VERY HUMILIATING STORY.............. I DONT KNOW HOW TO BELIEVE BUT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTRY.

To All Filipino Overseas Workers (OFWs):

The Financial Analyst of World Bank would like to inform each and everyone of you that the present currency exchange rate of US Dollar to Peso is actually $1 = 52 pesos. Your government is manipulating the exchange rate for some years now. It is very much improbable and impossible that the Philippine Peso is appreciating compare to Euro, British Pound, Rials, and any other foreign currency. Even your ASEAN neighboring countries are suffering from the Global Crisis. Singapore , a developed country is affected by depreciation of their currency what more of your country?

We admire you for your hard work but we also pity you for having such a very corrupt government that is taking advantage of your hard earned money. The ARROYO ADMINISTRATION is blatantly milking each and every OFWs all over the world of billions of pesos for its own greedy, selfish ends. Investigations reveal that this milked money from OFWs will be spent to BRIBE not only PGMA's pet COCODILES in CONGRESS but some in the SENATE as well for her to PERPETUATE IN POWER BEYOND 2010. The rest would be deposited to the family's SECRET ACCOUNT in Switzerland . Another money-making scheme is the LOTTERY DRAWS. Filipinos should be aware that all LOTTO DRAWS are orchestrated, and big money goes to the two sons of the lady president. Recent example is the SUPER LOTTO 6/49 draw, where supposedly two individuals from Luzon won. Do you know WHO these individuals are? It's Mikey and Datu, who else? One might ask how could the draw be rigged when it is being televised in front of millions of viewers. The answer is simple. As you all know, all bet combinations are being entered into PCSO's main data base as it is on-line, therefore, it is easy to determine which combinations were NOT betted upon. If they want to raise big money, no winners will be declared until the JACKPOT reaches sky-high because they could dictate the outcome at will. When it's "HARVEST TIME", viola, there would be "winner or winners" and the process repeats all over again. One might ask how this is being done. One insider told our investigators that actually the "DRAWN BALLS", six balls to be exact, are the only set which could fit into the transparent tube which sucks the balls up. All others are slightly bigger than the diameter of the tube which could not be distinguished by the viewers, therefore, there's no way they could be drawn!

You Filipinos are being skinned alive, fried in your own fat and lard by your own government. Do you ever wonder why president-elect BARACK OBAMA, avoids your president like a stinking leper?

-World Bank

I first read this article two days ago in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Let's just say I was appalled and amused by what I read.

Here are some excerpts:

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is challenging computer hackers to take a crack at the software that will be used in the 2010 elections to prove that the system is secure from fraud and tampering.

The system isn't even in place with the bidding still in its early stages, yet the COMELEC is already arrogant enough to claim that their system is "hack-proof". I've got news for them. There is no system that is "hack-proof".

The list of high-profile institutions which have been hacked in the past include the CIA, the FBI, NASA, the FAA, and various other foreign utilities, even a travel site used by U.S. government agencies. Indian government sites have been subject to cyber-vandalism as well. It probably goes without saying that these entities are in all likelihood light-years ahead of our own COMELEC in using and securing information technology, and yet they have been victimized by hackers.

Is the COMELEC really that IT-savvy that it is cocky enough to think that its system (that's not even in place yet) is really impervious to intrusions? I don't think so. And yet they are goading hackers to try and break into it. If it were a private system I really wouldn't care, but it's a system for what amounts to be the entire electoral system of the country. It is not far fetched to think that some unscrupulous hacker, possibly someone from somewhere outside this country, will take up the challenge "just for kicks" and for the right to brag in cyberspace that he or she has brought down the electoral system of some third world country. Hell I would. Of course, I have scruples.

“By the time a hacker gets into our system, the election is over,” Comelec Executive Director Jose Tolentino boldly declared Monday in a press briefing.

Manipulating election results is not the only reason to hack into the COMELEC's election system. It's possible you can obtain confidential voter information, identify the candidates a voter voted for, or get election results ahead of everyone else. This information could conceivably be valuable for some. And even if the elections were over, manipulating the election results, even if detected, could erode whatever confidence the public may have in their system, thus lowering the credibility of the electoral process as a whole, assuming of course, that there's at least some credibility to begin with.

Programmers and the general public can also scrutinize the source code of the company that will bag the P11.3-billion automation contract for the 2010 national elections.

The source code refers to the set of programs that carries the system’s instructions.

“The winning bidder’s software, the source code, will be open to inspection by the public,” Tolentino told reporters.

“They can look at it line by line to ensure that there is no malicious program inside,” he said.

If I were a hacker dead-set on breaking in the COMELEC's election system, viewing the source code would actually be a bonanza because it will give me an opportunity of identifying weaknesses and vulnerabilities in the system. Frankly, I think it's a bad idea to open the source code to the general public. If they want to prove that the program doesn't have any malicious code, they should just have it examined and certified by a reputable third-party software firm, a non-governmental agency, or an international body. A non-disclosure agreement should be standard, regardless of whichever entity examines the program.

The Comelec will also open the system and the machines to “ethical hackers” or IT experts who would be allowed by the agency to test the system.

“Then there are those who might try to hack the system without telling us. That’s OK. We are open to that,” he said.

It seems to me that they want the automated election system to fail this early on. Hardly any effort seems to be exerted in maintaining the security and confidentiality of the system. If you want the system tested for weaknesses and vulnerabilities, give the job to firms qualified to do so and make them sign non-disclosure agreements as well.

Doubting the Comelec’s readiness to fully automate by May 2010, former Comelec Chair Christian Monsod earlier warned that “software specialists” would now take on the dirty job previously carried out manually by unscrupulous poll personnel and political operatives.

I agree. The COMELEC is even giving these "software specialists" the heads up by showing them the in and outs of the system this early in the game.

For added security, the source code of the chosen system will be stored “in escrow” at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), he added.

Frankly, what would be the point, after you have disclosed the source code line-by-line to the public? Well, at least no one gets to tamper with it. Then again, you really don't have to have physical access to the source code to tamper with the system if you're really bent on modifying it.

The Comelec will release the TOR documents, priced at $20,000 per set, on March 18.

It's amusing that the COMELEC is 100% confident with success of the election system, when basically all they have to show for is a set of specifications (the TOR, or Terms of Reference) and not the finished product.

I don't know about you, but I'm not exactly brimming with confidence with the way the COMELEC is handling the automation of the 2010 elections. While I would like to think that they are indeed sincere in their objective of keeping the elections honest, at the back of my mind I still can't help but think that they are in over the heads, considering that none of them seem to really understand the technology or even how to properly use it.

Well, let's see what happens.

I made this blog post four years ago to the day. Thought I'd repost it, since it still seems as timely as it was then. And to be frank, I still think we're in the same mess as we were before.

Today marks the 19th anniversary of the EDSA Revolution, the bloodless revolt resulting in the ouster of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who ruled with an iron fist for almost two decades. The EDSA Revolution, brought forth to our consciousness the concept of "People Power" as a peaceful means of effecting change in our government. Though one of the most significant events in our nation's history, the People Power Revolution was only the climax in a series of events which started 32 years ago, when President Marcos issued Proclamation No. 1081 on September 21, 1972, placing the entire country under Martial Law.

The suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, along with other fundamental rights, such as freedom of expression and the right to assembly, led to widespread abuses throughout the country, resulting in innumerable instances of wrongful imprisonment, denial of due process, conviction without trial, or worse, summary execution. The movement of all citizens was also curtailed through the imposition of a curfew. These were truly dark times indeed, which only ended when Martial Law was lifted nine years later on January 17, 1981 through Proclamation No. 2045. But by then, the seeds of dissension have not only been sown, but have taken up root in the nation's consciousness.

Two years later, former Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr., was assassinated on the tarmac of the Manila International Airport as he was returning from exile from the United States. This triggered an outpouring of sadness and sympathy from the people, leading to the most attended funeral in the country's history and the elevation of Ninoy Aquino to the status of martyr. Ninoy Aquino finally gave a face to the nation's growing unrest. A botched investigation, along with speculation of a government conspiracy and cover up only exacerbated the situation. Wave after wave of political protests ensued, finally prompting President Marcos to declare snap elections to be held on February 1986 in an attempt to obtain a fresh mandate. Stepping up to the plate to meet the challenge as opposition candidate was Ninoy Aquino's widow, Corazon Aquino.

After a tumultuous campaign period and election proper, accusations of mass cheating, and both sides claiming victory, a small faction of government forces, led by then Minister of Defense Juan Ponce Enrile and then Vice Chief-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Fidel V. Ramos broke away from Marcos administration and took up defensive positions in Camp Aguinaldo. Archbishop of Manila Jaime Cardinal Sin gave his support to the rebellion, and issues over radio a plea for support for the rebel group. The cry for revolution became too loud to ignore, and many ordinary citizens heeded the call. Despite the threat of attack from government forces, wave after wave of civilians surrounded the rebel positions, forming defensive barriers and making it impossible for government troops to attack without endangering them. On February 25, nineteen years ago to the day, Corazon Aquino was sworn in as President at Greenhills, San Juan. An hour later, Ferdinand Marcos also took his oath as President at Malacañang. Before the day's end, Ferdinand Marcos and his family, along with some their supporters would be out of the country, on their way to Guam, and eventually, to Hawaii. The revolution was over.

My Two Cents

The EDSA Revolution was a significant turning point in our nation's history. We've proven that a change in our government's leadership can be made without violence, without bloodshed. Unfortunately, that may also be our undoing. Since 1986 we have had two (arguably) more EDSA revolutions, with one ending in failure.

The second EDSA Revolution, aptly known as EDSA II took place on January 2001, and concluded with the ouster of then President Joseph E. Estrada, and the assumption into office of then Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo after a controversial impeachment trial over allegations of corruption which was never concluded.

A few months later, in April and May, EDSA Tres took place. The third EDSA Revolution, if it can be called that, was a poor excuse for a revolt supposedly supported by the masses, as it only gained support from the lower class and a small number of politicians loyal to former President Joseph Estrada. The keys to the success of the first two revolutions, namely, support from the military, support from the church, and support from the middle class were conspicuously absent. In the end, EDSA Tres was more characteristic of a mob out of control than any peaceful revolution I've heard of. It ended abysmally, in failure.

The danger with this revolutionary mentality is that we have instituted revolution as means, in fact a popular means, of changing the status quo. As a democracy, we are supposed to be a government of laws, and not a government of men. And yet, our laws have been bent over backwards to accommodate the concept of people power, the concept of a peaceful and popular uprising. Despite appearances to the contrary, leadership is much more than a popularity contest. And yet, we have extolled trial by publicity, and significantly depended on public opinion to determine not only who leads us, but national policy as well on a number of occassions. Whatever happened to due process of law? I for one, am NOT a supporter of President Joseph Estrada, but everyone deserves due process. And I mean everyone. To find himself out of office due to a controversial justification and interpretation by the Supreme Court of the law and the circumstances surrounding his ouster is...well...at the very least disconcerting. Laws are supposed to protect society. Extremely wide latitudes in its interpretation can be dangerous. And let us not forget, the impeachment trial was never concluded.

The Supreme Court has always had my respect. In fact, it is the most respectable, in my humble opinion at least, of the three branches of government. But perhaps, perhaps, it may need to be a bit more circumspect. Then again, history will be the best judge of all, as we were indeed on the brink of a constitutional crisis at that time.

A good leader must always be willing to do the right thing, even if it is unpopular. Leaders are supposed to make right decisions, not popular ones. If we always get rid of unpopular leaders at the drop of a hat, well, that can only be described as crab mentality at it's worst. And look at our headlines. Protest rallies are the norm. Filing of cases of impeachment are the norm. Are all of them sincere efforts to create worthwhile change? What do you think?

The bottom line is, our leaders are supposed to be chosen by the people at large. Not by a certain percentage of the population who congregates in a specific location, not by the church, not by the military, and not by any economic class. Yet this has happened. In fact, it has happened more than once. There are definitely situations which warrant revolution. We should not be so quick to resort to it if there are other lawful means.

The revolution that took place on February 21-25, 1986 was a true revolution in every spirit of the word. EDSA II toes the line somewhat, yet is generally accepted. EDSA Tres crosses it completely, hence its failure. Revolution is a very dangerous and potent weapon. We as a society should be more responsible in wielding it.

We should also stop milking the past EDSA revolutions for all its political worth. A lot of politicians still take the revolutions as a license to make bad decisions. They keep bringing it up in speeches, and it can be sickening at times. Remember the past. But let us stop dwelling on it. The world has changed. Situations have changed. We have to look to the future.

That's just my two cents worth.

Links:

The 1986 EDSA Revolution Website
EDSA II: The Spirit of EDSA Lives On
EDSA Tres: Angry for the Wrong Reason

Some photos from:

An Online Guide About the Philippine History
Center for Southeast Asian Studies Picture Archive Vol 04

Here are even more signs that you may be a tech noob. God help me, I seem to be bumping into more of them everyday.

1. You try to measure the speed of your internet connection by sending an email to yourself (and actually timing it with a stopwatch);

2. You can't connect to your own wireless router because you don't know your own WEP/WPA key (and instead insist that the Wi-Fi adapter is broken);

3. You think a software firewall is the same as an antivirus program;

4. You think the "NO SIGNAL" message on your monitor means something is broken on your PC...when the monitor cable just worked itself loose;

5. You buy an expensive optical mouse only to use a old piece of corrugated cardboard as a mousepad;

6. You believe that a fast CPU means your PC will be fast at everything;

7. You expect a $1000.00 notebook to be twice as fast as a $500.00 one;

8. You believe a cheaper CPU is "less durable" or "less reliable" than a more expensive one;

9. You expect to be magically connected to the internet anywhere you are as long as your notebook's Wi-Fi adapter is turned on.

10. You still believe that old marketing crap about a CPU being faster simply because it has a higher clock speed.

It's not my intention to put down other people just because they may not be experts when it comes to computers and technology in general. I don't know everything there is to know about computers myself. But I am annoyed by people who think they know everything when it comes to computers, insist on their own, often fallacious, misguided beliefs, and worse, force their opinions on me. For some reason, I've been encountering quite a lot of them lately. And with computers and other gadgets getting more affordable by the day, I'll no doubt bump into more of them in the future.

Wearing a diver's watch doesn't make a person into a diver. Owning a 4x4 doesn't make a person a serious off-roader. In the same vein, owning a PC, no matter how expensive it is, doesn't make a person into a computer expert as well.

At the Women's Lib International Conference...

The first speaker, a lady from England stood up and said: "During last year's conference, we spoke about being more assertive with our husbands. Well, after the conference, I went home and told my husband, Barrington, that I would no longer cook for him and that he would have to do it himself.

After the first day, I saw nothing. The second day, I saw nothing, but on the third day, I saw that he had cooked a wonderful roast lamb."

(The crowd cheered).

The second speaker, from Russia , stood up and said: "After last year's conference, I went home and told my husband, Ivan, that I would no longer do his laundry and that he would have to do it himself.

The first day, I saw nothing. After the second day, I saw nothing, but on the third day, I saw that he had done not only his own washing, but mine as well."

(The crowd again cheered).

The third speaker, a Filipino lady from the Visayas, stood up and said: "Aftir lass yir's kampirins, I wint hom and tuld dat lazy husband op mines, Pidro, dat I was tro getting his slippers, kuking his meals ol da tyme, washing his underwir and dat he was going to heb to do dem himsilf."

(The crowd went wild with cheering and clapping that lasted for five long minutes).

She continued; "After da firs day, I see nating. Aftir da secun day, agin I see nating, but aftir da tird day, I could see a little bit out of my left eye."

From my inbox...:-)

Just a repost. You never know who might notice.

Anyone here interested in purchasing a plot of commercial land located along Commonwealth Ave. in Quezon City? It's my father's property, and it has a lot area of 2,844 sqm., with a number of residential improvements. The frontage is a bit on the small side, at 14 m., but it directly faces Commonwealth Ave.

The lot has been on the market for quite a while, but since the real estate market has been down for some time now...well you know how it is.

Just in case you're interested, or know someone who is, please feel free to leave a comment or to email me at ronallandottk@yahoo.com. To cut the hassle, would prefer to deal with direct buyers only. Sometimes it can be quite hard dealing with a multitude of brokers and middlemen...you know how that is too. :-)

You can also call 9315575 if you have any inquiries.

Siteplan of the property.


Aerial view. The road at the top of the photo is Commonwealth Avenue.


Here's a tighter aerial shot. The improvements are clearly visible from this distance.

And just in case you're wondering, no, I didn't hire an airplane or a helicopter. Used Google Earth instead. :-)

People are strange.

I'm slowly creeping up on middle age and yet I still get blindsided at times by the sheer absurdity shown by some people.

Just when you think you've seen it all.

The irony is, I'm a loner. Left to my own devices I'll probably stay on my own. I have a fair number of friends (too many if you ask me), but if it were all up to me I'd rather avoid them all. You go out of your way to help someone, to share your experiences, your expertise, to provide company, and for some reason you still get burned in the process.

Or maybe it's just because I have the wrong friends.

Don't get me wrong, most of my friends are nice, intelligent people. It just gets tiring sometimes adjusting to each and everyone of them. Most of you are thinking that I shouldn't adjust, that I should just be myself, and that's probably correct. The thing is, I was always a fairly easy going type of person, and for me it has never really been a big deal to accept the various nuances and idiosyncracies of most people. That's me. I'd gladly give up ground if it would make everyone happy and comfortable, but if I know I'm right, and the situation calls for it, I wouldn't have second thoughts about taking ground from anyone else. Most of the time I don't even have to be right. Hey, like everyone else I'm entitled to my own opinion. But if my opinion isn't respected for what it's worth (which really isn't much since an opinion, is well, just that), then there's no point in keeping up pretenses.

Really, I can take abuse as well as the next guy, but sometimes enough is enough. It's not always about being right. Sometimes it's just about you respecting the bloke right next to you, which isn't too difficult really, as long as the bloke respects you back.

It's strange that some people would rather be right (even if they're not) than have friends, not that it always has to be a choice between the two. Of course you can opt to turn a blind eye towards it, but sometimes, you just can't...or you just don't feel like it.

Well, whatever. Not that it's a big deal anyway. It's just...strange.

Happy to oblige.

I getting sick and tired of all the hooplah about "saving the planet" and BS like that. It seems like everyone is getting on the green bandwagon, from politicians, celebrities, even that guy I don't know from around the corner is obsessed about doing his bit in order to prevent climate change, global warming, whatever you want to call it.

The thing is, I think this is nothing but a whole lot of crap, meant to ease our conscience as we continue wrecking the planet by using up its limited resources and dumping noxious poisons into our skies and oceans.

Am I saying global warming is a myth? No, definitely not. It is a reality attested to by eons of geologic records. Global warming is a cycle that the Earth goes through every 40,000 to 100,000 years or thereabouts. What this means is that, whether we do anything or not, the Earth will definitely warm up, as this is what it has been doing for several million years now. Maybe we can slow it down, sure, but stop it? I don't think so.

So what does this "save the planet" mantra really mean for us?

For me it simply means that mankind, in all its arrogance, has proudly claimed itself as responsible for this phenomena and likewise responsible for preventing it...when in truth and in fact there is probably nothing we can do to stop it. The millions and millions of tons of greenhouse gases that we have pumped into our atmosphere have definitely sped up the process of warming up the planet, but make no mistake, global warming will happen, regardless of whether we all turn green or not.

What I'm particularly annoyed at is the way that we have labeled ourselves as saviors, as guardians of the Earth, that it is up to us to save the planet. The less glamorous truth is that we are not in any way saving the planet, we are merely saving ourselves. Earth has been here for billions of years before the first human ever stood up on two legs...and it will continue to exist for billions more even after the last person has died and turned to dust. The Earth has withstood innumerable cataclysmic events and mass extinctions, and it still endures.

How can we be so conceited so to claim that it is up to us to save the planet? Earth isn't dying, it is merely reacting to the irresponsible way that we have been treating it. The planet doesn't need saving, mankind does, and if we don't clean up our act real soon, we stand in real danger of wiping ourselves out. Maybe not anytime soon...but eventually.

The sooner we realize what we humans really are in the grand scheme of things...maybe then, we can save ourselves...and perhaps clean up the mess we made of this planet.

From my own personal experience, here are some signs that you may be a tech noob. :-)

1. You insist that that a ball mouse is just as good as an an optical mouse;

2. You buy a desktop or notebook computer with a kick-ass processor but with a paltry amount of RAM;

3. You buy an expensive game not even knowing your PC doesn't even meet the system requirements;

4. You set up a Wi-Fi router without changing the default SSID or administrator password, and without enabling WPA, or at least WEP;

5. You believe the more on-board memory a video card has, the more powerful the video card;

6. You always reply with the size of your hard drive whenever someone asks you how much memory your PC has;

7. Your CRT monitor's refresh rate in 2D mode is at 60 Hz and you're putting up with the ghastly amount of flicker, or your LCD monitor is not at its native resolution in 2D mode and you think it's normal for all the icons to look squashed;

8. You believe you'll get charged by your mobile carrier whenever you send or receive something via Bluetooth;

9. You think your notebook's optical drive is broken because it doesn't open all the way when you press the eject button; and my favorite:

10. You're impressed by the graphics of a game displayed at 800x600 with antialiasing and anisotropic filtering turned off. :-)