siyetehan

Beware of NSE Philippines (International)

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:29:00 +0000

It pays to investigate and do some research.

I was reading the 4th installment of the Harry Potter Book series (Goblet of Fire) while waiting for my wife one night at the Mercury Drugstore Tandang Sora branch when one guy approached me and asked what I was reading. He then proceeded to ask other information about the Harry Potter story and even commented that he liked Harry Potter rather than the Twilight series. I answered reluctantly and proceeded with my reading.

After a while, he continued to chat with me and asked if I'm waiting for somebody. Not wanting to show some disrespect, I again answered his question and closed the book, hoping for my wife to arrive soon. He then asked me what church I'm attending. I said I am attending at the Jesus Loves You City Church, a born-again church at Mandaluyong City.

I was glad when he said to me that he is also attending a christian church at the back of Megamall, Ortigas and that he is handling a cell group every week. Because he seems allright and introduced himself as a christian, I gave in and conversed with him. He even asked me my cellphone number because he told me that he might be inviting me if there are activities on their church. He also presented himself as an IT-related person working for in Ortigas. I even commented that he has no problems going to church because his work is near his church at St. Francis square.

After a week or two, a guy called me up and introduced himself as the one whom I was able to talk to at Mercury Drug Tandang Sora. He then proceeded that he is actually an executive of a multi-national company and asked me if I am willing to take some part-time job that can give me additional 15,000 to 20,000 income per month. He assured me that it will not, in any way, humper my current work, and that I will only consume about 4 to 6 hours per week for the part-time job.

He even said that he found me nice to converse with, and that I am the type of person that would fit well for the job, the plus factor of which is my current profession being an accountant.

Sensing some irregularities (1. first off, he introduced himself with a work related with IT then later he said he's an executive 2. how come he can gauge that I am fit for a work when we only met for about 10 to 20 minutes 3. he didn't even see my resume 4. he didn't present the name of the company), I asked him what is the nature of the part-time job that he offers.

He said that he can't discuss the matter over the phone because it is too long and the line is a bit choppy. He invited me to come to his office either on Monday at 6:30 p.m., or on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. so he can discuss fully about the business proposal. He also told me to come on business attire because he said that they are an American company and I need to look well during the interview. He also clarified that I should be on-time in order to show that I am a professional person.

He then said that his office is at the 15th floor, Octagon Building, San Miguel Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig. Until this time, he still did not disclose the name of the company. I persisted on knowing the name of the company, and finally he felt obliged to say that the company is NSE International.

I confirmed that I would be coming over on the Saturday schedule, but before Saturday came, I tried to check on the internet about the company's business.

I was glad to have checked because I found out that NSE Philippines or International or is actually a Networking Business that offers NUSkin products, and that they are forcefully persuading people to give some investment money.

(To be fair with the guy who invited me, I sent him a text message to say that I wouldn't come to his office because I am not interested to join any Networking business, however, I haven't received any response since then)

Let me make it clear that a Networking Business is not actually bad. I know of a lot of friends who are into networking, and I admire then for having that gift of marketing prowess. But for those of you out there who are into it, give us a favor and:

1. Be honest with your intentions. Tell prospective recruits directly about the business and about what you are offering to them.

2. Do not force people to layout cash. People get interested with networking and part-time business because they want to earn extra money. If you get money from them by forceful means, it is no good.

3. Do not make out stories that are not true. Tell only the truth about the work/product, and don't sugarcoat.

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Browse over at what google has to say about NSE Philippines, and find out about the complaints:

key word1: 15th floor octagon building

key word2: NSE Philippines

key word3: NSE International

Stem Cell Research: Good Or Bad?

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:31:00 +0000

"Can the end ever justify the means? That is the proverbial question that surrounds the research and ground-breaking studies about Stem Cells.

But before we go on any further with our discussion, perhaps we need to get a better understanding about what stems cells are. Wikipedia defines Stem Cells are cells that are found in most multi-cellular organisms. They are cells that can be distinguished by two important characteristics: 1) self renewal or the ability to go through numerous cycles whil maintaining its undifferentiated state, and 2) potency or the capacity to differentiate into specialized cell types. To simplify further, stem cells are those cells that has the potential to regenerate tissues over a lifetime.

Over the years, scientists and researchers have proven that Adult Stem Cells are actually very essential in the treatment of diseases like Leukemia, Spinal Cord Injuries, Heart Disease, among others. With this, there is no question about the importance of continuously doing stem cell research because we are seeing that they are beneficial in treating diseases. To give a concrete example, a research study was conducted about adult stem cells at the University of Houston by Dr. Robert Schwartz. Dr. Schwarts found out that skin cells can be implanted and regrown into developed beating heart beat cells to repair the damages caused by heart attacks.

Scientific and medical procedures involving adult stem cells do not lead to questions because the cells used in the curement of disease are taken from adults. There are, however, other lots of studies that involve the use of embryonic stem cells. Undoubtedly, these types of studies stirred up debates and discussions because the embryonic stem cells used in the studies are harvested from live human embryos. As a result, the human embryos are destroyed in the process. And because of this, it is but natural that pro-life organizations and churches disagree with continuing the studies about it. Besides, there are no proven treatments yet discovered out of embryonic stem cells studies.

Living in this fast-paced technologies and lots of ground-breaking scientific discoveries, I could not help but wonder about what is more that man will achieve in the coming years. As man continues to look for ways to improve and prolong his life, I am leaving you with the main question raised at a movie presentation about Stem Cells research:

To what extent can we use another human life to help our own?

May it be that we will always discern to think and to do what is right according to God's judgement.

Kyutiks

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:26:00 +0000

Kung ka-edaran kita at halos eh nasa elementary grade ka ng 1980s hanggang early 1990s, malamang sa malamang eh alam mo yung sikat na sikat na Caronia Nail Polish Commercial jingle na kalaunan eh ginawang spoof ng Tropang Trumpo (Channel 5) nila Michael V at Ogie Alcasid noon hindi pa sila lumilipat sa Channel 7 para sa Bubble Gang.

Malamang din eh hindi nail polish ang tawag mo doon sa maliliit na boteng ginagamit ng nanay mo sa pagkukulay ng kuko, kundi, Kyutiks, o Cutics (ang sabi ni Misis, siguro daw ay nakuha ang word na ito sa salitang cuticle).

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Mas madalas mang gamitin ng mga babae ang kyutiks, may mga mangilan-ngilan din namang mga lalake na gumagamit nito, yun nga lang, ang ginagamit lang nila ay yung natural color, o yung kyutiks na walang kulay, at nagpapakintab lang ng kuko.

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Pero sa aming bahay noong araw, alam kong hindi lang sa kuko ginagamit ng aking ina ang kyutiks, dahil nakikita ko rin na ipinapahid niya ito paminsan-minsan sa kanyang mga stockings.

Bilang isang guro sa Licab Central School (pampublikong paaralan sa Nueva Ecija), laging naka-uniporme si nanay at laging may suot na stockings tuwing papasok- at sa pagkakaalam ko, nilalagyan niya ng kyutiks o nail polish ang parte ng stockings kung saan nagkaroon ng run, o sira.

Noon, akala ko eh nilalagyan ng kyutiks para maayos ang sira. Kailan ko lang nalaman na nilalagyan pala ng kyutiks para hindi na tumuloy ang sira ng stockings.

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Paminsan-minsan ay nakakakita pa rin ako ng mga maliliit na bote ng kyutiks sa bahay, pero alam kong hindi na ito ginagamit ng aking ina upang ipahid sa stockings. Retirado na kasi siya, at bihirang-bihira na rin siyang magsuot ngayon ng stockings. Ngunit kailanman, ang mga mumunting bote ng kyutiks na ito ay magsisilbing ala-ala na minsan, isang panahon sa aming buhay ay gumawa ang aking ina ng paraan upang magtipid at gamitin ng wasto ang salapi alang-alang sa kapakanan ng kanyang mga anak.

Computers Then And Now

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:25:00 +0000

Last Saturday, I stumbled upon some old school things I used way back in the 1990s when I was studying High School. Assorted books, notebooks and papers are contained in my school bag, and scanning through them, I chanced upon seeing my old notebook for my Computer Subject in Third Year High.

Back then, Desktop Computers have just been introduced in our school, so you can just imagine that a lot of people, including me, have no any idea with regards to operating and/or using them. Of course, only a few families could afford to purchase their own units. So during those times, whenever we have group projects and we need computers, we have to go and visit our classmates who own a computer. The Microsoft Office Words and Excel were not yet popular, and what we use were the Lotus 123 and the Wordstar.

Fifteen years or so later, computer models have evolved fantastically; and we now have Laptop Computers that we could bring and use anywhere and anytime we want. Now we have the latest version of MS Office, plus we can access (almost) anything, thanks to the internet.

As I scan my old notebook, it is always good to look back and re-learn the basics of one of the most important inventions made by mankind- the computer. So for this blog, I will discuss the basic components that make up a computer system.

1. Computer Monitors- Computer monitors pertain to the screen, or the tv-like component of the computer system. This is where you are able to view what the computer is processing at the moment.

2. Keyboards- Keyboards are somewhat similar to the qwerty pads used in our old reliable typewriters. This is what we use when we want to type and/or encode transactions in the computer. The significant difference between the computer keyboards versus the typewriters are the F1 to F12 keys command keys at the top of the keyboard.

3. Computer Mice- or most popularly called as the "mouse", a great help in placing commands and in moving the cursor from one point to the other.

4. Printers- The printer is where the final output document is being processed, or, as the name suggests, this is where the final document is being printed.

5. Central Processing Unit- More commonly known as the CPU, the central processing unit is the heart and brain of the computer. This is where all the transactions are stored and processed as a person gives its command by using the keyboard/mouse, and before the output is shown on the monitor or printed on the computer.

Those are actually the five most basic components of a Computer System. But today, additional parts may include Computer Speakers, Webcams, Microphones, among others.

For the external storage devices, the floppy (5 1/4 and 3 1/2) disks are already obsolete. We now use compact disks and USBs.

Also as I have mentioned before, only a few can purchase computer systems because they are a bit expensive to common regular income earners. But today, it has almost become a necessity for every family to own one unit. And today, it is not that difficult to purchase a unit.

Computer units are actually available for purchase even online. However, it is always advisable that we visit reliable internet sites whenever we purchase items using the internet.

As we look forward for the coming years, we do hope that new technologies and ground-breaking inventions will be discovered to help us doing our jobs more efficiently.

Ang Maka Bob Ong Pagpili ng Presidente

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:47:00 +0000

Syempre nagpaalam naman muna ako bago ko hinarbat itong blog post ni Bob Ong. Salamat na nga lang at pumayag siya na irepost ko ang buong article sa Siyetehan.

Masiste, nakakatuwa, nakakaaliw, nakakatawa. Yan ang style ni Bob Ong. Silipin natin sa artikulong ito kung ano ang kanyang pananaw sa isyu ng pagpili sa mga susunod na lider ng ating bayan para sa darating na halalan sa Mayo 2010.

Para sa Bobong Pamunuan, Bobotante ang Kailangan
-Akda ni Bob Ong

Aminin na natin, hindi lahat ng botante ay may oras, tiyaga, at talino para suriin ang background ng bawat kandidato. Hindi rin marami ang may kakayanang umintindi sa kung anuman ang totoong ibig sabihin ng mga nakalista sa plataporma nila...kung meron man.

Bagama't hindi perpekto, pare-parehong may magagandang qualification ang mga tumatakbo.Kung pagbabasehan ang mga patalastas, lahat sila may pangarap, plano, at magandang hangarin para sa bansa. Dalawa lang ang problema, hindi naman lahat ng binibitiwang pangako e totoo; at hindi lahat ng totoong pangako e kayang tuparin. Maging ang inaasahan nating matinong basehan dati sa pagpili ng iboboto--ang debate--e hindi rin pala mapanghahawakan, sabi ng ilang political analyst sa TV kelan lang. Oo nga naman, dahil pwedeng madehado ang mga kandidatong mas magagaling na leader pero mahina sa talakayan.

Kung hindi maaasahan ang aktibong personalidad ng mga kandidato sa kasalukuyan, o ang mga magaganda nilang hangarin sa hinaharap, walang natitirang basehan kundi kung ano ang mga napatunayan na nila sa nakaraan. Tutal sabi nga, history repeats itself.

Hindi ako gaanong umaasa sa mga taong "malinis". Kasi "power corrupts". Karaniwan na ang mga nag-uumpisa nang "malinis", nagkakatalo lang sa huli kung sino ang may pinakamaraming mabuting nagawa nang may pinakakonting natamong dumi. Ang masipag, nadudumihan. Lalo na ang masipag maglinis.

Hindi ako gaanong umaasa sa mga masyadong "makatao". Siguro importante yon para sa kapitan ng barangay, pero para sa leader ng bansa, maraming pagkakataon na kailangan nyang talikuran ang mga tao para tumingin sa dinadaanan nila. Walang tsuper na nakaharap sa mga pasahero.

Naniniwala akong dapat na mas malaki sa atin ang presidente. Kung kailangang lagi nating naiintindihan ang takbo ng isip nya, kung lagi nating kasundo ang mga galaw nya, kung diskarte din natin ang mga diskarte nya...isa lang sya sa atin, at hindi sya espesyal na tao. Hindi dapat ipagkatiwala sa kanya ang kinubakasan ng lahat kung kaya naman ito gawin ng lahat para sa sarili nila.

Hindi ako gaanong umaasa sa mga nagpapamudmod ng kung anu-anong give away o papremyo, hindi yun ang responsabilidad ng pinuno sa bayan o obligasyon nya sa mga mamamayan. Kayang gawin ng mga pribadong tao ang dole-outs; sa kapasidad ng inihalal na leader, mas malaki, mas pangmatagalan, at mas kongkretong programa ang inaasahan ng bayan.

Hindi ako gaanong umaasa sa kandidatong gumagamit ng mga artista. Walang masama na gawin nya ang lahat ng ligal na kaya nya para manalo sa eleksyon. Pero malalaman mong walang pagbabagong dala ang kandidatong nagtuturo sa mga mamamayang bumoto base sa dami at bigat ng mga artistang nag-e-endorso sa kanya. Maaaring magaling ang kandidatong yon, maaaring masipag, maaaring mabait...pero hindi sya ang uri ng pinuno na magdadala ng pagbabago.

Ayos lang ang pag-endorso ng sikat at respetadong tao. Makakatulong yon sa kandidato. Pero ang paggamit ng santambak na artista sa pangangampanya ay insulto sa talino ng mga mamamayan.

Kung paano itrato ng kandidato ang mga botante, kung paano nya kinukuha ang boto ng tao, kung anong klaseng mga boto ang iniipon nya para maluklok sya sa pwesto, yun ang tingin nya sa Pilipino. At yun ang lideratong ibibigay nya sa Pilipinas.

Hindi gaanong "winnable" ang kandidatong puro pagpapaliwanag kung anong klaseng pinuno ang dapat piliin ng mga tao, pero maganda ang hangarin nyang itaas ang moral at kamalayan ng mga mamamayan; at hinahangaan ko ang respeto nya sa kapangyarihan ng eleksyon at sa kakayanan ng mga botanteng mag-isip at pumili nang tama.

Kung pag-aaralan ang kasaysayan ng mga pinakamagagaling at epektibong leader ng mundo, makikitang malayo pa ang panuntunan na ginagamit ng mga Pilipino....

"If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got." - Sabi ng naglalako ng taho kaninang umaga

(This political ad is paid by the friends and supporters of Eddie Gil and Ellie Pamatong.)

-Bisitahin ang multiply account ni Bob Ong para sa iba pa sa kanyang mga katha.

Grains of Thought- Status Quo

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 03:05:00 +0000

"If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got".

It's actually a phrase I got from a blog post made by modern age popular Filipino author Bob Ong in his most recent article about choosing the next leaders of our country this coming May 2010 elections.

Coming from this, my grain of thought for the week would be to Challenge The Status Quo.

If we need to change anything, if we want change to happen in our lives and in our country as well, we need to overhaul the usual things that we do and start something new.

How Noynoy Aquino Can (Still) Win in May 2010

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:50:00 +0000

Liberal Party presidential bet Noynoy Aquino still leads by an inch over Nacionalista Party's Manny Villar in the latest SWS presidential survey. But the latest survey released by Pulse Asia shows the two main proponents as statistically tied in the race, with +2/-2 margin of error.

While Noynoy still leads in the race, I have already stated in a previous article that Villar will win and become the next president of the Philippines. Why? Because the momentum is now on Villar, and the law of physics can attest that you need to give a stronger force in order to conquer that which is on the momentum.

But I believe it is not yet too late for Noynoy. He can still steal back the favor and emerge victorious after the counting of votes. But in order to do so, some drastic changes in his political strategies need to be implemented.

1. Get out of the shadow of Ninoy, Cory (and Kris). Limit the ads that state that you are related to them. Be your own man- show to the entire nation that you have your own identity. Brag about your accomplishments as a congressman and as a senator.

2. Don't stutter in your speech. This, you can do by being prepared in every forum and in every political sorties that you go to.

3. Make your platforms clear. It is not enough that you say you are against corruption, because for goodness sake, the presidential job is not just about fighting corruption, but in leading the entire nation.

4. Change your political advertisements immediately (and do not rap!). The best advertisement related to Noynoy Aquino I've seen so far is about him endorsing Pia Hontiveros for Senator, and not his own advertisement as a Presidential bet. To counter Villar's successful advertisements, why not employ Buboy Villar, Santino, and the Goin' Bulilit kids in your next advertisement?

5. Be visible together with Shalani Soledad. Man, Filipinos are very fond of love stories. Yours is already a very formidable love story to beat, and people will definitely buy in to that. Be always together, show your sweetness in public, sing and dance if you must in political sorties, and believe me, it can do wonders converting votes.

It is still about 3 months to go before the elections. It's never too late to try and change strategies.

Can Noynoy still pull off? Or will Villar get the job?

People

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:50:00 +0000

I watch them as they come passing by in front of me. I was sitting in one of those cozy chairs sipping my cup of coffee, trying to buy out time, relaxing a bit after a day's busy work.

It's 7 in the evening, and people from all walks of life jam the hallway that will lead them to the train station. Men in long sleeves carrying what looks like laptop computers, others sporting round neck or polo shirts. Some women are wearing slack pants, while some are in their office uniforms.

Everybody seems rushing home, careless of the people near them, never taking the time and effort to look at what's happening in the surroundings.

And so I sat there wondering- how many of these people are rich, how many are poor? How many are looking ahead for a festive weekend, while some are thinking of where to get food for tomorrow? How many got promoted, and how many just lost his job? How many are excited for a new found love? How many are broken-hearted?

Such is the disparity among people.

I stood up after emptying my cup, and I went home.

Vegas Online 24/7

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:14:00 +0000

Every Filipino would, of course, know about the popular city of Las Vegas, Nevada- thanks to the fact that this is the place where Filipino boxing icon Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao usually holds his big fight.

Aside from being the prominent place for big boxing bouts, the city of Las Vegas is more popularly known to be the place for fine dining, shopping and gambling. This is the place of renowned casino resorts, which is why it is also named as 'The Entertainment Capital of the World'. Because of this, Las Vegas has become one of the most prominent shooting locations of popular Hollywood movies such as Oceans 11 to 13 (Brad Pitt and George Clooney), Charlie's Angels (Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu), and What Happens in Vegas (Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz).

But does anybody know that because of recent technologies, one does not have to travel to Las Vegas and spend so much just to be able to experience playing casino games? Yes, folks! Because Online Vegas is now available in the internet, so you can now enjoy playing popular casino games anywhere you are, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. (If you happen to watch one of those movies I've mentioned, you would have noticed that those who go and play in the casino are usually wearing coat and tie). So you can bet, you can play right at the comfort of your home!

For a start, of course, you have to have your computer and your internet connection. Online Vegas websites will also require you to download some softwares in order for you to play the games. But folks, beware! Make it sure that you only visit and play on trusted websites.

So do you want to play? You may want to try on and see the list of casino games available online now. Enjoy your Las Vegas experience!

A Million Thanks

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 02:11:00 +0000

Perhaps every blogger's desire is to have many people viewing his/her website. It really takes a lot of hardwork and research to be able to post entries and articles and attract readers to come back and follow what you are saying in your blog.

And so for this, I am offering my congratulations to my co-blogger Tina for achieving 1 million+++ visits (and counting!).

To celebrate the occassion, Tina is giving away some exciting giveaways to all of us.

Here's the (very easy mechanics)- blog about her one million thank yous giveaway promo, and leave the url of your blog on her comments box.

Prizes at stake are as follows:

1st prize - $15.00 and 3 months of free advertising!
2nd prize- $10.00 and 2 months of free advertising!
3rd prize- $5.00 and 1 month of free advertising!

The winners will be drawn on the following dates:

Feb 12: 3rd prize
Feb 19: 2nd prize
Feb 26: 1st prize

Again, a million congratulations to Tina for that 1million+++ views!

Muntik Na Kitang Lapitan

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:09:00 +0000

Humigit-kumulang sampung taon nung huli tayong magkita.

Mataas ang pagtingin namin sa iyo dahil isa ka sa mga pinakamagaling na propesor sa kolehiyong pinag-aralan ko sa may U-Belt. Dagdag pa riyan, isa ka rin sa mga tumatayong advisers nang student organization na kinabibilangan ko.

Sampung taon.

Nadagdagan na ang mga gitla sa noo mo. Dumami na ang mga puting buhok at, tila tumaba ka yata? Saludo ako dahil walang pinagbago ang ayos mo, hanggang ngayon ay dala-dalawang bag ang bitbit mong gamit pang-eskwela. Lesson plan, libro, teaching materials, at siguro'y mga test papers na iisa-isahin mo pang markahan pagdating ng bahay.

Hindi mo siguro ako natatandaan dahil ni hindi mo ako pinansin nang magtama ang mga mata natin ng pasimpleng sulyapan kita upang tingnan kung ano na ba ang hitsura ng isa sa pinakapaborito kong guro sa kolehiyo.

Lalapitan na sana kita upang kumustahin at kamayan ka.

Ngunit bigla kang nangulangot.

Comfortable Inside And Out

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:25:00 +0000

Do you ever wonder why the term "Home Sweet Home" is so often used whenever someone arrives home from a long journey? Well, it is because of the fact that our home is really the sweetest place to go. It is our refuge, the safest place and the most convenient place where we can just do what we want to do without anyone bothering us.

Needless to say, our home is our place of comfort. Because of this, it is very important that we purchase equipments and furnitures that will make our stay at our home as comfortable as possible-not only on the inside, but also on the outside.

Nowadays, more and more people are considering the outdoor appearance of their houses. Aside from putting gardens/beautiful landscapes, many of us would definitely put an Outdoor Patio Furniture set near the garden or near the swimming pool area.

There is actually a necessity in putting furnitures outside our homes. Sometimes, there are unexpected visitors that come into our house. And as much as we want to, we couldn't just invite them inside because we may not be prepared (for example, we haven't cleaned up inside our house, or we do not want them to prolong their stay because we have a lot more things to do after they leave). As a solution, we need to have Conversation Sets on our patio, a perfect area wherein we can invite visitors instead of asking them to come inside the house.

Conversation sets are a perfect place when we just would love to stay outside our house and gaze up the sky during a starry night.

Feeling romantic? Why not surprise your partner on a well-setup garden dinner outside your home? Make your date complete by using comfortable Patio Dining Sets. This is also nice when you want to invite close friends and/or relatives for a small group party.

Of course, making your house comfortable need not be expensive. It depends on how creative you are when it comes to purchasing the furnitures and/or equipments you need in order to make your house indeed a Home Sweet Home.

Why Villar Would Win in 2010

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:12:00 +0000

Let us admit the fact that as of the moment, we technically have only two proponents in the Presidential Race on May 2010. It's got to be a head on fight between Liberal Party's Noynoy Aquino and Nacionalista Party's Manny Villar. The latest SWS survey revealed that Villar has narrowed the gap between him and Aquino by just 7 statistical points. Conducted on January 21 to 25 with 2,100 respondents, the survey shows that Aquino is ahead with 42%, against Villar with 35%.

But though Aquino still leads in the surveys (both by SWS and Pulse Asia), I still believe that Manny Villar will finally emerge as the next President of the Philippines. Here are my ten (10) humble reasons:

1. The various presidential forums conducted by media giants ABS-CBN and GMA News, including other forums sponsored by schools and other organizations define who among them know what they're talking about. To my personal assessment, and based on the forums, Villar, Teodoro and Gordon are the most capable for the Presidential job.

2. Villar has the money- that is, of course converted into paid tv advertisements that reach even the remotest village so long as they have their television sets.

3. Speaking of paid tv ads, Villar's get the best attention from viewers. Children love the jingle, and whenever you ask them, they'd say, "I Like Manny Villar". And you just can't easily say no to children!

4. If you look at the trends, Noynoy's surveys ratings continue to drop in the recent months. Erap, Gibo, Gordon's ratings, doesn't move significantly. It is Villar's numbers that creeps up and slowly closes in to Aquino.

5. If Lito Banayo is correct, GMA is actually supporting Villar; not Gibo.

6. Villar has a big mass base- Bongbong Marcos (from the North), Adel Tamano (from the South), including the leftists headed by Ka Satur Ocampo.

7. Dolphy, Joey De Leon, Willie Revillame and Michael V. endorse Villar, and we all just love comedians.

8. Roxas overshadows Aquino when it comes to discussion of various issues. To some, this converts to the thought that Noynoy is not his own man.

9. Noynoy just couldn't stop smoking his cigar.

10. Noynoy is not Ninoy; Noynoy is not Cory.

(Perhaps for a follow-up, I will make a blog on How Noynoy would win in 2010)

Nursing (November 2009) Board Exam Result

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:41:00 +0000

A high 40% passed the Nursing Board Exam Results conducted last November 2009. 37,527 out of the 94,462 examinees has passed.

For a full list of results, kindly visit: Inquirer.net.

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Personal: Congratulations to Cyrus Jordan R. Wong for passing!

Cold No More

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:39:00 +0000

Have you been noticing the temperature lately? It's a bit colder than usual, especially at night and on early mornings, and our weather bureau gives advise that we have to stay on with the cold temperature until the end of February.

Well, this is because the snow at the north pole are just beginning to melt down, and so the winds are sweeping the cold in our country.

This makes it hard to conduct parties, celebrations and other events outside your home and/or in your gardens. Just as a few weeks ago, some friends from Surigao Del Sur (Philippines) came to visit our house. We would have wanted to set the tables up outside the house so we can have a bigger space, but we decided to set up instead inside the house due to the uncomfortable cold weather outside. It makes us hope that we would have bought the Electric Heater a friend has been offering me last December.

For those not familiar with it, Outdoor Heaters are simple equipments that are installed outside the house (in patios or in the gardens) to help keep people warm during cold weather. Simple as it is, outdoor heaters are a great help, especially for parties that should be held or conducted outdoors. In fact, I have once attended a garden wedding in Tagaytay City where the event organizers installed electric heaters within the party area in order to keep the visitors warm and comfortable.

There are many types of outdoor heaters, but the most common would be the Electric Heater and Gas Heater. Outdoor heaters may be bought from hardware stores, but I believe it is most easy to purchase on the internet, since there are more choices available, according to your preference.

So the next time, you need not worry that cold weather will destruct your outdoor parties. An outdoor heater is all you need to make your guests comfortable all throughout the night.

Goodbye, APO

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:20:00 +0000

Yes, folks, you read it right. The trio of Jim, Buboy and Danny puts an end to their 40 year group singing career.

The Apo (Apolinario Mabini Hiking Society) is one of the principal proponents of Original Pilipino Music (OPMs). They popularized songs such as "Kaibigan, Prinsesa, Salawikain, Batang-bata ka pa, and many others".

For those of you who would like to catch the APO's last Valentines Day perforamance, it will be held this February 13 at the SMX Venue, SM Mall of Asia.

"....I believe that as much as we are called to vocations and unions, we are also, at times, called to move on to other things. We have given our best years to APO, which has given us so much more in terms of the joy of performing, affirmation as artists, material blessings and stature"

- Jim Paredes, Writing on Air

Circus Is In Town

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 02:46:00 +0000

We call them Honorable. And why shouldn't they, when they are the ones who deliberate policies for the people and pass them in the form of statues. Elected by the people, they are to us, the honorable persons that should uphold peace, justice and equality for all of their constituents.

The chamber was house to great Filipinos such as Marcos, Recto, Roco, Manglapus and Salonga.

But today, it seems that the Senate of the Philippines has become a center of Amusement and Entertainment; a Circus where the participants are the source of laughter and ridicule; a Sitcom involving actors and actresses that quarrel over issues big and small; of trust and betrayal; of jumping ships from one to another and back.

The Impeachment proceedings during the Plunder trial of then president Joseph "Erap" Estrada has produced a number drama and comedy; and has created instant celebrities in the persons of "Dancing Queen", "Bading", "Nagti-timbang ng Manok", "and Natutulog habang nagse-session". But to this day, it is amusing to note that those who are against Erap during the Impeachment are now with him in the Opposition side.

If you think gossips are only for the showbiz people, then you are wrong. Watch our honorable legislators as they had a good laugh about the Angara-Legarda (their co-senators) story.

The latest circus happened on January 25, 2010 during the deliberation on the case of the Double Insertion of Budget, an anomalous transaction issue involving former Senate President and now Presidentiable Manny Villar.

In The Day The Senate Turned Into A Cockpit, blogger Ding Gagelonia describes how our honorable senators quarrel, shout insults, and name names, not to mention some unethical remarks that should not have been said at all.

Roxas: I had no insertion on any matter. In fact, I have no insertion, period.

Pimentel: I am sure that after your marriage, you had some insertions.But that may be different.

Where do we go from here?

When will we once again uphold the office of the Senate as a credible institution that functions honorably for the good of the people?

Or do we finally allow Senator Miriam Santiago's proposal?

Santiago: If this is the kind of hostile, belligerent attitude we bring to our debate, then all of us should resign immediately, because we do not deserve to be senators!

Save On Fertilizer Costs

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:45:00 +0000

Earlier this year, I did a blog about the importance of "going green", or in more definite terms- planting trees and ornaments in our surroundings.

As a follow-up, I will attempt on making a series of blog that will give us some nice tip in order to make our gardening easy, cheap, and enjoyable.

About Fertilizers & Composts

Other than enough sunlight and water, plants are treated with fertilizers in order to grow faster and healthier. However, if you have plenty of plants to tend, buying of fertilizers can be a bit costly and uncomfortable to some.

In order to save on the costs of fertilizers, farmers and gardeners opt to use Garden Composters as an alternative to create composts, or humus-like products that are applied to plants as a substitute to fertilizers. In fact, in a research study conducted in 1996 at a college university in Central Luzon, Philippines, they found out that plants treated with natural fertilizers/composts tend to grow healthier than those treated with commercial fertilizers.

At first, the use of garden composters may look more expensive than buying fertilizers, but in the long-run, this is actually cheaper, since almost all of the kitchen wastes can be placed on the composter. Also, we help to reduce wastes that are brought to landfills because instead of throwing them away, we put them instead in our composters.

Through the years, manufacturers are able to come up with more sophisticated types of composters. A very good sample is the Earthmaker Composter. The Earthmaker Aerobic Composter is a three-stage composter that is able to segregate the fresh wastes, the digesting wastes, and the maturing wastes. People who have tried it give good reviews, and even comments that this composter limits untoward smells in the area.

Another new innovation, but I think this is more expensive, is Toilet Composting. The good side about this is that you get to conserve water, since the bulk of the waste from toilets is liquid components. With this, you get to recycle the water wastes.

There are, of course, other cheaper alternatives wherein you can compost your wastes. The important thing is, we do our role in helping to reduce wastes, and in helping to produce a greener environment.

New With Entrecard

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 03:38:00 +0000

You might notice that there is a new yellow widget posted on the right side of my homepage.

I have enrolled an account on Entrecard- a free blogging network that actually helps to build more traffic (or visitors) to your site.

Now, I have not yet fully understood what are the benefits that I can get from this, but so far, I am satisfied that I have gained more visitors because of this (I see the traffic because of my Live Traffic Feed widget installed on my homepage).

I do hope to understand more of this Entrecard program so that I can maximize whatever values that they can offer to me.

Hopefully, I will try to write the pros and cons so that I can also inform you about Entrecard.

TREKPAY

In another (but related) topic, I once posted that I also joined a PPC or Pay-per-click program, Trekpay, sometime in September of this year. The program may not create much income, but I do think the program is just okay for people who have ample time to go and visit advertisers' sites. I already earned at least $5. As I said, this is just small as compared to the other online money making programs but maybe for those of you who have more time, I believe you can earn more. The key in this program is "the more you click/visit, the more you earn credits". The credits will then be converted to its dollar value at the end of the week.

I will tackle more about this once my earnings is deposited on my paypal account.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Symbol of Hope

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 07:58:00 +0000

When you start to see pictures and/or advertisements of known personalities together with small children, chances are, these personalities will be running for a certain postition in a forthcoming election.

Maybe it's because we see the future in children. Maybe it's because what we do today will be the inheritance of our children.

Maybe it's because we see them as the hope of our nation. As our national hero once said, "The youth is the hope of our fatherland". They are the future leaders and citizens of our nation.

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The big news on politics today.... The COMELEC has released its decision allowing former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada to run for President in 2010.

Your Home Reflects Your Personality

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 07:20:00 +0000

Your Home Reflects Your Personality- and I daresay, that it is true. Over the years of observing people and their homes, I found out that a person's character is oftenly being reflected on their place of abode.

A perfect example would be my previous boss. We were not surprised to see his house with a minimalist design and pale color combinations because we know that at work, our boss is very simplistic, and avoids striking colors.

Another fine example is a distant relative who is known to be a nature-lover. She likes to be always in-touch with nature, and so she made it a point that her house is surrounded with beautiful landscapes of floral ornaments. To create a tranquil environment, she put Wind Chimes on her patio as accessories.

Really, it is very relaxing just sitting in her hammock surrounded by a beautiful garden while you get to hear the tranquil sound created by the Aluminum Wind Chimes whenever the gentle wind breezes. Indeed, her patio is always the visitors' favorite part of the house.

Of course, many of us already know what Wind Chimes are, but for some who are not familiar, wind chimes are made from suspended tubes, rods and other objects which are often made up of wood or metal. They are usually placed or hung outside houses and creates sounds due to the wind.

Though normally placed outside houses, our relative also placed Bamboo Wind Chimes inside her house. That is because bamboo wind chimes complement the interior design which is more on wood and earth colors. She was able to accessorize the bamboo wind chimes on doors for the Master Bedroom and the Guest room.

And her latest addition? Wind Chimes that are made up of sea shells! She said that she was able to acquire the sea shells wind chimes during one of her travel vacations in Boracay, Philippines.

Simple as it is, our relative's house is truly a wonderful place to live in. Indeed, it is not how costly your house, furnitures and accessories are. It is how you put life in your home by imparting your own personality in it.

Coming Soon

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:08:00 +0000

Folks, here are two of the important events that Filipinos will sure to watch out for this first half of 2010.

First is, of course, our pride Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao's match against welterweight Joshua Clottey on March 13 in Arlington, Texas.

The fight went about right after the highly-anticipated megabout between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. didn't push thru after failed negotiations from both parties.

Early on, Pacquiao is the heavy favorite over the virtually unknown but equally dangerous Clottey. But despite of this, Filipinos are still sure to cheer on and watch their favorite Filipino boxing icon floor down his opponent.

Immediately after the fight, Pacquiao's thoughts will immediately shift from sports to politics with the national elections coming in May 2010.

This brings us to our second important event- and that is the introduction of the Poll Automation on May.

Although the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) boasts that we will go into full automation, a lot of people are still apprehensive about it.

For one, the machines have not yet arrived. Smartmatic and Comelec has promised that the machines will arrive on February 2010 (this was originally scheduled to arrive on December 2009).

Political analysts see some problems regarding the Poll Automation:

1. Because the machines have not yet arrived, do officials still have time to inspect if the machines will work properly?

2. The teachers (who will officiate in the elections) were not yet oriented with the use of the machine; and/or with the new procedures on poll automation.

3. Most of the voters are still uneducated with the use of the machines- thus errors might happen during the election day. How do we fill up the form? What are we going to do if we want to change our votes (or can we still change our votes)? How do we submit the ballot in the machine, etc....

For these (and many other reasons), some people do have fear that there might be problems that will arise during the elections; or worse, failure of elections can occur in some areas.

But let us all hope that things will work out fine.

Above all, let us ensure to choose and vote only those people who deserve to be elected.

Blessed Beyond

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:18:00 +0000

Allow me and my wife to make a list of all the blessings that we have received last year and it wouldn't be so hard for us to write on the #1 spot.

Without question, the best we have received in 2009 (and even since we got married in 2008) is our daughter, Maegan Yessica Sarangaya-Agustin.

Maegan Yessica, or Meg, was born at 1:16 pm on the 17th of April 2009 at the Dr. Jesus Delgado Memorial Hospital in Quezon City.

Time and again, we always thank God in prayer for this wonderful gift to our marriage.

As we move on to more fruitful and challenging years on our marriage, we ask God to give us the strength and wisdom to make us good stewards in taking care of our beloved daughter.

Indeed, we say, We Are Blessed Beyond Measure!

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[He] is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us

-Ephesians 3:20

Laba + TV = Soap Opera

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 03:01:00 +0000

Grade three na yata ako noong una kami nagkaroon ng television set sa bahay.

Tandang-tanda ko yun dahil kasama ako ni Mama at ni Daddy na pumunta sa Raon para bilhin yung tv. 14 inches, kulay dilaw ang case, black and white. Wala pang remote control, kaya magtityaga ka talagang lumapit sa tv at magpihit para ilipat ang channel. Kaunti lang din ang options na panoorin dahil hanggang channel 13 lang ang pihitan.

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Kahit paano, naging saksi na rin ako sa evolution ng mga commercials sa ipinalalabas sa tv. Kagaya na lang halimbawa ng mga sabong panlaba, nagpapaligsahan ang Tide, Mr. Clean, Ola, Pride, at ang Superwheel.

Bareta pa noon ang uso, hanggang sa na-introduce na nga yung mga powdered detergents na mas kadalasang ginagamit na ngayon dahil ito ang compatible sa washing machine. Ngayon, wala ng Superwheel at Ola. Matanda na yata si Mr. Clean. May konti pa yatang Pride ang Pride, at namayagpag ang Tide sa kanilang lahat.

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Kasabay ng pag evolve ng commercials, syempre, ay ang pag-evolve din ng iba't-ibang palabas sa telebisyon.

Kung dati-rati ay english ang evening news at dapat eh mukhang kagalang-galang, gwapo at pormal na tao ang mga nagbabalita, ngayon ay tagalog na ang medium at hindi na requirement ang gandang lalake (ehem! exxxcuse me po!).

Nagbago na rin ang format ng mga variety shows. Hindi na uso sina Vilma, Nora at Ness. Na-tsugi na rin ang That's Entertainment ni Kuya Germs. Ngayon, ASAP at SOP na ang uso.

Kung meron man sigurong nanatili sa mukha ng television, ito ay yung tinatawag nating SOAP OPERA. Nagbago man ng pangalan (Koreanobela, Fantaserye, Teleserye at Teledrama), patuloy pa rin sa pagpapalabas ng mga soap operas (na kung minsan ay tinatawag din nating 'Tuluyan' dahil lagi ka nilang binibitin habang may nakasulat na 'Itutuloy....').

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Procter and Gamble (makers ng Tide at Ariel Detergent Soaps) daw ang nagpasimuno ng katagang SOAP OPERA nang i-produce nila ang pinaka-unang Soap Opera noong 1930s. Intended daw ang mga ganitong palabas o panoorin para sa mga nanay (o housewives) na nakikinig sa radyo o nanonood ng tv habang naglalaba. At noon daw 1949, nai-produce ng Procter & Gamble ang pinakaunang Soap Opera sa Pilipinas na nai-ere sa DZRH- Ang 'Gulong ng Palad'.

Marami nang pagbabago.

Colored na ang mga television. Remote-controlled, at may mga cable channels pa na pwedeng panooran. May flat at may plasma tv.

Pero hanggang sa ngayon, nananatiling mataas ang ratings ng mga soap opera.

Mahilig kasi ang Pinoy sa Drama.

Go Green

agustinjkg@yahoo.com (siyetehan) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 08:23:00 +0000

If there is one thing that we notice over the years whenever we come home to our ancestral house, it is the sudden increase of temperature around our surroundings.

Back when we were just children, we could enjoy the cold weather even during summer days. Today, however, we experience hot temprerature even during December and January when it is supposed to be cool. One sure reason for this is the continuing decline of plants and trees around us.

In fact, the only green that remains in our place right now is the improvised Lean To Greenhouse that our father has made about 5 years ago (for those of you who are wondering what lean to greenhouses are like, you can refer to the image on the left). We only have a little space, so my father just sort of tried to maximize the area by making a greenhouse that leans on our concrete backyard where he planted some easy-to-maintain ornaments.

WHY MAINTAIN GREENHOUSES ?

There are actually a lot of benefits when you maintain Garden Greenhouses in your surroundings.

First and foremost, we help reduce the global warming that most countries are experiencing right now. Due to the abrupt climate changes, there is really a need to plant more trees and plants in many areas in order to maintain the ecological balance.

Second, plants and ornaments help our home to become beautiful and presentable to others.

Third, and as a personal reason, my father really loves gardening. So maintaining a greenhouse in the garden gave him the opportunity to do the things he love to do, with no effort at all.

And fourth, rather than just planting on bare grounds, maintaining them inside greenhouses will help them be protected from too much heat and/or too much cold. Greenhouses also help keep animals and pests from destroying the crops.

GOING GREEN

For starters, you need not set up a full-length greenhouse, as you may find it difficult to maintain, especially if you still do not have an expertise in gardening.

You may opt to maintain a Cold Frame Greenhouse. This type of greenhouse is also perfect for gardeners with limited space. Even if cold frame greenhouses are small, there are certain types which carry the same features as those of large greenhouses, meaning, that they also maitain heat and moisture within.

So space isn't really the problem. When you have to will to go green, there are a lot of opportunities to do it.