Nowadays, you'll see me bonkers... I'm in the middle of launch season for SPAN, our latest offering. It's a CDMA based mobile technology, but we used landline based rates instead. This will alow you to make calls to landlines and within the SPAN network, unmetered. Better than a cellular phone wherein you're charged for every call you make, whether this be to a landline or another cellular phone. Brought to you by... BayanTel! =)

And from all indications so far, this is acceptable to the market. But we have to see how it performs in the long term...

That's why I am unable to keep up with my blog. I hope things will ease up soon...

Of brown outs, strong winds and rains...

I woke up this morning to a brownout here in Butuan City. Although brown outs are a common thing here, it was the first time for me to experience one so early in the morning. When I got to the office, I learned that strong winds toppled some electric poles, thus rendering some parts of the city without any electricity. And all the while I was feeling kinda lucky to be relocated to Butuan and escaped the wrath of Milenyo and power outages and no water, etc...

No way Jose! =(

Towards late afternoon, the wind grew even stronger, you can actually hear it blow all over, reminds me of the sound effects of the movie "Twister". But this one's for real! Oh, oh! Then the rains came and everything's drenched! When I got out of our office building to go home, the security guards told me that the wind blew off the glass panels, lucky no one got hurt.

Well, so much for Nature's fury...

Power's back on now and on a lighter note! =)

I was able to assemble the new flip up sights for my airsoft gun:

Full view, notice I removed the red dot sight:

Front flip up sight:

Rear flip up sight:

Hello Blog!

It's been a month since I sat down to write you. Been a crazy, busy September for me. Sorry, I took you for granted and didn't even try to sneak a few lines!

Went up the Masao River a few weeks ago to play airsoft, and boy, we had fun!

I made full use of my A2 and had good hits. But this picture will be your last view of the tubed barrel because I just had the look revised and this is how it is now:

I changed the front end to a fiber carbon quad rail, borrowed a foregrip and this is how it looks now. I'm doing away with the red dot sight too and will replace this with a pair of flip up sights. I will also replace the foregrip with a fodable one. I'll publish the picture of the finished product soon.

NOW LET'S TACKLE THE ROOT CAUSE- A campaign for PEACE

Hello blog,

I've reproduced a self-explanatory letter from the campaign for Ceasefire in the Middle East. Sign up if you want PEACE!

============================

Subject: Now let's tackle the root cause

Dear Friends,

Two weeks ago, over 300,000 of us from 150 countries came together to stop the war in Lebanon. Since we helped to achieve a fragile ceasefire there, we’ve received hundreds of emails from you suggesting that we continue our campaign by focusing on a root cause of problems in Lebanon and the region -- Israel/Palestine. Over a hundred civilians have been killed in this conflict over the last month, and strikes by both sides have residents caught in a desperate situation.

Images of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict have haunted our televisions for decades. Experts agree that the occupation of the Palestinian territories is a root cause of the war in Lebanon, has promoted tensions between Israel and the Arab world, and been a rallying cry for Islamic radicals who commit terrorist attacks on the US and other countries. And yet for years there has been no concerted effort or leadership to restart the peace process, despite some hopeful signs and opportunities. Please click below to call upon the UN Security Council, the Israeli Prime Minister, and the Palestinian President and Prime Minister to immediately implement a ceasefire in Israel/Palestine and re-launch a new and comprehensive peace process:

www.CeasefireCampaign.org

This is a moment of opportunity in the Middle East. The entire world’s attention is focused on the region, and world leaders like UK Prime Minister Blair and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan will be visiting in the coming days. In September, almost every world leader will be gathering in New York for a United Nations summit. US President Bush has moved quickly to focus all this attention on his agenda of a wider confrontation with Syria and Iran. We need to act quickly before this moment passes to direct attention towards the right objectives, and ensure that leaders at the UN Summit call for an immediate ceasefire and a new peace effort in Israel/Palestine. Please click below to sign our call to action and send your personalized message directly to key decision makers:

www.CeasefireCampaign.org

In calling for peace, we stand with ordinary citizens in both Israel and Palestine. Polling consistently shows that a majority of citizens in both places want peace based on a viable “two state” solution that would give Palestine independence and both countries security.If enough pressure is created, we could help to achieve a ceasefire in Israel/Palestine within days. Restarting the peace process will take more time, but we can take a first step by helping to get this issue higher on the international agenda…

With hope,

Ricken, Priscila, Tom, Alicia, and the rest of the Ceasefire Campaign Team.

The past three weeks have been a blur to me, barely had time to keep up with updating my blog, etc... However, despite the fast paced life I lead, I managed to squeeze in some interesting moments:

1) Ostrich Meat - I finally was able to eat, not taste mind you, eat ostrich meat. Grilled to well done, it tasted sooooo delicious! It has that beefy taste, but without any fat in it.

2) Three books in three days- Greatest Salesman In the World by Og Mandino, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, and Tuesdays with Morrie, again by Mitch Albom. Since I'm not a critic, I won't pretend to give an intelligent insight , but as a bookworm I GUARANTEE you won't regret reading them! Get your copies now!

3) Gawad Kalinga - I just came from a weekend of fun, building a house for some poor family as part of my company's outreach pragram. YES! we had fun and I don't mind going back again to build another one.

That's all folks!

Just one of some pictures that are truly amazing... click here for some more!

We won!

Yesssirrreee, the Sales Team that I manage was awarded a plaque for outstanding sales performance for the 2nd quarter of the year. We surpassed our sales target and achieved a whopping 158% vs the target set in terms of sales volume for DSL!

Manila I keep coming back to Manila...

I'm bound for Manila tomorrow for our First Half Sales Performance Report and Planning Session. This will be four days straight (starting Monday) and I will be away from my beloved blog. :-(

The good thing is that I'm up for some serious (hey Patty, note: SERIOUS) malling, hehe! After which I hope to catch Johnny Depp's Pirates, preferably at Gateway, with the free pop corn and stuff. :-)

Since I will be gone for a long stretch, you may visit this site and be entertained, until I come back... ENJOY! ;-)

Of Blog visitors and the joy I get from your visits...

It's really flattering to note that my blog has been visited by people from various parts of the Philpines, France, Canada, the United States, Australia, etc. Thank you my friends and may you come visit again! :-)

This is my airsoft team and the second guy from the rigth is our team leader, my gun smith and a deadly player. :-)

This was taken a couple of weeks ago when we played the jungles of Bonbon, an outskirt of Butuan.

My Rants, or should I say "si Patty ang may kasalanan"? Hehehe!

A few days ago, I commented on Patty's Blog on her topic "Come Rant With Me". And my rant was simply the lack of malls in Butuan, where I am now stationed. Seems pretty trivial for you urbanites, what with all the malls in your place. But not for me when I first arrived here.

I have therefore decided to expound on the advantages & disadvantages of living in a mid-level city like Butuan:

Advantages:
1) No Traffic- YEHEY!
2) Fresh Air
3) 10 to 15 minutes away from the beach - pero I seldom find time to go... :-(
4) Seafoods galore!
5) Cabgan Island -please check my previous post on this
6) Low standard of living- I get to economize
7) Rustic settings- pretty much like the Davao City I left 20 years ago
8) Swearing - I can swear in Cebuano all I want and people can actually understand me... Hehehe, when I was in Manila I get that "duh" look whenever I swear in my native tongue, if that's good or bad, beats me!
9) History - this place smacks of it: the Balanghay, etc...
10) Margie's Food for the Gods (if you know someone from Butaun, make sure you get this one as pasalubong, the taste is HEAVENLY, pun intended!) And also their: Banana Bread, Chocolate Chips, Oatmeal Chips, etc...

Disadvantages (ang babaw no?):
1) Inadequate malling opportunities
2) Last full show too early
3) Limited choice of flights (only in the morning, one of PAL & the other Cebu Pacific). And the two are both Manila bound.

That's it, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Living in Butuan is not that bad after all... come visit us!

My Sleep Pose is:

And it's described as:

Seatbelt Traits and Tendencies
After a long night of The Seatbelt pose (and Seatbelts do sleep close to ten hours a night, quite a bit longer than the typical seven and a half), couples wake feeling warm, safe, and uniquely free of doubt. Regular doses of the pose can elevate Seatbelters to a new level of personal confidence, which buoys them to great heights in love and at the gym and can lead to plum promotions and camera time.

Comfort Zone
The Seatbelt pose is in the Sun Sleeper family. Related Sun poses to try: The Heimlich and Classic Spoons.

Health Note
For some couples (about one in every fifteen), extended periods of The Seatbelt's patented "coziness" can lead to feelings of drugged complacency. If this happens to you, try switching to the Flying Bobs pose for as many nights as it takes to get the blood flowing again.

AND...

tah dah!

The world's

smallest website!

Have you ever had the experience of searching for websites on the Internet and end up with an error page (Error 404 -- Document not found.)?

Well, CLICK HERE for some fun!

HEY GUYS! I got a new site clock! :-)

Thanks to:

Free Hosted Scripts

Tid bits...



1) Napping cat- I chanced upon this napping cat and I couldn't resist taking a picture... interesting how it curled it's body....

2) Monday's done- Seems like only an hour ago that I woke up, and it's now quarter past 6 pm. And now that Monday's gone, it'll just be a matter of time (pun intended, haha!) before it's weekend already! :-)

3) Short Magazine- The short magazine for my A2 arrived today, good fit and makes my rifle easier to carry...

4) Site meters- I have three site meters: Cluster Map (which let's you see in a map the sites from where you blog is being viewed; Stat Counter (makes you see even the IP adresses of your site visitors); and Hit Counter (onsite counters which keeps you updated on the number of hits you get in your site). Talk about vanity!

This is the City Dog Pound's van, as you can see it's full of "stray dogs". I chanced upon it on my way to work last week. The dogs are caught using G.I. wires and I can't stand the pitiful moan of the dogs as they are dragged ino the van.

I can't fault the City Government in trying to keep this city clean, but I also pity the owners of these dogs for the time and effort they put into raising their pets... in the end, it's still a responsibility in keeping and having pets.

Have a laugh!

Weird Online Auctions

View from the red dot sight... note the red light in the middle of the scope. You don't need to align front and rear sight anymore...

The final set up, front sight removed... sleek!

Left side view, note mounting of the red dot sight

I will never get tired of Paul Simon's live version of:

(just click on the green arrow)

Still Crazy After All These Years

Top Ten What Struck Me Most in Riyadh:

I had a one year stint in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Yessiree! I did! I really did! And My Top Ten What Struck Me Most (not necessarily in that order) in Riyadh were:

1) Beso-beso time: The males there, whether they be Saudis, Lebanese, Jordanian, Egyptians or even the Indians, Pakistani, etc... would make beso (emphasis please!) with each other everyime they meet!

2) Public display of affection: Indians, Pakistanis, etc... had this habit of holdings hands while walking in public... male to male!

3) Luxury cars gone mad: It's not rare to see a Benz toploading a sheep... sayang ang oto, C class na Benz pa naman. :-(

4) 1 Riyal shawarmas: Yup, for 1 Riyal (or approx. Php14) you get a shawarma the size of a Frankfurter. And if you feel a little rich, try the 5 Riyal special and you'll have a feast! :-)

5) Cab drivers: In Riyadh, they're very honest. There was one time, I got lost in the maze of brick & mud buildings near Batha (a public place where Pinoys meet) but eventually after so much hand signs, shouting and cursing in Arabic (mok mafi! -ang bobo mo !) etc... I finally arrived at my destination, the cab driver actually returned part of my fare! HONEST! He really gave me back 10 Riyals! Must be the weather or something! :-)

6) Insha-Allah: God willing. Everyone there says that... Insha-Allah this, insha-Allah that. It's so abused that the dishonest ones commit or promise everything like paying debts, etc. Insha-Allah... and since they have already committed to God, we'll never know when they will actually pay! :-(

7) Broasted chicken: This is their equivalent to KFC... they do have KFCs there in Riyadh, but many people (including yours truly dahil kuripot ako!) would prefer the broasted chicken in the corner diner... yummy!

8) Indian Restos: Man, oh, Man! for 1 Riyal you get to have a couple of Mesalas (bread) and FREE fish curry sauce, busog ka na. And for 1 Riyal more, you get bottled water. A full meal may cost you about 3 Riyals (FOREX then was Php14 to 1 Riyal). You should try out the fish curry, grabe sa anghang!

9) Batha: It's shoppers paradise, you'll find everything in that place INCLUDING the fake items! Levi's, perfumes, Ray Bans, name it, it's there!

10) Water: It's true, water cost more expensive than gasoline... a liter of gasoline is about 90 halala, while a regular sized bottled water (less than 1 liter) is about 1 Riyal or more depending on the brand...

Had fun at airsoft the whole weekend! Pistol fight in a close quarter battle scenario on Saturday and back to the good old junkyard this afternoon... made good use of my A2 and maneuvered at lot. But most importantly, I learned more on team work, strategies and most of all, PATIENCE! :-)

You want to have a few laughs? Click on this link:

King Features Comics Online

Have FUN! :-)

The scope's in... YEHEY! See how sleek it's becoming? We'll remove the front sight tomorrow and everything's done!

Musings...

The Historian
Last March I visited Fully Booked's branch at The Gateway in Araneta Center and picked up The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Sadly, even though I am a voracious reader, I couldn't go beyond the first few chapters... but I'll try though to catch up on the reading, if and when! :-(

New Rifle set up
We've started to revise the external set up of my A2 rifle, had a bull barrel installed, but had to put back in the front sight and the carry handle until after my red dot sight arrives! Then it will all be flat, except for the scope, giving it a sleek look:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

And it will eventually look like this:

(how I wish!)

Ironic...

A rainbow at the end of the day...

During certain times in my life, when I am burdened with so much problems, a rainbow appears and a little while later, my problems seem lighter and I am able to think straight to solve them. This does not happen often, but only on occasions when the situation seems helpless.And I take this as a sign that God is looking over me and sends these signs to tell me all will be well!

Well today is such a day. A rainbow appeared amid the dusky sky on my way home from work. I'm now sure that certain decisions I made these past few days were right and that I am well on my way to better situations! You see, the past few weeks have been very trying for me, what with both personal and work pressure bearing down on me. And I have to make some difficult choices.

Why should it appear at dusk? The colors would be muted as it vainly tries to overcome the creeping darkness, making it difficult to find the colors. But that's precisely it! Amidst all the troubles in life, one just have to look around to find that there's redemption from these troubles after all!

I am not superstitious, mind you, but during my life's journey I have felt God's hand touching my life and making sure that I am able to solve the problems that beset me. And He sends a sign to prove it! ;-)

A year ago, I wrote this poem during an emotional difficulty, pardon me if you find the prose poor:

Untitled
240505

I walk the lonesome road,
Leaving behind the mem’ries of our happy moments,
Haunted by your mirth that always eased my troubles;

I walk its twist & turns, this lonesome road,
Trying to unease my loneliness in dark places,
Only to fail, again & again, happiness never served there;

I trudge on, with nary a’soul in my midst,
The by-ways deserted, no laughter can I hear,
No love thus shared;

Yet I have to carry on with this forlorn journey,
Seems there’s nothing to go back to,
And there’re only our memories too painful to recall;

Yet, if I come upon a fork, I will choose neither side,
Nor will I continue the journey,
‘til I am sure that I am forgiven of that which caused me to be forsaken;

Forgiveness gained, happiness sustained,
Lonesome never will the road be,
And the sun will shine this way again.

I am truly sorry…

With the advent of technology being a superhero becomes rather difficult!
Comic courtesy of:

King Features Syndicate

You've got to see...

50 Dumbest Rock-Star Extravagances

Today is the Philippines' Independence Day, all 108 years of them!

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

So, what have we as a country accomplished in 108 years?

Also today, my siblings and I observe our mother's 20th death anniversary. Ironic, she departed on Independence Day, finally free from all of this world's worries and troubles. I know you're praying for us Ma... thank you!

Ah, independence! During my College years, I always wished for an "independent life"... so here I am now, independent and single and ... so much for independence!

Why I like Jason Mraz:

Sleep All Day

Which would you rather use?

Remember my M15A2? Well, we upgraded its internals the other week: spring (to PDI190), cylinder (teflon) and completely sealed the air nozzle ( so that the air pressure will push the pellets farther and stronger)... :-)

I made my first verified kill last Sunday, but today I put the gun into good use and I did five hits, emptying five magazines (300 pellets per mag), and had fun the whole afternoon! :-)

I lifted this from Patty Laurel's blog... so if you see that menu on the upper right hand corner of the blog's page that says: "NEXT BLOG >>" click on it right away, you'll never where it will lead you! Me? I ended up in this pretty gal's blog and saw the following:

www.chucknorrisfacts.com

Ten Facts About Chuck Norris:

• Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried. Ever.
• Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.
• Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs. The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain.
• If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can't see Chuck Norris, you may be only seconds away from death.
• Chuck Norris has counted to infinity. Twice.
• Chuck Norris does not hunt because the word hunting implies the probability of failure. Chuck Norris goes killing.
• Chuck Norris' blood type is AK+. Ass-Kicking Positive. It is compatible only with heavy construction equipment, tanks, and fighter jets.
• Chuck Norris is 1/8th Cherokee. This has nothing to do with ancestry, the man ate a fucking Indian.
• In fine print on the last page of the Guinness Book of World Records it notes that all world records are held by Chuck Norris, and those listed in the book are simply the closest anyone else has ever gotten.
• There is no chin behind Chuck Norris' beard. There is only another fist.
  

I like the creativity (can I use this term?) of the last one, hehehe!

An inspiring prose about the Dawn...

An angel, robed in spotless white, bent down and kissed the sleeping Night, Night woke to blush; the sprite was gone, Men saw the blush and called it Dawn.
-Paul Laurence Dunbar

This, my friends, is how my rifle will look like!

I am gaga over Airsoft. This particular picture was taken on the morning I first used my M15A2 (the one I'm holding in the picture). And boy, oh, boy! I had fun, for two straight days!

This is Cabgan Island, which is located off Surigao Sur. It is practically uninhabited, save for a couple of families trying to ekk out a living tending to the coconuts there for copra. I visited the place back in Feb. '05 and haven't had the chance to return. Compared with the commercialism that is Boracay, this place is where you can really get away from it all. So bring your backpack, with the waves pounding the beach to lull you to sleep, and the stars overhead to give you a spectacular show!

*** To get there your take off is the Municipality of Barobo in Surigao Sur, where you can rent a pumpboat for about P500.00 roundtrip (you have to check though if the bankeros will stay overnight). By the way, Barobo is near San Francisco, Agusan Sur, where an overnight stay in an inn will cost you less than a thousand bucks. The city nearest San Francisco is Butuan City, where they have two daily rountrip flights, one via PAL and the other Cebu Pacific.

For you my love these words:

If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand.

I do not regret that we met only now, instead I rejoice because I have been given the chance to express my love. And if I were to live life again, I will hasten to the moment that I first met you... and celebrate! Because no matter what the situation might be at that moment I will love you!