With the entry of the New Year, you expect people to make new year's resolutions and a nice resolution especially for me would be to eat healthier food choices.
I am delighted to have finally dined in STK ta Bay sa Paulito's Seafood House in 6 Orchid St., Capitol Site Cebu City, walking distance from Cebu Doctor's Hospital.
They offer delicious seafoods and among their specialties is the very delicious Baked Scallops and Tuna Panga.
They have big savings at a very reasonable cost. Not only the servings but with their baked scallops, the plate contained enough scallops to satisfy one's craving.
They also have crispy hot calamares like in the picture below:
They also have dishes which are shrimp-based like gambas and shrimp sinigang.
For 3 dishes, we only spent around P550 and we were full. And we even have not tested the other Filipino dishes like tinolang manok bisaya, tinola and sinigang isda as well as kinilaw and also I heard they also have yummy "kilawin". All of these are expected since after all STK stands for 'Sinugba, Tinuwa and Kinilaw'.
On the outside, you would not think it is a place for dining if you have not seen the signboard telling one that it is STK Ta Bay.
Inside, the atmosphere is "homy" for I think the place was actually a well-maintained house in the midst of a residential area. It is filled with antique collections and in the entrance, you can see photos of celebrities who dined there posing with probably the owner of the place. One gets the idea that a lot of people do eat in STK Ta Bay.
Getting a reservation is advisable before actually going to the place as many frequent the place to eat lunch and dinner. The contact numbers are 2562700 or 2534732.
I thought the day would end well for me. I attended the CIM Alumni Day, had good food, learned that my wife after an operation will be discharged and almost won the CIM Alumni Scholarship for children raffle draw (except that I have no child yet so even if my name was the first actually called, having no child disqualified me from the said raffle.)
So we went home and my wife could finally relax....but going home at an already dark 6PM, we found out the lights won't turn on. The TV does not work. The fan the same. Brownout? But all the neighbors' lights are on and working fine.
Investigating further by going outside, this was what I have discovered...
How thoughtful of the criminals, they were kind enough to put electric tape at the end of the cut wires (150 meters long according to Veco).
The result? Brownout, inconvenience and a feeling of being unsafe, unsecure because of the knowledge that the barbed wire was intentionally bent and the electric cable connecting the post to our residence cut.
Being a CSI, NCIS and other crime TV series that I was, I took pictures of the "crime scene" including portions of the wall that were chipped, disturbed soil and even this nearby scene very near the wall where many "habal-habal" drivers hangout in Guadalupe...
I did not post all the pics here but anyway, I showed all the pics I took to the police station where I reported the incident initially.
A cop assigned at the frontdesk took my statement. Looked at the pictures and wrote a lengthy entry at his logbook and you what he said in the end when he was finished jotting down what I said? (I was waiting for him to say, ok let's go to your house and I'll take a look then I was expecting him also to tell his companion, "Grab your gear" like what NCIS' Gibbs does.
But I was disappointed when the cop instead said, "I'm sorry sir but we can only record the incident as a police blotter which you can use when you have the electric line fixed and the power returned.... But you need to pay at City Hall, get the receipt and return here so we can give you a typewritten police report."
But it is a Saturday so there was no City Hall.
The frontdesk cop added, "If you caught someone in the act of doing a crime like stealing, then you can call us. "
Yeah, that's encouraging.
Last time before the recent barangay elections, I reported a past incident of a teenager entering the gate of the house unlawfully and stealthily so I told him my suspicion that the aforementioned teenager is a "nubain" user and the tanods said, "Yah, there are a lot in your area who indeed uses nubain. There was even this child who is a known theft but we cannot arrest them because of this particular law, blah blah."
Why can't authorities do something about this?
I asked the PDEA or Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency but they said they cannot act nubain users specifically because "nubain" is not under their jurisdiction.
In the Buena Hills-Guadalajara area, laptops, wires, grills are being stolen almost every week. Government officials, we should not wait before a life is stolen too out of their criminal actions and drug-controlled minds.
Nubain abuse and stealing other people's property should be put to a stop.Cops should act like investigators and law enforcers, not as mere secretaries or clerks. Clerks don't scare criminals.
Every time Fr. Joey Faller visits Cebu to celebrate a Healing Mass, I make it a point to attend. Way back when I was still in Quezon, I am already familiar with Fr. Joey. But he was not a well-renowned healing priest then.
Today, November 19 at around 6:30 PM, a Healing Mass will be held with Fr. Faller as celebrant at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish here in Guadalupe, Cebu. This is sponsored by the Amor Dei Charismatic Community as in the previous healing masses.
I invite my friends to bring their sick relatives to Guadalupe Church tonight.
The healing masses held in Guadalupe are relatively well-organized and because of the big venue, it is not too crowded as in other parish venues. The sick are given color-coded heart-shaped cartolina to pin on their shirt corresponding to the type of illness that they have.
Experience the healing power of our Lord through HIs instrument, Fr. Joey Faller.
This season is a very exciting one with interesting storylines.
Of course, the main story is the Miami Heat where you have the Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh joining forces.
Some tagged them to break the winning record of the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls but on their first game of the season, they experienced defeat in the hands of the previous Big Three of Boston.
Another interesting story to follow is how the Cavs will fare minus Lebron.
Then you have the return of Yao Ming in Houston, the Phoenix Suns minus Amare, The New York Knicks with Amare, the emergence of Durant, the New Jersey Nets under new management and coach and many more.
Still, the favorites to win the NBA finals trophy are the Lakers. Just imagine, a team with Kobe, Gasol, Bynum and Artest added with quality players like Matt Barnes, Theo Ratliff and Steve Blake. You have an even stronger defensive team.
The Magic and Celtics will surely try their best to unseat the Lakers.
The Celtics have a healthy Kevin Garnett and a strong bench in Robinson, Daniels, JO, Wafer and Davis.
The Magic will not settle for anything less than a championship trophy.
And don't forget the Spurs who on their first game showed they still can have a fighting chance in probably the last season for Duncan, Ginobili and Parker together. It appears that finally Richard Jefferson has adjusted although it's still the first game.
I pity Steve Nash though because his team got a downgrade with Turkoglu replacing Amare.
So these are just some of the reasons to follow the NBA this season. Of course I have to closely follow the results so I could win my fantasy basketball tournament. Enjoy!
Even if it just for an hour, sitting inside a plane for a domestic flight from Cebu to Manila for example is just boring. There are no videos to watch and there is nothing to read except the airline magazine which becomes outdated when you travel several times in a month.
Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the in-flight entertainment...an "educational" dance number featuring the Cebu Pacific Dancing Flight attendants demonstrating through interpretative dance no less than the flight safety procedures!
First were the Dancing traffic enforcers, then the Dancing Inmates of Cebu, and now we have the Dancing Flight attendants.
The Dancing Flight Attendants looks like a good idea. Perhaps it will be nice to have Dancing Firemen to entertain the uziseros during blazes. Or the Dancing Emergency Room physicians and nurses to help relieve the patients' symptoms or lower the blood pressure perhaps. Or the Dancing Hostage Negotiators or the Dancing Special Operations Assault Team to divert the hostage takers' attention.
We could also have Dancing Fire Safety lectures or Dancing First Aid demonstrations.
So now since we have Dancing Flight attendants, a new requirement has been added for aspiring flight attendants...A dance demonstration video together with the resume. Well, actually I don't really know if there is that particular requirement. But I do know that in between flight schedules, the flight attendants are spending time practicing their dance steps.
I can't wait to hear of the next dancing professional.
Did you know that the Philippine Medical Association issued a resolution urging its members to set an example by not smoking?
According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, "In a resolution Friday, the PMA “prohibited” smoking among its members and enjoined all other medical practitioners not to smoke." It even encouraged the public to report doctors who were smoking.
Members violating the resolution, according to the said report, would be subject to penalties provided for in the association’s rules.
PKD Awareness is going fullblast in the United States. Even their Congress started to provide funds for PKD research which is really good news for PKD patients globally.
This is not the case in the Philippines.
Not many people are aware that this disease exist. It can affect your family member, your neighbor your friend your love one.
Below is a video which gives us important information about PKD.
Spread the word about PKD. Spread the message of hope.
The latest of my favorite NBA2K series is coming soon. This time, it will have for its cover the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan.
In past NBA 2Ks or even other like NBA computer games, Jordan was not among the players even though we know that everyone wishes to have Micheal Jordan in their virtual team.
2K Sports has just revealed that a new game mode called the Jordan Challenge is added to give fans a chance to be Mike in his past legendary greatest games as member of the Chicago Bulls.
Of course, you still have the very nice signature moves and graphics that an NBA 2K game provides. I can't wait to defeat the Miami Heat team in NBA 2K11.
After Starcraft, I am sure many will go crazy with this next NBA2K Sports offering.
September is one of my favorite months particularly in relation to the women in my life...the women I love.
September 8 is the day, two of my women were born. These 2 are both my current number ones. Yes I am having them as number 1 at the same time and I'm proud of it.
One of the two is Mama Ivy. I think it was destiny that brought us to one another.
I did not know yet that I had PKD when I courted her then. It turned out I had PKD and it so happened she was a hemodialysis unit nurse! God really works in mysterious ways.
Even with the knowledge that I had PKD, mama Ivy accepted me still. She keeps me strong in all aspects despite the challenges of having PKD and I thank her for that.
The other woman is....... Mama Mary.
With her intercession, I have been receiving blessings from God in my life. I believe it is no coincidence that Mama Mary and Mama Ivy have the same birthdays. It is God and Mama Mary's way of saying they are watching over me through Ivy.
September 9 is my Mama Ana's death anniversary. The date suggested that a day before Sept. 9 (the day when she left this earth), she is entrusting me to my wife Ivy who was born a day before September 9. She may have died due to complications of PKD 29 years ago but to this day, I can feel her influence and presence on me.
She was my hands-on teacher in my early prep school and grade school days. And now I am carrying her zeal for teaching in guiding future medical doctors, medical technologists and nurses.
I became a doctor because of her because back then it was not known that she had PKD. All we know is she had renal stones.
The kid in me still misses how she would bond with me by cooking my favorite food, watching Sesame Street, Voltes V and Daimos with me and accompanying me to field trips. Perhaps that is why I am fond of watching cartoons till now.
September 25 is my ate Nena's birthday. She got her real name from a combination of my Lola and mama Ana's birthday. She too has PKD but she always think of our family and ensures that we are doing well. Pure selfless concern for her family and fellowmen. I am lucky to have her as my sister.
So there you have it. Now you know the women in my life.
Their birth is indeed a celebration of life.
Even my mama Ana's death years ago is a celebration of life. For without risking her life despite her PKD to bring me into this world, I would not have been born.
Thank you Mama Ivy, Mama Ana, Mama Mary and Ate Nena. Happy Birthday and may God bless you a millionfold.
One does not even need to be a policeman to see the mishandling by the police of the hostage crisis in Quirino Grandstand yesterday. Heck, a computer gamer or a movie buff perhaps could have handled the situation better than the so-called SWAT or negotiating team.
What the incident revealed is that (sad to say) our country's law enforcement is not ready to handle hostage situations like yesterday's. It's a shame. And to think, the victims were from Hongkong. We can expect bad consequences for our country tourism-wise especially of the recent arrests of some Filipinos caught carrying illegal drugs to and from Hongkong. (Ang laki na ng atraso natin sa Hongkong.)
It does not help that the hostage-taker was a former high-ranking police official. This is not helping the police's image at all. Allegations of torture, rubout and the like have plagued the local police force in recent times. Tsk tsk tsk. Some would even say the Philippine National Police should be called the "Pulpol na Pulis" or "Palpak na Pulis".
Nobody wants this for the police. There are some good men in the force. But what is evident though is the police lack equipment, proper training and preparation especially for crisis such as this. As I said, it would appear that those watching movies with hostage scenes or those playing Counterstrike and other similar games may even be "better-trained"!
Where is the media lockdown? Every move by the police can be seen by the hostage-taker in real-time.Where's the element of surprise therefore?
The crowd control? The flashbang? The equipment for intel? The intel itself? Nobody studied about what the bus had? The features? That the windows were not ordinary glass? That the bus had TV? That there were other ways to open that bus? That the SWAT team should move swiftly?
Why did the hostage-taker have access to other persons besides the negotiator?
There was one time that the hostage-taker was by the bus door. Several news photos show this. The photographers had a clear shot. Opportunity also for a clear disabling shot by snipers with the hostages out of harms way. End of story. No fatalities.
But it had to end on a bloodbath.
Tear gas was everywhere but the assault team had no protective masks!
There was the "maso" but the window did not break at once. Few moments were wasted and with each attempt to break on the window and for each failed attempt to open the bus door, several lives were wasted. One mother who survived the ordeal saw his husband being shot. She lost at least two of her children also in the tragedy.
In a day that could have been fun for them turned tragic.
I am sure this hostage drama will be featured in global television as one of the worst cases of hostage handling just like the hostage situation in one of the past Olympics. This may even end up in one of National Geographic's programs like "Seconds to Disaster" or something.
I feel for the victims and the families who lost their loved ones in this unfortunate incident. I do not blame the Hongkong authorities to be angry.
News reports have mentioned that as the hostage situation unfolded, Hongkong embassy officials were left in the dark since no police official was there to be with them and brief them of the situation. The officials had to rely on information from reporters.
The scene of the hostage was like a movie set. The events as they happen were like scenes from an suspense-thriller-action movie. It was a global box office hit...
I wished Lito Lapid could have done one of his stunts...jumped toward the bus making a somersault and firing a gun in mid-air with the bullet hitting a knife held on the other hand dividing the bullet into...one bullet hitting the hostage-taker's hand disarming him and the other bullet hitting the hostage-taker somewehere else to disable him.
As the smoke cleared, the "movie" ended. It was an ending like no other. Even bloodier than Kill Bill.
There was no Keanu Reeves or Bruce Willis to save the bus passengers.Some of the hostages lay down lifeless.
It turns out it's the police force who needs saving...
Out of the 40 who took the exam from Cebu Institute of Medicine (CIM), 40 passed! That's again 100% for CIM compared to the 69.43% national passing rate (1,597 out of 2,300).
Wow! As a medical teacher, it feels good! All the planning, facilitating, testing and mentoring bearing fruit
capped by a place in the top 7 of one examinee. Paul Vincent Co. Congrats also to the whole batch who took the board exams.
Below is the top 10 successful examinees:
CHITRA DEEPAK PUNJABI UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 89.42
PERCY GUANZON BALDERIA UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA - 89.00
NIKKI DOREEN SO ANGBUE TE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 88.33
GWENALYN GAIL CAPISTRANO GARCIA UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST RAMON MAGSAYSAY MEM MEDICAL CTR. 88.17
JAMES PHILIP GARCES ESTEBAN UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA - 87.92
MICHAEL CONRAD LUZ TONGOL UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 87.83
PAUL VINCENT TIO CO CEBU INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE - 87.75
KAREN DE VILLA HERNANDEZ UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA - 87.67
KRISTIANNE EMMANUELLE RAYO BAGAOISAN UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 87.50
ROZELLE JADE RAMIREZ JAVIER UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 87.42
Now here comes the NDM-1 gene or the New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1.
This so-called NDM-1 gene was first identified last year in two types of bacteria -- Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli.
These bacteria with the NDM-1 gene are scary for they are resistant to carbapenems.
With air travel and the fact that this gene was found in plasmids which can be transferred from one bacteria to another, the bug has a potential to really spread.
On the lighter side, just this morning I read this from the sports section of a local newspaper. It's in the Cebuano dialect. It is taking about a basketball team with a player returning from "chicken fox".
"Ang Warriors, nga aduna nay walo ka mga magduduwa sa pagbalik ni Jun Cantonao gikan sa pagkasakit og chicken fox, nakakombati pa’g insakto sa nag-unang duha ka quarters."
See the word "chicken fox"?
Do not be scared. It's not a new bug that turns chicken to foxes although if it will be a name for a disease, it sounds more dreadful than chicken pox. Imagine? Having "chicken fox"? Better to have chicken pox than chicken fox, right?
Anyway, I think what the writer really wanted to write was "chicken pox" although it is not known if he really thought it was called "chicken fox".
The original CIM Hymn was made by Dr. Rene Sitoy, a CIM alumnus and the original song was preserved in a recording made in an old cassette tape kept by the school.
Listening to the original recording, you would hear a single male singer delivering the lines of the song in its entirety accompanied by instruments which you can easily determine to be that used in the music recordings of the past. The song was quite long as the whole lyrics were sang twice, plus a coda part (if I remember it correctly).
Anyway, it was around the end of 2006 or start of 2007 and Cebu Institute of Medicine (CIM) was about to celebrate its 50th year. Preparations were all under way but something was missing...
Flashback during the early elementary days...Everytime there was a flag ceremony in the University of San Carlos Girls High and Boys High where I spent some of my early years, the USC Hymn was always played and sang. Everytime there is an event, the USC Hymn was sang.
Going back to the present...I still memorize the USC Hymn even if I was not a graduate of the said university.
I also noticed how my University of the Philippines professor for Masters in Health Professions Education subjects (Dr. Nem Fajutagana) beamed with pride whenever the "UP Naming Mahal" was played in his laptop. He would even let us hear it using his speaker.
I said to myself it would be nice to have a definite identity for the school, a theme or hymn that will showcase the school's pride...a song an alumni will feel like singing announcing to the world that he is an alumni of the school.
Before, the original CIM Hymn was seldom played even on occasions. (USC Hymn was even played daily why not our own school hymn during events?)
There was already this original CIM Hymn by Dr. Sitoy. It was truly a nice song with meaningful lyrics. But it was not easily reproducible since it was on cassette tape and was quite long to be played after the national anthem. The instruments also need to be updated to the times to appeal to the younger generation.
Thus the idea of a new arrangement for the CIM Hymn was born.
I suggested to the administration the plan for a new arrangement in time for the launch of the Golden Jubillee. I asked for their permission and financial support to rearrange and record anew the song by Dr. Sitoy. And they approved. I saw the beauty of the melody and the lyrics of the song and in respect for Dr. Sitoy, I did not alter the lyrics and the melody per se although there were still modifications to fit the times.
I went to a music studio and told them what I envisioned the song to sound like. The USC Hymn, Lupang Hinirang and UP Naming Mahal were actually the inspiration behind the arrangement.
I wanted it to be something that doesn't sound like a march but is actually a march with an accompanying orchestra of sorts and variations in the volume of the instruments during transitions. I did not want it to be too slow a march but not also too fast as in the original tempo of the Lupang Hinirang.
Like the USC Hymn, I wanted it to be solemn with flowing moments gradually building up to the climax of the song where the tempo is slower, deliberate but more powerful. (I did not have a proper formal Music education and training so forgive me for my use of musical terms).
I was working with the owner of the music studio figuring out the best mix. Luckily, the music studio got what I wanted after experimenting with various sounds and music with the synthesizer. We finally just got the proper mix. The minus one was ready and all I need is to assemble the group of singer-doctors. I got enough people to sing the song.
The "choir" members for the Hymn were me (Dr. Narciso Tapia), Drs. Shawn and Jackie Espina, Dr. Manuel Emerson Donaldo, Dr. Irelan Amores (now Evasco), Dr. Karen Batoctoy, Dr. Maryliz Ferolino (now Tejano) and Dr. Nelipta Lim.
Practices were held to master the song including the voicing which yours truly also made up. In the part which says "The richness of your vision...", I deliberately had the female voices serve as background dividing them into soprano and alto.
The recording part was fun. It was actually my first song to be recorded in a music studio. (Finally, one of my dreams fulfilled even if it is not a commercial music recording!) We looked like professional recording artists! Too bad, I was not able to take pics.
We had these big microphones and those things you put in the ears to block extraneous noise and to hear your own voice and the minus one as you sing. It was my first music recording and it will be part of history so in a way, it is better than a commercial song.
Now listen to the CIM Hymn and pay attention to the number of singers you can hear. Guess the number of people who actually sang...and listen to the voicing in the end.
Guessed already how many choir members during the actual recording?
Didn't I already tell you we were just 6? Magic, right?
That's the beauty of modern technology. The studio can multiply your voice severalfold so it would appear you are a choir of more than 20 when in fact, there were only 6 of us. Dr. Donaldo and yours truly both acted as bass and tenor at the same time thanks to technology also.
Notice the overlapping of different wordings?
In the last part which says, "Source of pride and inspiration", I had me and the guys chant aloud C-I-M, C-I-M" while simultaneously sounding like soldiers singing in a different timing "Source of pride and inspira-shun". Also going to the finale, you will notice as the words, "Your truly our one and only CIM" was sung, "My one and only CIM" was also in the background.
In the finale, I saw to it that the different voices for the last "C-I-M" will be sung in a prolonged manner and the music will really be climactic.
So I hope, CIM alumni will like this CIM hymn version and will play it each time there is a CIM-related event or celebration. Sing it wholeheartedly and with pride. Go CIM!
Going to Mass does feel refreshing...spiritually nourishing. I can't explain it but it makes me feel good the rest of the day. Despite problems, PKD symptoms, the many things to do and the challenges of work, I feel somewhat calm.
I started again to attend mass on weekdays just this week at the Velez Hospital chapel. My former classmate in medical school, Fr. Alfonso Suico celebrates the mass on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30 noontime.
I used to go to Mass everyday as an altar boy from Grade 5 to 4th year high school. That meant waking up early at 5 AM, going to church wearing already my school uniform and bringing already my schoolbag which in the Philippines means bringing a "baggage" filled with textbooks and notebooks.
It took a lot of sacrifice on my part. My job then was to check the altar boy assignments and see if the assigned "mass server" "sakristan" or "altar boy" is present. If the assigned altar boy was absent I took his place. If everybody's present, I get the guitar from the nuns and provide the guitar accompaniment to the mass.
I got to have breakfast afterwards at the parish rectory or the sister's convent. As an altar boy, I was able to try various Filipino dishes during May when everyday is a feast day in Candelaria since all chapels within the Parish's jurisdiction hold Masses everyday. But of course, it's the spiritual benefits that matter the most.
From the altar boys or Knights of the Altar group during our time, a lot entered the priesthood although I did not know how many ended up as a priest except for one, Fr. Jojo Cantos. Going to masses then taught me discipline and provided me spiritual guidance.
Then reaching college until recently, I only attend Masses during Sundays.
But now I'm back to attending Masses and receiving the Holy Communion on weekdays too and I am glad I did. I even get to reprise my sakristan or altar boy role of ringing the bell chimes during the consecration and doing the readings. Having PKD is not easy and somehow the masses keep me strong spiritually, emotionally. If we need food for our stomach everyday, so does our soul.
I am inviting everyone to partake of the spiritual lunch during the Monday, Tuesday and Thursday Mass in the CVGH (Velez) Chapel. It's free.
This is the question that boxing fans are starting to ask as Floyd Mayweather Jr. remains quiet whether he will accept an offer to fight Pacquiao this November going past the deadline set by Bob Arum for him to respond.
Bob Arum is set to pursue talks for a Pacquiao fight against either Miguel Cotto or Antonio Margarito.
Too bad, there appears to be no obstacle for the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight prior to this development. Arum though is still leaving a small window open for Mayweather though even offering a possible explanation why Mayweather is not yet fighting Pacquiao.
Roger Mayweather, Floyd's uncle and trainer is said to be busy in relation to his upcoming trial where he is accused of assaulting a female boxer according to some reports.
Reasons, reasons. I am not buying it. Boxing fans want the Mayweather-Pacquiao match to happen. Not agreeing to this fight, damages Mayweather's reputation further. Even if Mayweather remains unbeaten, he needs to beat Pacquiao in order to be considered truly legendary someday.
And now a recent article (dated July 27) by Yahoo sports analyst for boxing Kevin Iole...Mayweather exposed as chicken.
Recently, a typhoon locally named "Basyang" hit Metro Manila and many parts of Luzon in the Philippines plunging affected areas to the "Dark Ages". Imagine... no electricity, no internet connection, no cellphone signal... Waaah!
Good thing the typhoon did not hit Cebu although we also experienced brownouts here a consequence of the summer drought perhaps.
Anyway, I am online now and I just wanted to share what I learned recently from various websites regarding the sue of Google Alerts.
Before, I did not realize Google Alerts' potential for increasing blog traffic. I just know that it pays to be active in online forums, comments, sections and discussions for these sites give you a chance to have your blogs known when you make meaningful comments on these sites and use as your signature of sorts, your own blog address or URL.
I forgot the source but I read somewhere in the net that one can use Google Alerts to target the sites where you would make comments on -- sites that are in the same niche as your blogs or sites with the same topics of interest as yours. In this way, you become popular in your own niche.
So what are you waiting for? Try signing up for Google Alerts.
Choose a search term. Choose the type of online content (news, blogs, videos, discussions) related to your your search term that you want to be alerted to. Then have the alert delivered to your feed through Google reader instead to your email. Create the alert and edit or manage your alerts as needed. You can have alerts for several search terms.
Read your alerts using Google Reader then choose the sites (example: those belonging to your niche) where you want to say something then affix your blog URL as your signature. Voila! Then wait for your blog traffic to gradually increase.
Lebron James decided to join Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. The self-proclaimed king made this formal announcement in an ESPN special.
Wade and Bosh teaming up is already fine for me.
Wade may be considered by many as less talented than Lebron but the former is a proven winner who carried the Heat to the championship even with a not-so-stellar cast.
Bosh has good stats and could be counted on for points and rebounds. Wade and Bosh teaming up (for some) may not really guarantee a championship but I know the two of them will have a harmonious relationship as teammates which will make the Heat a title contender.
On the other hand Lebron already had a good supporting cast in Cleveland last season but he disappeared during the Celtics series. The self-proclaimed king let his teammates down during that time leaving the Cavs in the cold.
Now he is leaving the Cavs for good.
Lebron's ego also may be too big that it could pose problems to the team chemistry of his new team.
I want Miami to be Wade's team not Lebron's. I would have wanted Lebron to be on the side opposite Wade's.
But Lebron chose the easy way to a championship. And even if he wins a championship with Bosh and Wade he will never get the credit for getting it. He will never have the same winning legacy as Jordan or Kobe because of this move.
I love Thai food. But eating in restaurants serving Thai cuisine may be expensive. Not anymore.
Mae Krua is a simple little restaurant which offers affordable but delicious Thai dishes that rival those served in formal and expensive Thai restaurants.
During a "despedida" get-together for a friend who in the coming days will travel to the United Kingdom, we had a nice and sumptuous dinner there at Mae Krua.
Reserving the top floor of the place was easy with its friendly staff. The place has a Thai feel with various items coming from Thailand and framed photographs that showcase anything Thai.
Looking at the menu, there is a wide selection to choose from.
I particularly like the Tom Yum Goong, a soup or broth made of prawns and various spices that I don't find in native Filipino dishes. I like the mix of flavors which can really be appreciated because the soup is not too spicy hot.
Tom Yum Goong
Another best seller is their Bagoong (Shrimp Paste) Rice although I have to content myself with watching my friends enjoying their rice since being a PKD patient, I am not allowed to eat food with a relatively high salt content.
Bagoong Rice
They have fish-based, chicken-based and pork-based dishes which are all yummy! My wife for example, personally liked their Thai chicken with honey sauce. They also have delicious chicken pandan.
Their dish price range is from P75 to around P200 with relatively big servings. The choices are endless.
If you are dining as a group, then I suggest you opt for the pitcher of Four Seasons as your drinks. It will come out cheaper.
For dessert, I tasted their Thai sticky rice with mango months before but unfortunately, it is not always available.
Friends, this is not a sponsored post. I just like their food. Try Mae Krua.
Mae Krua is found in Ramos Street, Cebu City just a walking distance from Diplomat Hotel, Velez Hospital and Cebu Institute of Medicine. You cannot miss this place when you are going to the Velez College gym.
Recognize this DC Comics superhero or superheroine? Below is her former look.
So, do you like her new look, the one shown first?
For years, wonderwoman's costume remained the same. But after many many years, it has been changed starting with Wonderwoman issue # 600. Notice the changes in the outfit? Do you like the change? (I don't. It just doesn't look right)
I wonder what the costume will be like for the movie (non-animated) version? Assuming Megan Fox will play Wonderwoman, will she look good in the updated outfit? (I see a global mass protest brewing.hehe).
P-Noy or BSA was very faithful to the schedule. Good thing he along with outgoing President Arroyo (GMA) arrived in the Quirino Grandstand early since the song numbers were perhaps too many.
Expect a tv ad which goes like this in the near future..."Soon to be available in your favorite record bars, Musika Para sa Pagbabago featuring the country's premiere singers and songwriters, Ogie Alcasid, Gary Valenciano, Regine Velasquez, Noel Cabangon, Charisse Pempengco, the Madrigal singers, etc. and the inauguration song...." Distributed by... (who else?)
Confirming what P-Noy's driver had mentioned in an interview, the new president is strict in following traffic regulations. His convoy stopped on a red light. For his security though, he should realize his convoy should be continuously on the go on the road.
Presidential nephew Josh's (Kris Aquino's son) closeness to the President was very evident during the official picture taking. Also immediately after the actual oath-taking, Josh personally went to his favorite uncle to congratulate the latter.
Baby James was initially in good spirits at the grandstand but had tantrums when the family official portrait was about to be taken holding on to his yaya's (nanny's) hair in front of national television. Where's his daddy, local basketball superstar James? Chief Justice Renato Corona was surprisingly present. His name was not directly mentioned or directly acknowledged during the inaugural speech. In contrast, the Senate President, House Speaker and former Presidents were acknowledged.
It feels very weird to see a President during an oath-taking not having a First Lady beside him.
P-Noy's girlfriend was seated beside an Aquino sister at the grandstand.
I wonder what P-Noy and GMA were feeling while they were in the same car going to the Quirino Grandstand. To recall, P-Noy installed former Chief Justice Hilario Davide to head the commission that is believed to go after GMA.
I thought Charisse Pempengco sang the national anthem well. Good thing it was not in acapella like in a boxing match. She was accompanied by an orchestra which guided her on the tempo. Good thing, Christian Bautista (who was also there) did not sing the anthem. It can be recalled that during a boxing match, he sang a shortened version of the Lupang Hinirang.
Was it intentional that Christian Bautista sang "You Raise Me Up" acapella? His voice quality was very good but he seemed to be in a hurry to finish the song thus the spirit of the song was not captured enough. But we have to thank him though because if he sang any longer P-Noy's oath-taking will be already beyond 12 noon.
P-Noy seems to take feng-shui seriously. He followed the advice not to visit his parents' tombs on the same day as the inauguration.
The arrival of guests at the Quirino Grandstand was like a scene taken from a red-carpet event in Hollywood (like the Oscars) filled with celebrities dressed in designer gowns and expensive jewelry. One celebrity even wore her signature hats.
People in the Quirino Grandstand witnessed an Oath for Change (Panata sa Pagbabago) made by representative of various sectors in behalf of the Filipino people. I wonder if these same people refrained from throwing their garbage anywhere in the grandstand grounds. You see, the Oath or Panata should be practiced in real life.
Let's hope the new administration makes good of their promises. Filipinos should help their President carry on these reforms. Have a nice day!
Here I go again. Despite maintaining amoxicillin and clavulanic acid indefinitely to keep me from urinary tract infection upon the advice of my nephrologist (since he believes my bacteria are already resistant to quinolones), I have fever. Time for my laboratory examinations.
Speaking of lab exams, good thing my father's prostate specific antigen (PSA) is already normal, although his cholesterol levels still need to be trimmed down. Of course, he is not taking diet pills. He is not overdoing it so it is good. He is not having a dramatic weight loss. That is less worry and stress for me. (Actually he may be healthier than me.) I want my dad to enjoy his retirement days unlike his brother who unfortunately is affected by Alzheimer's disease, a condition that needs a lot of patience from family members. So friends, remember. Have your father checked for PSA to help detect prostate cancer which is common in the older age group especially those beyond 50s and 60s.
The past week was a stressful one in Cebu Institute of Medicine. School is just weeks old and many things considered new for the incoming students and even newbie teachers have just started. Even if I was already sick last Friday, I cannot afford to be absent because there are just enough facilitators to handle the small group discussions (SGDs) for our Problem-based Learning classes (PBL) which just began. It's because the number of students compared to last year significantly increased. And I still had a class a day after for the medical technology interns of Velez College.
It was also ironic that the topic in our SGDs was about fever. It's also the rainy season and many diseases which cause fevers are common these days. With the classes just starting, coinciding with the rainy season, indeed now is not the right time to be sick.
Good that my blood pressure is controlled as I monitor my bp using an Omron digital product and I do not feel any pain which is unusual for me each time I have a fever. I am hoping it is not a recurrent urinary tract infection which is common for some PKD patients. And I am hoping tests will come out negative. I do not feel weak though. Just a little tired. But not tired enough to write this blog entry. My reliable laptop is my Paracetamol. I forget that I am sick every time I use this laptop to compose my blog posts.
In case you don't know, my ASUS EEEPC 1000HA netbook is one of the cheap laptops around but I think it was a good buy. It is already one year old but it has done many good things for me.
For example, now that I am sick, it helps me to be productive. But I must not forget though that I still need enough sleep. So after I finish this post, I will be turning this laptop off.
I need to be energized for next week for my students.
As one famous local TV ad would mention, "Sa panahon ngayon, bawal magkasakit." (During these times, you are forbidden to be ill.)
As we celebrate Father's day, I would like to publish in my blog a poem by my dad. He made this years back for a Catholic newspaper in Luzon and months back he was asking me to have it published in his own blog. Since he does not know the ways of the net, I'll publish it in my blog instead as my gift to him so it will not be lost forever. It's in Tagalog or Filipino, by the way. It talks about our parents love for us from our childhood days bringing us to who we are now.
Talking about remembering the past, I cherished the days when me and my father watched a movie together in Colon. This was ages before Ayala or SM. There was still Ultravistarama, Seven Arts and the decent Vision theater then in Cebu City. I remember watching the young John Voight as a boxer and father in the must-see movie The Champ. The song "If You Remember Me" from that movie still remains a popular song.
I also remembered watching with him the original Clash of the Titans and Saturday Night Fever with the younger John Travolta. (Am I revealing my true age here?) I don't know why I remember these particular events but I missed those days.
My dad is in Luzon and I'm here in the Visayas. I can't personally greet him Happy Father's Day or thank him for everything. (He is already hearing impaired).
Dad, I may not look as tisoy (mestizo) as you. (yikes!) I may not have the genes on good looks from you. But I certainly got all the other better things that you taught me. And I thank you for that.
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According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, "In a resolution Friday, the PMA “prohibited” smoking among its members and enjoined all other medical practitioners not to smoke." It even encouraged the public to report doctors who were smoking.
I am disappointed...
So, do you like her new look, the one shown first?
The song "If You Remember Me" from that movie still remains a popular song.
