Ragnar's Reveries

To be Autonomous Or Not: Debate Centers on the New Henry Christophe University

2012-01-10T17:04:00.000-08:00

On January 12, 2012 marks the day when the people of Haiti will welcome the newest university in the country. The Le Roi Henri Christophe University is expected to take the lead in educating Haitian youths and comes complete with the best amenities that can foster better education, critical thinking and a good learning environment. The university complex comes complete with high-speed internet and other amenities that make learning fun and comprehensive as well. The university which is a gift from the Dominican Republic is expected to accommodate more than 10,000 students who were displaced by the massive earthquake that shook Haiti and neighboring areas in January 2010. And on the second anniversary of the earthquake, the university that now serves as a symbol of hope for education in Haiti and of life in general will be unveiled by Haiti President Michel Joseph Martelly and President Leonel Fernandez of Dominican Republic in Limonade.

The inauguration of the university complex is symbolic and a big boost to the education sector but this has unsettled the public sector. The question in everyone’s mind ever since the university complex was planned still rings true on the eve of the inauguration- should the university be autonomous or not? There are two competing schools of thought right now in the country. The first group is lead by the rector of the state university, Vernet Henry who believes that the university should be part of the state’s educational system. The other group is lead by a group of scholars and concerned citizens from the northern part of the country. Their group believes that the university should be autonomous, and thus should come with its own set of board of regents and own budget. Each side has its own set of reasons and their public debates have captured the attention of the public for the past few months.

Why should the university remain the control of the state?

From the perspective of the state and the rector of the state university, having a single and uniform state education is the main solution in the delivery of uniformed quality of education. The state’s educational resources should be centrally governed so that a single direction can be achieved. But this argument is countered by a group of scholars and concerned citizens intent on wanting to see an autonomous centre for higher education. The main argument of this group centers on two things- the concept of decentralization and a deep-seated belief against the ability of the government to institute reforms not just in educational system but in the society as a whole. The state has a poor background in handling university system and the schools in general, they say. The group cited the status of the Schools of Medicine and Anthropology which suffered from the incompetent leadership style of the state. The cause of the group has received a boost from Fritz Doveilier, a professor from the State University of Haiti who believed that local participation is the key to sustainable development and in reversing the sad state of education of the country.

The Le Roi Henri Christophe University is expected to carry the torch for the people of Haiti and given the herculean task of educating and arming the youth with western-caliber education, it’s just normal that some sectors are concerned about the way the complex will be run. The challenge is for the government to prove that it’s up to the challenge. If not, a growing public sentiment should pave the way for an autonomous Le Roi Henri Christophe University.

Singapore Can Wait

2011-02-19T16:39:00.000-08:00

I was scheduled to fly to Singapore this weekend with friends, but I think it has to be cancelled. I decided on another thing, and to get my own flat in the city. The landlord is asking for a one month deposit and two months advance, so all my savings for the Singapore trip will be used. Now the problem is how will I tell my friends regarding my change of plans? I should have a Singapore experience for my birthday but my priorities now are different so there goes my trip.

And after many months, I am back here writing on this precious space. I miss writing here and I would like to post some of my thoughts that are not too serious here. For my serious stuffs, you can still check out my portfolio and my autoblog. Here you can learn more about my passion- vehicles, automobiles, tennis, Nissan GT-R, Rafa Nadal and Audi. So, welcome to my page again.

I am still in freelancing mode, thanks to my kind clients. I will still continue freelance content writing even if I am busy with my HR work. Also, thanks to my company for giving me the opportunity.

Miss writing on this space!

2010-04-20T23:00:00.000-07:00

When was the last time that I wrote for this space? It's been a long time, no? So I am glad to be back, and many things have changed. I am no longer a freelance content writer, I am happy that I am out of the loop yet there are times that I wish I am still writing. I am in the office once again. Oh, did I wrote something about a scammer? Well the bad news is that indeed she was a scammer. Shame on you Leonor!

Mad word: The freelance writing world

2009-07-07T18:24:00.000-07:00

Again, another scammer came and go. Mad world, the freelancing world. She did not pay me, so I am publishing the contents and articles that I have written for her. At least this can serve as a good literature for my graduate thesis by early next year, a thesis on freelance content writing and telecommuting. Beware, freelance writers.

Happy Town Fiesta yet still freelancing

2009-06-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

Today is our town's fiesta, but still working on some freelance content and writing projects. Need to finish this one so that there will be no backlogs. Plus, I really need to work overtime since my friend of mine met an accident, so I guess I have to write the contents she is supposed to do. So while the rest of the population is deep in celebration and in merriment, I will write and write while checking out the 'kare kare' if its already done. 'Kare kare' is a Filipino dish made from ox tail in peanut butter sauce. How about that for multi-tasking?

Get well soon my friend.

Making a stadium cushion (seat)

2009-06-25T08:07:00.000-07:00

If you are an avid sports fan who follows the games of your teams live, then you may have encountered a stadium cushion seat. You may not know it but chances are you have used this in one of those games. This is a type of seat that is often used by sports fans and this seat is known to offer comfort to the fans and the watchers when they are seating on the standard bleachers and seats. Simply seating on the concrete seats on the stadium is inconvenient, so having a cushion does the job. Though there are stadium cushions that can be bought in stores these cushions are expensive. So you have a choice if you want comfort if you follow the games of your club.

Making a stadium cushion seat can be an option for you. Making a stadium cushion seat allows you to save and in the end, you get the comfort that you deserve even if you watch the game for hours and hours. And if you make your cushion, you get to decide which style and materials to use or in short you personalize your own cushion seat something that you cannot do with the commercial one. If you are interested for this DIY job, then why not start by procuring the right materials. What you need to get is a heavy-duty soft vinyl material that can be used as the main material for the cushion. Get the thread in matching color so that it will complement the looks of the material.

When your Internet provider upsets your freelancing work

2009-06-25T00:12:00.000-07:00

Have you experienced having to turn down some freelancing writing jobs due to the poor service of your internet service provider? I experienced this one multiple times now, and the latest is this week. My internet service provider failed me once again for three days and with that I have to give up some freelancing jobs and content writing jobs. Plus, I was late in delivering some of my expected outputs for this week. So for freelance writers out there, seek the right internet service provider. This can spell your doom in the freelancing world as well.

Gordon for President?

2009-06-23T01:52:00.000-07:00

The way things are shaping up, the 2010 elections is expected to be crowded. Here is another development that is sure to add color to the political talks- Gordon’s allies are preparing to launch a new political party that is expected to be at the helm of pushing for Senator Gordon for President the moment the good secretary decides to throw his hat into the ring. Most of the members of the group are part of the movement that played a role in transforming Olongapo City from a sin city into a model city.

Prepping up a garden-themed living room

2009-06-22T17:46:00.000-07:00

For the coming wedding of a family member, we are planning to tweak the looks of the living room from something boring and cramped to a space full of greens and airy. What we are thinking is getting the outdoors indoors, so we are hoping to create a garden-style living room with some garden accents and accessories. We were thinking that if we transform our living room, then we not only ensure comfort for the members of the household but we also make sure that the living room will be a comfortable place to entertain guests. What we want is a living room not only of style but a living room that is also casual, light and will evoke that sense of nature.

To start the improvement, we started on the color and paint to be used. We made sure that earth colors are used. When it comes to seating, we decided to do some online scouting in order to delimit the choices. We decided on the ottomans to partner with the sofas, and to maintain the garden look we added a garden bench just under the window and placed another one in the corner.

And finally by doing our online check for home furniture and furnishing that can be used on the nature-inspired living room, we discovered a couple of good rugs that can be used as focal points for the living room. The Oriental rug that we discovered at this site is simply the answer to our needs. And the good thing is that the website offers us a Oriental rug guide on how to properly select an Oriental rug suited to the existing theme and home décor in the living room. By checking out the website, the expected rough and difficult living room improvement turned out to be fun and easy.

Rafa-less Wimbledon

2009-06-22T06:49:00.000-07:00

Rafa Nadal will be out of Wimbledon, which means that my interest in the tournament will be reduced. I may sometimes check out the tennis sites and blogs to check out the progress but I cannot say that I will regularly monitor the results. But this could be a good decision on the part of Rafa Nadal in order to ensure his longevity in the game. The best thing that Rafa can do now is to take his rest and prepare for the US Open, and more importantly he need to tweak his game so that his body will not be abused. It's sad and boring not to see him competing at Wimbledon, and men's tennis will be bland without him in the long run. Get well soon, Rafa.

Level up

2009-06-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

Going up. While waiting for the registration to start, we spent sometime at the back of the building on cemented chairs. I just thought that this one is a good image, that I should not pass up.

Why DirectTv matters over cable

2009-06-20T04:43:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I value inside my home is home entertainment; it’s the entertainment that you can enjoy right after you worked the rest of the day. And since we are on a tight budget, our definition of home entertainment in these times of crisis is cable television. From daily newscasts to cartoons to top-notch television series, cable television delivers the kind of entertainment that we are looking for, without the high cost. But that was then since we are not yet introduced to Direct TV System. When I was introduced to Direct TV Service, I learned that I still can save some more without having to pay extra.

There are two general advantages why this entertainment system saves money yet delivers the best entertainment package. Reason number one is that this television package delivers exclusive programming. Just imagine having front row seats for NFL Sunday and NCAA Mega March Madness. Another reason why Directv Service rules over regular cable programming is that this television service offers the best selections in high definition programming as it offers over 200 channels to choose from ranging from channels that match the needs and the preferences of the kids to adult entertainment to news.

Simply put this kind of entertainment service leads because of its use of advanced technologies, and the service provider does that by giving the consumers with the best equipment coupled with professional installation that paves the way for better viewing. Program and entertainment is at its best with Directv and this is the reason why many consumers are making the shift. And it’s about time that we are making the shift as well; will you do the shift too?

Warning for file-sharers

2009-06-19T04:15:00.000-07:00

File sharers online should be warned; the music industry is dead-set on penalizing those who illegally shares songs online. The first and the only file sharing case online finished where it started; the woman was penalized for illegally sharing 24 music files online. The Minnesota woman who was found to have violated music copyrights was asked to pay huge damages to the industry. She was asked to pay the recording industry $1.92 million or $80,000 per song. Now this is huge and should serve as a warning to those who love to illegally download files online. This was the second trial for the woman, and in 2007 she was fined $222,000.00. The rest of the story is here.

Termination day anniversary: Start of freelancing

2009-06-18T16:55:00.000-07:00

Yey. It's been one year. Just imagine, it's been year since our services were terminated by our company supposedly due to recession and weak sales? Quickly how time flies. I remembered back then, it was 8 in the morning when I was busy auto blogging as part of my work. You see, aside from the usual content writing that we do we were also tasked to maintain auto blogs. So I was then maintaining my auto blog and preparing the post ' Electric Dreams' for electric cars when the situation from the atmosphere in the room turned frantic to silent. A company officer from Manila and the US arrived with bodyguards in tow. We thought something big will happen, like a transfer to a brand new and glisneting office but it was not to be. We are optimists at the very end.

Shorty before 9am, we were called in batches of 5 and the news was broken. Sobs were heard but no protests. Weird, given the way we acted when salaries are delayed by a day in many pay days. Perhaps they knew and sense that it was coming, and wailing and protesting will be futile. All paper were ready, waiting to be signed and we are cut off officially from our office. And that was the end of it all. That was a sad ending for sure, imagine losing your job and leaving a few friends. But I didn't realize that it was for better, at least for me.

A day after I lost my job I turned to freelancing, freelance content writing. And I could say that this is one of the best decisions I took-err even though pushed by circumstances. I am happy with telecommuting as a work set-up and happy with writing. I am not the best bet in freelance writing and I have my many shares of turned down copies and contents but just the thought of being in the industry and experiencing the attendant freedom makes me feel glad and smile. Plus, with freelancing I managed to saved something for myself and buy things which I cannot do when I was confined in the four corners of the office. To someone who said that 'God works in mysterious ways' I say, yes you are right. Have a blessed morning to all.

Browser-based simulation games: BiteFight

2009-06-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

Just like ordinary guys out there, I do love to play pc games as well. But my choice is often not of the mainstream, or the choice of most of my peers. I am more into the other kinds of stuff. When they are all going ga-ga over Counterstrike and other RPG games, I was busy building my simulated cities on SimCity 3000 and SimCity 4. When I worked as a web content writer, I was introduced to browser-based simulation games like Cybernations and BiteFight. These are boring games for some, but I do enjoy these games. I ended my simulated nation since I was attacked and my nation is in ruins. At least in BiteFight, Im still fighting for dear life.

Waiting for my Twilight Zone DVDs

2009-06-15T18:36:00.000-07:00

Finally ordered a personal copy of 'The Twilight Zone' online thru eBay. Ever since I caught an episode of the show, I was hooked. I like the way how the story is told and narrated on the show and love the way how stories are given the twist in the end. This kind of story telling is something I want to see as well in our local entertainment scene. But sadly, our local programming wants sappy family stories fighting over money, tried and boring love stories and right now they are going ga-ga over a foreign show that basically copies the basic elements of the highly successful Meteor Garden. I paid for my 'The Twilight Zone' yesterday so any moment today I can get my DVDs and hope I can start my marathon tonight.

Morning thoughts

2009-06-12T19:08:00.000-07:00

Right after Rafa Nadal lost his match to Robin Soderling, I stopped reading tennis related news and blogs. For sure, I would be reading negative comments about Rafa. And I expected to read many stories about Federer finally winning his first Roland Garros crown. But this morning, I checked some posted stories about Federer's coronation and I found one quote from him that really made me smile, and really fortified my belief that he is indeed so full of himself.

Now the question is: Am I the greatest of all time? We don't know, but I definitely have many things going for me because I've finally won all four Grand Slams, and I'm particularly happy reaching Pete's 14.

He is so full of himself, and I am thinking that he is the narcissus of tennis. If he is not winning giving himself pat in the back, he steal attention and acts like a sore loser like what he did when he was beaten by Rafa Nadal at the Australian Open. Why can't he wait for others to bestow the rightful labels for him? No doubt, he is one of the greatest players of all time but why sound still so insecure?

Getting help from power tools for your DIY tasks

2009-06-11T21:31:00.000-07:00

A friend used to say that in order to get the job done, you need the services of power tools. I am not into carpentry and into DIY home improvements so I take his words with great value. He is the typical neighborhood tough guy who is the go-to guy when there are complex and difficult tasks that need to be attended and repaired as soon as possible. Just the other day as we are preparing for the wedding of a cousin, we noticed that the sink is in need of attention and tiles may need replacement. I am not the kind of person who would actually do this kind of tough task, and my mom realized this one. So we decided to get the services of my friend who knows his way around tough home improvement tasks.

For this specific home improvement task, he came prepared with the Makita power tile saw that he got from one online site for power tools. This is the first time that I saw this power tool, and the first time to that I observed this tool at work. This is best for cutting tiles, and I learned too that this is best for cutting glasses. Being an interested student of home improvement, I then decided to ask him where he sources his power tools and the how-to guide in doing tough home improvement tasks. He led me to a number of DIY websites, and more importantly he led to the site where he gets his power tools. As a good student, I checked out the site and get impressed with the no non-sense approach of the site. It delivers and displays its offered tools like wrenches, screw drivers and other important DIY helping aids that can make any tough tasks easy. Its simplistic approach to web design gets the message across, and that it offers quality power tools as offered by the leading names in the industry like Makita, Bosch and Hitachi.

By getting introduced to the site, I am now confident that I can join my friend in our next home improvement tasks, and I’m excited to make use of the trendy and easy-to-use All Power 4.8 Volt Cordless Screw Driver Set. I think this is a must-have for any home- this is ergonomically designed that can allow ease of use plus the presence of the LED light lets me work even in dark areas of the house.

The Thank Yous in freelance writing

2009-06-10T01:12:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about freelance writing is the kind of citation given by clients; it's the approval coming from clients. Often, low pay will be okay as long the clients give due thanks to the writers, no? The thank you's are always good, but couple it with a minimal raise will be better right?

By the way, on June 19th will be the anniversary of the day of infamy for us. Hmm excited to read the stories of the other content writers who suffered the same fate. For sure, lots of blogs will be posted and for sure we can all relate. Out for now; suffering from a worse hang over.

Freelance writing world: Lost one project

2009-06-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

Sad day for my micro-word factory, got the news that the contract has ended and I have to end my blogging projects. No more entertainment, furniture and investing blogs. So one of my sources of income has been cut, this means I need to find another source to fill in the gap. It's like taking away one of the many tubes for life support. Oh, wait that is too morbid but you get the drift. In the meantime I will focus on two of my other clients and do the work which I cannot do a few weeks back due to scheduling. Okay, I will write web contents for now.

Federer writing tennis history at Roland Garros

2009-06-07T05:57:00.000-07:00

As I am writing this, Roger Federer will write tennis history. And a few more hours, he will win his first French Open trophy, perhaps the only Roland Garros trophy that he will ever need. With a win, he can solidify his case as the greatest player of all time. This can be problematic of course, but Federer has a solid ground to stand on. Imagine, completing the grand slam and tying the record of Pete Sampras with the most number of grand slam wins.

The only fly in the ointment is that there is one active player who owns Roger Federer and that is Rafael Nadal. Nadal lost in the fourth round of the French Open via the upset coming from Robin Soderling. Soderling prevented Rafa Nadal from scoring his 5th Roland Garros crown and stopped another Roger Rafa theater.

So what happens if Federer wins? He wins big time, and write-ups and blogs will be all about Federer being the greatest of all time. Blogs will be blazing with these stories, and for sure RF fans will be ecstatic. If he wins, it will not be as sweet compared to a win over Rafa. But as they say, a win is a win and for a player like Roger Federer who desperately needs to win this one, any kind of win will do. The trophy is on Federer’s hands.

Learning to love 'The Ultimate Gift'

2009-06-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

Although to date your life seems to be a sorry excuse for anything I would call promising, there does seem to be a spark of something in you that I hope we can fan into a flame. For that reason, I am not making you an instant millionaire.

I watched another good movie last night at this 1MM channel, and this time another good-looking is in the lead. I thought well, this is another one of those teen flicks capitalizing on the looks of its star. But boy, I was wrong. At first I thought that this was a spy thriller when I noticed that the protagonist was talking to an old lady using a hand-held device, but it was not meant to be. This was the part when the guy was asked to go to Texas and to get ‘The Gift’. No gift was given by the person named Gus in Texas, but what happened is that the guy was made to work in the fields. Of course, since the guy was not used to work he found the task irritating. After finishing up his task in Texas, he was asked to perform a number tasks- requests by his grandfather through a video tape.

The tasks were a precondition for the guy in order for him to inherit his millions. I later found out that the guy lived a flamboyant life and used money as if it’s air around him so his grandfather made sure he learned the value of money and other things, like work, family, laughter, dreams and so on through the special tasks he specially requested for his grandson to do. This is a touching movie, and indeed ‘The Ultimate Gift’ is the perfect title for it. This was based on a novel, and I’m excited to find this one in our local bookstore. Looks like ‘Tuesday’s with Morrie’ for me.

For sure, others will call the movie too sappy and over-sentimental. I call it one of those rare movies that I need to watch in order to re-direct my senses.

Interesting Holy interuption

2009-06-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

I was doing my thing and writing my articles when a middle-aged man and a woman knocked on the gate. The mid aged guy introduced himself as Jun and he is from the Jehovah's Witnesses Church. Now I know what they are up to, and they are here to spread the word about their beliefs. Being a good guy, I allowed them in. I am right, they started their spiels and I listened attentively though my mind is somewhere checking out the deadlines for the day. The guy introduced me heaven and Jehovah and proceeded to read some entries from the Bible. It was a long 20 minutes for me. Before they left, they gave me a reading material, 'Awake'. It's lying near the speaker of stereo system. I'll find time to read it, at least as an appreciation for their efforts to spread the word. Even though I don't believe in some things they say, you've got to appreciate their efforts, no?

Back to usual freelance writing projects

2009-06-02T04:39:00.000-07:00

Back to the usual freelance projects, same clients. By the way it's June. This is the month that we all lost out jobs. Mark the calendar on the 18th. Lots of blogs and write-ups will be made on that day, the day of infamy. Naks. So, back to freelance writing. Loaded with projects right now.

Rafa lost at French Open

2009-05-31T16:52:00.000-07:00

Waaaaaaaaa. Rafa Nadal lost at the French Open. Last night before I sleep, I checked out the ESPN.com/tennis scores and saw that Rafa was down one set. Then on the next game, Soderling once again got the first game and I have that feeling that this could be a tough match. I can't sleep, and right now as I check the news Rafa Nadal indeed lost! This is his first loss at Roland Garros.

And there are a lot of things that can be read from Rafa Nadal's debacle, and the main theme is that Roger Federer may win it and get his career grandslam, a Tennis.com writer wrote Federer is nearing 'tennis immnortality' as the greatest tennis player of all time! Again, I will say this Federer cannot become the greatest player of all time he has a losing streak against a player. The greatest should have a winning streak against players he has played in the past. Don't push it. At least Rafa Nadal was gracious in defeat.

So why did Nadal losr? Some say its is off day, and some say Rafa was just tentative. I say its the dress. Haha. I like the old look, that look of a fighter. Not this pink. Hehe. Cheer up Rafa, you will just turn 23 in 3 days and you have a lot of tennis years to come! Vamos~

On freelance writing:The $1/500 Model

2009-05-30T22:57:00.000-07:00

No, this is not an economic model. And this one cannot save us from the rut called recession. This is simply an all-too familiar model for me as freelance writer and for sure this is familiar too to everyone out there who have taken freelance writing.

This model is easy to understand- for every 500 words, the buyer will pay you $1. This is roughly 47 pesos in Philippine currency. The first-timer would definitely go for this kind of rate for content writing, in fact he will be happy at first thinking that he is now earning in dollars. In fact, if I do some random survey right now and e-mail some of content-writer friends from my former company for sure all of them knows this model and have tried this at one point in their freelancing life. Everyone needs to start at the lower rung of the food chain, and we did. We, the content writers at the lowest rung of the food chain do all the work and absorb in the criticism of foreign buyers and in the end, we get paid $1 for a 500 word article. This article on my part can be written in a fast 30 minutes, or in a slow 2 hours depending on the topic and the research needed.

My experience with this model has been extensive; I started freelancing the moment I lost my day job. So I am in freelancing for nearly a year, and yes I am still attached like a leech to this model up until this hour. I remember this one project from a friend of mine, the project my friend said was from a foreign buyer. I was made to write a 500 word article, and I was just starting then in my work. The article came back, with some of the harshest comments included pointing to the fact that I am not a writer and I don’t know what I am writing. The said buyer added that he can do better. I should have responded, but I didn’t. It’s the buyer’s prerogative. On my own, I said to myself if he can write a better copy then why ask for the services of our content writers here in this country? For cheap labor, no?

Comments are given, and these should be seen as constructive in nature by writers. These things are realities, and the $1/500 model is a reality. This model is a good starting point for content writers, but should not serve as the end-all be-all option for us. The challenge is to go beyond this model, and look for opportunities that pay commensurate to what you can do. Harsh comments, if valid are easy to take if the buyer pays a premium for the content and harsh comments that are dubious and untrue are revolting, especially if the buyer pays peanuts for the contents.

What's up?

2009-05-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

Back on the usual grind, and accepted my usual projects. But before I can start on that, we visited SM Naga with two of my friends. This was a plan for us ever since we heard that SM will be expanding here in the region. It was good, having a large area but I am disappointed that the mall was just two levels. I bumped into a college friend of mine, from NCPAG. At least, my trip was fruitful. Another thing that I accomplished this week is that I registered a site of my own, bought another domain and it comes with a free hosting. You can check the site here. Some of my auto-related contents are to be posted here.

Defining web content

2009-05-08T21:26:00.000-07:00

How do you define web content, is it the words or it include the images?

On J.G. Ballard

2009-05-07T05:16:00.000-07:00

As I am reading some of the news stories about the passing of J.G. Ballard, all I can think of is that J.G. Ballard is one big figure in the literary industry. A CNET article on the author calls the author as the science fiction writer of the now. And the title of a science fiction writer is something not most welcomed by the writer himself.

According to the CNET article, the author does not like that label because the moment he was smeared with that one, then he will be condemned to the world of spacecraft, monsters and the goo.

Obviously, the author does not like that one and he showed what he can really do and write. So when he wrote the Empire of the Sun in the 1980s, that label started to let loose. This work by Ballard is the only work that I know since this was made into a movie by Steven Spielberg and one of my favorite movies of all time. He is also known for another work, 'Crash' and this work caught the public's attention becaus of its topic- J.G. Ballard explores fetishism of the characters who find car crashes sexually arousing.

Cool Steven Strait on The Covenant

2009-05-06T23:53:00.000-07:00

I was flipping channels late last night when I came across a movie on MM. I learned that the movie was The Covenant, and starred actors that I don't know. What I know is that the movie was somewhat similar to The Craft, a hit movie from years back. But back to this movie, what can I say I liked this one. Plus I like the two actors who played lovers- the guy was familiar to me and I know that I have seen him somewhere sometime. So I made it a point to do some research, and I found out that he was Steven Strait. This was the same guy that I saw on Sky High, another teen flick. He got the confidence and he knows it, and it shows in this movie. Sad to say, I fell asleep during that confrontation scene between the guy in yellow Ducati bike and Pope, the other descendant.

And he will play a part in the next installment of that highly successful Twilight movie. Ahh the attention that he will receive from the fans..

Star Trek

2009-05-06T05:10:00.000-07:00

Read an MSN report that said ' Star Trek ' is one good movie to watch out for. The author of this report on Star Trek said that the movie is "easily the summer tentpole movie by which all of the 2009 movies will be measured". With this line, I put in writing that Star Trek is one of the two movies I am looking for this year. The first one is of course, Angels and Demons and now you have Star Trek. What caught my eye was the guy who will play the role of Spock. Remember Sylar from Heroes? That good-looking yet creepy guy on that show? Yes, that's Zachary Quinto and he plays Spock. Cool.

Serena out of Round 1; boasts she is world's best

2009-05-05T23:10:00.000-07:00

Just a day after saying that;

We all know who the real No. 1 is.Quite frankly, I’m the best in the world.

Serena Williams was lead to the exit door by Patty Schnyder in the Italian Open. Next time, just do your game and let the game speak for yourself. At least Dinara Safina was gracious enough to admit that she thinks she don't deserve the number 1 position. There are a lot of top-tier tennis players who are lost in their own world, thinking that they are forever entitled to be the top player.

Pacquiao floors Hatton; Rafa Nadal takes Rome

2009-05-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

Everyone is rejoicing this side of the world; and it would be a shame if I don't do my share. So here is my obligatory post on the win of Manny Pacquiao over Ricky Hatton. It was too short, too brief but you can never argue with that last connection made by Manny Pacquiao- it was as if all of the boxer's power was used enough to floor Hatton. Hatton stayed on the mat for a few seconds, bewildered, defeated. And our group here, and perhaps the rest of the nation erupted in cheers and applause. Congrats to Pacquiao, truly a Philippine gem.

On tennis, my fave Rafa Nadal continued its dominance and sent message that he is ready and primed up to defend his Roland Garros crown. The person who stand in his way was Novak Djokovic, perhaps the second-best clay court player now. Federer is sooo 2 years ago. Novak Djokovic is only the player who took a set off Rafa this clay court season and he is seen as the only real challenger to Rafa come Roland Garros.

Congrats to Rafa Nadal and Pacquiao.

From Radio Ga-Ga to Lady GaGa

2009-05-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

Interested to know how did the singer known as Lady GaGa got her name? Here is the Yahoo! music blog article that explains the genesis of the name;

But it was while working with producer Rob Fusari that she got her attention-grabbing stage name. After noting that her singing voice sounded like her hero, Queen's Freddie Mercury, Fusari named her Lady Gaga for the Queen hit "Radio Ga Ga".

So there, that's how Lady GaGa got her name. As usual, the content on the singer got loads of comments, most of them are negative. It seems that the singer or artist is a polarizing figure. But hey, I like her brand of music, do you?

Chrysler files for Chapter 11

2009-04-30T17:43:00.000-07:00

United State's third largest carmaker files for bankruptcy protection in New York. This developed after a group of creditors defied the government pressure to wipe the debt of Chrysler. This is a sad end for the company, which for months is trying to stay afloat thanks to government loans. With the filing for Chapter 11, the company is now pinning its hopes on cleaner cars after its alliance with Fiat, an Italian car maker. It is expected that after 30 days, the company will come out as a smaller and leaner company and it is expected as well that Fiat will become the majority owner. To complete the deal, Chrysler is expected to receive another $8 billion in additional aid from the government.

According to President Obama, this new set-up and partnership will allow the car company to not only survive but also to thrive in the global industry. The company will close its plants until its opening as a new entity.

The government has been helping these large car companies in the US stay afloat. General Motors also received some government aid so that the company can stay competitive and operational. Around $25 billion has been poured on Chrysler and General Motors.

Swine flu delays Wolverine Mexican release

2009-04-28T00:06:00.000-07:00

Mexican fans can wait for a few more days. As a response to the growing health problem, 20th Century Fox has said on Monday that it was scrapping its plans to release the movie in Mexico this weekend. The studio bills the X-Men Origins: Wolverine as the first big movie of the summer. A spokesperson for the studio added that the movie can be delayed for 2 weeks. For the past week now, authorities in the country has implemented measures that can stop the outbreak of the flu, and shutting down of cinemas was one of the measures adopted.

Federer eyes Rome Masters

2009-04-27T00:17:00.000-07:00

So Rafa Nadal went on to win his 5th Monte Carlo and Barcelona Open crown. Collective ho-hums. But for Roger Federer, it does not matter if Rafa Nadal continued his run on clay. Federer is focused on gaining back much of his lost ground, and he is looking ahead- to Rome Masters. Rome Masters is an important event prior to the French Open and Federer is thinking ahead. And as part of the preparation, he is now practicing almost four hours and week and Federer is very confident. In his words;

I'm expecting big things from myself, especially looking ahead for the French Open. I would like to go extremely far there and create the opportunity to win the one slam I haven't won yet.

The French Open is one crown that Federer wants, and it is understandable that he is building up, and tweaking his game- well alongside a massive injection of confidence level. To stop Rafa Nadal at his turf requires not just massive training. It's all about mind games too, and Federer needs to show that he is not weakened by his fear. Here is hoping that Federer can do well on Roland Garros.

Rafa Nadal to face Ferrer

2009-04-26T02:17:00.000-07:00

Rafa Nadal will next face David Ferrer for the finals of the Barcelona Open. Rafa Nadal had an easy time with Nikolay Davydenko, winning in straight sets. In winning his semifinals against Davydenko, Rafa manages to extend his winning streak in the tournament without dropping the set. Rafa Nadal is happy for his 2009 clay court season campaign. In fact he said that he is happy the way his campaign is shaping up.

Whatever happens tomorrow, it’s an excellent start to the clay season,I’m enjoying the best moment of my career this past year and I have to appreciate that and feel happy about it.

By the way, I like this new car of Rafa Nadal. Is this an Aston Martin?

Weekend Blast

2009-04-22T02:17:00.000-07:00

This cost me 9 years.

After so many months of planning and postponements, I finally made it there and go what I wanted. It was really my plan to visit my college for the past 2 years now, but for some reasons that plan always ended being canceled. But last weekend was no exemption as I finally made it to to the city. I left town 7pm, and was in the terminal by 6am. I first visited my formed boarding house and surprised everyone. Everyone looked surprised really, starting from my former landlady to my favorite housemates. The daughters of my former landlady were there too, and welcomed me warmly. It was my plan to rent a room, but my gracious host offered a room in the boarding house. A few minutes later, my favorite housemates went down and that was the time I learned that indeed he is getting married. Congrats Miko!

Joel was there too, but Inoch was still in the province. By 10 am, I went out and met a friend in a mall and we spent the late morning chatting. By late afternoon, I was downing beers with a very good friend of mine south of the city.

The next day, I visited by former college and it was nice seeing my former college. I asked the secretary, and I am sure she has forgotten me if where I can get my diploma. She replied that it's ready and I got it a minutes. It was a good weekend.

2009-04-20T01:47:00.000-07:00

Currently no contents for this blog and the other blogs since I was away from my laptop..around 500 kilometers away. I am currently in the Metropolis to meet old friends I haven't met in 3 years and I was here as well to get my University diploma. It's good to be back and back at your former comfort zone. Anyway, just waiting for the 8pm bus and I am going back. Back to the usual word factory err no longer factory since I unloaded 85 percent of my projects- all for good reasons. Great day to all.

So Ashton got more Twitter fans than CNN...

2009-04-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

Celebrity Ashton Kutcher was the first one to collect more than 1 million followers on Twitter, edging out CNN. Also according to news stories, Oprah Winfrey also sent out her first tweet.

..so? What is the fuss surrounding Twitter and this non-news? I am just not a fan of this technology which gives you the capability to send short messages-like things you are currently doing. 'Hey I am writing, hey I am drinking gin tea'. I am just not into it, but sadly I am part of the very small population who don't see Twitter in a very good light.

Indecisions, indecisions

2009-04-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

I cannot decide this morning; will I go to the city and have a 1 or 2 day rest or not? Let us count the reasons why I will go there. First up, I will ask if my diploma is ready for pick-up and this means I have to pay for the service fee and I am not really sure if I can get it on the same day. Next reason is to meet up with close friends. It' s been more than 3 years since I last saw them, so it would be nice. Are these reasons good enough for me to get a 2-way ticket?

Another Masters, another loss for Federer

2009-04-16T17:41:00.000-07:00

Falling Federer exits the third round of Monte Carlo Masters. He is the defending finalist of the tournament. The defeat was not at all bad. The defeat handed by countryman Stan Wawrinka allowed Federer to pack his bags and spend some quality time with his wife. This is Roger Federer's first tournament after marrying his long-time girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec.

Federer will be back for his campaign on Roland Garros 09 and I don't know if he will enter any other clay court tournaments prior to the French Open. Any news?

Clay time, Rafa time

2009-04-16T05:44:00.000-07:00

Rafa getting dirty for clay.

It's clay season, and I should be rejoicing by this time since this will be the season where my favorite Rafa Nadal will showcase his grit, determination and winning ways. But a number of personal issues and family activities stopped me from being too engrossed with the sport. It's been a few days since I last checked out the latest on Tennis.com and other tennis-related websites. But now, I am back and back to my old ways. I will follow the Monte Carlo and the coming Roland Garros thru blogs and tennis websites. Time for Rafa Nadal to continue his dominance on clay. Nadal is gunning for his 5th Roland Garros and Monte Carlo title, and he started it on the right note by winning his 17th straight on clay.

Missing Freelance Writing gigs

2009-04-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

I am having withdrawal symptoms and I am feeling a bit lethargic. About 2 or 3 months ago, I was deep into freelance content writing, writing more than 8 hours a day and being paid a measly sum. But there are some work that even though you are paid less, still you will work hard and the enthusiasm is there because you love the work. That was me then, though I am over-worked and under paid still I continued my writing jobs because I love the job, and I like writing contents. Right now, I am only writing for around 3 to 4 hours, and the rest is spent playing pc games like SimCity 4, meeting friends and taking care of the house. At least, I enjoyed my 2009 Lent since I have the time to mingle and socialize with friends. So right now, I am stuck with small projects and small pay.

Freelancing is a satisfying work set-up, but as always there are the risks involved like non-payment. For example, I have this buyer who failed to pay me for my work. Others are late in their payments but want the project done and finished as soon as possible! Ahh, the dangers of freelance writing. So my assignment for today is to e-mail my clients to pay up or I will have to post the contents here. The contents are mine, so sue me.

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Oh La La on Black Saturday

2009-04-14T04:54:00.000-07:00

I spent Black Saturday with high school friends at Oh La La Resort. The resort is located in Guinobatan and I consider this as one of the better resorts in the 3rd District of Albay. The place was packed when we got there by 3pm, and since we don't want to go back to the full-packed resorts at the next town so we settled in this resort. The place is good, and if you are looking for some fun under the sun and wants to spend it with nature in the background then a stay here is always a good decision.

The rest of the holy week was spent chatting and bonding with cousins. Of course, there was drinking on the sides. You cannot take drinking out of our usual occasions and you can always expect this to happen every time. In most cases, they were drinking a mix called 'gin tea'- with Ginebra San Miguel as the main alcohol and ice tea mixed into the drink. Crushed ice is added to complete the potent drink.

Loser by Beck; I am a Loser Baby

2009-04-13T20:20:00.000-07:00

In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey
Butane in my veins and Im out to cut the junkie
With the plastic eyeballs, spray-paint the vegetables
Dog food stalls with the beefcake pantyhose
Kill the headlights and put it in neutral
Stock car flamin with a loser and the cruise control
Babys in reno with the vitamin d
Got a couple of couches, sleep on the love-seat
Someone came in sayin Im insane to complain
About a shotgun wedding and a stain on my shirt
Dont believe everything that you breathe
You get a parking violation and a maggot on your sleeve
So shave your face with some mace in the dark
Savin all your food stamps and burnin down the trailer park

Yo. cut it.

Soy un perdedor
Im a loser baby, so why dont you kill me?

Soy un perdedor
Im a loser baby, so why dont you kill me?

Forces of evil on a bozo nightmare
Ban all the music with a phony gas chamber
cuz ones got a weasel and the others got a flag
Ones on the pole, shove the other in a bag
With the rerun shows and the cocaine nose-job
The daytime crap of the folksinger slob
He hung himself with a guitar string
A slab of turkey-neck and its hangin from a pigeon wing
You cant write if you cant relate
Trade the cash for the beef for the body for the hate
And my time is a piece of wax fallin on a termite
Thats chokin on the splinters

Soy un perdedor
Im a loser baby, so why dont you kill me?
(get crazy with the cheese whiz)
Soy un perdedor
Im a loser baby, so why dont you kill me?
(drive-by body-pierce)
(yo bring it on down)
Soooooooyy....

(Im a driver, Im a winner; things are gonna change I can feel it)

Soy un perdedor
Im a loser baby, so why dont you kill me?
(I cant believe you)
Soy un perdedor
Im a loser baby, so why dont you kill me?
Soy un perdedor
Im a loser baby, so why dont you kill me?
(schprechen sie deutches, baby)
Soy un perdedor
Im a loser baby, so why dont you kill me?
(know what Im sayin? )

Lyrics for Loser, by Beck. My sentiments exactly. Feel like a loser after a friend of mine scored that interview and demo, while I on the other hand was left out in the cold. Anyway, at least I am happy since I did something right for my friend. I urged him to file his application after I filed mine. So there you go, at least I helped someone..still as Beck would sing 'I am a loser baby' but heck don't kill me.

Happy Easter; Time for Reunions

2009-04-11T18:36:00.000-07:00

It's Easter Sunday, and this means another thing for some of us- reunions. This is a day where family members and members of clans get together to bond and get in touch with one another as another way to celebrate the Easter. For our part, we will be going out as well and will join other family members for lunch later.

Plans for Lent

2009-04-06T19:56:00.000-07:00

It's Lent, and this is the time of the year when I need to reflect as well and after that some good bonding moments with cousins from other places. Reflection is something I don't do everyday so this time of the year is one thing I consider as special as this will give me the reason to pause, think and forget about other unimportant things. I am not a religious nor a spiritual person, but I am not a bad one either which you can label as a problem of the society. Just last year, a family friend invited me to join him in a church organization and to serve the local parish. I was asked to join and serve in masses and I was tasked to read the 'readings' for the day. It was a humbling and a peaceful experience, but I did not last long for many reasons. Perhaps it was still not my time to serve, or am I really on the right place and position? Anyway, this week starting Wednesday will be special in a sense that I will conduct myself more responsibly and it will be a time for reflection as well. I may not observe the holiest Lent, but still I will make it a point to do my share.

New Fast and Furious zooms to top with $72.5 M

2009-04-05T21:06:00.000-07:00

This is one movie that I will be watching soon- Fast and Furious that stars Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. I loved the first one of Fast and Furious and this was the movie that introduced me to the Nissan Skyline- one of the cars that I like. In fact, the inspiration for my auto blog was the Nissan Skyline driven by the character of Paul Walker on the first installment of the movie.

The gains made by Fast & Furious was the biggest opening weekend for the year and the movie took in an estimated $72.5 million. The previous best April opening belong to Anger Management in 2003.

Azarenka downs Serena Williams

2009-04-05T02:05:00.000-07:00

When I woke up, I scanned some of my favorite tennis blogs and saw lots of buzz going into the finals. Majority of these blogs are penciling Serena to win it all out, and they see the 'shrieking' Viktoria Azarenka as a Sharapova clone and will not win it. They are still unimpressed with the young and the raw Azarenka and granted that the up and coming star wins it, they remain unimpressed. Wow. Fine.

Anyway the shrieks of Azarenka silenced the crowd and Serena as she won in straight sets, 6-3 6-1. Now that's something. Remember Australian Open where Azarenka leads a set before retiring giving Serena that match? Now this is a testament that Azarenka is one real deal. So win or lose they will remain unimpressed with Azarenka. How uncool is that.

And since Azarenaka sounds, shrieks like Maria Sharapova who is a BIG fave of mine then I am loving her now.

Lovin Lady GaGa; Others say her 'The Fame' an insult to music and talent

2009-04-03T03:49:00.000-07:00

Just last night, I saw the performance of Lady GaGa over at American Idol and I must say that I am now a fan. But here is one article that I read online that says the brand of music and Lady GaGa in general is an insult to music and talent. Whooa. This is one though accusation to hurl, no? Now what's the beef? The writer of the article says;

The Fame, is shockingly awful. It is torture on the ears and an abomination to music in general.

Ouch. And then the author adds;

Plastic beats, plastic vocals and a seemingly plastic person singing the vocals are the essence that is Lady GaGa. Simply put: Lady GaGa is rich and parties. Paris Hilton already has that job in the States and we do not need more of that.

Double ouch! Call me a party boy, which I am not but I love the 'music' of Lady GaGa. I don't see the point to overly screen music and find engaging strands, ideas and thoughts that can stimulate an intellectual conversation over a cup of coffee in some cafe' in the city. Let these artists be; music should be enjoyed and it should not trouble our minds into thinking if their music are intellectual enough which can allow us to test economic theories of Schumpeter or management thoughts of Drucker, no?

If one is looking for mindless, emotionless music that is not techno, Lady GaGa is for them.

Now, call me mindless and emotionless. I say, lets dance! =p

Nadal stopped in Key Biscayne

2009-04-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

If you thought that Rafa Nadal will win his Key Biscayne too, then you are wrong. Rafa was upset by Del Potro in a three-hour, three-set match.

Losing nine straight sets to Rafa Nadal did not deter Del Potro, nor the fans of Del Potro who egged and shouted in favor of the Argentine player. He won 6-4 3-6 7-6. So what is next for Rafa Nadal? Well in the first place, Rafa was not expected to do well in this event, and a lot have been penciling Federer or Tsonga to win this since clay season is just days away. This is a way can help the campaign of Rafa Nadal to prepare well for his clay season defense. This is an important season for Rafa Nadal, and he needs to defend a lot of points in many European tournaments that will peak in the French Open in Paris.

No reply, no pay for me?

2009-04-01T20:24:00.000-07:00

My buyer did not reply to my query yesterday regarding the canceled work so does this mean that I will have to say good bye to my income for the month of March? I started giving up my freelance jobs starting March so this is the only freelance jobs that I am maintaining right now. So when this buyer of mine fails to pay, then I am ....doomed!

The return to Blogger

2009-04-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

As part of my job with a former company, we were made to maintain a blog site related to our work so I created one on Wordpress. I chose Wordpress then because it is easy to use. But now, I am back with Blogger. I don't know. As an OPM track says, "Kay tagal mo mang nawala, babalik ka rin". =p

Now, Pistachio gets the warning

2009-03-31T22:58:00.000-07:00

Fearing that the salmonella outbreak could be replicated, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning against the pistachios. The move is seen by many as efforts by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent the recent salmonella outbreak from peanuts which reports have it has sickened more than 690 people in 46 states. A response was also made, and this time a lawmaker introduced a legislation that will effectively tighten the safety standards for foods that are processed in California. With this news, hogging the headlines abroad you can expect that our local news shows will highlight this issue once again. Let's verify this later at 6pm.

Not feeling well; Got thumbs down in freelance

2009-03-31T17:46:00.000-07:00

Still not feeling well this morning, and still have my running nose and occasional bout with cough. And there is another bad news waiting for me this morning. When I checked my e-mail this morning, I found out that the articles that I have written last night on SR22 insurance was turned down by my boss since the contents were not good enough. Anyway, in any writing projects it is really difficult to get a 100 percent approval rating from your buyers especially if you have been writing for more than 8 months. So I have been writing for her for 8 months now, and this is the first day that I got this comment. Well, my percentage is not bad enough no?

Anyway I decided to leave her team in order not to complicate things and make her lose her clients due to my contents. I e-mailed her and said sorry of course for the sloppy manner of writing those contents. No response from her yet, may be she won't pay me for my work for the month of March all because of those 3 sub-par contents that I made. Ahh, the beauty and dangers of freelancing...

Not feeling well..sniff

2009-03-31T01:20:00.000-07:00

I am not feeling well, and for 2 days now I have cough and a running nose, sniff. And since I am not feeling well, I cannot seem to concentrate on my research proposal which is due April 4. I am still stuck with Chapter 1. But if I will be okay tomorrow morning, then there is a big probability that I may finish all the three Chapters.

Right now, I am finishing my blog comments on blogs related to backlinks and search engine optimization. So I will be posting soon, see you!

Herbs for insomnia

2009-03-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

Sleep is an important resource for any person. This activity is body’s own way of recharging itself, so that the person can be ready for the next day’s work. For the body to completely rest and recharge itself, every person needs around 8 hours of sleep and anything less will not bring in the goods for the person. An hour or two of less sleep for one day is forgivable. But if the person has trouble sleeping and cannot get that required sleep for more than four days, then the effects on the body of the person will be evident and these things will have an effect on the health of the person and his productivity. This is known as insomnia, a sleeping disorder taken seriously by health officials and the government.

There are a number of approaches that are suggested by health professionals and doctors on how to treat and address this sleeping disorder. The list includes behavioral therapy; use of medications and through alternative treatment options. For those looking for side effects-free treatment option, the alternative options like the use of herbs for insomnia is the recommended treatment option.

When the insomniac goes the herbal way, the herbs will be prepared as tea or any form of drink and this can be used around 30 minutes just before bedtime. Here is a listing of some of major herbs that are often used as the base for tea, and tea that can be used to treat insomnia.

Major herbs for use as tea for insomnia

• Chamomile. This is referred to as a sedative herb that can be used by persons of any ages. The use of the chamomile tea is used in Europe, South America and in Mexico. Chamomile can be processed into oil as well and the chamomile oil can be used on the bath and this can help soothe the nerves and the oil can be used as excellent massage oil.
• Hops. This is the major component of beer and this is also used as a cure for the sleeping disorder
• Lavender. This is considered as a gentle strengthening tonic for the person’s nervous system. This can be processed as oil as well and can be used on the bath. The oil from the herb can be used as massage oil as well or this can be inhaled in order to cure insomnia.
• Passion flower. This is best as a cure for mental worry, overwork or even nervous exhaustion. This herb is often used as one of the ingredients in most sedative preparations. This is known for the excellent sedative effects, even when used in large doses this will not deliver side effects.
• Valerian. This is a popular herb that is used for insomnia thanks to its sedative action. This is suggested to the person who finds it difficult to sleep since this can shorten the sleep latency.

Other noteworthy herbs include wild lettuce, California poppy and Kava kava. These are known herbs chosen for their side effects. These are often prepared as tea or can be processed as oil that can be included in the bath. For someone who wants to go the natural way without the usual side effects associated with medications.

Reasons to turn down a freelance writing job

2009-03-28T23:14:00.000-07:00

I am new to freelance writing, and freelance writing for me as a money-earning venture is pushed by circumstances rather than by choice. Now, I was checking many resources on freelance writing since I am also writing my proposal on one subject when I noticed this interesting post uploaded 2 years ago. The post is titled 'When To Turn Down Freelance Writing Writing Jobs'. The blog post talked about three major reasons why you need to turn down a freelance writing job.

The reason number 2 struck a chord in me, and I must agree with her on that point. The author talked about the need for a writer to know the true value of his work. She said that writers who take jobs that are priced below their minimum price are wasting their valuable resource and we know what that is- TIME. Instead of getting these freelance writing jobs, it is best for the writers to put their efforts on other things like marketing efforts so that the writers can land the next big client at the higher rate. This is the best route for writers to take and writers should not be used by these buyers. And the worst thing is that these buyers are not the foreigners who own these websites, but the a friend or a countryman who acts as the go-between! This is the biggest joke of all.

So writers, try to turn down the freelance writing jobs when the price is no longer right and insulting. I am guilty of this and I am now a changed writer- time to turn those ridiculously low writing projects.

Yes, I am working

2009-03-28T17:45:00.000-07:00

I was busy with my freelance writing jobs last Thursday, and at the same time rushing the papers to be passed that same day to my Professor so I decided that I post a status message on Yahoo . Messenger and said- 'working'. It was true, I am working on my writing projects and my university requirements on the other side. But then a former school mate of mine sent a message through the messenger and she said, 'working?!'. Now, with just one word you can have different meanings no? But that time, it really came to me the wrong way and I think that was her intention as well. She cannot believe that I am working! Hah! What was she thinking, that I can no longer find a job? This was the same girl who last year ignored me when I was on the mall. I was trying to catch up with her and talk for some time, but when I caught up on her on the second floor of the mall she turned her back and continue with her business. Sweet, no?

Anyway, she may have gotten the things that she desires and she managed to get ahead or way ahead of us but that does not give her the right to be like that. To think that we were friends then..and now. Well at least in my end I consider her as a friend.

Blog site for contents: Dangers of writing

2009-03-24T19:31:00.000-07:00

Another role of this blog is to host some of my contents that I made and submitted to buyers, but for some reasons they did not pay me. So common, test me and my articles will be posted here once you don't stay true to your words, no?

As a freelance writer, I am doing what I can to deliver the contents at the prescribed time with the right quality. Now buyers, it's your turn to at least deliver on your promise- pay us.

Murray reduced to third-rate player in Indian Wells finals

2009-03-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

This morning is great! One of the first few headlines that I saw was that of Rafa winning over Andy Murray. BBC has it' Nadal blows Murray away in final'. The headline suggest that it was convincing win by Rafa Nadal. This is a great news, once again allowing Rafa to have a say on the hard courts of Indian Wells and this means that he is not just king in clay- well he already proved that in AO, right?

British number one 1 Andy Murray said;

He definitely deserved the win, he played great in difficult conditions and dealt with it incredibly well.

It was a tough windy conditions and it was Rafa Nadal who took advantaged of the situation and easily winning the second set, 6-1. The second set was more of the same as Nadal won it 6-2.

Super convertible from Bugatti

2009-03-22T03:46:00.000-07:00

This is one super car that is sure to make second, third or even fourth glances. This is one of those new super cars that caught my attention while checking some auto sites. Perhaps this is one activity that I cannot shake off, and that is to constantly check on the new updates on cars and just what I usually did way back then. But I digress. Back to this super convertible from Bugatti. This one was unveiled last quarter of 2008 and this Veyron Super car is known as the Veyron Grand Sport. This is an open top version that can push you to 250 miles per hour on the road. The Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport first made its appearance at the Pebble Beach Concourse d'Elegance and based on one content that I checked, this one retained the coupe version's 16 cylinder engine and the 1001 horsepower. Check all other information here.

Networking is the name of the game

2009-03-22T03:26:00.000-07:00

Networking is an important concept. This marketing move can be used not only to meet friends and socialize but also to meet new people in order to market yourself and to find work. Once again, the saying 'not what you know but whom you know' once again is ringing loud and clear. And you can never fault those people who once again believed in this common saying. Here is an example of a professional who made use of his network in order to find job.

Zac Efron on Johnny Quest?

2009-03-19T21:36:00.000-07:00

Johnny Quest is one of my favorite cartoons of all time. I love this one, in fact from time to time I check out some of the old episodes of the show through YouTube.com. So I was surprised and excited to learn that they are developing a movie based on this cartoon show. And another surprising development is that Zac Efron is involved in the film project. Now this could be interesting, hope the makers of the movie get it right. The said movie project is expected to star Dwayne Johnson and director Andy Fickman of Race to Witch Mountain. Johnson said that there could me some major changes to the movie, and yes he hinted that Zac Efron could be part of the movie. Different, in a sense that Zac Efron will be too old to play Johnny Quest as he existed in the cartoon show. Johnny Quest is certainly not yet in his 20s, so Efron cannot possibly get the job. But since they are interested to take in Efron, then some changes will be made.

Lexus slips, Jaguar and Buick topped list

2009-03-19T17:41:00.000-07:00

Lexus found its match; after a long time at being on top of the most dependable nameplate, two nameplates bumped Lexus off the top spot. Lexus of Toyota is no longer on top JD Power and Associate's dependability survey. For this year's ranking, two names tied for the most dependable nameplate and these are Jaguar and Buick. According to Neal Oddes who is the director of product research and analysis at JD Power, Buick and Jaguar both lead the industry in name plate performance. This doesn't mean though that Lexus is no longer reliable. In terms of individual model performance, Lexus and Toyota still do very very well.

Lexus may have lost its number 1 ranking to Buick and Jaguar, but still the nameplate swept the top awards in four segments and Toyota took also five awards.

This annual survey measures the problems experienced by the original owners of vehicles after three years. And if these are the cars that are considered to be most reliable with less issues and problems on the road, then there is also that nameplate that is often associated with a number of issues. Of the 37 brands that were assessed by JD Power Associates, the Suzuki owners reported the most issues.

The Twilight Zone

2009-03-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

Checking some of the old episodes of The Twilight Zone, which is one of the best shows for me. Thanks to YouTube, I get to discover and re-discover some of the best episodes of this seminal TV show. I like the 'Spur of the Moment' episode, but there are a number of episodes that I loved way back then which I cannot remember. I think RPN9 made a re-run of this show years ago. I am currenty watching on YouTube the 'Five Characters in Search of an Exit'.

Obese? Take 10 years off life expectancy

2009-03-18T03:26:00.000-07:00

Obese and trying to cut the fat? Well, here is another motivation for you to continue your program.

Researches have it that being obese will cut your lifespan. I have been hearing and reading about this for many years now, and there is another research that has been published that links obesity to a shortened life expectancy. This new study involved around 900,000 people. Well from the number of the participants alone, you can really say that the recommendations of the research should be heeded. This same research have that the adults that are obese or around 40 pounds over the healthy weight may be cutting around 3 years off their lives. And the reason? This can be linked to heart disease and stroke. For those who are extremely obese, or the ones that weigh more than 100 or more pounds than the healthy weight well these obese people can expect that they are shaving 10 years off their life calendar. The effect of being obese is likened to a lifetime of smoking, the researchers say.

Higher price for 2010 Nissan GT-R

2009-03-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

If you have been dreaming to get your own 2010 Nissan GT-R in a few months time, then let it be known that this car from Nissan is priced much higher as compared to the 2009 version. This was announced by Nissan a week ago. Nissan said that the base price for the Nissan GT-R will start at $81,790 and this will include the destination charge of $1,000. For the person who cannot get enough of the 2010 Nissan GT-R, then the higher end version of the sports car can be had starting $84,040 and this will include shipping. The new price according to Nissan will take effect stating March 21. Modest upgrades can be expected from the 2010 GT-R and the list of the upgrades will include the additional power, pushing the power of the vehicle to 485 horsepower. This will also include front seat and side curtain air-bags.

Danny Gokey as early favorite?

2009-03-17T06:13:00.002-07:00

The season 8 of American Idol is heating up, and one of the names that is starting to rise to the top is Danny Gokey. This guy seems to be getting the thumbs-up mark coming from a number of observers, including me! Tight competition will be presented by Adam Lambert, another stand-out in the show. It will be easy to expect that this two will be on the top 3. Will the two be there at season's end?

Danny Gokey as early favorite?

2009-03-17T06:13:00.001-07:00

Why writers should not be looters

2009-03-15T06:05:00.000-07:00

Here is a content that strikes me as something true and correct. The author says that there are two kinds of people, the looters and the producers. Indeed in many aspects of life, you have that kind of duality; someone who produces and someone who takes advantage of the output of the producers- the looters. This is true as well in writing, where writers are the producers and some buyers are the looters. And the looters are the ones that ride on the crest of skills and production of the writers.

The article goes on saying that writers as producers should welcome competition, and never blame co-writers for their failures. Writers who blame other writers for their failures and for failing to snag the writing job are also called looters. For this reason, we as writers should strive to make ourselves to become as producers and simply not looters. The content further challenged writers; welcome competition and help develop new writers.

Every writing project is a way to hone the craft. And yes, I also accept the challenge of the author- to be intent on improving and should cast nothing aside no matter how small that project may be. Read everything- I will and accept challenges- yes I will.

Toyota, Honda on top of Consumer Reports

2009-02-26T21:57:00.000-08:00

In the issue of the magazine that will hit newsstands this March, Toyota is listed by Consumer Reports as one of the leading names when it comes to quality and reliable cars and trucks. Detroit automakers on the other hand topped one category. This was announced by the top editors of the magazine Thursday. This is just one of the many validations that the Japanese carmaker has gained ground and continues to dominate when it comes to quality and reliable cars and trucks. The editors of the said magazine also noted the fact that the industry is under a tough economic test. Toyota took home the honors for the best mid-sized SUV for the Toyota Highlander. Toyota also netted the best small SUV for its Rav4 and the Toyota Sienna was named as the best mini van. Toyota Motors is considered as the leading name for the year among individual categorie as it wins in four categories which also include the green car. And for the best over-all vehicle, then the honor goes to Lexus-made Lexus LS 460 which is the luxury division of Toyota.

Honda Motors is a big winner too, as this Japanese automaker was named as the top automaker for the third year in a row. The rankings of the company was based on the performance and the reliability of the vehicle. And these are determined thru testing and customer surveys. Honda tops the overall list with Subaru coming in second and Toyota was third. Asian car manufacturers are doing well for the third year in a row. According to an editor of Consumer Reports, Honda tend to build well-rounded vehicles that do well in CR tests and in customer reliability surveys.

General Motors scored for Chevrolet Avalanche as best pick-up, and this was the only top vehicle for General Motors. This replaced Chevy Silverado 1500.

Fave series: 2008 Nissan Z

2009-02-21T20:46:00.000-08:00

Why do i love a number of great Nissan rides? Well other than the Nissan GT-R, this 2008 Nissan Z is another favorite of mine. The car's design and aesthetics alone made me decide that I like this one. Haven't checked the performance just yet, but by the way we see this Nissan Z we know that the 2008 Nissan Z is not your ordinary car. Nissan gets a unique tag line for the 2008 Nissan Z- Last letter, first in performance. If given a chance I will go for the 2008 Nissan Z Nismo Coupe. This Nismo Coupe has the Nismo-tuned sports suspension and powered by the Rays wheels. This 2008 Nissan Z Nismo Coupe will also have an enhanced aerodynamics kit and body weld reinforcements.

Interesting:Google dismisses Atlantis find

2009-02-21T07:15:00.000-08:00

Interesting news here as I was checking the news for this hour. The news report is all about the noise about the so-called images that were captured by Google Earth that impressionable users thought of as grid of streets and outlines of a big city on the sea floor around 960 km or 600 miles off the African coast. According to experts, this was one of the possible sites that were described by Plato. But Google immediately shot down the idea and the search engine added that the lines represented the sonar data that was collected from the boats. According to the company statement, what the observers have seen was an artefact of the data collection process. The sea floor terrain is often collected from boats using the sonar in order to take the measurements of the sea floor. The lines that were noticed by the observers reflect the path of the boat as it gathers the data.

Rafa Nadal will be out of Dubai

2009-02-19T23:03:00.000-08:00

An ailing Rafa Nadal of Spain is out of Dubai and that is according to this report. According to the same report, Rafa Nadal which is my favorite tennis player next to Andre will skip the Dubai Tennis Championships. He strained a ligament during the finals match against Andy Murray in the ABN Amro. The Spanish player said that the injury wasn't serious (good thing) and he said that he prefers not to take any chances with Spain scheduled to meet Serbia in the first round match-up of the World Group (good decision for him, I think). Rafa Nadal wrote on his website that he was disappointed with his condistion but said that his doctor has advised him to stay at home and rest his knee. Rest well, Rafa and be ready for the clay season.

He needs to take a rest, he had a great 2009 season start. Hope you get more grandslams. Ayt?

From Mayon

2009-02-19T23:00:00.000-08:00

This one was taken last year. A view from the Mayon Rest House. Everyone was present during that trip, except for Carlos. We arrived in the area around 12nn, and immediately searched for an open space where we can eat our lunch. Lunch was adobo and 'ginataang gulay'. Twas good and the company was better. Every seems to be busy right now and rightfully so. Everyone needs to make a living and everyone must start their own families. The first one went to Saudi Arabia and will be part of the OFW workforce. This is the sad state of employment in the country right now- no employment even for the brightest graduates. Going abroad for work is no longer surprising, it is expected. But I don't have plans fo leaving, just yet. Freelance content writing makes me happy, with just the right amount of projects. The writing projects are A-okay, but it seems that the what they are paying me is not enough. But hey, this is fine by me at least for now.

4.99 million jobless workers in US

2009-02-19T08:44:00.000-08:00

That's 4.99 million Americans without a job, so says Bloomberg.com. According to the news report this was the record of the unemployed as of last week. This data breaks a record for the fourth straight time and this only means that the job market is deteriorating. General Motors and Chrysler LLC added to the numbers as they reported that they will be cutting more jobs this year.

GM to cut 47,000 jobs this year

2009-02-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

General Motors is set to cut 47,000 jobs and plans to seek up to $30 billion aid and this move by GM is just another testament to how bad the future of General Motors look. It is also part of the plan of General Motors to idle five more US factories. All these moves are part of General Motors' massive restructuring plan. The carmaker is the recipient of the $13.4 billion in federal loans and it plans to seek another $16.6 billion the moment the economic fails to get back on track. In a news report, it added that General Motors can achieve its profitability in two years time and can fully repay its loans by 2017. The company's plan was submitted to the Obama administration for review. General Motors is also working to win concessions form United Auto Workers and the bond holders of the company in order to effectively re-size the company. The UAW also had talks with Chrysler LLC and Ford Motor Co. and said that it had reached a tentative deal on contract changes. Still based on reports, there are still discussions on how the companies will fund the union-run trust funds that will take the companies' healthcare obligations for the retireees for next year. General Motors' brand will be down to four last December- Chevy, Buick, Cadillac and GMC. And GMC is considering the sales of Hummer.

Ford Fusion as new alternative

2009-02-14T19:23:00.000-08:00

We all know Toyota Prius- it's the car that we usually associate with the words fuel-efficient and green vehicle. Well based on the latest Yahoo write-up, it seems that Toyoya Prius has some company and a better one at that. Enter Ford Fusion hybrid. According to USA Today, the 2010 Ford Fusion is the best gasoline-electric hybrid yet. This can be a sweeping statement that can knock Prius off its wheels. According to the paper, the Ford Fusion is known for its smooth ride and best-integrated gas-electric power system. The cost? Well, this car is pegged at $107,000 and according to the paper the Lexus LS 600h hybrid comes in next.

Home is where the heart is

2009-02-12T02:41:00.000-08:00

This is the view from our cottage when we went to beach for lunch time. It was a few days after the feast day of Our Lady of Salvacion in Joroan, and we went there using motor cyles. It was one of the best moments with my friends, but sad to say everyone needs to attend to their personal lives now. The first one went to Saudi Arabia for work, and the other have to raise his family. My other friend who remains here was here last night and we shifted on the topic of friends leaving, he said that what's the point of leaving, we will all die and we will go back to where we come from-home.

Nissan to cut 20,000 jobs

2009-02-09T04:15:00.000-08:00

The latest on Nissan is that the company plans to slash 20,000 jobs for next year. Now this is troubling for the industry. Those jobs that will be lost will definitely hurt. This number is around 8.5 percent of Nissan's global workforce. This news article mentioned that the loss that will be reported by Nissan will be $2.9 billion, and not simply $1 billion, as I earlier noted. According to its chief executive Carlos Ghosn, the auto industry is in turmoil and that Nissan is not exempted. Further information on Yahoo news.

Losses in billion$

2009-02-08T22:07:00.000-08:00

According to some reports, Nissan may forecast a loss to as much as 1 billion USD. Based on the report, the announcement of that loss may happen this Monday when Nissan announces the third quarter earnings. The figures will reflect the slump that is happening in auto sales right now and this is also a reflection of the impact of the stronger yen. It is not just Nissan who has this problem. As reported too, rival Toyota Motors Corporation will be handed its first operating loss since World War. Nissan is Japan's third largest automaker. The supposed 'loss' of Nissan is actually based on the survey conducted among analysts.

The latest news on Nissan is that the company is now also lining up for help. The company is now also seeking a federal efficiency loan in the US and this is the only Japanese car maker to do so. To be exact, Nissan is seeking the federal loan under the US program for the fuel-efficient automobiles and the company is competing with General Motors Corporation, Ford Motors and Tesla. The source of funds will be the Energy Department and loans will be taken out from the $25 billion fund. These will be the source of the low cost loans which can be given to succesful applicants in one or two months. The rules for the low cost loans has been finalized last November and the department got 75 applications for projects and the overall project cost $38 billion. Of the 75, only 25 were considered as substantially complete.

Hitachi's turn; Company to cut 7,000 jobs

2009-01-30T05:23:00.000-08:00

Reports have it that Hitachi is set to cut 7,000 jobs and will forecast up to $7.7 billion in loss. The job cuts will be part of the company's global re-structuring plan. The announcement about their dim forecast about possible loss was made Friday and the loss will cover the year that ends March 31. This was in contrast to the supposed projected profit of 15 billion yen which was made in October. The company based in Japan is a known manufacturer of home appliances, IT systems and medical equipments. It's operating profit projection was cut too by 90 percent. Weak demands for its products was considered as the main culprit.

Japan is home to the world's largest carmaker

2009-01-21T17:19:00.000-08:00

General Motors is now ranked number 2, and the number one carmaker is located in Japan. This came after General Motors fell by 11 percent. This is the year that General Motors celebrated its 100th year in the business. This does not mean that Toyota has no problems, sales for the company fell too and it just happens that the problems besetting General Motors are more critical. In a statement, General Motors said that it sold 8.35 million vehicles for 2008 and this figure is 620,000 fewer than Toyota's 8.97 million. Sales of GM fell 11 percent and sales of Toyota declined 4 percent. General Motors had been the largest carmaker in the planet since it overtook Ford in 1931.

Steve Jobs, Apple CEO take medical leave

2009-01-14T21:45:00.000-08:00

The Apple chief executive, Steve Jobs has announced that he is taking a medical leave until June. The move by the company CEO confirms some of the loose talks that all is not well in the company or at least something is wrong on the health of their CEO. Steve Jobs is a cancer survivor too. Following the announcement of Steve Jobs, the shares of the company plunges 7 percent. The chief operating officer of Apple, Tim Cook will take over the responsibilities left by Steve Jobs. But it was announced that Jobs will still have a say on the company’s major strategic decisions. Just a week ago, the Apple CEO talked to company investors and employees about the current situation of his health and he added that his weight loss was caused by an easy-to-treat hormone deficiency. But the investors of the company were not convinced, and his health has served as a distraction for the company. For the past year, the shares of Apple have moved alongside the usual announcement about the condition of his health. And now, with the announcement of leave, the shares of the company dropped 7 percent. It was also Tim Cook who ran the company in 2004 when Steve Jobs was recovering from his cancer surgery. Others are saying that this will serve as Tim Cook’s trial period as Apple CEO. The shares of the company slid $6.03 to settle at $79.30 after the announcement and this figure was 7.1 percent lower than the original share price.

Chic Lincoln C concept

2009-01-13T05:30:00.000-08:00

[caption id="attachment_323" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Chic interior of the Lincoln C"][/caption]

One concept car that was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show is the Lincoln C. This new concept car from Ford Motor Company is a fuel-efficient ride made possible by the innovative power train. The Lincoln C is a four cylinder vehicle and powered by the 1.6 liter EcoBoost partnered with the company’s dry dual-clutch PowerShift six-speed transmission. The Lincoln C is projected to achieve 43 miles per gallon and boasts a 25 percent increase in fuel efficiency if compared to the Ford Focus. This was officially unveiled January 12, 2009 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. According to its manufacturers, the Lincoln C is an attempt to show that a small car can also deliver luxurious amenities. This is about the size of the Ford Focus, but the difference is that this Lincoln C carries a glass roof. Cool, no?

Detroit Auto Show starts without the usual glitz

2009-01-11T01:15:00.000-08:00

And that's according to news reports describing the preparation for the Detriot Auto Show. There are some noticeable absences for this year's auto show in Detroit and this year's show is dampened by the economic issues troubling the industry and the ill conditions of General Motors and Chrysler LLC which are under government life support. The usual glitz and glamor that are trademarks of the shows of past will be off this year, probably because there no money to spend for these unnecessaary things. Some participants will be out for this year. A notable absence will be Nissan Motor Corporation. So what to expect at the show? The following is a listing of things to expect and see at this year's auto show at Detroit:

Automakers are set to reveal 50 new models and this number is down for 59 which were showcased for 2008.

Toyota will introduce its own Toyota Prius gas-electric hybrid

Honda will introduce its Honda Insight which is designed to directly compete with Toyota Prius

Chrysler will unveil a new technology for its electric vehicle prototypes

Ford will show off its electric vehilce strategy

General Motors will show some suprise too.

All will be scaled down a bit, and some reports added that some manufacturers spent less time in preparation for the Detroit Auto Show.

What about RP car industry?

2009-01-10T02:29:00.000-08:00

Talking about the automotive industry in the United States all the time and not talking about home is not right, so here is a little update about the country's automotive industry. According to the manufacturers here, the market is better off as the industry managed to gain growth even though a crisis is present. Though the sales was short of target, the industry leaders still said that they are satisfied with the performance of the industry for 2008. According to the data that was released by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc or the CAMPI, the industry moved 124,449 units short of the targeted 125,000 units for 2008. Though short, this was still an improvement from last year by 5.5 percent. Toyota Motors Philippines Corp is the top dog of the industry cornering 36.9 percent of the market. Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp followed with 14.1 percent. Honda Cars Philippines, Inc took the third spot with an 11.5 percent share of the market.

A look into everyday life..

2009-01-10T02:00:00.000-08:00

Just got in from my masters class on financial management and point of discussion was led to what happened to business leaders this past weeks. They talked about the death of two businessmen, pushed by distress and the thought that they have lost their fortune. Said one co-student, "he was a victim of the financial crisis" and the professor said " he failed to grasp the real meaning of life". The professor added that everything was cyclical- that this crisis already happened and a growth will follow afterwards and this will happen once again in the future. True?

Is money, business and control of a business empire the end all be-all for these businessmen?

But according to some reports, money may not be totally the thing that pushed him to end his life. In one report, casual observers can be enlightened that the businessman lived modestly, in fact he cycled to work using his 15-year old bike and when weather is bad, he used his four year old Volkswagen Golf. The article added that he has no bodyguards and servants and lived in a simple home for the past 60 years. From there, the casual observer and a news follower like me will be convinced that money is not the primary motive. So what is? Perhaps its all about pride and control of business- knowing that he will lose control of the thing that he had founded and knowing that he had failed those who are working for him. Well what we, observers can do is to speculate and provide our own conjectures.

In another development, just got my grade for the ethics and accountability class and good to know I got the highest grade in the class. The professor did flunked some classmates, giving them 2.0 for their one semester effort. Others were given 1.4 and 1.5. Overall its a good day.

Adolf Merkcle Takes Own Life, which Businessman is Next?

2009-01-06T17:14:00.000-08:00

German businessman and billionaire Adolf Merckle has committed suicide according to news reports. The German billionaire is ranked the 98th richest man in the world, and known in the industry as the one whose speculation in the volatile Volkswagen stock has pushed his business to the edge of ruin. In a family statement, the family said that the his distress on his firms that were caused by the financial crisis plus the uncertainties has broken the spirits of the businessman and ended his life. The police said that a note has been found, but this note was not made public. His involvement in Volkswagen was considered to be the main cause of his distress. It was his poorly timed bet on the Volkswagen shares caused much of his personal problems.

This is not the first time that a businessman took his own life simply because his business holdings are crumbling like house of cards. For sure there are a lot of cases out there, but what interests me was the other suicide which happened just before the year ends. Rene-Thierry Magon de la Villehuchet also killed himself and the reason- the money lost over a failed business venture. In Rene-Thierry's case, he lost his money in a Ponzi-like scheme ran by Madoff. Based on many news reports, the businessman lost his family and his client's money which is worth $1.4 billion. And this, according to news reports depressed the businessman and led him to take his own life. He was found dead at his desk in New York, wrists slashed and bottle of pills seen near him. According to his brother, Rene-Thierry invested all of his own funds, plus the money of his friends and family on the scheme run by Bernard Madoff who in turn was arrested December 11 last year. These events will tells so much about the financial crisis and tells even more about man's affinity to money. Perhaps, they cannot be faulted for doing that since they may have thrown away the money of others but if it is only their money then will that be enough reason to end one's life?

Fisker Automotive joins the ‘green supercar’ fray

2009-01-06T00:35:00.000-08:00

The Detroit Auto Show is about to open and one company signifies its intent to join the show- it’s Fisker Automotive. Fisker what? This could be the first reaction for some watching the industry from the sidelines. Fisker Automotive was established last year and the company calls itself as the green American premium sports car company. In a statement, Fisker Automotive will set to introduce its own concept car in time for the Detroit Auto Show slated for January 11. Fisker Automotive has already announced their production version of the Karma. The Karma from Fisker Automotive is a luxury plug-in hybrid. Just this week, news reports have confirmed that Fisker is also set to reveal their Fisker Karma S. This Karma S is said to be powered by the Q-Drive power-train and this was developed and designed by Quantum Technologies for Fisker Automotive. The power-train gets 50-mile range for a single charge of the lithium ion battery and packs 403 horsepower thanks to two electric motors.

LED on Audi R8 V12

2009-01-05T02:09:00.000-08:00

This car from Audi takes the LED technology to full use as its lighting accessories are all LEDs. With the use of this technology, this makes the Audi R8 V12 Super Car is the first commercial vehicle to do so. Expect to see LEDs in every light-from headlights to turn signal lights. LED stands for light-emitting diodes and these are the lights that emit light when the electric current is applied in a forward direction of the device. These kinds of lights are often used as indicator lights for many electrical and electronic devices. But why use LEDs? Well there are a number of reasons why LEDs are adopted but the main reason can be linked to the efficiency of these lights. These LEDs can produce more light per watt and these lights are useful in energy-saving devices. Speaking of energy-saving devices, these LEDs can also reduce the fuel consumption of the vehicle.

Powering thru Wind Generators

2009-01-03T21:12:00.000-08:00

Sustainable energy sources are gaining the right noises and one important sustainable energy resource is the wind. Wind is harnessed by wind generators and this is converted into electrical power. The power production of wind generators will depend on the wind speed in a certain area and this will also be a function of the density of air in the area. Air density is a function of the barometric pressure and the altitude. This means that energy output of the wind generators will increase dramatically as the wind speed increases.

Wind generators are suggested as possible alternative sources of electrical energy for a number of reasons. The wind energy harnessed by wind generators is an ideal renewable energy. This is true because wind energy is pollution-free. Fuel is also not needed in order to power up the generators and these machines don’t create greenhouse gases. Another reason is that the energy from wind generators is quiet and will not pose any significant hazards to animals like birds. Wind generators are suggested as well because these are space-savers. These generators are known to occupy a small space in any given area. If these wind generators are constructed on farmland, only around 2 percent of the land area will be devoted for these energy generators. And finally these generators are suggested because these are income-generating projects. The excess electrical power that is produced by the generators can be sold to local utilities.

GM gets $4b low interest loan

2009-01-01T19:10:00.000-08:00

General Motors has reported that it has recieved $4 billion in low-interest loans coming from the federal government. For sure the infusion of fresh funds to the company will help GM address its financial issues. Chrysler LLC has also applied for the loans but they are still waiting for the approval of the loans since their application process has been slowed down for some reasons. The payment of $4 billion that the car company has received is just the first installment of the &9.4 billion in total loans that the company will get for January this year. And for Feebruary, the company is set to get another $4 bilion. This financial help that the company is getting for 2009 will be used to counter their billion dollar losses and their slowing sales. Chrysler is also expecting that they can get their $4 billion as soon as possible and they will use this as well to sustain their operations.

John Cooper Works Mini

2008-12-26T04:42:00.000-08:00

Here is the hottest, the fastest Mini Cooper available in town- the John Cooper Works Mini. This Mini surprisingly delivers big results when tested on the road. Mini lovers can expect that the vehicle can sprint from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 6.5 seconds. But it isn’t only in the acceleration aspect that the John Cooper Works performs best. This Mini is known to be a fuel efficient vehicle.

In one of the tests that was conducted by a journalist, the car achieved around 50 miles per gallon for fuel efficiency, and that’s 25 percent more than the manufacturer has claimed to be the vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Two new editions have been released under the John Cooper Works Mini badge, and these two editions will share a common power train. The power-train used will be the up-rated version of the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder that is found in the S editions of the Cooper and the Clubman. With the help of the direct injection and the twin-scroll turbo, the engine has the capability to deliver 207 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. Other features of the new John Cooper Works Mini include the light-alloy rims, the beefed-up six speed manual transmission, and the presence of the high-performance brakes and the incorporation of the new exhaust system. The John Cooper Works Mini was launched last August in the US market.

**Pic via autobahnreport

Drop in Toyota's global sales

2008-12-24T04:36:00.000-08:00

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Cooling Toyota"][/caption]

You could say that there is something serious in the industry when the giant says that it is also losing. And with the announcement of Japan's Toyota Motors a few days ago that it will register its first operating loss in nearly 70 years and now, an admission that its global sales have dropped to worst in 8 years then yes you no longer need other metrics that the industry has a serious problem. The admission coming from Toyota is only a validation of what others knew for months now- that the auto industry is ailing not just in the United States but this is global. Toyota has announced Wednesday that its global sales have dropped 21.8 percent in November. Toyota of Japan is running in dead heat with General Motors in terms of automobiles sold. For November, Toyota sold 618,000 automobiles. Nissan Motors is also showing signs of weakening sales. Honda, the number two automaker in Japan has seen its sales tumbles down by 9.9 percent. So will Kanye West sings it 'All falls down' once again?

Electronic Arts cutting 1000 jobs, NFS in danger?

2008-12-21T21:41:00.000-08:00

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="608" caption="Scene from one NFS game"][/caption]

The video game industry is not safe from recession after all.

In some news reports, it was indicated that the company will be closing at least nine facilities and this move is part of their restructuring plans. Electronic Arts will cut around 1,000 jobs and this is around 10 percent of its global workforce. The bulk of the layoffs will be made before March 31, 2009. This move by the company will net EA with annual cost savings of $120 million. The focus now of EA is on the hit games with higher margin opportunities. But still, the company is still committed to taking creative risks.
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Chrysler suspends production

2008-12-18T01:51:00.000-08:00

Chrysler LLC suspends US production for at least a month. Could this be an indication that indeed the company and the other two big auto companies are bleeding inside?

In a report posted over at CNN.com, the 30 plants of the company will close after the last shift on Friday and the employees were told not to return to work before January 19 next year. In this latest move, the company put the blame on the continued lack of consumer credit for the American car buyer for the continued downward spiral movement of the sales not just for Chrysler but for other auto companies. Normally, the company shuts down its operation starting December 24 and will usually lasts til January 5. But this time, circumstances are different.

Chrysler LLC is not the only automaker that has decided to suspend operations for the first month next year. General Motors also announced last year that it will be idling 30 percent of its North American plants for the first quarter of 2009. Ford also made a move and indicated thru a spokeswoman that the company is adding a week to its normal two-week seasonal and normal shutdown.