Pasensiya na kayo at hindi ako nakakapagpost lately,masyado kasi akong busy between my two jobs and the household chores.But I don't want this blog to be closed.Ito lang ang nakakawala sa pagod ko tapos mawawala pa,di wala na akong therapy.So,kahit na ano magkukuwento




ako para may maicontribute ako kahit paano.Kaya lang araw araw nasa trabaho ako at ang mga nangyayari sa trabaho ay hindi ko puweding ikuwento bec. of our hospital policies like patient's confidentiality. One thing I can share with you at these time which everybody is aware of is the bad economy which everyone is feeling right now.So far, hindi pa ako naaapektuhan,but hospitals are laying people off esp. those who are not licensed. Nakakaawa naman ang mga nawawalan ng trabaho. Hopefully hindi sila maglayoff sa mga tech. We're on skeleton crew anyway,halos wala na ngang magtrabaho when someone calls in sick.

Cora ,we understand your situation ,so don't feel bad .We are so thankful to you for opening this blog for us and now that we have it,it's so precious not to keep it alive.So,mga batchmates and friends kahit kuwentong kutsero magkukuwento tayo,ok?

Last Sept.6 ,me and my nephew went to my friend's daughter's wedding.It was at 600 pm .We got there on time and at the door,there was a sign with an arrow pointing to her wedding. There was a long line and I told my nephew that we should get in line with them.It took us a while to get to the table where the receptionist was.Finally the guy asked me what my name was but he couldn't find my name.I was getting worried already thinking that my friend have forgotten to put my name.One thing I noticed was that there was not a single Pilipino in line with us. But I was thinking they were the groom's relatives and friends since the groom is Italian.So I asked the guy whose wedding was it and sure enough,it's somebody else's wedding. So,natawa na lang ako,baka nga padalhan pa ako ng thank you card dahil nag sign in ako. Sabi ko kasi sa mama how could it happen na wala ang pangalan ko duon ay best friend ko ang nanay nuong bride,so sabi niya pumasok na raw kami,buti na lang itinanong ko ang pangalan nuong ikakasal.Yun pala dalawa ang wedding that day and at the same time.So,iyan lang ang kuwento ko for now.I hope it brought a little smile on your face.Let's keep the ball rolling.

RESPONSE TO JOSIE'S APPEAL

In response to Josie's appeal I was able to talk to Mike last week. He is very sorry for not posting in our blog site as he said when he has free time his granddaughter is using their computer for her projects in school. He said he feels sorry for not reading those articles posted in our blog site. Please understand him as he works at night and of course he has to sleep in day time and do some house chores like mowing the lawn, etc.

I was able to talk too to Edita and Annie. Edita and her dad just arrived from their vacation in Virginia and Annie with Eddie had one week vacation in Las Vegas. I told them to please post their happening while they were in vacation.

I also talked to Lourdes, She thought our reunion will be this coming January and that she cannot come as she will be moving to a condo by that month and need time to sell her townhouse. I told her that it will be in January 2010 and not January 2009 and that she has plenty of time to notify her employer. She told me that they have no more house in Orion and if there are hotels there. I told her not to worry where to stay.

For Josie and Luz, thank you so much for blogging. I know our administrator really wants our blog site alive for the sake of all of us batch'63.

Pyesta ni San Miguel

Para sa mga taga Orion, malaki ang debosyon natin kay San Miguel Arkanghel. Si San Miguel kasi ang patron ng bayan at ngayon ang kapyestahan.Maraming taga Orion na nakatira na sa Maynila at iba pang lugar ang umuuwi ng Orion para makasimba sa araw na ito.Isa nang tradisyon ang pagganap ng nobenaryo para kay San Miguel,prusisyon at palatuntunan sa plaza.


Ngunit alam ba natin kung bakit dalawa ang petsa ng piyesta ni San Miguel?

Ayon sa Roman Calendar of the Saints at sa Lutheran Calendar of the Saints, ang September 29 ang feast day ni St. Maichael, na kung tawagin dati ang araw na ito ay “Michaelmas”. Ang araw na ito ang kinikilala ng mga Katoliko bilang araw ni San Miguel.

Ang May 8 ayon sa tala ng Roman Breviary, nuong taong 494 AD nagpakita daw si St. Michael sa bundok ng Monte Gargano sa Apulia, Italy. Sinasabing nagapi ng mga Lombards of Sipontum (Manfredonia) ang mga kalaban nitong Greek Neapolitans nuong May 8, 663 AD sa tulong ni St. Michael na patron of war nila. Para ipagbunyi ang pagkakapanalo, ginawang speacial feast ng simbahan ng Sipontum ang araw na iyon para kay San Miguel . Sa buong Latin Church ay ginunita na ito at pinahayag ni Pope Pius V)na "Apparitio S. Michaelis".

Kahit simple lang ang pagdiriwang ngayong araw na ito sa Orion,punong -puno ng tao ang simbahan.Kanina bago ako tumuloy dito sa San Fernando ay nagsimba muna ako.Maganda ang gayak ng altar at ang 7:00 oclock mass ay papangunahan ng Obispo...Bishop Soc. Mamayang gabi ang prusisyon at palatuntunan sa Plaza alay kay Apo Ige...meron ding fireworks.Sayang nga di ko masasaksihan ang buong pagdiriwang.

Piyesta ni San Miguel

Setyembre 29. Piyesta ng mahal na patron ng Orion, Bataan - SAN MIGUEL ARKANGHEL.

Kahit kami malayo sa ating bayan ay di namin nalilimutan ang mahalagang araw na ito.

Maaari bang pakibalitaan nyo kami(ng wala sa Orion), kung ano ang mga espesyal na pagdiriwang na idinaos sa mahalagang araw na ito?

Alam ko na nasasabik rin sa balita ang mga batchmates nating nasa malalayong bayan o bansa.

Sige na, please...

please! please!

now i know how corazon feels whenever no one posts an article in the batch blog and she had to do everything herself, sacrificing her time and personal preferences in the process.

now i understand why she wanted to close this blog. she has asked me many times in the past to take over as site administrator. if only i had a little IT technical skill, I would have readily accepted, if only to free her of the burden of doing the task by her lonesome.

luz and i have tried the best kind of persuasion, but it seems that our best is not good enough. wala pa ring nagba-blog.

boring naman na name na lang namin ang laging nakikita rito. nakakahiya. hindi amin ang blog. it's OURS. sa ORION JRI BATCH 1963, to where you belong.

please make yourself be heard. or we all opt to quit.

please! please! PRESIDENT-FOR-LIFE MIKE, PLEASE COME TO THE RESCUE.

GUEST POST by Clare de Guzman Amador

GUEST POST: Why we have not run out of reasons to stay in the Philippines

09/23/08

Posted under social entrepreneurship

By: Clare de Guzman Amador

We travel primarily for the experience and then after the experience, we tell our stories. Our stories set us apart—we may go to the same place but come home with different takes. We buy the same souvenirs but got them for different reasons for different people. Our photos are the same frames, still we show it to everyone.

All because our stories are our own and each experience hits us at the core. Travel is one of the best ways to experience the greatness of a place, of a people. It almost always leaves a positive mark—something that changes us and makes us look forward to every sunrise.

Youth Trip Philippines (YTRIP) began as a story. A story of traveling around the Philippines and how the experience can change us as Filipinos. Along the way, we figured, if only more Pinoys could do the same, things might just work better. After all, once we see how amazing our people are, how beautiful our country is—what would hold us back from loving and taking care of it?

YTRIP is a youth-led non-government organization that promotes sustainable local tourism and responsible travel to widen horizons and make Pinoys value our country and heritage deeply. As we find our stories, we discover ourselves. For us, travel is one of the most enjoyable ways to express the best of who we are as a people.

Founded in 2006, YTRIP is a small group of young professionals and industry advisers. We volunteer and devote time, effort, and resources to jumpstart educational projects, using travel and tourism as tools.

Tourism, for YTRIP, is not just about movement, but the shift from one mindset to another. We see tourism as a tool for positive change, beyond economics and more on social impact and responsibility.

So far, we’ve run several projects—we’ve brought yayas and kids to Museo Pambata, we’ve taught college students photography, clean-ups, and backpacking; we’ve learned about Filipino dance, music, and baybayin. For the long haul, we are working on our PiliPinas campaign: Piliin ang Pilipinas. Choose the Philippines by willfully supporting Pinoy products and places. YTRIP is also embarking on becoming a social enterprise to become more sustainable.

There still remains the notion that traveling is a luxury. YTRIP believes that if frameworks, strategies, and networks on budget travel, sustainable tourism, and Pinoy culture are made accessible and experiential for more people, then more Pinoys will truly experience the Philippines. Horizons will expand, stories will converge, and we will no longer say, “wish you were here” because no one will be left out of the journey anymore.

This is why we’re building our travel program with tour groups who have the same vision as ours, to promote great value heritage tours. YTRIP also hopes to create more opportunities for public school students to travel, as we develop our Field Trips for Public School Students program.

Whether it was passion for the Philippines that gave birth to passion for travel, or the other way around, what’s important for us is that we have not run out of reasons to stay in this country. We have not run out of reasons to hope. Here in Pinas, we have 7,107 reasons to explore, 86 million people to meet, centuries of history to be rooted in, and a promising future, a national story to create. We always look forward to the next trip.

*Clare de Guzman Amador is the founder of YTRIP. She is currently working in the office of a Philippine senator but hopes to focus full-time on YTRIP in the future. For more info, you may log on to www.ytrip.org.ph or http://ytrip.multiply.com. You may also email youthtrip@gmail.com.

The 'dying' river

I have beautiful memories of the river that passes through the Tulay-Bato, the Tulay-Baraka, and the Lambingan Bridge in Wawa(Pabiluang). I went to school and back on foot from elementary to high school. Looking down from the two bridges near the public market, I was always attracted to the brook-like water current, and the pebbles that can be seen clearly beneath the clear waters.

I walked from school to our home in Wawa, at least four times a day. When we were in the elementary grades, I used to pass through Daan Bilolo, the palengke ( to see my grandmother), then Lati and Pabiluang.
When we were in high school, I took a different route: Arellano (Tangaran), Bagumbayan, and the Bagumbayan-Wawa bridge. Everyday, there were boys having fun either swimming in the river or paddling the lunday in the river. It was very safe to swim in the river during those years.

Now, the water is greenish and littered with all kinds of garbage. It is almost stagnant. It is in a very sorry state. It is literally 'dying' if not yet dead. It is very unsafe to even set foot in it, much less to swim there.

However, I think with concerted effort our river can still be saved. It is a matter of educating the people on proper waste disposal and strict implementation of municipal ordinances, as well as national laws on saving the environment. Somebody or a group must take the lead.

What do you think, batchmates? Please send in your comments and suggestions through our blog. (Luz is willing to post them for you. Please call her up or send your handwritten notes to her.)

SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAY CELEBRANTS

HAPPBY BIRTHDAY TO ALL OUR BATCHMATES WHOSE BIRTDAY FALLS IN SEPTEMBER. BELOW ARE THE NAMES IN MY FILE. MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL THE BEST.

ROSA VILLEGAS BARBOSA-BALMACEDA - SEPTEMBER 4

OFELIA ANGELES CALIMBAS - SEPTEMBER 6

ALBREDO GABRIEL - SEPTEMBER 9

RAMON LACSON - SEPTEMBER 16

Retirees of JRI Batch '63

"I love the life after retirement ",this seems to be the catch phrase among
retirees of JRI Orion Batch '63 . I can only speak in behalf of the teachers who have retired after long years of teaching.These includes Fely Reyes, Emma,Julie,Siony,and effective June 2008,Belen Buenaventura-Almazan,Luz Torres-Saul and Carmelita Canaria . Belen and Carmelita,41 years of service and Luz, 36 years.Kudos to you all.

Their reasons for loving retirement seem to cover a lot of areas,including waking up at anytime they wish,no more take home work like lesson planning and computation of grades...yap no more teacher work at last!

Ladies ,enjoy your retirement...take up a hobby , they are good for brain stimulation and blood flow.They also bring out your hidden talent!!

Why not write a blog,I will take care of posting ?

Behh! Buti nga!!!!

Robbers’ loot: Dummy phones, cameras
By DJ Yap
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:15:00 09/18/2008

MANILA, Philippines – It looked like the perfect crime.

Ten armed men barged into an establishment in Makati City shortly after midnight Wednesday and disarmed the guards on duty without firing a single shot.

The robbers later made a clean getaway with a bag full of phones and cameras.

There was just one catch: Dummy cellular phones and digital cameras made up the bigger portion of their loot.

“Parang na-’Wow Mali’ sila,” Supt. Manuel Santos Jr., chief of the Makati police investigation division, said with a laugh, alluding to a TV show that plays pranks on people.

The robbery occurred at 12:15 a.m. Wednesday inside the showroom of Fone Tech/Wellcom Inc. at the JMBC Building on Zansibar corner Rockefeller Streets in Barangay Isidro.

The robbers, who were wearing face masks, bullet-proof vests and Kevlar helmets, barged into the building and disarmed the three security guards on duty, Santos added.

Then they led the guards, identified as Eduardo Uri, Eddie Ebon and Walter Silacan, along with two stay-in employees, Climaco Omega and Abner Talde, to the toilet where they were locked up.

When roving barangay watchmen dropped by the shop by chance, the robbers locked them up with the other store employees inside the toilet.

The armed men then proceeded to empty the glass cases of their merchandise, loading several cell phones, digital cameras and spare computer parts into a bag.

“It turned out that almost all of the gadgets were dummies or display gadgets,” Santos said.

But if it was any consolation to the robbers, they were able to escape with a digital camera and a few other valuables worth P30,000 taken from the shop’s guards and employees, Santos added.

The robbers fled on board a maroon van, said the police official. A license plate, believed to have been discarded by the suspects, was found at the scene.

Santos said they would look for clues to the robbers’ identities by reviewing the footage taken by surveillance cameras installed in the building.

A plea to batch 1963 - PART 2

Calling on all our batchmates ( jriorion1963 ) who are residing abroad!
Please share with us your exciting life there, through our blog.
At least, we'll experience how it is to live outside the country, albeit vicariously.

It would be doubly exciting to see your pictures posted in our site.
Do allow us to peep into your home through pictures of your abode posted in the blogspot. AND, OF COURSE, THOSE SHOTS OF YOUR FAMILIES.

"Nasaan na kayo, Crispin, Basilio?" EHE! Mike pala. 2 Ernestos, the Benjamins, Larpi, Nelia, Edita, Manny, Luna, Frank, Roberto, Eya, Sally, Lourdes, Lolita, Anselmo, Benruben, etc. "Larpi, please continue the list of batchmates living there and in other countries." "How about the list of birthday celebrators?"

BE WAITING FOR YOUR POSTS, FOLKS.

UPDATE

This is to update you batchmates that I had recently talked to Editha and Fely via e-mail. Editha with her Dad is now in Virginia for a two weeks vacation and at the same time visit her brother. Another good news from one of our batchmates. Fely will be starting to work this coming October teaching in a catholic school. Manny, Annie and Mike also called me just to say hello. I am really sorry for not blogging. The reason is that I had problem with my internet server at home and I had requested to cut it off. I am blogging now here in the office but I cannot do it so often as it is against in our office to be in the internet doing personal task especially during office hours. Once caught I will be fired out from work. It is also take long time before I can open our site.

By the way as you know I am a type of a person who really do not know how to cook. What I know is to cook rice in rice cooker and fry egg, hotdog o ano mang puwedeng iprito but not the fish. I e-mailed Lourdes Garcia Cruz as she loves to cook as she mentioned me before and I asked her how to cook Ukoy to impress my brothers and sisters during my mom's 86th birtday last August 16. He e-mailed me the recipe not giving the measurements. She just told me all the ingrdients. I tried to prepare all the ingredients and mixed all. Alam ninyo kung ano ang nangyari. Nadudurong ang aking ukoy. Hindi nabuo. I called my two sisters and told my problem. They told me that I have to put one more egg and more flour. Dinagdagan ko ang nangyari naman naging tinapay ang ukoy ko. Kaya walang ukoy sa birthday ng nanay ko. Minsan naman nagluto ako ang aroz caldo naging kalamay naman. Next time I will really not to try to cook. Nakakahiyang ipakain sa ibang tao. I just cook rice and my daughter-in-law just bring me whatever vegetables or meat she cooks everyday. Kaya alam ninyo ang kusina ko napakalinis as I only cook ready to cook food in the microwave. When our family has party all my sisters are the one cooking at ako taga kain lang. They know that. Kaya pagpumunta kayo dito sa East Coast you are welcome to stay in my house but don't expect me to cook food for you. he! he! He!

Okay, time to work. Let us keep on remembering each other in our daily prayers and pray to the Lord that we all batchmates have good health of mind and body so we will be seeing each other in 2010 with big smile in our face and with full joy and peace in our heart.

I love and miss you all. See you then.

A plea to batch 1963

Our blog administrator and I chatted for a while a few days ago, mostly about our blogspot. The burden of administering the site is taking its toll on her. It's not easy to keep it, as it entails using even time best allotted for her responsibilities to her family, to her home and to herself.

Maybe the task won't be as daunting if all of us send articles for posting. The lack of materials force her to search for items that will be of interest to the readers, and in the process, sacrifice her personal preferences and opinions.

Time and again, she has requested me to take over her position in the blogspot. How I wish I had her technical expertise, so I can help her. Sadly, I am zero in that department. I am game about blogging more often, so I gave a covenant to blog as often as I could.

Luckily, Luz, our very active batchmate, was online this morning, which gave us the chance to discuss the predicament more deeply.

We thought about asking the old bloggers to come out again with their very interesting postings. The best thing that could happen is to see new bloggers and new posts.

There are many interesting things to blog about from Orion alone.
- how to make tuyong udyong, tinapang alugasin
how to cook butchi, boboto, ukoy, suman sa lihiya, kinimis na
tsokolate, etc.

- new edifice, like the St. Michael Hospital and a possible interview
with Dr. Jun Baluyot

- pictures of interesting spots in Orion, Orion folks,
celebrations, feasts

- civic club activities

Luz is willing to edit, encode and post submitted materials, so wala nang rason ang di gumagamit ng computer.

PLEASE DO YOUR SHARE TO KEEP THE BLOG . SEND IN AS MANY BLOGS AS YOU CAN.

P L E A S E ???

-

To MICMAC - with love,from Mom and Dad & vice versa

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Thank you so much mom and dad!!!! I can't thank you enough for always being there for me when I am down or frustrated or have problems I can't seem to get enough of. For every trial I encounter, the two of you were always there to pick me up and tell me that it's going to be alright. Even more, you have adopted another daughter by the name of Candy. I love you both so much. I know I haven't been much of a son lately. And sometimes I have "init ulo" spells from time to time..I am controlling it now and Candy helps me to control it as well. I am sorry I sometimes lose it but really it's not because I am angry, it's just the way I react that's off. Sorry for that, I will work on it some more. Thank you so much mom and dad and I love you just as much. Michael Peter J. "MicMac" Macalua Gurango Software Corporation Branders.com SOE-Force1 BigBoys Motorcycle Club Club R Deep 6 Dive Club Inc Hello Divers PPD Divers > -------Original Message------- > From: j2 m > Subject: September 19, 2008 > Sent: 16 Sep '08 22:53 > > we know that there is an important event on september 19, but we are > having our senior moment, kaya di namin maisip kung ano. > > we know that a very important person in our life is celebrating something, > but we are having our senior moment, kaya di namin maisip kung ano ang > okasyon. > > we know that we love that person so very much, but we are having our > senior moment, kaya di namin maisip kung sino siya. > > we know that he is a very talented, charismatic, thoughtful and charming > person, but we are having our senior moment, kaya di namin maisip kung > nasaan siya ngayon. > > POP!!! > > now we know! that talented, charismatic, thoughtful and charming person, > who is celebrating his 27th birthday in manila on september 19, and whom > we love so much, is none other than our one and only --- > MICMAC! > > buti na lang nawala na ang senior moment namin! hehehe! > > HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MIC! > AMIDST ALL THE TRIALS, HAVE FAITH THAT "THE BEST IS YET TO COME" > > love always, > mommy and dad > > > >

What did Sarah Palin ever do to inspire the rage and bile that exploded on her selection by John McCain?

One wonders: What is there either in this woman’s record or resume to elicit such feline ferocity?

What did we know of her when she was introduced?...

Why did the selection of Sarah Palin cause a suspension of all standards and a near riot among a media that has been so in the tank for Barack even “Saturday Night Live” has satirized the infatuation?

Because she is one of us — and he is one of them.

Barack, says the National Journal, has the most left-wing voting record in the Senate, besting Socialist Bernie Sanders. Palin’s stances read as though they were lifted from Reagan’s 1980 “no pale pastels” platform. And this is what this media firestorm is all about...

One of Them and One of Us

You don’t read Patrick Buchanan? You should.

Traitor: Obama Betrays Soldiers?

By Justin PauletteSep 15th 2008 6:44PM
Filed Under:eBarack Obama, Iraq

If this story is true, it is the most important revelation of the election.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari has apparently revealed that the centerpiece of Barack Obama's conversation with Iraqi leaders in July was his hope of delaying the draw-down of American military forces in Iraq...

If Zebari's statements are discovered to be true, Obama would be guilty of the most unadulterated political profiteering and moral corruption in modern history. To seek electoral gain on the deception of a nation at war and the blood of American soldiers is nothing less than treasonous villainy - for which the offender ought to be tarred and feathered before being expelled from the country.

Read more: Traitor: Obama Betrays Soldiers?

*Breaking* Obama Tried to Stall US Troop Withdrawal: Logan Act Felony

Obama Sought To Block Iraq Troop Withdrawals To Boost His Own Campaign

Doing the Unexpected

In our daily routine, we do a lot of things expected of us. We sleep, eat, and watch TV, listen to music, read a good book or do the usual house chores. Sometimes we go shopping, visit relatives, watch a movie or just hang out with friends. These are the expected activities, how about the unexpected ones? Well, these could be a candlelight dinner with the hubby or a boyfriend, a vacation hideaway, and maybe a cruise or a European tour.

Aren’t we thrilled with the unexpected? Gifts, perks, humor, job promotion, and even the simple joy of being visited by a long lost friend….. Doing the unexpected is fulfilling. The feeling is the opposite of just doing the usual things, which by definition is doing the average or even the mediocre.

Have you done the unexpected lately? I have some fond recollections of some things I have done unexpectedly and how they turned to be either a comic or embarrassing experience:

• Many years ago, I was a competitor in a 200 meter run at the athletic oval of San Fernando, Pampanga.It was an inter agency sports fest and because of my lean figure I was recommended to join the 200 meter dash run. Mind you, I was there without even a single practice or warm up activities. The result was expected, I join the others at the tail end of the race!

• During company activities, I always look my best. I don outfits which are apt for the ocassion,say ,a nice swimwear at the beach or resort ,a sportswear for aerobics or aero dancing which is part of the physical fitness program for employees. My teammates always look forward of what I will wear, so I wondered if they do not expect someone as “young as me” wearing some daring outfit. However this did not dampen my resolve to really dress up as required.

• Here are some glitches during my tours. While visiting some ruins in Japan, my sister and niece had the laugh of their lives when the tour guide of a group of Japanese literally shoved me off from their group when I joined them during the lecture session about the ruins and requested some flyers. In Europe tourists are ogling at me while I pick up small stones from the places we are visiting and labeling them with a pen marker.



You may have similar stories to share about doing the unexpected, join me in my journey!

For Your Entertainment

Devastating Video — Obama talks about job Ayers gave him

The Lying King - Apologies to the Lion King

Who's sorry now?

Going to the dogs

Thought of relaxing after dinner last night, so I turned on the television set to the Kapuso channel. "This is good," I said to myself. "It's about pet dogs." I still miss Centee, our Dalmatian, which was born during the RP Centennial celebration. Sadly, Centee passed away while I was touring the country with the Sales Blitz group. The veterinarian said he succumbed due to kidney failure and hypertension, because of too much meat and too little water in his diet. Maybe, just maybe, Centee's fate would have been different if I did not entrust him to the helpers. Sigh!

Going back to the tv show, what was shown was the luxurious lifestyle of dogs nowadays. It started out with fashionable dog outfits, dog spa and grooming centers, dog birthday parties - complete with theme and catering. There is the dog boarding house, or something akin to a dog day care center. Would you believe that there is even a memorial park exclusively for canines, with lots ranging from several thousands to millions of pesos per lot? There is a dog crematorium and columbarium, and many more unthinkable amenities for dogs.

I can't explain my feelings while watching that tv feature. On impulse, I pressed the remote control to turn it off, not wanting to see more. I don't hate dogs, but I value human beings much, much more. How can people spend that much for dogs while our fellowmen are suffering from hunger and poverty? Wouldn't it be more Christian to buy food for the needy than to spend for dog luxuries? A dog birthday party which costs at least five thousand pesos can buy about 4 sacks of rice from NFA. How many families will be assured of 3 square meals with that? How many Gawad Kalinga houses can be built for the homeless with the amount needed for an estate lot in a dog memorial park? The 'how many's' are endless.

Conscience makes men different from animals. Conscience will prevent our society from going to the dogs.

It Gets Crazier, Folks. Hang on Tight for the Ride.

JUST WHO THE HELL IS BARAK HUSSEIN OBAMA?


1) McCain Is Computer Illiterate Ad Blows Up In Obama...

The young snarkies running Sen. Barack Obama's campaign couldn't resist the opportunity to make fun of the fact that Sen. John McCain has admitted he doesn't use a computer and send e-mails...

(Watch it, Batchmates, if you don't start prancing your stiff fingers over the keyboards of your computers, you'd be in danger of being lumped in with McCain. Unlike McCain we have no war injuries to use as an excuse for Obamatoads label of old fudgies like us: computer illiterates, hah!)

2) McCain an expert on defending our country. Who cares about his computer knowledge?

3) Obama's Record Doesn't Match His Words by Gerard Baker, Times of London

Barack Obama the speechmaker is being rumbled. There is a yawning gulf between what the Democratic candidate says and how he has acted. That's why the race is so close.

The essential problem coming to light is a profound disconnect between the Barack Obama of the candidate's speeches, and the Barack Obama who has actually been in politics for the past decade or so...

Politician Obama rose through a Chicago machine that is notoriously the most corrupt in the country...

4) Obama and South Chicago Slum Developers

Barack Obama's political career rose from the south side of Chicago with a lot of help from his friends involved in the housing industry. They have profited and thrived, unlike the Senator's south side constituents...

The Tony Rezko scandal focused the nation's attention on just one piece of a much larger story: Obama's close association with several South Chicago slum landlords, plus one property manager who is now his senior advisor...

If the full story is ever widely known of Illinois State Senator Obama's association with several South Chicago slum landlords to whom the Daley's administration turned-over ownership and management of public housing properties, the voters will rightly ask:

Did the candidate who tells us to be our brothers' keeper not know how developers in and near his district were turning housing for the poor into even more horrific slums? Or, did he know full well what was happening and either didn't care, or was afraid to speak-up? That seems a fair question.

Whatever the answer, the myth of the community organizer fighting for the poor is seriously busted.

5) Putting Lipstick on the Community Organizing Pig

Agitate and aggravate. Those are the responsibilities of the paid "community organizer."

Who's the Next American First lady?

Decluttering our Life

Organization is key to so many things in my life.Basically, I am an organized person. I am peeved by clutter bugs. In my younger years at home,especially on weekdays,everyone must be on their toes to organize their rooms,toys, books.I remember when my siblings were young,they have to set a time putting their schoolbags in order or else they will find them lying near the door ready to be thrown away. (Kasungit ko talaga noon !) But they reaped the fruits of being organized. But the next generation lack the trait ,my nieces,nephews and even my apos are not trained to be organized and I blame the way their parents had brought them up.They leave their wet towels on the floor,the toothpaste caps on top of the sink and a lot of their clutter everywhere in their room which look better when the door is closed.


Clutter is defined as anything unfinished,unused,unresolved,tolerated or disorganized.
Clutter is not only about items. Clutter also includes things we have started and not completed; things not put away or thrown out; possessions we no longer use or are broken; habits we keep repeating that no longer serve a purpose; activities we continue to do because "we have always done it that way"; beliefs we hang onto that are not true; holding on to relationships that haven't worked for a long time.

Getting rid of clutter can make a huge difference in our life... not only will it improve the energy in our home and workplace it will also have a positive impact on our success and happiness in life.
When one get on top of clutter you gain more energy, become organised and life begins to flow more easily.

US Campaign Reader

By Charles Lemos on September 11, 2008 at 9:10 PM in Current Affairs

Here are a few articles from both the US and international media about the US Presidential race. Highlights of each article provided with a link to the full article.

Democrats Just Don’t Get It as Sarah Palin Pounds ‘em

By Michael Goodwin in the New York Daily News.

Obama Turns Into Dukakis, Kerry, Gore

By John Brummett of the Northwest Arkansas Morning News.

‘I am a Liberal, but I’m Blown Away by Sarah Palin’

By Rebecca Johnson in the UK Telegraph.

Reeling in The Barracuda

By Tom Cardell in the Southwest Philly Review.

Autumn Angst: Dems Fret About Obama

By David Paul Kuhn & Bill Nichols in Politico.

Barack Obama Was Run Over as He Took to Middle of the Road

By Tom Baldwin in the Times of London.

The Angry Left Should Beware of Palin

By Rod Dreher in the Dallas Morning News.

What’s Behind Palin’s Appeal to Women

By Fred Barbash in Politico.

NO QUARTER
US Campaign Reader

Who's afraid of this breathtakingly beautiful woman?

Marriage Takes Three

I once thought marriage took, Just two to make it go. But now I am convinced, It takes the Lord also. And not one marriage fails , Where Christ is asked to enter, As lovers come together, With Jesus at the center. But marriage seldom thrives, And homes are incomplete, Till HE is welcome there, To help avoid defeat. In homes where CHRIST is first, It's obvious to see, There unions really work, For marriage takes three. ADAPTED

Oprah enters the fray

Florida Republican group to boycott Oprah

http://niteswimming.blogspot.com/

Lest We Forget

Blog Statistics

Whew! Init! Sobrang init! So here I am in our bedroom, where it's more comfortable. I went out of the bedroom only twice since this morning. The first time was for breakfast and the second time was for lunch. So for lack of something to do, I thought of doing some statistics on our blog.

The dashboard lists two total number of blogs- 431 and 388. Upon scrutiny, only 388 titles and bloggers are in the list. the difference of 43 blogs must be those ones in the old blog, our first blogging attempts.

So I computed the 388 - tried to find out how many blogs each contributor has posted, and how many comments were sent by the readers.

Here goes:
* orionjri - 123 - by Corazon Carlos- Ramirez
* ccramirez - 28 - by Corazon Carlos- Ramirez
* jriclass1963 - _10 - by Corazon/ some by Rolando San Jose
* lucille - 55 - by Luz Quicho
* anselmo l. - 1 - by Anselmo Labrador
* pcuevas - 30 - by Pilar Villegas- Cuevas
* jogjmac - 47 - by yours truly
* aida sison - 3- by Zenaida Mendoza-Sison
* juanito r. - 3 - by Juanito Rodriguez
* AnBenj - 8 - by Annie Navarro-Benjamin
* EdBenj - 22 - by Eddie V. Benjamin
* ernesto dr - 17- by Ernesto del Rosario
* mike cruz - 17 - by Pres. Miguel Cruz
* nelia a. - 19 - by Nelia Amparo
*emma m. - 4 - by Emma Rodriguez-Magpoc
*gernie_717 - 1- ?

Number of COMMENTS: 773

Blog nos. 1- 50 - 72
51- 100 - 47
101-150 - 85
151-200 - 131
201-250 - 170
251-300 - 182
301-350 - 73
351-388 - 13

We've been blogging for about 18 months now, roughly 510 days. We've posted only 431 blogs. That's not even 1 blog per day. Surely, we can do better than that, can't we?

Come on, guys, take the challenge! Huwag ipahiya ang ating batch:
JRI ORION BATCH 1963!!! Start posting and sending your comments now!

Lipstick on a Pig,

Obama insults Palin
By Ted Belman

Obama will rue this day for having said “You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig!”
How insulting.

http://israpundit.com/ and http://larrysinclair-0926.blogspot.com/

OBAMASSIAH

Hats off to those very creative people whose irreverent sense of humour or outrage (depending on where viewers stand) knows no bounds.

Batchmates. if you come across caricatures of famous politicians that you find hilarious, relevant, or outrageous, do share them with us. Let's have a guffaw or a growl or a groan, whichever, over these larger than life personalities. (Admin: no sexual depictions, please. We are prudes!)

Picture from The Peoples Cube

Wow!

Congratulations to ms.orionjri, our unmatched, indefatigable blog administrator, for the new look of our batch site!

It' s beautiful and more pro-looking.

Thanks so much, Azon, for all your efforts, know it's not easy.

You are a blessing to our batch (jriorionbatch1963). Mabuhay!!!

World Heritage churches in the Philippines

By Augusto VillalonPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 04:14:00 09/08/2008
MANILA, Philippines -

Four philippine churches from the Spanish colonial era were inscribed in the Unesco World Heritage List in 1993 as “The Baroque Churches of the Philippines.”

The churches are Santo Tomás de Villanueva in Miag-ao, Iloilo, San Agustín in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Santa María de la Asunción in Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur, and San Agustín in Intramuros, Manila. Their inscription in the World Heritage List elevates them to the status of having outstanding universal value, unique in the world...

Read more: Pride of Place: World Heritage churches in the Philippines / Augusto Villalon

Golf, Golf and more Golf

Men grow up (become bigger boys) while their playing balls' size shrink. I mean BALLS for playing games-basketball, soccer, baseball, tennis, badminton, and golf. My husband is no exception. He graduated from basketball, soccer and tennis to GOLF, GOLF and more GOLF! He putts in the driving range near our home, everyday between 5 and 6 each morning. According to him, he does it more for the purpose of ' para pawisan' (to perspire) than for improving his golf skills. Every afternoon, after office hours, he would just pass by for a quick peck for this wifey, and proceed to the same driving range, for more putting, this time for skill building. Every Saturday, he and his golf buddies - Bobby and Gabby - would leave for Leyte Golf and Country Club, in Albuera ( a town which is about one and a half-hour drive from here) for an 18-hole game, rain or shine. To quote him, "Wow, what a sunny day - a perfect golfing weather." " Wow, there's some rain, what a perfect golfing weather." I used to be confused, as to which one is the better golfing weather, but I have trained my mind to accept that for a golf addict, any weather is perfect golfing weather. See what love can do even to a highly-opinionated wifey like me? It has almost been like a ritual for me to prepare his golf bag, garments' bag, toiletries bag and shoe bag, even his wallet ( for his golf money) every Friday evening. Other musts that I make sure he brings are a bottle of purified water, two bottles of Gatorade and a can of fruit juice, so he won't suffer from dehydration while in the greens and under the intense heat of the sun. On television, he's forever hooked to the Star Sports and Solar Sports, to watch golf games, especially when his idol, Tiger Woods, is in the competition. He has a big pile of golf magazines and books within his reach, which he reads over and over again. I started a collection for him - a ball cap collection. There are 29 ball caps to date which he uses when he golfs. With that number, I am able to wash and dry the last one that he used and very convincingly make him use "this one, because it matches your shirt" or this one " because it's a lucky cap-remember you got the last trophy when you used that" and the ultimate " this one really looks good on you". hehehe! In our living room, I had a rustic shelf made for all his golf trophies and some of his framed pictures taken in golf courses outside the country, and during national competitions. My last act of support for his golf passion? A surprise new set of golf clubs - which made him very, very happy. He was so thankful, which made me wonder - didn't he know that it was his money that I used to buy that set? Maybe he forgot that I have retired from all my money-making ventures a long time ago. Or he has 'surrendered' his right to his income since May 4, 1974 (when we wed)! Whatever, what counts, is I know I'm making Pete very happy with my full support in everything he does or likes, and he shows his appreciation to me by way of his love and kindness, and that makes our marriage work. I have this bad habit of digressing from my topic, so I better end this now with a prayer: " Lord, please give my husband, more golfing years to come.

Fast and easy way to secure NBI clearance

Get your NBI clearance in a jiffy
By Tina Santos
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:30:00 09/04/2008

MANILA, Philippines – No more messy paperwork when you renew your National Bureau of Investigation clearance form, thanks to the Automated Clearance Machine (ACM).

To accommodate the growing number of people renewing their NBI clearance, the bureau and Mega Data Corp., the company that provided the machine and its software, Wednesday launched the NBI Automated Clearance Machine that functions like an ATM (automated teller machine).

The NBI form is a vital requirement for passport processing or for job applications, both local and abroad.

To use the ACM, an applicant must already have a clearance renewal card, which is much like an ATM card.

The new technology would eventually do away with the manual processing of clearances, according to Jose Avedillo, Mega Data chief marketing officer.

“The clearance renewal card is needed to operate automated clearance machines, designed to issue paper-based clearances and accept payments, almost similar to using an ATM machine,” he explained, adding that the system likewise aims to reduce the long lines at the NBI clearance center in Sta. Cruz, Manila.

The ACM, which accepts bills and coins as payment, features a biometrics system that uses a face-recognition software and fingerprint scanner to determine the user’s identity.

The ACMs will be installed in several bureau and other government offices, including the Department of Foreign Affairs, as well as malls nationwide.