After a 2-year Hiatus

I find myself reminiscing that without ‘the gap in time’– at this moment I probably would still have some lingering jet lag from a 6-week vacation to the Philippines while catching up with bill payments. Instead, I tried to drag myself in writing the updates to pick up the 2-year slack.

Flashback to June 2008 when we were in the Philippines. We were happy to be almost at the end of the bit-by-bit slow construction of our retirement place except for what should be our master bathroom which I thought I would enjoy supervising personally. However the crashing of the housing market and the economy here in the U.S. had shifted our retirement options. In short, we’re still here in California dabbling in real estate among all things…challenging time to start.

Two-year snapshot:

July 2008: The highlight of our trip to Fairview–Larry spent a 6-scary day hospital stay at FEU due to Dengue fever. Thank G*d we were only 5 minutes away from the hospital. The silver lining to that cloud of doom, it happened in the middle of our 6-week vacation! He had the time to recuperate, and we didn’t have to cancel the trip back home. We got  back and I was the one who got sick…not as bad though. I ate a lot of ‘kamote’ tops from my backyard, just in case I carried the Dengue virus!

***Lots of living in between! Larry is so ready to go home to the Philippines to retire; however, I know how difficult it is to retire in the Metro Manila area if you don’t have the money go some place else half of the time…a house is not enough!

November 2009: I finally convinced him we should try real estate since training shouldn’t be lengthy and may be a good interim job while we push back retirement to 2012. I was hoping the market would get better by the time we’re ready. If I only knew then, I probably would be thinking twice…maybe! Maybe not…

February 2010: We finally scheduled to take the RE State Exam a day before my birthday! I guess passing it was my birthday gift. Then come more training and morrreeee expenses, and I’m not seeing the end of the tunnel at all. The light of the new career has not dawned on us yet. We’re hoping that this is something we can take with us to the Philippines. Meanwhile…Larry continued studying for his broker’s license (NOT for me anymore!).

August 2010: Larry took his RE Broker’s test, and passed! Yay…he was broke, now he’s BROKEr than ever. We just need to sell our “first house” and 9 more…opppsss…did I hear a double-dip recession? I told him that we need to sell 10 houses before we can even go on our regular vacation. I might as well go back to blogging!

I guess I should continue to promote Fairview Apartments and open it to travelers.

Originally posted @ https://zylla3.wordpress.com

Love from the Heart, Life from the Hearth

You have to love the Philippines to come back and retire there; you have to love life to be in front of the hearth without complaint. I don’t know why someone would search for ‘kitchen in the Philippines’ but it reminded me of the ‘dapog’ [hearth] we have while growing up in the remote farm of Hacienda Estrellas [I think it’s Spanish, meaning ‘farm of stars’] but it was really named after the sugarcane plantation owner’s last name of Estrellas.

However, let’s go back to that kitchen a long time ago. Oh, I wish I had the picture of that hearth as it was the essence of our family’s simple existence. Numerous poignant stories of growing up revolved around there. [Another blog later maybe or when I learn to do the links]. I should probably mention…there was no electricity and running water. Unless you have gone camping, you probably won’t understand that kind of survival. Don’t get me wrong, it was the time dearest to my heart. Maybe one day, I’ll recreate our place in my dream village.

The hearth inside the house is a luxury in the farm. That’s how I look at it now, considering that most farmers and laborers have a Nipa Hut just enough to give the family a roof over their heads…that when the night comes, they would find shelter from whatever lurks in the darkness of the night. They usually cook outside [lucky to have a make-shift cover to protect the hearth from rain].

If you can visualize 3 rocks arranged in a triangle, that’s the basic of the hearth. These rocks elevate the pot and allow the chopped pieces of wood to be positioned underneath the pot. This is just the preliminary activity; the actual cooking has not begun yet. If the luxury of an old newspaper wrap is not available, you just have to be resourceful to find your fire starter from nature as wood will not catch fire like the way the stove’s pilot light would start your cooking. It’s a lot of blowing, which is probably a good lung exercise. It could be a lot of crying too–from the smoke…or maybe from the hard work. Nobody questions…it’s a chore to be done.

I actually came across a few of the different pictures of bathrooms that one of the Lonely Planet pioneers took in his travels, and I think that was pretty interesting. You reeeally wouldn’t want me to post the Philippine ones, but that’s an idea someday when I travel to the bundoks [Tagalog origin of boondocks]. I’ll try to see what I can find on these kitchens though. I think I have one blurry picture from 50 years ago when they were cooking outside during some celebration [not digital…scanning???]. This must have been the reason why Filipinos have traditionally want a ‘dirty kitchen’ in their houses. Did you say why would someone want a dirty kitchen? Believe me, we cook a lottttt of things that could make our kitchen dirty. I’ll show you some when I get to it.

For now, I have the ready pictures of — what can be better than Fairrr[h]view kitchens. I was ambitious at first and I thought I’ll have the small stove/oven combination in the furnished unit. My sister was practically aghast at the idea, but she went along with one trial. After a year without any takers, it was transferred downstairs when we finally did my own kitchen.

     

 This is the kitchen [fan-only unit] with the ‘dirty kitchen’/laundry area. 

    

Our A/C unit kitchen–same layout in all other units, just different colors.

This kitchen [from the window] shows the location of the cooking area.

The second floor 1st unit has an extended area intended for family gatherings.

This family hub is still at its finishing stage; now it’s the hubbub of activity.

This picture has no bottom cupboard yet, same style as the one above the sink.

My sister wanted to finish the kitchen downstairs so she transferred the stove.

 The cupboards were done by one of the workers with doors bought from SM.

 

This island needs bar stools but I’m too cheap…maybe my worker can make one.

Still with miniature fridge…and on the other side of the door is the dirty kitchen.

 The dirty kitchen…still clean–no plans for dirty cooking yet.

    

My favorite nook–adjacent to the dirty kitchen/our bedroom extension.

Our bedroom is connected to my favorite little nook…a secret access just for me.

From the hearth…to the heart of Fairview, or should it be from the heart to the hearths of Fairview apartments. Where are we? Stuck here in California in an old house [that I equally love] but hard to maintain for just the two of us–again! Even my husband misses my family as much as I do…especially the bigger kids that keep him company. I can’t blame the guy for wanting to retire before retirement.

*Originally posted @ https://zylla3.wordpress.com

Survivors Philippines, Real TV?

Mr. Google is really turning out to be a real interesting friend [or foe]…rivaling my fascination with Mr. Webster. I’m starting to have some great friends! Each day is turning to be an amazing-if not amusing-day of information explosion. No Einstein here: “Imagination is more important than knowledge”.

Would it qualify that I imagined SURVIVOR PHILIPPINES? Did I? I had FIRST posted my SOUL SURVIVOR (4/5/08). They were PINOYs too.  I just happened to google ‘that’–and what came up amazed me:

Do you want to be the FIRST PINOY SOLE SURVIVOR? (4/8/08)
The biggest, most popular and groundbreaking reality show that changed the face of television worldwide is now in GMA. Find out how to join Survivor Philippines!

For awhile I thought it has something to do with Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo; then it dawned on me–it’s the TV channel. Now amused…I searched further, and I clicked on…more…and more…

Do you want to be the FIRST PINOY SOLE SURVIVOR?

04/08/2008 | 10:17 AM

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PAUTAKAN! PAGALINGAN! PATATAGAN! [*]

GMA is in search of contestants from 18 to 60 years old, physically fit and willing to become castaways and endure intense physical and mental challenges in an unfamiliar territory for 39 days.

If you think you got what it takes to be one of the 16 castaways for SURVIVOR PHILIPPINES….

 

Coincidence? I’m getting a lot of serendipity moments now that I even included it in my still cluttered categories. My curiosity brought me to dig deeper…nothing more than these ‘not really Filipino Survivor’ 

» Do you want to be the FIRST PINOY SOLE SURVIVOR?

» PEP: Survivor shooting in Camarines Sur?

» With racial split, ‘Survivor’ returns

» GM withdraws CBS’ ‘Survivor’ sponsorship

 

 

Wasted more time, just to find out when they started it, but the about section is still blank, as well as the host one is blank too–hmmm???!–you think I should apply? No longer funny…bordering on getting rediculous! Dream no more…remember RETIREMENT. These TV stuff is taking me away from MY FAIRVIEW goal.

I won’t leave you without translating those Pilipino words (no Pilipino dictionary available here).

*PAUTAKAN — whoever could emerge the wisest (like the sly fox)…the more scheming the better!

*PAGALINGAN — whoever could prove the most skillful will be the best…measure of intelligence???

*PATATAGAN –whoever could remain the strongest…alone, will not make one a winner!

All 3 will be the qualifying marks of their GMA SOLE SURVIVOR winner; mine: just being dirt poor will be enough to qualify as SOUL SURVIVOR Philippines! Is this going to be a competition for Dancing with the Stars?

*Originally posted @ https://zylla3.wordpress.com

Survivor Philippines, Reality

Survivor reality show may be one of the successful shows on TV [even without me watching it]…but I’m still stuck in time with Matlock and Perry Mason. I’m not big on reality shows…can’t stand drama and clashes on TV. There’s so much of that in real life. If I want to watch real survivors, I can do that when we’re vacationing in the Philippines. I just have to stand from the balcony of our house, and I will see the reality of existence. That’s one reason I have no cable TV here in California; that saving alone goes a long way to help one family’s survival in the Philippines. [DSL though is another matter; I’ll go hungry for this internet connection. It helps save my sanity!]

Early morning you’ll wake-up to the call of the pandesal (bread) vendor. Just what you need for your coffee.

Vegetables come to your house…you just have to wait at your doorstep.

Want some fish with your vegetable…that too can come to your house?

 

 Snack time in the afternoon, maybe in the morning too.

This is cement mixing…with audience–also waiting for something to collect?

Nawasa (water connection repairs) before roadwork.

Why then am I wasting my breath on TV Survivor? I googled it–still fascinated–Survivor: Micronesia; Survivor is even going to China??? In one of our little talks today, my husband mentioned Turtle Bay Resort is going out of business [?], and it’s up for sale as condos. Nice retirement…facing the ocean, only for $250,000. ONLY??? Well, again, this is Hawaii. And he threw in…it seems Survivor films their TV episodes there, not that we care. Not that we can afford it either, just wishful thinking. I tried googling it anyway [life with google]… after 3 pages, that’s the end of it.

I’ve seen a bit of Turtle Island, Fiji, and more Turtle Islands in other parts of the world [didn’t go into them anymore]. However, I didn’t see the turtle island that my joker friend was saying we have in the Philippines. Of the many uninhabited islands we have there, we can afford to have snake island too, and whatever animals we fancy to have their islands. After all we have only about 1,700 islands humankind can really visit–not all of the 7,107 (maybe 1 more during low tide)–isn’t that enough islands for every animalkind?

If you’re interested in that retirement condos in Turtle Bay Resort [?], Hawaii, have fun with Mr. Google as your guide. It’s not really in my line of interest…I’m already sunk in that apartment of ours in the Philippines. Now I’m reminded: Taxes, taxes, and more taxes, and tax time is almost over. I’m one reality survivor in the Philippines. [sigh!]

——————————–

I’m coming back to this post to let you know: There Really Is Turtle Island in the Philippines! Check this out– http://philecotourism.wordpress.com/2008/04/02/my-turtle-island-birthday-prayer/  –it’s by a volunteer and the group of dental students. I’ll check it out further. Serendipity is creeping up in my blogs!

*Originally posted @ https://zylla3.wordpress.com

Dancing with the Stars

Dancing with the Stars is over and it’s 10:04 by my stove time, but www.flyhotel.net doesn’t have my newer post yet. Let’s wait until I’m done with this post. Dancing with the Stars had made my surveillance less painful but now it’s over…hmmm..etc. etc.–it’s almost 10:30pm–not there yet.

Barbara Walters with that doctor on healthy eating habits stuff is not going to keep me awake longer. What now? I’m tired wandering in his (?) site. Like I said in my previous comment today, I don’t see the ads anymore. Then I cliked the ‘about’ page and it’s still the WordPress sample with ‘Hotel’ Categories (615)–yes, that many–and his archive just started this February…just about when I restarted after Christmas [Feb.24]. I’m really getting tired checking almost every 10 minutes now. I’ll check again when I wake up tomorrow. I guess it could have been more than an hour as I wasn’t checking it constantly. Just too bad I won’t see the actual time when it will come up in his site.

I guess the 7-hr time difference between my stat posting record and my actual ‘stove’ time is the DST here that changed earlier and the GMT that WP is using. Now I won’t have any idea where his time is coming from but it’s now 11:24 about 2hrs and 20 mins since my posting. It’s just baffling to this simple mind of mine!

———————————

Whooaa…wait-a-minute–let me edit 2 more just came in [11:36 here]–his top entry ‘Teacher’ [showing 4/1 at 11:06] (interesting list of—), the other one ‘Place to Stay in Thailand’ [showing 4/1@ 10:23]. Time to say good night!

Thanks ‘mmagpale’ for the brilliant idea:  Originally posted @ https://zylla3.wordpress.com

April Fool’s Day? donotcall.gov

Another cell phone moment? I’m not in any mood to blog again since I’ve just finally published earlier the post I started about suspending my misplaced cell phone. I’m still fuming seeing my post in his www.flyhotel.net. I have not really paid attention to the time stamped until this moment. Now, I have another aspect to track down–the actual time! I know that what he has stamped April 1 @ 3:51 pm, and right around the hour of my posting.  However, my computer stat was showing 9:51pm and my stove clock (actual time here in CA) is only 7:30pm. The comment I just posted was at 2:08 am and 2:29am of April 2 already. Now I’m going to be ‘time’ detective. Is time change here messing up my computer time? Is this Philippine time…wordpress time? I’m getting headaches figuring out these things. I’m trying to keep track of this blog according to my ‘stove time’ which is my actual time here in California.

My husband just said something about the email from his co-teacher where you can enter your phone number in the ‘do not call’ list as the telemarketers can now call your cell phone. It’s 1 (888) 382-1222 and he had been entering all our numbers. You can check out for yourself at www.donotcall.gov –I have to end this now as ‘Dancing with the Stars’ is already starting. Stove time is showing 9:04pm.

Thanks mmagpale –Originally posted @ https://zylla3.wordpress.com

How Important Is Your Cell Phone?

How important is my cell phone? Pretty much…when I go ballistic thinking it was lost, yet I only use it to answer the calls [important ones from my family]. It doesn’t even have the camera since I have a separate one for the purpose of taking pictures. Neither do I check messages. I get funny ones from my husband when I fail to answer his calls [99.9%]. “Why do you even have a phone? Why don’t we just cancel it and save money since it’s pointless to even get hold of you.” I don’t feel it; It’s on vibrate–a distraction when inside the classroom. Do you really think I would change the setting when I’m gallivanting to my heart’s content? Whoever needs me can keep calling if it’s really important…and hope for the best.

Why then should it be important to even hunt for it the entire Saturday? For one thing, if it’s really lost…I don’t want to end up paying a hefty bill from someone’s international usage. Another important reason is my immediate connectivity to my brother and sisiter-in-law who work irregular hours and have a kid to pick up at school. My cell phone usage dated back to the time I had to pick up my step-children when the cell phone was practically a foot long. (I’ll probably post the picture when I get to it.) Luckily then,Verizon had a $10 promo for 20-min/mo limited time offer for teachers instead of $19.99 one. I had it for the looooongest time until that phone would almost die even if it was plugged in the car’s cigarette lighter. It was then time to upgrade the plan. 

I ended getting the family plan for four since my brother and sister-in-law arrived at this time. I pay more, but I still think that we’re saving with the Cingular plan [$$9.99 for every additional line] — now AT&T. After more than 5  years, I still have the same plan with 10 cell phones sent to the Philippines after the 2-year contract becomes available for a new free or discounted replacement. This is a luxury I allow myself, considering the smiles from my Filipino family who inherit them. I definitely can’t afford to lose my almost 2-year old phone. Somebody is waiting for it in Fairview. Besides I don’t want to get tied up to another 2-year plan…unless I can make my husband come back to the US this August.

The day is almost over but I still could not find my cell phone. From snapping at the Filipino telemaketers, “not really a good time to reach me as I’m looking for my cell phone” and being curt to my friend “not now, you can try it yourself first” about her Craig’s List ad, it is time to give up and have AT&T suspend it. I need some peace of mind while doing other things. [I’m not posting this yet.]

Sunday morning came…with late breakfast over, I was ready to sit in front of the computer. Still a little chilly, so I grabbed the jacket draped behind the computer chair. Guess what? I felt something inside the pocket…yeah, my phone! I swear…this is not the only irritating event this weekend. While I was looking for my phone yesterday, I found the credit card I reported lost the day before, as well as the bills I intended to pay before spring break and tax prep. Tell me I shouldn’t retire yet! I’d better post this now and unsuspend that phone. I might lose it again!

When Humans Are Smarter Than Computers

Computers are getting smarter beyond humans’ pace, more dangerous in the hands of technologically savvy scammers. Yet, is it a paradox that no matter how smart these boxes are–they still have metal brains, not mental ones, thus still devoid of imagination that only the BIG Man upstairs can create. Picasso and his art, Shakespeare and his poetry, Einstein and his science down to Steve Jobs and his Apple/Mac or Bill Gates and his PC computers are great men with great visions but still no match to this humble Man that has only the Hammer to his name.

As smart as computers are, they can no more differentiate the Man with the Hammer from the man with the Hummer as well as the internet scams from internet scums…could they? In my simple mind (my exaggerated interpretation only to prove a point), the Man with the Hammer has an endearing humility as opposed to the man with a Hummer has a pretentious vanity. On the other hand, the scammers are the scums of the world-wide web, or simply the world.

Let’s see if samwar11 would still claim this post as his own. If you have the chance to see this at http://travel.propeller.com where the entries are not static; entries can be hurled anywhere in the 27-page site as the propeller rotates (just my own deduction). I can almost bet that within an hour of posting this, the ‘blog scraper’ will take this to www.flyhotel.net … I will even bet my 3cents (inflation) on it! Beware internet scums as I’m writing this to let others know of internet scams. If you have no plug-ins to block this blog scraper, google your site or your name. It wouldn’t hurt you to visit these places I mentioned. I’m sure there are more. Spread the word and if you want to read Mixxy’s comment about this scam, scroll down to check …PhP5,000 comment. Here is my recent comment to Mixxy:

Mixxy, it’s sweet revenge. I checked his site- www.flyhotel.net just now, 5:30pm. He must have ‘scraped’ it within  an hour of my own posting here since it was showing  4:21 pm at his site.

It pains me for the world to see my misspelling  errors, but hey…the entire post is supposed to be a learning tool. Ha ha ha! I guess I have to post something again. Hmmm, I might even leave it as it is until he himself discovers his blunder.

It’s ironic how technology is getting smarter and smarter beyond any human’s pace, yet it’s still the human brain that makes the ultimate decision. I should post more so as not to disappoint him. (For now, sunwar11, as he claims to be when shamelessly posting my article at that ‘propeller’ site, will be ‘him’ to me rather than her or it.)

———————————————————–

UPDATE: 5/29/08

I used to check www.flyhotel.net every now and then as I was curious what would happen to it when I blog its blog scraping technique. Someone suggested that I should report it to google, but for some reason, I don’t think it was doing me any harm except that I was irritated to see my family picture on that website, and maybe because almost the complete blog was in his website. The comments were even turned off and no reference to the owner whatsoever…even submitting the blog to propeller.com as his own writing.

I’ve seen it having no more AdSense after a couple of weeks and I kept wondering why it continually runs the site. Today I couldn’t find it except for the previous google index that has warnings below the title– “This site may harm your computer.” I even went to my post here to get the link from within, and it gave me the same search result. Well, I guess it’s really gone after almost 3 months since my discovery. Maybe I will miss this routine of checking his site. I should probably be writing a separate blog for its demise.

 

Truly My Penance, or My Angel Must Be Working Overtime

“At first I was pleasantly surprised that somebody has my add, but when I tried to dig further my whole sight was hacked I suppose. The I googled ‘what is flyhotel.com and it took me to another web site: http://travel.propeller.com and I saw my blog articles under surwar11 and before I finally decided to print the page(s) I was able to print the remaining what-makes-this-week-holy and after I have checked the 27 pages I tried to back track from page 6-1 and I couldn’t track it anymore. Must be the name propeller.
 
It’s past 3am and I’m still awake! This must be my penance for the Holy Week. Take care everyone — Me” 

—————(Answers appear at the bottom)——————————————-

I’m am ssoooo ashamed of my email misspellings above! I sent it to my sister, her husband, and my nephew with the heading I am so mad! and I should have said I am so tired and soooooo sleepy but I just couldn’t stop. This is exactly why I couldn’t emphasize enough to my students, the importance of proofreading…now I plead guilty.

Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve…I could have corrected my errors for the world not see it, but I want it to be just another lesson. Maybe I would even include it here as another category: errors, corrections, what else? Just another lesson in English! For now I am consumed with getting back to this wonderful-piece-of-whatever…I know–sigh!–I have to remind myself it’s still Black Saturday and I must have some angels already working overtime, more than what I’m doing.

 Hmmm…Mixxy must be one of my angels. I just stumbled on her blog before all my discoveries and when I decided to do some email venting I found her comment too. If you scroll a few entries down to–What Will PhP5000 Buy You in the Philippines?–you must read her comment(s)! The first one warmed my heart, and I found it at the right moment. It made me sleep better when I finally hit the sack at 4am.

I can manage the sleeping at 1am and waking up at 5am on work days, but after 2am you might as well have given me a glass of wine. I never had the hang-over effect; I can only guess it’s very much like it–not fun. Waking up I can tell I will virtually experience the Black Saturday phenomenon. I’m looking forward to my spring break coming up.

Though today I must go through the day as best I can. Ohhh…I have my husband’s drum parts to mail (another post), but maybe the main post office might just observe Black Saturday. Move on to the next agenda; blog, blog, blog the B! Just  then Mixxy has an answer again, and another one…very important lesson learned! That’s why she’s my God-sent angel while Jesus is dead. Oh, boy…I know He died for me too, but does He have to include saving these riff-off artists?

It makes me feel better I’m not the only one (strength-in-number kind of feeling), and surely I’ll look into her suggestions. Not just now that I’ve already calm down, and starting to really feel that general heaviness in my body: my stiff fingers can hardly hit the right key, my drooping eyes ready to close, my spinning head almost banging the key board, and I still have to wash the bed sheets for my brother-in-law and his son as they’re staying here tonight. I must wait…I need a clear head to do all the plug-ins. (Last night reading about ALink in Bob Martin’s blog, I was about to install it…light bulb moment I’m not ready to sweat it out.) I guess my night was meant for a different purpose.

A quick break, please! Goodness Gracious…past 1 pm, and my 10-year-old neice is not hungry. Both her parents are working. Again, it’s Black Saturday. I also discovered the mail carrier came by, so the post office is open. Off to drop off the packages; post office is open until 3. A curse and a blessing–curse to work, blessing to get things done. The latter is what I’ll miss in the Philippines; the former is what makes me want to brave going back home.

Back to the scum of the earth (Mixxy enriched my vocabulary in her comment about Blog Scrapers). Just as that scammer who responded to my apartment ad (my first Craig’s List responder) gave me the idea to further talk about our apartment in this blog, I will do the same for that riff-off blog scraper. I’m not going to report him right away (not just yet), so he can scrape this blog a few more times until he/she/it realizes:

                * the world is learning his idiotic way of earning a living scraping blogs

                * others have the chance to find their sites at www.flyhotel.net  

                               (maybe more posts at (http://travel.propeller.com)

                                You will notice there that the comments are off,

                         and even in some,  it looks like you can leave

                                 a comment–click it but it won’t go through.

                 * he’s giving me topics to blog with all the joys of exposing him,

                                  or should I say ripping him apart

                 * his evil deeds are turning into positive acts — the other side

                                   of revengeeeeeeeee!

I’ll be following/stalking him too. I’m somewhat energized now–Happy Easter and to some I know you will be waking up to the Easter dawn soon.  I need my sleep before that. Blessings to all!

 —-(I didn’t forget the answer to your proofreading exercise.)—

“At first I was pleasantly surprised that somebody has my ad, but when I tried to dig further, my whole site was hacked I suppose. Then I googled ‘what is flyhotel.net and it took me to another web site: http://travel.propeller.com where I saw my blog articles under surwar11 and when I finally decided to print the page(s) I was only able to print the remaining what-makes-this-week-holy.  After I have checked the 27 pages, I tried to back track from page 6-1, but I couldn’t track it anymore. Must be the name propeller.
 
It’s past 3am and I’m still awake! This must be my penance for the Holy Week. Take care everyone — Me” ———————————————————–

UPDATE: 5/29/08

I used to check www.flyhotel.net every now and then as I was curious what would happen to it when I blog its blog scraping technique. Someone suggested that I should report it to google, but for some reason, I don’t think it was doing me any harm except that I was irritated to see my family picture on that website, and maybe because almost the complete blog was in his website. The comments were even turned off and no reference to the owner whatsoever…even submitting the blog to propeller.com as his own writing.

I’ve seen it having no more AdSense after a couple of weeks and I kept wondering why it continually runs the site. Today I couldn’t find it except for the previous google index that has warnings below the title– “This site may harm your computer.” I even went to my post here to get the link from within, and it gave me the same search result. Well, I guess it’s really gone after almost 3 months since my discovery. Maybe I will miss this routine of checking his site. I should probably be writing a separate blog for its demise.

What’s in a Name?

Juliet:
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”

Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2) –Shakespeare

  

When you google the title, you’ll find enumerable entries. However, I was just trying to make sure I have the right quote so I didn’t go any further than the first entry–www.enotes.com

 

 The past dew days I was drawn to reading more of Bob Martin’s LIP instead of blogging here. It was interesting to see the different names the Philippines is known to some–with their own deduction of who or what generation  is using it. It never mattered to me if it is PI until it became synonymous to a Filipino #$%^&! Maybe they were right PI belonged to my generation when it was simply Philippine Islands. The have several variations as Phils, RP, and more. Personally, I prefer just the Philippines…and I am not touchy about it. I have different Phil sore spots.

 

I never intended this to be a topic in my blog, but yesterday while preparing for work (I usually tune-in to the news) the reporter was randomly interviewing a few people on the streets about the proposed name change for Orange County–The OC. [I live here so I thought I’ll throw this in.] It seems the county supervisors felt the need to give the 1889 name a facelift. A few weeks ago, it was the John Wayne Airport to become JWA of OC where one of John Wayne’s sons apparently objected. Was it a year ago or more? The Angels of Anaheim became the LA Angels of Anaheim, and I believe it got to be a pretty expensive squabble…but what do I care anyway? My simple name has been spelled in so many ways, and I even adopted a few of my own spelling variations.

 

The name change was even on the front page of the OC Register which I really didn’t read yet. This name must have been used a long time ago before the influx of all OC reality show(s). I guess the proposed changes would be: The OC Parks, The OC Public Library, The OC Dana Point Harbor. Is this getting in-step with the pop culture? It seems the reason given was some sort of saving money to the tune of $500,000.00 a year. Really? Cheaper to have new signs with just 2 letters…I suppose.

 

Don’t take me seriously…I’m just relying on what I heard on the news while I was still half-awake. I have no urge to read the newspaper any further. It’s just the “what’s in a name” surge of curiosity. Will the real Orange stand?