Women's tennis album 15 - Maria Kirilenko and Anna Chakvetadze

Maria Kirilenko and Anna Chakvetadze are the lesser lights of Russian tennis, behind former world no. 1 Maria Sharapova. Like Ms. Sharapova, the two are now slipping down the ranks, Before they totally fade away from the tennis scene, let us enjoy some of their photos in action.

White hair chronicles XVIII - Longevity calculators

Kids ask darn questions. My son Popoy asked me last night who will cut his hair when our barber dies. Our barber is a gray haired guy and to my son, he looks to be a rather old man. It seems he still cannot get over the thought that people die. When I told him that our barber is not that old and is not about to die soon, Popoy's next question was "at what age do people die?"

Pinoy online power produces CNN hero of the year

A week after Manny Pacquiao's heroic feat, another Filipino is heralded a hero in the world stage. Efren Peñaflorida, who started a "pushcart classroom" in the Philippines to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership, has been named the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year. He fully deserves the award but he definitely cinched it with a lot of help from his fellow Filipinos' online power.

White hair chronicles XVII - A Grandfather?

I heard the news yesterday, oh boy! The youngest daughter of my younger brother gave birth earlier this week. That officially makes him a grandfather at 46 and my mother a lola sa tuhod at 68. That is not so shocking at all as other people became great/grandparents at an even younger age. The mild shock is that my niece is very young. She has older sisters, but the apo that would give my mother her first apo sa tuhod turned out to be her.

Still it shocks me that I am now also, technically, a grandfather. I hope the young mother and her baby are doing well. In a few years time, some tot will call me Lolo Perry. Some people have jokingly called me that before because of my white hairs. Now there will be some ring of truth in that. Wow!

Manny, Please stay good 3

Manny Pacquiao arrived to a hero's welcome in Manila. He was given yet another award by the GMA. This time he was conferred the rank of Datu, a fine addition to his plenty of datungs.

Manny and wife Jinkee kissed in front of the media after their arrival. They evaded the Krista affair issue. Jinkee said she cried during the homily because she missed their children. Anyway - Jinkee 1, Krista 0.

White hair chronicles XVI - Lose weight with emails?

The holidays always tend to add more pounds to everyone. Then by the start of the new year, among the resolutions always made is to lose weight. Early this year, I did the GM seven-day diet. I lost close to three kilos. I regained some of it but I am still lighter than last year.

Now in anticipation of holiday binges, I am trying to keep my intake down. There's a wellness website that claims people might drop more preholiday diet pounds if they tap into this simple technology: e-mail.

Manny Pacquiao - profile signatures in sig bets

In an online boxing forum that I frequently visit because of the spirited and intelligent discussion, forum members often place sig bets with one another. The agreement is that the losers must use for a month or two the profile signature provided by the winning team.

The past Pacquiao victories produced a lot of amazing photoshop works from Pac fans. Here are some that were considered or used. The latest sig bet profile from the Cotto fight is yet to be released. I'm sure it will also be very creative.

Manny, please stay good 2

Manny Pacquiao misses the point over the issue of his alleged affair with a starlet. Instead of a flat denial, he  counters with an accusation of crab mentality. He also pleads for unity in savoring his latest triumph as he makes a coy 'no comment'. That stance bolsters belief that the rumor is true.

He needs to be reminded that his success does not exempt him from moral laws. His association with bad influences lead him to believe that he can get away with anything. Some people might find cute his vain attempts to sing and act. People find novelty in that. But there is a limit. He better not venture in testing that.

Manny, use your power and influence to banish evil. Just do it.

Congrats Manny! Please stay good.

Congratulations Manny!

I watched the fight at a theater and unlike the previous PacMan fights I watched, the crowd was more relaxed all throughout. Perhaps it was because of the boring undercard. Or maybe it was because you were the 3-1 favorite. In the dela Hoya fight where you were the underdog, there was a nervous air. And unlike the Marquez fight, the audience was not taunting the opponent. It's as if we (and it seemed you yourself too) didn't want you to finish Cotto off brutally.

Women's tennis album 14 - Yanina Wickermayer

The women's tennis world no. 16 Yanina Wickmayer was suspended for a year by a Belgian anti-doping tribunal last week for failing three times to report her whereabouts for drug testing. Wickmayer said anti-doping officials sent her registered mail to her home in Belgium. Being on tour several months of the year, her registered mail remains unopened. Under the rules elite athletes must make themselves available for out-of-competition testing for one hour a day, 365 days a year. If they miss three out-of-competition tests or fail three times to register where they will be for anti-doping tests, they risk sanctions. The tearful 20-year-old U.S. Open semifinalist accused the sports authorities of treating her unfairly and ruining her career.

Seel also Album 13.

White hair chronicles XV - The Berlin Wall

November 9, 2009 is the day the world celebrates the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall (photo from Time).

The construction of the wall started on the year of my birth. It stayed on for nearly three decades before it was torn down in 1989. My generation has seen the rise and fall of a historical icon, events that will be taken up in history lessons by future generations.

My generation has seen history made, but we're not history yet.

Most bang for the buck - SUN cellular and China wifi phone

Sun Cellular offers a low cost unlimited call and text service. The service works great for family members that need to get in touch with one another constantly. My sisters, my wife and son are on the Sun cellular network. I want a Sun cellular SIM too. Since I don't want to let go of my Smart mobile number, as this has been my number for the past 7 years, I need another pone as well.

I scouted for dual SIM phones. China made phones are invariably dual SIM. They allow you get two calls simultaneously, they give you analog TV reception, has a touch screen, and now some newer models are WiFi capable. All these at up to an eighth of the cost of an original Nokia (which is not dual SIM and has no TV). I got one for myself last Halloween.

The TV reception is passable. The audio player is ok too. The shake to shuffle feature works. The dual SIM works. The best feature I think is its WiFi capability. It has Google Maps, an chat client, and Opera browser. The package includes two batteries apparently because two SIMs use up power faster. The cheapest Wifi phone sells for around Php13,000 (a Samsung). But it is just single SIM, without TV. So I think the China dual SIM phone with TV and WiFi gives the most bang for the buck, most especially if the second SIM is from SUN cellular. That is, if you can live with its obviously clone look.

Women's tennis album 13 - Daniela Hantuchova

Daniela Hantuchova appeared in the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition together with Maria Kirilenko and Tatiana Golovin. She is the oldest and most successful among the three (so far), reaching the top 5 in 2003. Maria and Tatiana have overtaken Daniela in the rankings by now. Before she slips further down the rankings, let us enjoy her on-court beauty.

See also Album 12.

White Hair Chronicles XIV - Itay, matanda ka na ba?

Itay, matanda ka na ba?

My son Popoy, 6,  asked me this last night (are you old already?) Of course, I'm not yet old, I told him. Why are you suddenly asking that, I asked him back. Wala lang, po - it's nothing, he said.

Something must be troubling him after we visited the cemetery where his Lolo Vic (my father) and his grandparents (my in-laws) were buried. We usually go visit them ahead of the throng, but typhoon Santi made us go along with the multitude that were there November 1.

When my father died two years ago, Popoy asked "why did Lolo Vic die?". The quick answer we gave him was "because he was old". Actually my father was only 68 when he suddenly died from heart attack. He was ok despite the operation that drained cerebrospinal fluid from his skull six months before and despite the difficulty in walking due to arthritis. Popoy and his lolo bonded well during the short time they knew each other. Popoy did not meet my wife's parents ever. But he knows from the pictures shown him that they got to be very old. My father was on the fat side and had his hair dyed black regularly. To Popoy, he must not have looked old at all.

So when my wife teases me about looking like a grandfather, and me being so old that cataracts affect my eyesight, plus the visit to the cemetery 'where old dead people' are buried, Popoy must have worried that his father is going to die soon.

It is kind of sweet to think that my young son is worried sick about me.

White hair chronicles XII - Cataracts in your 40s?

In my new office, there is a policy that requires a doctor's certificate for reimbursing incurred costs for your first eyeglass prescription. So I hied off to an ophthalmologist near the office for a quick refraction. I figured I don't need my regular ophthalmologist on the other side of town for the bureaucratic requirement. I last visited him 4 years ago and he said that at my age my eyesight will start to get better. And it did.

The new doctor immediately noticed my white hair and mentioned its correlation with a medical/eye condition. I did not pay attention. I just wanted the certificate for the reimbursement. So, on with the refraction. She noticed that I needed stronger lenses. She said that my eyesight should have stabilized.

She then examined my eyes. She asked if I am on steroids. No! Did you have recent surgery? No! Recent trauma? No! Are you diabetic? No! Did your parents have cataracts? Yes? At what age? In their late 60s! Have you been exposed to ultraviolet rays for a long time? No! Do you have skin pigmentation? You mean, birthmarks? No. No!.

Why these questions, I asked? She said there is cloudiness on my right eye which could indicate early onset of cataracts. Are you serious? She wrote on the doctor's certificate - myopia, astigmatism, presbyopia. I know myopia and astigmatism. Presbyopia is new to me. Wikipedia says it is "similar to grey hair and wrinkles, presbyopia is a symptom caused by the natural course of aging; the direct translation of the condition's name is "elder eye". She prescribed Quinax eyedrops 2x a day and told me to come back after a vial is consumed. Googling Quinax returned:

Therapeutic actions:

Quinax protects sulfo-groups of the crystalline lens from oxidation and promote resorption of opaque proteins of the lens. Possesses properties that tend to activate the proteolitic enzymes, that are located in the aqueous humor of the front eye section.

Indications:

Cataract of different origin starting from age related problems to traumatic disorders.

Contraindications and cautions:

If used in a long term therapy it is not recommended to stop the treatment suddenly because possible withdrawal syndrome occurrence that is manifested in vision impairment. It is also not recommended to stop the treatment suddenly before all the prescribed dosages were administered. Be sure to tell your doctor if you have ever experienced allergy to eye drops.

Adverse effects:

There are possible side-effects associated with this medicine that can affect individuals in different ways. If a side effect is stated here, that does not necessarily mean the fact that all people using azapentacene will experience it or any other.

Side effects for azapantacene are mainly local and include symptoms of allergic reactions like:

itching

burning

redness of the eye area

swelling. (http://www.pharmacy1010.com/product_page.asp?id=195)

Now that she told me about the cloudiness, I think I am now having cloudy vision from my right eye. Shucks.

I am getting a second opinion.

Noynoy na!

A new blog featuring an open letter to former president Fidel V. Ramos from his niece made a buzz at the political scene this week. In it, she asks FVR to endorse Noynoy. She sums up the argument for Noynoy/Mar - "...he (Noynoy) is now the one candidate with the potential to unite the opposition against the ruling party. For his part, Mar is no slouch, moreover, and the Liberal Party appears to have some progressive elements."

Philippine politics is characterized by a weak party system. Political butterflies abound. That is why many different configurations or tandems for president/vice president are floated around. The situation is very fluid. You can hear possibilities of a Villar/Loren, Villar/Chiz, Chiz/Loren, Chiz/Ping, Gibo/Loren, Chiz/Dick, etc. Any of which is a real possibility. Now that Chiz decided to bolt from the NPC, the possibility of a Gibo/Chiz may not be far-fetched despite the previous anti-GMA stand of Chiz. The administration says it is open to a Gibo/Chiz team.

Consider this: Chiz's tweet last night indicated that he might be supporting the gerrymandering bill that gives Dato Arroyo a congressional district. With that tweet, Chiz hints of an alliance with an Arroyo son and at the same time takes a potshot at Noynoy. Noynoy is opposing the bill.

Chiz portrays himself as a follower of the Quezonian "my loyalty to my party ends where my loyalty to my country begins". It is not immediately clear what party stand he is against. Why Chiz would shun party politics this time after doing so in all his political life gives credence to rumors that the NPC boss, Danding Cojuangco, would finance only a fraction of his campaign.

By now, it is clear that only the Noynoy/Mar tandem stands squarely against the current administration. All the rest can be seen to offer to or gain some accommodation from the administration. All the others do not consider the interests of the country. They all belong to the parte-parte party. With them, patronage politics will still be in place.

Man got paid for 5 years without working a single day

An Illinois man got US$469,000 in paychecks without working for a single day. Anthony Armatys of Palatine, Illinois, pleaded guilty Monday on one count of theft. He accepted a job with Avaya Inc. in September 2002, but later changed his mind. The company's computer system did not remove his name from the payroll. Paychecks were deposited into his bank account until February 2007, when Avaya auditors discovered the mistake.

Could this ever happen in the Philippine government sector? With contractualization of labor, employees are forced to take 6-months contracts, subject to renewal. But there are indeed 15-30 employees, those who show up only on paydays. There are many of these employees especially in the local government sector. In general the government workforce cannot deny that many get paid without working. All they have to do is show up. That is called management.

Typhoon Santi to hit RP in 3 days - pray for Bro to spare us again

Exactly one month after the great flood and just two days after declaring that the country would be free from any low pressure area at least in the next two to three days, PAG-ASA announced another weather disturbance is threatening to hit the country within the next three days. The new storm would be named Santi.

Once again, we should pray to Bro for Santi(no) to spare us. As in the telenovela "May Bukas Pa", we should be reminded that miracles don’t just fall from heaven but comes to those who keep their faith.

My women's tennis album 12 - Ana Ivanovic

Ana Ivanovic is the sexiest female tennis player. She won the tennisreporters.net's Sexiest Female Player award for the last four straight years (2005-2008). She is 11th on FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2009 list. Other testaments to her beauty include the recognition given by The Age newspaper as the best-looking tennis player of all-time. Late last year, she won Die Bild newspaper's reader poll for "most beautiful body" in sport and she was named "best looking" female tennis player by The Globe Mail newspaper. Alexa.com says her website is the most-visited website of any sportswoman.

See also Album 11.

Climate change spooks weather bureau - Hopeless PAG-ASA VII

Climate change has made weather forecasting doubly hard. The Philippines now have four seasons, dry, very dry, wet, and very wet. The agency hardest hit by climate change is the PAG-ASA. The Philippine weather bureau, long ridiculed for wrong forecasts, continues to suffer setbacks with its weather forecasts. The people don't mind though. We have learned to expect the opposite of their predictions. We continue to prepare for the worst, but often, PAG-ASA's predictions of very bad weather do not come true.

Typhoon Pepeng was supposed to veer away from Luzon. But it came back a number of times, pouring rains that necessitated the opening of dams, causing much destruction of lives and property. Of course, PAG-ASA does not have Doppler radars to determine rain volume, but that's for the rain volume. Is the Doppler also needed to predict the typhoon's path?

Before Pepeng, typhoon Ondoy was not advertised as it was. In many other times, PAG-ASA raised the alarms for impending strong typhoons. Signals were raised, classes were suspended, only for the sun to shine mightily the next day. PAG-ASA is the weather bureau who cried wolf.

With typhoon Ramil, PAG-ASA once again raised the signal and even hinted of a signal no.4. The country, particularly the northern part, prepared for the onslaught and prayed to high heavens to spare the country. The weather gods listened and once again PAG-ASA was red faced. Other weather agencies predicted Ramil will veer away, PAG-ASA expected it to hit us. Kaya ang iba nagsasabing huwag nang umasa sa PAG-ASA - 'wag asa.

But wait, if we want to be spared of a typhoon's wrath, we have just to make PAG-ASA predict a landfall, and the typhoon will go away. This space has been underestimating the value of the agency. PAG-ASA is not hopeless after all. My apologies.

My women's tennis album 11 - Ashley Harkleroad

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Eraptions

It is again time for Eraptions, now that Erap has declared his intention to run again for the presidency.
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Erap to Cardinal:  Hanggang ngayon galit pa ang simbahan sa akin.  This is unfair.
Cardinal:  Why did you say that?
Erap:  Mayroong Sabado de GLORIA, Sagrado de CORAZON, at Domingo de RAMOS.  Bakit ako wala??? Eh, I was also a President!
Cardinal (after a careful thought):  OK, from now on, yours is ASS Wednesday!
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Erap dreamed that he died and went to heaven. St. Peter gave him Ai-ai delas Alas as partner, saying, 'Kung mabait ka sana , mas maganda ang partner mo.'

Erap saw Chavit with Gretchen Barretto and said, 'Bakit si Chavit, mas madaming kasalanan, si Gretchen ang partner?'

St. Peter: Hijo, parusa yan kay Gretchen.
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Why did Erap shoot his wife when he bought a house?
Because the contract reads: 'Execute all 3 copies together with your wife...'

The Age of Stupid 5

When Ondoy flooded San Juan last September, our small city did not get any media attention at all. I just thought that other areas are worse hit, that's why. In fact, other places that never experienced flooding before were suddenly under water. Some places will be under water for months. Indeed, Ondoy swathed a wide area of destruction.

But still, San Juan itself suffered the worst flooding ever. The Youtube video of cars swept away by the flood currents was taken at the UERM hospital, just across the San Juan river. So why is San Juan not in the news? Not that we are kulang sa pansin, we just want to say that "hey we were victims too". Fortunately, despite the lack of press notice, aid still poured in.

It was also noticeable that during the floods, rescue operations were nowhere in sight. Again, I attributed that to the many people that needed rescuing. But after the water subsided, victims were in unison in saying that no help from the city officials arrived. The rescue efforts that saved hundreds were all initiated by friends and families from higher grounds.

Days after the flood, giant banners were put up by the mayor to exhort San Juanenos to be strong, to work together to make the city rise again from its own efforts, to work together to enliven the people's spirit. Good idea, only if people did not learn that the good mayor sneaked out of the country in the morning of the floods for Singapore to watch(?) the races. Surely, he could not have foretold the great flood. Definitely, he has the right to watch horse races. Absolutely, he is the son of his father.

But talks are rife that his people asked the media to be out of San Juan so people won't notice his absence. Without the media coverage of the people's pleas, help did not come. With the mayor absent, his men were clueless in the rescue operations. He did the wrong thing in going to the races. He did the wrong thing in isolating the city from the media. He is wrong to think that the people does not know any better.

This is the age of stupid.

No Boss Envy in the Office - Survey

Today is Boss Day in the U.S. Results of an online study conducted last week show that a majority of U.S. workers do not think their bosses are honest, and one in four would fire their boss if they could and only four in ten workers would take their bosses' jobs if offered.

The survey finds most American workers happy not to be in charge, recognizing the increasingly challenging job American bosses are facing today due to heightened on-the-job pressures resulting from both economic and business turmoil.

65% would not change anything about their relationship with their bosses showing that strides have been made in improving the manager-employee relationship. However, a quarter of employees say that they do not trust that their boss has been honest about their job security.

Here are some key findings in employee perception of bosses:
- Satisfaction still depends on boss/employee relationship: Almost all workers (89%) still think their relationship with their boss is more important or as important to their job satisfaction.
- Accessibility unchanged: 87% of workers think their boss is just as accessible or more accessible as they were pre-recession.
- Respect has only marginally increased: Only 14% of workers have more respect for what their boss does everyday since the recession began.
- Performance reviews are still in place: 87% of workers think their boss has the same amount of or more focus on the performance review process as they did pre-recession.

Bernadette Kenny, chief career officer, Adecco Group North America said, "Good or bad economy, how employees feel about their work-life is very much dependent on their relationship with their boss. What we're hearing from the thousands of American workers we partner with everyday is that the world of work is more challenging than ever before and constantly changing. Increasingly difficult jobs require impactful managers who lead by example and create the best possible environment for their staff."

Her company offers the following tips for bosses looking to strengthen their relationship with their workers:
- Encourage open dialogue: Start or continue an open forum with employees where they can bring issues to the table and have an honest discussion about their concerns.
- Exhibit loyalty: Acts of loyalty may occur every day but many go unnoticed by employees. Learn to delicately communicate how loyal you are to key employees and how earning their trust is important. Earn employee trust by openly communicating both good and bad news and making every attempt not to surprise any employee.
- Improve morale: Company morale goes hand-in-hand with motivation. Motivate staff through contests, rewards and recognition of top work. Also conduct team-building exercises with staff to build stronger working relationships around the office.
- Communicate opportunities: Motivation also comes when an employee recognizes there are opportunities beyond their day-to-day job within a certain company. Be sure to communicate how the company can continue to help employees grow through special assignments, projects or learning opportunities.

In the Philippine scene, I would say employees also feel the same way as their American counterparts. The tips offered by Kenny could also be used by the Filipino bosses.

The Age of Stupid 4 meets Hopeless PAG-ASA VI

After Ondoy and Pepeng showed PAG-ASA's ineffectiveness, the weather bureau boldly predicted three days of good weather last Monday, October 12. And once again, it lived up to its reputation. By Tuesday, the strong rains are back and this afternoon, classes at UST are suspended because of the rains.

While climate change is to blame for the high volume of rain fall, PAG-ASA botched its job in predicting how much volume is going to fall so the dams can have preemptive releases. The sudden releases (no warnings) of water from the dams unnecessarily cost lives and property. This happened with Ondoy. And with Ondoy's horror still fresh on our minds, it happened again with Pepeng. How low can our hopes go.

Tessie Tomas' Amanda Pineda has more credibility than the clowns at PAG-ASA. And she's funny. Nilo Prisco and Nathaniel Cruz blunders would have been funny too, had their inefficiency not brought tragedies.

The Age of Stupid 3 - Ironies of the Times

Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink - Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner

The scenes at the aftermath of Ondoy and Pepeng are replete with ironies.We all know that non-biodegradable plastic bags and bottles contribute largely to the environmental problem we now face. But given their practicality and with the lack of alternatives, they are widely used now in the distribution of relief goods. We use them to pack the goods, keep our dry clothes from the mud and flood, and as trash bins. These plastics will eventually find their way to clog the waterways and fill the landfills; which will cause further floodings and environmental degradation.

 The recent floods brought us more water than ever, but people trapped on their roofs are thirsty. The evacuation centers do not have access to clean water, even if it was water that forced them there.

At the clean up operations when mud started to cake, I wished for more rains even if it was rains that caused the floods, so I can easily sweep away the sludge.

At the evacuation centers, hapless people were happy to see politicians pretending to care even if it were the leaders' ineffectivity contributed to the people's misery.

I remember Heber's song:

At kung tayo'y nanahimik/ Huwag kayong magalit/ Ang dapat sa atin ay tawagin/ Mga gago!/ Subalit hindi ganyan/ Hindi tayo dapat ganyan/ Marami nang nahihirapan/ Marami nang sumisigaw/ Marami nang namimilipit/ Maging ako'y nahihirapan/ Kaya ako'y sumisigaw/ Sumisigaw! - - Heber Bartolome's "Hoy Utol, Buto't Balat Ka Na'y Natutulog Ka Pa"