Day-Off

Who would have thought that last night's standoff would result in another free day for the studentry? Admittedly, I was ecstatic with the thought of another Pril-less day (who wouldn't be?:P) and so became antsy when the whole Fort Bonifacio issue was resolved later in the evening. Because would that mean that the previous suspension of classes would be revoked? There was a whole batallion of marines willing to risk their lives and careers just to stand up for their commandant and all I could think of was: "Sana walang pasok!" So I'm immature. Big deal. Pffffffttt!

PBB

My current dirty little secret is watching PBB Celebrity Edition. It started because Bianca was there so it was interesting to see someone I actually know in real life on the small screen. Surreal but nice, as one saccharine actor in an equally saccharine movie said. But I guess I'm not what you can call a hardcore fan because I can't stand to sit through an entire episode, I'd rather wait for the weekly recaps. It's just less painful that way, I mean, watching people brush their teeth for 10 minutes straight is so not my idea of entertaining fare.

Anyway, the Celebrity Edition is unabashedly more honest than the previous installment. In this case, they are already celebrities and are relatively well-known in their respective fields so they don't have to espouse some kind of benevolent reason for joining (like the past housemates did) They joined to get exposure. Period. And what's wrong with that? There's no need to pretend otherwise.

I don't know how it was in the previous show, but the celebrity housemates are just so weepy! Every single, little, minute thing can make them start crying! Makes me wonder now if this is all just acting, seeing that they are in the industry after all.

With regard to exposure, I wonder if some housemates got more than what they bargained for when they signed up? Sure, their participation automatically ensured their recognition from the general public but it also revealed their not so endearing traits and bratty ways. I'm sure Mich Dulce had some grand plan in joining and she is undoubtedly a very talented designer, but from now on she'll always be known as the "kulot, maarte and obnoxious" housemate. How's that for automatic recognition?

I'm sorry but I loved the Keanna Reeves and Mich Dulce bitching scene! It was classic and I just couldn't help but say "Buti nga sa yo!" :p

Of course, Mich Dulce could always say that she was shown in an unflattering light, that the show was edited in such a way to make her appear to be a brat, when she really that wasn't that much of a brat in real life. Hmmmm....could that be a possible cause of action for damages? I doubt it, I'm sure ABS-CBN already made the housemates sign all sorts of waivers.

Woohoo! I want Rico Robles out next. He's just so blah and bland.

This PBB somekindasorta addict is now signing off ;)

LAE

The UP Law Aptitude Exam (LAE) results are out.

Please click here for the Partial List and the Qualified for Interview List.

Congrats to those who made it :)

Wow

This has been an amazing day and on the 20th anniversary of the EDSA uprising no less. I think that this just might be the necessary push for that much needed change. Cross your fingers.

One thing to remember though, a declaration of the Chief Executive of a state of emergency is perfectly legal BUT it does not confer additional powers on her person. It only means that she can call on the military to suppress lawless violence, insurrection and other threats to national security. It does not mean that civil rights will be curtailed, that the government will have a free reign to censor the media in the guise of preventing the dissemination of misinformation. Makes you wonder now if by misinformation, they really mean any piece of information critical of the seated administration.

I don't know with you, but the last time I checked, a commemoration of the anniversary of any event has never been tantamount to lawless violence. So why the violent dispersal, the rough treatment and the over-all paranoia/overkill? Apparently, somebody's been neglecting to take her anti-psychotic medication.

Rituals

Char had Maddie's ears pierced a few days ago. Look at the poor baby cry :c







Awwwww..... wawa naman Maddie :c







But before you start crying abuse of human (baby) rights, Maddie fell asleep almost immediately after. In fact, even before Char reached the counter to pay for the earrings, the baby was already in deep slumber.





The things that we girls have to undergo to be beautiful :p

Bubble Girl

I had my worse PRIL recit today and it's seriously bothering me. I've been whining and complaining to anyone who'd care to listen (or even those who just happened to be in the immediate vicinity) and I think I've gotten it out of my system. It's now nothing more than a cringe-worthy memory buried deep in my subconsciousness.

After I did my usual whining and complaining and after I bored the hell out of the people around me (myself included), I realized that the reason why I go on and on about trivial things like grades is because it's all I have at this point in time. I have no where else to vent my energy at. I have no other distractions (boyfriend not included of course).

So in line with my ultimate plan of conquering the world and of limiting my obsession over a less than stellar academic life, I really think that I should take up a cause and then channel my neuroses in its direction. I already have an idea on what the lucky organization might be but I'd rather keep it to myself for now, after all, we might have differing opinions on just how lucky they are to have my attention.

Apathy is so last season.

Classic

Today's Philippine Daily Inquirer reports that a "DENR exec admits Sierra Madre tree cutting".

Emrich Borja, DENR Quezon chief, has finally admitted that the unlawful cutting of trees is back in the Sierra Madre mountain ranges. However, he stresses that while there may be cutting of trees, there was no illegal logging going on. To bolster his point, he further clarifies by saying: "In illegal logging, there should be unlawful cutting, transporting and selling of illegally cut logs. But what was shown in the video was plain illegal cutting of trees".

Maybe he's right, maybe the trees were really not meant for commercial purposes. Maybe there is a new form of exercise circulating among the moneyed elite today. Perhaps our partyphiles have had enough of spinning classes and capoiera so they've now turned to another sport. Tree cutting.

You see, right after they cut down the trees (you can just imagine the glorious cardio workout from all that sawing back and forth!) they get their fill of happy hormones for the day and so they happily leave the trees right there in the forest. After all, whatever will they do with all those logs? Aside from providing an intense workout, trees are basically useless you know. Sell the trees? Good heavens no! That would be illegal logging! They are not criminals after all, they merely cut down trees for the heck of it, for the fun of it, for the thrill it brings to their aesthetic sensibilites. Selling trees after cutting them down is such a passe notion.

However, a lawyer from Tanggol Kalikasan, Atty. Asis Perez, immediately debunked Borja's explanation: "Illegal cutting of trees is also illegal logging. They are the same. As a matter of fact, mere possession of illegally cut forest products is also considered as illegal logging"

I guess somebody should tell Mr. DENR exec to first check the definition of illegal logging in the pertinent law before he shoots off his mouth. But still, who can blame him, when you're backed in a corner like he was, you end up saying whatever comes into your mind. Even if such statement makes you look like a consummate idiot. Which I'm not saying he is by the way, consummate I mean.

Kei, Ian and Juno a.k.a "Chichiria Mowdels."


Hehehehehe Love you guys! :)

Babies

Maddie wearing the dress I gave her for Christmas. One of the few times she's not wearing pink :p



Mick and Maddie on Valentine's Day.

Apparently, the best friend of Mick's crush in school told him that she (his crush) also liked him too! And Mick was all agog to buy her flowers for Valentine's Day, that is until he found out that a couple of boys also had crushes on her. Now, he says he doesn't like her anymore because she's too popular.

So much for first love :p

When I heard this I told him upfront that he was still a baby and that babies shouldn't have crushes. And that even if he gets as big as his daddy, I'll still hug him and smother him with kisses while squealing "MICK-MICK MY BABY!".

I mean, what is a tita for right?

Wala Lang

Bored, bored, bored-bored-bored.

Bored, bored, bored, bored...

Bored bored.

Booooooooooored.

*****

I volunteered to do the Portia newsletter a few days ago because I've never tried doing anything like that. I could say that I offered to do so simply because I was bored, but in reality, it's because I'm a nerd.

Nerd, nerd, nerd-nerd-nerd.

Nerd, nerd, nerd, nerd...

Nerd nerd.

Neeeeeeeeeeeerd.

Numbers

1. For Valentine's Day, the members of this household received: 1 mini chocolate cake, 1/2 dozen bouquet of pink roses, 1/2 dozen bouquet of red roses, floral arrangement of 1 dozen red roses, fistful of chocolates, denim pants, a gamut of cards and 2 dozen barbequed pork plus 1/2 dozen balut (a.k.a our Valentine's Feast because we were scared silly with the thought of venturing out and encountering monstrous traffic). Not bad pa rin :)

2. Ever since I signed up with Ebay.ph, I've bought: 2 books, 1 blouse, 1 skirt and 1 lipbalm. While on the flipside, I've sold 2 blouses. See the discrepancy there? I swear on the cradle of my future child that I will no longer buy anything off Ebay.ph for the next 30 days. Promise.

3. 4 cuts in Poli Law Review (thus the special mention last week. yikes!); 3 in Corpo; 1 in Tax; 1 in Crim Review and 0 in Pril. I'd have to say that generally speaking, I've been a fairly conscientious student. So why this sudden itch to skip school today and bring the total to: 4-Corpo and 2-Crim Review? Precisely, because I've been a conscientious student! Duh.

V-Day

I know he's probably going to throttle me for posting this picture, but whattheheck?! That's what he gets for going out of town during the season of love. Harumph :p

Happy Valentine's Day honhon! Mwah! Come back na, or else I'll post more incriminating pictures... :p


Love is being stupid together

Dry Cleaning Alternatives

I'm not much of a Mango fan, particularly because I really can't afford their clothes, but when we were in Robinsons last week I saw that Mango was on sale so I took a quick look. And promptly fell in love with a pair of pants. A pretty, pretty pair which would be perfect for my upcoming corporate lifestyle needs. So before my innate spendthritf could rear its ugly head, I immediately snapped it up and had it bagged.

Later that night, I was modelling my new pair of fabulous pants for my sister when a gnawing feeling suddenly engulfed me. I realized that I failed to check the washing instructions and, just as I feared, it was labelled as "Dry clean only".

However, a quick internet search revealed that there were ways around this forced patronage to the dry-cleaners. It was possible to "wet-clean" woolen clothing and other clothing such as rayon and silk. But it will take some degree of dedication, still, the money saved should be enough incentive to summon your inner "lavandera".

Wet Clean Wool, Silk and Rayon
by Annie Berthold-Bond,

If you want to avoid dry cleaning because of the chemicals used, rest assured that you can wash many clothes by hand that say "Dry Clean Only," but you need to learn some tricks.

Almost all dry cleaning establishments in the country clean with perchloroethylene (perc), a probable carcinogen, neurotoxic chlorinated solvent that bioaccumulates in fat and is suspected endocrine disrupter, meaning it is a chemical that may confuse the body into thinking it is estrogen!

Until the dry cleaning industry changes, we can take charge of getting our "dry clean only" fabrics cleaned safely by learning the wet clean process. Through hard earned experience--I shrunk a lot of rayon outfits three sizes before I finally figured out what I was doing wrong--I've finally learned how to wet clean wool, rayon and silk. The most critical bit of information you need to know is that it is the agitation of wool, silk and rayon that causes the shrinkage of the fabric, not just hot water. Even the agitation of the gentle cycle in a washing machine is too much agitation for these fabrics. Make sure to spot-test the fabric for colorfastness first.

Wet Cleaning Wool and Silk

* Hand wash in a sink by gently swirling the clothes in cool water; never twist or wring out wool or silk.

* Use a mild detergent with a pH below 7 for wool, such as Infinity Heavenly Horsetail, available in health food stores. A mild liquid castile soap such as Dr. Bronne's baby soap is best for cleaning silk, since it won't strip the natural oils. Any harsh lye-based soap with a pH above 10 will destroy silk.

* If necessary, spot clean with vinegar or lemon juice, but test for dye color fastness first.

* Gently press water from the fabric. Block wool--lay it flat on a towel and stretch it to the correct size and shape--before drying; it will dry to the blocked size. Wool is resilient and recovers quickly from wrinkling if hung. Hang dry silk.

Rayon

* Rayon absolutely must not be agitated at all; it is a weak fiber and shrinks easily.

* Follow washing directions for cleaning wool and silk, with one big difference: rayon is an alkaline fabric, and acidic detergents can harm the fabric. Don't spot clean rayon with acidic vinegar. Most all-purpose detergents will be fine to use, or a liquid castile soap. Even a harsh detergent won’t harm rayon.

* Gently press out water, and hang dry.

Note that I haven't tested this method on expensive wool coats and jackets. I spot clean such clothes with vinegar.

To read the article in the original, please go here.

I'll be trying out these washing tips today. Cross your fingers that I don't screw it up! :p

The Great Pretender

Nope, I'm not yet graduating this year but what better way to psyche one's self up than to have graduation pictures taken, right? That's somewhere in the Malcolm Law Implementing Rules and Regulations, believe me...

Anyway, the contact prints finally came out and I'm torn between which of my two creative shots to submit. That's why I've decided that, as with most of the important decisions in my life, I'll submit the final choice to a poll.

So what will it be "Brad's girl" or "Bunny"?


The real McCoy!
Angelina Jolie is soooo last season.



Rabid rabbit girl.

Priorities

Sometimes you have to wonder about the Arroyo Administration. Not even 24 hours after the Wowowee stampede occurred, a "Taskforce Ultra" was already formed. Kudos. But what about a "Taskforce Garci" or a "Taskforce Fertilizer" and my personal favorite, a "Taskforce Mike"?

So much for an unbiased leadership :p

******

On other unbiased news, do check out my brother's current pet project, PinoyGoldExchange. It involves net enterpreneurs and dollar exchanges and other finance things that flew right by my level of comprehension. But for those actively involved in net commerce, this might just be the little ooomph you've been looking for.

Gasp!

I received a letter today from a collection agency. It says that it's "RE: SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY TO SETTLE YOU (sic) GLOBAL DESTINY CABLE INC. ACCOUNT # XXXXX".

The letter then gives me a super special opportunity to avail of their "One Time Payment: 100% waiver on interest and late charges!". They highly recommend that I avail of their offer "To avoid the inconvenience of taking drastic legal action against you".

Question 1: Whose inconvenience are we talking about here, mine or theirs?

Question 2: Last time I checked, I never signed up for cable service. All bills are addressed to my parents. After all, they are the homeowners and I happen to be a mere dependent. So why me?

Question 3: If there really was an unpaid obligation, and I really am the party at fault, why were there no demand letters sent to me? Has it become SOP to disregard the sending of demand letters by companies and to just immediately refer the matter to collection agencies who seem to be oozing with all sorts of legal threats and actions?

Question 4: When was the last time we had Destiny Cable? I honestly don't remember. And isn't it standard cable company practice to ascertain that all arrears have been settled before cutting off cable service?

Oh well, I'll be calling Atty. Beato AC Dela Cruz III of Beukhen International tomorrow. Let's just hope that we can straighten this whole mess out.

Who Moved My Cheese?

My everyday commuting mission is to get home as quickly as possible. So that means leaving as soon as class is over, taking the Pantranco jeep to the Quezon Ave MRT station, riding the MRT and then getting off at the Ayala station and then walking to the Park Square terminal to ride the El Grande shuttle. It's just like clockwork, so when something screws up in the system, the whole universe might just as well undergo a meltdown.

The first time there was deviation in my odyssey of a commute was during last year's Ayala station V-Day bombing. The PA system in the train kept on repeating at every stop that they would not be stopping at the Ayala station. So I got off at Buendia instead and took a bus. While waiting for a bus (along with hordes of other people) I wondered what the hell was going on because there were sirens blaring, police cars zipping by and this guy running after a van trying to hop in the window. I finally caught a bus and only then did I find out about the bombing. Terrorists have a special place in hell reserved for them. Something that involves Kris Aquino screaming "Pilipinas!! Game ka na ba???" over and over among other inhuman things.

Today was the second time that a change occured in the matrix. For some bizarre reason, there were NO SHUTTLES at the Park Square terminal! No vans, no little tables with dudes dispensing little scraps of cartolina as makeshift tickets, no manongs directing the hordes of people, no nothing. Just some confused passengers wondering what the heck was going on?! Eventually, this Ayala security guard told us that there was a "tigil-pasada" and we'd best be on our way because we'd be waiting for naught. The shuttles would not miraculously appear no matter how much we might will them to.

By then I knew that I'd have to go to Plan B, the old school way. That meant taking an Edsa Alabang bus, getting down at the Alabang market, taking a jeep to Toyota and then a trike to my house. Yeah, Plan B sucks.

Anyway, I just received word from my friend Ryna that the shuttles are back in operation so I guess it's all good again. Although I wonder now what all that was about? Was it a protest to the Ayala management? To the rising cost of gas? Whatever it might be, they're not getting my sympathy vote. The way they charge us and pack us sardine-like into the vans, they have some nerve going on strike! I realize now that what I said has no logical connection with the right to protest, but I don't care. Walking through the smelly Alabang market wondering if you'll get run over by a bus or be accosted by some street urchin kind of robs a person of logic.

Hot Springs and Fat Genes

Hmmm....it seems as if Sunday is becoming the road trip day in my family. But hey, I'm not complaining :)

We took an hour and a half drive to Pansol Laguna to rent a private pool. The crosswind was filled to the brim with my parents, all five sibs, Margot, Ranil, Neneng and all sorts of bags and foodstuff. I guess you can say that our family has a hard time relating to that infamous proverb "Travel light and you will be rewarded".

Anyway, it was nice to finally swim again after months and months of not going near the water. Although it was kinda disconcerting to see just how much damage the holiday season has wreaked on my gut. I've come to grips with the sad fact that I can only blame so much on bloating and must own up to the inevitable that I have fat genes and that they're finally making their presence known with a vengeance. It really just was a matter of time before they staked their claim. You only need to see my mom and aunts to know this. :(

Exerciseville, meet your latest citizen.

But on a lighter note, it really was great to be in the water again.

Waterboys

Wowowee.

:(

Senseless and unbelievably sad.

:( :(

For Posterity

Today was a specially fun day in Malcolm because our block had our solo pictures taken for the yearbook. And if there's anything that our block likes more than anything else in the whole wide world, it has to be PICTURES! Or to be more precise, to be IN the pictures.

Graduation pictures entail make-up, lots and lots of it. It was surreal at first to see my blockmates with their faces covered in "war paint" when I usually see them with nary a trace of makeup on. However, after a few minutes, and after I had my own "transformation" as well, having inch-thick foundation became as normal as vanilla ice cream.







There were the requisite toga and filipiniana shots but what everyone looked forward to were the creative shots. This was my very first "creative shot" ever (yeah, I've had lousy yearbook experiences), so it was particularly exciting for me. And judging from how game everyone was, I guess it also was for everyone.

There were two brides.







...two boxers.







...a virgin and a vamp.




...a cranky, menopausal lady judge.




...and Jem and the Holograms.




I can't wait to see the final prints! :)

Pretty Baby

It should be a crime to look this cute! MADDIE!!!!