Mishmash Volume 001

Boy, PETA made sure that the viewer's three hundred bucks will not go kaput. Saw PETA's Batang Rizal last Saturday. Before a cloud of confusion emerges, let me point out that the PETA I'm talking about here pertains to Philippine Educational Theater Association, not the animal rights organization which also goes with the same acronym. Talk about copyright. I believe the latter is more concerned with protecting the animal welfare.

Where was I? Oh yes, Batang Rizal. The play basically limns the childhood days of our national hero. But it was not discoursed in a way that only the lovers of history would understand. The production team of the play has considered the show's viewers, which ranged from grade school to college students, and their prior knowledge about the theme. I must confess, I have but limited knowledge about the life history of Rizal. However, after watching the play, I became more acquainted with him and I took everything that I learned about Pepe to the bank.

Over-all the play was great. It actually reminded me of the theatrical performances by Gantimpala Theater Foundation. The actors were phenomenal. They spoke fluently and the intensity of their voices was just enough for people at the back and at the balcony to hear. The props, however, were not that grand, but it was nonetheless not disturbing. This is why I love the theater arts. It never fails to fascinate me. I am actually planning of enrolling myself to a drama class. After all, I was born with a gift of mimicry. I can use it as my foundation to further my theatrical skills.

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I am a self-confessed JZ junkie! Yes, JZ! As in Jessica Zafra! I have been religiously reading her books for a year now. I love her sense of irony and how she employs it. If you can notice, she addresses the mankind as a "she". Total feminist!

Google goes black

Lovers of the achromatic color of maximum darkness, be acquainted to your new search engine! 

A new website has turned Google's white screen black in a bid to do its bit for the environment by saving energy.

Blackle, a customised version of Google's search engine, is based on claims that monitors need more power to display a light screen than a dark one.

The idea was inspired by a post on the ecoIron blog in January which claimed that a black Google would save 750 megawatt hours a year worldwide given the popularity of the search engine.

However critics are unsure about the energy savings and some say that clarity is lost because black web pages are harder to read.

Toby Heap, of Australian company Heap Media which runs Blackle, said in his blog: 'We believe there is value in the concept because even if the energy savings are small, they all add up.'

Sian Berry of the Green Party said the energy saved was equivalent to 750,000 kettles being boiled for an hour. She said: 'If you have the old style of chunky monitor, having most of the screen black does reduce the amount of energy used.

'But if you have got a flat screen it won't make any difference.'

Google said Blackle was independent of it although it does allow people to set up customised search engines.

It added: 'This is one example of the ways in which people can use Google's technology in innovative ways.' 

 - retrieved from metro.co.uk

I already tried to use this one. Somehow, it yielded the same search results as with Google. But the site could throttle your searches since it lacks features of the conventional Google, such as the 'Cached' and 'Similar Pages' options.

Blackle.com

Best Foot Forward

Wearing this in public was once a taboo, but now everyone suddenly got mad on rubber slippers and is more than willing to spend grands of bucks. Yes, you read it right. Whopping hundreds of bucks for a rubber slipper. I'm talking about that Brazilian sandals brand, Havaianas.

Havaianas was first created in 1962, and since then, São Paulo Alpargatas SA, the manufacturers of the sandals, has already fabricated more than two billion pairs. It is exported internationally and featured in numerous stores in the United States and where else, the Philippines.

Havaianas' design is inspired by the Japanese rice straw and wood zori sandals used with kimonos. They employ a simple, functional design. The most popular on their designs features a small symbol of the Brazilian flag on the strap.

Whoever brought this rubber slipper in the Philippines is clever. He/She surely knows the tastes and penchants of the Filipinos. Proof of this is the instauration of different styles and designs especially crafted for the flip-flop lovers.

Havaianas flip-flops now come in different and unique designs. And they are continuing to create more everyday.

I can't blame the people for their continuous patronage of these rather high-priced merchandise. It is the quality and the comfort that these slippers give the people which they hanker.

But not everyone can afford to own these must-haves. Who would anyway buy eight hundred pesos worth of rubber slippers when they can just spend it for food, or anything else essential. So, what's an alternative? Rip-offs.

A smart Filipino marketeer would definitely create a product which is much likely the same with the original but way cheaper. Sure, minus the comfort and quality. But whatever, at least you own one. I'm talking about the Havaianas rip-off, Havana which by the way only costs P50.00 or even less.

Though I own some pair of these rubber slippers, I don't think it's practicable to purchase one. I mean, there are a lot of cheaper rubber slippers out there in the market, though they might not be that comfy. But you judge guys.

Outdo myself

My subjects next term are as follows:

• Introductory Accounting Part-1 (Service)
• Macroeconomics
• Advanced Speech Class
• Introduction to Literature
• Obligations and Contracts
• Business Organizations

Talk about suicide. I went over my personal schedule for the months of September, October, November and December so I can fix future conflicts if there are, i.e. stack of appointments in one day. I don't have multiple bodies so you know, if I have, I am then a mutant, like Wolverine. Anyway, I don't normally do this. Uh, this going-over-my-schedule thing. But I realized I am getting older. Eighteen and three-quarters to be precise. So, might as well do things in a different way, like for a change. Or more of modifying my daily routine, because if I don't, I will probably bore myself into coma.

Food for a sweet tooth

Although I much prefer blazing up my mouth by eating spicy foods, I still cannot restrain myself from satisfying my sweet tooth.

Thanks to that genius who brought Krispy Kreme donuts over here in the Philippines. Yum!

And oh! Of course our local marketeers should not be overlooked. Behold, Cello's Donuts and Dips. What I like about their product is the dough itself, it's as soft as a pillow. Plus they have an Oreo-flavored doughnut, yey! I can actually hear the Hallelujah chorus in every bite!

Frigging money-maker

Everyone knows who the richest man alive is. In case you are from a different quadrant of the universe, and have no idea on to whom the Forbes bestowed this title, it is none other than Bill Gates, an American entrepreneur, philanthropist and the chairman of Microsoft Software Company. He is that middle-aged man with grizzly hair, usually unkempt, whose software company made him the youngest multi-billionaire in the history of United States. As of 2007, his net worth has reached almost $57 billion. He earns roughly one million dollars, enough to pay the debt of our country. With so much money, he can almost buy a ticket to heaven but apparently he hasn't shelled out money even for his hair.

Much has been known about Bill Gates. So, let's then give the limelight to the people who trail behind Bill Gates's fortune. Carlos Slim Helú, second richest person according to Forbes. The hell I care, I'm not going to focus on him. I think the name even sounds bogus. But I'm going to talk about the third richest person who piqued my attention. Warren Buffet.

Just like Bill Gates, Warren Buffett is an American investor, businessman and a philanthropist. His net worth as of 2007 is estimated to be around US$52.4 billion. That means he can actually buy me. I don't think, however, he would waste money just to purchase a dumb bloke. Knowing him, he'd rather send the money to the charities.

Here are some facts about him. It was e-mailed to me by my friend. He got it from an interview conducted by CNBC with Mr. Buffett.

1) He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.

2) He still lives in the same small 3-bedroom house in mid-town Omaha, that he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence.

3) He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him.

4) He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world's largest private jet company.

5) His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis.

6) He has given his CEOs only two rules. Rule number 1: do not lose any of your shareholder's money. Rule number 2: Do not forget rule number 1.

7) He does not socialize with the high society crowd. His past time, after he gets home, is to make himself some pop corn and watch television.

8) Bill Gates, the world's richest man met him for the first time only 5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet. So he had scheduled his meeting only for half an hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates became a devotee of Warren Buffet.

9) Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk.

10) His advice to young people: Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself. Remember money doesn't create man but it is the man who creates money.

Despite the astronomical wealth that he has, he still preferred to live an unostentatious and frugal lifestyle. And this is what I call healthy living.

A Roomful of Dust

Cobwebs are already inhabiting this web page. Must update soon.

Ateneo-La Salle Skirmish

Araneta Coliseum. Green Archers on one side. Blue Eagles on the other. Championship? Not exactly. But this was a classic in the genuine sense of the word. This is the battle which everyone waited long enough. Ateneo versus La Salle.

The announcer proclaims the start of the game. Players on each side were introduced. Drumbeats and school chants are all you can hear. Blue shirts and green tees are all you can see. This, as expected, would be an exciting game!

And after all the drama and missed shots, it was Ateneo who got ahead in the match. But let me point out that the De La Salle gave a nice fight, not giving up until the very last millisecond. They sure still make me darn proud! ANIMO LA SALLE!