Today is Earth Day and I watched lots of stuff on TV about it. National Geographic spent the entire day on “green” topics and HBO showed the movie An Inconvenient Truth » Buy the DVD. After watching global warming related topics for about 4 to 5 hours today I came to realize that what the science community was saying back in my grade school days are still true today - and things are getting worse!

Ice caps melting, glaciers receding, global sea water levels rising, stronger hurricanes and typhoons, warmer hotter climate, drought and such things are getting an all high mark these past few years and it appears that many of us ordinary citizens are not doing anything about it. A special case is us here in the Philippines where most people would say “leave it to the government” to issues like these. We all share this fragile planet and I think we all have an obligation to keep it clean and livable.

To point out this truth, take a look at this photo of Mt. Hood in Oregon. The one top was taken in 1985. See the ice? The one at the bottom was taken in 2002. See the difference?

Fact: The earth is getting hotter and I think it’s time that we as individual human beings take action in solving this global warming problem and not wait for the monkeys to take the initiative.

I want to help. An even striking truth is that I want my children to live in a world where they can breathe the worry and not worry about their health. We can’t ignore it anymore and I believe that it’s time for us ordinary people to take a step and start doing something about it and stop our arrogance now - we’re too small to be.

Pale Blue Dot by Carl Sagan - it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.

We Filipinos are proud of the freedom we won from invaders and we inspired the world with our example of People Power. I see no reason why we can’t unite once more to fight for mother nature. No, we don’t need to go to the streets and bring placards with us. We just have to be vigilant and we can start with ourselves. We can do stuff like:

• Conserve electricity - leaving appliances on standby (TV, DVD players, etc) still consume about 85% electricity so turn them fully off. And oh, change those lightbulbs with more efficient ones. One more thing, leave the windows open to let some wind into the house.
• Conserve water - we all know this, the lakes are drying up so why add to the problem?
• Don’t be a smoke belcher - you do hate those smoke-belching vehicles right? So do we.
• Recycle - use stuff that can still be used
• Walk or ride a bike when possible - it’s good for both mother nature and our health
• Use mass transportation such as the LRT/MRT and buses - less vehicles on the road, less pollution
• If you want to buy a car, buy an environment-friendly car
• Stop burning plastic and rubber. That’s bad

I’m pretty sure you can think of other ways to help combat global warming. I think it’d also be a good idea to take it a step further by reporting smoke belchers and other polluters to the authorities. Here are some phone numbers of some of government offices in the Philippines which you may call to report these violators:

• Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
  Report factories and other establishments here
  Website: http://www.denr.gov.ph/
  Phone: +63 (2) 9296626
• Land Transportation Office (LTO)
  Report private vehicles here (they’ll need the plate number)
  Website: http://www.lto.gov.ph/
  Phone: +63 (2) 9219072
• Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)
  Report public transportation (buses, jeeps, etc) here. They’ll also need the plate number of the offending vehicle.
  Website: http://www.ltfrb.gov.ph/
  Phone: +63 (2) 4262515 / +63 (2) 9257191 / +63 (921) 4487777

You can also report people in your neighborhood to your local barangay.

What if these government agencies don’t act? Well, you can always go the media. They’ll definitely love to hear your story.

Lastly, my dear fellow human being, I say let’s move on and save our planet.

Clues are given to aid you in solving the puzzle. The clues are:

1. The name of the game is Petals Around the Rose
2. The name of the game is important
3. The answer to the puzzle can be zero or an even number

Those are the clues and those are enough to help you solve the mystery to the puzzle of the Petals Around the Rose.

Now, since I was so happy with the game, I decided to write an online version of it which you can try to solve by clicking here » Petals Around the Rose.

So, what transpired from March 18, 2007 to March 18, 2008?  Not quite much but pretty interesting nonetheless.   I’ll try to keep this short so instead of narrating the events, I’ll just put them in bullet lists.

• I worked for Increase Media as a PHP developer for 6 months (May to October).  It was my second highest paying jo in my entire career as an employee
• When November came in, I moved over to Athens Development, Inc. which is currently my highest paying job.  I’m still working for Athens upto present and no, I’m not assigned in some architecturally magnificent building in Greece.  I work at home.
•  November was also the month when my family celebrated the first birthday of Jae - my baby boy.
• Can’t really tell exactly when it happened but I decided to become an Atheist within these 12 months.
• My Adsense account was restored.
• I got a real working Paypal account and already had successfully withdrawn funds from it.
• I became a partner of Eway54.com.
• I took a week-long vacation in Baguio during my mom’s birthday.
• Took my family to the Global Fun carnival and had some really cool and stomach-churning rides.

I may have forgotten a few highlights but I swear I did my best in recalling them.  Also, within this year I made some people really happy and some people really sad.  I lost the trust of some and gained the trust of others.  The same goes with respect.

Well, all I can say is that I’m still growing and learning but one thing shall remain - while my age increases every year, I’ll still be a child in heart for it has been the very reason why lots of people love me and why I remain happy.  Perhaps in accordance with my childish heart, my birthday was celebrated with mostly spaghetti and barbecue.  My wife’s comment was that I was like celebrating a children’s party and I certainly love that.  What I missed though were the balloons and those hotdogs and marshmallows.  Oh well, maybe next year.

What about goals?  Well, I have higher goals this time.  Some of my goals for last year were not met but that doesn’t mean that I’ll leave them behind.  I’m looking forward to having a really great financial breakthrough in my life this year.  I’ll work harder so I don’t have to work much in the future.  My ultimate goal is to sit back, relax and enjoy life with my family.

So that’s it!  Cheers and thanks to all those who greeted me!

It was both challenging and fun - challenging in the sense that I have to keep them awake and fun because I love teaching and the students themselves are fun to be with.

Here are some photos to share.

Click here to Download Full-sized Photos

Now, do you see what I mean when I said that the students are fun to be with?  Even better than fun though is that all the students have potential and a handful are just pure excellent.  Some would ask how to fix things while others would experiment on how to fix things - asking me only when they really couldn’t figure it out. In general, they all showed interest in learning and so I was inspired to start two new websites because of them.  The Coders Cult Blog and the Coders Cult Forum.  Visit them, anyone can join.

Mr. Alwin Abalajen awarding me a plaque of appreciation

Special thanks to Mr. Alwin C. Abalajen for inviting me once more.  It’s been a pleasure teaching your students.  Looking forward to 2009.  Also, thank you to Ms. Joan Abelong for keeping in touch and keeping me updated during the preparation period.  You’ve done a great job organizing this event.  And lastly to all the students, thanks for listening and I hope you learned at least a little of what I taught you.

Here it goes:

“I refuse to let this country go to hell because it is the only country I call mine and it is my responsibility to make sure I have done what I could for it”

To all Filipinos Everywhere:

I used to think that corruption and criminality in the Philippines were caused by poverty. But recent events tell me this isn’t true. It is one thing to see people turn into drug addicts, prostitutes, thieves and murderers because of hunger and poverty, but what excuse do these rich, educated people have that could possibly explain their bizarre behavior? And to think I was always so relieved when petty snatchers got caught and locked away in jail because I never fully realized that the big time thieves were out there, making the laws and running our country. Can it get any worse than this?

Every night, I come home and am compelled to turn on my tv to watch the latest turn of events. I am mesmerized by these characters. They are not men. They are caricatures of men - too unreal to be believable and too bad to be real. To see these “honorable” crooks lambast each other, call each one names, look each other in the eye and accuse the other of committing the very same crimes that they themselves are guilty of, is so comical and apalling that I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. It is entertainment at its worst!

I have never seen so many criminals roaming around unfettered and looking smug until now. These criminals wear suits and barongs, strut around with the confidence of the rich and famous, inspire fear and awe from the very citizens who voted them to power, bear titles like “Honorable”, “Senator”, “Justice”, “General” and worse, “President”.. Ironically, these lawless individuals practice law, make our laws, enforce the law. And we wonder why our policemen act the way they do! These are their leaders, and the leaders of this nation, “Robin Hoodlum and his band of moneymen. Their motto? “Rob the poor, moderate the greed of the rich.”

It makes me wonder where on earth these people came from, and what kind of upbringing they had to make them act the way they do for all the world to see. It makes me wonder what kind of schools they went to, what kind of teachers they had, what kind of environment would produce such creatures who can lie, cheat and steal from an already indebted country and from the impoverished people they had vowed to serve. It makes me wonder what their children and grandchildren think of them, and if they are breeding a whole new generation of improved Filipino crooks and liars with maybe a tad more style but equally negligible conscience. Heaven forbid!

I am an ordinary citizen and taxpayer. I am blessed to have a job that pays for my needs and those of my family’s, even though 30% of my earnings go to the nation’s coffers. Just like others in my lot, I have complained time and again because our government could not provide enough of the basic services that I expect and deserve. Rutty roads, poor educational system, poor social services, poor health services, poor everything. But I have always thought that was what all third world countries were all about, and my complaints never amounted to anything more.

And then this. Scandalous government deals. Plundering presidents pointing fingers. Senators associated with crooks. Congressmen who accept bribes. Big time lawyers on the side of injustice. De Venecia ratting on his boss only after his interminable term has ended, Enrile inquiring about someone’s morality! The already filthy rich Abalos and Arroyo wanting more money than they or their great grandchildren could ever spend in a lifetime. Joker making a joke of his own “pag bad ka, lagot ka!” slogan. Defensor rendered defenseless. Gen. Razon involved in kidnapping. Security men providing anything but a sense of security. And it’s all about money, money, money that the average Juan de la Cruz could not even imagine in his dreams. Is it any wonder why our few remaining decent and hardworking citizens are leaving to go work in other countries?

And worst of all, we are once again saddled with a power-hungry president whose addiction has her clinging on to it like barnacle on a rusty ship. “Love (of power) is blind” takes a whole new meaning when PGMA time and again turns a blind eye on her husband’s financial deals. And still blinded with all that is happening, she opts to traipse around the world with her cohorts in tow while her country is in shambles.

They say the few stupid ones like me who remain in the Philippines are no longer capable of showing disgust. I don’t agree. Many like me feel anger at the brazenness of men we call our leaders, embarrassment to share the same nationality with them, frustration for our nation and helplessness at my own ineffectuality. It is not that I won’t make a stand. It is just that I am afraid my actions would only be futile. After all, these monsters are capable of anything. They can hurt me and my family. They already have, though I may not yet feel it.

But I am writing this because I need to do something concrete. I need to let others know that ordinary citizens like me do not remain lukewarm to issues that would later affect me and my children. I want to make it known that there are also Filipinos who dream of something better for the Philippines. I want them to know that my country is not filled with scalawags and crooks in every corner, and that there are citizens left who believe in decency, fairness, a right to speak, a right to voice out ideas, a right to tell the people we have trusted to lead us that they have abused their power and that it is time for them to step down. I refuse to let this country go to hell because it is the only country I call mine and it is my responsibility to make sure I have done what I could for it.

Those of us who do not have the wealth, power or position it needs to battle the evil crime lords in the government can summon the power of good. We can pray. We can do this with our families every night. We can offer petitions every time we celebrate mass. We can ask others to pray, too, including relatives and friends here and overseas. And we can offer sacrifices along with our petitions, just so we get the message to Him of our desperation in ridding our nation of these vermin. After all, they cannot be more powerful than God!

I implore mothers out there to raise your children the best way you can. Do not smother, pamper, or lavish them with too much of the material comforts of life even if you can well afford them. Teach them that there are more important things in this world. I beg all fathers to spend time with their children, to teach them the virtues of hard work, honesty, fair play, sharing, dignity and compassion right from the sandbox till they are old enough to go on their own. Not just in your homes, but at work, in school, everywhere you go. Be good role models. Be shining examples for your children so they will learn to be responsible adults who will carry and pass on your family name with pride and honor.

I call on educators and teachers as we always underestimate the power of your influence on the minds of our youth. Encourage them to be aware of what is happening in their surroundings. Instill in them a love of their country, inculcate in them the value of perseverance in order to gain real, worthwhile knowledge, help us mold our children into honorable men and women. Encourage our graduates, our best and brightest, to do what they can to lift this country from the mire our traditional politicians have sunk us into. The youth is our future and it would be largely because of you, our educators, that we will be able to repopulate the seats of power with good leaders, presidents, senators, congressmen, justices, lawmakers, law enforcers and lawful citizens.

I ask all students, young people and young professionals everywhere to look around and get involved in what is happening. Do not let your youth be an excuse for failure to concern yourselves with the harsh realities you see. But neither let this make you cynical, because we need your idealism and fresh perspective just as you need the wisdom of your elders. YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU! Let your voices be heard. Do what you can for this land that gave you your ancestors and your heritage. Use technology and all available resources at hand to spread good. Text meaningful messages to awaken social conscience. Try your best to fight moral decay because I promise you will not regret it when you become parents yourselves. You will look back at your past misdeeds and pray that your children will do better than you did.

Remember that there are a few handful who are capable of running this country. You can join their ranks and make their numbers greater. We are tired of the old trapos. We need brave idealistic leaders who will think of the greater good before anything else. Do your utmost to excel in your chosen field. Be good lawyers, civil servants, accountants, computer techs, engineers, doctors, military men so that when you are called to serve in government, you will have credibility and a record that can speak for itself.

For love of this country, for the future of our children, for the many who have sacrificed and died to uphold our rights and ideals, I urge you to do what you can. As ordinary citizens, we can do much more for the Philippines than sit around and let crooks lead us to perdition. We owe ourselves this. And we owe our country even more.

Author Unknown

—

It hurts me to know that my country which was supposed to be set free by the first People Power is still swimming in the same mud that it used to swim in.  We see new faces and new ways but it’s the same old disgusting mud.  Sometimes I think of migrating to another country but then I would be a coward and so I stay doing my little ways to make this country a better place to be in.

What can you say???

Jae and his Diapers for One Year

Jae and Lunch

Jae on the Phone

Now, ain’t he cute? Comments please.

The video below shows the plane flying in a circle for 30 seconds. The battery was so weak after that. Sorry, if the plane looks too small in the video. I’ll try to shoot a better video next time.

Here’s a photo so you can get a better idea of how it looks.

As you can see, it is better to launch the plane from an elevated ground as it needs some room to generate enough lift to carry it. The usual tendency is that the plane dives to a point of almost crashing before finally having lift. But as soon as it gets airborne, flying it is pretty easy.

After quite some time on the net, I realized that the same product is being sold under Estes-Cox as well. All I can say is that flying RC Airplanes is so much fun I think I’m starting to get addicted to it.

Here are some photos to share…

After about 2 hours of labor and 9 months of waiting, Yan-yan finally gave birth to Angel Rafaela Cruz - a cute little girl but one with a fairly loud voice when crying.

Again, my family wishes to congratulate the entire Cruz family for having a new baby in their home after many years.  May Yan-yan have more birthdays to come and may Baby Angel be strong, wise and intelligent her entire life.

My deepest sympathies to the loved ones of those who parted.

Here’s the full story
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=4164728

Video #1 - Not really that easy to get it flying.

As you can see, he had to throw it from an elevated plane to give the plane some room to build lift.  But do I really have to?  If that’s the case then I’d have to fine such a place first but more searches on YouTube showed that in can fly even on flat plains.

- and -

There you go.  I guess I’ll just have to give this plane another try when I find time.