Don't judge someone by his looks

Here's an inspirational video about a shy, humble guy who has great talent to show to the world. His name is Paul Potts, "a little lump of coal who turned into a diamond".

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Differences of Rich and Poor People

I'm sharing these wonderful points from Harv Eker's groundbreaking book, "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind" and his brief explanation why only a few people achieve financial success. If you believe you are happy and satisfied with what you currently have, you must be doing the right things. But if you've been working hard your entire life but never achieved wealth, then you must be doing something wrong and CHANGE is what you need, my dear friend. A change in mindset, that is.

"Secrets of the Millionaire Mind" reveals the missing link between wanting success and achieving it. Eker does this by identifying your "money and success blueprint." Furthermore, this book encourages readers to adopt mental attitudes that facilitate wealth.

1. Rich people believe "I create my life."
Poor people believe "Life happens to me."

If you want to create wealth, it is imperative that you believe that you are at the steering wheel of your own life, especially your financial life. If you don't believe this, then you must inherently believe that you have little or no control over your life. Therefore, you have little or no control over your financial success. This is NOT a rich attitude.

Instead of taking responsibility for what is going on in their lives, poor people choose to play the role of the victim.

How can you tell when people are playing the victim? There are 3 obvious clues:

Victim Clue #1: They Blame

Victim Clue #2: They Justify

Victim Clue #3: They Complain

Sound familiar? Have you ever seen anyone behave like that? Blaming, justifying and complaining are nothing more than stress reducers; misguided attempts to alleviate the stress that comes from failure. Think about it: if a person were not failing in some way, would they need to blame, justify or complain? The obvious answer is NO!

By the way, have you ever noticed that there's no such thing as a really rich victim?

If you have chosen to seek wealth in life, it is imperative that you choose your thoughts and words wisely.

2. Rich people play the money game to win.
Poor people play the money game to not lose.

Do you see the difference? Poor people play the money game on the DEFENSE rather than on the OFFENSE. Let me ask you: If you were to play any sport or any game strictly on the defensive, what would be the chances of your winning the game?

The answer: SLIM and NONE!

Yet that's exactly how most people play the money game. Their primary concern is seeking survival and security instead of creating wealth and abundance. So what is your goal?

Keep this in mind, if you shoot for the stars, you'll at least hit the moon!

3. Rich people are committed to being rich.
Poor people want to be rich.

Have you ever heard the saying: "the number one reason most people don't get what they want is that they don't know what they want?" In my experience, this is absolutely true!

Commitment comes from knowing exactly why you want to become rich. Rich people are clear that they want wealth and they are unwavering in their desire. They are fully committed to creating wealth. As long as it is legal, moral and ethical, they will do whatever it takes to create wealth.

Most people would never truly commit to being rich. If you asked them, "Would you bet your life that in the next ten years you will be wealthy?" most would say, "No way!" That's the difference between rich people and poor people. It's precisely because people won't commit to being rich that they are not rich, and most likely never will be.

It's interesting to note, however, that once you do commit, the universe will bend over backward to support you!

4. Rich people think big.
Poor people think small.

One of our seminar trainers went from a net worth of $250,000 to over $600 million in only 3 years. When asked his secret, he said, "Everything changed the moment I began to think big."

I refer you to the Law of Income, which states, "You will be paid in direct proportion to the value of what you deliver according to the marketplace."

It is important to know that 4 factors determine your value in the marketplace: supply, demand, quality, and quantity. In my experience, the factor that presents the biggest challenge for most people is quantity. The quantity factor simply means how much of your value do you actually deliver to the marketplace?

Another way of stating this is: how many people do you actually serve?

Small thinking and small actions lead to being broke and unfulfilled. Big thinking and big actions lead to both money and meaning. The choice is yours!

5. Rich people focus on opportunities.
Poor people focus on obstacles.

It comes down to the age-old question, "Is the glass half empty or half full?" We're not talking positive thinking here, we're talking about your habitual perspective on the world. Poor people make choices based upon fear. Their minds are constantly scanning for what could go wrong in any situation. Their primary mind-set is "What if it doesn't work?" or, more often, "It won't work."

Middle-class people are slightly more optimistic. Their mind-set is "I sure hope this works."

Rich people, as I mentioned in a previous e-mail, take responsibility for the results in their lives and act upon the mind-set, "It will work because I'll make it work."

Rich people expect to succeed.

6. Rich people admire other rich and successful people.
Poor people resent rich and successful people.

Poor people often look at other people's success with resentment and envy. They snipe, "They're just lucky," or whisper under their breath, "Those rich jerks."

You have to realize that if you view rich people as bad in any way and you want to be a good person, then you can never be rich. It's impossible. How can you be something you despise?

The Huna people of Hawaii have a philosophy that says, "Bless that which you want."

If you resent what people have, you can never have it.

7. Rich people associate with positive, successful people.
Poor people associate with negative, unsuccessful people.

Successful people look at other successful people as a means to motivate themselves. They see other successful people as models to learn from. They say to themselves, "if they can do it, I can do it."

Rich people are grateful that others have succeeded before them; drawing up a blueprint to follow that will make it easier to attain their own success. Why reinvent the wheel? There are proven methods for success that work for virtually everyone who applies them!

8. Rich people are willing to promote themselves and their value.
Poor people think negatively about selling and promotion.

Robert Kiyosaki, bestselling author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad (a book I highly recommend), points out that every business, including the business of writing books, depends on selling. He notes that he is recognized as a bestselling author, not a bestwriting author. One pays a lot more than the other!

Rich people are usually leaders, and all great leaders are great promoters. To be a leader, you must inherently have followers and supporters, which means that you have to be adept at selling, inspiring, and motivating people to buy into your vision. A skill otherwise known as selling.

Generally speaking, it is the leaders--those who can promote themselves and their products or services--who are able to amass great wealth.

Learn to sell and watch what happens to your net worth.

9. Rich people are bigger than their problems.
Poor people are smaller than their problems.

Poor people will do almost anything to avoid problems. They see a challenge and they run. The irony is that in their quest to make sure that they don’t have any problems, they have the biggest problem of all... they’re broke and miserable!

The secret to success, my friends, is not to try to avoid or get rid of or shrink from your problems; the secret is to grow yourself so that you are bigger than any problem.

If you have a big problem in your life, it simply means that you are being a small person.

10. Rich people are excellent receivers.
Poor people are poor receivers.

If I had to nail down the number one reason most people do not reach their financial potential, it would be this: most people are poor 'receivers'. They may or may not be good at giving, but they are definitely bad at receiving. And because they are bad at receiving, they don't receive!

The main reason people are challenged by receiving is that they feel unworthy or undeserving. This syndrome runs rampant through our society. I would guess that over 90 percent of individuals have feelings of not being good.

The reality is, if you think you're worthy, you are. If you think you're not worthy, you're not. Either way, you will live into your story!

11. Rich people choose to get paid based on results.
Poor people choose to get paid based on time.

Poor people prefer to be paid a steady salary or hourly wage. They need the 'security' of knowing that exactly the same amount of money is coming in at exactly the same time, month in, month out. What they don't realize is that this security comes with a price, and the cost is wealth.

Living based in security is living based in fear. What you are actually saying is "I'm afraid I won't be able to earn enough based on my performance, so I'll settle for earning just enough to survive or be comfortable."

Rich people prefer to get paid based on the results they produce. Rich people usually own their own business in some form. They make their income from their profits. Rich people work on commissions or percentages of revenue. Rich people choose stock options and profit sharing in lieu of higher salaries. Notice that there are no guarantees with ay of the above.

Rich people believe in themselves. They believe in their value and their ability to deliver it. Poor people don't. That's why they need 'guarantees'.

12. Rich people think "both."
Poor people think "either/or."

Rich people live in a world of abundance. Poor people live in a world of scarcity. Of course, both live in the same physical world, but the difference is in their perspective. Poor and middle-class people come from scarcity. They live by mottos such as "There’s only so much to go around," "There’s never enough," and "You can’t have everything." And although you may not be able to have everything, as in all the things in the world, I do think you can certainly have "everything you really want."

Do you want a successful career or a close relationship with your family?

Both!

Do you want to focus on business or have fun and play?

Both!

Do you want money or meaning in your life?

Both!

Do you want to earn a fortune or do work that you love?

Both!

Poor people always choose one, rich people choose…

Both!

13. Rich people focus on their net worth.
Poor people focus on their working income.

Rich people understand the huge distinction between working income and net worth. Working income is important, but it is only one of the four factors that determine your net worth. The four net worth factors are:

1. Income
2. Savings
3. Investments
4. Simplification

Focus on all four net worth factors: increasing your income, increasing your savings, increasing your investment returns, and decreasing your cost of living by simplifying your lifestyle.

14. Rich people manage their money well.
Poor people mismanage their money well.

It may not be the most glamorous of topics, but it comes down to this: the single biggest difference between financial success and financial failure is how well you manage your money. It's simple: to master money, you must manage money.

And remember, the habit of managing your money is much more important than the amount being managed!

What's stopping you from managing your money?

15. Rich people have their money work hard for them.
Poor people work hard for their money.

It comes down to this: poor people work hard and then spend all of their money, which results in their having to work hard forever. Rich people work hard, save, and then invest their money so they never have to work hard again.

The trick is to get educated. Learn about the investment world. Become familiar with a variety of different investment vehicles and financial instruments, such as real estate, mortgages, stocks, funds, bonds, currency exchange...the whole gamut. Choose one primary area to begin with and become an expert at that type of investing. Later, you can diversify into a broader portfolio.

Rich people see every dollar as a 'seed' that can be planted to earn a hundred more dollars, which can then be replanted to earn a thousand more dollars!

16. Rich people act in spite of fear.
Poor people let fear stop them.

Fear, doubt and worry are amongst the greatest obstacles, not only to success, but to happiness as well. Therefore, one of the biggest differences between rich people and poor people is that rich people are willing to act in spite of fear. Poor people let fear stop them.

The biggest mistake most people make is waiting for the feeling of fear to subside or disappear before they are willing to act. These people usually wait forever.

It is imperative to realize that it is not necessary to try to get rid of fear in order to succeed. Rich and successful people have fear, rich and successful people have doubts, rich and successful people have worries. They just don’t let these feelings stop them!

17. Rich people constantly learn and grow.
Poor people think they already know.

At the beginning of my seminars, I introduce people to the three most dangerous words in the English language: "I know that."

So how do you know if you know something? Simple. If you live it, you know it. Otherwise, you heard about it, you read about it, or you talk about it, but you don't know it. Put bluntly, if you're not really rich and really happy, there's a good chance you still have some things to learn about money, success and life.

When I was broke I was fortunate to get some advice from a multi-millionaire friend of my father's. He said to me: "Harv, if you're not as successful as you'd like to be, there's something you don't know." Fortunately, I took his suggestion to heart and went from being a "know-it-all" to a "learn-it-all". From that moment on, everything changed!

Credit: www.peakpotentials.com

Wordpress, oh la la

Are you a blogging freak and die-hard Wordpress fanatic in one? Pay attention. A bunch of Wordpressers is coming up with the first ever Wordpress bootcamp in South East Asia labeled as WordCamp Philippines 2008. This nationwide event is free of charge so you have an excuse NOT to miss this shot. But mind you, the seats are very limited.

Switching to a new blog platform, this event came in perfect timing to personally catch up with the Wordpress wave hitting the blog-o-sphere. (Of course, I ain’t need to kiss goodbye to other blog publishing systems--I still love Blogger, you know!). Learning and discovering the power of Wordpress directly from its enthusiasts, developers, advocates and users is too good to be true.

Excited? Get off your butt and register now!

This event is supported by Mindanao Bloggers and hats off to the following sponsors:

• i.PH: the Domain for Individuals
• Free Online Flash Games
• Wazzup Manila Philippines
• Real Estate CRM
• Real Estate Website Designers
• Orange County Real Estate
• Auto Insurance Quotes
• Lane Systems Inc.
• RedMedia
• Orange County Business Lawyer

Myanmar Cyclone Appeal: An ad campaign for a cause

Cyclone Nagris which hit Myanmar on May 2, 2008 brought thousands of families to their knees. Several organizations have already expressed their emergency assistance, initiated relief operations and extended their support to alleviate the sufferings of families facing the massive crisis brought by the disaster. But what they have isn't enough.

So in order to spread the awareness for additional assistance, the good guys from Distilled initiated an ad campaign. Distilled's Big PPC Competition hopes to spread the word about the Myanmar cyclone appeal and eventually help increase the amount of donations and support going for the victims in Burma.

Not to mention the prizes are great. So, if ever you win, it's like hitting two birds with a stone.


The following are my entries:

Myanmar Needs Your Help
A Single Act of Kindness Can Create
Ripples of Hope. Donate Today!
www.WorldVision.org.uk

Save Myanmar Families
Help Victims Rise from the Calamity
The Power is in Your Hands. Act Now
www.WorldVision.org.uk

Myanmar Cyclone Appeal
No Donation is Great or Small
A Single Cent Can Make a Difference
www.WorldVision.org.uk

Pssst, watch what your visitors are exactly doing on your website

For amateur to small-time bloggers, I know you all love Statcounter. As web marketing analyst, Google Analytics is our daily bread. These two are popular and widely used because they come for free but to acquire a paid analytics tools means you get much more accurate and reliable data. But no, I won't be recommending any of those on this post. I'll give you something quite interesting.

Clicktale is an in-page web analytics that records your visitors' every action, what they click and how far they scroll down as they browse your website. You do not get only numbers, graph or figures about your visitors but you watch their every activity visually while inside your webpage. Yes, it lets you put your vision on your visitor's eyes.

If your blog is not really for a large-scale online business, you may want to try the free version or you can get started for free and change your plan at any time. No software is required to be installed and setup takes less than five minutes. It's very easy!

That's why I would know if you're reading this post, my dear readers, what you will click next and where else you will go afterwards. There's a camera recording your every move. ;)

P.S. Just a bit of a spoiler, I hope this post gives you a hint of what my new site will be all about. :)

Where in the world is Osama Bin Laden?

The guy who brought the controversial and much-lauded film, Super Size Me, showing the health effects of eating McDonald's food three times a day, every day, for one month is coming with another intriguing documentary film that will undoubtedly spark a few heated debates, elicit interesting response and capture everyone's wit.

Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? is about the pursuit of the globe's foremost terrorist by the documentarian himself, Morgan Spurlock, as he travels country by country attempting to unravel the mystery of Osama's whereabout and tracking him down at his hide out.

Will Spurlock be successful? That's what we need to find out.

Gabzki.com is coming to town soon!

Whether you like it or not, I bought this domain name and it's awesome to have your own.

Oopps. Let me rephrase the above statement.

Whether you like or not, I got gabzki.com for FREE. Now does it sound like I want to make you envious because I got it for gratis (or without charge)? :P

I couldn't think of a better name so I stuck with gabzki.com. I believe a handful of bloggers knows me as Gabzki. Unlike Santa Clause, we'll not wait for Christmas before it'll be fully running. All I need is spare time (which I'm always deprived of) to do the hosting, set up and all. Of course, I won't forget to 301 this blog so as not to lose the precious links I've built for two years.

The site will be more focused (I mean, no personal stuff--I swear) on a certain category. I thought of weekly blogging tips, product marketing (as I'm about to enter a huge business--talking about monetization!) or something of sorts. Well, for sure, I'll let the whole world know once it's ready.

See you soon then!

Google PR update today!

The smell of latest Google PR update scatters around the web today. I immediately googled to confirm the news and everyone's in revelry with the result. So without much ado, I checked my blog's Page Rank to see how much it improved (or maybe worsened). Luckily, it jumped by a single notch from PR 3 to 4. A round of applause. Okay. It's good but I wasn't really surprised you know. :(

I'm not bragging but the first time I put the blog up it ranked big time--PR 4 right away in a matter of six months. Awesome, I said. But time didn't allow me to make constant update so it was left in the dust for 10 months which caused the PR to plunge. It was lately, however, that my interest to blog and return to blogosphere rekindled for some reasons. (One reason that I could point at is that the blog virus inside my system has awakened or something.) After a few fresh posts and link exchange over a short period of time, it reverted to PR 4. Sounds okay, right? So what am I complaining about?

If not for the long hiatus, the PR could have been higher. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Come on, who doesn't crave for high PR? It's another reason to brag your blog about, right? :)

So how did your website fare with the latest update?

Ass-kicking kung fu combo

I was optimistic to watch The Other Boleyn Girl yesterday. You know, my excitement reached its zenith after I missed to see it a week ago. So after returning back from a trip to Batangas, my cousin and I hastily headed toward SM Megamall. We then hurried to the cinema to sneak which time is best to see the movie.

We arrived at the cinema floor and checked the movie schedule board. WTF? We couldn't find the film in the movie rundown. This is insane! The film ran for a week only and was stopped. Terrible. My excitement mood suddenly turned into immense disappointment. However, one thing that kept my spirit hopeful: a smell of piracy. Haha! ;)

Okay, okay, okay. Maybe the film didn't gross that much that's why it was hideously removed. I don't wanna think that it's a bad movie though.

We found ourselves watching The Forbidden Kingdom instead. Ahah! The Jackie Chan-Jet Li starrer is being simultaneously run in three cinemas. Now we knew what happened to The Other Boleyn Girl. I would be delighted if they took Manay Po 2 off the movie list. Peace. ;)

In regard to the film, I give it two stars. Okay. Let's make it three. The trailer didn't stir up a thrill in me so I didn't expect that much and I ended not disappointed at all. That simple. I've heard it dethroned the chart's top blockbuster hit during its first week. I don't think it would have happened if the film is starred by either Jackie Chan or Jet Li alone. The team up of the two martial arts superstars is what the audiences anticipate. Perhaps, big chunk of the budget was invested to bringing these stars together that the production came out unimpressive. :P Well, we can't blame if the movie wasn't produced by giant film outfits.

Anyway, the movie has a blend of action and comedy which makes it fun and entertaining. The battle scene of the two main stars is the most anticipated and interesting part. In fact, for almost five minutes I was completely sent to a state of awe, or artistic arrest. It's their first ever fight scene in their first ever movie together. Who isn't compelled to hold on to his seat?

Despite the positive reviews it has received, the OC in me captures the not so-nice things in the film. Let me count them.

1) The scenes at the top of Five Elements Mountain was obviously taken in a set. The lightings just don't match to what it's really like atop a mountain.

2) The Monkey King reminds me of Son Goku from Dragon Ball. Later, I learned they are inspired from the fabled warrior Sun Wukong of the folk legend.

3) Jet Li sounds corny when he cracks a joke. ;P

4) Predictable plot.

5) Bad accent.

It's an "okay" film for me. The one with the right amount of action and humor. Although shallow in story, it surely gives us an ass-kicking kung fu pleasure.

Poetry 101

This is my first try to introduce a poem here. See, this blog is not only stuffed with my selfish rants about mediocre and nonsensical things. It's time to showcase the creative writer in me. Haha! Pathetic.

I almost forgot this poem until I managed to retrieve some files from an "ancient" CD inside my seeming treasure chest. Then I discovered a couple of self-written (and trying hard) poems that was unpublished way back in college. I'll be posting them one by one starting today. ;)

This one's dedicated to my dear friend, Jodie, who always imagines herself as the powerful "Storm" from X-men. And for making me inspired with her wonderful literary pieces.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Storm

I could not stand its fury.
Devastating, killing.

My vulnerable self was left in shambles
When the thunder struck
And my bones scattered.

I tried to hold on from the raging wind
That dragged me to eternal darkness
But nothing was left for me to hold on.

The rain attacked me endlessly
Without my umbrella I melted
And my missing body was nowhere to be found.

I cried for help
I struggled to put the pieces of my body back.
Hopeless.
Nobody was around
It destroyed me already.

I called someone
And I picked from my pocket
The beaded stones in neon green.

I uttered words I once spoken
While kneeling in front
Of a wooden statue.

Suddenly a light shone on my face
Someone reached my grasp
From where I was left wrecked.

I asked why I was lent a hand
He answered:
“Because you have survived My storm.”

Halo-halo, anyone?

It's summer time once again! Excited to wear that skimpy swim wear of yours and flaunt your drop-dead body in Boracay under the sultry sun? Or ready to hit Baguio to escape from getting unwanted sunburn? Btw, I'm not your ultimate travel guide so don't expect a list of must-go summer destinations, alright? Let's talk about some refreshment. Something that keeps us cool this hot season. Something like halo-halo? Yes. And sunblock, of course. ;)

In fact, a colleague sitting beside me has started devouring a cup of halo-halo taken out from Chowking. Did he ever know that, at this very moment, I was writing about this summer's cooler? The law of attraction is in the works! Haha!

Last night, I chanced upon our neighbor preparing halo-halo in her stall right in front of our apartment. (FYI, I prefer dirty halo-halo rather than the kind served in some local fast food. Dirty halo-halo is still the best!) Anyway, it was already past 7 in the evening yet next-door neighbors still flock to her.

The steps (and ingredients) are simple. First, she scooped a cup of crushed ice to a bowl, then added kaong, macapuno, caramelized saba banana, ube yam, kidney beans, langka, leche plan and sprinkled with sugar. And for the finale, condensed milk was poured into the mixture. No brainer. (As if I've never seen how it is prepared before.) Depending on one's preference, ice cream and fruit toppings may also be included to make that sweet and creamy dessert. Slurp. ;)

Btw, halo-halo is one traditional dessert popularized by Filipino. Halo means "mix". So it's up to you what ingredients will compose your own halo-halo. ;)

'Til here. Just a piece of advice: Be sure to enjoy one before you kiss summer goodbye!

A Letter from Bebang

I first stumpled upon this article from the blog of my former colleague, Time (pronounced as ti-mé) which I find very hilarious. I've read this post for n times already yet I can't still remove the grin from my face every time I read it. I believe this letter deserves to be reposted and read by all Filipinos who experience such misfortune (and absurdity) in real life. Read on, and be amused by the silliness of this funny yet biting reality.

Her name is Bebang, a registered nurse in L.A. who brought her mother there for some much-needed medical treatment. Unfortunately, her Nanay did not survive. In order to save from further expenses, however, Bebang decided to stay in LA and just send her deceased mother's remains back to the Philippines.

Back home, and as soon as the coffin arrived, family members noticed that dead Nanay's face was fixed tightly on the glass like it was picture-framed. So they opened the coffin in order to re-position the corpse. To their surprise, a letter was stapled on Nanay's chest. The following was its content:

Mahal kong tatay at mga kapatid:

Pasensya na kayo at hindi ko nasamahan ang nanay sa pag-uwi riyan sa Pilipinas dahil napakamahal ng pamasahe. "Ang gastos ko pa lang sa kanya ay mahigit $10,000 na. Ayoko nang isipin pa ang eksaktong halaga. Anyway, ipinadala ko kasama ni nanay ang mga sumusunod...

Nasa likod ni nanay ang dalawampu't apat na karnenorte at isang dosenang spam. Ang adidas na suot ni nanay ay para kay tatay. Ang limang pares ng de-goma ay nasa loob ng dalawang asul na Jansport na backpack na inuunan ni nanay. Tig-iisa kayo.

Ang iba't-ibang klase ng tsokolate at candy ay nasa puwetan ni nanay. Para sa mga bata ito. Bahala na kayong magparte-parte. Sana'y hindi natunaw. Ang pokemon stuffed toy na yapos-yapos ni nanay ay para sa bunso ni ate. Gift Ko sa first birthday ng bata. Ang itim na Esprit bag ay para kay Nene.

Ate, nasa loob ng bag ang pictures ni inay, japanese version ng pokemon trading cards at stickers. "Suot ni nanay ang tatlong Ralph Lauren, apat na Gap at dalawang Old Navy t-shirts. Ang isa ay para kay Kuya at tig-iisa ang mga pamangkin ko. Maisusuot ninyo ang mga iyan sa fiesta.

Suot din ni inay ang anim na panty hose at tatlong warmer para sa mga dalaga kong pamangkin. Isuot nyo sa party.May isang dosenang NBA caps sa may paanan ni nanay. Para sa inyo, itay, kuya, dikong, Tiyo Romy. Bigyan nyo na rin ng tig-isa 'yung mga pamangkin ko at 'yong isa ay kay Pareng Tulume.

Ang tigdadalawang pares ng Nike wristband at knee caps na suot-suot din ni nanay ay para sa mga anak mo, diko, na nagbabasketball. Tigdadalawang ream ng Marlboro lights at Winston red ang nasa pagitan ng mga hita ni nanay.

Apat na jar ng Skippy Peanut Butter, dalawang dishwashing liquid, isang Kiwi glass cleaner at tig-aanim na Colgate at Aqua Fresh ang nakasiksik sa kilikili ni nanay. Hati-hati na kayo, huwag mag-aagawan.

Isang dosenang Wonder bra (Victoria's Secret ata ang tatak) gustong-gusto ni Tiya Iskang society natin, suot-suot din ni nanay. Alam kong inaasam-asam nyo 'yan, tiya. Anim na lipstick lang ang kasya sa bra. Ang Rolex na bilin-bilin mo tatay, suot-suot ni nanay. Nakatakip sa Nike na wristband. Kunin mo agad, Itay.

May isinisik akong zip-loc sa bunganga ni Inay na naglalaman ng $759 dollars. Hindi na ako nakatakbo sa ATM. Puede na siguro sa libing iyon.

Iyong tong na makokolekta, i-time deposit niyo Kuya para pag namatay si Tatay may pambili na ng ataul. Ang hikaw, singsing at kuwintas (na may nakakabit pang anim na nail cutters) nagustong-gusto mo, ditse, ay suot suot din ni nanay. Kunin mo na rin agad, ditse. Ibigay mo ang isang nailcutter kay Jay bakla sa kanto.

Tanggalin niyo ang bulak sa ilong ng inay, may isiniksik ako 3 diyamante sa bawat butas. Ibangon niyo lang si inay at tiyak na malalaglag na ang mga iyon. Konting alog lang siguro ng ulo.

Marami pa sana akong ipaglalalagay kaya lang, baka mag-excess at si nanay pa ang maiwan. Basta parte-parte kayo, tatay, kuya, ate, dikong, ditse. Para sa inyo lahat ito. Bahala na kayo kay nanay. Pamimisahan ko na lang siya rito.

Balitaan ninyo na lang ako pagkatapos ng libing. Alam ni ate ang email ko. Paki-double check ang lista kung walang nawala sa mga ipinadala ko.

Nagmamahal,
Bebang

This article is originally from Jeanne Tan Te of Sun Star Iloilo dated Monday, August 28, 2006.

Did the Earth Hour make a difference?

I was supposed to join the "Earth Hour" thing which globally took place last Saturday night. As a concerned citizen (ehem!), I'd like to contribute something to fight global warming by being involved in such movement. Anyway, it's only for an hour so I didn't mind.

The hell is, it was blotted out of my memory. Some hours prior to that event, I was in Divisoria bustling over ukay-ukay and was already distracted by the cheapest bargains and oblivious from my mission to turn off the lights come 8pm. Well, how would I even remember since all the places my friends and I went to had all their lights on? A total blackout across the metropolis didn't happen as expected. Gee. Seems nobody really care. ;)

Realizing that I missed to take part in this precious hour, a question pops out in my mind: Did not using electricity for an hour really make a difference? To save energy, maybe. But merely in those places who participated and take note, only for an hour. The benefit would have been more valuable if it lasted for a day, a week, a month or a year. But that's a different story, I know. A nice campaign on reducing energy consumption in our DAILY routine is a lot better. Of course, such initiative should also start in our own backyard.

So there. After an hour of shutting lights off, everything went back to normal and everyone started to utilize the electricity AGAIN--just like the normal stuff before the earth hour--still consuming the same amount of energy. Or even more!

Pirate's unfinished business

Piracy can be as quick as Manny Pacquiao's blow on Marquez. While everyone revels over Manny Pacquiao's sweet victory against Juan Manuel Marquez, our eye-patched friends with hook and bicorne hat hustle over their "unfinished business". Pirated dvds of the bout reached every bend and corner of Quiapo just a day after the celebrated fight.

Thanks to our very tight guard against piracy.

Advertise your blog through Entrecard

I subscribed to Entrecard today. I was so entertained that I left some shitload of tasks in my end unfinished. Nice. That didn't concern me though, especially when the daily grind in the office already gets to you.

Anyway, back to Entercard, I really enjoy the first time I joined. I know it's too late before it was introduced to my vocabulary but my appreciation goes to Maline who, as per her advice, suggested that I try it. It's somewhat like Blogmad or Blog Explosion when it comes to the scheme. I'm a fan of these sites when I want to increase visit to my blog. You can earn credits by surfing other member's blog, by exchanging banner ads, by winning the lottery or by mere generousity of a beloved blogger-friend who wants to share their credit earnings. Then you use these credits in any way you want to earn traffic.

But Entrecard is far more interesting with its simple advertising setup. The free exchange network platform is an innovation to bloggers who want their site advertised through other's blog. A fair play is ensured in the process so everybody gets their fair share of the credit. If you're a beginner, Entrecard is a pretty good startup to introduce your site and gain readership.

Check it out yourself. You'll see how fun that drop-your-card-or-advertise-on-a-widget thing is.

Logo credit: Entrecard.com

The Backcountry.com experience

I got bored at one point this morning that I thought of browsing the website of Backcountry. I already miss working for this website and our boss, Tim Meikle, during my stint in Eversun Software Philippines back in Iloilo City.

Backcountry.com is an online retail store of outdoor and backcountry gear. It carries over 250 top brands like The North Face, Black Diamond, Petzl, Mountain Hardware, Arc Teryx, Salomon, and more, with nearly 50,000 products. If you're scouring for best made gear including backpacking, camping, skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing, kayaking, mountaineering gear and more, on the planet, look no further because Backcountry.com is the perfect store.

Don't miss to visit their other online shops, too. If you're a real snowboard junkie, you'll find the biggest names in snowboarding at Dogfunk.com. Meanwhile, if skiing is your action, Tramdock.com is your ultimate local skiing shop. The newest, sweetest, highest quality ski gear is very affordable from this site. Avail also of last year’s gear at insanely low prices from Backcountryoutlet.com.

Our job then was to optimize keywords. We sort and find for the best keywords used by customers to search for the products in these sites and in top search engines as well. These keywords and the product's URL must also be regularly updated so customers are led to the right product (with fewest clicks) during query. Well, I don’t need to elaborate those other technical processes. What was exhausting then is that we’re dealing with hundreds and thousands of keywords everyday. It’s part of their search marketing after all.

Anyway, there’s nothing big that’s changed in the website. It’s still has the same look as before—only cleaner (and with smaller font) this time. And oh, by the way, did I mention that Backcountry.com is included in Internet Retailer Best of the Web Top 50 Retail Sites and awarded with Bizrate’s Circle of Excellence Award for four times in a row?

Logo credit: Backcountry.com

A nicer Simon in American Idol 7

I’m not a huge follower of American Idol. Although I know who the winners in the past seasons were, it's only when the 7th season premiered that I started to hook with its every episode. The latest was they were in America's southeasternmost resort city--Miami, Florida--to scout for the next Idol. The tropical hot spot were bound by thousands of hopefuls desiring to get that golden ticket to Hollywood and become America's next singing superstar.

Well, who could forget about the three judges? Sometimes, or most of the times, I'm more entertained with the judges than with the contestants. Simon Cowell, notorious for his unsparingly blunt and often controversial criticisms, insults, and wisecracks about the contestants, is more forgiving this time. Many aspirants received the very rare "Yes" from him during the audition.

I enjoy every time Paula and Randy agree but Simon doesn't. The judging sometimes falls from a debate to a two-against-one riot. Meanwhile, I find Paula's antics very cute. I remember her dancing in front of the audition room while a certain Renaldo Lapuz, who by the way is a Filipino, sang his own piece, "We're Brothers Forever" for Simon. His audition created some buzz and I bet he'll make it big--not in Hollywood--but in Youtube, I guess. Remember William Hung? Fame didn't require him to sound (and look) good. On the other hand, Randy is the nicest among the guys.

The series of audition for this season is filled with different colors and characters. I can't help but laugh when some desperate auditioners beg for another chance or some sort of psycho or drunkard, dressed in comical character or with weird fashion sense, go there just to embarrass their selves or try to get some attention. At least, their silliness makes us entertained.

It's still a long way before a new Idol can be proclaimed. A series of elimination is yet to be held. Many aspiring singers from different key cities are still waiting to be discovered. I hope another Filipino will make a name again (after Jasmine Trias who made it to the final three). We'll see more of the best and worst auditions in American Idol season 7.

SEO Specialist post

A few days back, I received a call from an SEO company. An HR asked if I'm interested for SEO Specialist post. "Why not?" was my quick reply. She told me she got my contact number from Jobstreet and, later on, invited me for an interview. I didn't refuse the invitation of course.

Right away, I googled for some company information. I learned that DirectWithHotels helps hotels maximize the performance of their website. They "seo" their client's site to reach a wider and targeted audience by promoting via web. This only indicates that a large chunk of budget is alloted by some hotels for Internet marketing. It's a good idea most especially that competition, nowadays, is very tough and given that Internet is a powerful marketing tool.

Directwithhotels go beyond plain SEO actually. When a website receives overwhelming traffic or tops some search engine sites, it doesn't limit there. It's important for them to make visitors book. We know that they won't be earning a single cent even if their site gains billions of visitor but none makes a booking. So they aim to convert "lookers" into "bookers".

As with the invitation, Link Popularity Specialist (LPS) was the second offer should I don't get the SEO Specialist post. Well, it's not quite bad for a trying-hard SEO like me. Haha.

Participate in 2008 Philippine Blog Awards

In line with my unlikely comeback this year, I'm sort of announcing something for promotion. I may not be involved or participating in this event, but I’d like to spread the word about the 2008 Philippine Blog Awards which I first learned from Karla. I believe this year is the second of its series and I hope it'll turn out successful as well. Let’s help recognize who’s good in what when it comes to Pinoy blogging.

Watch out for his unwitty comeback

I'm finally out of the cocoon! I almost lost my enthusiasm towards this endeavor but the good thing is, I'm back. This is my looooongest break ever since I started blogging two years ago. As you may have noticed, I was out of the blogging scene for almost ten precious months. It feels great to be back in the blogosphere.

If you'd thought I was dead, no. I wasn't so totally distant from the blog world either. Hibernated? Maybe. In fact, I'm completely aware of what's new with what's happening around the blog universe. I miss those times when I went crazy to drive traffic to my blog, hop from one blog to another, tag somebody or link to someone's interesting blog and all. These what make me "bloggy" right now.

My apologies to fellow and dearest bloggers whom I failed to update for some time. It's bad to see how the number of your visitors drastically plunged. But it hurts even more when your Google PR drops. Ouch!

I know there are bloggers who are temporarily inactive from their usual blogging business. But there are some who don't sleep at all because they blog round-the-clock (kidding, I've yet to hear one). And those who stop blogging--for good--because they shifted interest or focused on some important things or whatever. But hey, who says blogging isn't important?

Without further agitation, I'm thinking of moving to a new one or recover this inactive, spiritless blog. The former will be a choice of buying a certain domain or creating via another blog host, say, Wordpress. The latter would include reformatting the look and feel of my first ever weblog. That means a major overhauling is going to happen. (And yes, I swear to rip out those distracting adverts.) I prefer the second option, for now. By the time I could seriously spend more time blogging, that's the time I'll try purchasing a domain (and place many ads). See, it's all about money-making. Lol.

Anyway, one change I've done so far was renaming this blog from Blogger's lair to Gabzki's lair. This is my blog in the first place. Another was removing irrelevant ads for speedy download.

That's all for now. Care for blogsome welcome?