bury me in this dress

Oh wow oh wow oh wow! I just learned that there’s a follow up to the Stargirl book by Jerry Spinelli.

 LOVE, STARGIRL picks up a year after Stargirl ends and reveals the new life of the beloved character who moved away so suddenly at the end of Stargirl. The novel takes the form of “the world’s longest letter,” in diary form, going from date to date through a little more than a year’s time. In her writing, Stargirl mixes memories of her bittersweet time in Mica, Arizona, with involvements with new people in her life.

In Love, Stargirl, we hear the voice of Stargirl herself as she reflects on time, life, Leo, and - of course - love.

It’s not available yet. It will be released in the US on August 14 but it will probably be available in the Philippines next year unless it’s special order.

I received this email from a media mailing list I’m subscribed to. I just want to share this to let people become more aware of the decay that’s eating away the Philippines. The email is long but please read it entirely.

Last June 21, 2007 at around 10:30 PM, I rode an orange and white
air-conditioned bus (I think it was a JMK bus.) at EDSA cor. Aurora Blvd.
It was on its way to Muntinlupa via Skyway.

I was asleep during the entire ride until two men announced a hold-up when
we reached Guadalupe. It was between 11:00-11:30 PM. Holding a revolver
each, the two suspects told me and the other six passengers (two men and
four women) to surrender our wallets and cell phones. When I refused to
give them my gray bag, the two men pointed their guns at me and snatched my
bag. They ordered the driver to pass through the Ayala underpass to avoid
the traffic lights.

This is how the suspects looked like:

Suspect A
Mid-40’s to mid-50’s
5′6″ to 5′8″ tall
Heavy build
Has dark complexion
Has short, thick black and gray hair (bunot-style)
Has thick black and gray moustache
Was wearing clear eyeglasses
Was wearing a faded pink and gray (in horizontal stripes) short-sleeved
shirt with collar
Was wearing blue jeans

Suspect B
Mid-30’s to early 40’s
5′4″ to 5′6″ tall
Medium build
Has dark complexion
Has prominent cheekbones with sunken cheeks
Has short, thin black hair (almost crew cut)
Was wearing a yellow T-shirt with black stripes on the shoulders
Was wearing maong shorts

The Weapons
Both men used similar guns. The gun was silver with brown handle and
old-type barrel (similar to toy revolvers).

(According to the conductor, the two men got on the bus at Shaw Blvd.)

When we reached the Magallanes Interchange, the two men jumped off the bus.
Everyone was in a state of shock. The driver seemed to be in autopilot mode
as he guided the bus into the SLE. I told him to take the Bicutan Exit and
look for the nearest police station to report the incident. When we failed
to find one, we returned to the SLE and took the Sucat Exit instead. Along
Sucat Road, we finally saw a group of police officers (mobile patrol).

When we reported the incident to them, they told us that it was outside of
their jurisdiction and that we have to report the incident to the Ayala
Ave. police station incident. I asked if they have two-way radios so that
they can contact the police officers in Makati and apprehend the suspects.
Apparently, they had none. The other passengers were already feeling tired
and helpless. They did not want to return to Makati so soon after what
happened. Therefore, the driver and conductor dropped us at Alabang. I even
had to ask the conductor for 10 pesos so that I could at least pay for the
jeepney fare to Las Pinas.

Knowing that I needed a police report to have all my ID’s replaced, I went
to the Ayala Ave. police station (the one in the car park beside SM) last
June 23 to report the incident. Police Officer Valila refused to make the
report. Since the passengers jumped off at Magallanes, it was out of their
jurisdiction. He told me to report the incident to Precinct 3 (the one
along Evangelista St.) instead.

1. Longest Holy Week Vacation. This year’s Holy Week is the longest because Easter Monday is also a holiday because it coincides with the Bataan Day (April 9, monday). Book your travel Vacation now during the Holy Week Season: April 1, Palm Sunday and April Fool’s Day to April 9, Easter Monday and Bataan Day. File your leave now for April 2, 3, 4!

2. Labor Day Holiday. The second long holiday is from April 28, Sunday to May 1, Tuesday Labor Day. You need to file a leave for April 30 but it will be a leave well taken. Boracay is the perfect place for this long weekend so start booking your hotel in Bora! Also, remember that May is an elections month so better take your vacation before the election on May 14, 2nd Monday of May.

3. Independence Day Long Weekend. Take advantage of June 9, Saturday to June 11, Monday (regular holiday in lieu of June 12). No need to take a vacation since this is a 3 day weekend. It starts to rain already during this time, but still a perfect time for the last minute summer getaway.

4. Ninoy Aquino Holiday. August 21, is a special holiday which falls on a tuesday this year. So you just need to leave on August 20, and you already have a 4 day weekend from August 18, Saturday to August 21, Tuesday. It is difficult to fly during this time since this is in the middle of typhoon season. This is perfect time to start Surfing or White Water Rafting.

5. Halloween Vacation. Yes, another 4 day weekend without taking a leave. November 1 (Thursday) All Saints’ Day is a special holiday and November 2 (Friday) is a Special non-working day (Proc No. 1211). So, take advantage of the Cebu Pacific Crazy Fares during this time from Nov. 1, Thursday to November 4, Sunday. Yahoo!

6. Eidl Feitre or End of Ramadan. This is usually in November but there is no date yet. Anybody knows when the end of Ramadan this year?

7. Christmas Season 4 day Holiday. December 24 (Monday) is declared as a Special non-working day (Proc No. 1211) and December 25 (Tuesday) Christmas Day is a regular holiday. So similar to last year, we have a 4 day Christmas holiday from December 22, Saturday to December 25, Tuesday.

8. New Year Holiday. December 29, Saturday until January 1, Tuesday is another 4 day holiday weekend. It is best that you just take leave during the entire last week of December so enjoy an almost 12 day holiday!

Here is a complete list of the 2007 Phil Regular Holidays and Non-Working Days…

2007 Phil regular holidays and non-working days
January 1 (Monday) New Year’s Day (regular holiday)
April 5 (Thursday) Holy Thursday (regular holiday)
April 6 (Friday) Good Friday (regular holiday)
April 7 (Saturday) Special (non-working day - Procl No. 1211)
April 9 (Monday) Bataan Day (Araw ng Kagitingan) (regular holiday)
May 1 (Tuesday) Labor Day (regular holiday)
May 14 (Monday) National Elections!
June 11 (Monday) In lieu of June 12, Independence Day (regular holiday - Procl No. 1211))
August 21 (Tuesday) Ninoy Aquino Day (special holiday)
August 26 (Sunday) National Heroes’ Day (regular holiday)
November 1 (Thursday) All Saints’ Day (special holiday)
November 2 (Friday) Special (non-working day – Proc No. 1211)
November (no date yet) Eidl Feitre or End of Ramadan (usually in November)
November 30 (Friday) Bonifacio Day (regular holiday)
December 24 (Monday) Special (non-working day – Proc No. 1211)
December 25 (Tuesday) Christmas Day (regular holiday)
December 30 (Sunday) Rizal Day (regular holiday)
December 31(Monday) Last Day of the Year (special holiday)

Source: Our Awesome Planet

Lazy lazy day. Nothing to write about except that I don’t want to be here at work. I just want to chill somewhere…like in my room reading a book. See. I really have nothing interesting to say about my life. Just check out my other blog, Coffin Conversations, since it’s more interesting.

This is good news. I just hope that the government really implements this.

Clean, Green PhUVs to Replace Jeepneys

The government is preparing a new vehicle program to cater to a wider C and D market, replace the jeepneys , help the local vehicle parts makers and at the same time help preserve the environment.

Board of Investments managing head Elmer C. Hernandez said, the Philippines will copy the successful “one-ton pick-up program” of Taiwan.

By encouraging the assembly of vehicles costing no more than P400,000, the government will encourage public transport operators to refleet.

Thus the heavily polluting jeepneys using reconditioned engines will be phased out.

Hernandez said Quirino Rep. Junie Cua has authored a bill encouraging refleeting of public transport to use brand-new engines and locally assembled vehicles.

Hernandez said the approach of such a program is also consistent with the PhUV program, which is the assembly of a vehicle with locally-sourced parts being led by the Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (MVPMAP). He added that Sen. Mar Roxas has met with members of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. in December where he pushed for the development of affordable made in the Philippines vehicles that would cater to the C and D classes.

Hernandez said Roxas laments the fact that local assemblers are all geared to the A and B segments of the market, which is not growing.

“To have a viable industry, we have to target the C and D markets which comprise a huge part of the base. To do that, motor vehicles should be affordable,” Hernandez said.

This way, Hernandez said, industry would also be helping solve the problem of second-hand vehicles by giving them a vehicle with guaranteed service and spare parts, assuring them of quality since these are branded.

Hernandez said if we attain a critical mass, assemblers would be encouraged to invest in engine manufacturing, one of the major investment requirements in motor vehicle industry.

The framework for the PhUV is being prepared by BOI in cooperation with Campi, Truck Manufacturers Association of the Philippines and MVPMAP which is targetted for completion before the next Congress opens in July.

MVPMAP Director Ferdi Raquelsantos said proponents look for exemption from excise tax, income tax holidays, duty-free importation of raw materials and machinery, reduced fuel prices for buyers similar to those extended to the public utility jeepneys (PUJs), reduced PhUV LTO registration and a government-led retail financing to make the PhUV affordable”.

They are also looking at asking for reduced excise tax for a PhUV unit that can run on alternative fuel, whether gasoline with ethanol (E5 or E10) or the biodiesel.

They will also push for the government’s strict implementation of the Clean Air Act and the Motor Vehicle Inspection System to ensure a vehicle’s safety, roadworthiness and compliance to environmental standards.

The industry noted that other Asean countries support their local car industry. Thailand has a comprehensive package of incentives as it developed a niche market for the one-ton pickup truck and all its SUV derivatives. In the process, it not only grew its pickup truck industry as the biggest in Asia and second to the USA but also the support industries such as the local auto parts makers.

On the other hand, Malaysia even went to the extent of developing a National Car Program just to break into the international auto market and develop a strong and reliable auto parts industry
via Malaya News

If this becomes a reality, then all we have to do is widen the roads.

I’m selling these and many more. Just too lazy to upload here. Visit misseerie.multiply.com to see my stuff. For Philippine buyers only. Overseas shipping is too damn expensive and unreliable.

After writing that post about not making money from blogging, I googled for ways to actually make money from blogging. That’s how I found out about Orble. It’s a blogging community with LOTS of ads. An Orble member can have several blogs but I only needed one. Everytime a member makes a post to his blog, other members can vote to show that they liked the post. I guess that makes the blog popular or something. I don’t really know. The Orble management keeps track of the traffic all blogs receive. If a particular blog has good potential and the content is good, they offer the member his own domain name for the blog. This ordinarily takes 2 to 3 weeks after the first post.
I started with Coffin Talk where I just posted about things which I find interesting (guro, Japanese wackiness, etc.). My first post was December 4 and I tried to post everyday. I just kept on posting and I even reposted my article on how not to make money from blogging and that drew a lot of attention from the community. I received a lot of votes and some comments. I guess that’s the turning point of my orble blog. Since then, I received regular readers. They don’t comment but it doesn’t matter. They still voted. And the blog’s traffic attracted the attention of the Orble team. One week after I started posting, I was notified by the management that they want to buy a domain for my blog. Yay me! I’m a rising star. LOL. Since coffintalk.com is already taken, she suggested that I use coffinconversations.com instead. I agreed and there’s nothing to lose anyway. If my readers click on the ads in my blog, I get half of the profit and the other half goes to Orble. I guess that’s fine. So if you want to check out my other blog, please try to click on an ad. Hehehe. Money is nice. I’m still transferring the coffin talk posts to the new blog. Hopefully I will finish soon so I can make fresh entries.

I know I know. It took me almost a week to continue the previous post. I got sick again. My throat got so sore last Wednesday so I went home early then rested at home for two days. Since it’s officially a holiday in the Philippines now, I don’t have to worry about sleeping early or getting up late. I’m feeling better now. Thank Goddess!

Remember my post about my ECG result? The one where irregularity was detected by the machine? Well I finally went to a cardiologist and she said that it’s normal. I should, however, lower my bad cholesterol. She referred me to an endocrinologist and I will go to her next week. At least now I could breathe a huge sigh of relief. I thought for awhile that I have a blockage in my artery or something.

Christmas is several days away but I don’t feel any Krismas spirit. I couldn’t believe it’ll be this Monday already. Monday feels like a regular working day. Weird. It’s not even remotely cold. Damn humanity for causing global warming!

Bought more DVDs from the ’suking piratas’. I now have Marie Antoinette, The Last Temptation of Christ,  The Seventh Seal, Undo, etc etc. Also bought Grey’s Anatomy and House, all third season. If I get bored during the Krismas family reunion, I have my DVDs to keep me company.

That’s it. I know I’ve forgotten a lot but you don’t really need to know them.

Things have been hectic lately and I feel like I have a million things to do. So just a short update.

To those who have emailed me, I will try to reply as soon as I can. Maybe I’ll be able to manage that tomorrow night. If not, hopefully this weekend.

I have an iBook now! I ended up not buying my friend’s because I saw another one with better specs and I know I would need one since I always abuse my computers. The one I bought has 1 GB ram, 60 GB HDD, 1.42 Ghz CPU, and superdrive. I’m happy with the purchase but it also means I’m almost broke now. Better put up more stuff on ebay.

I think I’m coming down with the colds. My throat hurts and I feel weaker than usual. I hope this is just a quick passing thing since sometimes my throat acts up and the pain goes away after a day.

That’s it. I feel like puking.