I’ve done the unimaginable. I enrolled last night in Fitness First. Hahaha. Good luck to me.

I’ve was reading Jayvee’s blog when I stumbled upon this post. Apparently, Finance Usec Espele Sales believes, and I quote, “novels and reading books are non-educational”. Madame Undersecretary… are you serious? I am simply amazed that someone from the government would issue a statement like this. I’ve been an avid reader of novels and books since I was in High School and I’d like to think that reading all of those books have made me a better writer, person, and professional.

Sales and the BOC agreed that “only books or raw materials to be used in book publishing” are to be exempt from taxes and duties.

Critics said their interpretation has violated the 1950 Florence Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials, of which the Philippines was a signatory in 1952.

The treaty has provided for duty-free importation of books to guarantee the free flow of “educational, scientific, and cultural materials” between countries and declared that imported books should be duty-free.

But Sales reportedly brushed off this argument, saying novels and reading books are “not educational.”

I cannot even begin to imagine the international repercussions this would have if this were to be leaked into CNN or something. Imagine - we are the country with a government that believes that novels and reading books are not educational. Man! That’s just ridiculous.

I’m really sorry if this is a bit overboard but this is just unacceptable.

According to one of the fastest growing blogs in the Philippines, isa akong Tunay na Lalake. Words cannot describe how I feel. LOL!

To the people behind that blog, maraming salamat.

You know what? When God wants to tell you something, you really can’t miss it. One of the issues that I’m dealing with right now is my health. However I’ve had reservations with running and jogging because I haven’t bought a good pair of shoes yet, don’t have a drinking bottle, and had no idea when to start. Yeah I know, sobrang kong maarte (LOL). Then God came into the picture, hahaha! Last weekend, I was invited by fellow blogger Noemi Dado to a blogger meet-up with Filipina Ultra Runner Joy Rojas (to be discussed on a separate post). Apparently, Joy has already ran through the entire Philippine archipelago. Her next goal is to run across the entire stretch of the United States. Anyway, after the meet and greet, her friend and coach, Matt, approached me and gave me a lot of tips on how to start running so I can get a little more healthy. I even won the raffle wherein I got a… water bottle. But wait… there’s more! (more…)

Was getting Peach Mango Pie via Drive Thru in Jollibee Katipunan (near the church) a couple of days ago. After ordering and paying in the first window, I took the turn and found this. I never knew bikes were eligible for this particular service. Hmm… he is “driving” a bike. Hehehe.

I’ve been a fan of Britain’s Got Talent for the past 3 years. Each season brings a lot of surprising performances that can really knock you off your seat! The 2009 is no exemption. Amongst all the initial contestants, two really stand out and are just unforgettable. I tried to find versions of the videos that can be embedded but most of the uploaded videos on Youtube had the embed feature disabled. Links to the videos and brief descriptions of their performances and why I found them spectacular after the break. (more…)

Hi everyone! Let’s take a breather from all the anime, gaming, movie, and gadget news. Let me just announced that I’ve recently launched a new blog just yesterday called New Media Philippines. I don’t expect this new blog to have the same amount of readers as Waukster or even Pinoy Food Critic since it dwells on more serious topics like Digital Marketing, Social Networking, and Personal Branding. However, if you’re a business owner, marketer, blogger, or new med practitioner, then I highly recommend you visit the site since you’ll find a lot of useful information there. Sample posts from New Media Philippines after the break. (more…)

Ever wondered what it looked like when God first made the universe? There are a dozen scientific studies out there - including the Big Bang theory. Science and religion have always been on a collision course with one another. However, here’s one case how science makes you appreciate your spirituality and personal relationship with God some more. This picture after the break was taken by NASA Chandra X-Ray Observatory of a powerful pulsar. (more…)

I’m currently working on a new blog together with my good friend Salleh. I won’t divulge yet what it will be about but it will definitely be one of the niches that I’m really good at. I already have the domain and the theme design, it’s just that my domain host is currently on vacation and he can’t point the URL to the servers of Salleh. That probably means that the new blog will be up by Monday (after Holy Week) at the earliest. I’ll still be updating this blog, Pinoy Food Critic, and Waukster. Man… 5 blogs. To those who don’t know, I also have a World of Warcraft blog but I rarely update that one these days. Anyway, will post an update when the blog is up and running. Cheers everyone! Hope you’re all having a good Holy Week.

Literally. Did we screw up the ozone layer that much already? I know it’s summer but the heat these past few days have been unbearable! It’s the first time in all of my 26 years that I made a decision to go to a mall just to get free aircon, lest I burn in my home with the infernal blaze of the April sun. (more…)