FAiTH reports PHP 11B in Foreign Aid so far

After the recent backlash received by the Philippine government on the recent relief efforts -- or lack thereof -- the FAiTH eService is launched in the official PH government website. FAiTH, short for Foreign Aid Transparency Hub, can be found here: http://www.gov.ph/faith/.

As of this writing, the total foreign aid received was a staggering PHP 11,654,775,900. This amount is further broken down to cash, non-cash, and pledged amounts. You can see the detailed report on their site.

Thank you World for all your help and support! >:D<

Now let's all just hope that all of that money is put to good use. This is a good first step in terms of transparency and accountability. The PH government had an embarrassing first week. Now, we're all hoping that Week Two onwards will be much better. #BePositive

First Encounter with Animal Death; Turning Guilt to a Positive Experience

Today, my son had his first experience with the death of an animal. It's not his pet, as we don't have one, but it might as well have been one for him.

It was raining hard the past few days, and as such, snails are coming out of the woodwork. Today was exceptionally sunny, so they took the opportunity to go to the playground. While playing, he came upon a very very small snail. Having just watched Turbo the previous week, he wanted to play with the little snail, which he admiringly called Baby Turbo. He wanted to feel it's tiny shell. But -- as most 3-year-olds -- he does't have full control of his hands and fingers' strength and crushed the poor thing.

He was shocked and asked his Ate "Fix natin si Baby Turbo" (Let's fix Baby Turbo.) He cried. A lot. The same cries he makes when he is emotionally overwhelmed when he knows he did something he shouldn't have done. It was the cry of guilt and sadness. As his dad, I felt and heard the pain in his cries. (Parents, you know this.) And whenever he is reminded of the incident, he cries again. I hugged and comforted him, telling him that it's okay. I tried to redirect his attention first, as it was time for his bath.

While he was taking a bath, I searched the internet for some advise. Most of the things I found are related to kids dealing with death of their pets. While not technically a pet, these are definitely something I can use.

Later, I asked him again what happened to Baby Turbo. He's trying to hold back his tears but is clearly upset. With a sad face and eyes winking back the tears, he tries to change topic. Staying on course, I asked him to look into daddy's eyes. (We're training him to look into our eyes whenever we have to say something serious or important.) I said that I know that he is upset because Baby Turbo died. (Yeah, those internet advise said no sugar coating -- use the word "dead" instead of "passed away".) I said that it's okay to be sad and to remember next time to be more careful. I asked if he wanted to pray for Baby Turbo, to which he immediately clasped his hands in the praying position. (We teach him to pray every day and every night and every meal.) After that I asked him to give me a hug. It took a few tries but when he finally did, I knew that he found a certain amount of comfort in it.

He felt better at least for a bit, but I knew that he is still upset. This experience was weighing heavily on his mind, as it shows in his face and his body language. It's expected, I guess, as he is still in that grieving mode. This is his first grief so I have no idea yet how long his grieving period is going to last. All I can tell is that his crankiness level has increased tenfold but I'm extending my rope; after all, this is a traumatic experience for him. I just let him be and let him express it and deal with it on his own way. I'll just stay on the sidelines for now and observe how he progresses.

11:58 AM, he is about to eat his lunch. Before that he prayed on his own. (Normally we need to remind him to pray first before eating.) He prayed to Papa Jesus to bless the food, the "rice na may sabaw" (rice soaked in soup), and to take care of Ate Keizha (his cousin who just got out of the hospital) and Baby Turbo. As he ate, his crankiness went done several notches. So he was hungry and upset, never a good combination. :))

I'd say things are looking up, taking a turn for the positive. All things considered, something good has come out of this experience. A hard lesson in life (and death) introduced at an early age, and slowly reinforcing the praying habit. And I'm blogging again after another extended hiatus. :D

Riley's Great Wall of Toys! :D

view full image

"Riley's great wall of toys! :D" 

WWE Raw 2013/08-19 - CM Punk-Paul Heyman Promo

Since I'm taking a break and doing a Raw marathon, I might as well write here another one of CM Punk's promos which is partly a shoot as well. This promo was on the August 19, 2013 edition of Raw (post-Summerslam 2013), where he rips apart one of the booing audience. Ha!

CM Punk: "You know I really don't know what to say right now. There's so much going on upstairs. But what I do know was that Paul Heyman was out here earlier. And Paul Heyman had a lot of things to say that were personal to me. A lot of buttons he pushed…

Sir, you paid your ticket, you want to boo, that's fine. But I dare. I dare you to step in between these ropes. And you will never boo again, because I will render you a toothless, crying heap of a man! I AM PISSED OFF! AND I WANT TO FIGHT! SO IF YOU HAVE THE B@LL$... I DARE YOU, FATSO, STEP UP AND BE A MAN! AND FIGHT CM PUNK!

COME ON, SON! COME ON! COME ON! COME ON! COME ONE! I WILL RENDER YOU TO TEARS! COME ON!

BE A MAN OR SIT DOWN AND BE A B!TCH AND SHUT YOUR MOUTH!

Paul Heyman says he can give me the WWE title - that's what I want. Paul Heyman says, he can get me the WWE Wrestlemania Main event - that's what I want. And I'm positive in my heart of hearts Paul Heyman, what he really wants, what he really needs, is an apology. Paul, if an apology is what you want… If an apology gets me those things. Then come out here face to face. You may just get what you want…"

{Paul Heyman with Curtis Axel comes out to the ramp.}

CM Punk: "Paul, this is all I know. The doctor says I'm not fit to compete right now, yet here I am in my gear and I'm taped up because this is all I know, this is all I have. And I lost a fight last night. And I've got my ass kicked before and here I am still standing.

The truth is Paul, I AM sorry. I'm sorry that I took my eyes off of Brock Lesnar for a split-second last night just to enact my revenge on you, and I'm sorry that that revenge wasn't enough. I'm sorry I didn't take your arm OFF and take it home with me! I'm sorry that I didn't break your FACE! And I'm sorry that the next time I DO get my hands on you, I'm gonna choke you out and I'm gonna wake you up, I'm gonna spit in your face, and I'm gonna take your arm home with me! And I'm sorry that you think a BEATING is gonna stop me. I am relentless and I will not stop and I don't care who you put in  front of me or what you're trying to do. I'm gonna get my hands on you and I'm gonna get my revenge. And I say, we do it right now in Anaheim.

Come on! Come on! Have the guts that this fat guy over here doesn't have! Step into the ring with CM Punk, and fight me like a man!"

Paul Heyman: "You know, there is an apology that's due this evening. And to be blunt, the apology should come from me. CM Punk, I'm sorry… I'm sorry for what is about to happen to you. Curtis Axel, please go in the back and tape up your hands for a fight.

You have push me too far once too often. I'm not that fat guy sitting in the front row! I can be the worst nightmare you have ever encountered. So help me God if you are still in that ring when we come back from a commercial. Curtis Axel is going to be sent down to that ring by Paul Heyman, and Curtis Axel is going to finish the job that Brock Lesnar started on you."

WWE Raw - #PipeBombshell Transcript

OMG you guys! I just watched last night's episode of Total Divas. And it was insane, oh my gosh. I mean, the Bellas were dealing with their obvious daddy issues… The Funkadactyls broke up and got back together again… Natalya's fiancee isn't much of a man… And the other two were also there… It was great. It really was. And it was the end of the world and it is only Sunday night in theE Network. Aaaaaah….

...

Do you want to know what I see when I look in that ring, honestly? A bunch of cheap, interchangeable, expendable, useless women. Women who have turned to reality television 'cause they weren't gifted enough to be actresses. And they just weren't talented enough to be champion.

I have done more in one year than all of you have done in your entire collective careers. I have saved your divas division. I have shattered glass ceilings. I have broken down doors. Why? So, so a bunch of ungrateful, stiff, plastic mannequins can waltz on through without even as much as a thank you? You guys can't even go back stage and shake my hand and look me in the eye because you know that I worked my entire life to get here. I gave my life to this and you were just handed fifteen minutes of fame.

I didn't get here because I was cute, or because I come from some famous wrestling family, or because I SUCKED up to the right people. I got here because I am good. I EARNED this championship. And no matter how many red carpets you guys you want to walk in your four thousand dollar ridiculous heels, you will never be able to lace up my Chuck Taylor's.

You were all worthless excuses for women. And you will never be able to touch me. And THAT is reality.

- AJ Lee

JollibeeSG's new policy

Just so that everyone's expectation is set, here's the new "seating policy" from Jollibee in Lucky Plaza. (They're pretty strict on this :)

Kicking it Old School! :))

Limited Time Only: Efficient Card Mastery Farming in Marvel War of Heroes

While playing through the Deadpool Raid Event in Marvel WoH, I noticed a simple but effective way of "farming" your cards' mastery.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Fix your ATT and DEF decks. Cards within these decks are the candidates for mastery increase. If an unexpected card gets mastered, check the system's "suggested" decks.
2. Proceed with the latest Raid Event Missions continuously. If you get a Deadpool fight, proceed to step 3.
3. In the Deadpool fight menu, do the following:
1. Use Light attack (1RDS);
2. (Optional)Ask for Support from your team; then
3. Go back to playing the Raid Event Missions, step 2 above.

Marvel WoH: My Page. Click on "Newest Event Mission"

My First Allergy Scare

1. Normal evening. Just looking for some things for my bookbinding project.
2. Yes, I know. It's just a hobby I picked up somewhere. How quaint.
3. Anyway, I finally found the wax, the threads, the crafting needles, and some bookbinding sticky tape. Found them stashed in of 'em plastic stackable cases. I put them away to a container I frequently use, expecting to do them the next time I'm free. I had to go to bed early as I am on shift the next day.
4. In hindsight, those stackable cases were pretty dusty. Note to self: clean them later. Need some goggles and a facemask next time I do any cleaning around the house.
5. As we finished preparing for bed, I turned off the light. It was pitch black all of a sudden. It has to be, so my son can sleep sooner than later.
6. By this time, my nose was beginning to get really stuffy. I thought nothing of it at the time, recounting my dusty encounter with while looking for my things. My wife decided to get me some stuffy nose meds and water to help clear it up.
7. Shortly, my eyes have become unbearably itchy. I went out the room to get the eyedrops we have in the fridge, drop some on my eyes, then returned to bed.
8. It helped, but besides the slight relief, my eyes are still bothering me a lot. I decided I should get another dose of the eye drops.
9. I went to the toilet first though as it I really needed to pee. Turned the lights on, and saw my face. Holey sheet! My eyes were all puffy and swollen! I got the eyedrops again. Then went back.
10. Told and showed my wife, we decided to go to the nearest hospital, NUH.
11. For a while, I had this silly notion that the eyedrops would work just fine, even though my face was really swollen. First time I had that. Denial I guess.
12. My face reminded me of the vampires in Buffy and Angel. You know, the prosthetic makeup / whatever on the forehead and around the eyes of the vampire actors to make them look, you know, vampirey. Hehehe.
13. Decent clothes checked, phone checked, money checked, and so is my IC. (Never forget your IC!) Thankfully, a taxi was just unloading some passengers close by. I had to run there though, before he drives away. We got the cab and we got in.
14. I'm still relaxed for someone in my state, I guess; eyes nearly getting closed, breathing becoming more difficult. The taxi ride was thankfully a short one.
15. By the time we got to the ENI, I was still pretty calm, my mouth was open because my nose already closed up. I can no longer breathe through my nose.
16. The nurse there offerred me a wheelchair but I declined. I can still walk, I just can't breathe. In hindsight, another silly idea on my part. That was my chance to finally sit on a wheelchair! Damn! Missed opportunity again. Hehehe
17. Seriously though, I had to keep my mouth open most of the time. A bit tough for me to talk to the nurses when they examined me. They thought that I got this from taking paracetamol. Good thing the missus was there to check what the nurses were typing in my records.
18. I wonder what would life be like if I actually am allergic to paracetamol? It's the most common meds for the most common ills. With that out of the picture, I wonder what else I could take?
19. Just to backtrack a bit. In the NUH Emergency Room, there are some steps: Step 1: temperature check. Step 2: registration and payment (S$100 standard cost). Step 3: Triage (nurse's initial assessment). Step 4: Consultation with doctor (wait for queue number to be called; waiting time that time was 2 to 3 hours). Step 5: Pharmacy and payment of any remaining balance.
20. In my case, though, I didn't have to wait for my queue number to be called in Step 4. I guess they figured this was already an emergency. They said my BP is quite high. 195/105 or something. I guess that's one effect of not being able to breathe! So from Triage, I went straight to what looks like an ER. Lots of nurses and patients in varying ages, shapes, and conditions.
21. The nurses back in Triage offered me to sit on the wheelchair but I declined again! Oh well, I'll never get to sit on a wheelchair this round I think.
22. Back to the story: in that ER, I lied down on one of them fancy hospital beds. It was getting cold so the sheets were a welcome sight.
23. Nurse gave me six tablets. No idea what they were, they just told me antidote to the swelling and allergies. I'm guessing it's some form of antihistamine. (Thank you, Dr. House! Hehe)
24. I felt the immediate effect of the tablets. The itch around the eyes disappeared. And my nasal passages have opened up a bit. Big relief!
25. Shortly, they told me they will give me a big dose of anti-allergy meds via injection. They said it will be extremely painful so it had to be done on the bigger muscles: the thighs.
26. It's been a while since I got pierced with a needle. First thing that popped in my mind was when I gave a bag of blood for my mother almost a decade ago. The next one that I remember were a series of vaccine shots I got from the local clinic. I was jobless at that time, so I figured it was a good time as any to get myself some shots. Yep, never been vaccinated before. That was my first time. Hehe. All of my previous needles were on the arms or shoulders. Never on the thighs. I wonder what it would be like...
27. Okay needle's in. I've had bigger needles stuck on me. It was fine. But when the nurse pressed the meds in. Ooooh... It's like acid eating away your flesh from the inside. Yeowchies! Well, they did say it was painful...
28. Besides the irritating pain on my leg, I feel a lot better. I can now close my mouth as I can now breathe again through my nose. No more itchy eyes. And the swelling has hone down a bit. I was taken to some kind of recovery room. Recovery room had 10 slots, I was in number 5. Doctor told me to rest there until morning, as the antidote I took has that lovely drowsiness effect. Not sure what they were talking about. I was up and lively.
29. Then again, it just might be the fact that I haven't peed yet for the last few hours. Missed my chance at #9 above.
30. Good. Peed my worries away. The bed feels a lot softer and more comfortable afterwards. Still not sleepy though. I brought out my phone and used up all my energy in Marvel WoH and I started blogging about this rather fascinating experience.
31. And just like that it was morning. 6:30. I must have dozed off into a deep, dreamless sleep. I remembered I'm supposed to go to work today. Sent SMS to my boss and to my shift partner, then emailed the rest of the team regarding my MC.Thank God for Mobile Technology!
32. I was discharged shortly. They gave me a one-day MC, a referral letter to the NUH Dermatology Clinic for follow-up (this seems to be a common practice here), and a prescription slip which I am to take to the Pharmacy (aka Step 5). I hauled my butt off of bed and went straight there. A little anxious as it's really cold and it's raining really hard outside.
33. Got my medicine from pharmacy. Got 42 tablets of prednisolone (looks like the same one I got earlier in #23) and 10 tablets of loratadine. A quick wiki search says they're anti-inflammatory steroids (yikes) and antihistamine for the allergies, respectively. I have to take 1loratadine and 6 prednisolone in the morning after meal.
34. I was quickly on my way to the Kent Ridge MRT. I could have been there sooner if I didn't get lost! :)) It was my first time through the NUH grounds so I got to see a lot of eating places before I got to the taxi stand and the MRT.
35. Got home quickly and nicely. Once I'm in bed I dozed off immediately. I woke up past 12 noon.
36. A lot of things happened after that, but that is a story for another time. :)

It's not the Instagram Envy Effect, it's YOU!

I read an article here about the envy effect of Instagram. Honestly, I never even knew that this Instagram envy existed, but I'm not surprised to find out it does.

I agree with the article for the most part, but there are some things that I feel needs to be said. Hence, this post.

It's okay to be envious. Envy is a basic, natural emotion. And it's good that you experience envy because (1) it shows that you are still in touch with this far-from-ideal reality, and (2) it shows you what you need/want in your life. It means that you are not living in your own perfect world but grounded in reality that there are things that you need/want that still don't have until now.

Typically, you don't just get envious randomly. You get envious of some thing because that thing is one of your wants and/or needs. So in a way, your envy is your compass to what you want/need. This realization is always the first step to get yourself out of the gutters that is envy.

How missing the bus may have saved my life

Just about to call it a day. Tickets are lighter for a Friday night. Just waiting for the next shift guys to take over.

Today, they arrived earlier than usual. I felt good thinking I can get home a bit earlier. Booking taxis are no good on Fridays, especially where I'm coming from. So I had to settle for the only real choice I had: the bus.

7:58PM I was frantically dashing for the bus stop, as I knew it could be arriving at any minute. The bus stop quite a run, had to round 2 corners to get there. Just as I was about to cross the street, the bus was arriving. I waved hard and mad and shouted from the top of my lungs, but to no avail. The bus just zinged by, not even slowing down as it neared the bus stop.

I was... disappointed. And honestly quite embarassed. There were people in a nearby lot who saw the whole thing. It's a bit dark, but I can clearly see their smirks, their white teeth gleaming quite distinctly from where I'm standing.

I guess anyone would have been embarassed.

Something to think about...

My Post-Wrestlemania WWE Raw rundown

Just finished my rundown of Wrestlemania 29. Read raving reviews about the post-WM Raw. As I understand it, it's because of the NJ crowd in Izod Center. Let's see...

John Cena Promo

1. Ha! Nice shirt "the champ is here" with arrow pointing down. Cena is wearing the WWE belt on his waist.
2. As usual, crowd is pretty split. Boos here. Cheers there. Hehe.
3. Cena talks about main eventing WM and winning and all the perks that go with it.
4. "The adulation." Crowd boos. "The respect." Crowd boos. "The cheers." Crowd boos. "The cheers?" Crowd boos louder. "The cheers??" The crowd responds with even bigger boos.
5. John Cena is having fun with the crowd. The crowd then had their fun at John Cena, chanting "boring!" "Boring!" "Boring!"
6. Championship dance? What in the world is Cena doing?
7. Shake? Crowd says no. Kicking? Crowd chants No! No! No! No! "How about a HEEL TURN?" Crowd took a while to catch up then cheers in agreement! What a tease! :|
8. You can say whatever you want to say about Cena. But he knows the what the people wants. He must be in reading comments from the IWC every now and then.
9. The champ is here! Then crowd chants "Same old sheet! Same old sheet! Same old sheet!"
10. The champ is in a fighting mood tonight and issues an open challenge Before he finishes, 3-6 Mafia's Some Bodies Gonna Get It plays. Mark Henry heads down the ramp! Yes!
11. Been waiting for this for a long time. Mark Henry could have one more run as champ before retiring for good.
12. Crowd chant "sexual chocolate!" Cena says crowd wants to have "sex with chocolate." This is PG14 still, right? Ha! :)
13. Crowd is loving the idea and so do I! Then Booker T hits the ring. Who made him GM all of a sudden?
14. Booker says Rock gets a rematch as #1 contender. "Once in a lifetime, best out of three?"
15. Booker T: Rock was injuted last night. Crowd chants, uhm, "Hoarse sheet! Hoarse sheet! Hoarse sheet!" No idea what that means... Booker was taken aback. This is a wild crowd!
16. Mark Henry gets a title shot if he beats Cena tonight at the main event. Nice!

My Wrestlemania 29 Rundown

Okay VOD, here we go...

Orton Lovefest vs The SHIELD - 3/5

1. Great opening match. Cliche "what a way to start the show" really works in this case.
2. Clean match so far. No outside underhanded tactics yet. Rollins tags Ambrose in. And there goes the triple team. Hehe.
3. Big Show removes Ambrose's protective vest. Big hands to his chest. Oooh the sound... That's gotta hurt...
4. Frequent tags by SHIELD gives them upperhand for most of the match. Action's fast-paced.
5. Finally, action spilled outside of the ring. Seth Rollins' suicide dive was sick. Nearly took his own head off.
6. Damn spear by Big Show. Biggest spear in the business today.
7. Sheamus looking for a tag. Orton steals the tag from Show. Show visibly upset.
8. Orton catches Rollins with RKO. Gets hit by Reign's spear. Ambrose pins for the win.
9. Post-match, Big Show gives KO punch to Orton and Sheamus. Not the big "heel" turn we're expecting. He's been a heel for the most part last year, then becomes a tweener during WM season.
10. On the bright side, the Orton lovefest is over! :)
11. "All out for good guys" Cole is getting annoying again, blaming everything on Big Show and feeling for Orton. Thank goodness JBL is there making good sense.

Dissecting WWE Raw 01-April-2013 edition

I just watched April 1 edition of Raw. I already know what Bleacher Report said, but I want to see myself and have my own take on it.

Nice opening montage. Look at Heyman go! Didn't know he had it in him. :)) ECW! ECW! ECW!
Great! JBL is in the house with Cole and the King. I can't wait for JBL to rip through Cole in commentary. I think he should be there permanently -- unless of course if he's climbing mountains and stuff for charity.
John Cena promo: Cenacrats? Rockpublicans? Eh. Really? Okay. :| This is my only gripe on this promo. I dunno why they said he's overdoing the tease for a heelturn. I don't see him teasing a turn, much less overdoing it. A few strong words against Rock dies not make heel turn. It's a good promo, Cena selling to the crowd his passion to win over the Rock. Then again, if he does turn, then it's a surprising risky swerve, albeit a pleasant one for Wrestlemania. Many complain that WM28 matches are predictable. Well, this heelturn should be good then.
Orton-Show-Sheamus is next: now this one here, Orton turning heel, is overdoing it. I watched his last segments for a couple of weeks playing the "voice of reason" of the group and... Well... Eeewww... All this hugging, handshaking, cheering, this lovefest from Orton... It looks too rehearsed. Soooo fake. Sooo icky... Soooo turning heel. Orton doesn't do the face very well. Put him out of misery and let him turn heel.
3MB has been the jobber for the stars this WM season. Personally, I prefer just Heath Slater being the jobber for the legends last year, leading up to Raw1000 (Vader, DDP, Lita to name a few). Oh well, at least for them they get televised matches every week.
JBL: (3MB is) what happens when Mean Street Posse went to a karaoke bar.
King: I think 3MB should call themselves 999 Megabytes, coz they haven't had a Gig yet. (Uhh... The inner nerd in me gets it, but really it's a joke that's waaaay too cerebral. Just my opinion. :|)
Orton Lovefest vs 3MB: it's a decent, 3-minute or so match, 3MB really taking it to them. I enjoy Big Show hitting the Spear the best though. Not the best Spear of his life, mind you. Well, 3MB lost as predicted.
SHIELD promo: after the match, SHIELD makes an appearance and cuts a half-decent promo. I dunno. I prefer it when they do their promos backstage with the weird camcorder thingie.
Zeb Colter/Jack Swagger promo: I think I was waiting for a more impactful promo. I'm having my lunch while watching, but I didn't even bother to look up. I had to press rewind to see what I missed... which was not much. They're supposed to be selling Jack as someone who was brainwashed by Colter right? Why not have Jack get that crazed, fanatic look - unkempt hair, wide-open eyes, always loud. Oh well...
Alberto del Rio promo: nothing special. Sorry.
Daniel Bryan vs Dolph Ziggler: match of the night. The world's toughest vegan with the crazy beard gets the biggest pops anywhere! One of the best 10 minutes of this show. Haven't seen the tarantula move for a while now. Yes! Sick kick to the side of the head . Yes! Flying goat headbutt misses! Yes! Sleeper! Yes! Reversal to another sleeper! Yes! Jackknife cover reverse to bridge! Oh Yes! Double crossbody! Yes! That's a match! AJ skips around Kane, leaving him open to Big E Langston. Daniel Bryan kicks him for the save. Dolph pins him with a roll up while grabbing the tights. Big E dominates the ring. Even blocking a chokeslam from Kane, overpowering him and hitting his signature move. Nice build for Big E to go head to head with Kane in WM.
JBL: (AJ's) a few cards short of a full deck, like 52 short. Ha!
King: If looks could kill right now, Daniel Bryan will be pushing up daisies.
DC Crowd: AJ's crazy! AJ's crazy!
Cole: She is a wack job.
JBL: No. She had to be more sane to be a wack job.
Cole: She's a brick shy if a load.
JBL: The Kathy Bates of WWE.
JBL: That nutcase may have the next tag team champions.
Shawn Michaels promo: Mr. Wrestlemania makes an appearance and basically declares he wants Trips to win and that he'll be in his corner. I guess that's one way to ensure more people will tune in amd order the PPV. Shawn Michaels comes out. Then Triple H. Then Brock and Heyman heats things up.
Paul Heyman promo: as usual, he's gold on the mic. :)
Paul Heyman: My client, Brock Lesnar, whether you like it or not, is going to beat you into retirement this Sunday at Wrestlemania (huge heat from the crowd).
And I understand how much how that disappoints all of you and that's the point if us being here. You, sir, are going to have to learn to live with all that disappointment. Think about it. Triple H, you're going to disappoint your father-in-law the chairman of the board, Vincent Kennedy McMahon, because you won't be able to fight his battles anymore. You are going to disappoint the board of directors because you're not going to be able to fulfill your duties as chief operating officer anymore. You're going to disappoint your wife... but you're probably used to that anyway (huge ooohs from the crowd)...

Paul Heyman: You should have walked away like Shawn Michaels walked away when he got beat at Wrestlemania but now, I assure you, you won't be able to walk away. When Brock Lesnar is done with you, you're going to crawl away with your tail between your legs, a beaten, battered, emasculated retiree that has disappointed the entire WWE Universe because you were never man enough to beat Brock Lesnar. The very same Brock Lesnar who after all these years has forced the Cerebral Assassin to commit professional suicide.

The sound guys missed their cue. They played Brock's theme like 5 seconds after Paul's promo.

Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett vs Zack Ryder (The Miz in commentary): Zack Ryder has been in a downward spiral the last few months, losing match after match. This time at least in this 4 minute match, he gave Wade a run for his money. Or at least that's what I tell myself. Zack gets the upperhand early on before getting derailed by Wade. Wade then had a verbal confrontation with the Miz, giving Zack the chance to control the match. Shortly though, Wade regains momentum and hits Zack with the Bullhammer.
This build up to the Miz-Barret IC match has done as much as it can to build the WM pre-show. Not that anyone appears to be interested in it anyway. IC title match? In a pre-show? Oh well...
Team Brickie-Santino Marella backstage segment: it's supposed to be an April Fools "I fooled you" segment. I dunno. Came off as weird. Awkward? But hey, let's go to the worked shoot match next...
Santino Marella vs Mark Henry: Mark Henry's eclipse entrance is awesome! (Camera still focused onthe lights or the ring, working it's way back to the ramp then boom! Lights out... Mark Henry's massive frame blocks out the light. Hehe) Santino makes the most if this 1 minute squash match to sell how unstoppable Mark Henry is while still being a little humorous. A little. Success for him on that one, I think. World's strongest slam wins Henry the match. Ryback makes his way to the ring, while Goldberg chants ring out through the arena. No contact clause.
Mark Henry to Ryback: Nobody wants to get their hands on you like I do. And I know you want to put yours on me. But tonight is not the night. There's only thing that's going to happen tonight. And that's smile... (Is it me or does this sound like a line from some sleazy flick?)
Ryback: I didn't touch you. (To Santino) Are you okay? (Then picks up Santino, then throws him over the top rope to Mark Henry. Hilarious.)

CM Punk interview: not his best promo, but still better than most. (I think he gives his best promos while on stage or in the ring. )
CM Punk: I think the better question is "Do I give a damn if I'm disrespecting the memory if Paul Bearer?" You see, what I'm trying to do is get in the Undertaker's head. Because I'm trying to win. And the only legacy or memory or career I care about is my own. And I'm fixing to do something that nobody else has been able to do at Wrestlemania and that's beat the Undertaker's streak. And Undertaker right now is more concerned with Paul Bearer's streak of waking up every single morning and the fact that that's now over... And that's a bad omen for the Undertaker and his streak. And the stark difference between myself and every other opponent of the Undertaker's at Wrestlemania is I will do whatever it takes to win. And the Undertaker's coming for my soul. He's coming to break my bones, scar my face and the only thing I'm concerned about is beating him. So if he loses his temper and gets disqualified, I win. If he takes his eyes of the prize for just one single second, maybe I'll tap him out. Maybe he'll find himself on the floor for just a second too long. Either way, he still loses! I will do whatever I have to do. I will walk on graves, I will spit in faces, I will do whatever it takes to beat the Undertaker at Wrestlemania. And I promise you, at the end of this year's Wrestlemania, everytime somebody thinks about the grandest stage of them all, everytime somebody thinks of Wrestlemania, they're gonna think of CM Punk.

Zeb Colter vs Alberto del Rio: Zeb quickly gets disqualified after hitting ADR with Ricardo's crutch. Zeb and Jack quickly dispatch ADR ripping through his back with the broken crutches. Reminds me of the old school hardcore matches back in the day. I just think the segment was just a tad bit too short. ADR had the chance to sell the welts on his back to the crowd but was quickly cutoff by the John Cena promo recap and the Rock Up Next announcement.
I thought the commentary was great on this one as well. I love JBL ripping through Cole on this one:
JBL: Oh yeah, you love Freedom of Speech until somebody uses it!

Cole: Somebody get that crutch away from him.
JBL: You weren't yelling that when Alberto del Rio had a crutch last week. BE CONSISTENT!

Cole: You want to be a part of Jack Swagger's so-called America if he wins the World Championship on Sunday?
JBL: No, I don't. But I grant them the right to be part of whatever America they want to be part of.

JBL: You media types love freedom of speech until it's actually used!

Cole: Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger have been spewing this mindless propaganda...
JBL: Propaganda? Would you stop with the World War II, Cold War references! It's not propaganda, it's freedom of speech!
Cole: It's garbage is what it is.
JBL: And you have the right to say that Michael, just like they have the right to say what they say!

That verbal tirade between Cole and JBL was what I was waiting for. And one of the more successful parts of this entire segment.

The Rock promo: maybe it's just me but I think the Rock's promo was a bit... strange? He wants to be president? And his usual schtick is really grating. (Finally, the Rock has cone back to blah blah blah...) Gets old everytime he dies that. For me at least, I think the promo would have been better if he just went straight to the point and addressed John Cena. None of that decade-old catchphrase, and the president Rock bit.

Chris Jericho vs Antonio Cesaro: was the Rock a tough act to follow? Not really. Especially if it's the calibre of Y2J. They had a great long match, long enough to warrant a commercial break - about 10 minutes more or less. Early during the match, Fandango makes his grand entrance. He started scoring Jericho's moves, giving mostly 2s, clearly not impressed. Since them, Antonio has taken control of the match showcasing his unorthodox skills and... yodelling?? Favorite spot was Cesaro's gut-wrench suplex counter to the walls of jericho. Eventually though, Jericho scores the submission victory with the Walls. Cesaro did look good despite the loss. Quickly, Fandango hits the ring and lays Jericho to waste. Funny how the DC crowd keeps chanting "you can't wrestle!" Hehe.

Surprisingly, at least for me, the commentary was entertaining here as well. Not as fierce during the last match, but it was fun nonetheless.

JBL: You once took ballroom dancing, Michael...
Cole: Yes, I did.
King: Ha! Michael "3Left Feet" Cole!
Cole: I did! My wife and I did a chacha. We actually won an award back in New Jersey...
JBL: I was joking, Michael, I was joking. I was hoping you didn't do that.

King: The only reason you were never on Dancing with Stars... not because you can't dance, because you're not a star.

JBL: Jericho was the only WWE Superstar to be in Dancing with the Stars to not date George Clooney.

Cole: There's still a match going on guys.
King: Oh wait, there is?


Funkadactyls vs Bella Twins: the ladies will have their match while the guys are on ring side playing cheerleaders.

It's actually a surprisingly great match. I think this is originally just on this card just as a 5 minute filler, but the divas brought it all in the ring. The rear-view, hurricanrana, enziguiri, split leg drop (?)

JBL: The round mounds of get down.

Cole: The problem is since the Bellas returned to WWE, they rubbed everybody the wrong way.
King: They can rub me any way.

JBL: Tons of Funk sponsored by Sea World.

JBL: They're like the Natural Disasters plugged into an ipod.

King: We are in Washington DC, and the Bellas are here and the Funkadactyls... Pretty good bet that Bill Clinton is somewhere around too, right.

King: I swear that's how they look like at the dinner table when they're asking for seconds. (On Tons of Funk pounding both fists on the ring apron.)
JBL: We want cake! We want cake!

JBL: They look like large, rythmic tomatoes.

Cole: Obviously the Bellas love facial hair. The beard on Damien and the live-stache on Cody Rhodes. Maybe I should bring the goatee back.
JBL: How about a ski mask?

Rundown of a typical day of a 12hour shift employee

Saw a post in this format and I found it interesting. So I'm doing it here as well. Here's what a typical day for me looks like:

1. 5:45 iphone alarm went off. Already wide awake. Had a good night sleep even if it's quite hot. Aircon's busted again.
2. Did not just snooze, but turned off the 5:45 and 6:15 alarms. Like I said already wide awake. Might wake up the wife and kid unnecessarily.
3. Reminds me of an earlier episode of Elementary, in which Holmes psychoanalyzes Watson having two alarms as a sign that waking up to work is something that she "needs" to do rather than what she "wants" to do. Or something...
4. I'm not like that though. I really like my job now. 12 hour work shift, 2 days on 2 days off, follow the sun model. Just need the alarms just in case.
5. It happened before. I woke up to the alarm then I snoozed/turned it off. I thought to myself just gonna lie down for a minute more. Then when I woke up, 30 minutes has gone by. Missed the bus that day. I said to myself. Not. Again. :)
6. It's the typical morning ritual. Bath. Brush. Suit up.
7. Finished earlier than usual. Can't find the damn phone though. Took me a while to navigate through the dark room.

Cheer Up Quote of the Day :)

2D1N Trip from Singapore to Johor Bahru

Prior to the trip, we already had purchased one of those deals with one of the hotels in the Bukit Indah area: Princeton Hotel. Located very near the Jusco, Tesco, and Giant, it's also along the path of the Causeway Link bus CW3 and CW6  to and from Singapore. It's a great "staging area" for the trip to Legoland and Puteri Harbour Park.

Just to sum it up, the itinerary would be like this:

Day 1:
-> Jurong East Bus Interchange. CW3 (SGD 4.00)
-> CW3: Jurong East -> Singapore Checkpoint -> Malaysia Checkpoint -> Jusco
-> Princeton Hotel (checkin; deposit required)
-> Legoland (Taxi: ~MYR 15.00)
-> Princeton Hotel

Day 2:
-> Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park ( ~MYR 17.00)
-> Hello Kitty, Thomas and Friends, etc
-> Princeton Hotel (Taxi: ~MYR 30.00 )
-> Jusco (Lunch, shopping galore)
-> CW3/CW6: Jusco -> Malaysia Checkpoint -> Singapore Checkpoint -> Jurong East/Boon Lay Interchange (MYR 4.00)

Here's some more details about that:

Day 1, 08:30 AM:
Already at Jurong East Bus Interchange at the queue for the Causeway Link bus. The fare was S$4.00. By 8:35AM, we're already in, and we're off to the next stop to the Singapore Immigration at the Tuas Checkpoint (also known to some as the 2nd Link).

Day 1, 09:15 AM:
We missed the original bus we rode on (very long queue at the Malaysian Immigration.) Going to Bukit Indah, you can ride either CW3 (from Jurong East) or CW6 (from Boon Lay). Point of origin doesn't matter, as from this point forward, trip is the same. Waited for the next CW bus to come along (in our case, it was CW6) and we enjoyed the ride.

Day 1, 10:00 AM:
After the Jusco bus stop, we signaled the bus to stop just after Princeton Hotel. At the hotel, since it's waaaaaay too early (our family room was still occupied; checkout time was 1:00 PM), we just left our deposit, had breakfast at Login next door (I like their bee hoon), got our tickets, then booked a taxi to Legoland.

Day 1, 11:30 AM - 07:30 PM
Taxi driver chatted us up on our way to Legoland. Said he was an ambassador for Legoland and that you can purchase some tickets from him at discounted rates. Meter rate was around MYR 15.00. Never had the opportunity to confirm since we already had our tickets. Taxi dropped us in front of a mall, which serves like a foyer to Legoland. Lot's of shops and restaurants at this area. At Legoland, we spent the rest of the day taking the rides, taking pictures, and checking out the stores.

Around noon until around 2PM, the heat was very intense. It was really, really, really hot. We spent most of the time indoors. Lunchtime anyway. :) To get your blood pumping, I recommend Project X (Technic), Dragon Coaster (Kingdoms) and Aquazone Wave Racer.

Day 1, 07:30 PM
Just outside Legoland, we had dinner at Pancake House. After that we got a ride back to the hotel.

Day 2, 09:45 AM
We booked a taxi for the Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park. The taxi we rode got lost a few times. (Sigh.) Total fare amounted to MYR 17.00.

The location was fairly new as there are buildings being constructed near it. Not much else worth noting at this time, so the place is kind of isolated.

Day 2, 10.00 AM to 01:00 PM
The first floor is  the souvenir shop, ticket sellers, and the LAT's Place restaurant. The second floor is the Sanrio Hello Kitty Town. The third floor is the entrance to the Little Big Club. The fourth floor is the Little Big Club's Thomas and Friends area.

The Thomas and Friends ride is where I had the most fun with the family. We were able to ride everything except for the Bumper cars (required age is 6). Downstairs there's several shows scheduled on stage every 30 minutes or so. And there's tons of play areas where kids can have fun.

Skipped several shows and attractions, as we we needed to get back to the hotel to check out. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if we extended a bit longer, nice people that they are. But I really couldn't. Just wasn't wired that way I guess.

Day 2, 01:00 PM - 04:30 PM
Got back to the hotel just in time to check out. The hotel staff suggested we go back to Puteri Harbour Park, as we purchased the 2 Park Day Pass, so we could return anytime. They also offered to look after our luggage while we go back to the park. See? Really nice staff. Had to decline though, as we really wanted to check out Jusco nearby.

The heat was a killer. If Jusco wasn't very near, we would have booked a taxi.

Had our late lunch there at Nando's. After that we explored Jusco. Nice place. Affordable merchandise, much cheaper than in Singapore. We loved it. We immediately made plans of going back in the near future to do some whole day grocery shopping. I remember a bought 2 months supply of hair gel. I saved SGD2.00  for each. :)

Also saw one gaming store at one of the upper floors. Can't remember which floor, or the name of the store. But I remember it because on it's window, there's a lot of the old gaming consoles. The original, good old Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). All of a sudden, I go UP-UP-DOWN-DOWN-LEFT-RIGHT-LEFT-RIGHT-B-A-B-A-Start. Aaaah, memories....

Day 2, 04:30 PM to 06:00 PM
After finishing up, we went back to the bus stop in front of Jusco. We're waiting for the CW3 or CW6 Singapore-bound buses. First bus that arrived, we skipped, as the bus was relatively full. Big mistake on our part. Weather suddenly turned for the worse and started pouring heavily. At the same time, more Singapore-bound passengers are crowding the bus stop. And I'm carrying my son who finally fell asleep.The next bus arrived, fare was MYR 4.00, literally clawed my way through the crowd to get on. People don't seem to be kind to anyone, even if you're obviously carrying a kid. Oh well. :( Guess the rain brought out the worst in everyone.

Day 2, 06:00 PM to 06:30 PM
Back at the Tuas Checkpoints. First on the Malaysian end. Rode the same CW bus to get to the other checkpoint. On the Singapore end, we got delayed as my mother-in-law didn't have the disembarkation (DE) card.

Only then that I realized what happened. When we exited Singapore the previous day, the SG immigration officer obviously took the DE card. Now that we' re going back, she needs to fill up another immigration form, which we did right then and there. After we passed through, she now has her new DE card attached to her passport.

We went to the CW berth where there are two queues: one for CW3 bound for Jurong East, and CW6 bound for Boon Lay. Jurong East was closer to us so we queued up that way.

Rain hasn't stopped. Explains the terrible heat through out the day, I guess. My son finally woke up while we are on our way to the Jurong East interchange, unaware of the trials we went through to get from Jusco to Jurong East. :)

In conclusion:

• Princeton Hotel in the Bukit Indah area is an ideal, because of it's proximity to the bus route, Jusco, and easy access to taxi ride to Legoland or Puteri Harbour Park.
• Legoland is vast with lots of open spaces, and your experience will be largely affected by the weather conditions. Outside of Legoland, there is a lot of amenities.
• Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park is relatively smaller and compact, but is well built and airconditioned. Outside of it, not much, as the area is still being developed (as of this writing).
• Jusco is a nice place to do shopping. :)
• 2 days is enough to cover both attractions plus some shopping. Just depends on how long you want to spend on each one.
• If you have a person who is on Social Visit Pass (aka a tourist), it would be nice if you have extra copies of the Singapore immigration form (the one with the disembarkation card that will be "attached" to your passport.)
• Causeway Link bus is a convenient way of going from Singapore to Johor Bahru and vice versa. And, as far as I know, the cheapest method as well. (SGD4.00  from Singapore, MYR4.00 from JB.)

Proof that kids grow in the blink of an eye

Here's our proof that kids can grow quickly in a few short weeks.

Piledriver!!! CM Punk vs John Cena (WWE Raw Feb 25 2013 Edition)

The match between John Cena and CM Punk in the main event of Raw last Feb 25, 2013 is definitely one of the best matches of the year. And here's one reason why.....

CM Punk about to deliver the piledriver to John Cena. (And ref Mike Chioda's face was priceless!!!)

Disney's Oz the Great and Powerful hitting movies in March

Oz the Great and Powerful is Disney's attempt to re-imagine the origins of the major characters in the classic children's novel. (Is it just me, or is there just more and more origins and reboots recently? The last two X-Men movies… The Hobbit… Amazing Spider-Man… Three Stooges… Dredd… Oh well…)

Anyway, after decades worth of adaptations, this is the first one in recent memory -- or perhaps ever --  that focuses on, well, the Wizard of Oz himself. This I find really odd. With "Wizard" in the title of the novels, films, and shows, you'd think that the wizard will be the star of the story. But no, that's not the case. Despite the namesake, he is playing second banana to Dorothy and, as in the case of the musical Wicked, to the witches.

Well, this movie changes that I guess. Oscar Diggs, small-time circus magician and future Wizard of Oz, is right there, front and center. It's a fresh take on a classic, and a good one at that. With the star-studded cast, and veteran storytellers at the helm, this one promises to be a great film to watch.

SG: Renewing your household worker's PH Embassy documents

Due to urgent circumstances, I had to process our household worker's documents in the Philippine Embassy on my own (without agency). And I was able to do it quickly in under two hours. :) There were some prep work, though, and I had a clear plan of what to do and where to go.

Requirements

• Two (2) original copies of Standard Employment Contract
• Two (2) original copies of Undertaking of an Employer
• Worker's valid Work Permit + two (2) photocopies
• Worker's Passport + two (2) photocopies
• Employer's IC + one (1) photocopy
• Seven Thousand Singapore Dollar (S$7,000) Performance Bond/Embassy Bond
• One(1) photocopy of the Ten Thousand Dollar Medical Insurance (MOM)
• One (1) OWWA Information Sheet
• One (1) OFW Information Sheet (aka OEC form)
• One (1) PAG-IBIG membership registration form (MRF)
• Cash amounting to S$110 for Embassy Fees

Cebu Pacific looking for the "Juan Blogger"

Cebu Pacific launches the Search for the Cebu Pacific Juan Blogger.



Some words to live by... #BePositive

Nuff said! Good day everyone! :)

How to Begin Simplifying your Life

Philippine Embassy in Singapore changes work week on March

Starting March 17 this year, the Philippine Embassy work week will be Mondays through Fridays.

Ditching the Sunday shift would probably mean more people  will be there on Mondays and Fridays, instead of the usual Sundays and Thursdays we all have come to know and love. :| A very important consideration if you are making an appointment there for…  whatever reason. (OEC, Passport, etc.)

Here's the official announcement from their website.