Month: February 2012

Do you know someone like mommy Berns?

 

My drive home this morning was quite disappointing. Mommy Berns did not call Mo Twister’s radio show. So who on earth is this mommy Berns anyway? Well, she was all over my other favorite radio stations the day before. She started at first as one regular caller who, just like the others, would call to share their piece of mind on the topic of the day or someone who would make a song request and then hang up. But mommy Berns did more than that – on different radio stations, on several occasions.

I first heard the seemingly friendly voice on Wave 89.1 FM’s morning show. I did not catch the exact conversation between her and the DJs but I soon realized that she is not a regular listener after she requested an unfamiliar song title and one that does not belong to the station’s New Wave Wednesday’s playlist. The discussion became more odd when mommy Berns said that the song is actually a composition of his son and that she would like to promote its location on YouTube.com. It was a personal plug that the unsuspecting DJs had to entertain as if to shorten their (and mine) agony from one weird caller.

Evening came and once again I was back behind the wheel on my way to work and my car radio still on the same frequency, same music genre. Everything on the program that night seems the same, including a surprise caller – mommy Berns. Along with the new set of DJs in a different radio show came the same caller with the same purpose – to place a shameless plug and this time she has become more spontaneous which made me wonder if she has been talking about the same thing all day. My hunch was right.

On schedule, I tuned in to another station to catch up on Jam 88.3’s The Daily Stew with Roanna where I get my daily fix of alternative music (and interesting trivia and topics from its host @roannaruiz). As I maneuver my way through crazy traffic, a voice came out of the car stereo which almost made me freak out and sideswipe counter-flowing motorcycle riders – it could’ve been the perfect excuse.

It was mommy Berns.

She’s talking to Roanna Ruiz. She’s talking about the same stuff.

“My goodness. Ti abi. WTH. Let the Mayans be right, now!”

For the third time that day, on my last stretch before I reach work, I heard the ever familiar and annoying spiel again, “…it’s composed by my son…it’s on YouTube.com…please watch annabananadsl.” Wow.

Thankfully, I arrived at work in one piece – I also checked the car carpet and I didn’t see any of my dinner on it – but with several thoughts racing in my mind. Have we been, consciously or unconsciously, a mommy Berns who is ever proud of our own child(ren) and so willing to talk about them all day (and annoy people in the process)? Do we know someone like mommy Berns?

Few minutes later, I realized I was walking past the production’s door….

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I checked out AnnaBananaDSL and so far mommy Berns’ efforts got around 1,700 views as of today.

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Erratum: I just discovered on Twitter that it’s Mama Berns
and not mommy Berns.

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Mood: 3/10 Honks! (Marcus still coughing but taking meds. Few more days before the balloon fest.)


Nearing Honda hybrid consumption

 

Honda Hybrid. (Image from the web.)

I read this news about a woman in California winning a case against the manufacturer of Honda Hybrid after her Japanese hybrid vehicle failed to meet the expected gas consumption of 21 kilometers per liter (50 mpg). According to the news Heather Peters received more than USD9,000 from Honda or around 400,000 in Philippine peso which is enough to buy a used Honda City like what I am currently using.

This article is so timely as I have just finished computing my January consumption and believe or not, our Honda City 2008 achieved the highest gas mileage I have ever recorded since I started the conscious effort to take note of my gas expenses and driving habits25. The first two months after August, I was able to prove that I am among the average Honda City owners who is at the 13 km/liter range but sooner or later I began getting favorable gas consumption. In October I reached 17 km/liter.

December 2011 and January 2012 data, however, are more encouraging. Despite the Christmas holiday traffic, my less aggressive driving style resulted to 18 km/liter — more distance covered with lesser trip to the gas station — which is just 3 kilometers short of the disputed Honda Hybrid figures. Yes, I know, the 50 mpg promised by Honda is for city driving which “if true” is about double of what non-hybrid cars (like mine) can achieve but apparently since there is a winner in this case against Honda, it just shows that there is still some sort of flaw in this expensive vehicle’s system (unless Honda got some incompetent lawyers like those in CJ Corona trial. Oppps, different topic. Sorry, cant’ help it).

And so with this latest milestone, I now face the challenge of breaking the new kilometer per liter record and perhaps prompt more Honda Hybrid owners to file more complaints once they read that another guy with a lowly Honda City somewhere in the Philippines comes close to the gas consumption they’re supposed to have with their brand new Honda Hybrid.

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Trivia: In Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, one will spot a Honda City 2008 car swerving while Ethan Hunt gives change in the midst of a sand storm. This is just a few of the interesting scenes in this movie. Yes, just a few. Disappointing film.

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Mood: 3/10 Honks! (Wifey and kiddo left me. They’ll be back. Hahaha.)