Micro-love

“Love can’t be seen but it can be magnified.” — Me (wink wink)

 

Many years ago, I created this and gave it to my girlfriend–now my wife. Can you guess how it’s made?

The original copy is currently posted on our cabinet’s door and it was only now that I noticed it was made exactly 16 years ago. We were young, ‘slimmer’,  and so in love then. Ha-ha.

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Did you know that there’s such thing as microchip art? Click here.

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Mood: 2/10 Honks! (Marcus has no class. So this is how it will be like for him this summer.)

10 Types of Facebook Likes

(Image from Google.)

Not all facebook Likes are the same and here are 10 types I have defined. Now see for yourself if you can relate to some of it.

  1. Peer-pressure Like. There  are days when you realize that you are the only one left who has not liked a friend’s status or post and you have no choice but to follow suit, else risk being called anti-social or worse, unfriended.
  2. Boss-says-so Like. (Not so) surprisingly, **s-kissing, like other one-celled organisms, has evolved with technology and it is now part of social media. And along with this Darwinian process are some people who came out thinking that their job performance depends on how frequent they have liked their boss’ status. They do this either consciously or unconsciously.  (Note: This person is usually the first ‘Liker.’)
  3. Contests Like. It is one of those Likes you do, just because a friend asked a favor to like a picture of his/her friend (including son, daughter, and other relatives)  who joined a photo contest, despite believing that the photo was badly photoshopped.
  4. Country’s-pride-at-stake Like. (Similar to Contests Like but in broader context.) In the spirit of unity and nationalism, you do this or—again—face the risk of being tagged as unpatriotic or apathetic. This has been a proven formula in winning Ms. Photogenic or Ms. Social Media awards.
  5. Finger-twitch Like. Usually happens when one is bored, annoyed, drunk, or just simply fidgety  and as a result has unintentionally clicked on the Like button. (Tip: Make someone smile, do not unlike.)
  6. Self-centered Like. Trust me, everyone has at least one friend who Likes his/her own status. (Please be cautious around them.)
  7. Commercial Like. Thanks to Zuckerberg’s need to maintain investors’ confidence, and stop facebook’s profit from dwindling any further,  ads and commercial pages have become so common. The number of Likes on these pages have been useful in measuring demographics and pinpointing market niche. (Someone somewhere out there knows that your 8-year old plans to buy next Fifty Shades of Grey. Be warned.)
  8. Poser Like. Sadly, there are people who exploit the Commercial Like by clicking on pages with the only intent of letting their other friends know that they have just liked branded products such as Apple, Nike, Subaru, Louis Vuitton, etc.
  9. Pure Like, Rejoice! The good news is that this Like still exists although  leaning towards rarity or extinction. Until when this type of like will remain, I don’t know.
  10. Unlike. Period.

How about you? What other types of Likes can you define?

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Mood: 3/10 Honks! (Had adobo for lunch. Pure Like.)

11 Random Facts About Me

Another blogger sent me a message on facebook saying that she tagged me as one of her Liebster Blog Awardees. Basically (ugh! I used the word, and another ugh for using the word ugh), I soon discovered that it is one of those chain thingy that I am not aware still exist. But since lately I’ve been full of excuses and out of writing ideas, I will gladly entertain the invitation. To start with, I am to write 11 random facts about me. Here goes:

1. I don’t dig piracy. I haven’t had a bootleg product since I stopped buying any of it more that 10 years ago. If I remember it right, the last pirated copy I bought was Tom Hanks’ Castaway and that crappy VCD was my turning point. By the way, software included. So please don’t be offended if I ignore any offer such as installing the latest Photoshop or Windows 8 for free. It’s just me.

2. I have to use my pants at least twice. If there’s one habit that I continue from my juvenile days, this must be it and the lazy bones inside me plus my drive to do my own share to conserve water compel me to do so. Save water, wear the same pair!

3. I have guested on Mornings @ ANC. There was a time when ABS-CBN badly needs patrollers to talk about BMPM. Back then, the acronym stands for Boto Mo i-Patrol Mo and despite not submitting an election-related video I was among the three who talked about the station’s citizen journalism program. BMPM now has thousands of active volunteers — my interview must have encouraged people to think, “I can speak a lot better than him.” Well, actually…

4. I love strawberry shakes. With or without pizza, I would always welcome the opportunity to drink strawberry shakes. So far, the best among the rest is the one made by Shakey’s. Others, even from pricey restos, don’t come close.

5. Believe it or not, I hate lightning. And I have this unexplained feeling that it can find me if it strikes in the morning. I get comfortable though watching it streak across the sky at night.

6. I love getting extreme. Back in my younger days, I did BMX flatland. When I got employed, I went bungee jumping with friends in Subic. About a year before I got married, I skydived in Batangas. Me thinks, however, that zip lines are boring.

7. To future-proof myself, I invested time, effort, and money and eventually earned a Masters degree in Ateneo Rockwell. That experience made me rub elbows with great professors, managers, entrepreneurs, and people from different professions like lawyers, soldiers, priests,nuns, and doctors — among them, Dr. Kho. I am yet to apply what I learned.

8. Thanks to Top Gun, The Righteous Brothers’ you’ve lost that loving feeling is the likely karaoke piece I’d sing when cornered…and drunk. I’ve annoyed some colleagues once though by singing The Proclaimers’ 500 Miles.

9. People think I am opinionated, assertive, and conceited. Often times I believe them.

10. I have been in the US once. And I accidentally deleted all of my pictures. Thankfully, I emailed some to my friends and sister and these copies are all of what’s left of my week in Wisconsin.

11. I was once a spy, technically. I reported to HQ if the pizza was served cold, and if the chicken had a sloppy breading. The job was also my passport to free Haagen Dazs ice creams.

11. I laugh at simple jokes. Among my favorites is this: There are only three people in this world, the one who knows how to count and the one who doesn’t.

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After the 11 random facts, the chain require me to answer 11 questions by the person who tagged me and then post 11 questions for the bloggers I will be tagging. Well, here’s another random fact about me: I really hate chain (but I have I have a separate blog just for it — Myspamblog.wordpress.com) so I will stop right here. Oops, my bad.

Sheila, my apologies for breaking the chain but thanks a lot as it has been my plan to write random facts about myself. And again, please give my regards to your sister Keren. The Peets coffee she used to send have been very helpful during the times when I have second thoughts of buying even a Nescafé.

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Please visit Sheila’s blog, Domicile Passion.

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Mood: 2/10 Honks! (Will be attending a kiddie party later. Note to self: don’t wear white.)

Are You Ready for the Kasambahay Law?

Just called to check on my mother and one of the things I made sure I mention is the newly approved law — Republic Act No. 10361 or popularly known as the Kasambahay Law. Since we left home years ago to live our own lives, our parents, specifically our mother, got people to help around. Our house also became the home of anyone whom my mother thought needs shelter while at the same time could extend hands in doing the daily chores. Whether they’re related to us by consanguinity or just perfect strangers, my mother accommodated them. It’s the trait Ithink I would never have as I have trust issues with maids — thanks but no thanks to the different news about househelpers who sooner or later turned out to be more of a liability to their masters or employers.

Employers, yes that’s the more appropriate word now that the Kasambahay bill became a law on January 18, 2013. While that technically eliminates the seemingly discriminating (or oppressive) master-servant term, this law which is, to quote its title, an act instituting policies for the protection and welfare of domestic workers, obligates the employers to give their househelpers minimum wage and social benefits provided under existing laws such as Philhealth, Social Security System (SSS), and Pag-Ibig fund. Admittedly, the law that I once perceived as just and humane, is now something I should be worried of due to several reasons which the other ’employers’ around the nation also share based on what I have heard from TV Patrol.

Firstly, all the social benefits would have to be paid regularly by the employer. And the fact that the government institutions wherein payments are to be made aren’t located in one place is a problem by itself. I can’t imagine my mother, now in her 60s, going from one place to another, not to mention endure long lines, just to remit the social benefits of her househelpers.

Next item to consider is the stipulation that the househelpers should be given basic education. Even though my mother has been good enough to offer this to one of her helpers ahead of the Kasambahay Law, this still leaves the question: what if everyone goes out to study? Doesn’t this defeat the very purpose why one got help because there’s a need to have someone in the house do the chores during most times of the day?

But not all aspect of this law are questionable. Things such as the need to have decent sleeping quarters and providing basic necessities are no-brainers and I can assure that whoever stays in my parents house will have these.

The implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the Kasambahay Law is still not out so I guess I have to wait before I call my mother again to remind her that she follows it as the last thing I’d like to hear is that there’s a picket line outside our small house demanding for an increase in wage and benefits. Ti abi.

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There was once a time when the maids demand just to have access to TV. Now, the WI-FI is starting to become a must have.

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Mood: 2/10 Honks! (Wifey’s out. Just me and our master at home. Master, aka Marcus, still sleeping. I’m waiting for orders.)