Monday, September 29, 2008
ronjie.com.mag issue #5 (september 29, 2008)
Issue #5. We have 4 (why not 5? why 5!?) movie reviews for you in our penta-issue, 3 whole days to go (before October), 2 wikiHows, and a portridge in a pear tree. Actually a repeated article on prustrations. Plus a bunch of the regular stuff - 2 RAWs, 2 TXTs, and 1 FWD. (that's 5!) Boring? :-D
Yikes! We don't have a Sudoku in this issue! I only hope you haven't recovered from the Sudoku overdose from last week's issue. Next week, we'll have our usual dose of Sudoku back. Well if you're a dessert lover (like Sudoku is in a newspaper or magazine), we have an overdose this week of wikiHow - one is about making dessert. :-D
Well here there's something for car lovers or buyers, a couple of bits for dessert lovers, something for everyone reading this blog/zine (i.e. those with nothing better to do? hehe.), and something for those who feel good they want to give away free rice by investing in a little amount of free fun time. The heck. Just scroll down.
I am considering posting articles per day so that there are no editions/issues of ronjie.com, instead, everyday it's a new look. That way, we can also have just one post on the ronjie.com home page - and we can have a short ronjie.com home page, addressing an earlier comment (posted as reader mail on issue #2) from a friend. What do you think? Send us reader mail! :-) (But I really like the "magazine" style. Then again, it would still be like a magazine. Oh well, let's hear your thoughts.)
[FWD] Voted the best email of this year [from MRA]
Never mind the captions but the contrasting pictures.
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[RAW] Cars!
For car lovers and potential car buyers (who need to compare between different makes and models), you can visit this website and click on the "the.car.chart" tab. (Tip from Axel.)
http://www.motioncars.com/
http://www.motioncars.com/
[TXT] Reflection and prayer
Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."
Lord, as we follow you, may we carry our cross with faith that you're always on our side to give us strength to finish our mission that you've planned for us. Amen!
[RAW] FREE rice!
This website lets you have fun, and for every point you make, you're donating so many grains of rice to those who really need it from other parts of the world. Go check it out. This is also mentioned in one of the wikiHows in today's RONJIE.COM. Have fun!
http://www.freerice.com/
http://www.freerice.com/
[Movie Review] The Dark Knight
Great entertaining movie!
Lots of quotable quotes. Lots of philosophy behind it. In fact, it's the differences in philosophy between Batman, Harvey Dent (Two Face), and Joker that makes the plot revolve here. If you will read this other review of this movie, you will see what I'm talking about - just what sort of stuff you can get from this; what sort of questions and discussions you can make out of it.
A radio show here in the Philippines ("Good Times with Mo" on Magic 89.9) even played a game on their show called "Batman or (President) GMA?" The quotes from The Dark Knight could be mistaken as part of The President's SONA (State of the Nation Address) speech. And vice versa.
Another blog review I found says the same thing, that Batman and Joker epitomize two philosophies, one of Hope and the other of destruction. True. But this blog concludes that man by nature is good. Let's dissect that: I think we were born with desire for worldly things just as at our very core we are like animals born with instinct, but ultimately it is our God-given minds and free will, developed (or otherwise) through our social environments when we grow up, which decide which way to go. Because I think if we were naturally good, can you imagine what this world will be like? God would want us to choose the right, but he gives us that choice. I think then that we are born amoral, and it is very important for our parents and whoever brings us up in this world to teach us, to lead us to the "good way." But when we are born, we can't choose our parents/guardians nor what they will teach us; we can only choose what we teach the newborns and young ones - when we are the parents and guardians. Wow, this is so off-topic. We are talking about The Dark Knight and now we are talking about parenthood. This is what The Dark Knight does - it poses lots of questions, it creates discussions, it is Hollywood entertainment of a different kind. The kind that I think The Matrix (and sequels), and Minority Report poses. Well if you're not so dense about it. But yeah, on the surface, this is an enjoyable, entertaining movie. You can leave it at that.
[Spoiler alert on the next paragraph!]
Overall, I liked it. The Joker has been played well by the actor. Some funny lines in there actually. Funniest line must be that one in the end. "You complete me."
Some comments though.
It is a little bit of a funny thing that Batman's voice becomes hoarse when he is Batman, and it's normal when he is Bruce Wayne. The weirdest. And those motorcycle tires are huge. I can't imagine how that thing can go fast, lift itself up on walls, or maneuver itself like it did. Weird!
And if you will visit that same blog I was talking about above, you'll find a comment there from a Christian standpoint. My view on that is this: you watch any movie with newly sharpened Christian hearts, eyes, and ears. Or else you will get the wrong message. In this movie, there are good things and there are bad things. You pick the good things, and recognize the bad things so that you may avoid having to have them in your own lives. The good and the bad may come from one character. For example, given a character who does all that is good, except he uses the Lord's name in vain - you know from a religious standpoint that doing that (using the Lord's name in vain) is not right, so you don't do that. But for what other good he does, you take note of that. Get it?
But this is definitely a must-watch movie (four out of four stars), but bring your newly sharpened Christian hearts, eyes, and ears to the movie house. Because there is a lot of philosophy in there; a lot of thought-provoking bits. You have to put yourself in one of them. You have to make a stand. You have to be someone.
P.S. I thought this line originally by Edmund Burke, an English philosopher, "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing," came out in The Dark Knight. I am not so sure now. Maybe in Batman Begins? Anyway, when you do a search for this quote on Google, you will get a lot of Batman/Dark Knight reviews. I'm getting somewhere.
Lots of quotable quotes. Lots of philosophy behind it. In fact, it's the differences in philosophy between Batman, Harvey Dent (Two Face), and Joker that makes the plot revolve here. If you will read this other review of this movie, you will see what I'm talking about - just what sort of stuff you can get from this; what sort of questions and discussions you can make out of it.
A radio show here in the Philippines ("Good Times with Mo" on Magic 89.9) even played a game on their show called "Batman or (President) GMA?" The quotes from The Dark Knight could be mistaken as part of The President's SONA (State of the Nation Address) speech. And vice versa.
Another blog review I found says the same thing, that Batman and Joker epitomize two philosophies, one of Hope and the other of destruction. True. But this blog concludes that man by nature is good. Let's dissect that: I think we were born with desire for worldly things just as at our very core we are like animals born with instinct, but ultimately it is our God-given minds and free will, developed (or otherwise) through our social environments when we grow up, which decide which way to go. Because I think if we were naturally good, can you imagine what this world will be like? God would want us to choose the right, but he gives us that choice. I think then that we are born amoral, and it is very important for our parents and whoever brings us up in this world to teach us, to lead us to the "good way." But when we are born, we can't choose our parents/guardians nor what they will teach us; we can only choose what we teach the newborns and young ones - when we are the parents and guardians. Wow, this is so off-topic. We are talking about The Dark Knight and now we are talking about parenthood. This is what The Dark Knight does - it poses lots of questions, it creates discussions, it is Hollywood entertainment of a different kind. The kind that I think The Matrix (and sequels), and Minority Report poses. Well if you're not so dense about it. But yeah, on the surface, this is an enjoyable, entertaining movie. You can leave it at that.
[Spoiler alert on the next paragraph!]
Overall, I liked it. The Joker has been played well by the actor. Some funny lines in there actually. Funniest line must be that one in the end. "You complete me."
Some comments though.
It is a little bit of a funny thing that Batman's voice becomes hoarse when he is Batman, and it's normal when he is Bruce Wayne. The weirdest. And those motorcycle tires are huge. I can't imagine how that thing can go fast, lift itself up on walls, or maneuver itself like it did. Weird!
And if you will visit that same blog I was talking about above, you'll find a comment there from a Christian standpoint. My view on that is this: you watch any movie with newly sharpened Christian hearts, eyes, and ears. Or else you will get the wrong message. In this movie, there are good things and there are bad things. You pick the good things, and recognize the bad things so that you may avoid having to have them in your own lives. The good and the bad may come from one character. For example, given a character who does all that is good, except he uses the Lord's name in vain - you know from a religious standpoint that doing that (using the Lord's name in vain) is not right, so you don't do that. But for what other good he does, you take note of that. Get it?
But this is definitely a must-watch movie (four out of four stars), but bring your newly sharpened Christian hearts, eyes, and ears to the movie house. Because there is a lot of philosophy in there; a lot of thought-provoking bits. You have to put yourself in one of them. You have to make a stand. You have to be someone.
P.S. I thought this line originally by Edmund Burke, an English philosopher, "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing," came out in The Dark Knight. I am not so sure now. Maybe in Batman Begins? Anyway, when you do a search for this quote on Google, you will get a lot of Batman/Dark Knight reviews. I'm getting somewhere.
[TXT] Awesome Prayer
LORD,
Enlighten what is dark in me;
Strengthen what is weak in me;
Mend what is broken in me;
Bind what is bruised in me;
Heal what is sick in me;
Straighten what is crooked in me;
And revive whatever peace and love have died in me.
AMEN!
Enlighten what is dark in me;
Strengthen what is weak in me;
Mend what is broken in me;
Bind what is bruised in me;
Heal what is sick in me;
Straighten what is crooked in me;
And revive whatever peace and love have died in me.
AMEN!
[Movie Review] A Love Story
Wow. The twist in this movie alone make me give this movie a must-watch. There are really good mainstream (i.e. not film fest material) Filipino movies out there. For what this innovates on in terms of... plot(?) or whatever, this is a good movie. I do think there was a point when the movie should have ended already (or was that another movie), but like many mainstream Filipino movies, it has to have a happy ending that everyone could understand what happens. Well, check it out for yourself. Maybe I am confusing it with another movie (talking about where it should have ended).
P.S. This is different from the 1970 American movie, "Love Story" - you know, "Love means never having to say you're sorry." Although here, that same line applies.
P.S. This is different from the 1970 American movie, "Love Story" - you know, "Love means never having to say you're sorry." Although here, that same line applies.
[Movie Review] A Very Special Love
This is a movie which I did not have any expectations on and yet it surprised me with the good and appropriate acting, and the appealing pop love-romance script/plot. It is a fun, feel-good movie worth every penny, when all you're looking for is... fun. and to feel good. :-)
[Movie Review] For The First Time
This is not my review. But because of a friend's "review" of this movie, I am not watching this movie. Maybe you might be convinced that your money is better spent on important or more interesting things. Here is her review (paraphrased):
Richard can't act. This doesn't have the same appeal as "A Very Special Love."
Richard can't act. This doesn't have the same appeal as "A Very Special Love."
[wikiHow] How to Have Computer Fun
How to Have Computer Funfrom wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
It's happened to everyone. You're on your computer, and getting more bored by the second. But you don't want to get off the computer-you either just don't want to or have had enough of reading, playing outside, and talking to your friends. You need something fun to do on your computer-but what? If you're looking for fun stuff to do on your computer, this is the article for you. Read on...
Steps
- Give your Computer a Makeover. Surf Google images or proper wallpaper sites, and get a new, groovy wallpaper for your computer. Be creative-get a pretty shot of your favorite celebrity, a cool pattern, or a nice picture of your favorite magazine or brand. Get a good screen saver; too-it could be a sideshow of all your pictures or another picture. You can also change the appearance and colors of your computer, the sounds on your computer, mouse pointers, and edit your display settings. In making over your computer alone, there are loads of things to do.
- Do your bit for wikiHow or any other wiki. While you're on a wiki, do your bit to help. If you don't already have an account, create one now. Feeling like getting some serious writing and hard work done? Do a couple of big edits or write an article! A little lazier, or in a chatty mood? Leave useful comments on other article's discussion pages, welcome new users, or suggest some ideas or help to other users! There's loads to do on wikis.
- Start a blog or your own website. There are loads of great sites that let you create your own blogs and sites, including blogger.com, freewebs.com, and lots more. You can create quizzes, polls, and lots more. It's fun to start a blog or a site, so go ahead! It'll keep you busy for hours on end! If you've already got a blog or your own site, give it a makeover. Explain to readers what's going on, and then go crazy! Change the colours, fonts, styles, everything.
- Read Up on Your Interests on the Internet. Do you have a passion for animals? Interested in Jack The Ripper? Fascinated by how Cloning works? Don't hesitate to fulfill your wonder! Read up on as many animals as you can on http://www.nationalgeographic.com/, type Jack The Ripper into Google, or browse sites on all the information you want on cloning! Not only will you learn lots of interesting new stuff, you'll be prepared if you start studying one of those topics in school.
- Save the World. Look up some interesting charities or volunteer organizations. Play a vocabulary game at http://www.freerice.com to earn rice and end world hunger.
- Play a game. Runescape! is a great way to spend time on the Internet. It is a very addictive game and can be very fun. If you want fun you got it! If you're not in to RuneScape, or have only 5 minutes, search for sites like Addicting Games, Miniclip, Gprime etc. and play there game as well. The links for the 3 sites mentioned are here. Another good game to play is Cyberdunk, especially if you're into basketball. Freeware games are good to play and can be very addicting, freewaregames.net is a good place to look for them.
- Watch videos. Youtube.com and Google Videos allow you to watch videos other users have put up, it may be something you are interested in, maybe a video of your favorite comedian or band. The links are in "External Links".
- Browse the Internet Use programs like StumbleUpon or Digg to find interesting sites, and share them with other people.
- Create a new folder or go to one that is already created and click the "search" button at the top a little character should appear at the bottom. If you like you can change the character but I suggest keeping the dog (it works better). Then click on the dog/character and a new speech bubble should pop up. Click "Do a trick" again and again... Even if it repeats itself it's always random so there might be more, just don't give up! Some are boring but some are Incredibly cute and cool so just keep going.
Tips
- If you get bored of any of the items on this list, try something different!
- If all else fails then just search for fun software on Google and see if you can find anything fun to mess about on.
Warnings
- Some of the information you find off the internet can be inaccurate, so don't take anything too seriously. Books are just a tad safer.
- Be careful when looking for freeware games on unfamiliar websites. Some "free" games are infected with viruses and/or malware. If in doubt, always research the site's public reputation, or restrict yourself to only "open source" games.
Related wikiHows
- How to Hack
- How to Pimp Your Windows XP Desktop to Look Like a Cool Mac Desktop
- How to Be a Computer Geek
- How to Paint a Computer Case
Sources and Citations
- wikiHow does not have any responsibility over the content of these sites. Most are games, 2 are video sites.
- http://gprime.net
- http://www.miniclip.com
- http://www.addictinggames.com
- http://www.youtube.com
- http://videos.google.com
- http://www.cyberdunk.com/?ref=29910
- Survey Software
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Have Computer Fun. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
[wikiHow] How to Make a Cupcake Cone
How to Make a Cupcake Conefrom wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Here’s a snappy idea which will lend a little whimsy to the next birthday party you throw for your child. Bake some cupcakes in ready-made ice cream cones. You can complete them ahead, and have the cupcakes ready for serving. Or you can bake and cool them in advance, leaving frosting and the decorating as an activity for that house full of energetic kids you are expecting.
Steps
- Preheat your oven to temperature designated in recipe.
- Make the batter for your cupcakes. Use a cake mix or your favorite scratch cake recipe. Prepare the batter as per directions.
- Unwrap the ice cream cones slowly, being careful not to damage them as you remove any plastic coverings. Place each empty cone in a muffin tin, one per ungreased muffin cup.
- Pick up and fill each cone. Replace each cone in its muffin cup.
- Leave a little room at the top for expansion (about ½ to ¾ inch).
- Be careful not to overfill or you will have a mess. See Warnings below. An ice cream scoop holds about the right amount and lets you do a neat and trim job of filling. Aim for cupcakes which do not overflow the cones. These will be more attractive and will be easier to frost.
- Leave a little room at the top for expansion (about ½ to ¾ inch).
- Bake according to cake batter instructions. Bake for the same length of time you would bake regular cupcakes.
- Prepare your icing or open up your store-bought icing.
- Place sprinkles in a small bowl.
- Remove cupcakes from oven and allow them to cool.
- Frost the cupcakes using a knife or spatula. Try to let the frosting warm up a bit if you have been keeping it in the fridge, as some frostings are more difficult to manipulate when cold.
- Dip the top of the cupcake in sprinkles. Dip fully or dip just one side for an artsy effect.
- Place each cupcake back into muffin tin, or place in a serving dish with sides. Carry muffin tin or serving dish very carefully; these cupcakes will be top heavy and may tend to topple.
- Serve!
Tips
- The same technique can be used for a treat at a graduation party. Buy sprinkles in school colors or use frosting of one school color, with sprinkles of the other school color.
Warnings
- Do not overfill the ice cream cones with batter. This image shows a cup which is overfilled. This will result in an unsightly overflow during baking.
- Don't use too much icing as this can weigh the cupcake down and cause it to tip over.
- These cupcakes should be eaten the same day they are made or else the moisture from the cake will take away the crispness of the cones.
Things You'll Need
- 24 flat-bottomed ice cream cones
- One recipe of cake mix, complete with eggs and oil and other ingredients required
- Icing (16 oz can will be more than enough)
- Muffin pan
- Ice cream scoop
- Sprinkles
Related wikiHows
- How to Make Chocolate Frosting
- How to Make a Chocolate Cake
- How to Organize a Birthday Party for Kids
- How to Make Wicked Cupcakes
- How to Make Homemade Birthday Party Invitations
[Repeat] destiny?
This is a repeated article, slightly edited though as the original, posted on 1/7/04 on the prustrations blog, was a "draft." I do not necessarily have the same views, beliefs, and ideas from years back.
Quote me on this... Though other previous sources are expected.
Where we are now is where we ought to be. Where we will be tomorrow, we have a choice to make. But what will happen tomorrow to us will not be based on our individual choice alone.
I think this is what makes life interesting. This is what we know as life.
The fact is, there is a tomorrow, whether we like it (that fact) or not. Whether we believe in that fact, or not. What will happen tomorrow, we will either like or not like. What will happen tomorrow, will happen tomorrow.
Thanks to "The Matrix philosophy"* by the Wachowski brothers, and to others who have contributed to the "world" of that "philosophy" like fans posting comments, and their own two cents worth on different fora (such as at www.imdb.com, and at www.matrixtheories.com), and philosophers' (such as those at www.thematrix.com, and traditional paper books) and scientists' views, and also to the book, "A Purpose-Driven Life" by Rick Warren and other fine books (I should note Paulo Coelho), I have come to realize that there is only one reality--it is that where you are in right now.
Imagine you are a person playing/participating in a virtual game/environment. Imagine you're logged-on on one website which has links to webpages outside of that website. Imagine you are an engineer, pondering "what if i was an artist or book writer?" (Sounds familiar!?) Imagine you are in Heaven!
_____
* I just term it a "philosophy" and not just a movie or a trilogy of movies, because it is more than a movie--it is also a computer game, a comic book, anime, an online game, a website... it is now a sub-culture; it is a phenomenon**.
** It is not a phenomenon if you do not see it that way. And vice versa.
Quote me on this... Though other previous sources are expected.
Where we are now is where we ought to be. Where we will be tomorrow, we have a choice to make. But what will happen tomorrow to us will not be based on our individual choice alone.
I think this is what makes life interesting. This is what we know as life.
The fact is, there is a tomorrow, whether we like it (that fact) or not. Whether we believe in that fact, or not. What will happen tomorrow, we will either like or not like. What will happen tomorrow, will happen tomorrow.
Thanks to "The Matrix philosophy"* by the Wachowski brothers, and to others who have contributed to the "world" of that "philosophy" like fans posting comments, and their own two cents worth on different fora (such as at www.imdb.com, and at www.matrixtheories.com), and philosophers' (such as those at www.thematrix.com, and traditional paper books) and scientists' views, and also to the book, "A Purpose-Driven Life" by Rick Warren and other fine books (I should note Paulo Coelho), I have come to realize that there is only one reality--it is that where you are in right now.
Imagine you are a person playing/participating in a virtual game/environment. Imagine you're logged-on on one website which has links to webpages outside of that website. Imagine you are an engineer, pondering "what if i was an artist or book writer?" (Sounds familiar!?) Imagine you are in Heaven!
_____
* I just term it a "philosophy" and not just a movie or a trilogy of movies, because it is more than a movie--it is also a computer game, a comic book, anime, an online game, a website... it is now a sub-culture; it is a phenomenon**.
** It is not a phenomenon if you do not see it that way. And vice versa.
Monday, September 22, 2008
ronjie.com.mag issue #4 (september 22, 2008) ==> Special FOG Issue
issue number 4! and it hasn't yet been a month from the first issue. we have four issues already!
this is a special FREE ONLINE GAMES (FOG) issue! we've got games down there, including an overdose of sudoku, but we've got games out there also. have fun.. now!
(4 issues from now, we'll feature some more games, including a golf/putting game, a racing game, free cell, billiards, and many other interesting game bits! so stay tuned. :-D
by the way, if the games don't load, kindly please refresh the page! thanks!)
[FOG] SUDOKU
NOTES:
- If Sudoku doesn't load properly, please refresh this page (Press F5 or Ctrl+R).
- When you refresh this page, the Sudoku game also changes.
- Sorry, answers are not given. You'll have to figure it out yourself! But if you send me the puzzle, I can have it solved (and even checked if it has multiple solutions).
[RAW] FREE online GAMES! on the web!
There are many others out there, but this web address is so obvious. www.freeonlinegames.com
Monday, September 15, 2008
ronjie.com.mag issue #3 (september 15, 2008)
lucky number 3. i used to think that 3 is my lucky number, based on my observations of events from way back when. then again, when i started to think about it, maybe it was just a "i thought it, therefore it happens" kind of thing. you know. i think therefore i am. anyway, before you know it, here's issue #3 already of ronjie.com, the magazine of interesting bits! it's my 3rd issue in a span of 15 days. coincidentally, i'm almost at my 300th blog post on ronjie.com (oh, and 300 is a 3-digit number).
and i used to think ronjie.com will be a monthly thing. i would still think ronjie.com is monthly, except that these days, things are comin' by a-plenty. but i am hoping this could stay and i could sustain it as a weekly thing. and soon enough, a daily thing. attached to that of course, are the revenues from the ads. have you noticed the ads on the right?
so here it is. the usual suspects are here. plus we have a new coach potato consumer+watch article on hotels in india, some thoughts about singapore, and a couple of TXT messages. have FUN! (hmmm, fun is a 3-letter word...)
oh, and watch out for the next issue. we have something special coming up. stay tuned. :-)
[reader mail] why monday?
From anonymous: why does ronjie.com gets published on a monday? why not sunday? i am only able to browse the web on weekends because i go to work on mondays and i sleep in my apartment (near work) on weekdays. so i get to read ronjie.com 5 days late! (when i get back home on friday evenings)Sorry about that. Well, I have two excuses for you. First, if I would have a reaction+reflection on a Sunday gospel, then it could get published immediately on the next ronjie.com (i.e. the day after Sunday which is Monday). Second, I wanted the very first issue to come out on the 1st day of the month - September 1, 2008 - which turned out to be Monday. I do hope it's worth the wait.
[Consumer Watch] Hotels in India
I have stayed so far in five hotels in India, three of which are what I would call "Indian-style" hotels - the interiors are Indian. The rest are what I would call "Western-style" hotel. All five have complimentary breakfast.
The first three hotels I stayed in are Indian-style hotels and have rates of $40, $70, and $100 per night. A $100 per night hotel, to me and to all Filipinos here in the Philippines, would be a four-star hotel already. In India, that $100 hotel is (by my Westernized standards) just a 2-star hotel.
I stayed in what I think is a 3-star Western-style hotel in an industrial town some 200 kilometers away from Delhi. The rate is also $100 per night. Quite expensive but it was within budget. It is a relief for westernized me because it feels comfortable to me. I would think there is nothing wrong with the first three hotels I stayed in except that I think it just doesn't suit my personal taste.
The second hotel is actually a business hotel in Delhi, and if you like a little taste of India in terms of accomodations and so on, try that hotel. I forgot the name. I got it at ~$70 per night, and it is to me a 2-star hotel. They only gave you Sunsilk sachets for your shampoo though. I guess you should just be thankful you get free shampoo. I don't think they gave you toothbrush and toothpaste; I don't recall exactly. I think it's quite expensive.
The last hotel I stayed in, this time in Mumbai, was quite new and it felt to me like a 4-star hotel from the inside, but from the outside, it is really a 3-star hotel. It's ~$160 per night. Very expensive for a 3-star hotel! There's this other hotel which I would think is a 4-star hotel, and it's ~$300 per night. Five star hotels in Mumbai could be as much as $500 to $700 per night!
So there's my major complaint of these hotels in India:
1. They're expensive. In general, I think anything which tourists/foreigners would use or visit are expensive. I guess it's something you have to be prepared for when visiting India. A bottle of water is just Rs.10 in the streets, but it's at least Rs.80 in the hotels, and as much as Rs.100.
2. Let's say they give you toothbrush and toothpaste for your first night, they won't give you new ones for your second night's stay, and maybe for the rest of your stay. They would give you two complimentary packets each of coffee, tea, sugar, and creamer on your first day, but they might just give you one each on the next day, and so on. They would give you two bars of soap on your first night, but not on your second night, and so on. You would have one towel the first night, but not on the second night. So eco-awareness aside, if you want a complete set of those "freebies" - soap, coffee, tea, sugar, creamer, toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving kit, shampoo, lotion, etc. - on your 2nd, 3rd, or 4th night at these hotels, check out then check back in at a different room. For the first night, you'll get everything but not if you stay one night longer (though the rate is the same). But who would do that? Who would check out every morning and just check in again in the evening? Then what they are doing, to me is taking advantage of people, and poor service. And that happened to me at these 3-star hotels. That doesn't happen to me in the Philippines (for 3-star hotels). Maybe it won't happen to me when I check in at a 4-star or better hotel - but check out my comment number 1 above.
Three of the hotels I was talking about are: The Airport Hotel, Delhi; Peninsula Grand, Mumbai; and Mountview Hotel, Chandigarh.
The first three hotels I stayed in are Indian-style hotels and have rates of $40, $70, and $100 per night. A $100 per night hotel, to me and to all Filipinos here in the Philippines, would be a four-star hotel already. In India, that $100 hotel is (by my Westernized standards) just a 2-star hotel.
I stayed in what I think is a 3-star Western-style hotel in an industrial town some 200 kilometers away from Delhi. The rate is also $100 per night. Quite expensive but it was within budget. It is a relief for westernized me because it feels comfortable to me. I would think there is nothing wrong with the first three hotels I stayed in except that I think it just doesn't suit my personal taste.
The second hotel is actually a business hotel in Delhi, and if you like a little taste of India in terms of accomodations and so on, try that hotel. I forgot the name. I got it at ~$70 per night, and it is to me a 2-star hotel. They only gave you Sunsilk sachets for your shampoo though. I guess you should just be thankful you get free shampoo. I don't think they gave you toothbrush and toothpaste; I don't recall exactly. I think it's quite expensive.
The last hotel I stayed in, this time in Mumbai, was quite new and it felt to me like a 4-star hotel from the inside, but from the outside, it is really a 3-star hotel. It's ~$160 per night. Very expensive for a 3-star hotel! There's this other hotel which I would think is a 4-star hotel, and it's ~$300 per night. Five star hotels in Mumbai could be as much as $500 to $700 per night!
So there's my major complaint of these hotels in India:
1. They're expensive. In general, I think anything which tourists/foreigners would use or visit are expensive. I guess it's something you have to be prepared for when visiting India. A bottle of water is just Rs.10 in the streets, but it's at least Rs.80 in the hotels, and as much as Rs.100.
2. Let's say they give you toothbrush and toothpaste for your first night, they won't give you new ones for your second night's stay, and maybe for the rest of your stay. They would give you two complimentary packets each of coffee, tea, sugar, and creamer on your first day, but they might just give you one each on the next day, and so on. They would give you two bars of soap on your first night, but not on your second night, and so on. You would have one towel the first night, but not on the second night. So eco-awareness aside, if you want a complete set of those "freebies" - soap, coffee, tea, sugar, creamer, toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving kit, shampoo, lotion, etc. - on your 2nd, 3rd, or 4th night at these hotels, check out then check back in at a different room. For the first night, you'll get everything but not if you stay one night longer (though the rate is the same). But who would do that? Who would check out every morning and just check in again in the evening? Then what they are doing, to me is taking advantage of people, and poor service. And that happened to me at these 3-star hotels. That doesn't happen to me in the Philippines (for 3-star hotels). Maybe it won't happen to me when I check in at a 4-star or better hotel - but check out my comment number 1 above.
Three of the hotels I was talking about are: The Airport Hotel, Delhi; Peninsula Grand, Mumbai; and Mountview Hotel, Chandigarh.
[thoughts] Singapore
Singapore is a place... which I dream Manila and all other metropolitan areas in the Philippines will become like. Clean, orderly, high-tech, cheap electronics, efficient mass transit system, effective highway system, great airport with lots of freebies (e.g. free wifi, free video gaming, free phone charging, etc.) and choices (they even have a 7-eleven, they have their own hotel, and they have their own movie theatres!), cheap but clean food centres, and yet very much Asian!
[TXT] What is X? (Original author unknown)
X is impossible for God
X is above God
X is more important than love
The rich needs X, the poor has X
If we eat X we die
What is X?
CLUE: It is a seven-letter word
X is above God
X is more important than love
The rich needs X, the poor has X
If we eat X we die
What is X?
CLUE: It is a seven-letter word
[TXT] What you might end up in after college...
[Originally in Filipino/Tagalog-English, English translation in italics.]
Kung di magtitino sa eskwela, ito ang mangyayari:
If you’re not taking school seriously, this is what you might become:
ENGINEER – panday – swordsmith
MIDWIFERY – kumadrona - ???
EDUCATION – tambay – bum
CRIMINOLOGY – tanod – neighborhood guard
P.M.A. (Philippine Military Academy graduate) – rebelde - rebel
MEDICINE – albularyo – quack doctor
I.T Рtagabantay ng computer shop Рinternet caf̩ attendant
ACCOUNTANCY – tindera – salesperson
FINE ARTS – pintor ng dingding – wall painter
PHYSCOLOGY – manghuhula - ???
TOURISM – driver - chauffer
MASSCOM – bugaw – pimp
I.S. – illegal recruiter – unauthorized employment agency
DEV’T COM – prosti - prostitute
NURSING – maid/caregiver – maid / household helper
MEDTECH – drug pusher – drug pusher
H.R.M. (Hotel and Restaurant Management) – waiter - waiter
Eto malupit.. Now this is crazy…
B.S. MATH – scorer sa Liga :-D - the league’s official scorer :-D
[RAW] Web access via e-mail
This might be confusing for some of you - Google gets confused itself about this.
When I was searching for a web-to-mail service, all I got from Google was links to mail-to-web services such as, well, www.mail2web.com, and Gmail, etc.
Somehow, somewhere, maybe through Google also, I was able to find www.web2mail.com. It's a relatively new service and in fact, the same website didn't used-to-offer the service; it was providing other services. Nonetheless, I could now shout:
"Eureka!"
At the office, I am not able to access the web because management saw other people opening up their Yahoo! mail during office hours. Well, you still can't check your Yahoo! mail through this service, but you can get other (static) web pages which contain much needed (or much wanted) information!
Downside? It only downloads the HTML (the text); it doesn't download images. I hope they upgrade this soon.
[CPC websites]
When I was searching for a web-to-mail service, all I got from Google was links to mail-to-web services such as, well, www.mail2web.com, and Gmail, etc.
Somehow, somewhere, maybe through Google also, I was able to find www.web2mail.com. It's a relatively new service and in fact, the same website didn't used-to-offer the service; it was providing other services. Nonetheless, I could now shout:
"Eureka!"
At the office, I am not able to access the web because management saw other people opening up their Yahoo! mail during office hours. Well, you still can't check your Yahoo! mail through this service, but you can get other (static) web pages which contain much needed (or much wanted) information!
Downside? It only downloads the HTML (the text); it doesn't download images. I hope they upgrade this soon.
[CPC websites]
[did you know?] bedbugs and dustmites
"Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite!"
Bedbugs could be as large as 4mm (~1/8")! But they hide in the dark. The rash you get is an allergic reaction. They suck your blood! (Oops, I'm not sure about that.) But definitely, a bedbug bite could get itchy.
"Good night, sleep tight, don't let the dustmites bite!"
Dustmite bites could be mistaken as bedbug bites. They're very different. An allergic reaction (a rash) from a dustmite bite looks... weird. They're like bubble-shaped. Dustmites though are hard to see with the naked eye. But like bedbugs, they hide in dark places, but they can't live under sunlight or open-air conditions. Dustmites actually feed off of your dead skin cells - which you almost can't stop because you need to replenish your skin cells (and your body automatically does this).
I know all this because I had a "bedbug scare." I thought I had bedbugs at home. But it turned out to be dustmites. I was "insulating" my place to keep the "cool" in (from airconditioning) and the hot tropical humid climate out. And that was how them dustmites were able to propagate. I now regularly leave at least one window open when I leave home. By the way, I need to keep my main windows closed to keep the dust out, and to keep the rain out if it does rain. That's how poorly designed my place is.
That also happened because for the longest time, I wasn't washing my bed linen and I wasn't having such problems, so that's why I tried the "enclosed" enclave thing. A close friend of mine suggests to replace the bed sheets and pillowcases every week as they do. I am thinking that is too much. Well, new bed sheets do feel very comfy, so I'll see...
Bedbugs could be as large as 4mm (~1/8")! But they hide in the dark. The rash you get is an allergic reaction. They suck your blood! (Oops, I'm not sure about that.) But definitely, a bedbug bite could get itchy.
"Good night, sleep tight, don't let the dustmites bite!"
Dustmite bites could be mistaken as bedbug bites. They're very different. An allergic reaction (a rash) from a dustmite bite looks... weird. They're like bubble-shaped. Dustmites though are hard to see with the naked eye. But like bedbugs, they hide in dark places, but they can't live under sunlight or open-air conditions. Dustmites actually feed off of your dead skin cells - which you almost can't stop because you need to replenish your skin cells (and your body automatically does this).
I know all this because I had a "bedbug scare." I thought I had bedbugs at home. But it turned out to be dustmites. I was "insulating" my place to keep the "cool" in (from airconditioning) and the hot tropical humid climate out. And that was how them dustmites were able to propagate. I now regularly leave at least one window open when I leave home. By the way, I need to keep my main windows closed to keep the dust out, and to keep the rain out if it does rain. That's how poorly designed my place is.
That also happened because for the longest time, I wasn't washing my bed linen and I wasn't having such problems, so that's why I tried the "enclosed" enclave thing. A close friend of mine suggests to replace the bed sheets and pillowcases every week as they do. I am thinking that is too much. Well, new bed sheets do feel very comfy, so I'll see...
[Repeat] Paulo Coelho, on death
This is a repeated article, originally posted on the prustrations blog on 13 october 2003. Every new RONJIE.COM issue will feature some repeat articles from the past, to be able to "bring out to the world" some early RONJIE.COM posts. Warning: I do not necessarily have the same thoughts, ideas, or beliefs today as from so many years back.
Here is an excerpt from Paulo Coelho's "Maktub", freely downloadable from www.paulocoelho.com.br. "Maktub" is a collection of short, mostly fictional anecdotes and ... well, simply inspiring short prose from the same author of the bestselling "The Alchemist." I should say that this is not one of the best of all 170+ "anecdotes" from "Maktub". But it fits the previous series of topics in this blog.
--- excerpt starts here ---
The master says: "A great many of the primitive civilizations practiced the custom of burying their dead in a fetal position. "He is being born again, in another life, and we must place him in the same position he was in when he came into this world," they said. For those civilizations, death was only another step along the path of the universe. "Little by little, the world has lost its calm acceptance of death. But it's not important what we think, or what we do or what we believe in: each of us will die one day. "Better to do as the old Yaqui indians did: regard death as an advisor. Always ask: 'Since I'm going to die, what should I be doing now?'"
--- excerpt ends here ---
Here is an excerpt from Paulo Coelho's "Maktub", freely downloadable from www.paulocoelho.com.br. "Maktub" is a collection of short, mostly fictional anecdotes and ... well, simply inspiring short prose from the same author of the bestselling "The Alchemist." I should say that this is not one of the best of all 170+ "anecdotes" from "Maktub". But it fits the previous series of topics in this blog.
--- excerpt starts here ---
The master says: "A great many of the primitive civilizations practiced the custom of burying their dead in a fetal position. "He is being born again, in another life, and we must place him in the same position he was in when he came into this world," they said. For those civilizations, death was only another step along the path of the universe. "Little by little, the world has lost its calm acceptance of death. But it's not important what we think, or what we do or what we believe in: each of us will die one day. "Better to do as the old Yaqui indians did: regard death as an advisor. Always ask: 'Since I'm going to die, what should I be doing now?'"
--- excerpt ends here ---
[Repeat] life versus death
This is a repeated article, originally posted on the prustrations blog on 11 october 2003. Every new RONJIE.COM issue will feature some repeat articles from the past, to be able to "bring out to the world" some early RONJIE.COM posts. Warning: I do not necessarily have the same thoughts, ideas, or beliefs today as from so many years back.
death is something that happens. life is something that remains.
death is something that happens. life is something that remains.
[wikiHow] How to Behave During Mass
How to Behave During Massfrom wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Sometimes it can be hard to behave during mass, whether you go to a Catholic school or you go to church with your family. This article can help you learn how to behave during mass.
Steps
- Arrive on time. Some churches have later masses if you aren't a morning person.
- Go to mass with an open mind. Don't assume that it will be boring, as that may make you grumpy throughout the service.
- Understand what is happening. It may be easier to behave if you know what is going on. Follow along in the Misalet.
- Sit, stand, or kneel at appropriate times.
- Be quiet and respectful. Talk to friends after mass, not during.
- Sing along and respond to the prayers.
- Leave after the mass has completely ended, not after communion.
Tips
- Watch what the priest (or leader) is doing.
- If you don't know what to do next, watch for cues (when to stand, kneel, etc.) from other people attending.
- When receiving communion (a wafer the pastor offers) say amen immediately after.
Related wikiHows
- How to Be a Devoted Christian Teenager
- How to Be Goth at Church
- How to Make Glossolalia Work for You
- How to Pray to the Virgin Mary
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Behave During Mass. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
[FOG] SUDOKU
NOTES:
- If Sudoku doesn't load properly, please refresh this page (Press F5 or Ctrl+R).
- When you refresh this page, the Sudoku game also changes.
- Sorry, answers are not given. You'll have to figure it out yourself! But if you send me the puzzle, I can have it solved (and even checked if it has multiple solutions).
Monday, September 8, 2008
ronjie.com.mag issue #2 (september 8, 2008)
i thought this would just be at least a monthly thing. well it still is. i'm now inclined to do it weekly! there's just so much stuff out there that you could be missing out on! can't let that happen. not for you, ye ole' nothing-better-to-do chap. :-D
kidding. hey, thanks for being here. hope you like this week's issue which features the usual suspects like RAW and did you know?. plus two repeat prustrations blog posts, and two new restaurant reviews by coach potato. and we're introducing a new section.
AND we have a very rare, reaction+reflection. that makes this issue supersized! enjoy! :-)
[reader mail] tiring
From Mara: I don't like the layout. It gets tiring to have to keep on scrolling down, it seems there are so many topics. Which would have been okay if in the layout, you can see everything already on the screen, instead of having to scroll down. (It's okay having to do an extensive scroll down if the whole thing is just under one topic, e.g. check out http://postsecret.blogspot.com/) And it appears to be lacking in pictures/graphics. That's my over 300-characters worth of opinion which may not be the same as the majority.Mara! Your "opinion" is very much appreciated. I know the dilemma. I can see it myself while I tried to read through this whole thing! I've been looking for a way to do exactly what you suggested: have everything on one screen, perhaps with just short summaries of each post and there is a "Read More..." link so that you can read the rest if you're interested in that topic.
Meanwhile, I have provided a temporary solution which you may already have noticed (I applied it to this week's edition already). The very first thing you will see when you visit ronjie.com is a list of the latest articles (particularly those pertaining to the current issue.) Hope this works for now. :-*
new blog thread!
there is a new section on RONJIE.COM. it's called TXT, and it contains interesting forwarded text (SMS) messages. well, some are interesting. i personally don't like forwarding messages. anyway, hope you enjoy these TXTs. there's one in here right now. :-D
[TXT] GODISNOWHERE
Do
I
Read
It
As
GOD
IS
NO
WHERE
Or
GOD
IS
NOW
HERE?
Like
Everything
In life,
The
Way
U
See
Things
Always
Depend
On
How
U
Look
At
Them :-D
I
Read
It
As
GOD
IS
NO
WHERE
Or
GOD
IS
NOW
HERE?
Like
Everything
In life,
The
Way
U
See
Things
Always
Depend
On
How
U
Look
At
Them :-D
[Consumer Watch] Kenny Roger's Roasted: The Sequel
I can't believe I just ate at Kenny Roger's again. I never learned. But I had no choice really. I wanted a place where they have healthy vegetables and/or fruits (Jollibee, McDo, and Shakey's, etc. around Katipunan don't usually have such - their salads are not salads in my vocabulary). It was past 8pm already and I was so hungry na. I went there because parking was a problem at other places where they might have vegetables. I got a Super Solo chicken meal which had 1/4 chicken, a "cup" of rice, one side dish (I got fresh fruit salad),
Anyhow, here are three "complaints" which I would not expect at an American establishment:
1. My brother ordered soup, but the cashier did not punch it in and did not give us any until after we asked them why they didn't give us what we supposedly ordered for. (They didn't serve our meal right away, so we expected it will arrive. Was it our fault we didn't check the receipt?)
2. The chicken was burnt! And it was probably just microwaved. The chicken meat was... Well, just imagine that: burnt outside (skin), and microwaved an X number of times. Can you imagine how "makunat" the meat was? Thank God for my young teeth, I was still able to chew them.
3. The fruit salad turned out to be a pineapple salad, with one small peach cube. Fruit salad? Just because there are two fruits in there - 6 small slices of pineapple and 1 small peach cube - you call that a fruit salad already? So it's 8pm. Maybe the pineapples and oranges and cherries have run out. Who cares? Then don't tell me you have fruit salad! Then I shouldn't have gotten fruit salad! This doesn't happen in other countries.
Alas, demand (for fast food) is higher than the supply. Kenny Roger's gets away with all these things. Just as Jollibee gets away (most of the time) with bland Coke and just one small piece of very thin paper napkin (tissue). Are paper napkins so expensive you have to deny us how many we really need? These are the leaders (in the food industry) here in the Philippines, and the other smaller players, I can only see them following in their footsteps. But then, it's the consumer's fault also. We accept and tolerate these practices. We continue to patronize these places. So they continue to do these things.
Ah, this is one of those things that you just let be or else, you'd be like punishing yourself if you just keep on thinking about it. Well, Kenny Roger, unfortunately this type of quality is being associated with your name. I hope you (or your kin) do something about it.
Anyhow, here are three "complaints" which I would not expect at an American establishment:
1. My brother ordered soup, but the cashier did not punch it in and did not give us any until after we asked them why they didn't give us what we supposedly ordered for. (They didn't serve our meal right away, so we expected it will arrive. Was it our fault we didn't check the receipt?)
2. The chicken was burnt! And it was probably just microwaved. The chicken meat was... Well, just imagine that: burnt outside (skin), and microwaved an X number of times. Can you imagine how "makunat" the meat was? Thank God for my young teeth, I was still able to chew them.
3. The fruit salad turned out to be a pineapple salad, with one small peach cube. Fruit salad? Just because there are two fruits in there - 6 small slices of pineapple and 1 small peach cube - you call that a fruit salad already? So it's 8pm. Maybe the pineapples and oranges and cherries have run out. Who cares? Then don't tell me you have fruit salad! Then I shouldn't have gotten fruit salad! This doesn't happen in other countries.
Alas, demand (for fast food) is higher than the supply. Kenny Roger's gets away with all these things. Just as Jollibee gets away (most of the time) with bland Coke and just one small piece of very thin paper napkin (tissue). Are paper napkins so expensive you have to deny us how many we really need? These are the leaders (in the food industry) here in the Philippines, and the other smaller players, I can only see them following in their footsteps. But then, it's the consumer's fault also. We accept and tolerate these practices. We continue to patronize these places. So they continue to do these things.
Ah, this is one of those things that you just let be or else, you'd be like punishing yourself if you just keep on thinking about it. Well, Kenny Roger, unfortunately this type of quality is being associated with your name. I hope you (or your kin) do something about it.
[RAW] project management webware
do you manage projects? i'm sure you do, whether you know it or not. whatever you do, for as long as your managing, i think project management software could aid you greatly. at least for preparing those schedules and milestones, for tracking what tasks need to be done by when and by who, and so on.
here's a popular project management software - as a web application (like gmail is) - which could help you out. it's free for one project. cheap monthly payments if you need more than one project and require file sharing, and so on. check it out at
http://www.basecamphq.com/
here's a popular project management software - as a web application (like gmail is) - which could help you out. it's free for one project. cheap monthly payments if you need more than one project and require file sharing, and so on. check it out at
http://www.basecamphq.com/
[Consumer Watch] People's Palace, Greenbelt, Makati, Philippines
When I first heard the name, the first thing that came to mind was “Chinese Food!”
But it’s not Chinese food. It’s Thai food actually, but like most West-Southeast Asian food (i.e. Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam), there are some Indian, Malay, and Chinese influences in there.
And it’s great food. And shakes. I did not pay though when I went here, so I don’t know if it’s good value for money. From what I recall though, it’s not bad, if you can afford it.
So, looking for some place new? Go try this place.
But have you been a gastro-bug like myself? I have been around and have tried many different places; while this is good food, and perhaps it’s a cut above the rest, it’s not that exceptionally great. Not that the rest is bad. It’s just that the taste isn’t all so new to me. Catfish salad. Chicken pandan. Different Curry dishes. Green mango salad.
But what I liked here was their shakes. Did I already mention they have shakes? I mean, you might think it’s just a matter of mixing some fruits and stuff, and voila, you have a shake concoction. But that was the highlight of the night for me.
Oh, and I liked the dessert I got too. Mango with ice cream or something. But, that’s something you can have at home. Maybe I liked it because I got it (and the whole meal) for free.
So, yup, nothing’s changed. Food, better but not great. Shakes, they get a “wow! I haven’t tried that but I’m glad I did” rating. Dessert – well it might have been great because it was a good choice to match the main course I ate.
But it’s not Chinese food. It’s Thai food actually, but like most West-Southeast Asian food (i.e. Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam), there are some Indian, Malay, and Chinese influences in there.
And it’s great food. And shakes. I did not pay though when I went here, so I don’t know if it’s good value for money. From what I recall though, it’s not bad, if you can afford it.
So, looking for some place new? Go try this place.
But have you been a gastro-bug like myself? I have been around and have tried many different places; while this is good food, and perhaps it’s a cut above the rest, it’s not that exceptionally great. Not that the rest is bad. It’s just that the taste isn’t all so new to me. Catfish salad. Chicken pandan. Different Curry dishes. Green mango salad.
But what I liked here was their shakes. Did I already mention they have shakes? I mean, you might think it’s just a matter of mixing some fruits and stuff, and voila, you have a shake concoction. But that was the highlight of the night for me.
Oh, and I liked the dessert I got too. Mango with ice cream or something. But, that’s something you can have at home. Maybe I liked it because I got it (and the whole meal) for free.
So, yup, nothing’s changed. Food, better but not great. Shakes, they get a “wow! I haven’t tried that but I’m glad I did” rating. Dessert – well it might have been great because it was a good choice to match the main course I ate.
[did you know?] [who is ronjie?] Ranjit - My Indian name?
When a friend of my mother heard what my name was, she reacted, “that’s an Indian sounding name, much like the name of !” I think she was referring to the Indian name, Ranjit. When I was in India for the 2nd time, I asked an Indian colleague, what does Ranjit mean? He said that “Ran” and “Jit” are actually two words that literally translate to “battlefield” and “won.” I thought, wow, I’m a winner! :-D
[did you know?] turbans
i was telling a friend my stories from my visit in india and i told her that one of the people i met is actually sikh. she had this face on like "what? for real? sick of what? is it a serious illness?" then she was able to recall her asian history. "ah, you meant S-I-K-H!" hehe.
the people in india who wear turbans are actually the punjabi people (who live in punjab), and are mostly sikh people (members of the religion called sikhism). did you know?
the people in india who wear turbans are actually the punjabi people (who live in punjab), and are mostly sikh people (members of the religion called sikhism). did you know?
[reactions+reflections] Prayer
This is a reflection on the Sunday Gospel on 7 September 2008. I think there are two parts to the Gospel, but the priest's homily at the mass I attended focused on the second part: prayer. We'll reflect on the first part on another reaction+reflection.
I picked up two things from the priest's homily.
First, on who or which prayer God listens to better and how he answers prayers.
The priest gave as an example the ballgame between two of the most influential (they are private schools with the highest tuition fees) local Catholic schools the day before, Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University. Ateneo won.
The priest said that we can imagine how all those on Ateneo's side prayed that Ateneo win, and all those on La Salle's side prayed that La Salle win. With Ateneo winning, did that mean that either the Ateneo fans prayed more? Or perhaps there are more Ateneans (Blue Eagles) than La Salleans (Green Archers) and that's why Ateneo won?
The answer obviously is that God listened to prayers from both sides. And God gave his perfect answers to both sides. God listens to all who pray to him. And God listens to all our prayers. And God will give us the best answer to our prayer. He is after all Our Loving Father, and he knows best.
The priest's second point that caught my attention and here I am able to recall it is: prayer should not be selfish. We should be praying for each other more. We should pray for others more. Ourselves should be at the last of our concern.
Thoughts about loving your neighbor come to mind. Indeed you should love your neighbor as yourself - I am sure you would desire other people praying for you. And because you know God listens to their prayers (and yours), and to all prayers. You are effectively loving yourself when you love others. Of course, you have to know how to love others. It is not easy particularly when you are brought up not in a loving environment. But it is doable and that is why God commands us to do it - because he knows we can do it. But this is one of the simplest act of loving another person - praying for him or her.
I remember three times in my life when I prayed for something and God revealed his perfect answers in time.
The first time was on the night before my licensure exam. It was a day and a half of problem solving and/or recalling some important words from memory. The two months before, I scheduled my study times (i.e. 8-6pm), but I also gave time for my weekends - hanging out with friends (playing table tennis, or basketball, or playing Dance, Dance Revolution and other PS1 games), going around town with family, and attending mass. I know I had to be relaxed on the exam day(s). That includes being relaxed also the night before. The night before, although I did not yet study everything, I stopped studying. I went out (with my friend Saj), and we went to one of the nearest churches, and prayed before eating dinner at a nearby restaurant.
I prayed for everyone taking the exam, but of course also for my schoolmates/friends - those closest to me - who are also taking the exam, and finally for myself - to pass the exam. If I remember correctly, I just also prayed for my family and everyone who's supported me. And so on and so forth. I cannot anymore remember further details to my prayer except that I prayed for a lot of people, and the last thing I prayed for was that I just pass the exam.
A week later, the results came out. Two guys from another school who had been studying for about a year got the best and 3rd best exam scores. A guy from my school who had been studying for about half a year and who was still trying to cram everything the night before the exam (and who we considered to be our "pambato," meaning we thought if there was anyone who would get the best exam score it would be him) got the 15th best exam score. A guy who was late for the review classes most of the time, who came home drunk from one party two weeks before, and who only really focused on studying daily just two months before, got the 2nd best score. That was me. I am not bragging here about myself. You can't imagine how surprised I was when I found out. All I prayed for was to just pass. Up to a certain point, I have been attributing it to luck. But now I know it wasn't luck. I know it was God. It was God's work. And it was God's answer to my prayer. It is one of my best achievements so far. And no, being 2nd best back then has not helped me much in my career or financial situation - it helped me realize this thing about prayer. Prayer should not be selfish.
Just recently, there was something (someone actually) I prayed for and I was given God's answer as I had asked for, and I think between my first example (passing my licensure exam) and this - there is one other thing I learned about prayer: you offer something first. It could be as simple as praying for others, or as simple as acknowledging God as God, the Father, the Master, and yourself as his creation, his child, and his servant - I do not know what "works." (See my next paragraph.) For this recent "thing" that I prayed for, I served God first. I lead a small group of young men and women in prayer. I gave talks. I wrote songs of praise to God. And then he gave me his answer. And I can only be thankful that he gave me what I had asked for. But the thing is, I served God first.
And that's what I realized from this other thing I've prayed for earlier in my life. I asked for something, and offered that I will serve God if he gave me what I prayed for. Can you already see what's wrong in that statement? You can pray all you want, and however way you want, and you can be so very active in God's service and make it your living - but it doesn't still mean God will give you what YOU want. Or what you ask for. Do you know why? Because you, or me, or we, are not God. If you should ever think that when you praise God until you lose your voice, or you serve God's people and you lose a limb, you expect God to give you what you have prayed for - I don't know if you agree, but that would be like being God. You are effectively commanding The Father - "Lord, because I have done this and that for you, you should give me this thing that I want / that I ask for." And that is God's job. He saves his people - e.g. helping Israelites flee from Egypt, or sending Jesus his Son - and then he gives his commandments (ten commandments, and two greatest commandments, respectively) and enters a covenant with us.
This incident earlier in my life, when I tried to "be God" and tried to "outsmart" God, when I asked him for something in exchange for better and more dedicated service to him, God gave me what is best for me - he didn't give me what I asked for. Instead, he showed me who is God. And then the problem then was, true enough, when he didn't give me what I wanted, I stopped serving him altogether. It was so wrong. Of course, he could've just given me what I wanted anyway. Because maybe I was ready already. That was the thing - I wasn't yet ready really to serve. My heart was not 100% for him; not yet. Or, he could've just given me what I wanted only to be hurt more later on - a snowball effect - if he thought I needed a bigger knock on the head. It turned out I just needed a tap on the head to get myself back on my feet to turning back to him. La Salle lost because God is telling them that they need better practice, and that they need not worry now because it is not yet Final Four or Championship time.
I am already actually connecting another homily from another priest from another parish from years back with this gospel. That other priest said, the problem with us is we try to be God sometimes - when we get frustrated when we don't get what we want. When our employees/maids/children/parents/etc. are not what we want them to be, or when they fail to do what we expect them to do. And so on. The priest said, we don't have a right to be frustrated when things don't go our way.
So anyway.
God listens to all our prayers. Whoever we are.
God will give his answers to all our prayers, in time. It may not be what WE want. But it is definitely what God wants - and he only wants what is best for us.
Prayer should not be selfish. Let us serve God first - i.e. by praying for others first, etc. We should not let God down (e.g. by getting frustrated or angry, by stopping attending mass or falling into sin, etc.) if we do not get what we asked for.
Let's pray daily! :-)
I picked up two things from the priest's homily.
First, on who or which prayer God listens to better and how he answers prayers.
The priest gave as an example the ballgame between two of the most influential (they are private schools with the highest tuition fees) local Catholic schools the day before, Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University. Ateneo won.
The priest said that we can imagine how all those on Ateneo's side prayed that Ateneo win, and all those on La Salle's side prayed that La Salle win. With Ateneo winning, did that mean that either the Ateneo fans prayed more? Or perhaps there are more Ateneans (Blue Eagles) than La Salleans (Green Archers) and that's why Ateneo won?
The answer obviously is that God listened to prayers from both sides. And God gave his perfect answers to both sides. God listens to all who pray to him. And God listens to all our prayers. And God will give us the best answer to our prayer. He is after all Our Loving Father, and he knows best.
The priest's second point that caught my attention and here I am able to recall it is: prayer should not be selfish. We should be praying for each other more. We should pray for others more. Ourselves should be at the last of our concern.
Thoughts about loving your neighbor come to mind. Indeed you should love your neighbor as yourself - I am sure you would desire other people praying for you. And because you know God listens to their prayers (and yours), and to all prayers. You are effectively loving yourself when you love others. Of course, you have to know how to love others. It is not easy particularly when you are brought up not in a loving environment. But it is doable and that is why God commands us to do it - because he knows we can do it. But this is one of the simplest act of loving another person - praying for him or her.
I remember three times in my life when I prayed for something and God revealed his perfect answers in time.
The first time was on the night before my licensure exam. It was a day and a half of problem solving and/or recalling some important words from memory. The two months before, I scheduled my study times (i.e. 8-6pm), but I also gave time for my weekends - hanging out with friends (playing table tennis, or basketball, or playing Dance, Dance Revolution and other PS1 games), going around town with family, and attending mass. I know I had to be relaxed on the exam day(s). That includes being relaxed also the night before. The night before, although I did not yet study everything, I stopped studying. I went out (with my friend Saj), and we went to one of the nearest churches, and prayed before eating dinner at a nearby restaurant.
I prayed for everyone taking the exam, but of course also for my schoolmates/friends - those closest to me - who are also taking the exam, and finally for myself - to pass the exam. If I remember correctly, I just also prayed for my family and everyone who's supported me. And so on and so forth. I cannot anymore remember further details to my prayer except that I prayed for a lot of people, and the last thing I prayed for was that I just pass the exam.
A week later, the results came out. Two guys from another school who had been studying for about a year got the best and 3rd best exam scores. A guy from my school who had been studying for about half a year and who was still trying to cram everything the night before the exam (and who we considered to be our "pambato," meaning we thought if there was anyone who would get the best exam score it would be him) got the 15th best exam score. A guy who was late for the review classes most of the time, who came home drunk from one party two weeks before, and who only really focused on studying daily just two months before, got the 2nd best score. That was me. I am not bragging here about myself. You can't imagine how surprised I was when I found out. All I prayed for was to just pass. Up to a certain point, I have been attributing it to luck. But now I know it wasn't luck. I know it was God. It was God's work. And it was God's answer to my prayer. It is one of my best achievements so far. And no, being 2nd best back then has not helped me much in my career or financial situation - it helped me realize this thing about prayer. Prayer should not be selfish.
Just recently, there was something (someone actually) I prayed for and I was given God's answer as I had asked for, and I think between my first example (passing my licensure exam) and this - there is one other thing I learned about prayer: you offer something first. It could be as simple as praying for others, or as simple as acknowledging God as God, the Father, the Master, and yourself as his creation, his child, and his servant - I do not know what "works." (See my next paragraph.) For this recent "thing" that I prayed for, I served God first. I lead a small group of young men and women in prayer. I gave talks. I wrote songs of praise to God. And then he gave me his answer. And I can only be thankful that he gave me what I had asked for. But the thing is, I served God first.
And that's what I realized from this other thing I've prayed for earlier in my life. I asked for something, and offered that I will serve God if he gave me what I prayed for. Can you already see what's wrong in that statement? You can pray all you want, and however way you want, and you can be so very active in God's service and make it your living - but it doesn't still mean God will give you what YOU want. Or what you ask for. Do you know why? Because you, or me, or we, are not God. If you should ever think that when you praise God until you lose your voice, or you serve God's people and you lose a limb, you expect God to give you what you have prayed for - I don't know if you agree, but that would be like being God. You are effectively commanding The Father - "Lord, because I have done this and that for you, you should give me this thing that I want / that I ask for." And that is God's job. He saves his people - e.g. helping Israelites flee from Egypt, or sending Jesus his Son - and then he gives his commandments (ten commandments, and two greatest commandments, respectively) and enters a covenant with us.
This incident earlier in my life, when I tried to "be God" and tried to "outsmart" God, when I asked him for something in exchange for better and more dedicated service to him, God gave me what is best for me - he didn't give me what I asked for. Instead, he showed me who is God. And then the problem then was, true enough, when he didn't give me what I wanted, I stopped serving him altogether. It was so wrong. Of course, he could've just given me what I wanted anyway. Because maybe I was ready already. That was the thing - I wasn't yet ready really to serve. My heart was not 100% for him; not yet. Or, he could've just given me what I wanted only to be hurt more later on - a snowball effect - if he thought I needed a bigger knock on the head. It turned out I just needed a tap on the head to get myself back on my feet to turning back to him. La Salle lost because God is telling them that they need better practice, and that they need not worry now because it is not yet Final Four or Championship time.
I am already actually connecting another homily from another priest from another parish from years back with this gospel. That other priest said, the problem with us is we try to be God sometimes - when we get frustrated when we don't get what we want. When our employees/maids/children/parents/etc. are not what we want them to be, or when they fail to do what we expect them to do. And so on. The priest said, we don't have a right to be frustrated when things don't go our way.
So anyway.
God listens to all our prayers. Whoever we are.
God will give his answers to all our prayers, in time. It may not be what WE want. But it is definitely what God wants - and he only wants what is best for us.
Prayer should not be selfish. Let us serve God first - i.e. by praying for others first, etc. We should not let God down (e.g. by getting frustrated or angry, by stopping attending mass or falling into sin, etc.) if we do not get what we asked for.
Let's pray daily! :-)
[Repeat] dead and alive
This is a repeated article, originally posted on the prustrations blog on 11 october 2003. Every new RONJIE.COM issue will feature some repeat articles from the past, to be able to "bring out to the world" some early RONJIE.COM posts. Warning: I do not necessarily have the same thoughts, ideas, or beliefs today as from so many years back.
dead and alive
We have come to think that we are either dead or alive. Or that we should be either dead or alive. When keepers of the law are looking for violators of the law, they want them dead or alive.
Yet, we could be dead, but still live. We could be alive, but be dying.
Jesus died many years ago, but He lives among many of us, we see Him still perform miracles, or we still see millions of people still listen to His teachings.
We recognize many heroes and saints who have died and fought in battle, that, had they not, we would not be where we are, and we honor them by celebrating their triumphs on the occassion of their beginning or end of life as we all know.
And there are those among us, who live among us, sometimes under the same roof as ours, under the same moon and stars as us, and yet they are dying. They die when they are hurt, heart-broken. They die when we shout at them in anger, sometimes when they commit mistakes even when covering up for our mistakes.
And there are those whom we may have not met, and yet they are hungry, or they are paralyzed, or they are ill; they are dying. And yet they still inhale and exhale. And yet their hearts are still beating.
And there are those who are alive, and are dying, who choose instead to be dead.
And there are those who choose to live after they die.
Life and death are not two separate, exclusive things. They could co-exist. We cannot really choose between them. But by choosing death when there is life is the end of life. But by choosing life even after death, is life as it really is.
Many of us alive are dying. Do we choose to die and end life?
And yet, though we may be dying, life is still at hand. Why end life, when it is something given to us?
Instead, let us look into living after our death. Just as heroes, and martyrs, and saints have--people who, during their lives, did something so humble and yet so great so as to be remembered and remain here on earth in our hearts and in our minds, and sometimes even in our actions--let us choose life.
dead and alive
We have come to think that we are either dead or alive. Or that we should be either dead or alive. When keepers of the law are looking for violators of the law, they want them dead or alive.
Yet, we could be dead, but still live. We could be alive, but be dying.
Jesus died many years ago, but He lives among many of us, we see Him still perform miracles, or we still see millions of people still listen to His teachings.
We recognize many heroes and saints who have died and fought in battle, that, had they not, we would not be where we are, and we honor them by celebrating their triumphs on the occassion of their beginning or end of life as we all know.
And there are those among us, who live among us, sometimes under the same roof as ours, under the same moon and stars as us, and yet they are dying. They die when they are hurt, heart-broken. They die when we shout at them in anger, sometimes when they commit mistakes even when covering up for our mistakes.
And there are those whom we may have not met, and yet they are hungry, or they are paralyzed, or they are ill; they are dying. And yet they still inhale and exhale. And yet their hearts are still beating.
And there are those who are alive, and are dying, who choose instead to be dead.
And there are those who choose to live after they die.
Life and death are not two separate, exclusive things. They could co-exist. We cannot really choose between them. But by choosing death when there is life is the end of life. But by choosing life even after death, is life as it really is.
Many of us alive are dying. Do we choose to die and end life?
And yet, though we may be dying, life is still at hand. Why end life, when it is something given to us?
Instead, let us look into living after our death. Just as heroes, and martyrs, and saints have--people who, during their lives, did something so humble and yet so great so as to be remembered and remain here on earth in our hearts and in our minds, and sometimes even in our actions--let us choose life.
[Repeat] Letter to a Suicidal
This is a repeated article, originally posted on the prustrations blog on 11 october 2003. Every new RONJIE.COM issue will feature some repeat articles from the past, to be able to "bring out to the world" some early RONJIE.COM posts. Warning: I do not necessarily have the same thoughts, ideas, or beliefs today as from so many years back.
dear friend,
you have created quite a good picture of your situation, and i emphatize with you. though you may have heard this a million times already, please do not give up on life while there is still life. please hear me out.
well let me tell you this. i envy you because of the love that your mother is giving you. and i'm sure many others also. and i'm sure many others also envy you because of so many other things, like finishing a degree.
in the end, it is your choice, it is your will. i, your mom, or anyone cannot do anything about it.
but you can type! you can write! you just wrote a good story! you can write an inspiring story! and that's only one of many things you could do. you could still make a purpose out of your life. you are still alive.
and yet, though you may be dying. there are other people who are dying. there are people who were born dying, and born hungry, and born sick. you were not.
friend (i wish i knew your name), you are still alive. you died, and lived again. and at least twice. you have been given another opportunity. something awaits you. you still have a purpose, you will just have to figure that out (and perhaps maybe other people could help out). every moment that we live is an opportunity. be thankful for each moment that you have life.
but yes, it is not easy. but as long as you're not yet dead, there is still that possibility. don't you really think so?
you can still dream, right? then dream. and keep praying for those dreams. of course, there are irreversible things like age and time... and there are things that we really are not meant for. (like i wish i could meet jennifer lopez and kiss her!)
perhaps if you may only start to dream. everything could come from there.
well, that's all i could say for now. please tell your mother that what she's doing for you is the epitome of love, and that i really admire her for that.
God bless you, friend.
dear friend,
you have created quite a good picture of your situation, and i emphatize with you. though you may have heard this a million times already, please do not give up on life while there is still life. please hear me out.
well let me tell you this. i envy you because of the love that your mother is giving you. and i'm sure many others also. and i'm sure many others also envy you because of so many other things, like finishing a degree.
in the end, it is your choice, it is your will. i, your mom, or anyone cannot do anything about it.
but you can type! you can write! you just wrote a good story! you can write an inspiring story! and that's only one of many things you could do. you could still make a purpose out of your life. you are still alive.
and yet, though you may be dying. there are other people who are dying. there are people who were born dying, and born hungry, and born sick. you were not.
friend (i wish i knew your name), you are still alive. you died, and lived again. and at least twice. you have been given another opportunity. something awaits you. you still have a purpose, you will just have to figure that out (and perhaps maybe other people could help out). every moment that we live is an opportunity. be thankful for each moment that you have life.
but yes, it is not easy. but as long as you're not yet dead, there is still that possibility. don't you really think so?
you can still dream, right? then dream. and keep praying for those dreams. of course, there are irreversible things like age and time... and there are things that we really are not meant for. (like i wish i could meet jennifer lopez and kiss her!)
perhaps if you may only start to dream. everything could come from there.
well, that's all i could say for now. please tell your mother that what she's doing for you is the epitome of love, and that i really admire her for that.
God bless you, friend.
[wikiHow] How to Organize Books
How to Organize Booksfrom wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
It's hard to get anything done if you can't find your stuff. And, contrary to popular belief, you don't have to be a librarian to keep your books organized. Here's a way to make your books easier to find and avoid having them fall down from the shelf.
Steps
- Pull the books, papers, etc., off the shelf. Divide the items into two piles: those you want to keep and those you want to give away.
- Take out any extra papers such as bookmarks that may be in the book. Recycle the unneeded papers.
- Make a pile of books that need to be fixed. Later you can decide if it's worth the effort to fix the book or if you'd rather just replace it with a better copy.
- If you have any books that you think might be of value, try looking them up on Bookscouter.com to see if anybody is willing to buy them.
- Box up your unwanted books. Call your local used bookstores and find out if they buy books. Most thrift stores will also accept book donations, and you can get a receipt for a tax deduction, but don't donate trashed or smelly books, which the thrift store will then have to throw away! You can also give away your books anonymously at your work or school. Book Crossing is a community of people who enjoy giving away their books. Paperbacks can often be recycled (check with your local garbage company), but the glue in hardcovers makes them unrecyclable, so do the right thing and throw trashed books away yourself.
- Wipe down the shelves thoroughly with an all-purpose cleaning spray or furniture polish. You might not get another chance to do this for a long time.
- Decide how you are going to organize your collection. There are many ways you can choose to arrange your books: by size, by color, by number of pages, by subject, by your favorite titles, by publisher, by publication date, by date you received the book, by your favorite genre and then by author, by author (fiction) or Dewey Decimal system/Library of Congress Classification system (non-fiction) or by reading level or lexile.
- Make labels for your book using a hand-held label maker to add letters or Dewey Decimal numbers to the spines of books.
- Put the books back into the bookshelf in whatever order you decided earlier, and enjoy your clean, organized bookshelf!
Tips
- Adjust these guidelines to reflect your own personality and the quirks of your collection. It's your collection, so organize it in a way you enjoy and can use comfortably. You aren't stuck with it in any case, and you can rearrange your collection as often as you like.
- Put larger books, like textbooks, cookbooks, and picture books on a lower shelf to keep them from toppling onto someone's head.
- If you organize your books by type, start with the general book type and then split it into subgroups. For example, cookbooks can be organized by cuisine type: Italian, French, Thai, Mexican, etc. Fiction can be organized strictly by author, or you can sort into genre, such as sci-fi, romance, mysteries, or historical fiction. Subtopics can be as specific as vegetarian
Mexican cooking or British romance novels. Children's books can be organized by age level. - If you want a more formal catalog system, LibraryThing can be used to organize your books online while keeping track of people who read the same things you are. Some users like to organize by tags; LibraryThing also provides Dewey Decimal numbers, Library of Congress Subject Headings and so forth.
- Consider using computer software to organize and track your book collection. For Macs, check out Delicious Library at http://www.delicious-monster.com. With Windows, have a look at MediaMan http://www.imediaman.com. There is also Freeware book management software such as http://www.spacejock.com/BookDB_Version.html, and even full Library Automation packages. Search on Google using the search phrase "Free Library Automation Software."
- Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress numbers are usually found in the front of the books with the publication information. If a book doesn't list the Dewey Decimal number, go the the website for a major public library that uses the Dewey Decimal System (such as the New York Public Library) and search for the book by author or title. If that fails, use a subject search to find similar books and use their number.
- A useful tool could be the freeware program AZZ Cardfile. One of the free downloads for this program is the Dewey Decimal System. Take a look at the program and the downloads: http://www.azzcardfile.com .
- If you are a current student, organizing your collection may spill into organizing your school books, so you may want to make sure your dictionary, thesaurus and other reference books are right by your computer for when you are working on reports.
- For home libraries, alphabetizing is probably the best option.
Warnings
- Don't put any stickers or labels on collectible books, as the book may be damaged when the next owner tries to take it off.
Things You'll Need
- Books
- Bookshelves
- Boxes (ask at local bookstores)
- A label-maker, or blank labels and a fine-tip permanent marker
- Furniture spray (such as Pledge)
- Paper towels
- Library software (optional)
Related wikiHows
- How to Get Rid of Old Books
- How to Organize a Bookshelf
- How to Build Wooden Bookshelves
- How to Package Books for Shipping
- How to Clean a Book
- How to Buy a Bookshop
- How to Hold a Used Book Sale
Sources and Citations
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Organize Books. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
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