blog things

You Are More Like Angelina Jolie

Bad girl with a heart of gold. You are smart, sexy, and strong willed. You aren't against stealing another girl's man... If he's better off with you!

Are You More Like Jennifer or Angelina?

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Your Reputation Is: Mystery Girl

You're the girl that everyone is trying to figure out. Men are attracted to your intriguing persona - and women want to copy it!

What's Your Reputation?

happee

thank you thank you.... :-)

will post pics and more memories later on. now i'm just reveling in the happiness. :-) thank you thank you thank you....

update for Guimaras Donation Drive

Hi All,

just want to share some articles which continually makes me realize that this disaster is far from over. Please go over it and pass it to friends and family. The more we know, the better we grow , ika nga. In this case, the more we know about the situation, the less far fetched the reality becomes. So let's try to make a difference. Listening is a step forward to this.

For peeps in the Manila area, we'll be shipping a new batch of donations by the second week of november, 2006. Deadline for donations will be on Nov. 4, 2006.

Donations are appreciated in kind : gloves (industrial/household) , masks (haz mat preferably), rubber boots (industrial/fishing), old clothes, canned goods/ noodles, medicine. Let us know if you need your donations to be picked up. For those who want to send them to us (Applicable for Metro Manila only) Please send donations to #12 Highland Drive, Blueridge A, Katipunan, Q.C.

Cash donations are also welcome. You may send them in through this or send it to us to be used for buying these donations for you. We also have a new account set up by Batas Kalikasan for the Guimaras effort . You can deposit cash donations to:

Metrobank PESO savings acct # 500-3-50004384-0 Ayala Acacia branch
payable to: Batas Kalikasan Foundation Inc.

We'd like to remind you guys to include your name and contact info with your donations so they can be properly addressed. For cash deposits, please send us through email your scanned deposit slips so we can reconcile it and send you a receipt. :-) Thank you again for your help!


:-) Lette

(many thanks to stella's sludge blog for the news and coverage --- keep it up, stella!)

http://sludge.wordpress.com/2006/10/26/coverup-not-cleanup-in-guimaras/

http://sludge.wordpress.com/nicks-ties-to-holcim/

http://sludge.wordpress.com/2006/10/25/we-need-to-see-action-mayor-says/

How many Disney films have you seen?

This is tedious but suprisingly fun :-P

Put a cross in the box if you have seen the film
and add up as you go along!
(This isn't sad at all. No, sir.)

[+ ] High School Musical
[ +] Holes
[+] Lizzie McGuire Movie
[ ] Cheetah Girls
[ ] Halloween Town High
[ +] Cadet Kelly

total so far : 4

[ ] Get a Clue
[ ] Motocrossed
[+] Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
[+] Pocahontas
[ ] Pocahontas 2
[+]Lady and the Tramp

total so far:7

[ ] Lady and the Tramp 2
[+] Cinderella
[] The Parent Trap (original)
[+] The Parent Trap (with Lindsay Lohan)
[+] The Little Mermaid
[ ] The Little Mermaid 2

Total so far: 10

[+ ] Mary Poppins
[ +] The Fox and the Hound
[ +] Dumbo
[+] Pinocchio
[+] Bambi

total so far: 15

[ +] Basil: The Great Mouse Detective
[+] The Rescuers Down Under
[+] Toy Story
[+] Toy Story 2
[+] Lion King
[+] Lion King 2

total so far: 21

[+] Peter Pan
[ ] Peter Pan 2
[+] Fantasia
[+ ] The Three Caballeros
[+] Alice in Wonderland
[+]Sleeping Beauty

total so far: 26

[+] 101 Dalmatians
[ ] 102 Dalmatians
[+ ] The Sword in the Stone
[+] The Jungle Book
[+ ] The Aristocats

total so far: 30

[+] Robin Hood
[ +] Oliver and Company
[+] Beauty and the Beast
[ ] Beauty and the Beast 2
[+] Aladdin
[+] Aladdin: Return of Jafar
[ ] Aladdin: The King of Thieves

total so far: 35

[+] Finding Nemo.
[+] Monsters, Inc.
[+] Hercules
[+] Mulan
[ ] Mulan 2
[+] Tarzan

total so far:40

[+] Lilo & Stitch
[+] The Hunchback of Notre Dame
[+] The Emperor's New Groove
[+] The Nightmare Before Christmas
[ +] Bed knobs and Broomsticks
[+] Pete's Dragon

total so far: 46

[ ] Remember the Titans
[+] Who Framed Roger Rabbit
[+] James and the Giant Peach
[+] Mighty Ducks
[+] A Bug's Life
[+] The Incredibles

total so far: 51

[ +] Goofy Movie
[ ] Extremely Goofy Movie
[+ ] Atlantis
[+] The Chronicles of Narnia
[+] Around the World in 80 Days
[+] Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

total so far: 56

[ +] A Cinderella Story
[+] Pirates of the Carribean
[+ ] Pirates of the Caribean: Dead Man's Chest
[] National Treasure
[+] Princess Diaries
[+] Princess Diaries 2

total so far: 61

[+] Freaky Friday
[+] Honey I Shrunk the Kids
[+] A Muppet Christmas Carol
[+] Ice Princess

total so far: 65

Now post with the title "I've seen __ disney
movies"

end of the month

Much has happened over the past few days... recent earthquakes felt over the weekend, rains that seem to come out of nowhere, the never ending political bickering, the disasters that seem to sprout up left and right.

October ends this week, bring forth the christmas season (and my birthday) sooner than i hoped. I wonder if these things are a sign of more disasters to come.

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GUIMARAS DONATION DRIVE UPDATE:

We'll be sending another round of donations by the 2nd week of november. For those who want to send some donations, please let us know so we can pick them up :-) Donations in need are clothes, masks, gloves, rubber boots and medicine.

Deadline of donations for the coming shipment is on Nov. 4, 2006. Please contact cleanupoilspill@gmail.com. Please don't forget to send in your contact info.Thanks!

(FEEL FREE TO REPOST)

beginnings

A bit off for beginnings (it's the middle of the month, mid day of the week), but i figure what the hey.

It is both boredom and dire need of distraction that has led me to tinker with this space for the duration of this time today. I am a bit restless. This theme accurately portrays my mood for this night --- wintry, cold and a bit isolated from the world. Ahhh, la vie.

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Things are progressing more quickly than i anticipated. I murmured to my friend one night (squashed in somewhere during my ramblings) that i feel that celebrating my birthday is like jumpstarting a new era year that i am yet unwilling to own up to. Just when you get settled down to being 2+, you just have to start all over again and re-adjust.

It's not like i regret anything i've done at this point in my life --- far from it. I may not like all the paths i have taken, or the decisions ive made, but hey, they were MINE and i own up to them fully. This path which i am taking right now may not be the best for me, as others may remind me quite so often, but dammit, i'm having fun and yes, it IS my life, thanks a lot! (forgive me for being so defensive, some people just DON'T GET THAT). But anyway, i just feel like this age still has so much to offer and i feel i'm running out of time...

lost

A day's quiet for a time
like the calm before a storm
and it poured and rained
like there was no tomorrow
(and i still think that way, sometimes)
The silence s t r e t c h e s , s o c h i l l y,
s o s l o w l y
and rain falls as we barely speak

Refuge in the silence
and the restraint of words
afraid that i may say something
that shouldn't be
After all, it's just a night
And amid the sound of beat and bass
i strain to hear your voice
but i do not hear a word at all.

I get lost in the noise
and i try not to speak
for i know it will bring nothing but tears
yet again.

The Oil Spill Tragedy: Two Months After

Posted October 12th, 2006 by Stella Arnaldo
www.sludge.wordpress.com
By MA. GEOBELYN LOPEZ*
Panay News, Oct. 12, 2006

IT has been two months after the biggest oil spill knocked off the feet of the people of Guimaras and nearby provinces. The problem remains as MT Solar 1 is still 3,000 feet below the sea and continues to spew bunker fuel.

It is quite early for Petron Corp., Sunshine Maritime Development Corp., and even for the Arroyo government to suffer dementia and make it appear that things are getting better each day in Guimaras.

Two months are too short for them to simply forget the extent of damage brought by the oil spill. Amidst attempt to cover up the issue, the fact remains that the affected people suffer the brunt of the tragedy.

Two months after, toxins remain present in the villages worst affected by oil spill. Urine and blood samples taken from the residents of Sitio Bagatnan, Panobolon, Nueva Valencia showed elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide when compared to tolerable limits. This is also evident in Brgy. San Isidro, Sibunag. Toxicologists test the drinking water of Brgy. Tando and found that aromatic hydrocarbons were present. Until now, potable water is not within the reach of the people of Brgy. Tando.

Two months after, livelihood for those who rely on fishing becomes more difficult. Before August 11, the fisherfolks used to earn at least P240 a day. Now, the fish are gone! Though the “cash for work” program of Petron has provided short-term remedy to the displaced fisherfolks, it has not sustained the need for livelihood of the people.

Workers are now gradually being laid off. No alternative livelihood is being put in place.

Others resort to charcoal making, but they know that to be in this work will further worsen the damage to the environment.

Two months after, we are still waiting for concrete, immediate, and appropriate assistance and rehabilitation programs for the affected people. And perhaps, we cannot afford to still wait until December for the siphoning off of the remaining bunker fuel to commence.

The oil spill tragedy in Guimaras is a good example of ningas cogon mentality of the national government, in collaboration with Petron and SMDC. While they are foot-dragging in their response, their own enthusiasm to be at their best to resolve the oil spill problem easily dies down. This is indeed lamentable!

Two months after the oil spill, the people of Guimaras, on the other hand, are getting empowered each day. Now they realized that these corporations are the actual culprits. They already felt the pain of being forgotten by the national government.

Eventually, Madiaas Ecological Movement believes, time will come when the people of Guimaras will unite and make their voices heard. And this is now a challenge for them – how they can be heard and attended to by the Arroyo government. The people are doing their part now.

*The writer is the Acting Secretary General of the Madiaas Ecological Movement – Panay.

To Petron with Love

Greenpeace returns barrel of bunker oil from Guimaras back to Petron
Tuesday, October 10 2006 @ 11:06 PM PDT
Contributed by: gpsea

Greenpeace surprised Petron corporation this morning by delivering a container drum of spilt bunker fuel gathered from the shores of Guimaras to the doorsteps of the company’s headquarters in Makati City. The move, Greenpeace says, is meant to highlight the company's irresponsible lack of urgency in retrieving the remaining bunker fuel which continues to spill out from the sunken MT Solar 1 tanker chartered by the oil giant.
The drum was hand-carried by Greenpeace activists who wore protective gear used for handling hazardous materials. In Petron’s courtyard, Greenpeace volunteers laid down a banner with a replica of Petron’s logo and the words “Petron, stop the spill now!”. The banner was trod on by three other activists who left black footprints leading to Petron’s door, in their wake. more>>

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How safe is Safe?

Civil defense exec grilled over NDCC report
By DAVID ISRAEL SINAY
Panay News Oct. 10, 2006

ILOILO City – In a press statement issued to the media yesterday, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) announced that the level of hydrogen sulfide in Guimaras is now safe.

But how safe is safe?

Further questioning by the media on Deputy Administrator Dr. Anthony Golez Jr. of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) yesterday exposed NDCC’s statement as doubtful, to say the least.

During a media briefing at the Grand Hotel in downtown Iloilo, Golez failed to provide hard data to support NDCC’s assertion.

“I hope to give you accurate data. The national government’s concern is on human safety, security and protection,” Golez emphasized in his opening statement.

The NDCC press statement read: “the (hydrogen sulfide) levels indicated in the August 23 Department of Health (DOH) report is within normal although some areas had slightly elevated… levels…not harmful to human health.”

When pressed by reporters, however Golez was at a loss, especially when he was asked about NDCC’s own subsequent statement that contracted its earlier assertion.

“According to the (Department of Health), once all the debris are cleared, a post clearing test shall be done by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to finally check and verify the levels of the hydrogen sulfide,” the NDCC’s convoluted press statement further read. It added, “If said levels are found within acceptable safe standards then complete return of evacuees shall be recommended by the NDCC.”

How did the NDCC come up with its “safe” declaration when the DENR has yet to “check and verify” the levels of the hydrogen sulfide in Guimaras?

Golez groped for words.

In an unnumbered memorandum dated August 29, 2006 signed by DOH Secretary Francisco Duque Jr., the DOH-Manila in collaboration with the University of the Philippines – National Poison Management and Poison Center revealed high levels of hydrogen sulfide emissions, particularly in Brgys. Cabalagnan and La Paz, exceeding “the US Environmental Protection Agency – Provisional Remediation Goal (EPA-PRG) which is 0.00071 ppm (parts per million).”

Hydrogen sulfide is a highly toxic gas. Considered a broad-spectrum poison, it can poison several different systems in the body with the nervous system mostly affected. Inhalation of air containing high levels of hydrogen sulfide can cause death.

Also, the August 29 report disclosed high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene – which levels exceeds more than a thousand times higher with the EPA-PRG standard limit.

Based on the unnumbered memorandum dated August 29, 2006, DOH immediately made a 100-meter buffer zone on the coastal barangays affected by Petron Corp.’s spilled bunker fuel oil when its chartered vessel, M/T Solar 1, sank off the Guimaras Strait on August 11, 2006.

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It's disheartening to hear that people may belittle the issue, or not even really give much thought on the HUGE impact and consequences of this disaster. We can only hope that true action can be done. This is not something we can just sweep unde rthe rug, folks. :-P

Accenture / VSSQ Donation Drive

It was a tiring weekend, but definitely worth it! We finally got to accumulate and pack the donations Accenture has generously given Guimaras last Saturday afternoon. It was exhilarating to see how much this message of concern has affected so many people, and action has been taken indeed, through generosity of time, money and effort. We know that the job is far from over, but times like these, we are given so much hope that we CAN make a difference, and we are, one step at a time. Thank you very much for your kindness!!

View more pics here.

Dearly Departing

Departure Area
Originally uploaded by paolomanalo.

Dear you,

so long have i not heard from you and once again you invade my present. I am perturbed, to put it lightly. Perhaps this too shall pass, along with the every-eccentric wave of emotion awashing me this time of the month. As the song palys on and on in the background, it's me , it's you... damn it.

Farewell seemed too hurtful, and goodbye was never an option, for here you are again, making me waste my time blogging this crap. Hello isn't exactly what i was going to say, there is so much to say instead of that. But is talking really the solution? Will it take us to where we want to be? I dare not even ponder on that.

So there, dear, i say it. how now, brown cow?

commemorating!

kits_buni
Originally uploaded by wanderlust_junkie.

What's dinner and breakfast at the same time? A spanking good time (sans yosi), with kits! had a late "breakfast"/dinner with her yesterday, when i was on my way home and she was on her way in to work. hahaha!

Kits has decided to move into a brand new adventure (check her blog!) so in honor of this, im posting this (naks, ok ba?) congrats girl! im really proud of you and your talents --- may you move into bigger and better things! ;-) love ya!

medyo bangag... slight lang

medyo bangag
Originally uploaded by wanderlust_junkie.

a quick shot at Uva with Mary after dinner --- got to chill with her amidst the almost instantaneous downpour last night. Having a solid 6 hour pickup of donations and almost little rest, i hungrily devoured my insalata while listening to her kwento of her weekend in the province. It was delish, literally and figuratively! Such a great time to catch up with friends and have a quick touch base with good food ...mmmm.. :-)