You know it is rare nowadays to have mail men delivering letters and parcel since the advent of email and text messaging, most specially on a Sunday. But I got a pleasant surprise yesterday. Midmorning, a delivery guy handed in a fat envelope. “Stocks galing sa Meralco,” the man said matter of factly. I opened the envelope as if it was a present during Christmas time, and behold Meralco gave out 10 percent stock dividend.”
Nice one. Afterall, it has been a while since Meralco gave out something either as stock or cash dividend to their shareholders. My Meralco shares are special. Afterall, it was my first major investment. And from a young college student who took the leap of faith, the business funding was not something to sneeze at. I had no idea how the whole stockmarket worked then. Although at that time, I stumbled upon heaps of paper of shareholding from the mining sector inside the supposed fire proof vault. And when I asked about them from my Dad, “They’re now worthless,” was the stern reply.
But still I was intrigued with what I always read at the Business Section of newspapers. All those digits, and all those big businesses. So when Meralco called on people to invest, I made the telephone call only to find out that I could only have Meralco A shares. The pricier B shares were reserved for foreign investors. My mind could only fathom – “that’s discrimination!” In any case, I still bought at IPO (initial price offering) rate.
And I found out that particular time was already the beginnings of a boom run. Weeks later, values of shares rose very significantly on a daily basis. From an initial value of around thirty bucks per share, Meralco A shares steadily went threefold. With a very rosy financial picture, the lure was to get some more shares, particularly from coming IPOs as the values were cheaper. And with some financial helping from Dad, I chose supposedly good ones – even the much anticipated Petron shares. The market was so good that one analyst had this tongue in cheek advice: Get a dart, and position a newspaper clipping of all participating corporations in the Philippine Stock Exchange as your dartboard. Where the dart landed, try investing on it.
The market fever was contagious. I would regularly send messages to my Dad thru his pager (no, text messaging yet) about the news of the meteoric rise of shares. I had a girlfriend, cousin, aunts and uncles buy shares from my friend Andoy. My classmate Hansel and I would even meet him at open parking lot at UP Phan even during the evenings after he got off at work from Makati Stock Exchange just to buy and sell shares. The whole scenario looked sinister, having to talk about the stock market inside an auto, while exchanging money and stock certificates. The look was very Mafioso as if we were trading shabu.
I even had a special trip going to the old Makati Stock Exchange Building. I brought along my cousin Paulo to meet up with Andoy. We bought some Steniel shares, as we knew that the company was giving out fifty percent stock dividend. The visitors’ lounge was stuffy because of the number of people who went their to ogle at numbers at the Big Board. With pens and some scratch paper in tow, people religiously computed wins and losses. Apparently, they never go to advise us two that the Steniel stocks were lemons. After the dividend, prices plummeted. And we just had to sell the shares at a loss.
And that was the start of loss of many other investments. Earlier the economy had been running fever pitch, then all of a sudden the market came down with flu in the entire Asian region, including the Philippines. Interesting metaphors – after the fever, a flu.
The Phisix shares had a steady decline. And it was painful to monitor how the prices went down. But still I held on to numerous sets of shares – mostly from the power sector, hoping things will improve on a long term basis. And since the start of this year, the market has slowly recovered; in fact Phisix has already had its all time high this year. And with this ten percent share surprise blessing, this stocks and shares business promises to be another monster hit.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
(MATA) posh them more into celebrityhood
Well after some leakage supposedly by one enterprising entertainment website, the Big Brother House reopens its doors, this time for the second batch of celebrities, vying to become the Big Winner after 70 days inside the house. The show starts with PDA scholars, eman and yeng singing the Celebrity Edition theme. It is nice to see them featured, although eman seems to be singing the second voice flat throughout.
Then hosts, Mariel and Bianca don maid uniforms to show a newly refurbished home, fit for true A list celebrities. Of course, the house showcases carpets from Kian (Season 2 housemate). I guess carpets will be flying off again from stores at the malls. (don’t you notice carpets have always been sold at 50 percent less?) But you have to give it to the guy, Alfred Galvez to create great and inspiring murals. The one done at the dining area was typical fresco wall art. Da Vinciesque. A culturati would appreciate it. This guy is an artist. Again, PSID shows off its students’ work through the interior works. Nice for Direk dyogi to tap these guys. The school has done consistently good.
Toni Gonzaga, the main and most competent host calls in each housemate. Each is interviewed, blindfolded, and whisked inside the house:
Will Devaugn (sp?) – I guess walang jollibee sponsorship this time
Megan Young – di ba Starstruck galing ito, reality show times 2!
Riza Torres (?) – gandang galing sa giyera
Ruben Gonzaga – funny man from davao
Victor Basa – wants some help sa electricity and realty tax
Yayo Aguila – will she now spill the beans about William’s drug issue
Baron Geisler – this guy has real issues, nice to see him here
The Banker of Deal or No Deal?! - ay hindi…si marylaine daw…well one of the more forgettable faces ng mga girls ni banker….pero bipolar daw....woo!
Then there is a brief interlude. The camera goes to the main sala area. Housemates are asked to remove their blindfolds. Some exchanges of kamustahan.
Then big brother asks Marylaine and another guy (Baron Geisler) to get the very large suitcase, near the confession room and be brought to where the other housemates are. It turns out another of the 26k girl has been inside that case for a long time (reminiscent of the smart car suffocation accident?). The girl is too glad to get out of that compartment.
Toni gonzaga explains that this girl and marylaine are twin parts of the new gimmick. Voters who pick one girl to be saved, pick the other girl as well. “Parang buy one, take one lang.”
The roster continues.
Donald Geisler – taekwondo artist, kuya ni baron, formidable geisler brothers - part of the "twinning gimmick", resbakan na!
Then the roster stops. Big Brother instructs the housemates to get the key frozen in a block of ice from the swimming pool. The key opens the lock of a big beer barrel. Obviously, an activity that can whet Baron’s need for some alcohol. The camera pans to baron’s face, feigning a “uhuh..that activity is not intended for me” countenance.
Big Brother nicely asks the housemates to change into their swimgear. We get to see our Christmas presents as early as now, with bodies carefully wrapped in terrycloth bathrobe. Heck, we will see all of those princely assets by tomorrow.
Then the trickling in of the housemate stops as four other housemates will enter the house at their own time. At least 10 people technically are inside the house thus boredom among housemates and the viewers is not an issue here unlike season 2.
Sadly, i do not see ethel booba among the four coming in yet. Early prognasticators including the website that leaked out the list had it wrong this time. Unless ethel was scrapped out of the original list.
The show rolls out the ending credits. That's all folks until when we get to see again the hip and happenin house which I believe will become grungier by the day.
Then hosts, Mariel and Bianca don maid uniforms to show a newly refurbished home, fit for true A list celebrities. Of course, the house showcases carpets from Kian (Season 2 housemate). I guess carpets will be flying off again from stores at the malls. (don’t you notice carpets have always been sold at 50 percent less?) But you have to give it to the guy, Alfred Galvez to create great and inspiring murals. The one done at the dining area was typical fresco wall art. Da Vinciesque. A culturati would appreciate it. This guy is an artist. Again, PSID shows off its students’ work through the interior works. Nice for Direk dyogi to tap these guys. The school has done consistently good.
Toni Gonzaga, the main and most competent host calls in each housemate. Each is interviewed, blindfolded, and whisked inside the house:
Will Devaugn (sp?) – I guess walang jollibee sponsorship this time
Megan Young – di ba Starstruck galing ito, reality show times 2!
Riza Torres (?) – gandang galing sa giyera
Ruben Gonzaga – funny man from davao
Victor Basa – wants some help sa electricity and realty tax
Yayo Aguila – will she now spill the beans about William’s drug issue
Baron Geisler – this guy has real issues, nice to see him here
The Banker of Deal or No Deal?! - ay hindi…si marylaine daw…well one of the more forgettable faces ng mga girls ni banker….pero bipolar daw....woo!
Then there is a brief interlude. The camera goes to the main sala area. Housemates are asked to remove their blindfolds. Some exchanges of kamustahan.
Then big brother asks Marylaine and another guy (Baron Geisler) to get the very large suitcase, near the confession room and be brought to where the other housemates are. It turns out another of the 26k girl has been inside that case for a long time (reminiscent of the smart car suffocation accident?). The girl is too glad to get out of that compartment.
Toni gonzaga explains that this girl and marylaine are twin parts of the new gimmick. Voters who pick one girl to be saved, pick the other girl as well. “Parang buy one, take one lang.”
The roster continues.
Donald Geisler – taekwondo artist, kuya ni baron, formidable geisler brothers - part of the "twinning gimmick", resbakan na!
Then the roster stops. Big Brother instructs the housemates to get the key frozen in a block of ice from the swimming pool. The key opens the lock of a big beer barrel. Obviously, an activity that can whet Baron’s need for some alcohol. The camera pans to baron’s face, feigning a “uhuh..that activity is not intended for me” countenance.
Big Brother nicely asks the housemates to change into their swimgear. We get to see our Christmas presents as early as now, with bodies carefully wrapped in terrycloth bathrobe. Heck, we will see all of those princely assets by tomorrow.
Then the trickling in of the housemate stops as four other housemates will enter the house at their own time. At least 10 people technically are inside the house thus boredom among housemates and the viewers is not an issue here unlike season 2.
Sadly, i do not see ethel booba among the four coming in yet. Early prognasticators including the website that leaked out the list had it wrong this time. Unless ethel was scrapped out of the original list.
The show rolls out the ending credits. That's all folks until when we get to see again the hip and happenin house which I believe will become grungier by the day.
Friday, October 12, 2007
a pre-season phase
Oh me and my face. This mug of mine needed some supposed pampering. But how can you say having a facial is pampering when after some obligatory facial massage, pain engulfs your being.
Well it has been at least three months since I saw my dermatologist for some scrubbing and pricking. So I decided to see my doctor at the mall yesterday. Big time error. I should have done it last Thursday instead. I knew it was Eid’l Fitr, marking the end of our Moslem Brother and Sister’s Ramadan, but I did not expect troops upon troops of people cramming the whole area, as if the mall had turned into a celebratory spot for the holiday. Because of the long queues at the ATM machines for some weekend cash, I decided that I needed to pay my derma service thru credit card instead.
I got to the clinic, and behold the whole place was gushing with Christmas ornaments – like every corner was just wanting to be decorated with some Santa Claus plastic board and fake fir trunk. Not to be missed are blue and yellow parols on the ceilings. “Paskong pasko na,” a remark that just needed to be blurted out to the waiting attendants.
My attendant and I went to the initial stage of the facial - lathering my face with soap and massaging the facial tissues (ok, this is the pampering side of the visit). While the attendant kneaded that area of the eyeballs (I said “eyeballs” alright, and her name is not Kris’s James’s Hope either), there was this large and long scary howl.
“Hay naku ganyan talaga tuwing hapon, mga nakakatakot na tunog na pang Halloween. Galing yan sa baba kung saan may kunwaring haunted house. Tapos sa umaga naman, puro kanta ng pasko naman. Nakakainis. Ang aga-aga pa.”
Exactly my sentiments, why are we rushing to celebrate holidays? It freaks me out that Christmas songs are sung as early as September 1 (although our tree goes up November 1). And to have mock up haunted houses two weeks before Halloween is disconcerting. If it is up to me, Halloween should be marketed (by malls specially) a week before. And since we so love the season, Christmas ornaments should be up after November 1. (Thus I contradict my own decree with merely one day. And what’s one day?)
So there I was lying down inside the chamber of pain for the second portion of the facial. The dermatologist pricked and needled my face although she had less zits and blackheads to work on. Still, it was no less painful, and some blood oozed from this face. “Ok just come back,” the derma urged as usual. But if things go right, I thought that maybe next year perhaps, after the holiday season?
Now out of the clinic, I ambled myself towards my car. Then I realized I was near the freaking haunted house. As I peeped at the window to see the activity inside, I saw some four and five year olds peeped back at me. Their look on their face were not as perturbed as expected. But who knows - they might be in shock. With some blood on my face, that house could have been a lot more terrifying.
Well it has been at least three months since I saw my dermatologist for some scrubbing and pricking. So I decided to see my doctor at the mall yesterday. Big time error. I should have done it last Thursday instead. I knew it was Eid’l Fitr, marking the end of our Moslem Brother and Sister’s Ramadan, but I did not expect troops upon troops of people cramming the whole area, as if the mall had turned into a celebratory spot for the holiday. Because of the long queues at the ATM machines for some weekend cash, I decided that I needed to pay my derma service thru credit card instead.
I got to the clinic, and behold the whole place was gushing with Christmas ornaments – like every corner was just wanting to be decorated with some Santa Claus plastic board and fake fir trunk. Not to be missed are blue and yellow parols on the ceilings. “Paskong pasko na,” a remark that just needed to be blurted out to the waiting attendants.
My attendant and I went to the initial stage of the facial - lathering my face with soap and massaging the facial tissues (ok, this is the pampering side of the visit). While the attendant kneaded that area of the eyeballs (I said “eyeballs” alright, and her name is not Kris’s James’s Hope either), there was this large and long scary howl.
“Hay naku ganyan talaga tuwing hapon, mga nakakatakot na tunog na pang Halloween. Galing yan sa baba kung saan may kunwaring haunted house. Tapos sa umaga naman, puro kanta ng pasko naman. Nakakainis. Ang aga-aga pa.”
Exactly my sentiments, why are we rushing to celebrate holidays? It freaks me out that Christmas songs are sung as early as September 1 (although our tree goes up November 1). And to have mock up haunted houses two weeks before Halloween is disconcerting. If it is up to me, Halloween should be marketed (by malls specially) a week before. And since we so love the season, Christmas ornaments should be up after November 1. (Thus I contradict my own decree with merely one day. And what’s one day?)
So there I was lying down inside the chamber of pain for the second portion of the facial. The dermatologist pricked and needled my face although she had less zits and blackheads to work on. Still, it was no less painful, and some blood oozed from this face. “Ok just come back,” the derma urged as usual. But if things go right, I thought that maybe next year perhaps, after the holiday season?
Now out of the clinic, I ambled myself towards my car. Then I realized I was near the freaking haunted house. As I peeped at the window to see the activity inside, I saw some four and five year olds peeped back at me. Their look on their face were not as perturbed as expected. But who knows - they might be in shock. With some blood on my face, that house could have been a lot more terrifying.
Maverick at the Attic (MATA)
“Nnnnnnoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo…..,” a loud reaction came out from my brain as loud as the scream produced by Bruce when Wendy got evicted from the house of Kuya.
This was my immediate reaction once another Big Brother series was on the offing. After the hullabaloo about the inclusion of Wendy until the Big Four, director Dyogi must have that heart of steel to do another one yet. And to do another Celebrity Edition even when he himself admitted to have troubles the first time around truly makes him a good soldier of the studio.
There is nothing like watching reality television, particularly when it is produced as good as the ones done by ABS and Endemol. And I have to commend both entities for creating local reality shows worth the watching notwithstanding Direk Joey Reyes’s pronouncements on the last edition of PBB. These shows are not done primarily just for entertainment, but to elicit viewer reactions.
And if writers are creative and judicious enough, they should be able to produce situations which should push the buttons of the housemates. But it would be more effective television if the housemates themselves are the ones to rouse other housemates to grip us into watching day-in and day-out real drama. That is why I was very appreciative of Wendy as she had the derring-do of upping the ante of a somehow lethargic series.
But many of the televiewers have to be cautioned not to disparage people inside that little big house of Kuya. Each housemate has a story to tell, and a role to play. And if the housemate delivers it with gusto, then so much the better for the viewers. Their little stories and roles weave a narrative for all of us to get glued on the television. And hopefully, it gives us a morality tale that sparks conversation and little arguments in our houses, offices, and in the different internet fora.
What the housemates say and do is not the end all and be all of their personhood. The housemates just decide to show personas for all of us to have a sneak peek on. As I have said time and time again, we as viewers are not better than the housemates. My fear is that viewers will be diminished to condemning, accusing, and finger pointing individuals. I hope the viewers this time value the whole series thematically rather than the individual parts of the housemates.
Are the televiewers prepared for another ride of mind boggling, heart pounding, gut wrenching, bone chilling and hair pulling antics of the celebrity housemates?
“Yyyesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!” But please watch with caution.
This was my immediate reaction once another Big Brother series was on the offing. After the hullabaloo about the inclusion of Wendy until the Big Four, director Dyogi must have that heart of steel to do another one yet. And to do another Celebrity Edition even when he himself admitted to have troubles the first time around truly makes him a good soldier of the studio.
There is nothing like watching reality television, particularly when it is produced as good as the ones done by ABS and Endemol. And I have to commend both entities for creating local reality shows worth the watching notwithstanding Direk Joey Reyes’s pronouncements on the last edition of PBB. These shows are not done primarily just for entertainment, but to elicit viewer reactions.
And if writers are creative and judicious enough, they should be able to produce situations which should push the buttons of the housemates. But it would be more effective television if the housemates themselves are the ones to rouse other housemates to grip us into watching day-in and day-out real drama. That is why I was very appreciative of Wendy as she had the derring-do of upping the ante of a somehow lethargic series.
But many of the televiewers have to be cautioned not to disparage people inside that little big house of Kuya. Each housemate has a story to tell, and a role to play. And if the housemate delivers it with gusto, then so much the better for the viewers. Their little stories and roles weave a narrative for all of us to get glued on the television. And hopefully, it gives us a morality tale that sparks conversation and little arguments in our houses, offices, and in the different internet fora.
What the housemates say and do is not the end all and be all of their personhood. The housemates just decide to show personas for all of us to have a sneak peek on. As I have said time and time again, we as viewers are not better than the housemates. My fear is that viewers will be diminished to condemning, accusing, and finger pointing individuals. I hope the viewers this time value the whole series thematically rather than the individual parts of the housemates.
Are the televiewers prepared for another ride of mind boggling, heart pounding, gut wrenching, bone chilling and hair pulling antics of the celebrity housemates?
“Yyyesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!” But please watch with caution.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
desperate for a respectable image
I am not a particular follower of the show “Desperate Housewives” but if I am not mistaken, a Filipina was part of its cast about two weeks ago as shown on Studio 23. And guess what her role was: a maid.
And on its latest telecast in the US, the Philippine schooled doctors have now been ascribed to as mediocre by one of the desperate housewives, played by Teri Hatcher. I got to watch a a very short video of the show, thanks to You Tube and my hunch is that the specific episode could have been taped while the frenzy on the Nursing Board Exam was at its highest last year. Perhaps the writers heard about the scandal, and thought of innocently generalizing the whole medical profession having dirty rotten professionals, including doctors. In any case, we know it is not the fault of those who took the nursing exam, but heck the lazy and callous writers injected such “funny” details just to achieve some punch in their script lines.
But the reason could be worse. Maybe, despite our deep inclination to give a real good impression of how we are as a people, still the global perception is that we are a nation of cheats and liars. I am not about to rattle off a long laundry list of our mistakes, and the way we try to cover up such mistakes brought about by fraud, scams and deceit. You name the area, and I tell you a scandalous shenanigan in that area. Politics. Sports. Education. Entertainment.
Just the same, the comment is deplorable. Afterall, it is the desperate housewives' nation that has been counting on the Philippines to export its own medical laborers to their shores – from doctors, physical therapists to nurses - to the detriment of the health of our nation's very own citizens. Yet who knows - probably, it is the Pinoy hands that have made these desperate housewives’ boobs balloon and inflate. And because of the anasthesia, they were too groggy to have recognized the brown skinned Pinoy manhandling their worthy assets.
I agree as a nation, we need to assert ourselves and be indignant about this obvious booboo. Cheeky writers need not use that image of the country as full of charlatans and swindlers. Afterall, our very own desperate housewife, the figure of Imelda and her shoes has been more than enough.
And on its latest telecast in the US, the Philippine schooled doctors have now been ascribed to as mediocre by one of the desperate housewives, played by Teri Hatcher. I got to watch a a very short video of the show, thanks to You Tube and my hunch is that the specific episode could have been taped while the frenzy on the Nursing Board Exam was at its highest last year. Perhaps the writers heard about the scandal, and thought of innocently generalizing the whole medical profession having dirty rotten professionals, including doctors. In any case, we know it is not the fault of those who took the nursing exam, but heck the lazy and callous writers injected such “funny” details just to achieve some punch in their script lines.
But the reason could be worse. Maybe, despite our deep inclination to give a real good impression of how we are as a people, still the global perception is that we are a nation of cheats and liars. I am not about to rattle off a long laundry list of our mistakes, and the way we try to cover up such mistakes brought about by fraud, scams and deceit. You name the area, and I tell you a scandalous shenanigan in that area. Politics. Sports. Education. Entertainment.
Just the same, the comment is deplorable. Afterall, it is the desperate housewives' nation that has been counting on the Philippines to export its own medical laborers to their shores – from doctors, physical therapists to nurses - to the detriment of the health of our nation's very own citizens. Yet who knows - probably, it is the Pinoy hands that have made these desperate housewives’ boobs balloon and inflate. And because of the anasthesia, they were too groggy to have recognized the brown skinned Pinoy manhandling their worthy assets.
I agree as a nation, we need to assert ourselves and be indignant about this obvious booboo. Cheeky writers need not use that image of the country as full of charlatans and swindlers. Afterall, our very own desperate housewife, the figure of Imelda and her shoes has been more than enough.
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